ABSTRACT
In early 1661, after returning to Ireland from England, where he had been lobbying Charles II on the issue of the land settlement, Roger Boyle, first Earl of Orrery, wrote a play at the invitation of the restored king. Kerrigan himself draws attention to why someone such as Roger Boyle would have to do this. The earl had held key offices under the Cromwells. For Roger Boyle, then, the way historical events were recounted was something that could be consciously manipulated to one's own advantage. It is fair to say that quite a considerable amount of analysis and historical reconstruction went into the designation of The Generall as Orrery's first Restoration rhymed heroic play. It is a product of the political circumstances of the early years of the Restoration era itself, an example of political lobbying through the medium of literary works and also an example of the re-casting of historical events for particular ends.
