Fleetwood Sheppard

Fleetwood Sheppard (sometimes spelled as "Shepphard," "Sheppheard," and "Sheppeard") (1 January 1634 – 25 August 1698) was a British courtier and literary wit who was instrumental in the courts of Charles II of England and William of Orange. He was an educated man known for his lively wit and honesty, and he was an important figure in the poetry of the 1680s and 1690s.

Life

Education and introduction to royal court

He was born in

) said that Sheppard spent his time as "a debauchee and atheist, a grand companion," others suggested that he was a fundamentally honest man who was always interested in a good joke.

He became one of Charles II's dining companions, and when Nell Gwynn gave birth to a male child, he was made the steward of Gwynn's household. This prompted a satirist to accuse him of being the best paid pimp in the land. There is little truth to this charge, however, as Sheppard was not paid by the crown for his services, except for two grants of £200.

Dorset and Sheppard went to Paris together. Additionally, Dorset would travel out to meet Sheppard when the latter went out to the country. Whether he and Dorset got in trouble in Paris for some scandalous behaviour, as Wood suggests, or not, it is true that Sheppard lived a very active life. He was stabbed beneath the eye while separating

in a quarrel in a tavern.

Exile and return to court

Sheppard was not liked by

.

Literary interest

Sheppard was a patron of many poets and one of those who discovered others. He was one of the ones, for example, who "discovered"

regarded Sheppard as the only critic he needed for his verses.

Purported deaths, and death

In his last years, Sheppard was reported dead several times before he died. In 1694, Lord Godolphin heard a report that Sheppard had died, but Sheppard himself responded, saying that he was alive, but that he had suffered from "the stone" for twelve to fourteen years. In December 1697, he was again reported as dead. In July 1698, he was again reported as dead. He did die shortly afterward, but in 1768 a joking Annual Register announced that Sheppard was still alive, in good health, and 120 years old.

References

• Ellis, Frank H.. "Fleetwood Sheppard". In Matthew, H.C.G. and Brian Harrison, eds. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. vol. 50, 255–257. London: OUP, 2004. The first edition of this text is available at Wikisource: "Sheppard, Fleetwood" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.