The Rolliad, in Two Parts Probationary Odes for the Laureatship & Political Eclogues

by Richard Tickell

"The Rolliad, in Two Parts" by Tickell, Ellis, Laurence, and Richardson is a work of British political satire published serially in 1784–85. This collaborative work takes the ingenious form of literary criticism examining a fictional epic poem about John Rolle, MP for Devon, being guided through Parliament by Merlin. The satire primarily targets Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger and his administration, mocking Pitt's youth, personal habits, and political allies through witty verse and biting commentary that captured the political tensions of its era.