Introduction

Biography

Phineas was the son of Giles Fletch­er, and cou­sin of po­et John Fletch­er.

He was edu­cat­ed at Et­on Col­lege and King’s Col­lege, Cam­bridge.

Taking Ho­ly Or­ders in 1621, he served at Hil­gay, Nor­folk, al­most 29 years.

Works

His best known po­em, Pur­ple Island (1633), was an al­le­gor­i­cal des­crip­tion of man, in the style of Spens­er.

His Lo­cus­tes or Apol­ly­on­ists, an anti-Je­suit sa­tire, sug­gest­ed to Mil­ton some ideas for his Pa­ra­dise Lost.