The Court Wits of the Restoration were men of extraordinary talents, energies, and accomplishments. In the history of English literature, no other group of writers has ever had such wealth, power, and celebrity; or to put the matter differently, no other group of statesmen, courtiers, and politicians has ever been so involved in literature. Among this group, George Villiers, the second duke of Buckingham, was in some ways the most distinguished. As a duke, he held the highest rank and had the greatest income outside the royal family. As the king's first minister, he was at one time directly responsible for all affairs of the government; and later, as one of the principal leaders of the opposition, he was much more popular and nearly as influential. As a wit, rake, and courtier, he was "the most accomplished man of the age," according to Francis Lockier, a contemporary observer...