London: A Poem in Imitation of the Third Satire of Juvenal

Cambria is the Latinized version of Cymru, the Welsh name for Wales. Johnson uses the Latinized term in keeping with his imitation of the Latin Juvenalian satire. Similarly, Ireland is called Hibernia’s Land—Hibernia being what the ancient Greeks called Ireland in their accounts. The ancient names add authority to Thales’s veneration of these places, showing that they have a deep, meaningful history and have long offered rest and solace to Englishmen. In the poem, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland symbolize nature and a native (homegrown) essence, which is pure and honorable. For instance, Thales wishes to give up the parks and theatres of London for “the fair banks of Severn or of Trent” (Line 211). Severn, England’s longest river, flows through Wales, while Trent is another river far from London. The Severn and the Trent, emblematic of uncorrupted nature, are a relief from the corruption of the city.

Orgilio appears twice in the poem, first in Line 84, and then in the description of Orgilio’s palace from Line 194 onwards. The name is derived from the French word orgueil, or pride, and identifies this stock character as a wealthy fraud. Some critics argue that Johnson may have intended Orgilio as a veiled reference to Robert Walpole, leader of the Whigs and the de facto Prime Minister of the day.