Boyle Controversy
Preserved but no longer current.
A book-battle between Charles Boyle, fourth Earl of Orrery, and the famous Bentley, respecting the Epistles of Phalans, which were edited by Boyle in 1695. Two years later Bentley published his cele- brated Dissertation, showing that the epistles (see PHALARIS) were spurious, and in 1699 published another rejoinder, utterly annihilat- ing the Boyle partisans. Swift's Battle of the Books (q.v.) was one result of the controversy.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Boyle Controversy” mean?
A book-battle between Charles Boyle, fourth Earl of Orrery, and the famous Bentley, respecting the Epistles of Phalans, which were edited by Boyle in 1695. Two years later Bentley published his cele- brated Dissertation, showing that the epistles (see PHALARIS) were spurious, and in 1699 published another rejoinder, utterly annihilat- ing the Boyle partisans. Swift's Battle of the Books (q.v.) was one result of the controversy.
Is “Boyle Controversy” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.