What did Samuel Johnson’s early political satires say about Robert Walpole’s government?

Samuel Johnson’s early political satires, published in 1738 and 1739, were sharp critiques of Sir Robert Walpole’s administration and the Hanoverian monarchy. His works, including the poem London, Marmor Norfolciense, and A Compleat Vindication of the Licensers of the Stage, reflected his support for the political opposition, which consisted of a coalition of disaffected Whigs, Tories, and Jacobites.1

In these writings, Johnson attacked the government on several fronts:

• Corruption and Liberty: Like other contemporary critics, Johnson viewed Walpole’s government as corrupt and a threat to English liberty.21
• Social and Moral Decay: In London, he lamented the deterioration of English life, citing issues such as the excise tax, the prevalence of masquerades, and the failure of the government to protect "English honour" against foreign influence.1
• Censorship: A Compleat Vindication of the Licensers of the Stage served as an ironic defense of the Stage Licensing Act of 1737, highlighting the government's suppression of political dissent in the theater.1

Johnson’s satires were influenced by the style of Jonathan Swift, and he later utilized a similar satiric approach in his "Debates in the Senate of Magna Lilliputia" for The Gentleman’s Magazine.1