Debates in the Senate of Magna Lilliputia

The "Debates in the Senate of Magna Lilliputia" were a series of political fictions written by Samuel Johnson for The Gentleman's Magazine between 1741 and 1744. These debates were presented as if they were actual proceedings in the British House of Commons, a practice that was prohibited at the time.1

Johnson, having visited the House of Commons only once, based these fictional debates on limited information. Despite this, the series, using a Swiftian pseudonym, provided a satirical commentary on contemporary politics. While Johnson claimed to ensure the Whig party did not have the advantage, many of the debates appear balanced, with Johnson's fictional representation of Sir Robert Walpole defending himself skillfully. These fictional debates are a form of formal oral confrontation, where arguments are presented to support opposing sides of a question, a practice common in legislative bodies and formal settings.12