Sir Charles Sedley, 5th Baronet in 1702. The relationship with Ann Ayscough lasted to the end of Sedley's life. His reputation as a wit and dissolute was partially responsible for the Sedleys of William Makepeace Thackeray's "Vanity Fair". His most famous song, "Phyllis is My Only Joy", is much more widely known now than the author's name. While Sedley chiefly produced light amatory verse and pastoral dialogues in the 1670s, he turned to satirical epigrams in the 1680s and 1690s. His "Epigrams: or, Court Characters" are modelled on the works of Martial. In his epigram "To Nysus", for example, Sedley describes the function of satire
Vanity Fair (2004 film) more advantageous marriage for his son George. When George refuses to countenance marrying his father's candidate, Mr. Osborne calls in the debts which Mr. Sedley owes to him, bankrupting the family and obliging George to break the engagement to Amelia. Amelia, now living in squalor with her family, remains hopeful that George will come for her, deluding herself when she receives the gift of a piano from George's loyal friend Dobbin into thinking that it is from George himself. Becky seduces Rawdon Crawley and the two marry secretly, though they are soon exposed to Miss Crawley, who expels Becky from