Presented in two volumes, The Ashgate Research Companion to The Sidneys, 1500-1700 assesses the current state of scholarship on members of the Sidney family and their impact, as historical and/or literary figures, in the period 1500-1700. Volume 2: Literature, begins with an exploration of the Sidneys' books and manuscripts and how they circulated, followed by an overview of the contributions of family members -Sir Philip Sidney; Mary Sidney Herbert, Countess of Pembroke; Lady Mary Wroth; Robert Sidney, Earl of Leicester; and William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke - in the genres of prose romance, drama, poetry, psalms and prose. These essays outline major controversies and areas for further research, as well as conducting literary analysis.

Few families have contributed as much to English history and literature-indeed, to the arts generally-as the Sidney family. This two-volume Ashgate Research Companion assesses the current state of scholarship on family members and their impact, as historical and literary figures, in the period 1500-1700. Volume 1: Lives, begins with an overview of the Sidneys and politics, providing some links to court events, entertainments, literature, and patronage. The volume gives biographies to prominent high-profile Sidney women and men, as well as sections assessing the influence of the family in the areas of the English court, international politics, patronage, religion, public entertainment, the visual arts, and music. The focus of the second volume is the literary contributions of Sir Philip Sidney; Mary Sidney Herbert, Countess of Pembroke; Lady Mary Wroth; Robert Sidney, Earl of Leicester; and William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke.

Presented in two volumes, this Ashgate Research Companion assesses the current state of scholarship on members of the Sidney family and their impact, as historical and/or literary figures in the period 1500-1700. Volume 2, Literature, begins with an exploration of the Sidneys' books and manuscripts and how they circulated, followed by an overview of the contributions of select family members in the genres of romance, drama, poetry, psalms, and prose. These essays outline major controversies and areas for further research, as well as conducting literary analysis.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Notes on Contributors -- Preface: Volume 1 -- Acknowledgments -- List of Abbreviations -- Chronology -- The Sidney Family Tree -- Part I Overview -- 1 Family Networks: The Sidneys, Dudleys, and Herberts -- Part II Biographies -- 2 Sir Henry Sidney (1529-1586) -- 3 Lady Mary Dudley Sidney (c. 1531-1586) and Her Siblings -- 4 Philip Sidney (1554-1586) -- 5 Mary Sidney Herbert (1561-1621), Countess of Pembroke -- 6 Those Essex Girls: The Lives and Letters of Lettice Knollys, Penelope Rich, Dorothy Perrott Percy, and Frances Walsingham -- 7 The Life of Robert Sidney (1563-1626), First Earl of Leicester -- 8 Barbara Gamage Sidney (c. 1562-1621), Countess of Leicester, Elizabeth Sidney Manners (1585-1612), Countess of Rutland, and Lady Mary Sidney Wroth (1587-1651) -- 9 Robert Sidney (1595-1677), Second Earl of Leicester -- 10 A Triptych of Dorothy Percy Sidney (1598-1659), Countess of Leicester, Lucy Percy Hay (1599-1660), Countess of Carlisle, and Dorothy Sidney Spencer (1617-1684), Countess of Sunderland -- 11 Algernon Sidney's Life and Works (1623-1683) -- 12 Henry Sidney (1641-1704), Earl of Romney, and Robert Spencer (1641-1702), Second Earl of Sunderland -- Part III The Sidneys in Ireland and Wales -- 13 The Sidneys in Ireland -- 14 The Sidneys and Wales -- Part IV The Sidneys and the Continent -- 15 The Sidneys and the Continent: The Tudor Period -- 16 The Sidneys and the Continent: The Stuart Period -- Part V The Sidneys and the Arts -- 17 The Sidneys and Public Entertainments -- 18 The Sidneys and Literary Patronage -- 19 Penshurst Place and Leicester House -- 20 The Sidneys and the Visual Arts -- 21 The Sidneys and Music -- Index