This authoritative edition brings together a unique combination of Sidney's poetry and prose, including 'The Defence of Poesy', substantial parts of both versions of the 'Arcadia', and the whole of the sonnet sequence 'Astrophil and Stella'.

A general critical study of Sidney's life and works, first published in 1977: his life in relation to his works and both in relation to his age. In the late 1570s and early 1580s, when the literary scene in England was barren, Sidney emerged as the right man at the right moment to establish a national literature. In his Defence of Poetry he formulated a poetic which showed 'why and how' imaginative literature could be written in Protestant England; and in his poetry and prose, chiefly in Astrophel and Stella and the two versions of The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia, he revealed that the English language was, as he claimed, 'indeed capable of any excellent exercising of it'. Through the influence of his personality, his critical insight, and his brilliant achievement in both poetry and prose - which Professor Hamilton in this study establishes through careful analysis - Sidney became the central figure of the English literary Renaissance.

This is the first modern study of the production and circulation of manuscripts during the English Renaissance. H.R. Woudhuysen examines the relationship between manuscript and print, looks at people who lived by their pens, and surveys authorial and scribal manuscripts, paying particular attention to the copying of verse, plays, and scholarly works by hand. It investigates the professional production of manuscripts for sale by scribes such as Ralph Crane and Richard Robinson. The second part of the book examines Sir Philip Sydney's works in the context of Woudhuysen's research, discussing all Sidney's important manuscripts, and seeking to assess his part in the circulation of his works and his role in the promotion of a scribal culture. A detailed examination of the manuscripts and early prints of his poems, his Arcadias, and of Astrophil and Stella shed new light on their composition, evolution, and dissemination, as well as on Sidney's friends and admirers.

This book is a collection of the poetry of Sir Philip Sidney, one of the foremost poets of the Elizabethan era. Featuring some of his most famous works, including Astrophil and Stella, this volume provides a window into the literary world of Renaissance England, and a glimpse of one of its most talented and intriguing figures. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.