The Word of a Prince
A Life of Elizabeth I from Contemporary Documents
Published on 27. September 1990
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-0-85115-261-5 (ISBN)
Description
`A new approach to historical biography - she has studied both the original sources and recent works of scholarship and has a thorough understanding of the period.' SUNDAY TIMES
`A compelling portrait-'ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW
Until Maria Perry began her exploration of Elizabeth's papers, this vivid raw material had only been partially studied. From it, a fresh portrait of Elizabeth emerges, one which is often more cohesive and less baffling than some offered by her biographers. The dangers and insecurities of her early life, her sense of divine protection, her formidable education, all stand out as crucial elements in the formation of her character; but behind the acquired circumspection lies a personality of great warmth and spirit.
The earliest letter to survive was written to her stepmother Katherine Parr, in Italian, when she was ten years old; her last words to be formally recorded are two moving speeches to parliament at the end of her reign. In between, her own words illuminate her relations with her family, and with Mary Queen of Scots. She reflects on the nature of kingship, performs miraclesof circumlocution to achieve diplomatic ends and communicates her feelings to her inner circle of trusted friends. On the teasing questions of love, marriage and virginity, the letters and speeches do offer oblique comment: it seems certain that Robert Dudley was her one true love, and that she felt his second marriage to Lettice Knollys as a bitter betrayal.
MARIA PERRY is an actress and writer. The inspiration for this book, for which she was awardeda British Academy research grant, derives from `The Speeches of Queen Elizabeth I', performed to great acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic by the Poetry People.
`A compelling portrait-'ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW
Until Maria Perry began her exploration of Elizabeth's papers, this vivid raw material had only been partially studied. From it, a fresh portrait of Elizabeth emerges, one which is often more cohesive and less baffling than some offered by her biographers. The dangers and insecurities of her early life, her sense of divine protection, her formidable education, all stand out as crucial elements in the formation of her character; but behind the acquired circumspection lies a personality of great warmth and spirit.
The earliest letter to survive was written to her stepmother Katherine Parr, in Italian, when she was ten years old; her last words to be formally recorded are two moving speeches to parliament at the end of her reign. In between, her own words illuminate her relations with her family, and with Mary Queen of Scots. She reflects on the nature of kingship, performs miraclesof circumlocution to achieve diplomatic ends and communicates her feelings to her inner circle of trusted friends. On the teasing questions of love, marriage and virginity, the letters and speeches do offer oblique comment: it seems certain that Robert Dudley was her one true love, and that she felt his second marriage to Lettice Knollys as a bitter betrayal.
MARIA PERRY is an actress and writer. The inspiration for this book, for which she was awardeda British Academy research grant, derives from `The Speeches of Queen Elizabeth I', performed to great acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic by the Poetry People.
Reviews / Votes
A compelling portrait...the Elizabeth whom Perry presents is not the enigma of myth, triumphant but unfathomable. Rather she is a clever but very human woman, who came to know the extent of her assets and liabilities. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW [6/94] ***also more*** *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Woodbridge
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
37 colour. 63 b/w.
Dimensions
Height: 246 mm
Width: 170 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-85115-261-5 (9780851152615)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
02/1996
Boydell Press
€37.30
Shipment within 15-20 days
Content
The Italian letter - nothing done as it should be - my own matchless and most kind father - The mind I shall never be ashamed to present - a most Cristenly lerned yonge lady - From 'The Godly Meditacyon'; if your grace had not a good opinion of me - my lord, these are shameful slanders - mine honour and mine honesty - sweet sister Temperance - Bernardino Ochino of Siena - sermon on the nature of Christ; like as a shipman in stormy weather - they did openly preach my sister and I were bastards - Cor Rotto - a house built on sound foundations - I come in no traitor; much suspected - in a worse case than the worst prisoners in Newgate - kept a great while from you, desolatley alone - anatomies of hearts - though I were offered to the greatest prince of all Europe; whensoever time and power may serve - to make a good account to almighty God - that I should continue your good lady and Queen; a marble stone shall declare that a Queen lived and died a virgin - Romish pastors - we highly commend this single life - she has broken her neck; as should neither touch his honesty nor her honour - in the knot of friendship - our right to Calais. The word of a prince; Yonder long lad - charged with the murder of your late husband - one mistress and no master - I will marry as soon as I can conveniently - I love so evil counterfeiting; they have no warrant nor authority - a disordered, unhonourable and dangerous justice - to defer this execution - honour and conscience forbid - a thing very repugnant and contrary to itself - princely pleasures; if I were a milkmaid with a pail on my arm - excessive and terrible shedding of Chistian blood - I must marry - a matter which is so hard for Englishmen to bear - Scylla and Charybdis - they have thought me no fool - where delights be snares, where dangers be imminent; I find no consolation - such a one as one day would give God the vomit - the Church whose overruler God hath made me - to change this our former course - Jesus! what availeth wit? - we Princes, I tell you, are set on stages - my surety cannot be established without a Princess's head - a book and a bull - in the midst and heat of battle; his last letter - instruments to daunt our foes - departing in such sort without our privity - I never feared and what fear was my heart never knew - neither in vain do we put our trust in God - you have made me famous, dreadful and renowned - the law of nature and of nations - you have learned upon our expenses - that man is above me - I have reigned with your loves - constant to the grounds of honour - when thou dost feel creeping time at thy gate.