Elizabeth I in Writing: Language, Power and Representation in Early Modern England (Queenship and Power)

This collection investigates Queen Elizabeth I as an accomplished writer in her own right as well as the subject of authors who celebrated her. With innovative essays from Brenda M. Hosington, Carole Levin, and other established and emerging experts, it reappraises Elizabeth's translations, letters, poems and prayers through a diverse range of approaches to textuality, from linguistic and philological to literary and cultural-historical. The book also considers Elizabeth as "authored," studying how she is reflected in the writing of her contemporaries and reconstructing a wider web of relations between the public and private use of language in early modern culture. Contributions from Carlo M. Bajetta, Guillaume Coatelen and Giovanni Iamartino bring the Queen's presence in early modern Italian literary culture to the fore. Together, these essays illuminate the Queen in writing, from the multifaceted linguistic and rhetorical strategies that she employed, to the texts inspired by her power and charisma.-- Provided by publisher Acknowledgements 8 Contents 9 Editors and Contributors 11 List of Tables 15 Chapter 1 Introduction 16 Part I Elizabeth as Author 24 Chapter 2 The Young Princess Elizabeth, Neo-Latin, and the Power of the Written Word 25 Elizabeth’s Letters to Edward 31 Elizabeth’s Translation of the Prayers or Meditacions 35 Elizabeth’s Translation of “Che cosa è Christo” 43 Conclusions 49 Chapter 3 Ethics from the Classroom: Elizabeth I’s Translation of Cicero’s “Pro Marcello” 51 Elizabeth’s Translations 52 Translating Cicero 60 Clementia 64 Elizabeth’s Approach to Translation in the 1590s 71 Chapter 4 Styling Power: A Corpus-Linguistic Approach to the Correspondence of Queen Elizabeth I 73 Queen Elizabeth I’s Language and Letters 74 Methodology 78 Keywords: The Aboutness of the Letters 80 Constructing Royal Identities 84 Constructing Royal Relationships 85 Re-reading Elizabeth’s Letters: Hybrid Correspondence and Thomas Heneage 89 Conclusion 94 Appendix: Letter Transcription 94 Chapter 5 “Beholde Me Thy Handmaiden”: The Pragmatics and Politics of Queen Elizabeth’s Prayers 97 Elisabeth Regina Supplex 97 Queen Elizabeth I’s Prayers 103 Language and Prayers: Methodological Issues 106 Devotional Petrarchism 108 Appendix 119 Chapter 6 Elizabeth I as Poet: Some Notes on “On Monsieur’s Departure” and John Dowland’s “Now O Now I Needs Must Part” 122 Queen Elizabeth’s Poems 122 On Monsieur’s Departure and Queen Elizabeth’s Affair with Anjou 126 Now O Now I Needs Must Part: John Dowland and the French Love Affair 131 Conclusions 138 Part II Elizabeth Authored 140 Chapter 7 A Critical Edition and Discussion of SP 70/2 f.94: A Letter and Two Sonnets by Celio Magno to Queen Elizabeth I 141 Introduction 141 Magno’s Praise of Elizabeth 143 A Note on the Texts and Their Translation 146 Celio Magno’s Letter and Sonnets 148 Translation 151 Chapter 8 “La Comediante Politica”: On Gregorio Leti’s 1693 Life of Queen Elizabeth I 156 Introduction 156 Leti’s Life and Works 158 Leti’s Life of Queen Elizabeth 161 Queen Elizabeth I in Leti’s Vita 164 Concluding Remarks 179 Chapter 9 Multilingualism at the Tudor Court: Henry, Elizabeth and the Love Letter Genre 182 Ma Maitresse et Amie: Henry’s Love Letters to Anne Boleyn 185 Monsieur: Elizabeth I’s Love Letters to the Duke of Anjou 195 Part III The Gift of Language, the Language of the Gift 206 Chapter 10 What Elizabeth Knew. Language as Mirror and Gift 207 Le Miroir de L’Ame Pécheresse 213 The Glass of the Sinful Soul 216 Father’s Love 217 Sponsa Angliae 220 Chapter 11 Queen Elizabeth and the Power and Language of the Gift 223 Her Sister Mary’s Gifts to the Young Elizabeth: Difficult Lessons Learned 225 Gifts to and from Her Cousin—Another Problematic Mary 229 At the End of the Reign, Another Difficult Gift Exchange 241 Bibliography 243 Index 261 Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii Introduction (Donatella Montini, Iolanda Plescia)....Pages 1-8 Front Matter ....Pages 9-9 The Young Princess Elizabeth, Neo-Latin, and the Power of the Written Word (Brenda M. Hosington)....Pages 11-36 Ethics from the Classroom: Elizabeth I’s Translation of Cicero’s “Pro Marcello” (Alessandra Petrina)....Pages 37-58 Styling Power: A Corpus-Linguistic Approach to the Correspondence of Queen Elizabeth I (Mel Evans)....Pages 59-82 “Beholde Me Thy Handmaiden”: The Pragmatics and Politics of Queen Elizabeth’s Prayers (Donatella Montini)....Pages 83-107 Elizabeth I as Poet: Some Notes on “On Monsieur’s Departure” and John Dowland’s “Now O Now I Needs Must Part” (Cristina Vallaro)....Pages 109-126 Front Matter ....Pages 127-127 A Critical Edition and Discussion of SP 70/2 f.94: A Letter and Two Sonnets by Celio Magno to Queen Elizabeth I (Carlo M. Bajetta, Guillaume Coatalen)....Pages 129-143 “La Comediante Politica”: On Gregorio Leti’s 1693 Life of Queen Elizabeth I (Giovanni Iamartino)....Pages 145-170 Multilingualism at the Tudor Court: Henry, Elizabeth and the Love Letter Genre (Iolanda Plescia)....Pages 171-194 Front Matter ....Pages 195-195 What Elizabeth Knew. Language as Mirror and Gift (Nadia Fusini)....Pages 197-212 Queen Elizabeth and the Power and Language of the Gift (Carole Levin)....Pages 213-232 Back Matter ....Pages 233-254 "This collection investigates Queen Elizabeth I as an accomplished writer in her own right as well as the subject of authors who celebrated her. With innovative essays from Brenda M. Hosington, Carole Levin, and other established and emerging experts, it reappraises Elizabeth's translations, letters, poems and prayers through a diverse range of approaches to textuality, from linguistic and philological to literary and cultural-historical. The book also considers Elizabeth as "authored," studying how she is reflected in the writing of her contemporaries and reconstructing a wider web of relations between the public and private use of language in early modern culture. Contributions from Carlo M. Bajetta, Guillaume Coatelen and Giovanni Iamartino bring the Queen's presence in early modern Italian literary culture to the fore. Together, these essays illuminate the Queen in writing, from the multifaceted linguistic and rhetorical strategies that she employed, to the texts inspired by her power and charisma"--Back cover