Rare Books and Music
So my adventure began with a very slim plain bound volume, of no more than fifty pages. The cover - almost certainly not original - was plain white. No name on the front or on the spine. It smelt of old book. The pages were dry, like leaves. I wrote in my notes about the book plate in the front. It had once belonged to someone called Frederick Locker[1] and it told the reader to Fear God, on one side, and "Fear Nothing" on the other.
"The Queenes Maiesties Entertainment at Woodstock" printed for Thomas Cadman, London, 1585
These lines were probably written by George Gascoigne, a poet, soldier, and 3rd rate courtier. He appeared to be the go-to-man for any noble who needed spontaneous entertainment that involved characters from myth and legend popping up out of the woods and interacting directly with the audience; particularly if the audience was the Queen, Elizabeth Tudor.
We're pretty sure they were delivered by the host (Sir Henry Lee) whilst disguised at the hermit Hemetes so that he might excuse himself and return to enjoy the prepared feast as himself rather than as a character. The argument is well constructed, no matter how much the queen may have enjoyed the company and wit of Hemetes, she'd not expect him to forswear his oath, and thus Lee will have time to shed his disguise and join the feast.
It is perhaps too early to argue that this was careful crafting on Gascoine's part, but looking at the few sources[2] we have that describe the lavish entertainments proffered to Elizabeth, we can see that on more than one occasion things did not go entirely to plan. Stories were cancelled, or re-written; in some cases made up as they went along. To what extent these were intended to be participatory narratives is unclear[3], but Gascoine was the author of stories where the outcome was not entirely predictable. Arguably, by bringing the person of the Queen into the story and thus giving her agency he was taking a not insignificant risk.
I've come away with some useful context, three primary (or near-primary) sources, and have already gone off on such a tangent because this is only peripherally related to my research topic.
I think I might enjoy this.
[1] Who I wonder might be Frederick Locker-Lampson
[2] Woodstock claims to have been written on the Queen's instructions, Kenilworth published by Gascoine himself, and the third is a letter by J L which also describes Kenilworth
[3] Roy Strong makes a case that they were propaganda disguised as entertainment; this is not mutually exclusive with them being participatory. Something about how we engage more with an argument whilst immersed within a story world perhaps?
"The Queenes Maiesties Entertainment at Woodstock" printed for Thomas Cadman, London, 1585
These lines were probably written by George Gascoigne, a poet, soldier, and 3rd rate courtier. He appeared to be the go-to-man for any noble who needed spontaneous entertainment that involved characters from myth and legend popping up out of the woods and interacting directly with the audience; particularly if the audience was the Queen, Elizabeth Tudor.
We're pretty sure they were delivered by the host (Sir Henry Lee) whilst disguised at the hermit Hemetes so that he might excuse himself and return to enjoy the prepared feast as himself rather than as a character. The argument is well constructed, no matter how much the queen may have enjoyed the company and wit of Hemetes, she'd not expect him to forswear his oath, and thus Lee will have time to shed his disguise and join the feast.
It is perhaps too early to argue that this was careful crafting on Gascoine's part, but looking at the few sources[2] we have that describe the lavish entertainments proffered to Elizabeth, we can see that on more than one occasion things did not go entirely to plan. Stories were cancelled, or re-written; in some cases made up as they went along. To what extent these were intended to be participatory narratives is unclear[3], but Gascoine was the author of stories where the outcome was not entirely predictable. Arguably, by bringing the person of the Queen into the story and thus giving her agency he was taking a not insignificant risk.
I've come away with some useful context, three primary (or near-primary) sources, and have already gone off on such a tangent because this is only peripherally related to my research topic.
I think I might enjoy this.
[1] Who I wonder might be Frederick Locker-Lampson
[2] Woodstock claims to have been written on the Queen's instructions, Kenilworth published by Gascoine himself, and the third is a letter by J L which also describes Kenilworth
[3] Roy Strong makes a case that they were propaganda disguised as entertainment; this is not mutually exclusive with them being participatory. Something about how we engage more with an argument whilst immersed within a story world perhaps?