Dear Sidneians,
Has there been any work speculating or arguing whether the dedicatory
letter to the Countess of Pembroke was written for the old or revised
versions? It was printed in 1590, attached to the "New" Arcadia. But Jean
Robertson prints it in front of her wonderful edition of the "Old" Arcadia
(and Duncan-Jones follows suit). It would be wonderful to find someone else
asking the question I have been asking myself recently: When Sidney called
the Arcadia an "idle work," was he referring to the "Old" Arcadia, the "New"
Arcadia, or both?
Yours,
Brad
