Humanism was pretty audacious in its rhetorical designs on political power.
Not only did individuals achieve government office, but the discourse they
collectively shaped claimed the ideological authority--the moral high
ground--to shape the cultural milieu of the court. The Burgundian ideal was
still a live cultural memory for scholars, writers, and courtiers of the
sixteenth century, and for them it pointed to "magnificence" as the
definitive trait of the Renaissance Prince. Naturally this quality
included as a key element lavish expenditure on cultural commodities
(portriature, tapestry, furniture, dress, music, food, poetry, wine, and
humanist tutors) that served as much (or more) to display the status of the
monarch as for their value in use.
In that context, for Elizabeth to achieve the reputation she did (and still
has) without actually spending what it was supposed to cost looks like
brilliant statecraft. Even Spenser clearly felt it, fifty pounds a year or
not. A respectable sum, but if you were Edmund Spenser and had just
published the first installment of The Faerie Queene, wouldn't you feel
under-rewarded by any recognition short of a place in London? Besides, to
whatever extent you identify yourself with the literary vocation--already
"the poets' poet," so to speak, in your own eyes--you are correspondingly
likely to feel the general slight of the Muse, even while cashing those
governement checks. I'll bet the Queen's parsimony was a lively subject of
off-the-record conversations among Colin and his crew.
_____
David Lee Miller
Department of English 543 Boonesboro Ave
University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40508
Lexington, KY 40506-0027 (859) 252-3680
(859) 257-6965
FAX 323-1072
-----Original Message-----
From: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of David Wilson-Okamura
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 6:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: poets rewarded by QE
Today I was looking at old numbers of PMLA on microfilm, and found this by
accident: B. B. Gamzue, "Elizabeth and Literary Patronage," PMLA 49 (1934):
1041-49. The conclusion is pretty hard: "it is clear that the reputation of
Elizabeth as a patron of letters and learning, has been derived not from
her deeds, but largely from legend based upon the many adulatory
dedications to her. No such reputation probably was ever more cheaply
bought" (1049). No doubt there were extenuating circumstances (no money,
bad year for pearls, what have you). But -- Ouch! (Or should we say,
Ouches!)
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David Wilson-Okamura http://virgil.org [log in to unmask]
East Carolina University Virgil reception, discussion, documents, &c
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