The letters of Lady Arbella Stuart
By: edited by Sara Jayne Steen.
Contributors: Steen, Sara Jayne, 1949-
Series: Women writers in English 1350-1850
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 1994
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 304
ISBN-13: 9780195080575
Subjects: Stuart, Arabella, Lady, 1575-1615 -- Correspondence; Women political prisoners -- Great Britain -- Correspondence; Nobility -- Great Britain -- Correspondence; Great Britain -- History -- Elizabeth, 1558-1603; Great Britain -- Kings and rulers -- Succession; Great Britain -- History -- James I, 1603-1625
Description: Lady Arbella Stuart, claimant to the English throne, traditionally has been portrayed as either a hero or fool for marrying against King James's edict and attempting to flee from France. This is Stuart's story as she tells it in more than one hundred letters written to relatives, her husband,
the royal family, public officials, and friends. Based largely on original manuscripts, this volume reveals a powerful personal and public drama, as Stuart's royal birth and demand for independence place her in conflict with Queen Elizabeth and King James. Verbally gifted, Stuart creates a fictional
lover, maneuvers within the patronage network, and, after her marriage, applies her considerable rhetorical skills to solicit favor and freedom. Her own revisions, which are included, offer the reader unusual access to the thinking of a talented Renaissance writer as she shapes her prose. Steen has
transcribed, ordered, dated, annotated, and critically analyzed the letters and drafts.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.