Mary Sidney (1562-1620), Countess of Pembroke, was born into one of England’s most prominent literary and political families. She was fluent in at least three languages and was an accomplished translator and poet. Her two translations from the French, A Discourse of Life and Death, by Philippe de Mornay, and Antonius, a TragÅ“die, by Robert Garnier were published together in 1592 by William Ponsonby. That combined volume is reprinted here.

The biography of Margaret Tyler remains speculative. It is known that she served the Howard family (Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk) in some capacity. Her level of education has been described as ’amazing’ for a woman who was outside of the aristocracy and possibly a middle-class servant. Her translation (published 1579 or 1580) of Diego Ortún]ez de Calahorra’s romance, Espejo de principes y cavalleros, Part I, from the original Spanish, marks not only a notable moment in book history but also the beginning of the popularity and availability of continental romance in England. ...

Anne Askew (1521-1546) was accused of heresy because of her denial of the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation and ritual of mass. These two works provide an extremely rare autobiographical account of heresy interrogations, torture, trial and conviction. Her manuscripts were smuggled out of England to John Bale on the Continent who edited and published them in 1545 and 1546 respectively.

The sixth and last queen of Henry VIII, and friend of Anne Askew, Katherine Parr (c.1513-1548) has a threefold claim to recognition for her contribution to the literary culture of her time. First, as a loving and adept stepmother to the royal children, who took a directive role in their education; second, as the patroness of a circle of Protestant humanist intellectuals who spearheaded the translation of Erasmus’s Latin Paraphrase upon the newe testamente; and third, as the author of the two vernacular religious works reproduced here, which established her as the earliest woman writer in...

The only reliable clues available about Anne Wheathill’s life are those contained in her work, published in 1584. She describes herself as a gentlewoman, unmarried and a Protestant. She also refers to herself as poor and it has been suggested that she was one of a handful of women in Elizabeth I’s reign who attempted to earn money by writing. A handfull of holesome (though homelie) hearbs is an example of the English Reformer’s efforts to revise the Roman Catholic primers and Books of Hours to satisfy the private devotional needs of a Protestant middle class. Although Anne Wheathill...

Elizabeth Cary (c.1585-1639) was an accomplished scholar of languages and theology. Her considerable strength of character was demonstrated by her public conversion to Catholicism in 1625 thereby creating an irrevocable rift in her marriage and her family. Her biography, written by her daughter, says she wrote ’for her private recreation’ and mentions various works, now lost, including the lives of saints, and poems to the Virgin Mary. She is best known today, however, for the works reproduced here.

Alice Sutcliffe was married in 1624 (her birth and death dates are not known, nor her exact marriage date) to John Sutcliffe who was Esquire to the Body of James I. He later became Groom of His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Chamber at the Court of Charles I and it is suggested by some of her writings that Alice also had a role at Court. Meditations of Man’s Mortalitie consists of six prose meditations followed by a long poem of eighty-eight six-line stanzas on ’our losse by Adam, and our gayne by Christ’. It was dedicated to some of the most influential members of the Court,...

Elizabeth Cary (c.1585-1639) was an accomplished scholar of languages and theology. Her considerable strength of character was demonstrated by her public conversion to Catholicism in 1625 thereby creating an irrevocable rift in her marriage and her family. Her biography, written by her daughter, says she wrote ’for her private recreation’ and mentions various works, now lost, including the lives of saints, and poems to the Virgin Mary. She is best known today, however, for the works reproduced here.

Printed Writings 1500-1640, Series I, Part One consists of ten volumes of writings by and about early modern Englishwomen. The set comprises the following titles: Volume 1: Anne Askew Volume 2: Literary Works by and attributed to Elizabeth Cary Volume 3: Katherine Parr Volume 4: Defences of Women: Jane Anger, Rachel Speght, Ester Sowernam and Constantia Munda Volume 5: Susanne DuVerger Volume 6: Mary Sidney Herbert Volume 7: Alice Sutcliffe Volume 8: Margaret Tyler Volume 9: Anne Wheathill Volume 10: Mary Wroth