Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (2 of 12) William Rufus was written by Raphael Holinshed. Raphael Holinshed was a 16th century English chronicler, whose work, commonly known as Holinshed's Chronicles, was one of the major sources used by William Shakespeare for a number of his plays. In 1548 Reginald Wolfe, a London printer, wanted to create a Universal Cosmography of the whole world. Although never completed Chronicles of England was part of that project. Holinshed wrote the history of England before the Norman Conquest. The second volume encompassing the...

Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (2 of 12) William Rufus was written by Raphael Holinshed. Raphael Holinshed was a 16th century English chronicler, whose work, commonly known as Holinshed's Chronicles, was one of the major sources used by William Shakespeare for a number of his plays. In 1548 Reginald Wolfe, a London printer, wanted to create a Universal Cosmography of the whole world. Although never completed Chronicles of England was part of that project. Holinshed wrote the history of England before the Norman Conquest. The second volume encompassing the...

Holinsheds Chronicles, famous as the source for the stories in many Shakespeares plays, such as King Lear and Cymbeline, were written in the sixteenth century as a collaborative effort, but consistently sustain a lively and highly readable style. A wide variety of sources were used, and carefully noted, but with little critical examination. This volume contains the first four books of the Historie of England, from the time of the Flood to the end of Roman rule and includes much that is the stuff of legend. For ease of reading, it has been typeset in a modern font, but all the original...