This volume contains primary materials and introductory essays on the historical, critical and theoretical study of 'national literature', focusing on the years 1550 - 1850 and the impact of ideas of nationhood from this period on contemporary literature and culture.

The mass production and dissemination of printed materials were unparalleled in England during the 1640s and 50s. While theatrical performance traditionally defined literary culture, print steadily gained ground, becoming more prevalent and enabling the formation of various networks of writers, readers, and consumers of books.In conjunction with an evolving print culture, seventeenth-century England experienced a rise of political instability and religious dissent, the closing of the theatres, and the emergence of a middle class. Elizabeth Sauer examines how this played out in the nation's...