Roman Invasions: The British History, Protestant Anti-Romanism, and the Historical Imagination in England, 1530-1660
University of Delaware Press, 2002 - 325 ページ
This book describes how the legendary history of Britain, the so-called British History based on Geoffrey of Monmouth, continued to influence the Renaissance English sense of ancient Britain, and proposes a reason for this influence. Given what scholars have noted about the "historical revolution" of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, this influence should not have been felt, and the British History should have been by then wholly obsolete, its medieval myth-making replaced by the more trustworthy notions offered by humanism and antiquarianism. But it was not obsolete. Instead, the British History affected the historical conceptions of even the leaders of the "historical revolution," and retained in other writers some stubborn defenders. This study locates the main cause for this abiding presence of the British History in its relevance to Protestant patriotism.
The book proceeds by describing in detail the six phases of Geoffrey's competition with Rome as Renaissance writers appropriated them, transformed them and made them part of the nation's understanding of its past. The first phase discussed is ecclesiastical history, as English writers from various quarters tried to formulate a non-Roman ancient British church by drawing from medieval mythology. Thereafter the book examines the Protestant uses of the anti-Roman narrative as Geoffrey set it forth: Britain's founding as Rome's rival, another Trojan civilization; Britain's promulgation of ancient laws and its sack of Rome; Britain's heroic and almost successful resistance to Caesar's invasion; Britain's continued resistance but final capitulation to the Romans in the first century A.D.; and the victory of Britain's King Arthur over the Romans, the climax of his career and of the competition with Rome. Though each phase was riven with historiographical problems, each found adherents and even affected the most enlightened writers like William Camden himself.
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actually ancient British anti-Romanism antiquity appears argued argument Arthur Arviragus associated attachment attempt Augustine authority become bishops Boadicia Brennus Britain British church British History Britons Brute myth Brutus Caesar called Cambridge Camden Catholic century Christianity chronicle church civilization claim classical competition with Rome concept conquest continuity Cymbeline Drayton early easily effort England English Englishmen especially example fact feel figure force Galfridian Geoffrey Geoffrey's glory Guiderius hand helped hero historiographical Holinshed idea imagine important invasion issue Italy John Joseph king later laws learned Livy London Lucius means mentioned Milton Nennius never notion original past patriotic play poem poet position present problem Protestant question reference Renaissance Roman Saxons Scottish seems seen Selden sense Shakespeare shows significance Speed Spenser stand story suggested Tacitus Thomas thought tion tradition Trojan Troy true truth University Press victory wars writers
6 ページ - Fierce for the liberties of wit and bold, We still defied the Romans, as of old. Yet some there were, among the sounder few Of those who less presumed, and better knew, Who durst assert the juster ancient cause, And here restored Wit's fundamental laws. Such was the Muse, whose rules and practice tell, 'Nature's chief Masterpiece is writing well...
304 ページ - Shewing the auncient fayth in the Church of England, touching the sacrament of the body and bloude of the Lord here publikely preached, and also receaued in the Saxons tyme, aboue 600 yeares agoe . . . .Imprinted at London by John Bay, dwelling ower Aldersgate beneath S. Martyns.
304 ページ - A Treatise Wherein Is Manifestlie Proved, That Reformation and Those That Sincerely Favor the Same, Are Unjustly Charged to Be Enemies, unto Hir Majestie, and the State. Written Both for the Clearing of Those That Stande in That Cause: and the Stopping of the Sclaunderous Mouthes of All the Enemies Thereof ([ Edinburgh: Robert Waldegrave], 1590).