Sir Philip Sidney and the Circulation of Manuscripts, 1558-1640

This is the first modern study of the production and circulation of manuscripts during the English Renaissance. Woudhuysen examines the relationship between manuscript and print, looks at people who lived by their pens, and surveys authorial and scribal manuscripts. In particular he examines Sir Philip Sydney's works, discussing all Sidney's important manuscripts, and seeking to assess his part in the circulation of his works and his role in the promotion of a scribal culture. A detailed examination of the manuscripts and early prints of his poems sheds new light on their composition, evolution, and dissemination, as well as on Sidney's friends and admirers.