Biblical Readings and Literary Writings in Early Modern England, 1558-1625

271 Pages·2018·25.97 MB·English

by  Victoria Brownlee

BIBLICAL READINGS AND LITERARY
WRITINGS IN EARLY MODERN
–
ENGLAND, 1558 1625

Biblical Readings and
Literary Writings in
Early Modern England,
–
1558 1625
VICTORIA BROWNLEE
1
3
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For Andy, with love

Acknowledgements
The research for this book began during my doctoral work at Queen’s
University Belfast. This early research was generously funded by an
AHRC Doctoral Award and enriched by discussions with staff and post-
graduatesintheSchoolofEnglish.IamdeeplygratefultoAdrianStreete
whowasanoutstandingsupervisortomydoctoralresearch.In2007Iwas
privileged to be one of four students in an MA module convened by
Adrianonliteratureandreligion.Icantracetheideaforthisprojecttothat
class,andtomyengagementwithAdrian’simportantresearch.Sincethen,
IhavebenefitedenormouslyfromAdrian’swisdom,advice,andreadings,
and I am grateful for his continuing support and interest in my work.
Mark Burnett and Ramona Wray were my chief encouragers as an
undergraduate at Queen’s. Their classes were a joy, and I was fortunate
tobenefitfromtheirinsightthroughoutmygraduatestudies.
Without my year as an Irish Research Council post-doctoral fellow at
UniversityCollegeDublinthisbookmightyetbeunfinished.Duringthat
time Danielle Clarke was an enthusiastic and inspiring mentor, and an
endless source of knowledge and encouragement. Danielle’s rigorous
engagementwiththeargumentsinthisbook,andherprofessionaladvice,
support, and friendship have been instrumental to the completion of
thisproject.
I am grateful for the support of my colleagues in the Department of
English at NUI Galway, especially Dan Carey, Marie-Louise Coolahan,
Lindsay Reid, Sean Ryder, and Elizabeth Tilley, as well as for conversa-
tionswithcolleaguesfurtherafield,particularlyDermotCavanagh,Laura
Gallagher, Jane Grogan, Stephen O’Neill, Michele Osherow, Emma
Rhatigan, and Shelley Troope. I would also like to thank warmly the
two anonymous readers at Oxford University Press for the considerable
time invested in reading and commenting on these pages. This book is
betterfortheirsuggestions.
I am thankful for the assistance of the fantastic editors and staff at
Oxford University Press, and to the University of Chicago Press for
permission to reproduce material that appeared in ‘Literal and Spiritual
Births: Mary as Mother in Seventeenth-Century Women’s Writing’,
Renaissance Quarterly 68.4 (2015): 1297–1326, in Chapter5 of this
book(©2015RenaissanceSocietyofAmerica.Allrightsreserved).
viii Acknowledgements
Mydeepestthanksareowedtomyfamily.Mymum,RobertaBrownlee,
impresseduponmetheimportanceofreadingatayoungage,andprovided
theresourcesformelearn.DavidBrownlee,MatthewBrownlee,Stephen
Carroll, and Adeline and Roy Fleming have, in different ways, inquired
abouttheprogressofthisprojectfaithfully,andNaomiReaneyhaslistened
and encouraged on more occasions than I can recall. My greatest debt is
to Andy Carroll, who has cheered, consoled, discussed, and distracted
sincethebeginning,andwhosesupportforthisbookhasbeenunwavering.
To Reuben and Martha, you have provided joy and perspective in more
waysthanyouknow.
VictoriaBrownlee
Contents
ListofIllustrations xi
NotetotheReader xiii
Introduction 1
1. ‘Theengraftedword’:ReadingandReceivingtheScriptures
inEarlyModernEngland 14
2. ‘OurKingSalomon’:BiblicalTypologyandtheKingship
ofSolomoninTudorandStuartEngland 49
3. ATaleofTwoJobs:ReadingSuffering,Providence,and
RestorationinKingLeirandKingLear 79
4. ‘Bymostesweeteandcomfortableallegories’:Discerning
SpiritualSignsintheSongofSongs 113
5. TypologiesofMarianMaternity:LiteralandSpiritualBirth
inSeventeenth-CenturyWomen’sWriting 143
6. ReadingRevelations:FiguringtheEndinPost-Reformation
LiteraryCulture 169
Afterword 211
SelectBibliography 215
IndexLocorum 247
Index 249