Description
Book SynopsisPresenting the text of a notorious Jesuit attack on Queen Elizabeth I's treatment of her Catholic subjects, this volume highlights the European context of the English Reformation and Robert Persons's role as propagandist. In
De persecutione Anglicana, Robert Persons (15461610) graphically describes the conditions in prisons, the harassment of Catholics at home and the gruesome manner of execution for treason. The work culminates in the arrest of the famous Jesuit martyr Edmund Campion, with rapidly revised versions bringing the narrative up to date after Campion's execution on 1 December 1581. Written in Latin to appeal to readers throughout Europe, it was translated into French, Italian and German, making it arguably the most important Latin martyrological work by an English Catholic of the Elizabethan period. This critical edition comprises the Latin text, English translation and commentary, and a textual history, appending additional material from the revised versions.
Trade ReviewThis edition represents a landmark in the recovery for serious consideration of a key work by an author who was arguably the most widely ready English writer of his day in geographical terms. -- Simon Ditchfield, Professor of Early Modern History, University of York, UK
Table of ContentsList of Contributors Preface Note on the Text List of Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1: An Epistle of the Persecution in England (1581) Chapter 2: Briant’s Letter from Prison Chapter 3: Additional Material included in the Editions of 1582 Notes Bibliography Index
