A Weaver-Poet and the Plague: Labor, Poverty, and the Household in Shakespeare's London

At the turn of the seventeenth century, William Muggins, a weaver-poet, lived in London and wrote about the plague of 1603. His life and writing reflect the social and economic woes of the city, and his poem "Londons Mourning Garment" reflects on the loss of life and suffering brought on by the plague. This book reconstructs Muggins' household, reading, professional and social networks, and proximity to a culture of radical religion in Southwark, giving agency and voice to a class that is often portrayed as passive and voiceless.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 284 pages
Publication date: 04 October 2022
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

At the turn of the seventeenth century, in the bustling city of London, a humble yet remarkably literate weaver-poet named William Muggins lived and created his works. Despite his financial struggles, Muggins possessed a profound knowledge and a poetic voice that resonated with those around him. However, his contemporaries were largely illiterate, unable to comprehend the depth of his words.

A Weaver-Poet and the Plague delves into the microhistorical realm, utilizing Muggins's life and writing as a gateway into a broader narrative about London's "middling sort" during the devastating plague of 1603. Despite facing numerous challenges, including debt, imprisonment, and conflicts with his livery company, Muggins was compelled to relocate his family from the affluent Poultry neighborhood in central London to the impoverished and densely populated parish of St. Olaves in Southwark. It was within the confines of his home, as the plague ravaged the parish, that Muggins penned his minor epic, Londons Mourning Garment, in 1603.

This poem, a poignant lamentation of the loss of life and the suffering inflicted by the plague, also reflects on the social and economic woes of the city. Muggins delves into the hardships of motherhood and childrearing, as well as the anxieties surrounding poverty, insurmountable debt, and a system that had failed its most vulnerable citizens. A blend of literary criticism and microhistory, this book reconstructs Muggins's household, his reading habits, his professional and social networks, and his proximity to a culture of radical religion in Southwark.

In addition to the reconstruction, the book features an appendix that includes a complete version of Londons Mourning Garment, providing a street-level view of seventeenth-century London that gives agency and voice to a class often portrayed as passive and voiceless. Through Muggins's lens, we witness the struggles and aspirations of the "middling sort," shedding light on their lives and contributions to the vibrant tapestry of the city.

A Weaver-Poet and the Plague is a captivating exploration of the intersection of poverty, literature, and history, offering a fresh perspective on a period that has left an indelible mark on our collective memory.

Weight: 442g
Dimension: 228 x 153 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271087160