English Humanism and the Reception of Virgil c. 1400-1550

English Humanism and the Reception of Virgil c. 1400-1550 explores how Renaissance humanism in England impacted the reception of Virgil, focusing on the first extant English translations, printings, and manuscripts. It highlights the continuities between medieval and humanist reception, emphasizing the slow pace of humanist development and the influence of medieval scholarship.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

English Humanism and the Reception of Virgil c. 1400-1550 is a comprehensive reassessment of the impact of Renaissance humanism on the reception of Virgil in England. Spanning from the early signs of humanist influence in the fifteenth century to the height of the English Renaissance during the mid-Tudor period, this period witnessed significant developments in the translation and printing of Virgil's works.

The first extant English translations of Virgil's Aeneid were produced by William Caxton in 1490, Gavin Douglas in 1513, and the Earl of Surrey (circa 1543). Additionally, Richard Pynson's printings of Virgil's works in England, dating back to around 1515, and Wynkyn de Worde's printings in the 1510s-1520s marked important milestones in the dissemination of Virgil's writings in the English-speaking world.

In his book, Matthew Day delves into a meticulous analysis of surviving manuscripts and early printed editions to explore how and to what extent Renaissance humanism influenced readers and translators' approaches to Virgil. Building upon current scholarship in the fields of book history, classical reception, and translation studies, Day highlights substantial continuities between the medieval and humanist reception of Virgil's works.

While recognizing the innovations and discoveries made by humanists, the book also emphasizes the understudied, yet far more numerous examples of consistency and traditionalism in Virgilian reading and translation. By highlighting the gradual pace of humanist development and the enduring influence of medieval scholarship, English Humanism and the Reception of Virgil c. 1400-1550 offers a more nuanced understanding of how humanism impacted Virgilian reading and translation.

This period witnessed the first extant English translations of Virgil's Aeneid, by William Caxton (1490), Gavin Douglas (1513), and the Earl of Surrey (c. 1543). It also marked the first printings of Virgil's works in England by Richard Pynson (c. 1515) and Wynkyn de Worde (1510s-1520s). Through a fine-grained analysis of surviving manuscripts and early printed editions, Matthew Day questions how and to what extent Renaissance humanism impacted readers and translators approaches to Virgil. Building on current scholarship in the fields of book history, classical reception, and translation studies, it draws attention to substantial continuities between the medieval and humanist reception of Virgil's works.

Humanist study of Virgil, and indeed of classical poetry more generally, continued to draw many of its aims, methods, and conventions from well-established medieval traditions of learning. In emphasizing the very gradual pace of humanist development and the continuous influence of medieval scholarship, the book comes to a more qualified view of how humanism did and (just as importantly) did not affect Virgilian reading and translation. While recognizing humanist innovations and discoveries, it gives due attention to the understudied, yet far more numerous examples of consistency and traditionalism.

Weight: 412g
Dimension: 223 x 145 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192871138