A good biography of Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey, who was an English poet, courtier to Henry VIII, and a military leader. Jessie Childs brings in details about the nobility and daily life to attempt to give a more complete picture of Surrey's life. However, I was somewhat disappointed in th...
It was a sign of refinement, a polite accomplishment, another arrow in the quiver of courtly excellence. Lyrics were circulated freely – sometimes altered or augmented in the process – and were often recited or sung, with varying degrees of success, to a sophisticated coterie of lords and ladies....