aBurntShip

                                                    Lyrics from 17th century ballad                                                    When canons are roaring, and bullets are flying,                                                 He that would honor win, must not fear dying ,                                                      Picture of the Battle of the White Mountain 1621, in public domain, courtesy of Wikipedia  Very glad to have come across the Passamezzo   v...

                                1869 Classic by R.D. Blackmore  Was lucky enough to be given the Penguin Classics edition prepared by R.D.Madison and Michelle Allen, from 2005. Drawn on their introduction for biographical information along with the  Victorian Web  entry.                                                       Poster for 1922 silent movie version I was wondering if anyone can name another novel by Richard Doderidge Blackmore (1825 -1900) besides Lorna Doone? Let alone one of his poems. But 'Lorna Doone' has been continually in print since 1869, has inspired 10 filmed versions, at least one TV series, and a musical. In fact the first movie version was Maurice Tourner's silent film of 1922. Set in the reign of Charles II and James II, the novel is c...

                               By   Allan Bunyan (2021)                                     Photo of Taunton Castle , by Chris Jeanes, 2007,  courtesy of Wikipedia Commons and the photographer.  As I am hoping to visit Taunton and Bridgewater next month, thought that would start reading up about the history of Somerset during the 17th century, and this is the first book that I have chosen . 'Somerset A Troubled Century 1600-1699 ' is heartily recommended. The author has a great knowledge of the county,  has done some serious research, and the book is well footnoted. Some published local history work can be anecdote driven, even gossipy,  or just swamped with obscure details. This book demonstrates what can be achieved in the field, being both very informative, readable and  useful...

                 Monmouth biography by Laura Brennan, Pen & Sword Books                      This biography came out in 2018 and now available on kindle. Only two years after Anna Keay's extensive biography 'The Duke of Monmouth- The Last Royal Rebel'. I treated myself to the hardback version and noticed straight away it seems quite short, 133 pages text  ( excluding index and bibliography). The book has attracted some criticism due to errors, typos and poor editing. Which is a shame, because there is some valuable questions raised about the Duke of Monmouth and the 1685 Rebellion.   Although titled 'Life and Rebellion' , the book is  not a standard biography. The life of James, born in Rotterdam in 1649, to Lucy Walter, mistress to the young Charles II in exile and uncrowned, his initial promotion and rise to a leading Restoration figure,  even as illegitimat...

                                              Review and Interview with author                                                       One quite striking 17th century related work of fiction  that has appeared this year is a debut novel by Frances Quinn titled 'The Smallest Man'. The lead character 'Nat  Davy '' is partly based on the life of Jeffrey Hudson, a dwarf who was 'given' by the Duke of Buckingham as a present to Queen Henrietta Maria ,wife to Charles I. An affinity developed between Henrietta and 'her' dwarf who became quite a valued companion .  In fact the Restoration historian Jennifer Uglow maintained that Henrietta Maria showed "far more affection"to Jeffrey Hudson than the "children who were later born to h...

                                                   Britannia Rediviva -A Poem on the Prince                                                        Born 10th June 1688                  Birth of the infant Prince James in 1688, unknown artist, image in public domain courtesy of 'Wikipedia'  The Jacobites have been commemorated in song, ballads, novels. But arguable the  first Jacobite poem -John Dryden's Britannia Rediviva, A Poem on the Prince - has been overlooked.  Charles II died on 6th February 1685. The ongoing struggle  for succession between the Protestant Duke of Monmouth, his illegitimate son, and Charles' brother James Duke of York, a Roman Catholi...

                                    Attack on John Dryden 18th December 1679                                                      Portrait of John Dryden by Godfrey Kneller, in Public Domain courtesy of Art UK/Wikipedia Netherlands  My last offering  about  John Dryden (1631 - 1700)  was titled John Dryden and Restoration War Poetry   and posted in 2017. John Dryden's first published poetry included an Ode to Cromwell, yet Dryden switched to being an avid supporter of The Restoration. and became Poet Laureate in 1668.  On 18th December 1679, John Dryden was attacked by three masked ruffians in Rose Alley, Covent Garden on his way home from a coffee house. It is generally accepted that this was a deliberate assault resulting from a priv...