In "A Supplication for the Beggars," Simon Fish presents a compelling treatise that delves into the socioeconomic dynamics and moral responsibilities entwined with poverty in early 16th-century England. Written in a poignant yet accessible style, Fish employs a mixture of personal narrative and rhetorical appeal, aiming to evoke empathy and action from the gentry towards the plight of the disenfranchised. This work stands at the crossroads of the Reformation's social consciousness and the ...

In "A Supplication for the Beggars," Simon Fish delivers a poignant examination of socio-economic disparity in Early Modern England through a compelling mixture of prose and verse. The work is infused with a satirical tone that calls attention to the plight of the impoverished while challenging the moral and ethical sensibilities of the time. In essence, Fish's text serves as both a literary and social critique, embedding its commentary within the framework of religious and philosophical t...

In 'Defiant Voices That Shattered Christendom – 4 Classic Protestant Reformation Texts,' readers will delve into a carefully curated selection of seminal works that encapsulate the fervor of the Protestant Reformation. The anthology presents a tapestry of ideas reflecting the revolutionary spirit that challenged the prevailing doctrines of the Catholic Church. These texts of varied literary styles articulate the urgency and passion of a transformative epoch, with each work distinguished by...

“Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit,” said the world’s greatest and most preeminent English writer of all time, William Shakespeare.Have you ever wanted to quote the most quoted writer in the English language? Deliver the most inventive and debasing Shakespearean insult (“Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon!”)? Recite titillating love poetry like a modern-day Romeo to his (or her) Juliet? Or commit a learned wisdom about life’s woes to memory? The Smart Words and Wic...

The best of John Donne's poemsJohn Donne (1572-1631) was born into a Catholic family and studied law before sailing with Essex to attack Cadiz in 1596. He was appointed secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton, the Lord Keeper (later Lord Chancellor), in 1598, but forfeited his worldly prospects when he secretly married Ann More, Lady Egerton's niece, in 1601; he was dismissed by Egerton and briefly imprisoned. The next twelve years or so were passed in poverty, without reg...

Born in 1572 in London England, John Donne was an English Jacobean poet of exceptional skill, whose poetry was known for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor. While Donne was well educated and his poetic talents considerable he struggled for much of his life to provide for his family. Having published only two volumes during his lifetime, he was not a professional poet. Despite this his legacy on the world of poetry is a significant one. In this volume you will find a rep...

Troilus and Criseyde (circa 1380-87) is Geoffrey Chaucer's poem in rhyme royal (rime royale) re-telling the tragic love story of Troilus, a Trojan prince, and Criseyde. Scholarly consensus is that Chaucer completed Troilus and Criseyde by the mid 1380's. Many Chaucer scholars regard this as his best work, even including the better known but incomplete Canterbury Tales.Troilus and Criseyde is an example of a courtly romance, and although it does contain many common features of the genre, ge...

In "The Discovery of Witches," Matthew Hopkins, known as the self-proclaimed Witchfinder General, presents a chilling account of witch trials during the English Civil War. Written in a polemical style, the book integrates first-person narratives, legal treatises, and theological arguments to justify the persecution of alleged witches. Through detailed testimony and fervent rhetoric, Hopkins argues for the legitimacy of witch hunting, reflecting the societal anxieties of a nation torn by co...

John Donne (1572-1631) forfeited his Parliamentary seat and was briefly imprisoned when his secret marriage to Ann More was uncovered in 1601. He spent the subsequent decade in poverty, trying to rehabilitate his reputation. He entered the Church in 1615, and become Dean of St Paul's. His first volume of poetry was published posthumously in 1633.In this series, a contemporary poet selects and introduces a poet of the past. By their choice of poems and by the personal and critic...

AN ANTHOLOGY FROM THE AUTHOR OF STONERPoetry in English as we know it was largely invented in England between the early 1500s and 1630, and yet for many years the poetry of the era was considered little more than a run-up to Shakespeare. The twentieth century brought a reevaluation, and the English Renaissance has since come to be recognized as the period of extraordinary poetic experimentation that it was. Never since have the possibilities of poetic form and, esp...

Œdipus was written when Voltaire was but nineteen years of age. It was played for the first time in 1718, and ran for forty-five nights. Du Frêsne, a celebrated actor, and of the same age as the author, played the part of Œdipus; and Madame Desmarêts, a famous actress, did Jocaste, and soon after quitted the stage. In this edition, the part of Philoctetes is restored, and stands exactly as it was in the first representation. Wilder Publications is a green publisher. All of our books are pr...

Madam, you being young, handsome, rich, and virtuous, I hope you will not cast away those gifts of Nature, Fortune, and Heaven, upon a Person which cannot merit you? L. Happy. Let me tell you, that Riches ought to be bestowed on such as are poor, and want means to maintain themselves; and Youth, on those that are old; Beauty, on those that are ill-favoured; and Virtue, on those that are vicious: So that if I should place my gifts rightly, I must Marry one that's poor, old, ill-favoured, an...