Gondibert by William Davenant is a landmark work of 17th-century English literature, blending epic ambition with philosophical reflection and poetic innovation. First published in 1650, this heroic poem explores themes of honor, loyalty, love, and political duty, set against the backdrop of war and the trials of human virtue. Davenant crafts a narrative that follows Gondibert, a noble and virtuous hero, navigating the complexities of personal integrity, moral obligation, and romantic devot...

The book has an active table of contents for easy access to each chapter.Thomas Hobbes is a great English philosopher and one of the founders of the modern system of political philosophy. He is in the row with the greatest thinkers as Isaac Newton, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, Francis Bacon, and Jean Rousseau. Their collected thoughts has had strong influence on building the foundation of the United States and its endeavor of open society.In 1650, Hobbes completed and publish...

Sir William Davenant (1606-1668) was in his time widely known as 'Davenant the Poet'. The son of an Oxford vintner (or quite possibly the natural son of his godfather, William Shakespeare), he wrote poems for and about the Court of Charles I, and, despite losing his nose to mercury treatment for the clap, which other people thought funny, went on to replace Ben Jonson as Poet Laureate and collaborate with Inigo Jones in composing spectacular Court masques, as well as writing many successfu...

Sir William Davenant (1606–1668) – Poet Laureate and Civil War hero – is one of the most influential and neglected figures in the history of British theatre. He introduced 'opera', actresses, scenes and the proscenium arch to the English stage. Narrowly escaping execution for his Royalist activities during the Civil War, he revived theatrical performances in London, right under Oliver Cromwell's nose. Nobody, perhaps, did more to secure Shakespeare's reputation or to prese...

First published in 1987, this 23rd volume in the Renaissance Imagination series had the objective of establishing the text of William Davenant’s The Platonick Lovers that most closely represents the author’s final vision for his work. Wendell W. Broom Jr documents the history of the publication of The Platonick Lovers and the manner in which the present text was produced. Copies of all relevant editions have been collated and curated to bring together the definit...

The language of Poetry is an art that most of us attempt at some point in our lives. Although its commonplace exposure has been somewhat marginalised in today’s often fast-paced lives we all recognise good verse that can empathise with our thoughts or open us up to experience new things in new ways, to better understand and to enjoy the many strands of our lives.But finding a starting point can be overwhelming, even off-putting, so in this series we offer up our Top 10 classic poet...