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Reviews 133 early m o d e m England and there was an element of accident about which of those writings were printed and which remained in manuscript. Beilin is less interested in the mechanics and politics of publication, yet this might make her more sceptical about the attribution of a work such as A Mothers Counsell to a female author. I a m also uneasy about the label 'writer of the English Renaissance' being applied to Anne Askew or, indeed, to a number of the mothers who wrote advice books. But these are minor points. Beilin's strength is that she succeeds in demonstating the influence of ideology and the significance of religious belief in shaping the ideas and voices of intelligent women in the past Patricia Crawford Department of History University of Western Australia Brennan, M.G., Literary patronage in the English Renaissance: the Pembroke family, London, Routledge, 1988 (distributed in Australia by the Law Book Company); pp. xiv, 251; 2 tables; R.R.P. A U S $105. The Wilton circle, comprising Sir Philip Sidney and other writers, and their patrons the Herberts, earls of Pembroke, have become almost a cliche of literary history, and an investigation of the extent and nature of that patronage is timely. H o w far was the third earl's reputation as 'a Maecenas to learned men' justified? To what extent was it primarily a construct of his contemporaries, who wished to encourage literary patronage? These are important questions, and Brennan's book provides some of the iconoclasm, and some corroboration of established views. The task is made harder by the lack of any body of private Pembroke papers but dedications and prefaces, and general works, are thoroughly canvassed. The patronage of thefirstearl of Pembroke remains uncertain, for Brennan points out that 'generous tribute' may not mean much. Authors praised the earl because he had power available and not necessarily because he used it to help them. This is a strong motif throughout the book, as Brennan reminds us that fulsome dedications to influential people should never be used to prove that any patronage relationship existed unless there is other evidence. So he agrees with Mary Lamb's recent challenge to the 'Wilton myth' of a large literacy circle around Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke. Only a handful of the hopefuls actually achieved any personal association with the Countess and those who did were the few who lived in the household or mingled asfriendswith the family. Dedicatory panegyrics, then, tell us the desired attributes of the dedicatee but often litde about his actual beneficence. Indeed, there are numerous examples of rejection and minor writers like Richard Robinson received only small sums from their famous benefactors. Brennan argues that the model of an ideal patron was currently in the process of construction by the writers themselves, as in the 134 Reviews posthumous elegies on Philip Sidney which praised a generosity which in life his lack of court office or power prevented! The third earl of Pembroke's high office made him a focus for patronage seekers. Though many failed, Brennan argues that Pembroke was personally involved with the literary world. At least once he read a work dedicated to him before publication. He regularly gave Ben Jonson money to buy books. So, certainly, he deserved the wide variety of works hopefully dedicated to him. Although too many writers were chasing too few rewards, Pembroke was worth trying. The evaluation of Pembroke's political position is less successful, offering litde that is new and overemphasising his Wiltshire influence. He was a court peer and this was his attraction, as Brennan does recognise. The material on Mary Herbert and other women as patrons might have been extended, so also Brennan's discussion of the successes and failures of patronage. Nevertheless, those interested in works dedicated to the Pembroke family will find much useful material. Alison Wall Department of History University of Sydney. The Cambridge History of Renaissance Philosophy, ed. C. B. Schmitt and Q. Skinner, Cambridge, 1988; pp. xiii, 968; R.R.P., A U S $180.00. This book is perhaps best approached through its Introduction and then through its superb index. Each...

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