Samuel Daniel’s Life and Circumstances: New Findings

This essay considers Daniel in the context of his career-long dependence on elite patrons and the importance to him of his social reputation. The authors show how, when Daniel was threatened in 1605 by overwhelming disgrace, he mounted a determined self-defense; they also demonstrate the way in which his social value was measured by his contemporaries and the efforts he made to enhance his worth. Drawing on published works, letters, newly discovered archival documents, and surviving materials such as portraits, seals, and monumental inscriptions, the essay revises the assessments by biographers and scholars, giving new insights into the most elusive question: What was Daniel’s true sense of self-worth?