Astraea: The Imperial Theme in the Sixteenth Century

by Frances A. Yates

Book Overview

This book examines the images and symbolism of European monarchy in the 16th century. The accession of Charles V, with his vast dominions in both the old and new worlds, was the occasion for a renewal... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0744800250
• ISBN13: 9780744800258
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 233 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An exciting and brilliant book.

The leading Renaissance scholar of our time, Dame Frances A. Yates ("the most life-enhancing historian I knew", Hugh Trevor-Roper) in this enthralling reconstruction gave us the best example of her original scientific method. Using a new approach ("to history through imagery"), she focuses on the symbolism of Elizabethan 'imperial theme'. These allegorical intellectual portraits of Protestant chivalry in England and the French Pleiadist movement seems to contain an inspiring meta-historical documents. The genesis of this far-sighted study on "Queen Elizabeth I as Astraea" goes back to a sermon lecture (on Arcadian 'Virgo-Regina' and her apologists, prophetical poets like Peele, Spenser or Sidney) given in 1945 and first published in the famous "Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institute", X,1947. Out of a central essay grew the four "Empire Lectures" originally given at London University Senate House (in January 1952), on the very same theme (imperial political theme in the Middle Ages and Renaissance). Later, it appeared as academic seminars at her favourite "Warburg Institute" and at the Cornell University (1967-70). Summa summarum, this part of Yate's final "Astraea:The Imperial Theme in the Sixteenth Century" have been at first published as a French translation(!). Other texts from the present volume was originally contributed to a various symposiums, colloquiums, Warburg "Journal", "Slade Lectures" and even for a "Annales musicologiques"! Of course, some important parts of the paper were newly written just for this book. Anyway, this is thorough re-analysis of literature, mithology, science and philosophy in Elizabethan (many use to call it rather: "Shakespearian") times. It really challenges the current "modernist" ortodoxies of thinking "without history" and give shape and meaning to traditional ("neo-Hermetic") point of view. Those series of important and inovative essays reflects (through the competitive jugment by thinkers like Charles Schmitt, George Boas, Asa Briggs and Lord Dacre):"one of the most exciting and original of modern English historians: original because she came out of no pre-existing English school but created her own discipline; exciting because, by her enthusiasm and vitality, she inspired pupils who now continue her work...she was essentially a HISTORIAN OF THOUGHT". Or: "Frances Yates is that rare thing, a truly thrilling scholar. Her books on Renaissance history and thinking are alive with poetic instinct and inspired speculation, densely cross-patterned with recurring themes like one huge, continuous tapestry". In the context of a dominant,post-modern culture Frances Yates summary-books stands (eighteen years after her death) as the best and concrete proof for abilities of one typical European metaphysical soul to place famous incarnation of mythical "Faerie Queene" Elizabeth in the global (more than) historical context. A superb study!

An exciting and brilliant book.

The leading Renaissance scholar of our time, Dame Frances A. Yates ("the most life-enhancing historian I knew", Hugh Trevor-Roper) in this enthralling reconstruction gave us the best example of her original scientific method. Using a new approach ("to history through imagery"), she focuses on the symbolism of Elizabethan 'imperial theme'. These allegorical intellectual portraits of Protestant chivalry in England and the French Pleiadist movement seems to contain an inspiring meta-historical documents. The genesis of this far-sighted study on "Queen Elizabeth I as Astraea" goes back to a sermon lecture (on Arcadian 'Virgo-Regina' and her apologists, prophetical poets like Peele, Spenser or Sidney) given in 1945 and first published in the famous "Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institute", X,1947. Out of a central essay grew the four "Empire Lectures" originally given at London University Senate House (in January 1952), on the very same theme (imperial political theme in the Middle Ages and Renaissance). Later, it appeared as academic seminars at her favourite "Warburg Institute" and at the Cornell University (1967-70). Summa summarum, this part of Yate's final "Astraea:The Imperial Theme in the Sixteenth Century" have been at first published as a French translation(!). Other texts from the present volume was originally contributed to a various symposiums, colloquiums, Warburg "Journal", "Slade Lectures" and even for a "Annales musicologiques"! Of course, some important parts of the paper were newly written just for this book. Anyway, this is thorough re-analysis of literature, mithology, science and philosophy in Elizabethan (many use to call it rather: "Shakespearian") times. It really challenges the current "modernist" ortodoxies of thinking "without history" and give shape and meaning to traditional ("neo-Hermetic") point of view. Those series of important and inovative essays reflects (through the competitive jugment by thinkers like Charles Schmitt, George Boas, Asa Briggs and Lord Dacre):"one of the most exciting and original of modern English historians: original because she came out of no pre-existing English school but created her own discipline; exciting because, by her enthusiasm and vitality, she inspired pupils who now continue her work...she was essentially a HISTORIAN OF THOUGHT". Or: "Frances Yates is that rare thing, a truly thrilling scholar. Her books on Renaissance history and thinking are alive with poetic instinct and inspired speculation, densely cross-patterned with recurring themes like one huge, continuous tapestry". Believe it or not, you can find at real unexpected places - even in nowadays Serbia - Miss Yates's fans and inspired pupils; just look (if it is anyhow possible) Dragoslav Bokan's recent study on relate subjects titled "Ognjeni Ljiljani" ("Fire Lillies", SKC 1998) or Belgrade translation of her thoughtful "The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age", with ext