Excerpt from Froissart and the English Chronicle Play

The present study was undertaken in order to disclose the relationship existing between the Chronicles of John Froissart and historical literature in England up to the seventeenth century when the Tudor Chronicle plays van ished from the stage. During the last two decades, critical scholarship has discovered many intimate relations between French and English lyric and romance Of the medieval period, and between the writings of the Pléiade and the poetry of the Elizabethan age. Investigation, however, Of Froissart's connections with English Literature has been almost wholly confined to his poetry, chiefly with reference to that of his friend, Geoffrey Chaucer. Froissart's most noted work, the Chronicles, which was translated into Eng lish by Lord Berners as early as 1523-5, has been generally overlooked as a source for the Sixteenth century chroniclers, and the succeeding dramatists Of English history. Moreover, in searching for sources Of chronicle history plays, critics have confined their attention too exclusively to the Chron ioles Of Holinshed, largely perhaps, because Shakespeare has given this history such enviable prestige. But other and better chronicles of this period also found eager readers. Today, when any question arises concerning sources for chronicle plays, the easy and immediate answer is Holins hed. In Opposition, then, to what might become a facile dogmatism, the following pages endeavor to reveal to what extent those chapters in Froissart's Chronicles that relate English history, particularly the reigns Of Edward III and Richard II, influenced the chroniclers and playwrights Of the Elizabethan age.

To facilitate this investigation, the first two chapters review the life and literary work of Froissart, and of his translator, Lord Berners. In writing these chapters I have availed myself freely Of the excellent work of previous in vestigators, and have, therefore, presented little that is original. The remainder of the first part discloses the continuous vogue Of Berners' Froissart among the long succession of English Chroniclers; and demonstrates in nearly every case their literal indebtedness to this transla tion. The second part discusses in detail the numerous poetic and dramatic versions of Edward III and Richard II in Elizabethen literature, and attempts to prove the indebtedness of the authors to Berners' translation. Chap ter IV presents the new and complete sources from Ber ners for the anonymous play Edward III, wrongly sup posed to be derived from Holinshed, and reviews in this light the question Of authorship. Chapters VI and VII offer for the plays, Jack Straw and Woodstock sources that heretofore have been either incorrectly, or partially traced. The last five chapters Show the use made Of Berners by Samuel Daniel while writing the Civil Wars, and, in view Of this relationship, throw new light on the indebtedness of Shakespeare's Richard II to Daniel's epic.

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