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Welsh
Life
Assess the impact
of Humanist values on Welsh life before 1640
It is necessary, when looking at the changes
that took place in any aspect of Welsh life during the sixteenth century,
to take into consideration the complexity of the sixteenth century world.
Humanism was not the only movement to take ground, and did not have the
monopoly on influence. In the space of a hundred years, a number of developments
had occurred, which were to exercise an incredible influence on the lives
of millions of people across Europe by the death of Queen Elizabeth
the first in 1603. The fifteenth century saw the discovery of the "New
World", and this influenced beliefs and intellectual understandings
of Europeans, shattering the familiarity and certainly of their lives,
while at the same time exciting their curiosity and hunger for knowledge.
The sixteenth century brought in its wake a whole new religious outlook
which challenged almost every aspect of life. The Reformation played an
important role in creating a new attitude to education as Protestantism
was a far more intellectually demanding religion than Catholicism, requiring
a sound knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. The need for competent
clerics became all the more important, and as the standards of the Catholic
and early Protestant clergy were not particularly high, it became apparent
that a higher standard of education was necessary. On a lay level, to be
able to fully participate in Protestant culture, it was necessary to be
literate, and to be literate demanded at least a rudimentary education.
Another very significant development of the fifteenth century, which was
not really felt in Western Europe until the sixteenth century, was the
coming of the Printing press. This "German invention" revolutionised the
nature of communication in Europe. Not only did it make the mass production
of texts so much easier by requiring far less man power, it also made the
mass production of identical texts possible. This was significant for education
and in particular scholarship. It made textual criticism simpler
and more practical, enabling scholars to communicate with each other simply
by referring to the edition and page number of texts. The simultaneous
development of paper also helped to reduce the cost of books, and these
too developments combined allowed individual scholars to buy their own
books. This undoubtedly helped their understanding of intellectual theories
and debates, and also implicitly encouraged a move away from the oral/aural,
scholastic education that predominated in the universities.
These developments alone were responsible for significantly altering the
values and attitudes of individuals across Europe, and gave rise to a new
culture. It is difficult, if not impossible to determine the exact
influences of each development, as the influences of each are so entangled
in each other. The Reformation changed religious outlooks, but this in
part stemmed from the new attitude towards man's role in society and human
achievement. Also it is Arguable that Luther's arguments and opinions
would not have been able to reach such a vast audience, and thus giving
inertia to the Protestant movement, had not it been for the coming of the
printing press. These problem make the studying of the impact of "Humanism"
on any country in the sixteenth century problematic. In Wales there is
the added problem of the Acts of Union of the early sixteenth century,
which provided Welshmen with new opportunities, both politically and educationally,
and the accession of the "Welsh Tudors" to the throne gave an impetus to
a feeling of National pride, and a fervent loyalty to the Crown.
Before continuing to look at the impact of humanist values on Welsh life,
it is perhaps necessary to look in some detail at what is meant by "humanist
values" in this essay. Humanism can be interpreted in several ways. In
historical writings, it is usually taken to mean the new interest in Greek
and Roman civilisation by scholars in Europe, and seen as synonymous with
the Renaissance which was the "re-birth" of an interest in this Classical
world. It is certainly true that scholars began to study enthusiastically
the works of Classical writers such as Cicero (the "father of the Latin
eloquence" (1) ) , Aristotle and Plato, and wanted to emulate their elegant
and eloquent style. Latin had long been the "lingua franca" of Europe,
but its use had become rather routine and accepted. During the fifteenth
and sixteenth century it gained a whole new lease of life. It received
much praise and was considered, with Greek, the most sophisticated language
of the known world. This interest in Greek was a new development, and owed
a lot to the coming of printing. Prior to printing, Greek works had
tended to be neglected by scribes who were not familiar with the language,
as they preferred to employ their efforts on more familiar territory, but
printing made it possible to mass produce the language with little effort.
The desire to emulate the Classical authors, changed considerably the nature
of scholarship and writing amongst European scholars. Elegance and
Eloquence were now demanded in works, not only in contents, but in
styles of handwriting too. The scholastic emphasis on logic and conciseness,
gave way to a "flowery", rhetorical style of writing. In the realm
of historical study, the desire to "get to the truth" was considered all
important. It was no longer acceptable to passively accepts myths and legends
about the past, but to actively challenge them and search for documentary
evidence. The Vernacular however in the midst of all this activity was
not neglected, quite the contrary, it became increasingly valued. As Italian
humanists began to turn to their own language, so did humanists in other
areas of Europe, and when they realized how undeveloped their native languages
were, they tried to enhance the vocabulary, to enable more eloquent and
elegant means of expression. As much as the Latin language was venerated,
humanists outside Italy wanted to see their own language just as exalted
and esteemed. Humanists also had a more liberal approach to female education,
believing that a degree of education in women, especially women with political
or economic responsibilities, was necessary, but the impact was minimal.
Patriarchal principles prevailed, and females were still denied access
to the universities.
& nbsp; However, as John Stevens and Peter Burke argue,
Humanism was far more than a scholarly movement. It was also a value system,
embodying ancient values, or what were believed to be ancient values.
This gave rise to a whole new attitude towards politics and human social
behaviour. In politics however, perhaps the humanist outlook was the most
conservative. The Classical authors may have advocated republic,
classless societies, but in an overwhelmingly monarchial, aristocratic,
Europe, such theories needed to be adapted if they were to be accepted.
One of the most influential political writings in sixteenth century England
was Sir Thomas Elyot's, "Boke named the Governor", perhaps influenced by
Castiglione's "The Courtier". He, like other Renaissance humanists,
justified hierarchy by declaring that it offered the best means of government
and the best safety to the state as "that maner of governance is best approved,
and hath longest continued." (2) In this work he discussed methods of governing,
as well as the personal qualities governors should have, their education
and their leisure activities. Rulers were expected to be just, virtuous,
wise, cautious, knowledgeable and generous patrons. A sound education,
incorporating language, geography and history, was seen as the basis of
all good government. It ensured that leaders were fully prepared for their
role, and intellectually capable of coping with decision making. Yet although
the ideal Renaissance Prince was to embody all these qualities ,
he was to avoid extremes in anything. He was to keep to Aristotle's "golden
mean", by keeping his activities and interest varied. Humanists firmly
rejected the Machiavellian principles as advocated in the "The Prince",
which suggested that rulers should be exploitive, self seeking, shrewd,
and opportunists. The qualities expected in a ruler were also expected
in those occupying positions of power in society, and there developed a
whole new concept of gentility. In the middle ages, military prowess or
wealth were considered to be the main qualifications, but in the sixteenth
century, this was increasingly questioned. Civility was becoming all important.
To be a brave warrior in the monarch's service was still much esteemed,
as was physical agility and fitness, but to use physical force in
the settling of personal feuds was increasingly frowned upon. Now
personal disputes were expected to be settled by more civilised methods
by courts or by monarchial intervention. Also the notion of "service" changed.
Humanists advocated the idea of serving the Commonweal, the common
"good". All actions were to be for the good of the State, and it
was a sign of true gentility if a man put service to his monarch and country
before all else. The rise of a new concept of gentility however, was not
entirely due to humanist influence. The sixteenth century saw the
rise of the "nouveau riches" and they challenged the position of the established
nobility and gentry. There was an increasing hostility to the old gentry
who seemed not to be adequately contributing to the governing of
the realm, an attitude reflected in the words of Lord Burghley, himself
a self-made man, "gentility is nothing else but ancient riches." (3)
Wealth and birth status were no longer seen as the only justification for
their privileged position. It be "errour and folye", wrote Sir Thomas Elyot,
if you think that "nobilitie may in no wyse be but onely where men can
avaunte them of auncient lignage, or auncient robe, or great possessions."
(4) Wealth and birth status were still important, but as J.
Gwynfor Jones argues were the "symbols of gentility", (5) not the basis
of it. The nobility and gentry increasingly found that they had to justify
their position. They found this justification through the notion
of intellectual superiority, and were thus more capable of governing the
country. To prove their worth, and fulfill the idea of service, they
increasingly took up positions of authority in their towns, such as a Justice
of the Peace or served as a member of Parliament.
& nbsp; Wales was very much
on the periphery of Europe, both geographically and politically.
She was also a small country, one of the smallest in Europe, with a population
of perhaps two or three hundred thousand . Wales had important trade connections,
but otherwise was a country of minor significance except to those that
lived there. Arguably in such a country as Wales, humanist values could
only have a very minor impact on everyday life. To begin with, the people
were not exposed to the Culture to any great extent. Wales was overwhelmingly
an agricultural country. There were some urban centres of significance
such as Ludlow, but even this town did not compare to such centres in London.
Neither did Wales have centres of learning as had the cities of Oxford
and Cambridge, which housed the prestigious universities. In many
ways it can be argued that Humanism and all it stood for passed by the
Tudor men and women of Wales. However, the picture is not clear cut. When
considering the influence of humanism or any movement on a given people,
it is necessary to take into consideration economic and social factors.
Undeniably the impact was far more pronounced on the more wealthy, literate
people of society, on what Robert Redfield describes as the "Great
tradition" in contrast to the "little tradition".(6) This is an English
model, but it equally applies to Wales.
The ordinary folk had
their own, time old culture, which was largely impermeable, and suited
their lack of formal education and limited financial means. In terms
of literacy, Wales was no worse than England and it is estimated that approximately
one in five of the population could read and write, but on the whole, literacy
was not common amongst the poor. Thus, the culture of the lower classes
was predominately oral- poems, ballads, songs, ritualistic dancing, and
was a custom tinged with superstitions and paganism. Wales was one of the
dark corners of the land where it was difficult for the powers that be
to infiltrate. There was a conscious, active attempt by the government
to assert the Protestant faith , but until the seventeenth century were
largely unsuccessful. What can best be described as a "Pagan-Catholicism"
prevailed. What hope then had humanists of gaining ground when there was
not such a conscious attempt to make their values accessible to the lower
orders ? Also it is arguable that the people of the upper classes did not
want to make humanism more accessible to these people, as an educated lower
class would totally undermine their justification for their privileged
position.
It is also arguable
that the ordinary citizens did not really want to participate in humanist
culture anyway. Humanist attitudes towards education to begin with was
a concept completely alien to the farmer and his family. They laboured
hard all day, in all weathers, and arguably had no real interest in education.
Literacy of perhaps one family member was useful, but not considered by
them essential, and when struggling often merely to subsist, what was not
essential could easily be disposed of. What good was a knowledge of Classical
Rome and Greece to these people ? It would play no meaningful part in their
lives. Similarly the notions of gentility advocated by Sir Thomas
Elyot and Castiglione had no direct relevance to their lives. Their social
position to begin with meant that they were unlikely to be ever classed
as a gentleman, and in all likelihood they would not leave their village
of birth, let alone leisurely frequent the courts of nobles, much less
the monarch. Also the innate conservatism of these people may have triggered
a defence attitude to any "alien" set of values which differed from the
familiar. There were also material factors to take into consideration.
George Owen's statement that;
There is no man so pwre but for some space
he setteth forth his children to schole, and such as profette in studied,
sendeth them unto the universities where for the most part, they enforce
them to studied the law." (7)
can only be taken so far. Some men simply
were too poor to send their children to school. There may have been a number
of so called "free schools", but these were only free in terms of tuition
fees. Parents still;
"...had to face the expense of books, candles
and writing equipment, while if a child was placed in a grammar school
at some distance from his home there was board and lodgings to be paid
for." (8)
On top of this, the family would have to
go without the money the child would earn in the meantime.
& nbsp; It is perhaps even questionable as to what extent
the lower classes were even familiar with the concepts of the new learning.
Apart from a few area of concentrated populations, the population was widely
dispersed. Many villages were small, and there were a number of farmsteads
isolated in the distant hills. Apart from the occasional business or neighbourly
contact, these people would have little knowledge of what was going
on outside their local area. It could take days or even weeks for the knowledge
of a major national event, such as the death of a monarch, to reach them.
Hidden away in relative obscurity, it is unlikely that such people were
familiar with humanist values. In all likelihood, the families were likely
to be ignorant that there was even a Renaissance occurring. They had no
knowledge of the scholarly activity at Elizabeth's court, or the colourful
dramatic activities of London. London was a world away. Even the more practical
elements of the Renaissance such as architectural influences did not really
touch them until the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Arguably
even the more urbanised areas of Wales, and those areas privileged enough
to house a school, were only limitedly touched by humanism. It is likely
that the people of these areas too remained unfamiliar with the inns and
outs of the "bookish learning", if only because books were beyond the financial
capacity of most families. If they could hardly afford to buy the
"Holy book", they were surely not going to spend their hard earned money
on less worthy material such as Latin works and Conduct books.
An added problem with the lower orders was the likelihood of them being
monoglot Welsh. The more urbanised areas were probably more bi-lingual,
but for the majority of commoners, the English publications would be of
little, if any use, anyway.
The
case was rather different for the upper classes of society. As has been
implied, financial wealth was a prime requisite of Renaissance humanism.
Also one aspect that is sometimes overlooked is that of time. It took time
to acquire knowledge, many hours of study. The lower classes arguably did
not have this time. Work was hard, and to get the most from the land, especially
in areas where the quality of the land was rather poor, they had to work
every hour of day light they could. They would be too tired in the evenings
to bury their heads in the books, and arguably could not afford the candles
needed. The gentry had both the financial capacity and the time to educate
themselves. Increased wealth in society also meant that a larger
proportion of the population was able to afford to educate their sons,
and this perhaps partly explains the rise of endowed grammar schools in
Wales, such as Bangor (1557), Ruthin (1574), Botwnog (1616), and Wrexham
(1603)(9), although arguably this was also due to the Reformation,
which had annihilated the contribution to education made by the monasteries.
The Welsh gentry, also made use of the rather more highly regarded English
schools, such as Shrewsbury or Winchester. One thing is clear. In keeping
with humanist values, the Welsh gentry increasingly sought a good education
for their sons. Also humanist ideas of gentility took a firm hold during
Elizabeth's reign. Elizabeth's court itself was a fine example of cultivated,
accomplished men, reflecting the main ethos of humanism. Welsh men attending
the Court were undoubtedly influenced by the accomplishments they saw there,
and then tried to emulate them in their own lifestyles and households.
Their houses became increasingly more magnificent, reflecting the humanist
notion of elegance in surroundings, and their gardens increasingly came
to provide for entertainments such as Tennis or Bowls, in keeping with
the notion of cultivating the body as well as the mind.
Another aspect of gentility, and one that was employed in Wales, was to
be a generous patron. It has been argued that Bardism deteriorated in the
face of the new learning, but if it did take somewhat of a backseat, it
continued nonetheless. The gentry continued to patronise the bards,
and they could be found in some of the minor Welsh courts. There were not
many courts, but those such as Richard Davies's Episcopal Palace
at Abergwili, the Salusbury's home at Llaweni, the Wynns at Gwydir, and
St.Donats when owned by the Stradlings, were a haven for scholars, housing
clerics, men of letters, and poets. Even in England, Dr. John Dee,
Queen Elizabeth's astrologer of Welsh origin, opened the door of his London
residence to Welsh humanists of all professions and stations in life. Dr.
John Dee also had one of the greatest libraries in the country, housing
some four thousand books. (10) The praise the bards gave their patrons
are also evidence of the infiltration of humanist values into Welsh high
life. They praised their wisdom, righteousness, generosity, knowledge and
their education. Of course their words are no reliable indication as to
what degree certain members of the Welsh gentry lived up to the ideal,
as it is certain that the praise bestowed on them were exaggerated,
but it does emphasise that they were at least familiar with the ideals.
Some members of the gentry also acted as benefactors. Thomas Wynn of Melai
in Denbighshire, for example, bequeathed a large sum which went towards
maintaining scholars from the Denbighshire, Flintshire area.
The Welsh scholars
firmly took up the patriotic elements of European humanism. It is
true that a considerable number of them may have been "anglicised" by their
stay in England, and W.P Griffith argues that;
"The fact that there were no native universities
or large urban communities to nurture academics and scholars meant that
the humanist values of the age shone in Wales through the prism of the
English experience." (11)
but a significant proportion were considerably
concerned about their Welsh heritage and Culture, and wanted to see the
language as acclaimed as Latin and Greek. It was not necessarily because
they dismissed Welsh language that they wrote in Latin, but because this
was the language that all "serious writers wanting an international reading
universally wrote in." (12) It would not have been an expedient career
move to write only in their native tongue as few people would understand
it. However, the interest individual Welsh scholars took in their Welsh
heritage can be seen in that they wrote about the merits of the Welsh language,
culture and history in this tongue, hoping to raise it's status and put
it on a par with Latin and Greek. In 1590, for example, Sion Dafydd Rhys
wrote his Cambrobrytannicae Cymraecaeve Linguae Institutiones, which was
a Welsh Grammar, and hoped that knowledge of the language would spread.
(13)
& nbsp; The Welsh had good reason to be proud of their
heritage. There was attached to Wales three powerful myths, which linked
the country with the glories of ancient Rome and Greece; the myths of Samothes,
Saint Joseph of Arimathea and Brutus. Of these, the myth of Brutus
was the most honoured, and during the sixteenth century became of paramount
importance to Welsh scholars. Geoffrey on Monmouthshire, in
his twelfth century book, Historia Regum Britanniae. Had declared
that the true Britons were the Welsh, who were descended from Brutus, of
Rome. This was believed by a significant proportion of Welsh
population and seized with enthusiasm by the Welsh humanists as it gave
Wales and Welsh Culture an impressive connection with Classical Rome.
In 1534, however, Polydore Virgil's book Anglica historia shattered this
Welsh claim to fame. He utterly condemned the Brutus theory, saying it
had no basis in fact as there were no Roman documents to suggest that Brutus
had even existed. Welsh humanists jumped to Geoffrey's defence, and for
the next fifty years or so, were busy trying to justify the myth, the most
sustained and accomplished work being that of Sir John Prise of Breconshire.
This rather blindly zealous defence of Geoffrey and his work however, hampered
the humanist advance amongst the scholars, as they were not incorporating
the idea of historical truth laying completely in documents. As R. Geraint
Gruffydd states, "they could not bring themselves to apply the criteria
to the study of the remote Welsh and British past." (14) However, it is
likely that not all scholars of Welsh origin were blinded by patriotic
zeal, and were able to look at their history from a more objective perspective.
Dr. David Powel for example was most eager to keep from such biased investigation,
and argued that;
"...the task of treating the restoration
and renovation of this history must be entrusted to wise and moderate men
who would be able to account for their own view, to refute the fallacious
reasons of their opponents, and to perceive and maintain what is true."
(15)
However, one activity of the humanists
which did exercise a profound influence on Welsh life for the next two
centuries, was the translation of the Scriptures into Welsh. This
event has rightly been praised by historians. This partly developed out
of necessity. Attempts to convert the Welsh to the new faith were failing,
and it was apparent that the only way to success was to provide the people
of Wales with the Bible in their own language. In 1567 William Salesbury
(arguably the greatest of all Welsh humanists, even if only in terms of
output) published his Welsh translation of the New Testament and Book of
Common Prayer. In the eventful year of 1588, a full translation of the
Scriptures appeared, translated by William Morgan. This was as R. Geraint
Gruffydd argues, a triumph of both Protestantism and Humanism in
Wales. It was Protestantism that gave the incentive, and humanist education
that made it possible. Now at last this began to make Protestantism
accessible to the monoglot Welsh men, women and children. There was
still a long way to go, and the Welsh could not fully participate in Protestant
culture until they could fulfill the one essential requirement, Bible study,
but the influence of a Welsh version of the Scriptures was immeasurable.
Even if people could not read, they could at least listen as the word of
God was read to them in their own tongue. Now they could begin to understand
what was expected of them and begin to emulate Christian principles in
their lives. The Welsh Bible was also important in a another respect.
It helped to "save" the language for future generations, and also lead
to its standardisation. Dr. Isaac Thomas argues that;
"Without this Welsh Bible the Welsh language
would gradually but surely have disappeared fro the churches, from the
parishes and from the land." (16)
& nbsp; It can be seen therefore,
that in all, the impact of Humanist values on Welsh life before 1640 was
limited. It did however influence quite significantly the lives of the
wealthy. By the reign of Elizabeth, the influence was beginning to show
amongst the Welsh scholars and gentry who had the financial means to educate
themselves and buy the books necessary to familiarise themselves with the
more practical aspects of Humanist culture, such as notions of gentility
and civility. Welsh scholarly output was not great in the late sixteenth
and early seventeenth centuries compared to the number of works produced
by other countries, but the works that do exist, show a knowledge and understanding
of the Classics, and a familiarity with the works of other prominent European
humanists. However, the influence on the lower orders was minimal.
The farmers, labourers and their families had little contact with the ideas
and works of the scholars, being for the most part illiterate, and even
in they were caught up in the wave of educational enthusiasm of the period,
lacked the financial means to educate their sons. It was not until
the late eighteenth century and the nineteenth, that such people began
to appreciate the value of education, but even then illiteracy was high
amongst the poorer classes, and educational opportunity determined by the
social position of parents. However, the humanism of the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries brought to Western European civilisation a whole new
positive attitude towards education, which over the centuries benefitted
Wales. It introduced notions of civility and gentility, which ultimately
contributed to the increased sophistication of governing methods; it gave
Wales the Scriptures in her native tongue which helped the advance of Protestantism
in the country as well as the survival of the language; led to improvements
in standards of life, as increased knowledge gave rise to technological
and scientific developments; and finally in the nineteenth century, gave
Wales her own centres of learning, the universities.
Bibliography
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2. Fritz Caspari, Humanism
and the Social Order in Tudor England (Chicago, 1954)
3. Ceri Davies, Latin
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Arts Council, 1981)
4. Ceri Davies,
"The 1588 translation of the Bible and the world of Renaissance learning"
Ceredigion (11)
5. Gareth Alban Davies,
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1480-1630 T.H.S.C (1985)
6. Maria Dowling, Humanism
in the Age of Henry VIII (London, 1986)
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9. Anthony Goodmans
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10. W.P. Griffith,
"Schooling and Society" in J. Gwynfor Jones, (ed.), Class Community and
Culture (Cardiff, 1989)
11. W. P. Griffith
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(Bangor University of Wales, 1995)
12. W. P. Griffith,
Learning, Law and Religion : Higher Education and Welsh Society c.1540-
1660 (Cardiff, 1992)
13. R. Geraint Gruffydd,
The Renaissance and Welsh Literature, in Glanmor Williams and Robert Owen
Jones, Celts and the Renaissance (Cardiff, 1989).
14. Philip Jenkins, The History
of Modern Wales 1536-1990 (London, 1992)
15. Gareth Elwyn Jones,
Modern Wales (Cambridge, 1994)
16. J. Gwynfor Jones,
"Concepts of Order and Gentility" in J. Gwynfor Jones, (ed.), Class Community
and Culture (Cardiff, 1989).
17. Stanford. E. Lehmberg,
Sir Thomas Elyot - Tudor Humanist (Austin, 1960).
18. Rosemary O'Day,
Education and Society 1500-1800 (London, 1982)
19. D. M. Pallister,
The Age of Elizabeth (London, 1992)
20. Joan Simon "Education
and Society in Tudor England 1500 - 1700", Past and Present (1966)
21. Hugh Thomas, A
History of Wales (Cardiff University Press, 1972)
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Endnotes
1. Sir Thomas Elyot,
The Boke named the Governor, in Stanford. E. Lehmberg, Sir
Thomas Elyot - Tudor Humanist (Austin, 1960), p.60.
2. Sir Thomas
Elyot, The Boke named the Governor, cited in Ibid., p.42.
3. Lord Burghley, cited
in J. Gwynfor Jones, "Concepts of Order and Gentility" in J.
Gwynfor Jones, (ed.), Class Community and Culture (Cardiff, 1989), p.126.
4. Sir Thomas Elyot,
The Boke named the Governor, cited in Stanford. E. Lehmberg, Sir
Thomas Elyot - Tudor Humanist (Austin, 1960), p.67.
5. J. Gwynfor
Jones, "Concepts of Order and Gentility" in J. Gwynfor Jones, (ed.),
Class Community and Culture (Cardiff, 1989), p.134.
6. D. M. Pallister,
The Age of Elizabeth (London, 1992), p.413.
7. George Owen of Henllys,
cited in W.S.K Thomas, Tudor Wales (Llandysul, 1983), p.190.
8. K. Wrightson, English
Society 1580-1680 (London, 1982), p.186.
9. Glanmor Williams,
Renewal and Reformation Wales : 1415-1642 (Oxford, 1993), p.433.
10. D. M. Pallister,
op. cit., p.415.
11. W. P. Griffith,
Learning, Law and Religion : Higher Education and Welsh Society c.1540-
1660 (Cardiff, 1992), p.387.
12. D. M. Pallister,
op. cit., p.416.
13. Ceri Davies, Latin
Writers of the Renaissance (University of Wales Press on behalf of Welsh
Arts Council, 1981).
14. R. Geraint Gruffydd,
The Renaissance and Welsh Literature, in Glanmor Williams and Robert Owen
Jones, Celts and the Renaissance (Cardiff, 1989), p.22.
15. Dr. David Powel,
De Britannica Historia Recte intelligencia et lum Romanis Scriptoribus
Reconcilianda, cited in Ceri Davies, Latin Writers of the Renaissance
(University of Wales Press on behalf of Welsh Arts Council, 1981), p.26.
16. Dr. Isaac Thomas
(1988), cited in Ceri Davies, "The 1588 translation of the Bible
and the world of Renaissance learning" Ceredigion (11), p.4.
ESSAY BY HEATHER THOMAS
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