The Libelle of Englyshe Polycye, a poem written in 1436 against the backdrop of the Hundred Years’ War that details European trade routes and ties, pioneers the mercantilist jingoism and protectionist sea-keeping that informs so much of Elizabethan colonial thinking. This poem is also one of the more important summaries of mercantile voyaging, piracy, and maritime travel. As a milestone work in the history of medieval travel writing, the poem has a tradition of being included in anthologies of travel writing, starting with Richard Hakluyt’s monumental second edition of his Principal Navigations (1598-1600). Prof. Sobecki argues that Hakluyt used this work as the cornerstone of his expansionist thought and that the Libelle also serves as the blueprint for his Discourse on Western Planting (1584), one of the founding documents of English settler colonialism.
Friday 28 October 2022 3:30-5:00 pm
Victoria University Common Room
89 Charles Street West, Toronto
Sebastian Sobecki
Professor of English, Department of English and Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto
