Constructing the Text of the View of the Present State of Ireland before the New Bibliography

Abstract

This paper begins with an account of the history of modern editions of Spenser’s View, analyzes textual scholarship, and concludes with a skeptical reexamination of Spenser’s rhetorical objectives. As this paper will demonstrate, a critical bibliography is needed to clarify the dates, scribes, and provenance of the twenty-one complete manuscripts of the View of the Present State of Ireland.