Sir Fulke Greville, first Baron Brooke

David Reid (University of Stirling)
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Fulke Greville prepared the inscription on his tomb: “Servant of Queen Elizabeth, Counsellor to King James, Friend to Sir Philip Sidney”. He seems to have been content to place himself in the background and sum himself up by his relation to these great figures. Though he died one of the wealthiest men in England and held political office under Elizabeth and James, he never took a leading part in affairs. He may have been thwarted in his ambition, but caution and a sardonic eye for the corruption of power probably held him back. At any rate, it is from being an observer and moralist rather than an actor, in both love and statecraft, that his strength as a writer derives. This did not keep him from admiring active spirits such as Sidney and Elizabeth's dashing favourite, the Earl of…

924 words

Citation: Reid, David. "Sir Fulke Greville, first Baron Brooke". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 October 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1877, accessed 19 March 2024.]

1877 Sir Fulke Greville, first Baron Brooke 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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