1st Edition

The Plays and Poems of Nicholas Rowe, Volume V Lucan’s Pharsalia (Books IV-X)

Edited By Stephen Bernard, Robin Sowerby Copyright 2017

    Nicholas Rowe was the first Poet Laureate of the Georgian era. A fascinating and important yet largely overlooked figure in eighteenth-century literature, he is the ‘lost Augustan’. His plays are important both for the way they address the political and social concerns of the day and for reflecting a period in which the theatre was in crisis. This edition sets out to demonstrate Rowe’s mastery of the early eighteenth century theatre, especially his providing significant roles for women, and examines the political and historical stances of his plays. It also highlights his work as a translator, which was both innovative and deeply in tune with current practices as exemplified by John Dryden and Alexander Pope. This is the first scholarly edition of all Rowe’s plays and poems and is accompanied by 15 musical scores and 31 black and white illustrations.

    In this final volume the second part of his translation of Lucan’s Pharsalia, described by Samuel Johnson as one of the greatest productions in English poetry, is presented along with some his own original poetry. A newly written explanatory introduction to the Pharsalia by Stephen Bernard precedes the full edited text in volume IV. Appendices covering the related music and textual apparatus are also included. The edition comes with a consolidated bibliography for ease of reference.

    Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book IV edited by Robin Sowerby

    Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book V edited by Robin Sowerby

    Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book VI edited by Robin Sowerby

    Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book VII edited by Robin Sowerby

    Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book VIII edited by Robin Sowerby

    Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book IX edited by Robin Sowerby

    Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book X edited by Robin Sowerby

    Textual apparatus of Lucan’s Pharsalia by Robin Sowerby

    Bibliography

    Biography

    Stephen Bernard, Robin Sowerby

    "[T]he quality of the editorial work is uniformly excellent. The edition also includes a range of appendices containing a wealth of supplementary material including performance listings, prologues and epilogues, and, notably, all extant vocal music for Rowe’s dramas. The scores, beautifully edited by Joe Lockwood, are a significant contribution to our understanding of Rowe’s plays as the importance of music in Restoration and early eighteenth-century drama is often overlooked."

    "...the very real contribution of this edition… illuminates Rowe’s literary career and, for the first time, establishes a scholarly text of his works."

    - Jean L. Marsden, Review of English Studies