John Bale

Eight chapters set forward an account of Bale's life, his religious beliefs, his archival and historical efforts, his polemical works, and his dramatic achievements. Bale's position on the fringes of the English court, his standing among the Marian exiles, and his far-reaching influence on English culture through John Foxe's Acts and Monuments certainly invite critical attention, and, given the dominance of New Historicism in early modern literary studies, Bale ought to be more studied than he is.