Cambridge Edition of the Works of Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea

"This is the first ever complete critical edition of the writings of Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (1661-1720), including work printed in her lifetime and material left in manuscript form at her death. Textual analysis, based on print and manuscript copies in repositories across the United Kingdom and United States, reveals her revision processes and uses of manuscript and print. Extensive commentary clarifies her techniques, sources, contexts, and diction. A detailed essay traces the history of her works' reception and transmission. The result is a complete view of her achievements that will promote more accurate assessments of her contributions to literary and cultural shifts, including perspectives on literary value, women's equality, religion, and affairs of state. This first volume provides established texts of Finch's early manuscript books, including Poems on Several Subjects and Miscellany Poems with Two Plays written under her pen name, Ardelia"-- "The book begins with a summary of what has been available in previous editions of her work and how they differ from this edition. This is followed by an explanation of the major choices in arrangement and copy-texts made for this edition and how the works are divided between our edition's two volumes. These decisions arise from our analysis of Finch's work as a writer using both manuscript and print as well as from our analysis of the production of her work with her husband Heneage. Following this brief rationale of major choices in the design of the edition, which are explained in greater depth in the Editorial Policies and Textual Introduction, we provide an overview of Finch's biography to 1704, corresponding to the years in which the works presented here in volume 1 were produced. The biographical information in volume 2 likewise corresponds to the years of the collections included in that volume. The general introduction to volume 1 concludes with a section that surveys briefly the poetic contexts informing the poems found in both volumes of this edition, and a final section analyzes Finch's contributions to drama"--