The Minerva Britanna Project at Middlebury College

When Henry Peacham wrote Minerva Britanna, he was heavily influenced by King James I's Basilicon Doron, which James wrote as a form of kingly instruction to his eldest son Henry. Peacham created various manuscripts, three of which have survived, which turned the Basilicon Doron into emblematic literature. The first manuscript contains fifty-six pen and ink drawings and is dedicated to Prince Henry, though it was never finished. Like the first manuscript, the second is also unfinished, dedicated to King James with sixty-five emblems done in pen and ink. However, it is believed that Peacham presented the king with a comparable manuscript at the time. The third manuscript was presented to Henry in 1610, containing seventy-eight emblems in watercolors. Sixty-two of the emblems in these manuscripts (thirty of which appear in all three) are found in Minerva Britanna with verse based on passages of Basilicon Doron and a Latin quatrain added by Peacham at the end of each emblem. While none of these three manuscripts have been edited or published, they have been important to English emblem literature.

While Minerva Britanna is quite similar to these manuscripts, it differs in structure and language. The original three manuscripts have a similar structure to the Basilicon Doron, which contains three different books in the single document, but Minerva Britanna disregards this format and is instead composed of a single book. In addition, Peacham primarily writes his emblems in English rather than Latin.

Just as King James I educates his son with the Basilicon Doron, so Peacham instructs readers with his emblems. By incorporating many of the themes from James' book, Peacham passes on this kingly advice to the people of England.

-Emily Owen

Works Cited

Bath, Michael. Speaking Pictures: English Emblem Books and Renaissance Culture.

London and New York: Longman, 1994, pg. 90-110.


	Basilicon Doron
	When Henry Peacham wrote Minerva Britanna, he was heavily influenced by King James I's Basilicon Doron, which James wrote as a form of kingly instruction to his eldest son Henry. Peacham created various manuscripts, three of which have survived, which turned the Basilicon Doron into emblematic literature. The first manuscript contains fifty-six pen and ink drawings and is dedicated to Prince Henry, though it was never finished. Like the first manuscript, the second is also unfinished, dedicated to King James with sixty-five emblems done in pen and ink. However, it is believed that Peacham presented the king with a comparable manuscript at the time. The third manuscript was presented to Henry in 1610, containing seventy-eight emblems in watercolors. Sixty-two of the emblems in these manuscripts (thirty of which appear in all three) are found in Minerva Britanna with verse based on passages of Basilicon Doron and a Latin quatrain added by Peacham at the end of each emblem. While none of these three manuscripts have been edited or published, they have been important to English emblem literature. While Minerva Britanna is quite similar to these manuscripts, it differs in structure and language. The original three manuscripts have a similar structure to the Basilicon Doron, which contains three different books in the single document, but Minerva Britanna disregards this format and is instead composed of a single book. In addition, Peacham primarily writes his emblems in English rather than Latin. Just as King James I educates his son with the Basilicon Doron, so Peacham instructs readers with his emblems. By incorporating many of the themes from James' book, Peacham passes on this kingly advice to the people of England. -Emily Owen Works Cited Bath, Michael. Speaking Pictures: English Emblem Books and Renaissance Culture. London and New York: Longman, 1994, pg. 90-110.