Piers Plowman and Tudor Regulation of the Press

Abstract

This article explores the evolution of Tudor press regulation as an influence on Crowley’s presentation of PPl in print, especially the preface, with its interest in L’s historical biography, and Crowley’s addition of marginal annotations. Each of these features corresponds with explicitly regulated aspects of print, as attributions of texts and marginal annotations came under specific scrutiny. As a reaction to the development of print culture under Henry VIII and to the new regime at Henry's death, Crowley’s edition was both timely and innovative. Its interest in localizing and historicizing L as an aid to interpreting the poem reflected new ideas about the role of the author in literary and political history, ideas that Protestant polemicists of Crowley’s circle developed in dialogue with Henry VIII’s attempts to regulate the press.