Cultural Exchange in Seventeenth-Century France and England

Gesa Stedman is Professor of British Literature and Culture at the Centre for British Studies, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany.

• Contents: Introduction: theories of cultural exchange; A wise and happy mediator? Queen Henrietta Maria as cultural ambassador; So much æmulacion, poverty, and the vices of swearing, drinking and whoring: Charles II and Anglo-French culture; Vanquishing with our pens as our ancestors have with their swords: textual and visual representations of cultural exchange; Summary and outlook; Bibliography; Index.

'Comprehensive in its scope, this book is erudite and well-researched, regularly addressing literary texts but also offering many stimulating pages on representations in image and word of royalty, nobility, and bourgeois customs and habits, including those connected with dance, food, and fashion. ... an excellent contribution to the emerging field of early modern Anglo-French cultural relations...' H-France 'This book offers a timely contribution to studies of seventeenth-century England and France, examining the nature and significance of the 'rich tapestry' of cultural exchange between the two countries.' Renaissance Quarterly ’Stedman’s examination of the impact of royalty and the elite on the transmission and adoption of French cultural practices by the English is thorough and engaging...’ Parergon