A King Translated: The Writings of King James VI & I and their Interpretation in the Low Countries, 1593-1603

King James is well known as the most prolific writer of all the Stuart monarchs. It was not just in English that his works were read, many were also translated into other languages, including Dutch. The book begins with an examination of James’s writings within their original Scottish context, particularly the political implications and their role in his management of his religio-political reputation both at home and abroad. The second half of the book is concerned with contemporary interpretations of these works by James’s readers using Dutch translations, which were sometimes ambiguous enough to allow unwelcome interpretations. This book contributes not only to the understanding of James works as political tools, but also to the preoccupations of publishers and translators, and the interpretative spaces in the works they were making available to an international audience.

strid Stilma Canterbury Christ Church University, UK