Employing a blend of historical, philological, literary, and linguistic methods, Richard
Rowlands Verstegan: A Versatile Man in an Age of Turmoil paints a full-bodied portrait of
Richard Rowlands Verstegan (or Verstegen, 1550?-1640)-a man whose multiple and
variously spelled name reflects a multifaceted public personality. English by birth and
upbringing, Dutch by fatherly descent, Verstegan spent most of his life on the Continent,
employed intermittently as a Catholic spy, poet, religious translator, polemicist, and …

This important collection of nine essays by an international group of scholars marks the
culmination of a two-year project focused on the study of Richard Verstegan. The authors
consider Verstegan's international career and knowledge of languages, his political and
religious views, and his placement in time at the crossroads of developing European
national identities. The collection exemplifies the value of international and collaborative
work on an author who lived a long time (1550–1640) and worked internationally and, as …