Sir Philip Sidney Renaissance Man, A Spirit without Spot: Elizabethan courtier, statesman, soldier, poet, and patron

Sir Philip Sidney was an Elizabethan courtier, statesman, soldier, poet, and patron of scholars and poets.He was famous asthe ideal gentlemanof his day and a model for subsequent generations until the twentieth century replaced classical education with industrial age expedience. He represents something of what we have lost in modern self-interest.For three centuries, he was consideredthe most extraordinary man of the English Renaissance. But unfortunately, his legacy has faded from modern prominence. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to peer into the past and discover a singular person that our forbearers identified and aspired to as a worthy model for their behavior and inspiration.For centuries he was considered a towering figure of impeccable character and represented the highest ideals of chivalry and intellectual and literary excellence. Now he is all but forgotten.What made him so famous was not what he did but who he was: the personification of the Elizabethan concept of gentlemanly conduct. His reputation was based on the personal assessment of all who met him.Read more