...search of patronage. The author, George Puttenham, encourages his readers to imitate 'the vsuall speach of the Court, and that of London and the shires lying about London within Ix. myles, and not much aboue'. A poet should specifically aim at the language of 'the better brought...

...was thought to be that of London and the court, as George Puttenham described it, "the vsuall speach of the Court and that of London and the shires lying about London within Lx. myles."29 London was the center of cultural life and could claim to dominate cultural and artistic...

...alluded to by George Puttenham in his Art of Poesie ( l 589) when he recommends the young poet to adopt 'the usual speech of the Court, and that of London and the shires lying about London within 60 miles and not much above.' However even in the seventeenth century the court variety is often perceived...

...establishment of a written standard for English, writing "...ye shall therefore take the usuall speach of the Court, and that of London and the shires lying about London within Ix. myles, and not much above..." With London as the city of origin for most printed documents, its...