'Run not before the laws': Lily's Grammar, the Oxford Bellum grammaticale, and the rules of concord. Issue 2 (15th May 2014) - McGregor, Rachel
Abstract As the foundational text of humanist education in early modern England, Lily's Latin Grammar taught generations of English learners not only grammatical, but also social and political lessons. The royally prescribed Grammar has often been seen as a vehicle of sovereignty and its rules as instruments of subjection. However, these views are challenged by reading the Grammar alongside the internationally popular fable of the Bellum grammaticale. This didactic tale about a war between the parts of Latin speech endorses concord as the lex suprema of both grammar and society. The political implications of the Bellum grammaticale's emphasis on concord are highlighted most clearly in the Oxford playwright Leonard Hutten's dramatic adaptation of the fable, which concludes with the character Lilius prosecuting two bellicose rulers and presenting his Grammar as a constitution for their realm. When Hutten's play was performed before Queen Elizabeth at Oxford in 1592, she appears to have been offended by its celebration of scholarly authority and determined to defend her legal prerogative. On this occasion, the Grammar was used to place limits on royal authority, offering a new perspective on the ideological function of this iconic text and the rules contained within it.