Astrophel and Stella
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Astrophil and Stella is an English sonnet sequence by Philip Sidney containing 108 sonnets and 11 songs, probably composed in the 1580s. The name derives from the two Greek words, 'aster' and 'phil',
The title page of the second edition of Astrophil and Stella (1591), from the British Library's holdings
Frontispiece to copy of Astrophel and Stella from University of Edinburgh Library.
Penelope Rich, Lady Rich, later styled Penelope Blount was an English court office holder. She served as lady-in-waiting to the English queen Anne of Denmark. She was the sister of Robert Devereux, 2n
Astrophel and Stella
…the love represented in the sequence may be a literal one as Sidney evidently connects Astrophil to himself and Stella to Lady Penelope, thought to be Penelope Devereux (1563–1607), later Lady Rich, the wife of Robert Rich, 3rd Baronet. Sidney and Lady Penelope had been betrothed when the latter was a child. For some…
Portrait miniature thought to be Penelope Devereux, Lady Rich, c.1590 by Nicholas Hilliard
Portrait at Longleat House believed to be of Dorothy and Penelope Devereux c. 1581
English poet, courtier, diplomat Philip Sidney (1554 – 1586), National Portrait Gallery