Editing William Camden (section)

== ''Annales'' ==
[[File:CamdenHistoryElizabeth1675.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Frontispiece and title page of a 1675 edition of the ''Annales'']]
In 1597, [[William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley]] suggested that Camden write a history of Queen Elizabeth's reign. The degree of Burghley's subsequent influence on the work is unclear: Camden only specifically mentions [[John Fortescue of Salden]], Elizabeth's last [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]], and [[Henry Cuffe]], [[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex]]'s secretary, as sources.<ref>Adams pp. 53, 64.</ref> Camden began his work in 1607. The first part (books 1–3) of the ''Annales rerum Anglicarum et Hibernicarum regnante Elizabetha, ad annum salutis M.D. LXXXIX'', covering the reign up to 1588, appeared in 1615. The second part (book 4, covering 1589–1603) was completed in 1617, but was not published until 1625 (Leiden edition), and 1627 (London edition), following Camden's death. The first translation into English of books 1–3 appeared in 1625, done by Abraham Darcie or Darcy ({{fl.|1625}}).<ref name="Kenyon p. 10">Kenyon p. 10.</ref> Book 4 was translated into English by [[Thomas Browne (Canon of Windsor)|Thomas Browne, canon of Windsor]], in 1629.

The ''Annales'' were not written in a continuous narrative, but in the style of earlier annals, giving the events of each year in a separate entry. Sometimes criticised as being too favourably disposed towards Elizabeth and [[James I of England|James I]], the ''Annales'' are one of the great works of English [[historiography]] and had a great impact on the later image of the [[Elizabethan age]]. [[Hugh Trevor-Roper]] said about them: "It is thanks to Camden that we ascribe to Queen Elizabeth a consistent policy of ''via media'' rather than an inconsequent series of unresolved conflicts and paralysed indecisions."<ref name="Kenyon p. 10"/>

Camden heavily revised and self-censored his work to favour his patron. This included pages being overwritten, or passages covered by having pieces of paper stuck on. This made censored passages on hundreds of pages unreadable. In 2023 enhanced imaging technology using transmitted light made the hidden passages readable,  revealing major insights, and confirming that the ''Annales'' were deliberately rewritten to depict Elizabeth's reign in a way favourable to her successor. Amongst new revelations, the Annals reported that Elizabeth, dying, had named James VI of Scotland as her successor. Analysis of the manuscript drafts shows the deathbed scene to be a fabricated addition to support James's succession. [[Pope Pius V]] was reported to have [[excommunication|excommunicated]] Elizabeth due to "secret plots"; this originally had been the more inflammatory "spiritual warfare", and had been toned down. {{As of|2023|7}} the new material was being studied, with the expectation that modern interpretations of Elizabeth and her reign would potentially change.<ref name=alberge>{{cite news | last=Alberge | first=Dalya | title='Heart-stopping': censored pages of history of Elizabeth I reappear after 400 years |newspaper=The Guardian | date=14 July 2023 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/14/heart-stopping-censored-pages-of-history-of-elizabeth-i-reappear-after-400-years}}</ref>