The discovery and re-examination of women authors has been a key part of early modern women's studies, but a major problem has been the inaccessibility of the texts themselves. This series is designed to make available a comprehensive collection of writing in English from 1500 to 1700, both by women and for and about them. Each text is preceded by a short introduction providing an overview of the life and work of the writer, along with a survey of important relevant scholarship. The series is in two parts, covering the periods 1500 to 1640, and 1641 to 1700. It is complemented by a separate facsimile series of essential works and original monographs.