Fifteenth century literary culture with particular reference to the patterns of patronage, focussing on the patronage of the Stafford family during the fifteenth century.

The aim of this study is to investigate the nature of the role
played by literary patronage in fostering fifteenth century English
literature. The topic is approached by means of a detailed examination of the books and patronage of the Stafford family.
The fifteenth century witnessed the "triumph of English" and
its acceptance as a prestigious literary language; it was an age
interested in literature. That interest frequently manifested
self in the patronage of new works in English. The patterns of
patronage were altering in various ways, but the patronage of individual magnates still served as an example. The choice of one noble
family as a focal point offered a "ready-made" and well-documented
social group for analysis; in an allied field, historical studies
have proved immensely informative. Similar studies are contributing
to our understanding of fifteenth century literary history, The
pattern is still incomplete, and there are several families worthy
of and awaiting investigation,
The Staffords are such a family, They were known to have been
involved in literary activity, including some patronage; 'they were powerful; and they survived the fifteenth century, offering some
scope for a search for family literary patterns and patterns of
book-ownership and acquisition,
The background to this study is provided by the first three
chapters, which discuss the Staffords 1 political and financial
history, and the costs of book-ownership and patronage, The problematic nature of the evidence for their literary activity is discussed,
followed by a survey of the books associated with the Staffords and
their Bourgchier kin of the half-blood during the years 1372-1533.
Various considerations arising from this survey are then set out.
The patterns of Stafford and Bourgchier book-ownership and literary
patronage are then compared with those discernible for some contemporaries, and established as a context for the creation of fifteenth
century English literature,