Prefaces to Four Seventeenth-Century Romances Roger Boyle

Boyle's Parthenissa is one of the earliest English romances that blends chivalric ideals with the classical heroic tradition. The preface likely emphasizes the moral and educational purposes of the romance presenting it as a means to inspire noble behavior and virtuous living. Boyle might also address the blend of historical and fictional elements aiming to entertain as well as instruct the reader. The preface serves to justify the work's length and complexity arguing for its value in the literary landscape of the time.