Prefaces to Four Seventeenth-Century Romances Roger Boyle, Lord Broghill, preface to Parthenissa (1655) Sir George Mackenzie, "Apologie for romances," prefixed to Aretina, the serious romance (1660) Nathaniel Ingelo, preface to Bentivolio and Urania (1660) Robert Boyle, preface to Theodora and Didymus (1687)

"Prefaces to Four Seventeenth-Century Romances by Boyle, Ingelo, and Mackenzie" brings together a set of compelling introductions to 17th-century romances. The book explores how authors Roger Boyle, Sir George Mackenzie, Nathaniel Ingelo, and Robert Boyle defended and defined their work as writers in this period. The core idea is how these authors navigated the emerging world of literature as they sought to create stories that stood apart from the popular criticisms of romance at the time. Through the prefaces, they discuss blending truth and fiction, the importance of moral instruction, and creating emotional depth using stories of sacrifice, illuminating the historical context of how people thought about literature and how romance could be more than just entertainment.