George Whetstone, Versified Novellas and Slander in the Rocke of Regard

George Whetstone’s promotion of moral conduct in The Rocke of Regard is closely tied to his legal interests, with slander emerging as a central theme across the three versified novellas in the collection. The slander theme reflects Whetstone’s background, his personal involvement in a legal slander case, and his belief in the societal importance of honour. The essay ultimately situates Whetstone’s engagement with slander within his broader literary work and his role in popularizing the controversial Italian(ate) short narratives in Elizabethan England.