Raleigh, Walter, Sir, 1552?-1618 (Library of Congress Name Authority)—

Knighted by Queen Elizabeth, Sir Walter Raleigh was an author, explorer, and statesman. Although Sir Walter was a favorite of the Queen, he was accused of treason by her successor, James I, making Sir Walter a controversial figure during his lifetime. Sir Walter's writing addresses the Queen's betrayal in allowing his imprisonment, as well as endeavors to disprove the charges of atheism brought against him.

Racine, Jean, 1639-1699 (Library of Congress Name Authority)—

French dramatist, poet, and historiographer best known for his mastery of the French classical tragedy, particularly through his adept use of the alexandrine line, a prominent feature of the poetic meter of seventeenth century French tragedy. He is also renowned for his characters, crafted through the Racinian view of humanity as driven by a need for acceptance in order to compensate for consuming feelings of inadequacy.

Puttenham, George, -1590 (Library of Congress Name Authority)—

English courtier and literary critic, generally accepted as the author of The Arte of English Poesie, an influential critical work on poetry and rhetoric. Although the authorship of the work has been disputed, with some suggesting his brother, Richard, to be the true author, the style and ideas of the book strongly align with Puttenham's other writings, affirming his claim to authorship.

Psalmanazar, George, 1679?-1763 (Library of Congress Name Authority)—

Though probably born in France, Psalmanazar claimed to be a native of the island of Formosa kidnapped by European missionaries and brought to Europe against his will. In that capacity he authored several works, including the far-fetched yet very successful An historical and geographical description of Formosa (1704) and a number of contributions to the seven volume An universal history; from the earliest account of time to the present (with G. Sale, A. Bower, G. Shelvocke, J. Campbell, J. Swinton, etc., 1736-44).