John Lane's 1621 Pastoral Poem, "Tritons Trumpet"

This previously unpublished work has a calendar structure, principally modelled on Spenser's "Shepheardes Calendar". The book uses narrative verse tales incorporating genres such as romance and fabliaux. Lane's chief aim is to attack the vices of his age, comparing court and country life.

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Although John Lane published three works during his life, this particular work has never been published. The calendar structure of the work is principally modelled on Spenser's "Shepheardes Calendar", although Lane divides each month into separate "husbandrie" and "moral" sections. The text echoes Chaucher in the use of narrative verse tales incorporating genres such as romance and fabliaux. Lane's chief aim is to attack the vices of his age, especially vocal on the the instability of the court in contrast to the idyllic life of the country. The work's constant allusion to contemporary English politics and culture should be of value to Renaissance historians as well as literary scholars.