October 17 – The death of Sir Philip Sidney

On this day in Tudor history, 17th October 1586, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Philip Sidney died.

The poet, courtier and soldier died as a result of an injury sustained fighting against Spain at the Battle of Zutphen in the Netherlands.

Sir Philip Sidney is known for his literary works, which include "Astrophel and Stella", "The Arcadia” and “A Defense of Poetry.

Sidney was lucky to escape the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre in Paris, but was shot in the thigh at the Battle of Zutphen and died twenty-six days later.

You can read his work "Astrophel and Stella" at http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/sidney01.html.