ABSTRACT
AutobiographicalexpressioninawidevarietyofformsproliferatedinBritain duringtheseventeenthcentury-fromsporadicjottingsaboutpersonalexperience, tocarefullyconsideredextendednarrativesabouttheself.Itwaspromptedby diverseimpulsesanddesignedtoservemanydifferentends. 1However,writing aboutoneselfwasnotconfinedtotexts(suchaspersonaldiaries,spiritualconfessionsandautobiographies)inwhichthewriters'ownlivesweretheirprimary focus.Asubstantialamountofpersonaldisclosureoccursintextsthatareprimarily concernedwithmattersotherthanthewriter'sself,andwhereautobiographical informationappearsonlyintermittentlyorunintentionally.
