The
Poly-Olbion is divided into thirty songs, written in
alexandrine couplets, consisting in total of almost 15,000 lines of verse. Drayton intended to compose a further part to cover
Scotland, but no part of this work is known to have survived. Each song describes between one and three counties, describing their topography,
traditions and
histories. Copies were illustrated with
maps of each county, drawn by
William Hole, whereon places were depicted
anthropomorphically. The first book was accompanied by historical and philological summaries written by
John Selden. Because of its length and its author's conflicting goals the
Poly-Olbion was almost never read as a whole, but is an important source for the period nevertheless. Drayton strained to combine correct scientific information about Britain (mostly contained in Selden's commentary) with his desire to provide as many memorial anchors to the elusive ancient
Celtic Britons, Druids, Bards, and
King Arthur as possible. ==See also==