Sir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier, scholar and soldier during the Elizabethan era. He was born into a noble family and educated at Oxford. As a courtier he was involved in politics and diplomacy, but also had a passion for literature. His most famous works included the sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella and the prose romance The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia. He fought bravely for the Protestant cause in the Netherlands, but was fatally wounded in 1586 at the Battle of Zutphen at the age of 31, dying of his injuries. He was mourned as embodying ideal English manhood and chivalry.