Roister Doister

Title: Roister Doister

Author: Nicholas Udall

Editor: Edward Arber

Release date: May 7, 2007 [eBook #21350] Most recently updated: August 1, 2008

Language: English

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English Reprints.

NICHOLAS UDALL, M.A.

Master, in succession, of Eton College and Westminster School.

Roister Doister.

Written, probably also represented, before 1553.

CAREFULLY EDITED FROM THE UNIQUE COPY, NOW AT ETON COLLEGE,

BY

EDWARD ARBER,

Associate, King’s College, London, F.R.G.S., &c.

LONDON: 5 QUEEN SQUARE, BLOOMSBURY, W.C.

Contents (added by transcriber)

Dramatis Personæ

Life of Nicholas Udall

Introduction

Bibliography

Ralph Roister Doister

Songs

Advertising

English Reprints

Life of Nicholas Udall (simplified format)

Bibliography (simplified format)

Dramatis Personæ.

Ralph Roister Doister.

Mathew Merygreeke.

Gawyn Goodluck, affianced to Dame Custance.

Tristram Trustie, his friend.

Dobinet Doughtie, ‘boy’ to Roister Doister.

Tom Trupenie, seruant to Dame Custance.

Sym Suresby, seruant to Goodluck.

Scriuener.

Harpax.

Dame Christian Custance, a widow.

Margerie Mumblecrust, her nurse.

Tibet Talk apace,

Annot Alyface,

her maidens.

Time. About Two days.

Scene. Not indicated: ? London.

A brief Note of the Life, Works, and Times

of

NICHOLAS UDALL, M.A. Teacher, Dramatist, Translator, Preacher.

In succession Master of Eton College, Rector of Braintree, Prebend of Windsor, Rector of Calborne, and Master of Westminster School.

* Probable or approximate dates.

There are materials extant for a good Life of Udall. Meanwhile there is Mr. Cooper’s excellent Memoir in the Shakespeare Society’s reprint of Ralph Roister Doister [see No. 5 on p. 8]; and Anthony à-Wood’s account of him, Ath. Oxon. i. 211. Ed. 1813.

1485. Aug. 22. Henry VII. becomes king.

*1504.

Nicholas Udall ... was born in Hampshire, and descended from those of his name, living sometimes at Wykeham in the same county.—Wood.

1509. April 22. Henry VIII. begins to reign.

1520. June 18. æt. 14.

Admitted scholar of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

1524. May 30. æt. 18.

Takes his B.A. [Wood, Fasti Oxon., i. 65, Ed. 1815.]

1524. Sept. 3.

Elected Probationer Fellow of his College.

1533. May. Whitsun Eve. æt. 27.

Royal MS. 18 A. lxiv. p. 275, has two titles. (1.) Versis and dities made at the coronation of queen Anne. (2.) Hereafter ensuethe a copie of diuers and sundry verses aswell in latin as in Englishe deuised and made partely by Iohn leland and partely by Nicholas Vuedale whereof sum were sette vp and sum were spoken and pronounced vnto the most high and excellente Quene the ladie Anne, wif vnto our sourain lorde King Henry the eight in many goodly and costely pageauntes exhibited and shewed by the mayre and citizens of the famous citie of london at first tyme as hir grace rode from the Towre of London through the said citie to hir most glorious coronation at the monasterie of Westminster on Whitson yeue in th xxvth yere of the raigne of our said soueraigne lorde.

The Rev. Dr. Goodford, the present Provost of Eton, has most kindly afforded me interesting information obtained by him from the MS. records of the College; viz., the Audit Rolls and the Bursar’s Books, respecting Udall’s connection with Eton.

The salary of the Master at Eton was then £10 a year, or fifty shillings for each of the four terms. In addition, he received 20s. for his ‘livery,’ and other small sums, as for obits (i.e. attending masses for the dead) [e.g. Udall received for obits, 14s. 8d. in 1535, and the same in 1536]; and for candles and ink for the boys [e.g. Udall received for these purposes, 23s. 4d. in 1537, and the same in 1538.] If the assumed multiple of 13 truly express the relatively greater purchasing power of gold and silver more then than now: the salary and emoluments cannot be considered excessive.

1534. June 19.

Udall takes his M.A. [Wood, Fasti., i. 98.]

1534-1543. æt.

Udall’s name occurs in the Records spelt indifferently Woddall, Woodall or Udall. His name first appears in 26 Henry VIII., 1534, when his predecessor Dr. Richard Coxe was paid salary for three terms, and Udall received 50s. for the fourth, his first term. The payments continue on regularly so far as the books are extant, up to 1541. The Records for 1542 are missing. It was in March 1543 that occurred the robbery of silver images and other plate by two Eton scholars, J. Hoorde and T. Cheney, connived at by Udall’s servant Gregory, which resulted in Udall’s losing his place.

‘Thomas Tusser, gentleman,’ in The Author’s Life added to his Fiue hundreth points of good husbandrie, 1573, 4to, thus writes, but without giving any date, of Udall’s use of the rod:

Nicholas Vdal schole master at Eton.

From Powles I went, to Aeton sent,

To learne straight wayes, the Latin phraise,

Where fiftie three stripes giuen to mee,

at once I had:

For faut but small or none at all,

It came to passe, thus beat I was,

See Udall see, the mercy of thee,

to mee poore lad.

1537. Sept. 27.

Is made Vicar of Braintree. Newcourt, Rep. ii. 89.

1542.

Udall publishes a translation of the 3rd and 4th books of Erasmus’ Apophthegms.

*1543.

Cott. MS. Titus, B. viii. p. 371, is a long letter, undated and unaddressed, to some one, as to ‘my restitution to the roume of Scholemaister in Eton.’

1544. Dec. 14.

Resigns the Vicarship of Braintree. Newcourt, idem.

1542-1545.

He is engaged with the Princess, afterwards Queen Mary and others in translating Erasmus’ Paraphrase of the New Testament into English.

‘1545, Sept. 30, at London,’ date of his Preface to Lake.

In his Pref. to John, partly translated by Princess Mary, partly by Rev. F. Malet, D.D.; Udall gives us the following account of female education in his day: which can only, however, apply to a few women, like Elizabeth, Mary, and Lady Jane Grey. ‘But nowe in this gracious and blisseful tyme of knowledge, in whiche it hath pleased almightye God to reuele and shewe abrode the lyght of his moste holye ghospell: what a noumbre is there of noble women (especially here in this realme of Englande,) yea and howe many in the yeares of tender vyrginitiee, not only aswel seen and as familiarly trade in the Latine and Greke tounges, as in theyr owne mother language: but also both in all kindes of prophane litterature, and liberall artes, exactely studied and exercised, and in the holy Scriptures and Theologie so ripe, that they are able aptely cunnyngly, and with much grace eyther to indicte or translate into the vulgare tongue, for the publique instruccion and edifying of the vnlearned multitude.... It is nowe no newes in Englande

to see young damisels in nobles houses and in the Courtes of Princes, in stede of cardes and other instrumentes of idle trifleyng, to haue continually in her handes, eyther Psalmes, Omelies, and other deuoute meditacions, or elles Paules Epistles, or some booke of holye Scripture matiers: and as familiarlye both to reade or reason thereof in Greke, Latine, Frenche, or Italian, as in Englishe.’

1547. Jan. 28. Edward VI. ascends the throne.

‘1552. July 20.

At Windsor.’ The date of Udall’s preface to the translation by himself and others, of T. Gemini’s Anatomy.

1553. July 6. Mary succeeds to the crown.

1554. Dec. 3.

Date of a warrant dormer from the Queen to the Master of her Revels. [Reprinted in The Loseley MSS. Ed. by A. J. Kempe, F.S.A. London. 1836.] The warrant runs thus—‘Whereas our wellbeloued Nicholas Udall hath at soondrie seasons convenient heretofore shewed and myndeth hereafter to shewe his diligence in setting foorth of Dialogues and Enterludes before us fo’ ou’ regell disporte and recreacion.’ ... And then goes on to authorize the loan of apparel for those purposes. Did the popularity of the Dramatist, and her personal acquaintance with him, since they had worked together on Erasmus’ Paraphrase, lead the Queen to condone the intense Protestantism of the Preacher, even to the continuing of him in favour? Udall and Ascham, two noted Protestants, are both favoured by Mary.

*1555.

1556. Nov.

Udall is appointed Master of Westminster School, and so continues until Mary re-establishes the Monastery at Westminster.

1556. Dec.

Udall dies.

1556. Dec. 23.

He is buried in St. Margaret’s, Westminster. Cooper, as above.

ROISTER DOISTER.

INTRODUCTION.

HE author and early date of the present Comedy are ascertained by a quotation in Sir Thomas Wilson’s Rule of Reason of Roister Doister’s letter to Dame Custance.

The first edition of the Rule of Reason, 1550-1, is a very scarce work; of which I have been unable to see a copy. The second edition, 1552, 8vo, ‘newely corrected by Thomas Wilson,’ has not the quotation: which apparently first appears in the third edition of 1553, 4to, the title of which runs, “The Rule of Reason, conteinyng the Arte of Logique. Sette furthe in Englishe, and newly corrected by Thomas Wilson. Anno Domini. M.D.LIII. Mense Ianuarij.”

At folio 66 of this edition, Wilson, in treating of The Ambiguitie, adds to his previous examples, Roister Doister’s letter, with the following heading:

¶ An example of soche doubtful writing, whiche by reason of poincting maie haue double sense, and contrarie meaning, taken out of an entrelude made by Nicolas Vdal.

The present comedy was therefore undoubtedly written before the close of the reign of Edward VI., who died 6 July 1553.

If it was then printed, that entire edition has perished. The prayer for the Queen at p. 86, can be for no other than Queen Elizabeth: and therefore, although the title-page is wanting and there is no conclusive allusion in the play, it may confidently be believed that the extant text was printed in Elizabeth’s reign: and that it had possibly in some respects been modified.

There now comes the evidence of the Stationers Co.’s Register, as quoted by Mr. Collier, Extracts, i. 154, Ed. 1848:

Rd of Thomas Hackett, for hys lycense for pryntinge of a play intituled auf Ruyster Duster, &c. iiijd

The missing title-page and the absence of any colophon in the Eton copy, here reprinted, preclude demonstrative proof that it is one of Hackett’s edition. It is however morally certain that it does represent that text.

On the whole, therefore, though that text was posthumous— 6 Udall having died in Dec. 1556—: and though its authorship rests entirely on the above heading of Wilson’s quotation: it may be safely accepted that Udall is the author of this comedy, and that he wrote it before 1553. Conclusions both of them consonant with the known facts of Udall’s life.

The comedy was probably first written for the Eton boys to act. Mr. W. D. Cooper thus writes:—

Certain, however, it is that it was the custom of Eton, about the feast of St. Andrew, for the Master to choose some Latin stage-play for the boys to act in the following Christmas holidays, and that he might sometimes order smart and witty English plays. “Among the writings of Udall about the year 1540,” says Warton, “are recited Plures Comediæ, and a tragedy De Papatu, on the Papacy, written probably to be acted by his scholars;” and it is equally probable that the English comedy was written with a like object; for it is admirably adapted to be a good acting play, and the author avows in the prologue that his models were Plautus and Terence, with whose writings his scholars were familiar.

Of the few dramatic pieces of that early period that have survived, Roister Doister is regarded as the transition-play from the Mysteries and Enterludes of the Middle Ages to the Comedies of modern times. A critical examination of its position in our Literature has been made by Mr. Collier. Hist. of Dram. Poetry. ii. 445-460 Ed. 1830. A full consideration of the play would exceed our present limits: we may however call attention to the peculiar rhyme in which Udall wrote it.

In the present reprint, the text appears according to modern usage: but in the original it stands in lines of unvarying length. Where the speech is continuous, these lines rhyme like our ordinary poetry: but when the dialogue is short; one, two, three or more speeches are thrown into one line, and the last syllables of that line—whether they occur in words in the middle or at the end of a sentence, as dictated simply by the length of line of type—are made to rough rhyme in couplets. Thus an irregular assonance jingles through the play.

On the opposite page are a few lines set up as in the original, to illustrate this peculiarity; and also to show the mode used of marking the actor’s names. May this peculiar rhyme be accepted as any evidence that Udall composed this play as much for the press as the stage?

There being no description of the representation and the stage directions being scanty: Roister Doister should be read a first time to learn the plot; a second time to imagine the action: and a third to combine and enjoy the two.

Actus. iiij. Scæna. v.

Bottom of the second, even-numbered page of folio 24, in the original edition.

Trupenie get thee in, thou shalt among them knowe,

How to vse thy selfe, like a propre man I trowe.

I go. Ex. C. C. Now Tristram Trusty I thank you right much.

For at my first sending to come ye neuer grutch.

Dame Custance God ye saue, and while my life shall last,

For my friende Goodlucks sake ye shall not sende in wast.

He shal giue you thanks. T. Trusty. I wil do much for his sake

But alack, I feare, great displeasure shall be take.

Wherfore? C. C. For a foolish matter. T. T. What is your cause

I am yll accombred with a couple of dawes.

Nay

Top of the first, odd-numbered page of folio 25.

Roister Doister.

Nay weepe not woman; but tell me what your cause is

As concerning my friende is any thing amisse?

No not on my part: but here was Sym Suresby.

He was with me and tolde me so. C. C. And he stoode by

While Ralph Roister Doister with helpe of Merygreeke,

For promise of mariage dyd vnto me seeke.

page image

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Roister Doister.

The whole of Udall’s plays were supposed to have perished [see Wood. Ath. Oxon. i. 213, Ed. 1813]. The Rev. T. Briggs, an old Etonian, in 1818, became the possessor of the now famous unique copy: which he presented to the Library of Eton College, in December of that year.

1. [?1566.] Lond. 1 vol. 4to.

? First edition of a revised text. The copy, now at Eton College, consists of 33 folios. The title-page is wanting.

2. 1818. Lond. 1 vol. 8vo.

‘Ralph Royster Doyster, A Comedy. London. Reprinted in the year 1818.’ [Ed. and privately printed by Rev. T. Briggs. 30 copies only struck off. The printer was James Compton, Middle St., Cloth Fair, London.] At the beginning is the following Advertisement:—

‘It appears from the Biographia Dramatica, that a Play called Rauf Ruster Duster was entered on the books of the Stationers’ Company in the year 1566, but that it was supposed never to have been printed: this, however, is now proved to be a mistake, a copy having been found contained in a collection of plays which was lately upon sale in London. It is true that the name is spelt somewhat differently, but it is presumed there can be no doubt of its being the piece in question. The book unfortunately wants the title-page, and the author’s name is not known. It is now in the Library of Eton College, and is here reprinted for the amusement of the reader.’

3. 1821. Lond. 1 vol. 8vo.

‘Ralph Royster Doyster, a Comedy, entered on the books of the Stationers’ Company, 1566. London: Printed by F. Marshall, Kenton St., Brunswick Sq., 1821.’ [Editor not known.]

R. Southey’s copy, with his autograph, and dated 1 Feb. 1837, is in the British Museum. Press-mark, 1344-k.

Neither of the above knew that Udall was the author. The editor of 1821 reprint writes, ‘The author, whoever he was,’ p. iv. It was Mr. Collier who connected Wilson’s quotation with Roister Doister, and so proved Udall to be its author. Writing on 14th April 1865; he thus begins the Preface of his Bibl. Account of Ear. Eng. Lit. Ed. 1865.

‘During my whole life, now rapidly approaching fourscore, I have been a diligent reader, and, as far as my means would allow, a greedy purchaser of all works connected with early English literature. It is nearly sixty years since I became possessed of my first really valuable old book of this kind—Wilson’s “Art of Logic,” printed by Richard Grafton 1551—from which I ascertained the not unimportant facts that “Ralph Roister Doister” was an older play than “Gammer Gurton’s Needle,” and that it had been written by Nicholas Udall, Master of Eton School: I thus learned who was the author of the earliest comedy, properly so called, in our language. This was my first literary discovery, made several years anterior, although I had not occasion to render it public, until I printed my Notes upon “Dodsley’s Old Plays,” soon after 1820.’*

* See vol. ii. p. 3. Ed. 1825.

4. 1830. Lond. 3 vols. 18mo.

The Old English Drama, A series of Plays, at 6d each, printed and published by Thomas White. Ralph Royster Doyster is the first.

5. 1847. Lond. 1 vol. 8vo.

Shakespeare Society. Ralph Roister Doister, &c., and The Tragedie of Gorboduc. Edited, with Introductory Memoirs, by W. D. Cooper, F.S.A. The text collated with the original by J. P. Collier, F.S.A.

6. 24 July 1869. Lond. 1 vol. 8vo. English Reprints: see title at p. 1.

∴ All the previous reprints have been and now are unobtainable to most persons. It is to the most courteous and generous kindness of the present Provost and Fellows of Eton College that I am enabled to place what I hope may prove an exact text into the hands of every one. I trust also to keep it perpetually on sale: that the student of the History of our Literature may no longer lack one of the most important illustrations of the growth of English Dramatic Poesy.

The Prologue.

Hat Creature is in health, eyther yong or olde,

But som mirth with modestie wil be glad to vse

As we in thys Enterlude shall now vnfolde,

Wherin all scurilitie we vtterly refuse,

Auoiding such mirth wherin is abuse:

Knowing nothing more comendable for a mans recreation

Than Mirth which is vsed in an honest fashion:

For Myrth prolongeth lyfe, and causeth health.

Mirth recreates our spirites and voydeth pensiuenesse,

Mirth increaseth amitie, not hindring our wealth,

Mirth is to be vsed both of more and lesse,

Being mixed with vertue in decent comlynesse.

As we trust no good nature can gainsay the same:

Which mirth we intende to vse, auoidyng all blame.

The wyse Poets long time heretofore,

Vnder merrie Comedies secretes did declare,

Wherein was contained very vertuous lore,

With mysteries and forewarnings very rare.

Suche to write neither Plautus nor Terence dyd spare,

Whiche among the learned at this day beares the bell:

These with such other therein dyd excell.

Our Comedie or Enterlude which we intende to play.