Roister Doister | Page 2

[Wood, Fasti., i. 98.]
1534-1543. ?t.
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:
[Sidenote: 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.
----. ---- 23.
He is buried in St. Margaret's, Westminster. Cooper, as above.

ROISTER DOISTER.

INTRODUCTION.
The 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