The Vnfortunate Traveller, or The Life Of Jack Wilton | Page 3

huffsnuff" style of which Phaer
and Stanihurst were the prophets.
Still in 1589, but later in the year, Nash is believed to have thrown
himself into that extraordinary clash of theological weapons which is
celebrated as the Martin Marprelate Controversy. As is well known,
this pamphlet war grew out of the passionate resentment felt by the
Puritans against the tyrannical acts of Whitgift and the Bishops. The
actual controversy has been traced back to a defence of the
establishment of the Church, by the Dean of Sarum, on the one hand,
and a treatise by John Penry the Puritan, on the other, both published in
1587. In 1588 followed the violent Puritan libel, called "Martin
Marprelate," secretly printed, and written, perhaps, by a lawyer named
Barrow. Towards the close of the dispute several of the literary wits
dashed in upon the prelatical side, and denounced the Martinists with
exuberant high spirits. Among these Nash was long thought to have
held a very prominent place, for the two most brilliant tracts of the
entire controversy, "Pap with an Hatchet," 1589, and "An Almond for a
Parrot," 1590, were confidently attributed to him. These are now,
however, clearly perceived to be the work of a much riper pen, that,
namely, of Lyly.
It is probable that the four anonymous and privately printed tracts,
which Dr. Grosart has finally selected, do represent Nash's share in the
Marprelate Controversy, although in one of them, "Martin's Month's

Mind," I cannot say that I recognize his manner. The "Countercuff,"
published in August, 1589, from Gravesend, shows a great advance in
power. The academic Euphuism has been laid aside; images and trains
of thought are taken from life and experience instead of from books. In
"Pasquils Return," which belongs to October of the same year, the
author invents the happy word "Pruritans" to annoy his enemy, and
speaks, probably in his own name, but perhaps in that of Pasquil, of a
visit to Antwerp. "Martin's Month's Mind," which is a crazy piece of
fustian, belongs to December, 1589, while the fourth tract, "Pasquil's
Apology," appeared so late as July, 1590. The smart and active pen
which skirmishes in these pamphlets adds nothing serious to the
consideration of the tragical controversy in which it so lightly took part.
It amused and trained Nash to write these satires, but they left Udall
none the worse and the Bishops none the better. The author repeatedly
promises to rehearse the arguments on both sides and sum up the entire
controversy in a "May-Game of Martinism," of which we hear no more.
During the first twelve months of Nash's residence in London he was
pretty busily employed. It is just conceivable that six small publications
may have brought in money enough to support him. But after this we
perceive no obvious source of income for some considerable time. How
the son of a poor Suffolk minister contrived to live in London
throughout the years 1590 and 1591, it is difficult to imagine. Certainly
not on the proceeds of a single pamphlet. It is not credible that Nash
published much that has not come down to us. Perhaps a tract here and
there may have been lost.{1} He probably subsisted by hanging on to
the outskirts of education. Perhaps he taught pupils, more likely still he
wrote letters. We know, afterall, too little of the manners of the age to
venture on a reply to the question which constantly imposes itself, How
did the minor Elizabethan man of letters earn a livelihood? In the case
of Nash, I would hazard the conjecture, which is borne out, I think, by
several allusions in his writings, that he was a reader to the press,
connected, perhaps, with the Queen's printers, or with those under the
special protection of the Bishops.
1 One long narrative poem, the very name of which is too coarse to
quote, was, according to Oldys, certainly published; but of this no

printed copy is known to exist. John Davies of Hereford says that
"good men tore that pamphlet to pieces." I owe to the kindness of Mr.
A. H. Bullen the inspection of a transtript of a very corrupt manuscript
of this work.
His only production in 1591, so far as we know, was the insignificant
tract called "A Wonderful Astrological Prognostication," by "Adam
Fouleweather." This has been hastily treated as a defence of "the
dishonoured memory" of Nash's dead friend Greene against Gabriel
Harvey. But Greene did not die till the end of 1592, and in the
"Prognostication" there is nothing about either Greene or Harvey. The
pamphlet is a quizzical satire on the almanac-makers, very much in the
spirit of Swift's Bickerstaff "Predictions" a hundred years later. Of
more importance was a preface contributed in this same year to Sir
Philip