THIS Dramatic Piece is the first performance which appeared in England under the name of a Comedy*. As a former Editor of it (Mr. Hawkins) observes, "There is a vein of familiar humour in this play, and a kind of grotesque imagery not unlike some parts "of Aristophanes, but without those graces of language " and metre for which the Greek Comedian was eminently distinguished." The present edition is from a copy printed in the year 1575 †. 66 * There are reasons sufficiently conclusive to induce a belief, that John Still was the author of Gammer Gurton's Needle." He was the son of William Still of Grantham in Lincolnshire, was rector of Hadleigh in Suffolk, and was commissioned one of the Deans of Bocking in 1572; was installed canon of the 7th stall in the church of Westminster, and archdeacon of Sudbury, Mar. 28, 1576. He was first master of St. John's, then of Trinity College, Cambridge. While master of the latter he was promoted to the see of Bath and Wells, and was consecrated in Feb. 1592. He died Feb, 26, and was buried in the Cathedral Church of his diocese, 1607, leaving by testament 500l. to the alms-house in Wells. He was twice married, and left behind him several children. O. G. + Although Gammer Gurton's Needle may be the first performance which appeared in England under the name of a comedy, yet it is in all probability not the first comedy, properly so called, in our language. Not long since a copy, unfortunately without a titlepage, of the play of "Rauf Roister Doister" was discovered, and it is now in the library of Eton College. In 1566 Thomas Hacket had a licence for a play entitled Rauf Ruyster Duster," but as this was the only notice of its existence, it has been supposed that it was never printed. We have now, however, the play itself, and we are able to furnish the name of its author-Nicholas Udall. They are both matters of considerable curiosity, as Udall's performance is not only older than Gammer Gurton's Needle, but it is not a comedy of low country life, but the adventures of a rake frequently gulled and laughed at by his friend Matthew Merry Greek. The evidence to prove that it was written by Nicholas Udall is very conclusive, and it serves also to show the age of his work. The play contains, in A. III. S. 3. a long letter from Ralph Roister Doister to his mistress, which is quoted by T. Wilson in his Art of Logic, printed by Grafton in 1551, as an example of doubtful writing, taken from an enterlude made by Nicolas Vdall." Udall died about the year 1557, and Bishop Still, the author of Gammer Gurton's Needle, was then only fourteen years old, having been born in 1543. Hence we may decide, almost with certainty, that "Rauf Roister Doister" is older than Gammer Gurton's Needle. The former is a regular comedy divided into acts and scenes, and interspersed with songs. C. THE NAMES OF THE SPEAKERS OF THIS COMEDIE. DICCON1, the Bedlem2. HODGE, Gammer Gurton's Servante. TYB, Gammer Gurton's Mayde. Gammer GURTON. Cock, Gammer Gurton's Boye. Dame CHATTE. Doctor RAT, the Curate. Mayster BAILYE. DOLL, Dame Chat's Mayde. SCAPETHRYFT, Mayster Bailye's servante. MUTES. 1 Diccon, the Bedlam.] Diccon is the ancient abbreviation of Richard. See Mr. Steevens's Note on Richard III. A. 5. S. 3. 2 the Bedlam.] After the dissolution of the religious houses where the poor of every denomination were provided for, there was for many years no settled or fixed provision made to supply the want of that care which those bodies appear always to have taken of their distressed brethren. In consequence of this neglect, the idle and dissolute were suffered to wander about the country, assuming such characters as they imagined were most likely to insure success to their frauds, and security from detection. Among other disguises many affected madness, and were distinguished by the name of Bedlam Beggars. These are mentioned by Edgar, in King Lear: "The country gives me proof and precedent, In Dekker's Bellman of London, 1616, all the different species of beggars are enumerated. Amongst the rest are mentioned Tom of Bedlam's band of mad caps, otherwise called Poor Tom's flock of wild geese (whom here thou seest by his black and blue naked arms to be a man beaten to the world), and those wild geese, |