Batholomew Young or Yong ( fl. 1577–1598), was the translator of Montemayor's Spanish pastoral romance ''Diana''.

The translation

Young was, according to a pedigree in the

Harleian MS The Harleian Library, Harley Collection, Harleian Collection and other variants ( la, Bibliotheca Harleiana) is one of the main "closed" collections (namely, historic collections to which new material is no longer added) of the British Library in ...

1754, son of Gregory Young of

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

. He describes himself as of the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

, and took part as a French orator in a "public shew" given at the Middle Temple, when Lady Rich, probably the sister of

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

, was among the audience. About 1577 he was for two years in Spain. On coming home he spent "welny three yeeres in some serious studies and certaine affaires" without using his Spanish. At this point he fell into the company and acquaintance "of my especial good friend Edward Banister of Idesworth in the Countie of Southampton, Esquier". Banister gave him the first and second parts of Montemayor's ''Diana'' to translate into English, that he might not lose his Spanish. He did not publish his translation for sixteen years. In the meantime another translation was completed by (Sir) Thomas Wilson (1560?–1629). Edward Banister's will is dated 27 March 1600. It leaves property to three friends, of whom Young is one, 'to be bestowed for the benefit of his soul,’ and to each friend four angels for rings. It begins: 'The first leaf of this my will is written by my loving friend Mr. Bartholomew Young, which he wrote for me in my sickness.' Probate is dated 24 Nov. 1606.

Young's identity

Anthony Wood thought that Bartholomew Young was the same who lived at

Ashhurst Ashhurst ( mi, Whārite) is a town and outlying suburb of Palmerston North, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. Location Ashhurst is sited 14 kilometres northeast of the Palmerston North city centre. The town s ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, and died there in 1621. Joseph Hunter identified him with a Bartholomew Young whose name occurs in the register of burials of St. Dunstan's-in-the-West on 25 September 1612. Since the dedication of ''Diana'' to Lady Rich is from

High Ongar High Ongar is a village and civil parish in the County of Essex, England. It is located a mile (1½ km) north-east of Chipping Ongar, 8 miles (13 km) west of Chelmsford and 6 miles (10 km) north-west of Brentwood. The village of ...

, Hunter suggested that he was a relative of Francis Young of

Brent Pelham Brent Pelham is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England, and situated approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of Buntingford. It is one of the three Pelhams, with Stocking Pelham and ...

, to whom

Anthony Munday Anthony Munday (or Monday) (1560?10 August 1633) was an English playwright and miscellaneous writer. He was baptized on 13 October 1560 in St Gregory by St Paul's, London, and was the son of Christopher Munday, a stationer, and Jane Munday. He ...

in 1602 dedicated ''Palmerin of England''.

Complete writings

Young was the author of: *''The Civile Conversation of M. Stephen Guazzo'', written first in Italian, divided into foure bookes, the first three translated out of French by G. Pettie... In the Fourth it is set doune the forme of Civile Conversation, by an Example of a Banquet, made in Cassale, betweene sixe Lords and foure Ladies. And now translated out of Italian into English by Barth. Young, of the Middle Temple, Gent. Imprinted at London by

Thomas East Thomas East, (also spelled Easte, Est, or Este) (''c.''1540 – January 1609), was an English printer who specialised in music. He has been described as a publisher, but that claim is debatable (the specialties of printer and bookseller/publish ...

, 1586, 4to. *''Amorous Fiammetta''. This is dedicated to Sir William Hatton. *''Diana of George of Montemayor'', translated out of Spanish into English by Bartholomew Yong of the Middle Temple, Gentleman. At London, Printed by Edm. Bollifant, impensis G. B.,’ 1598, fol. The dedication to Lady Rich, dated 'from High Onger in Essex the 28 of Novemb. 1598,’ is followed by 'The Preface to divers learned Gentlemen, and other my loving friendes;’ These contain some biographical details regarding the author. He praises the translation made in manuscript by

Edward Paston Sir Edward Paston (1550–1630), second son of Sir Thomas Paston, was a Catholic gentleman of Norfolk, a poet, and amateur musician living in the reign of Elizabeth I. He is an important figure in the musical history of England, his love of music ...

of the ''Diana'' as better than his own, but, unfortunately, not complete. Young translates the first part of ''Diana'' by "George of Montemayor"; the second part by Alonzo Perez; and the third part, more properly called the first part of the ''Enamoured Diana'', by

Gaspar Gil Polo Gaspar Gil Polo (1540? - 1591), Spanish novelist and poet, was born at Valencia. He is often confused with Gil Polo, professor of Greek at Valencia University between 1566 and 1573; but this professor was not named Gaspar. He is also confused with ...

. There are many lyrics dispersed through these works which are translated by Young into English verse. Twenty-five of these lyrics are given in ''

Englands Helicon ''Englands Helicon'' is an anthology of Elizabethan pastoral poems compiled by John Flasket, and first published in 1600. There was an enlarged edition in 1614. The word Helicon refers to the Greek mountain on which, in Greek mythology, two s ...

'', 1600.

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

used the ''Story of the Shepherdess Felismena'' in writing the ''

Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first tent ...

''. It has been reprinted by Hazlitt in 'Shakspere's Library' (I. i. 275–312; for proof that Shakespeare used the ''Diana'' either in Young's manuscript or some other form, see especially p. 55 of Young's printed translation).

Modern editions

*The ''Civile Conversation'' of M. Steven Guazzo, the first three books translated by

George Pettie George Pettie (1548–1589) was an English writer of romances. His style influenced Robert Greene (dramatist), Robert Greene, and paved the way to euphuism. Life He was younger son of John Le Petite or Pettie of Tetsworth and Stoke Talmage, Oxford ...

, anno 1581, and the fourth by Barth. Young, anno 1586; with an introduction by Sir Edward Sullivan, bart., Constable and Co., Ltd.; A.A. Knopf, 1925.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Bartholomew Year of birth missing Year of death missing 16th-century English translators