Nicholas Grimald (or Grimoald) (1519–1562) was an English poet and dramatist.
Life
Nicholas Grimald was born to a modest yeoman family of farmers in 1519–20. His parents are unknown, despite the popular belief that his father was Giovanni Baptista Grimaldi. The poem ''A funeral song, upon the death of Annes his '', accounts for his mother's death. Grimald's mother has been speculated to be Agnes Gyrmbold, who dies in 1555. The poem mentions his hardworking father, but focuses upon the fondness that he had for his mother. Grimald saw his parents' love and devotion for each other and expressed that in the poem. He was the only boy out of many girls.
Maps found of Huntingdonshire in the 16th century do not show a place that could be Brownshold. What was found was an estate named
Leighton Bromswold
Leighton Bromswold (also known as Leighton) is a small village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Leighton lies approximately west of Huntingdon. Leighton is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambr ...
. This is the closest match to how Grimald describes his home in the poem ''A funeral song, upon the death of Annes his ''.
The Grimald family was seen to be living in Leighton Bromswold for close to four hundred years. Their last name had gone through variations as shown by legal documents kept by the village. Variations include: Grymbaud, Grymbold, Grymbolde, Grimbold, Grimald, Grimbald, and Grymbalde.
[.]
There has been no evidence of Grimald ever being married or having children. Some of his contributed verses in Tottle's ''Songes and Sonnettes'' refer to two women Grimald my have admired, Carie Day and Mistress Damascene Awdley. These verses show a debate on if marriage has the desired result that is wanted.
Grimald's connection to Nicholas Ridley, bishop of London, brought him under suspicion, and he was imprisoned in the
Marshalsea
The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, it became known, in ...
. It is said that he escaped the penalties of
heresy
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
by recanting his errors, and was despised accordingly by his
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
contemporaries.
The exact date, cause, and location of his death are unknown.
Barnabe Googe
Barnabe Googe (11 June 15407 February 1594), also spelt Barnabe Goche and Barnaby Goodge, was a poet and translator, one of the earliest English pastoral poets.
Early life
Barnabe Googe, born 11 June 1540 (St Barnabas Day), in Alvingham, Linc ...
, in his ''Eglogs, Epythaphes, and Sonettes''(1563), included ''An Epytaphes on the Death of Nicholas Grimaold'', which was written before Googe's departure abroad in 1562.
Education and early career
When Nicholas Grimald was fifteen years old, he started showing signs of poetic talent. His mother, who placed an emphasis on education, sent him to continue his education at Cambridge. This separation was hard for Grimald's mother, as he was the only boy in the family.
In 1539–40, Grimald graduated from
Christ's College with a B.A.. Grimald travelled to
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
a year later, when the prebendary of
Leighton Bromswold
Leighton Bromswold (also known as Leighton) is a small village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Leighton lies approximately west of Huntingdon. Leighton is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambr ...
Gilbert Smith, a family friend, was impressed by his work. In his first few years in Oxford, Grimald attended
Brasenose College
Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the m ...
. When Grimald was unable to continue his school work because he lacked his books, his first drama was written. Grimald received encouragement from the Matthew Smith, the president of the school, along with other teachers and students who were eager to participate in the arts. The play was the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
resurrection play ''Christus Redivivus''. Grimald dedicated his work to Smith. It was written in 1541, but was published two years later in Germany in 1543.
At twenty-three years old in 1542, Grimald was able to acquire his B.A. at Oxford. This degree allowed his admission into
Merton College
Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ch ...
, where he received his M.A. in 1544. In that same year, Grimald travelled back to Cambridge to get his M.A. at Christ's College.
[ Grimald chose to stay in Oxford after his degrees in 1544. His next work was another Latin tragedy based on the life and death of ]John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
called ''Archipropheta'' in 1548. Grimald was licensed as a lecturer in 1552 by Richard Sampson, this allowed him to preach at Eccles. The next year he was appointed chaplain to Nicholas Ridley, bishop of London. Ridely's high opinion of Grimald was shown when the bishop chose him to deliver a Latin address in April 1553, ''Oratio ad pontifices''.
Involvement with Nicholas Ridley
Nicholas Grimald was appointed chaplain to Nicholas Ridley, bishop of London, in 1552. Previously, in a letter written to Sir John Gates and Sir William Cecil, Ridley praised Grimald for his preferment and commended him for his "eloquence in both English and Latin" (Matthew; Harrison 13). Ridley's high opinion was later confirmed when the Bishop appointed Grimald to deliver the Latin address in April 1553, at an assembled bishops' meeting on absentee clergy.
The possible apostasy under Mary I put considerable strife on their relationship, and ultimately lead to its demise. Following Ridley's successful recommendation for Grimald to be appointed chantership of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
, Queen Mary acceded to the throne. Queen Mary's brutal prosecution of Protestants led to Ridley's imprisonment. While in prison, Ridley wrote to Grimald and potentially sent him Lorenzo Valla
Lorenzo Valla (; also Latinized as Laurentius; 14071 August 1457) was an Italian Renaissance humanist, rhetorician, educator, scholar, and Catholic priest. He is best known for his historical-critical textual analysis that proved that the ''Don ...
's ''De falso credita et ementita Constantini Donatione declamatio'', a text denouncing the pope's claim to dominion (13). The correspondence caught the attention of the Catholic authority and consequently led to Grimald's imprisonment in the Marshalsea
The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, it became known, in ...
prison in 1555 (Stephen;Lee 1917).
Grimald's imprisonment was brief, and many speculated the poet's apostasy to Catholicism. Originally, Grimald quelled the accusations. In response to rumours of Grimald's collusion with the Catholic Church, Ridley said, "it will not sink into my head to think that Grimbol would ever play me such a Judas's part" (Matthew;Harrison 13). Ridley later confirmed Grimald's betrayal, and said, in response Grimald's imprisonment and apostasy to Catholicism, that "he (Grimald) escaped not without some becking and bowing (alas) of is knee unto Baal
Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during Ancient Near East, antiquity. From its use among people, it cam ...
" (13). It is unclear whether or not there was reconciliation prior to Ridley's execution.
Works
Upon arriving at Oxford, Grimald began his first major work; the Latin resurrection and tragicomedy ''Christus Redivus'' or ''The Resurrection of Christ''. His motivation for starting the play was to redeem not being able to perform his studies because his books had come late. When proposing the idea of writing a play, Grimald received support from his peers, teachers, and even the college's president. The story of the play consisted of the resurrection of Christ, and is thought to have been made for an Eastertime performance. It is believed Grimald wrote a companion play later in his life called ''Christus nascens'', a nativity play made to be performed for Christmas. ''Christus Redivus'' was dedicated to the Archdeacon of Peterborough Gilbert Smith, and was eventually published in 1543 at Cologne.[
It cannot be determined whether Grimald was familiar with ]George Buchanan
George Buchanan ( gd, Seòras Bochanan; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth century Scotland produced." ...
's ''Baptistes'' (1543), or with Jakob Schöpper's ''Johannes decollatus vel Ectrachelistes'' (1546). Grimald provides a purely romantic motive for the catastrophe in the passionate attachment of Herodias
Herodias ( el, Ἡρῳδιάς, ''Hērǭdiás''; ''c.'' 15 BC – after AD 39) was a princess of the Herodian dynasty of Judaea during the time of the Roman Empire. Christian writings connect her with John the Baptist's execution.
Family relat ...
to Herod Antipas
Herod Antipas ( el, Ἡρῴδης Ἀντίπας, ''Hērǭdēs Antipas''; born before 20 BC – died after 39 AD), was a 1st-century ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch ("ruler of a quarter") and is referred to as both "H ...
, and constantly resorts to lyrical methods. As a poet Grimald is memorable as the earliest follower of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1516/1517 – 19 January 1547), Order of the Garter, KG, was an English nobleman, politician and poet. He was one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry and was the last known person executed at the instan ...
in the production of blank verse
Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the 16th century", and P ...
. He writes sometimes simply enough, as in the lines on his own childhood addressed to his mother, but in general his style is more artificial, and his metaphors more studied than is the case with the other contributors to the ''Miscellany''. His classical reading shows itself in the comparative terseness and smartness of his verses.
''Archipropheta'' or ''The Archprophet'', published in 1548, was a Latin drama that depicted the life of John the Baptist. Grimald submitted the play with his application for a fellowship with the new Dean of Christ Church, Dr Richard Cox. The application got him a job at the college as "a senior or theologist" where he would give lectures on rhetoric. ''Archipropheta'' is one of the first tragedies to be penned by an Englishman.[
Grimald's name is attributed to the work ''Vox Populi'', or ''The People's Complaint'', published in 1549. The piece of writing criticised Church officials for failing to carry out their jobs correctly. According to Merrill, the work revolves around "those rectors, vicars, archdeacons, deans, prebendaries, etc., who spend their lives far from their flocks, or do not perform their sacred duties."][
He translated ]Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...
's ''De Officiis
''De Officiis'' (''On Duties'' or ''On Obligations'') is a political and ethical treatise by the Roman orator, philosopher, and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero written in 44 BC. The treatise is divided into three books, in which Cicero expounds h ...
'' as ''Marcus Tullius Ciceroes thre bokes of duties'' (1556); a Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
paraphrase of Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...
's ''Georgics
The ''Georgics'' ( ; ) is a poem by Latin poet Virgil, likely published in 29 BCE. As the name suggests (from the Greek word , ''geōrgika'', i.e. "agricultural (things)") the subject of the poem is agriculture; but far from being an example ...
'' (printed 1591) is attributed to him, but most of the works assigned to him by John Bale
John Bale (21 November 1495 – November 1563) was an English churchman, historian and controversialist, and Bishop of Ossory in Ireland. He wrote the oldest known historical verse drama in English (on the subject of King John), and developed ...
are lost. Two Latin tragedies are extant: ''Archipropheta sive Johannes Baptista'', printed at Cologne in 1548, probably performed at Oxford the year before, and ''Christus redivivus'' (Cologne, 1543), edited by JM Hart (for the Modern Language Association of America, 1886, separately issued 1899).
Grimald contributed forty poems to the original edition (June 1557) of ''Songes and Sonettes
''Songes and Sonettes'', usually called ''Tottel's Miscellany'', was the first printed anthology of English poetry. First published by Richard Tottel in 1557 in London, it ran to many editions in the sixteenth century.
Richard Tottel
Richard To ...
'' (commonly known as Tottel's ''Miscellany''). Two of Grimald's poems printed in ''Miscellany'', ''The Death of Zoroas'' and ''Marcus Tullius Ciceroes Death'', are regarded as some of the first examples of English blank verse ever published. It is also possible that Grimald was an editor of the first edition of ''Miscellany''. It is speculated that most of Grimald's work was removed from the second edition due to his recantation of Protestantism. Tottel feared that Grimald's recantation would cause book sales to decline, and thus decided to omit many of Grimald's original works from the updated version. All of Grimald's more personal works were left out of the second edition, and only his initials were used to signify his authorship of the nine remaining poems.
Bibliography
* ''Christus Redivivus'' (1543)
* ''Archipropheta'' (1548)
* ''Vox Popli'' (1549)
* ''Marcus Tullius Ciceroes thre bokes of duties'' (Translation of Cicero's ''De Officiis'') (1556)
* Contributed poems to the collection ''Songes & Sonettes'' (1557)
See also
*Canons of Elizabethan poetry
The Western canon is the body of high culture literature, music, philosophy, and works of art that are highly valued in the West; works that have achieved the status of classics. However, not all these works originate in the Western world, and ...
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
;Attribution
* Endnotes:
** C. H. Herford
Charles Harold Herford, FBA (18 February 1853 – 25 April 1931) was an English literary scholar and critic. He is remembered principally for his biography and edition of the works of Ben Jonson in 11 volumes. This major scholarly project was ...
, ''Studies in the Literary Relations of England and Germany'' (pp. 113–119, 1886).
**''A Catalogue of printed books ... by writers bearing the name of Grimaldi'' (ed. A. B. Grimaldi), printed 1883
** Edward Arber
Edward Arber (4 December 183623 November 1912) was an English scholar, writer, and editor.
Background and professional work
Arber was born in London. From 1854 he 1878 he worked as a clerk in the Admiralty, and began evening classes at King ...
's reprint of Tottel's Miscellany
''Songes and Sonettes'', usually called ''Tottel's Miscellany'', was the first printed anthology of English poetry. First published by Richard Tottel in 1557 in London, it ran to many editions in the sixteenth century.
Richard Tottel
Richard To ...
.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grimald, Nicholas
1519 births
1562 deaths
People from Huntingdonshire
Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge
English Renaissance dramatists
16th-century English poets
Inmates of the Marshalsea
16th-century English dramatists and playwrights
English male dramatists and playwrights
English male poets