J

OHN BALE, author of the Morality of God's Promfes, is more known as an Historian, and Controverfialist, than as a Dramatick writer. He was born on the 21ft of November, 1495, at Cove, a fmall village near Dunwich, in Suffolk. His parents, having many other children, and not being in very affluent circumstances, fent him, at the age of twelve years, to the monaftery of Carmelites at Norwich, where he received part of his education, and from whence he removed to St. John's College, Cambridge *. While he continued at the Univerfity, being as he fays feriously stirred up by the illustrious the Lord Wentworth, he renounced the tenets of the church of Rome; and, that he might never more ferve fo execrable a beaft, I took, fays he, to wife the faithful Dorothy, in obedience to that divine command, "Let him that cannot contain, marry." Bishop Nicholson infinuates, that his diflike to a state of celibacy was the means of his converfion, more than any doubts which he entertained about the truth of his faith. The change of his religion expofed him to the perfecution of the Romish clergy, particularly of Lee archbishop of York, and Stokefley bishop of London: but he found an able and powerful protector in the perfon of Lord Cromwell, the favourite of Henry the Eighth. On the death of this nobleman, he withdrew into the Low Countries, and refided there eight years; in which time he wrote feveral pieces in the English language. On the acceffion of King Edward the Sixth, he was recalled into England, and obtained the living of Bishops Stocke, in the county of Southampton. During his refidence at his living, he was almost brought to the point of death by

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The writer of Bale's article in the Biographia Britannica hath fallen into a mistake, afferting him to have been of St. John's College, Oxford. Bale's own words are these : " In omni literarum barbarie ac mentis cæcitate "illic et Cantabrigiæ pervagabar, nullum habens tutorem aut Mecanatem ; "donec, lucente Dei verbo, ecclefiæ revocari cœpiffent ad veræ theologiæ "puriffimos fontes." Dr. Berkenhout hath adopted the fame error.

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an ague; when hearing that the king was come in progress to Southampton, five miles only from where he dwelt, he went to pay his refpects to him. "I toke my horfe, fays he, "about 10 of the clocke, for very weakneffe fcant able to "fytt hym, and fo came thydre. Betwixt two and three of the "clocke, the fame day, I drew towardes the place where as "his majestie was, and ftode in the open ftrete ryght against "the gallerye. Anon, my frinde Johan Fylpot, a gentylan, "and one of hys previe chambre, called unto him two more of "hys companyons, which in moving their heades towardes me, fhewed me most frendely countenaunces. By one of "these three the kynge havynge informacion that I was there in "the ftrete, he marveled therof, for fo much as it had bene tolde "hym a lytle afore that I was bothe dead and buried. With "that hys grace came to the wyndowe, and earnestly behelde 66 me a poore weake creature, as though he had had upon me "fo fymple a fubject, an earnest regard, or rather a very fa"therly care." This vifit to the king occafioned his immediate appointment to the bishoprick of Offory, which was fettled the next day, as he declared * afterwards, against his will, of the king's own mere motion only, without fuit of friends, meed, labour, expences, or any other finifter means elfe. On the 20th of March, 1553, he was confecrated at Dublin by the archbishop of that fee, and underwent a variety of perfecutions from the Popish party in Ireland, which at length compelled him to leave his diocese, and conceal himself in Dublin. Endeavouring to escape from thence in a small trading veffel, he was taken prisoner by the captain of a Dutch man of war, who rifled him of all his money, apparel, and effects. The hip was then driven by stress of weather into St. Ives in Cornwall, where he was taken up on fufpicion of high treason, but foon discharged. From thence, after a cruize of feveral days, the fhip arrived in Dover Road, and he was again put in danger by a falfe accufation. On his arrival in Holland, he was kept prifoner three weeks, and then obtained his liberty on payment of a fum of money. From Holland he retired to Bafil in Switzerland, and continued abroad during the remainder of Queen Mary's reign. On the acceffion of Queen Elizabeth, he returned to England; but being disgusted with the treatment

he met with in Ireland, he went thither no more. He was promoted on the 15th of January, 1560, to a prebend in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury, and died in that city in Nov. 1563, in the 68th year of his age. According to the manners of the times in which he wrote, he appears to have taken very indecent liberties with all his Antagonists in his religious Controverfies, and to have confidered himfelf as not bound by any rules of decorum in replying to those from whom he differed in matters wherein the interefts of Religion were concerned. The acrimony of his style on these occafions acquired him the appellation of Bilious Bale, and it was applied to him with fingular propriety. His principal work is esteemed the Scriptorum illuftrium majoris Brytanniæ quam nunc Angliam et Scotam vocant Catalogus; a Japheto per 3618 annos ufque ad annum hunc domini 1557, &c. first printed imperfectly at Wefel 1549, and afterwards more compleat in 1557 and 1559. He was the Author of a great number of Dramatick Pieces, three of which only appear to have been published, viz.

"A Tragedye or Enterlude, many fefting the chefe promyfes "of God unto Man in all ages of the olde lawe from the fall "of Adam to the Incarnacyon of the Lorde Jefus Christ. "Compyled by Johan Bale, Anno Domini 1538, 8vo."

Another Edition of this performance was printed in 4to. by John Charlewood 1577, and in the title-page faid to be now fyrst imprinted. (See Ames, 369).

"A brefe Comedy or Enterlude of Johan Baptyftes preach"yng in the Wilderneffe, the crafty affaultes of the hypocrytes, with the gloryoufe baptyfime of the Lorde Jefus "Chrift. Compyled by Johan Bale, Anno 1538, 8vo."

Re-printed in the Harleian Mifcellany, vol. I. p. 37.

"A brefe Comedy or Enterlude, concernynge the tempta66 tyon of our Lorde and Saver Jesus Christ by Sathan in the "defart. Compyled by Johan Bale, Anno 1538, 8vo.' (Ames, 497, 498.)

According to Ames all these pieces were originally printed abroad.

This prefent Copy is taken from an Old Black Letter Edition in 4to. in the valuable Collection of David Garrick, Efq. The Title-page being damaged, I am unable to give the date of it.

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It will not be imagined, that any of the Pieces in this Volume, except Ferrex and Porrex, are given as good; but only as Curiofities, and to fhew from what low Beginnings our Stage has arifen. If in this view they afford any Entertainment, it is all that is intended. What is remarkable in this Drama is, that it is divided into seven Acts, and at the End of each Act has a kind of Chorus, which was performed with Voices and Inftruments. The curious Reader will observe, in this and the other Pieces which compose this Volume, how very loose and undetermined the Orthography of our Language was about 200 years ago: the fame Words being fo conftantly spelled different ways, makes it very certain they had no fixed Rule of Right and Wrong in fpelling; and provided the Letters did but in any manner make out the Sound of the Word they would exprefs, it was thought fufficient.