John Bale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Bale |
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| Church | Church of Ireland |
| See | Ossory |
| Appointed | 22 October 1552 |
| Enthroned | 2 February 1553 |
| Reign ended | September 1553 |
| Predecessor | Milo Baron, OSA |
| Successor | John Tonory, OSA |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 November 1495 Covehithe, Suffolk, Kingdom of England |
| Died | November 1563 (aged 67-68) Canterbury, Kent, Kingdom of England |
| Nationality | English |
| Denomination | Catholic Church, Protestant Christianity |
| Occupation | Churchman, historian and controversialist. Wrote Illustrium majoris Britanniae scriptorum, hoc est, Angliae, Cambriae, ac Scotiae Summarium (1548–49) |
| Alma mater | Jesus College, Cambridge |
John Bale (born November 21, 1495 – died November 1563) was an English church leader, historian, and writer known for his strong opinions. He served as the Bishop of Ossory in Ireland. Bale wrote the oldest known historical play in English, which was about King John. He also created a huge list of books by British authors. This was important because many old church libraries were being broken up at the time.
Contents
John Bale's Early Life and Changes
John Bale was born in Covehithe, a small town near Dunwich in Suffolk, England. When he was about twelve years old, he joined the Carmelite friars in Norwich. Later, he moved to another Carmelite house called "Holme."
He then went to Jesus College, Cambridge, and earned his degree in 1529. In 1533, he became the last leader (Prior) of the Carmelite house in Ipswich.
Leaving the Monastic Life
John Bale decided to leave his life as a monk. He got married to a woman named Dorothy. He said he did this so he would "never more serve so execrable a beast," meaning he no longer wanted to be part of the old church system.
He became a church minister in Thorndon, Suffolk. However, in 1534, he was called to explain himself. He had preached a sermon against praying to saints. He was questioned by important church leaders, but he was protected by Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell was a powerful advisor to the king. Bale had caught Cromwell's attention with his plays.
Plays and Strong Opinions
In his plays, John Bale openly criticized the old church system and its supporters. He used very direct language and images. These plays were meant to influence ordinary people. Cromwell found Bale to be a very useful person for his goals.
Escape and Return
When Thomas Cromwell lost favor with the king in 1540, Bale had to leave England. He fled with his wife and children to Antwerp. He came back when King Edward VI became king. Bale was given a church position in Bishopstoke, Hampshire. In 1552, he became the Bishop of Ossory in Ireland.
Bale refused to be made a bishop using the old Roman Catholic church ceremonies. He insisted on using a new, reformed ceremony. Even though a church leader in Dublin protested, Bale got his way. He also had strong disagreements with an old judge named Thomas St. Lawrence. The judge traveled to Kilkenny to tell people to reject Bale's new ideas.
Forced Exile Again
When Queen Mary came to the throne, things changed for people like Bale. She brought back the old church ways, and Bale was forced to leave the country again. He tried to escape to Scotland. On his journey, he was captured by a Dutch warship. The ship was forced by bad weather into St Ives, Cornwall. Bale was arrested because people thought he might be a traitor, but he was soon let go. He had another close call in Dover. Eventually, he made it to the Netherlands and then to Frankfurt and Basel.
During his time away, he focused on writing. When Queen Elizabeth I became queen, Bale returned to England. In 1560, he received a special position at Canterbury Cathedral. He died there and was buried in the cathedral.
His Plays: Mysteries and Kynge Johan
John Bale was known for strongly criticizing the Roman Catholic Church and its writers. While some people found his language harsh, his writings are still important for understanding literature of his time.
Only five of his plays have survived. However, the titles of his other plays, which he listed himself, show that they had similar political and religious messages. For example, his play The Three Laws (first performed in 1538) was a morality play. It showed characters like "Idolatry" dressed as an old witch and "Ambition" dressed as a bishop.
Kynge Johan: A New Kind of Play
Bale is important in the history of plays because he wrote Kynge Johan around 1538. This play is a bridge between the old morality play and the English historical drama. It didn't directly influence later historical plays like The Troublesome Reign of King John. However, it's amazing that such a developed historical play was written so early. This was 23 years before Gorboduc, which is often seen as the first English tragedy.
Kynge Johan itself was a strong criticism of the Roman Catholic Church. In the play, King John is shown as a hero. He defends English church practices against the power of the Pope.
Listing Famous British Writers
Bale's most important work is Illustrium Maioris Britanniae scriptorum, hoc est, Angliae, Cambriae ac Scotiae summarium. This long title means "Summary of the Famous Writers of Great Britain, that is, of England, Wales and Scotland." The first version was published in 1548. A much larger version, with many more authors, came out in 1557 and 1559.
This detailed list of British authors and their books was partly based on the work of John Leland. Bale worked tirelessly to collect information. He personally looked at many valuable libraries in old church houses before they were closed down. His work saved a lot of information that would have been lost forever.
His personal notebook is kept in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. It contains all the notes he gathered for his published lists. He even wrote about how he found information: "I have bene also at Norwyche, our second citye of name, and there all the library monuments are turned to the use of their grossers, candelmakers, sopesellers, and other worldly occupyers..." This means he saw old books being used for wrapping paper or other everyday things. He tried to save as much as he could about authors and their works.
Other Important Writings
John Bale wrote many other works. While he was in Germany, he published a book criticizing the monastic system called The Actes of Englysh Votaries. He also wrote three "Lives" about important figures and a book called Pageant of Popes. When he was a minister in Bishopstoke, he wrote The Image of both Churches. After his time in Ossory, he wrote about his journey to become bishop there.
The Image of Both Churches
The Image of Both Churches was published by John Bale in 1545. It is a detailed explanation of the Book of Revelation, which is the last book in the Christian Bible. Bale took small parts of the book and then explained their meaning. He talked about things like the opening of the seven seals and the blowing of trumpets. A main goal of his book was to correctly identify the Antichrist.
Bale believed that the Book of Revelation was a prophecy. It showed how God's word and those who loved it would be treated by people and a false church. This would happen during the time between Jesus's return to heaven and the end of the world.
Bale described two types of churches. One was a false church, which he called the Church of Antichrist. This church would persecute those who didn't follow its rules. He criticized not only the Roman Church but also the new Church of England. In contrast, the "true Church" loves and teaches God's word truthfully. He also spoke against the Church of Mohammed, describing its control over people and its persecution of believers.
See also
