Nicholas Grimald facts for kids
Nicholas Grimald (also spelled Grimoald) (1519–1562) was an English poet and writer of plays. He lived during a time of big changes in England, especially with religion and new ideas in writing.
Life Story
Nicholas Grimald was born around 1519 or 1520 to a family of farmers. We don't know much about his parents, but a poem he wrote, A funeral song, upon the death of Annes his moother, tells us about his mother's death. This poem shows how much he loved his mother and how his parents cared for each other. He was the only boy in a family with many girls.
His family lived in a place called Leighton Bromswold for nearly 400 years. Their last name changed a bit over time, appearing as Grymbaud, Grimbold, and Grimald in old papers.
There's no proof that Grimald ever got married or had children. Some of his poems hint that he admired two women, Carie Day and Mistress Damascene Awdley. These poems talk about whether marriage really brings the happiness people hope for.
Later in his life, Grimald became friends with Nicholas Ridley, who was a bishop in London. This friendship caused trouble for Grimald. He was put in Marshalsea prison because he was suspected of not following the official church rules. People said he avoided serious punishment by changing his mind about his beliefs. Because of this, some of his Protestant friends didn't like him anymore.
We don't know exactly when, where, or how he died. Another poet, Barnabe Googe, wrote a poem about Grimald's death in 1563, which suggests Grimald died in 1562.
School and Early Work
When Nicholas Grimald was about 15, he started showing a talent for writing poetry. His mother, who thought education was very important, sent him to Cambridge University to continue his studies. This was hard for his mother, as he was her only son.
In 1539 or 1540, Grimald earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), from Christ's College. A year later, he went to Oxford because a family friend, Gilbert Smith, was impressed by his work. At Oxford, Grimald first attended Brasenose College. When he couldn't study because his books hadn't arrived, he wrote his first play. His teachers and fellow students encouraged him. This play was a Latin play about the resurrection of Christ, called Christus Redivivus. He finished it in 1541, and it was published in Germany in 1543.
In 1542, at age 23, Grimald earned another B.A. from Oxford. This allowed him to join Merton College, where he got his Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in 1544. In the same year, he went back to Cambridge to get an M.A. from Christ's College too. After getting his degrees, Grimald chose to stay in Oxford. His next work was another Latin play, Archipropheta, written in 1548. It was a sad story about the life and death of John the Baptist. In 1552, Grimald was given permission to preach. The next year, he became a chaplain to Nicholas Ridley, the bishop of London. Ridley thought highly of Grimald and chose him to give an important Latin speech in April 1553.
Working with Nicholas Ridley
Nicholas Grimald became a chaplain to Bishop Nicholas Ridley in 1552. Ridley had praised Grimald's skill in both English and Latin writing. Ridley showed how much he trusted Grimald by asking him to give a Latin speech to a meeting of bishops in April 1553.
Their friendship faced big challenges when Queen Mary I came to the throne. She was very strict with Protestants, and Ridley was a Protestant. Ridley was put in prison. While in prison, Ridley wrote to Grimald. This letter was noticed by the Catholic authorities, and Grimald was also sent to Marshalsea prison in 1555.
Grimald's time in prison was short. Many people thought he had changed his beliefs to Catholicism to get out. At first, Ridley didn't believe these rumors, saying Grimald would never betray him. However, Ridley later confirmed that Grimald had indeed changed his mind to escape punishment. It's not clear if they made up before Ridley was executed.
His Writings
When Grimald first arrived at Oxford, he started his main play, the Latin tragicomedy Christus Redivus, or The Resurrection of Christ. He decided to write it because he couldn't study since his books were late. His friends, teachers, and even the college president supported him. The play was about the resurrection of Christ and was likely performed around Easter. People think he later wrote a similar play called Christus nascens, which was a Christmas play. Christus Redivus was published in 1543.
Archipropheta, or The Archprophet, was another Latin play published in 1548. It told the story of John the Baptist. Grimald used this play when he applied for a job at Christ Church college. He got the job as a lecturer, teaching about public speaking. Archipropheta is one of the first sad plays written by an Englishman.
Grimald's name is also linked to a work called Vox Populi, or The People's Complaint, published in 1549. This writing criticized church leaders who weren't doing their jobs well. It talked about those who lived far from their church members or didn't perform their religious duties.
He also translated a famous book by Cicero called De Officiis into English in 1556. A Latin version of Virgil's Georgics (printed in 1591) is also thought to be his work. Many other works that were said to be his are now lost.
Grimald wrote 40 poems for the first edition of Songes and Sonettes, also known as Tottel's Miscellany, in June 1557. Two of his poems in this collection, The Death of Zoroas and Marcus Tullius Ciceroes Death, are important because they are some of the first examples of English blank verse. Blank verse is poetry that doesn't rhyme but has a regular rhythm. It's also thought that Grimald might have helped edit the first edition of Miscellany. Many of Grimald's poems were removed from the second edition. This was probably because Tottel, the publisher, was worried that Grimald's change in religious beliefs would make people not want to buy the book. Only nine of Grimald's poems remained in the updated version, and only his initials were used to show he wrote them.
See also
- Canons of Elizabethan poetry
