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Thank You: I would like to take the opportunity to express my thanks here to Mr David Butcher of Lowestoft, for his invaluable advice on Nashe's family origins; and to Anniina Jokinen, from whose excellent and well-visited Nashe site you almost certainly found your way here. (And if you didn't, visit it NOW by clicking here.)

December 2008SATIRE

Isa Minio-Paluello, who kindly gave permission for part of her thesis on possible satire in Summer's Last Will and Testament to be displayed on this site, has recently translated and published an earlier work of her own, formerly only available in Italian. Called Jesters and Devils it describes how a harmless carnival float became a vehicle for political satire, this time in Renaissance Florence. Her book, based on original research, explores the tensions and double-meanings underlying a display of apparently innocent tomfoolery in a festival parade.

August 2008PICTURES

After a short visit to East Anglia in June, I've added some pictures of the two churches that figured in Nashe's early life, St Margaret's Lowestoft and All Saints, West Harling. Access them here.

September 2007NEW BOOK LOOKS AT NASHE'S PLAY

Drama and Religion in English Provincial Society, due out from Cambridge University Press in 2008, will amongst other works examine "Summer's Last Will and Testament" and its performance before Archbishop Whitgift. The author, Dr. Paul Whitfield White of Purdue University, specializes in medieval and renaissance theatre.

February 2006WHO EXACTLY WAS 'GORGON'?

Gabriel Harvey's peculiar poem Gorgon has been interpreted many ways See here for an argument it is largely about Thomas Nashe.

August 2005SHAKERLEYS et al

Both Nashe and Harvey mentioned a mysterious eccentric called 'Shakerley' who hung aroung St Paul's Churchyard and died in 1593. Was he the same as Peter Shakerley of Ditton, Kent? See here for more .

April 2005SUMMERS LAST WILL - 1965 Thesis.

Forty years ago in Aberdeen a thesis was submitted for the degree of M. Litt. The author was Maria-Luisa Minio-Paluello, and the title was Nashe's Summers Last Will and Testament. One whole chapter of her thesis dealt with her discovery of an allusion to Sir Walter Ralegh, shadowed under the character 'Sol' in Summers Last Will and Testament. Ms Minio-Paluello's arguments for this identification were well-received by her examiner, and indeed they strike the modern reader as both painstaking and persuasive. With her kind permission this part of her thesis is now available here. For the entire thesis you should contact the University of Aberdeen.

February 2005There are moves to make an electronic publication of Gabriel Harvey's marginalia available. Click here to find out more.
February 2004I have begun uploading a theory about possible contemporary satire in Nashe's surviving play, Summer's Last Will and Testament. I have hesitated over six years to upload this, deterred by the knowledge that such theories are always wrong. View with caution.
July 2003 PEDANTIUS!

The Latin text of the play 'Pedantius', which contains an anti-Harvey skit in the title role, is now available courtesy of Dana F. Sutton, who also thoughtfully provided an English translation (plus some really interesting notes). Seems Nashe was wrong when he said Anthony Wingfield wrote it. Hmmm. See it at http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/forsett/

July 2003 SLW online

Just as I was halfway through the painful job of typing out the text of 'Summer's Last Will and Testament', I found there's one already out there. It's at http://www.elizabethanauthors.com/summ1.htm SLW is Nashe's only surviving play (possible involvement with 'Dido' aside) - and I have my own theory about it, which I shall unleash soon on an indifferent world.

June 2002 MICHAEL HARTE

Here's a funny thing - I was browsing the net for something quite different when I stumbled on a page about an Exeter bookseller called Michael Harte. I think he's the 'Mighell' Nashe was talking about in HWYTSW - the man who lent Dr. Harvey ten shillings. Not important, but a bit weird to find it by accident. See here.

May 2002 WILLIAM BLANCHER

A glimpse of Nashe's family background. William Blancher of Lowestoft was a shoemaker by trade, husband of Nashe's cousin Elizabeth. When he died in 1602 his goods were valued, and the list of what he owned is mute testimony to the simple life led by Nashe's relations. Access the inventory here.

March 2002
CAUTION!
CAUTION!
The urge to add my own speculations about Nashe is sometimes too strong to be resisted. But amateurs working alone are prone to get things out of proportion, so I've come up with the symbol on the left to indicate pages in which I depart from accepted wisdom. Caveat lector.
March 2002 ERRATA PAGE

I want this site to offer reliable information, but working alone means mistakes slip through. Although most of my visitors probably visit only once, I needed a way to alert returnees to errors as I find and amend them. I've therefore started this Errata Page, where I'll log past errors as I correct them. I'll also list the transcriptions I've rechecked against my trusty copy of McKerrow...as and when I get round to doing that chore, that is. Anyone with time to email me with errors they've noticed, I'd be grateful to hear from them.

January 2002 Everard Guilpin's Skialetheia is thought to contain references to Nashe. Visit here to see what you make of the suggestion.
November 2001 Sir Robert Cotton

Sir Robert Cotton was a significant figure in English history. Visit here to see an argument that he was an early admirer of Nashe.

November 2001Harvey's Sonnets I am putting up the 22 sonnets which Harvey wrote for 'Foure letters', which IMHO aren't good poetry, but a kind of apologia for his actions towards Greene and Nashe. Click here for the text of these 22 sonnets.
November 2001 I've joined a webring and added a site search engine. Enjoy! (It's at the bottom of the homepage.)
October 2001 An outline of the Harvey-Nashe quarrel

The impact on Nashe's work of the row between himself and Dr Gabriel Harvey is often referred to, but the stages of their quarrel are sometimes rather murky. I've roughed out an outline, based largely on R. B. McKerrow's account of their clash. Access it here.

May 2001 A Scene from 'Parnassus 2'

The three so-called 'Parnassus' plays put on at Cambridge over the turn of the century contain a character called Ingenioso who bears many resemblances to Nashe. I've uploaded a scene in which he desperately flatters the foppish courtier Gullio, in hopes of getting some cash from the idiot. To access, click here.

April 2001 The Trimming of Thomas Nashe Gentleman

The long-promised etext of Lichfield's knocking copy The Trimming of Thomas Nashe Gentleman is now available on this site, and though I don't claim it's as accurate as a Renascence Edition - what you type, you can't always proof-read - it is the full text: plus odd footnotes which I shall be increasing when I can think of anything relevant / useful to add. ( I shall also overhaul the text before June is out, as I notice it does indeed contain many typos..)

April 2001 Pierce Penilesse on the web

Very good news - An etext of Nashe's Pierce Penilesse is now available at Renascence Editions, courtesy of the tireless Richard Bear. At least somebody noticed what year it is.

March 2001The old Alma Mater not very bothered

Not so good news. I emailed Nashe's old college, St John's in Cambridge, to ask how they planned to mark the quatercentenary of their famous author's death. Apparently they don't. They said they'd considered an exhibition in the library (wow, be still my beating heart!) but the
"... uncertainty of the date was an issue and also ... we were already committed to putting together an exhibition about his contemporary, William Gilbert. We have very limited exhibition facilities, but we will certainly remember Nashe when we put together exhibits for our Johnian Weekend later this year."

Gilbert was a physician, a fellow of the college and "author of the first great scientific book published in England".(DNB)

I still think St John's has its priorities all wrong.

Sept 2000SLWAT resurfaces (partly)

A group of Tudor re-enactors apparently put on a very abridged/rewritten version of 'Summer's Last Will and Testament' around August 2000 in London. I make that the second performance in only 408 years.