Thomas North
Thomas North entered the world between 9 and 10 o'clock at night on Friday, the 28th of May 1535. He arrived in the parish of St Alban, Wood Street, within the City of London. His father was Edward North, who held the title of 1st Baron North. Thomas served as the second son in this prominent family. He likely pursued his studies at Peterhouse, Cambridge. The year 1555 marked a significant journey for him during the reign of Queen Mary. He traveled to Rome as part of an embassy led by Thomas Thirlby, Bishop of Ely. Other members included Anthony Browne, Sir Edward Carne, and Viscount Montague. Their mission sought to reconcile England with the Pope. North kept a detailed journal of these travels.
In 1557, Thomas became Master of the Revels at Lincoln's Inn. By 1560, Jasper Heywood praised his writing style as stately and graceful. This praise appeared in Heywood's translation of Seneca's Thyestes. North may have written plays for Leicester's Men. Records show his brother Roger paid both Thomas and the troupe for a play performed at court in 1580. In 1574, he accompanied his brother Roger on a diplomatic mission to Lyon. He later served as captain of footmen in Ireland during 1580. Fighting occurred with the Earl of Leicester in the Low Countries in 1587. He defended the Isle of Ely when the Spanish Armada threatened England. October 1591 brought knighthood from the Earl of Essex in France. This honor came just before the Siege of Rouen. He returned to Ireland in 1596 to help quell Tyrone's Rebellion. A reward of £25 followed his role in suppressing Essex's Rebellion in 1601. Queen Elizabeth granted him a pension of £40 per year that same year.
His first translation appeared in 1557 under the title Diall of Princes. The original text was Guevara's Reloj de Principes. North translated this work from a French copy while knowing the Spanish version well. The book contained moral counsels compiled from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. His English style became an early specimen of ornate and copious writing. Educated young men had acquired a taste for such styles through Continental studies. John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, had previously translated Marcus Aurelius without rhetorical artifices. North's version featured constant use of antithesis and mannerisms. This approach set a fashion that culminated in John Lyly's Euphues. Linguistic evidence suggests passages in Titus Andronicus may derive from this work. Phrases from the Dial also appear in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
North published his translation of Plutarch in 1580. He based it on the French version by Jacques Amyot. The first edition dedicated to Queen Elizabeth. A second edition followed in 1595. A third edition arrived in 1603 with more Parallel Lives. It included a supplement of other translated biographies. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition called him the first master of English prose. Critics stated it was almost impossible to overestimate his influence on contemporary writers. His vigorous English shaped the direction of Tudor literature. The text remained reprinted for the Tudor Translations series in 1895. George Wyndham provided an introduction for that modern edition. Copies exist today at the British Library and through The Perseus Project.
The Plutarch translation formed the source for Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, Timon of Athens, and Antony and Cleopatra. Whole speeches in Antony and Cleopatra came directly from North's text. Some hypothesize that North wrote plays later adapted by Shakespeare. One theory suggests he authored the lost play Titus and Vespasian written in 1562. This work might have served as the source for Shakespeare's own Titus Andronicus. Other biographical parallels lead to suggestions about direct collaboration. It has been recently hypothesized that all his published translations influenced the Shakespearean theatrical canon. He may himself have known William Shakespeare. His daughter Elizabeth North lived with her uncle Roger at Kirtling Tower. Percy Long posited in 1905 that she inspired Rosalinde in Edmund Spenser's The Shepheardes Calender.
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Common questions
When was Thomas North born and where did he arrive?
Thomas North entered the world between 9 and 10 o'clock at night on Friday, the 28th of May 1535. He arrived in the parish of St Alban, Wood Street, within the City of London.
What diplomatic missions did Thomas North undertake during Queen Mary's reign?
In 1555, Thomas North traveled to Rome as part of an embassy led by Thomas Thirlby, Bishop of Ely. Their mission sought to reconcile England with the Pope while other members included Anthony Browne, Sir Edward Carne, and Viscount Montague.
Which translations by Thomas North influenced Shakespearean plays?
North published his translation of Plutarch in 1580 which formed the source for Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, Timon of Athens, and Antony and Cleopatra. Whole speeches in Antony and Cleopatra came directly from North's text and phrases from the Dial also appear in Hamlet.
How much pension did Queen Elizabeth grant Thomas North in 1601?
Queen Elizabeth granted him a pension of £40 per year that same year after he received a reward of £25 for suppressing Essex's Rebellion. This financial support followed his role in helping quell Tyrone's Rebellion when he returned to Ireland in 1596.
Who called Thomas North the first master of English prose?
The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition called him the first master of English prose. Critics stated it was almost impossible to overestimate his influence on contemporary writers and his vigorous English shaped the direction of Tudor literature.