John Stubbs

John Stubbs

:"For the Canadian academic, see John Stubbs (educator)."

John Stubbs (or Stubbe; c. 1543 - 1591) was an English pamphleteer or political commentator during the Elizabethan era.

He was born in Norfolk, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. After studying law at Lincoln's Inn, he lived at Thelveton, Norfolk. He was a committed Puritan, and he opposed the negotiations for a marriage between Queen Elizabeth and the French Roman Catholic duc d'Anjou, Duke of Alecon, the brother of the French king. The pamphlet argued that at forty-six years old Elizabeth was too old to have children and therefore had no need for marriage. He argued that English values, customs, language and morality would be undermined by so close a relationship with the French monarchy.

Stubbs argued that his objective was to protect the freedom of thought and free speech that he said was associated with Protestantism. The proposed marriage could lead to a restoration of Catholic orthodoxy with its dimunition of liberty.

Stubbs undiplomatically described the proposed wedding as a "contrary coupling," "an immoral union, an uneven yoking of the clean ox to the unclean ass, a thing forbidden in the law" as laid down by St. Paul, a "more foul and more gross" union that would draw the wrath of God on England and leave the English "pressed down with the heavy loins of a worse people and beaten as with scorpions by a more vile nation."

In 1579 he put his opinions into a pamphlet entitled "The Discoverie of a Gaping Gulf whereinto England is like to be Swallowed by another French Marriage". Copies of the text were later publicly burned in the kitchen stove of Stationer's Hall.

Elizabeth's court were displeased by the publication. Circulation of this pamphlet was prohibited, and Stubbs, his printer, and publisher were tried at Westminster, found guilty of "seditious writing", and sentenced to have their right hands cut off by means of a cleaver driven through the wrist by a croquet mallet. Initially Queen Elizabeth had favored the death penalty but was persuaded by adviser John Jovey to opt for the lesser sentence. The printer was subsequently pardoned by Elizabeth, but in the case of Stubbs and his publisher the sentence was carried out. Stubbs protested his loyalty to the Crown. Immediately before the public dismemberment, Stubbs delivered a shocking pun: "Pray for me now my calamity is at hand.""Dismembering and Forgetting in Titus Andronicus". Katherine A. Rowe. Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 45, No. 3. (Autumn, 1994), pp. 285. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0037-3222%28199423%2945%3A3%3C279%3ADAFITA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-%23 URL] ] His right hand having been cut off, he removed his hat with his left, and cried "God Save the Queen!" before fainting.

He was subsequently imprisoned for eighteen months. On being released he continued to write, publishing, among other pamphlets, a reply to Cardinal Allen's "Defence of the English Catholics". Despite his punishment, he remained a loyal subject of Queen Elizabeth and later served in the House of Commons. He died at Le Havre, France, where he seems to have gone to volunteer for military service under Henry of Navarre.

Linda Gregerson of the University of Michigan is writing a book "Commonwealth of the Word: Nation and Reformation in Early Modern England" that closely examines Stubbs' life and the contradictions of his loyalty to the Crown in light of his punishment, the role of nationalism, patriotism and religion in shaping his beliefs.

References

*1911


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John Stubbs — (* 1542; † 1590) war ein englischer Politiker. Stubbs wurde am Trinity College in Cambridge erzogen und war Schwager Thomas Cartwright. 1579 veröffentlichte er eine Schrift, die die Heiratspläne der englischen Königin Elisabeth I. Tudor mit… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Stubbs (educator) — Johns Stubbs is a Canadian academic. He was president of Trent University and Simon Fraser University.Stubbs began his career as a historian and political scientist, specializing in the history of 20th century British politics and media. He… …   Wikipedia

  • Stubbs — is an English surname: *Alan Stubbs, English footballer *Bruce Stubbs, Canadian politician *C. W. Stubbs, 19th/20th century clergyman *Eddie Stubbs, American radio disk jockey *Frank Edward Stubbs, World War I recipient of the Victoria Cross… …   Wikipedia

  • Stubbs — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Alan Stubbs (* 1971), englischer Fußballspieler Drew Stubbs (* 1984), US amerikanischer Baseballspieler George Stubbs (1724–1806), englischer Maler Harry Clement Stubbs (1922–2003), US amerikanischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Donne — For other people named John Donne, see John Donne (disambiguation). John Donne John Donne Born between 24 January and 19 June 1572[1] London, England Died 31 March 1631 (aged 59) …   Wikipedia

  • John Heath-Stubbs — (* 9. Juli 1918 in London als John Francis Alexander Heath Stubbs; † 26. Dezember 2006 ebenda) war ein britischer Dichter und Übersetzer. Bekannt ist er vor allem für sein König Artus Stück Artorius von 1972. Leben John Heath Stubbs wurde in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Doreward — (d. 1420) was a Serjeant at law, Member of Parliament for Essex and the Speaker of the House of Commons at the 1399 Parliament and then again in 1413. His name is also given as John Durward, John Dorewood and (in error for another man) as Wyllyam …   Wikipedia

  • STUBBS (G.) — STUBBS GEORGE (1724 1806) Peintre et graveur anglais. L’étiquette de peintre animalier qu’on lui attribue généralement ne doit pas faire illusion sur l’originalité de la démarche et du talent de Stubbs. Son œuvre est précédée, en Angleterre, par… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • John Pierce St. John — John St. John John Pierce St. John (* 25. Februar 1833 in Brookville im Franklin County, Indiana; † 31. August 1916 in Olathe, Kansas) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und von 1879 bis 1883 der 8 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John W. Geary — John White Geary John White Geary (* 30. Dezember 1819 im Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; † 8. Februar 1873 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker. Er war von 1867 bis 1873 der 16. Gouverneur von …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”