King Henry VIII: Uncovering the Date of His Letter Regarding His Rebellion

Eric Gorizzan

ENG331H1S

Prof: M. Sergi

April 4, 2014

King Henry VIII: Uncovering the Date of His Letter Regarding His Rebellion

            In the past, the city of York had served prominently as a temporary seat of government aiding to control and couple the north of England with the rest of the country.  Then, no doubt do the plays of the Corpus Christi Guild become more pivotal in their role to entertain and popularize “playing” within the city.  Though, with growing popularity and political importance, York was known for its religious devotion, especially during the Corpus Christi feast and celebration pageant.  King Henry VIII’s disposal of the Catholic Church from England, and imposition of himself as the head of the new state church, the Church of England, most probably influenced York upheaval.  From King Henry himself, allegedly, there is a letter to York allowing permission of arrest of Catholic figures speaking out about religion and the Crown using the Corpus Christi play of St. Thomas.  Upon further investigation, there appears to be recurring history of issues surrounding this play written by the Scriveners Guild; there were subsequent decrees and fines found involving individuals in this play.  There is a recorded visit of King Henry to York, and perhaps within this visit were more fines, and misdoings that took place. This may provide a clearer date or window of time of the undated letter from King Henry addressing York’s player’s seditious actions against England’s new head of church. 

I will pose that the correspondence between the letter from King Henry regarding the performance of the play of St. Thomas the Apostle, correlates to the fines and penalties seen on record and thusly – and potentially – address a rough window of time King Henry’s letter was written.  Compiling evidence pertaining to the Scriveners Guild and their presentation of The Appearance of Christ to the Apostle Thomas and others; financial and ordinance records outlining fine penalties within this guild; and a visit to York by King Henry VIII in 1541; I will speculate that there is some pertinence regarding these events, to roughly offer a date to King Henry’s letter to York’s Justice of the Peace about a performance of the St. Thomas the Apostle play.

King Henry’s address to the Justice of the Peace of York describes an evil and seditious rising in the ancient city of York (REED 649).  The alleged rousing was stoked by the Corpus Christi Pageant play The Appearance of Christ to the Apostle Thomas and others.  The play’s players, and others that may have been involved in the play’s preparation, were considered accountable for the suspected uprisings, and it was alleged through Henry’s letter that the culprits were likely a number of papists.  It can be inferred from Henry’s letter that papists of Roman Catholic practice were performing the plays with added force against the Crown’s view of religion.  To cite King Henry’s letter: “papists who shall […] say or make use of any language which may tend to excite those who are beholding the same to any breach of peace” (REED 650).  This passage infers the papists’ choice words or delivery of the play of St. Thomas the Apostle, being more overt “language” to excite.  This understanding of what may “excite” the audience is ambiguous, as there are, obviously, no records of a written play of St. Thomas the Apostle with amended language, which would belittle England’s new sovereign of the church.  What could be inferred from the text are lines with probable “gusto” in opposition to the king. 

The play begins with a vehement claim against the Jews who crucified Christ, representative of Catholicism: “[th]e wikkid Jewes hatis vs full ille, / And bittir paynes wolde putte vs till” (Beadle 393).  Mention of Anti-Semitism against those who persecuted Christ could pose as an avenue for the players of St. Thomas to initiate some form of “seditious language” against the king.  Conversely, the image of a “doubting Thomas” could be representative of King Henry, as a play on his move away or disbelieving in Christ or Catholicism.  Though these inferences are solely anecdotal, they pose the players of St. Thomas in a position of a rousing performance as a move against the new sovereign religion.  King Henry’s letter regarding the play of St. Thomas is reactionary to the papists’ presentation of Catholicism versus the king’s new church.  The presentation of the St. Thomas play and King Henry’s letter suggest a correlation between fines given to players of the Scrivener Guild.

            Within the Records of Early English Drama (REED) of York is an undated record regarding fines of 10s to be put towards the pageant and ceremonial torches of the Scrivener Guild (REED 679).  This particular record stands out firstly because it recounts fines issued regarding the play in York, and secondly, these fines specifically involve the Scriveners Guild who produce and perform the St. Thomas play within the York cycle.  So, the Scriveners and their St. Thomas play continually become relevant by recurring in history, and each time pertaining to a penalty.  The record of fines and its distribution is further backed by a decree, outlining the parameters for punishment regarding the Scriveners and their text, as though repeat offenders.  Translated from the Latin is a list of ordinances pertaining to the Corpus Christi cycle for individual guilds.  There exists is a legislation to the Scriveners outlining for no guild member to act in contention with given legislation; and if parties are found to act against such law, these parties must pay a fine of 20s.  This legislation of a 20s fine coincides with the previously stated account record of the 10s fine, undated in the Scrivener’s accounts.  These undated fines and guild legislations may be seen in conjunction with City of York archives of 1541, which may contribute to a rough date of King Henry’s letter to York.

Outside of the City of York’s pageant legislation and accounts exist records of City documents or archives of larger municipal activity—activity such as a royal visits.  Dated in the summer of 1541, there are records of preparation for a visit from King Henry VIII.  Though the dates would not necessarily coincide with the dates of the Corpus Christi cycle in late spring, in this record there remains attention to playing and performance during the time of Henry’s visit for entertainment.  In a record dated 4 November 1541, exists an account of a Council meeting involving individuals concerning their dishonesty committed by not completing a certain show for the arrival of the king (REED 276).  While not explicitly named “papists” or “scriveners,” these individuals’ actions may indeed coincide with actions expounded and addressed by Henry himself in his letter to York and perhaps suggest a rough date.

Interpreting Henry’s use of “papists” in his letter can be ambiguous, as his understanding of the occurrences in York were likely by word of mouth or written report.  Aside from Henry’s letter, there are no other mentions of papists involved in the Scrivener play of St. Thomas.  Further, 23 August – the date Henry cites the “papists’” performance of St. Thomas – would not have followed the Corpus Christi cycle, being outside of the celebration date, and therefore the play of St. Thomas would not have been scheduled to perform during this time.  To speculate, being outside the religious calendar, the parties involved in the St. Thomas play may have decided an impromptu performance, supposedly against the king’s church.  Henry’s presence in York does not overlap with the Corpus Christi celebration, but may overlap with the 23 August performance of St. Thomas, as cited as being present roughly a couple months before the November fines.  These facts remain ambiguous, but they may lend validity to Henry’s involvement in York during 1541 and his subsequent letter involving York’s St. Thomas performers, addressing the Scriveners and their repeated penalties.  The Scriveners’ undated fines, guild legislation, the dated fines of November players, and the amended performance of St. Thomas may coincide to the potential date of Henry’s letter: c.1541.   

Works Cited

Beadle, Robert.  The York Plays. Early English Text Society, 2009. Print. 393-399.

Halliwell, James O. (ed). Letters of the Kings of England. Vol 1. London: Henry Colburn

Publisher, 1848. Print.

Johnston, Alexandra F., and Margaret Rogerson (eds). York. 2 vols. Toronto: REED, 1979. Print.