Terminus et Non Terminus

Historical Records

Richard Lichfield, The Trimming of Thomas Nashe (1597)

According to his mock-biographer Richard Lichfield, Thomas Nashe, while a student,

florished in all impudencie toward Schollers, and abuse to the Townsmen; insomuch, that to this daye the Townes-men call euerie vntoward Scholler of whome there is great hope, a verie Nashe. Then being Bachelor of Arte, which by great labour he got, to shew afterward that he was not vnworthie of it, had a hand in a Show called Terminus & non terminus, for which his partener in it was expelled the Colledge: but this foresaid Nashe played in it (as I suppose) the Varlet of Clubs; which he acted with such naturall affection, that all the spectators tooke him to be the verie same... (Lichfield, Trimming, G3r).

Bodleian Library: MS Rawlinson Poet. 85

Former St. John's undergraduate Robert Mills, now a schoolmaster in Stamford, Lincolnshire, remembers his undergraduate career in a poem addressed to fellow St John's alumnus John Finet:

O what playes merimentes, conceytes, and pleasure abounded?

O what Musicale arte? and how manye plausible Antik Antiques?

Neuer a day did pass but good recreatione vsed.

Neuer a nyghte did pass but we good company haunted

Neuer an howre did pass but some toy still we deuysed

  [Marginal note:] certayne shewes / of his owne mak / ynge wherin hi[m] / selfe was princi / pall actor:

See how I sitt in royall Chayre enthronissed emprer:

Se how I frowne lyke a prince agaynste Lord Terminus Ireful:

Se how I smyll to see the Iestes of merye Doleta:

Goulden dayes, when Lord Non Terminus hyghly tryvmphed

Now for a scepter I wott I sway a twygg to my subiects

[Marginal note:] being school / maister at St< > / forde:

A Ferula for a sworde from for a crowne a bald grey [interlined] (nightcapp:

[Marginal note:] A / night / capp:

Like to Dionisius throwne downe from throane to a threshould.

(RP85, fol. 000: the poem has never been published in full).

Theatrical Provenance

Undergraduate entertainment at St. John's College, Cambridge, some time in the period 1586-88. Nashe completed his bachelor's degree in March 1586, and Lichfield's account suggests that Terminus & Non Terminus was probably staged some time shortly after then. Mills completed his BA in 1586/7. By 1588, the fellows of St. John's were looking to ban college drama, requesting "That noe lord of misrule, lottery, or salting be vsed in ye Colledge. Because there is nothing sought herin but disgrace, disfaming, & abuse of some persons" (Nelson, 318).

Probable Genre(s)

Satirical show (Harbage) Satirical comedy (Nicholl)

See Wiggins 782.

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

Other Renaissance dramas relating to the succession of the seasons, most obviously Nashe's own Summer's Last Will and Testament.

John Doleta, Straunge Newes out of Calabria Prognosticated in the Yere 1586, vpon the Yere 87. and what shall Happen in the said Yere: Praying the Lord to be Merciful vnto vs. The pamphlet prognosticates ten catastrophes for the succeeding year, including floods and flying dragons.

References to the Play

Possibly a passage in The Anatomy of Absurdity, where Nashe is attacking the opinionated ignorant in language which combines Term, Vacation, and Doleta:

Who made them so priuie to the secrets of the Almightie, that they should foretell the tokens of his wrath, or terminate the time of his vengeaunce? But lightly some newes attends the ende of euery Tearme, some Monsters are bookt, though not bred against vacation times, which are straight waie diuersly dispearst into euerie quarter, so that at length they become the Alehouse talke of euery Carter: yea, the Country Plowman feareth a Calabrian floodde in the midst of a furrowe, and the sillie Sheephearde committing his wandering sheepe to the custodie of his wappe, in his field naps dreameth of flying Dragons, which for feare least he should see to the losse of his sight, he falleth a sleepe; no star he seeth in the night but seemeth a Comet; hee lighteth no sooner on a quagmyre, but he thinketh this is the foretold Earthquake, wherof his boy hath the Ballet. (Nashe, Anatomy, 000).

Also, possibly, a passage in Strange News where Nashe refers to the controversy caused by Doleta's pamphlet. Here Nashe is attacking Gabriel Harvey, attempting to portray him not as a figure of gravity and responsibility, but as a fool. Nashe says of Harvey’s pamphlets:

…hee will haue at you with a cap-case full of French occurrences, that is, shape you a messe of newes out of the second course of his conceit, as his brother is said out of the fabulous abundance of his braine to haue inuented the newes out of Calabria (Iohn Doletas prophesie of flying dragons, commets, Earthquakes, and inundations.) I am sure it is not yet worne out of mens scorn, for euery Miller made a comment of it, and not an oyster wife but mockt it. (Nashe, 000).