Julian the Apostate

Anon. (1596)

Historical Records

Henslowe's diary

F15^v/Greg 1.30:

ye 29 of aprell 1596	. . . .	ne . . . . . .	R[d] at Julian the apostata . . . . . . . . . .	xxxxvijs
ye 1[9]0 of maye 159[5]6		mr pd	R[d] at Julian apostata . . . . . . . . . . . .	xxvjs
ye 20 of maye 1596			R[d] at Julyan apostata . . . . . . . . . . . .	xiiijs

Theatrical Provenance

Performed as a new play by the Admiral's men on 29 April 1596 and twice more thereafter.

Probable Genre(s)

Classical history (Harbage)

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

Robert Albott reports that "Iulian the Apostate, at his death cast vp his blood into the ayre, crying Vicisti Galilaee" (3), and that "tooke away all beneuolences and contributions to schooles of earning, to the end the chyldren might not be instructed in the liberal Arts, but brought vp in ignorance" (56). Stephen Jerome similarly observes how "as you haue heard the godly praying, or praysing and blessing GOD, speaking graciously, sending out their spirits ioyfully, and dying comfortably: so prophane men dye eyther carelesly and blockishly," and relates that Julian the Apostate "in his last act of life, from his infected lungs sent out venome against Christ, calling him in dirision, victorious Galilean" (67-68). He also provides some early modern context for how Julian was perceived, citing "the examples of Pharaoh, Herod, Nebuchadnezzar, Holoferns, of Iulian the Apostate, Ualerian, Antiochus, Nero, Domitian, Decitis, Dioclesian, Baiazt, with infinite others," as evidence that "sinne alwayes brought shame, and that Gods dishonour brought Gods disfauour, death to the body, damnation to the soule" (244). (It may be of interest that the Admiral's men also had a Nebuchadnezzar play in the 1596 season).

References to the Play

<List any known or conjectured references to the lost play here.>

Critical Commentary

Hazlitt asserts that "[a] drama so called was acted in the seventeenth century at the Quarry, near Shrewsbury" (123). He does not give a source for this information, which has not been corroborated by other scholars. Perhaps Hazlitt mistakenly gave "seventeenth" for "sixteenth," and was referring to another lost play by the same name, Julian the Apostate, of 1556, which was written by Thomas Ashton and performed at Shrewsbury, most probably at The Quarry.

For What It's Worth

<Enter any miscellaneous points that may be relevant, but don't fit into the above categories. This is the best place for highly conjectural thoughts.>

Works Cited

Albott, Robert. VVits theater of the little world. 1599. Print.

Greg 1.

Hazlitt, W. Carew. A Manual for the Collector and Amateur of Old English Plays. London, 1892. Print.

Jerome, Stephen. Seauen helpes to Heauen Shewing 1. How to auoid the curse. 2. How to beare the crosse. 3. How to build the conscience. 4. How with Moses to see Canaan. 5. Simeons dying song, directing to liue holily and dye happily. 6. Comforts for Christians against distresses in life, and feare of death. 7. Feruent prayers, to beare sicknesse patiently, and dye preparedly. The second edition: much enlarged by Steuen Ierome, late preacher at S. Brides. Seene and allowed. 1614. Print.

Site created and maintained by David McInnis, University of Melbourne; updated 09 Feb 2011.