416 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazone. 
STR, | < | 
-MONG the specimens of our acade- 
- mical'drama in the time of James 
the- First, few, I believe; are better 
known. than the Comedy of Ienoramus, 
In a transiation of this play, published 
at London in-1662, the author is. styled 
R. Ruggles, :and by ‘Granger, in his Bio- 
graphical History (Supplem. 145, 146), 
Ralph Ruggle; but-his real christian- 
name was George. He appears to have 
been originally matriculated as a member 
of St, John’s College, Cambridge, June 26, 
1589, and to have afterwards removed to 
a fellowship at Clare-hall. In 1600, we 
find hmm mentiened as oue of the taxors 
of the University (Carter, p. 426); and af- 
terwards as a benefwctor to his hall, in 
money and plate, to the amount of 4001. 
The last we read of his honours is in’ 
1605, when, during Kmg James’s enter- 
tainment at Oxford, he was incorporated 
among the members of the sister uni- 
versity. 
The editions of Ignoramus I have met 
with are, one in duedecimo, printed at 
London in 16380; another in 1658; a 
third, “ Editzo priertbus omnibus emen- 
datior,” 8vo. Westmonast, 1737; and 
Tgnoramus  abbreviatus,” 8vo. Lond, 
1763. : 
Of the translations, one by R. C. has 
been already mentioned, whom Coxeter 
explains to have been Robert Codring- 
ton (Biogr. Dram. vol. II. p. 165). 
Another version appeared in quarto, 
1678, under the title of “ The English 
Lawyer,” a Comedy, by Edward Ravens- 
croft.Gent. And a third, forming a thin 
folio, appeared in 1736, with the follow- 
ing title: “ Ignorumi Lamentatio super 
Legis-Communis Translationem ex Latino 
in Anglicum.” 
The University of Oxford, as we learn 
from the “* Rex. Platonicus” of Wake, 
had entertained James with several com- 
plimentary dramas some years before. 
One of these exhibitions is supposed to 
have given rise to Snakspeare’s Macbeth. 
But in this-instance, Clare-hall produced 
a drama of-a more extended-kind. Ic 
was originally acted March 8, 1614, and 
again, by the king’s particular desire, 
May 6, 1615. Mr. Baker (MS. Harl. 
7042, p. 479) has preserved: thé original 
east of the characters, copied by Gran- 
ger in his Biographical History;. and 
among the state papers published by 
Lord ‘Hardwicke, is a Letter'frem Mr. 
Jobn Chamberlain to Sir Dudley Carlton, 
at eet March 16, 1614, giving 
On the Comedy of Tgnoramus, | 
[June 1," 
an account of the performance. “ The 
second night (he says) was a Comedy of _ 
Clare-hall, with the help of two or three 
good actors’ from other houses, wherein 
David Drummond, in .a hobby-horse; _ 
and Brakin, the recorder of the town, 
under the name of Ignoramus, a com> - 
mon lawyer, hore great parts. The 
thing was full of mirth and variety, with 
many excellent actors (among whom the 
Lord Compton’s son, though least, was 
not the worst); but more than half mar- 
red with extreme length.” In Sir Fulke 
Grevil’s “ Five Years of King James,” 
also, 1s another account of its reception. 
“ This year (1614) the king, by the en- 
treaty of Somerset, determined to go to 
Cambridge, and there was entertained 
with great solemuity; but amongst the 
_rest there was a play called by the name 
of Lgnoramus, that stirred up a great 
contention betweene the common law- 
yers and theschollers, inso much as their 
fouts grew insufferable; but at iast it was 
stayed by My Lord Chancellor, and the 
explaining of the meaning.” 
But the principal object of my letter ts 
to state an anecdote which occurs among 
the Harleian manuscripts in the British 
Museum, (Harl. MS. 980, p. 161), ac- 
cording to which, neither the plot or exe- 
cution of the play appear to have origi- 
nated with Ruggle. I quote the words 
of the manuscript, in hope that some,of 
your Cambridge correspondents may ex 
amine (if it still remains) the copy’ in 
Clare-ball library. | 
“ The comedie of Ignoramus, so abu- 
sive against lawyers, and supposed to be 
made by Mr. Ruggell, ot Clare-hall, 
Cambridge, is but a transiation of a co» 
medy in Baptista Porta, out of Italian, 
intituted, Trapulario, as may be seen by 
the comedy itself, extant in Clare-hall 
library, with notes of Mr. Ruggell’s there- 
on; of his contriving and altering there- 
of.” 
Perhaps some other of your Biblio- 
graphical Correspondents may add to the. 
anecdotes: have collected: ray: 
“Jam, &e. D. M:P.. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
eRe D214 Bas eth 
N reply:to. the observations ef Mr. 
D. Lysons, I beg leave to remark 
that if my recollection does not materi- 
ally fail me, for I have not any copy of 
my own letter to refer to, I did not make 
“an unqualified: assertion” that the His- 
tory of Bedfordshire published by that 
gentleman and his brother, ie bi 
NS 
