Barnabe Riche
Barnabe Riche was an English author and soldier born around 1540, linked distantly to Lord Chancellor Riche. His military career saw him attain the rank of captain, with service in the Netherlands and Ireland, particularly participating in the colonization of Ulster. Riche spent a significant portion of his later life near Dublin, where he authored various pamphlets addressing political matters and romantic narratives during intervals between military campaigns. His notable work, *Riche His Farewell to Militarie Profession*, published in 1581, features eight stories—five intended for entertainment and others based on Italian tales. Riche's original story of Apolonius and Silla, while claiming to be his own, draws inspiration from Matteo Bandello's work, and he also wrote a complex narrative involving twin siblings, Phylotus and Emilia, echoing an earlier Scottish play. Riche’s contributions extend to writings on Ireland, reflecting his concerns about the region's governance and religious conflicts, including titles such as *Allarme to England* and *A New Description of Ireland*. His literary legacy also includes several prose fiction collections, and notably, his storyline influenced Shakespeare’s *The Twelfth Night*.
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Barnabe Riche
Writer
- Born: c. 1540
- Died: 1617
Biography
English author and soldier Barnabe Riche was born sometime around 1540. He was a distant relative of Lord Chancellor Riche. Although little is known about his early life, Riche joined the military, where he rose to the rank of captain. He fought in the Netherlands and later served in Ireland. During his posting in Ireland, he participated in the colonization of Ulster, and spent much of his later life near Dublin. In the lulls between campaigns, he produced numerous pamphlets on political questions and romance. In 1606, he received a pension from the military that amounted to a half a crown a day, and by 1616, he was given a gift of one hundred English pounds for being the oldest captain in the service.
His best-known work is Riche His Farewell to Militarie Profession Conteining Verie Pleasant Discourses Fit for a Peacable Tyme, which was published in 1581. The volume contains eight stories, five of which, according to the author, are written only to delight. The remaining stories are translations of Italian tales. However, he claims that the story of Apolonius and Silla, the second tale in the collection, is wholly his own. However, the story is based on the tale of Nicuola and Lattantion by Matteo Bandello.
The last story, “Phylotus and Emilia,” is a rather complicated drama that arises from the likeness and disguise of a brother, Phylotus, and his sister, Emilia. The story bears an identical plot to an anonymously written play, Philotus, which was printed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1603. Both Riche’s story and the play were edited for the Bannatyne Club in 1835. Riche’s conclusion to his collection relates the story of a devil by the name of Balthasar, who possesses a Scottish king. This tale was judiciously changed after the accession to the Scottish throne by James I.
Riche’s authenticated works total twenty-four. These works include some writing about Ireland, which Riche considered troublesome because of its religion and the British government’s failure to deal with Ireland in a firm and consistent manner. Among these writings are Allarme to England, A New Description of Ireland, and The Irish Hubbub: Or, The English Hue and Crie, which also includes a diatribe against tobacco consumption. Also, Riche wrote several collections of prose fiction based on Italian novellas, most notably The Strange and Wonderful Adventures of Don Simonides. Interestingly, Riche’s story of Apolonius and Emilia formed the basis for Shakespeare’s play The Twelfth Night.