Thomas May
Thomas May was a 17th-century English dramatist, poet, and literary historian born around 1595 in Sussex. Raised on a once-opulent estate, May faced financial difficulties following the death of his father and later encountered a speech impediment that hindered his aspirations of becoming a barrister. He received a classical education at Cambridge and briefly pursued law before shifting his focus to literature. His notable works include comedies and tragedies such as "The Heir," "The Tragedy of Julia Agrippina," and "The Tragedy of Antigone," reflecting his deep understanding of classical themes.
May was initially a patron of Charles I, but as political tensions escalated, he became aligned with Parliament. His proficiency in Latin enabled him to serve as a chronicler of Parliamentary activities, translating documents to communicate the political situation in England to a wider European audience. This role was significant during the English Civil War, leading to works like "The History of the Parliament of England." Despite his contributions, May's burial in Westminster Abbey was later reversed by Charles II, symbolizing the complexities of loyalty and the shifting political landscape of his time. May died on November 13, 1650, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with the tumultuous history of England in the 17th century.
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Thomas May
- Born: c. 1595
- Birthplace: Parish of Burwash, Sussex, England
- Died: November 13, 1650
Biography
The life of Thomas May, dramatist, poet, and literary historian to a tumultuous period in British history, was marked by limitation and disappointment at every turn. May was born in Sussex around 1595; he was raised on the lavish estate of Mayfield, which had to be sold at the death of his improvident father. May received a classical education at Cambridge and entered one of the Inns of Court, but he could not pursue a career as barrister because of a speech impediment. He was patronized by Charles I, who later overlooked him in distributing income-bearing literary posts. May became the Latin chronicler of the acts of Parliament, a project which gave mainland Europe a window into the radical nature of contemporary British politics. May died on November 13, 1650. He was buried in Westminster Abbey by an order of Parliament and subsequently disinterred and moved outside the Abbey by Charles II, a violation which reflected the fractured nature of his loyalties and life.
May graduated from Sussex College at Cambridge and started a legal career at Gray’s Inn in 1615. He later abandoned his law career to pursue literature—his first dramatic accomplishment was a comedy, The Heir (pr. 1620). His education in the classics is apparent in his tragedies, including The Tragedy of Julia Agrippina, Empress of Rome (pr. 1628) and The Tragedy of Antigone (pr. 1631). May’s proficiency in Latin allowed him not only to publish translations into English of Virgil and Martial but also to compose A Continuation of Lucan’s Historicall Poem Till the Death of Julius Caesar (1627; of Lucan’s Pharsalia), taking up Roman history where the Roman author had left off.
This amazing facility in Latin was put to a political use once May had become disenchanted with Charles I. The beleaguered Parliament, struggling against the king for political control of the country, commissioned May to translate documents into Latin that would explain to the rest of Europe what was happening in England. Parliament was eager to secure sympathy abroad, and May’s facility with the universal language was a key tool in this attempt. Two important documents penned by May during the Civil Wars were The History of the Parliament of England, Which Began November the Third, 1640, with a Short and Necessary View of Some Precedent Years (1647) and A Breviary of the History of the Parliament of England (1650). May’s transformed political sympathies, the importance of his linguistic skills to Parliament, and his violated tomb all bear witness to the changing tides of history in seventeenth century England.