Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Peele, George

⁠PEELE, George (1558-1598), was one of the group of university poets with whom Shakespeare entered into competition at the beginning of his career. His exact age has been ascertained and the facts of his life diligently searched out by Mr Dyce, the editor of his works. It appears from a deposition made by him at Oxford that he was twenty-five years old in 1583. He took his bachelor's degree at Oxford in 1577, and his master's degree two years afterwards. Before he reached middle age, Peele was "driven to extreme shifts" for a living, and he became so notorious for disreputable practical jokes that a body of "merrie conceited jests" was fathered upon him; but he began life brilliantly. He was "a noted poet at the university." He married a woman of property. When a distinguished foreigner was entertained at Christ Church with elaborately-mounted plays and pageants, Peele was entrusted with the superintendence of the show. He was complimented in Latin pentameters on his translation of one of the plays of Euripides. He wrote The Arraignment of Paris, a bright little comedy with pretty songs, for representation before Queen Elizabeth. This was published in 1584; and in 1587 his friend Nash declared him to be "the chief supporter of pleasance now living, the atlas of poetry, and primus verborum artifex." From this brilliant height the reckless poet quickly slid down to a much less respectable position, and acquired renown of a different kind by his clever tricks on creditors, tavern-keepers, and "croshabells." He began to write for the common players, whose ingratitude to gentlemen of education was bitterly deplored by his friend Greene. Of these productions the following have been preserved and edited by Mr Dyce: The Chronicle History of Edward I. (published in 1593); The Battle of Alcazar (1594); The Old Wives Tale (1595); David and Bethsabe (1599); Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes (1599). These plays, which are very different in kind, testify to Peele's versatility and adroitness, but do not entitle him to much consideration either as a poet or as a dramatist. Quickness of wit and fancy and a certain neatness of versification are their highest qualities. As Peele lived through the transition from the first tentative essays to the full maturity of the great Elizabethan drama, his works have an historical interest as showing what an ingenious man of culture could do with the common stock of theatrical characters, situations, and imagery. His comedies are often pretty, but his tragedies are inflated and preposterous.