John Trundle (1575-1629) was a man who printed and sold books, but despite his fascination with sharing information, little is known about him. Trundle was born in 1575 in Hertfordshire; when he was only two, his father died and his mother remarried shortly thereafter. Finding a passion for printing, Trundle became Ralph Hancock’s apprentice and officially became a printer in 1597. Trundle specialized in in plays (such as Hamlet) and other books and sonnets, but primarily focused on news. He continued printing news for London until he died in 1629.
For ease of reading, I have modified Trundle’s “Most Strange News” (1614) to feature modern American English. For example, many words feature additional an additional “e” at the end of them, like “thinke;” in this edition, it shall read as “think.” Additionally, words such as “hath” and “doth” have been updated to read as “has” and “does,” respectively. Two pronouns have been written in bold in this edition to demonstrate the different font they appeared in within the original. The reasoning behind the different font was not apparent. However, words that seemed unclear or had no clear translation have been kept the same as they would originally appear. The punctuation has remained the same, save for one exception, which is footnoted. Footnotes appear throughout the edited version to provide clarity or to explain significance within Trundle’s word choice.
While this is not a complete edition of Trundle’s original, this version remains true to the 1614 document. No words have been added or removed, and the ones that have been modified have been done in a way to not lose the meaning or significance that Trundle had intended.
Most Strange News
Veritas non quaerit angulos[1].
Let truth go unmasked because her[2] face is unpainted, plainly and truly then: thus there is
discovered in our neighbor County of Sussex[3], a strange and monstrous Serpent ([4]a thing most noisome and dreadful to the Inhabitants adjoining, and may with pious compassion let in remorse at our ears to have a fellow feeling of our neighbors’ misery, still remembering this, that sin pulls down punishment, and yet there were in Jerusalem[5] as great sins as those on whom The Tower of Siloam[6] fell, if we search our own bosoms ‘tis to be feared there will be found both cause and effect, Sin and Serpent, but leaving our moral Serpents[7], let us return to the description of our Historical one.
This Serpent (or Dragon as some call it) is reputed to be nine feet or rather more in length, and shaped almost in the form of an Axeltree[8] of a Cart, a quantity of thickness in the middle, and somewhat smaller at both ends. The former part which he shoots forth (as a neck) is supposed to be an elle[9] long, with a white ring (as it were) of scales about it, The Scales along his back seems to be blackish, and so much as is discovered[10] under his belly appears to be red, for I speak of no nearer description then of a reasonable ocular distance, for coming too near it, has already been too dearly paid for, as you shall hear hereafter.
It is likewise discovered to have large feet, but the eye may be there deceived, for some suppose that Serpents have no feet, but glide upon certain ribs and scales which both defend him from the upper part of his throat onto[11] the lower part of his belly, and also cause them to move much more the faster, for so does this by first drawing together & then shooting forth, rids way (as we call it) as fast as a man can run. It is of countenance[12] very proud and[13] at the sight or hearing of men or cattle, will raise his neck upright,
and seem to listen and look about with great arrogance[14]: There are likewise on either side of it discovered two great bunches so big as a large football, and (as some think) will in time grow to wings, but God (I hope) in their and our assistance will so instruct and defend us that he shall be destroyed before he grows so fledge[15].
He will cast his venom about four roads from him, as by woeful experience it was proved on the bodies of a man and a woman coming that way, who afterward was found dead…[16]
Works Cited
"The Life of John Trundle (1575 - 1629)." Barbicanliving.co.uk. Web. 09 Dec. 2012.
[6] An ancient tower in Siloam in south Jerusalem, which fell during the time of Jesus, killing 18 people; when mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks of the tower’s fall, claiming it as a lesson that death can claim anyone at any given time, despite how sinful or righteous they may be. This seems to be cited in the original copy, as “Luke 13” is glossed to the left of the sentence in which this is mentioned.
[7] In proverbial and allusive phr. referring to the serpent's guile, treachery, or malignancy; other possible meanings; OED Online.
[8] There are many possibilities for this word, but I chose “Axeltree” for I believed that Trundle may have been referring to the four-legged nature of a cart and the serpent.
[9] In reference to the shape of the capitalized letter “L.” The use of “long” signifies that it is capitalized whereas “short” would be a lowercased “l.”
[10] In original, this use of discovered was spelled as “discoured,” which did not match the other instances of “discouered.” This inconstancy may have been an error that went unfixed or could represent a different spelling used at the time. This, along with other uses of the word, have been modified to “discovered.”
[11] There are several possibilities for this word as it is unclear in the original text; “onto” is used here to show connection between the serpent’s throat and his lower belly.
[13] Additional “and” in original to show it as the first word of the next page has been removed for clarity.
[14] Word is smudged, appears to be “arrogancy,” seems to fit well with the mention of the serpent’s countenance.
[16] The ellipsis signifies the end of this translated edition but that there is more to the original article than demonstrated here.
