Macropedius

Georgius Macropedius (born Joris van Lanckvelt; 23 April 1487 – 23 July 1558) was a Dutch humanist, schoolmaster and "the greatest Latin playwright of the 16th century."

Macropedius, who apparently enjoyed some fame at the time and was reputed to be a loyal Roman Catholic, was appointed headmaster.

At St. Jerome's he wrote most of his Latin textbooks and plays, which were published not only in Utrecht, but also in Antwerp, Basel, Cologne, Frankfurt, 's-Hertogenbosch, Paris and in London.

In the years 1552–1554 his collected works were revised and edited in two volumes in Utrecht: Omnes Georgii Macropedii Fabulae Comicae.

It was also printed as Methodus de Conscribendis Epistolis in Basel, Cologne, Dilligen, Frankfurt am Main, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Leyde.

Even William Shakespeare may have known it due to the reprint of the work by his friend, fellow townsman and printer, Richard Field.

Many reprints of his textbooks in the Netherlands, in Germany, in France and in England prove that Macropedius’ activities were highly esteemed by his contemporaries and by the next generation of humanists as well.

By writing his books and his teachings, Macropedius contributed very much to the successful humanist educational reform in the first part of the sixteenth century.

Andrisca is a comedy about two shrewd and adulterous women wearing the breeches and fighting their silly husbands.

It is a freely composed version of the late medieval Dutch morality play Elckerlijc (in English known as Everyman).

The main character, Hecastus, is a wealthy young man enjoying the good things of life.

Among them were the Greek scholar Arnoldus Arlenius; the philologist Willem Canter; Johannes Heurnius, professor of medicine at Leyden university; the geographer Gerardus Mercator;[6] the lawyer and friend of William of Orange, Elbertus Leoninus; the printer Lawrence Torrentinus, who became famous in Italy; and the well-known physician Johannes Wier, who disputed the belief in witchcraft as early as 1563.

In 1565 a group of former students published a collection of poems to commemorate their admired master: Apotheosis D. Georgii Macropedii.

The plays were written in Latin, whereas the self-confident poets and playwrights of the Dutch Republic increasingly used their native language.

In recent years, more books and articles were published in Europe, South Africa, Canada and in the United States.