Miles Huggarde

Miles Huggarde or Hoggarde (fl. 1533 - 1557), was an English poet and opponent of the Reformation. He has been described as the best of Roman Catholic propagandists in the bitter pamplet war of 1553-1558^[1].

Life

Huggarde is stated to have been a shoemaker or hosier in London, and the first writer for the Catholic cause who had not received a monastical or academical education. The 17th century antiquarian, Anthony Wood, describes him as, "the first trader or mechanic that appeared in print for the catholic cause". Huggarde exemplifies the gradual spread of literacy and printing, and the rising importance of the laity in religious affairs.

He lived in Pudding Lane at the northern edge of London Bridge, a circumstance which occasioned the Kent gentleman and future martyr Thomas Haukes to tell him in a disputation at Bishop Bonner's house, 'Ye can better skille to eate a pudding and make a hose then in scripture eyther to aunswere or oppose'.^[2] Bishop Bale calls him `insanus Porcarius' and 'Milo Porcarius, vel Hoggardus, servorum Dei malignus proditor,' and ridicules him for endeavouring to prove the necessity of fasting from Virgil's Æneid and Cicero's Tusculanae Disputationes. Strype also speaks of him disparagingly, remarking that 'he set him self to oppose and abuse the gospellers, being set on and encouraged by priests and massmongers, with whom he much consorted, and was sometimes with them at Bishop Bonner's house.'

It is plain, however, that Huggarde was noticed by leading men on the Protestant side, and that he was one of the most indefatigable opponents of the Reformation. The writers against him included Laurence Humphrey, Robert Crowley, William Keth, and John Plough. In 1553 he was made hosier to Queen Mary and allocated a shilling a quarter. But he was not prosperous enough to be made a member of the Haberdashers Company, a Freeman of the City, or to leave a will. He was living in the last year of Mary's reign, and in the title-pages of several of his works he describes himself as 'servant to the Queene's most excellent Majestie.' No record of his death, birth and marriae has yet come to light.

Works

• The Abuse of the Blessed Sacrament of the Aultare, a poem, published towards the close of the reign of Henry VIII. Robert Crowley wrote a Confutation, London, 1548, 8vo, with which the whole of Huggarde's poem was reprinted.
• The Assault of the Sacrament of the Altar; containyng as well six severall Assaults, made from tyme to tyme, against the said blessed Sacrament; as also the names and opinions of all the hereticall Captains of the same Assaults. Written in … 1549, by Myles Huggarde, and dedicated to the Quenes most excellent Maiestie, being then Ladie Marie; in whiche tyme (heresie then reigning) it could take no place, London, 1554, 4to; in verse.
• A new treatyse in maner of a Dialogue, which sheweth the excellency of maňes nature, in that he is made to the image of God, London, 1550, 4to, black letter, in verse.
• Treatise of three Weddings, 1550, 4to.
• A treatise entitled the Path waye to the towre of perfection, London (R. Caley), 1554, 4to; London, 1556, 4to; in verse. An analysis of this work is given in Brydges and Haslewood's British Bibliographer, iv. 67.
• A Mirrour of Loue, which such Light doth giue, That all men may learn, how to loue and liue, London [1555], 4to, in verse; dedicated to Queen Mary.
• The Displaying of the Protestants, and sondry their Practises, with a Description of divers their abuses of late frequented within their malignaunte churche. Perused and set forte with thassent of authoritie, according to the order in that behalf appointed (anon.), London, 1556, 8vo, black letter. In reply to this work John Plough published at Basel An Apology for the Protestants. Dr. Laurence Humphrey, William Heth, and others joined in the attack upon Huggarde.
• A Short Treatise in Meter upon the cxxix Psalme of Dauid, called De Profundis, London, 1556, 4to.
• New A B C, paraphrastically applied as the State of the World doth at this day require, London, 1557, 4to.
• A Myrrovre of myserie, newly compiled and sett for the by Myles Huggarde seruaunt to ye quenes moste excellente maiestie, 1557, 4to, manuscript in the Huth Library. It is a poem in seven-line stanzas, not known to have appeared in print. It is dedicated in verse to the queen, and is most beautifully written on vellum, having the royal arms in the lower centre, and a curious drawing before the poem itself. Following the dedication is a prologue in twelve stanzas of four lines each. 11. Songs and religious poems, in Brit. Mus. Addit. MS. 15233. 12. A poem, containing 113 seven-line stanzas, of controversy against the reformers, in Harleian MS. 3444, which once belonged to Queen Mary.

References

1. ^ Religious Radicals in Tudor England, Joseph Walton Martin
2. ^ Foxe, Acts and Mon., ed. Townsend, vii. 111, 759

 "Huggarde, Miles". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

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