THOMAS LEGGE (1535–1607).
Of Norwich origin, Legge entered Corpus Christi, Cambridge, in 1552, and took his B.A. in 1557, his M.A. in 1560, and his LL.D. in 1575. After migration to Trinity and Jesus, he had become Master of Caius in 1573. In 1593 he was Vice-Chancellor, and in that capacity took part in the negotiations of the University with the Privy Council for a restraint of common plays in Cambridge (M. S. C. i. 200). His own reputation as a dramatist is acknowledged by Meres, who in 1598 placed him among ‘our best for Tragedie’, and added that, ‘as M. Anneus Lucanus writ two excellent Tragedies, one called Medea, the other de Incendio Troiae cum Priami calamitate: so Doctor Leg hath penned two famous tragedies, ye one of Richard the 3, the other of The destruction of Ierusalem’.
Richardus Tertius. March 1580
[MSS.] Cambridge Univ. Libr. MS. Mm iv. 40, ‘Thome Legge legum doctoris Collegij Caiogonevilensis in Academia Cantabrigiensi magistri ac Rectoris Richardus tertius Tragedia trivespera habita Collegij divi Johannis Evangeliste Comitiis Bacchelaureorum Anno Domini 1579 Tragedia in tres acciones diuisa.’ [Argumentum to each Actio; Epilogue.]
Emmanuel, Cambridge, MS. 1. 3. 19, with date ‘1579’ and actor-list.
Clare, Cambridge, MS. Kk, 3, 12, with date ‘1579’.
Caius, Cambridge, MS. 62, ‘tragoedia trium vesperum habita in collegio Divi Johannis Evangelistae, Comitiis Bacchalaureorum Anno 1573.’
Bodl. Tanner MS. 306, including first Actio only, with actor-list and note, ‘Acted in St. John’s Hall before the Earle of Essex’, to which has been apparently added later, ‘17 March, 1582’.
Bodl. MS. 29448, dated α, φ, π, γ (= 1583).
Harl. MS. 6926, a transcript by Henry Lacy, dated 1586.