Who was George Gascoigne ?

George Gascoigne was not a great literary figure of the Elizabethan period. Nothing is definitely known about the time or his birth, but it is supposed that he professed arms instead of the pen in the early phases of his life. But subsequently he changed his attitude and was involved seriously, without much success, in different literary pursuits. 

Gascoigne was a miscellaneous author who attempted seriously to write poetry, prose and drama. His works include—A Devise of a Maske Don Bartholomew of Bathe, The Fruits of Warre, a matrial poem. The Supposes, a comedy translated from Ariosto—Jocasta, a tragedy adapted from Euripides~The Pleasant Fable of Ferdinando Jeronimi and Leonare de Valasco, a prose tale-Certayne Notes of Instruction, and a critical Writing Concerning the Making of Verse or Rhyme in English etc. All these miscellaneous works are found published in the volume under the title The Poesies of George Gascoigne Esquire. 

Gascoigne a prolific author no doubt, has written a number of works in the later phase of his life. These are-The Glasse of Government, A Tragical Comedy, The Steele Glass, The Complaynt of Philomene etc. All these were published in 1576. He also wrote various prose treaties of edification, including a short pamphlet, with an alternative title. A Delicate Diet for Dainte-mouth Droon Kardes. 

Gascoigne is not a literary master, and there is nothing remarkable in the quality of his writing, but his significance lies not in his literary Creation, but in his initiation in many fields of literature. He is aot merely a voluminous author, but also treats a great variety of literary matters. He remains, in the ultimate analysis, a mediocre author whose literary pursuit is wide, but has neither depth nor height.