Hadrian Dorrell was apparently assumed. No Oxford student bearing that appellation is known to the university registers. It is probable that ‘Hadrian Dorrell’ was sole author of ‘Avisa,’ and that he named his work after his friend Henry Willoby, in the same manner as Nicolas Breton named a poem, ‘The Countess of Pembrokes Passion,’ after the patroness in whose honour and for whose delectation it was written.
The chief interest of the poem lies in its apparent bearings on Shakespeare's biography. In prefatory verses in six-line stanzas, which are signed ‘Contraria Contrariis: Vigilantius: Dormitanus,’ direct mention is made of Shakespeare's poem of ‘Lucrece,’ which was licensed for the press on 9 May 1594, only four months before ‘Avisa.’ This is the earliest open reference made in print by a contemporary author to Shakespeare's name. The notice of Shakespeare lends substance to the theory that the alleged friend of Willoby, who is known in the poem under the initials ‘W.S.,’ may be the dramatist himself. ‘W.S.’ is spoken of as ‘the old player.’ If this identity be admitted, there is a likelihood that the troubled amour from which ‘W.S.’ is said in the poem to have recently recovered is identical with the intrigue that forms one of the topics of Shakespeare's sonnets. The frivolous tone in which ‘W.S.’ is made in ‘Avisa’ to refer to his recent amorous adventure suggests, moreover, that the professed tone of pain which characterises the poet's addresses to a disdainful mistress in his sonnets is not to be interpreted quite seriously.
‘Willobies Avisa’ proved popular, and rapidly went through six editions, but very few copies survive. Of the first edition, published in 1594, two perfect copies are known—one in the British Museum, and the other in Mr. Christie Miller's library at Britwell; a slightly imperfect copy is in the Huth Library. No copy is now known either of the edition of 1596, containing for the first time Dorrell's ‘Apologie’ and Thomas Willoby's contribution, or of a third edition published after 1596 and before 1605. A fourth edition (‘the fourth time corrected and augmented’) was issued by Windet, the original printer and publisher, in 1605; a unique copy is at Britwell. Bagford, Benjamin Furley, and other collectors noted an edition of 1609, which was probably a ‘remainder’ issue of the fourth edition. The work was reprinted in 1635 by William Stansby, and was described on the title-page as ‘the fifth time corrected and augmented;’ a copy, said to be unique, is in the British Museum. Dr. Grosart reprinted privately in 1880 the first edition, with extracts from the additions first published in 1596, although now only accessible in the editions of 1609 and 1635. The portion supposed to refer to Shakespeare was reprinted in ‘Shakspere Allusion Books’ (pt. i. ed. C. M. Ingleby, New Shakspere Society, 1864, pp. 69 et seq.)
[Grosart's reprint of Willobie his Avisa, 1880; Sidney Lee's Life of Shakespeare, 1898.]
WILLOUGHBY, Sir HUGH (d. 1554), sea-captain, was the grandson of Sir Hugh Willoughby of Wollaton, Nottinghamshire, and youngest son of Sir Henry Willoughby of Middleton, who was made a knight-banneret at the battle of Stoke in 1487, and died in 1528. He served in the expedition to Scotland in 1544, and was knighted by the Earl of Hertford (afterwards Duke of Somerset) at Leith on 11 May. He afterwards had a commission on the border, and was captain of Lowther Castle in 1548–9 (Cal. State Papers, Dom. Addenda, 1547–1565, p. 402), but the downfall of Somerset materially altered his position, and the friendship of some persons connected with the navy is said to have turned his thoughts towards the sea. It would seem that Sebastian Cabot was one of these. It may be, too, that he was known as a capable commander, and at that time rank and authority were more considered than seamanship and navigation. He was appointed captain of the ship Bona Esperanza and captain-general of the fleet for the intended voyage to Cathay; Richard Chancellor [q. v.] was captain of the Edward Bonaventure and pilot-general of the fleet; and with him, as master of the Edward Bonaventure, was Stephen Borough [q. v.], who was accompanied by his younger brother, William Borough [q. v.] There was a third ship, the Bona Confidentia (cf. ib. p. 432). The object of the voyage, as laid down by Cabot in the instructions dated 9 May 1553, was to search for a north-eastern passage to Cathay and India, and on the next day the ships left Ratcliffe. They dropped down the river by easy stages, were detained for several weeks off Harwich, and did not finally get away till 23 June. On 27 July they anchored at one of the Lofoden Isles, and remained there three days. On 2 Aug., in latitude 70°, a boat came off from the shore and promised to get them a pilot for Vardohuus, apparently the only place they knew by name. But the wind blew them off the shore and freshened into a violent gale, in which the ships were separated. The Esperanza and Confidentia met again the next day, but they saw nothing more of the
