Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Mardeley, John
MARDELEY, JOHN (fl. 1548), was clerk of the mint (Suffolk House, Southwark) under Edward VI (Ruding, Annals of the Coinage, i. 53), and was the author of: 1. 'Here is a shorte Resytal of certayne Holy Doctours whych proveth that the naturall Body of Christ is not conteyned in the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper but fyguratyvely.' 'In myter, by Jhon Mardeley,' London, 12mo,' published 1540-50?; partly written in 'Skeltonic ' metre (Collier, Bibliograph. Account, i. 515-16). 2. 'Here beginneth a necessary instruction for all covetous ryche men,' &c., London, 1547-53? 3. 'A ruful Complaynt of the publyke weale to Englande,' London, about 1547, 4to, in four-line stanzas. 4. 'A declaration of the power of God's Worde concerning the Holy Supper of the Lord' (against the 'maskynge masse'), London, 'compyled 1548.' This is in prose; after the dedication to Edward, duke of Somerset, occurs 'A complaynt against the styffnecked' in verse. Some verse translations in the Psalter of 1562 signed ' M.' and attributed by Haslewood to Mardeley are by John Marckant [q. v.] Bale credits Mardeley with earlier verse - translations of twenty-four psalms and with religious hymns (Script. 106).
[Authorities cited above; Warton's Hist, of Engl. Poetry, iv. 151, ed. Hazlitt; Notes and Queries, 3rd ser. i. 374, iii. 114; Hazlitt's Handbook.]