Early English Dramatists Recently Recovered "LOST" TUDOR PLAYS WITH SOME OTHERS…

EDITED BY

JOHN S. FARMER

This edition, published in 1966, is a facsimile of the edition published by the EARLY ENGLISH DRAMA SOCIETY, LONDON in 1907

CHARLES W. TRAYLEN GUILDFORD, ENGLAND

[Pg iv] [Pg v]

PREFACE

Unquestionably the chief interest of this volume will centre in the three recently recovered "lost" Tudor Plays: Wealth and Health, Impatient Poverty, and John the Evangelist. It was, in truth, a unique and notable "find"—one that gladdened the world's scholarship. In June 1906 it was announced that no fewer than seventeen of the rarest pre-Shakespearean interludes, including three "lost" plays and four apparently unknown or unrecorded editions, had been unearthed in an Irish country house. Yet the owner of this quarto volume of old plays, the hammer value of which ultimately proved to be over £2600, thought so little, or knew so little, of its value that it was sent over to the London auctioneers without a cover!

It is a matter of surmise, perhaps idle enough, how these old plays got so far afield from the usual centres of early dramatic interest and effort. Still it shows that we need not despair of further "recoveries"; in the most unlikely quarters and when least expected other lost plays of the Tudor period may turn up; and, it must be confessed, if only a tithe of known plays not now traceable are restored, the gain to scholarship will be invaluable.

Public interest in this recent recovery was[Pg vi] at once aroused; and the contest for possession, when brought to the hammer, was of the keenest. Mr. Bernard Quaritch secured every one. It is, however, a matter of profound satisfaction to know that the rarest and best items of the collection, the "lost" plays and unrecorded editions, were bought for the nation.

As a matter of record I may state that the British Museum authorities secured—the prices given are the hammer prices—King Darius (unknown edition, £132); John the Evangelist (lost play, £102); The Nice Wanton (unknown edition, £169); Play of the Weather (unknown edition, £90); Wealth and Health (lost play, £95); Lusty Juventus (unknown edition, £140); and Impatient Poverty (lost play, £150).

America took The Trial of Treasure (£160) and Apius and Virginia (£101). I have not, however, as yet, been able to locate them more definitely.

Mr. T. J. Wise purchased Cambyses (£169) and Gammer Gurton's Needle (£180).

Octavia (£82) was purchased for Mr. J. H. Wrenn.

Others were announced for sale by Mr. Quaritch in his catalogue (No. 254) dated Dec. 1906. The titles of these plays and the auction price were: Jacob and Esau (£148); The Tide Tarrieth for no Man (£176); The Disobedient Child (£233); Youth; and The New Custom (£155).

It is my good fortune in the present volume to be the first to make the three "lost" plays available for scholars. The greatest care has been taken to furnish a faithful rendering of[Pg vii] the original texts; these have been set from rotary-bromide photographs of the unique copies now in national custody. Moreover, to meet the requirements of "textual experts" and the "higher criticism" these three plays form the first series of my Tudor Fascimile Texts, and will shortly be available in collotype. The four "unknown" editions already noted are also being reproduced by the same process and will form Series II. of the same collection.

Space—this volume is already much over-grown—forbids further comment. Nor would it be proper here and now. The recovery is too recent to have afforded an adequate opportunity for more than the most cursory examination; indeed, my strong feeling has been that I should best serve the wishes of the subscribers to the Early English Drama Society's publications by losing no time in placing these texts before them.

The other early interludes which complete the present collection are likewise rare and more or less difficult of access.

JOHN S. FARMER.

18 Bury Street, W.C.

[Pg viii]

[MANKIND c.

[Pg 2]

[The Names of the Players:

[Pg 3]

MANKIND

[Enter Mercy.]

[Pg 5]

[Enter Mischief.]

[A leaf of the manuscript has probably been lost at this point. It commences again by the entry of New Guise, Nought and Now-a-days with a band of minstrels.]

[Here they dance. Mercy saith,

[Mankind approaches Mercy.

[Now-a-days and Nought return.]

[New Guise enters, but remains in the background.]

[Enter Now-a-days and Nought.]

[Mankind belabours them with his spade.

[Pg 18]

[Enter Mischief.]

[New Guise, Now-a-days, and Nought enter.]

[Commences to untruss.

[Titivillus roars from outside.

[Enter Titivillus dressed devilwise, net in hand.]

[Loquitur ad New Guise.

[Loquitur ad Now-a-days.

[Loquitur ad Nought.

[They go out and leave Titivillus.

[Enter Mankind.]

[Here Titivillus goes out with the spade.

[Pg 25]

[Enter Titivillus.]

[Goes to Mankind.

[Re-enter Mankind.]

[Mankind sleeps and snores.

[Titivillus goes out.

[Enter New Guise.]

[Enter Now-a-days.]

[Enter Nought.]

[Enter Mischief.]

[Now-a-days make[th] proclamation.

[New Guise goeth out.

[Re-enter New Guise.]

[Nought goes out.

[Re-enter Nought.]

[Enter Mercy.]

[To the others.

[Mischief re-enters with his companions.

Hic exit Mischief [apparently meeting Mankind as he is going out, and salutes him].

[All but Mercy and Mankind go out.

(Epilogue.)

Finis.

[Pg 41]

O liber, si quis cui constas forte queretur, Hyngham, quem monacho dices, super omnia consta[s].

[Reduced Facsimile of Title-page of "Nature," from copy now in the British Museum. C34,e,54.]

[Pg 42]

NATURE

A goodly Interlude of Nature, compiled by Master HENRY MEDWALL

CHAPLAIN TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD JOHN MORTON

SOMETIME CARDINAL AND ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

The Names of the Players:

Cum Privilegio

[Pg 43]

NATURE

First cometh in Mundus, and sitteth down, and saith nothing; and with him Worldly Affection, bearing a gown and cap and a girdle for Man.

Then cometh in Nature, Man, Reason, and Innocency; and Nature sitteth down and saith.

[Then Nature goeth out.

[Pg 51]

[Here Innocency goeth out.

[He goeth out. Mankind calls to Worldly Affection.]

[Pg 66]

[He maketh to go out.

[Then he goeth out.

[Mankind goes aside.

[Then Pride speaketh to Sensuality in his ear that all may hear.

[He goeth forth.

[Here cometh in Worldly Affection and Sensuality.

[Here Man and Sensuality go out.

[Sens. and Pride go out.

[He goeth out and Reason cometh in.

Man cometh in [followed by Wor. Affec.

[Enter Shamefacedness.]

He goeth out [and Reason cometh forward.]

Thus endeth the first part.]

[Pg 89]

THE SECOND PART.

Reason and Man come in.

Then he goeth out and Sensuality cometh in.

Then cometh in Bodily Lust, with him Worldly Affection: Sensuality standeth aside.

[Then they three go out, [Sensuality remaining,] and Pride cometh in.

[Then cometh in Man and Worldly Affection.

[Then Man and Pride goeth out.

[This line is shaved off at the foot of the page.

[Entereth Wrath and Envy.

Then cometh in Gluttony with a cheese and a bottle.

[A line has been shaved away at the foot of the page.]

[A line is shaved away at the foot of the page.]

Then goeth out Man, Gluttony and Wrath.

[Sensuality entereth.

[Then they go forth and Reason and Man come in.

Then he goeth out and Meekness cometh in.

[Enter Charity.

`Then he goeth out [and Patience cometh in].

[Good Occupation cometh in.

Then he goeth out [and Liberality cometh in].

Then Liberality goeth out and Abstinence and Chastity come in.

Then they go out and Reason cometh in.

[Mankind returns.

[Then they sing some goodly ballet.

[Here follow "The Names of the Players" as given on page 42.]

[Pg 134] [Pg 135]

[THE PLAY OF WIT AND SCIENCE

Made by Master JOHN REDFORD

The Names of the Players:

[1] Ignorancy, but see pp. 152-157]

[Pg 136]

[Reduced facsimile of the penultimate page of manuscript copy of "Wit and Science" now in the British Museum.]

[Pg 137]

THE PLAY OF WIT AND SCIENCE.

[By John Redford.]

Here all go out save Reason.

Confidence cometh in with a picture of Wit.

[Confidence goeth out.

Wit cometh in without Instruction, with Study, etc.

[Study reflecteth.

[Instruction cometh in.

Exeat Wit, Study and Diligence.

[Exeat Instruction.

Tediousness cometh in with a visor over his head.

[The last three lines are, in the manuscript, scored through.]

[Tediousness riseth up.

[Here Wit falleth down and dieth.

[Striketh him.

[Exeat Tedi[ousness].

[Pg 145]

Here cometh in Honest Recreation, Comfort, Quickness, and Strength, and go and kneel about Wit; and at the last verse raiseth him up upon his feet, and so make an end.

And then Honest Recreation saith as followeth:

[Here Comfort, Quickness, Strength go out.

Here they dance, and in the meanwhile Idleness cometh in and sitteth down, and when the galliard is done, Wit saith as followeth, and so falleth down in Idleness' lap.

Here she whistleth, and Ingnorancy cometh in.

[Pg 156][Taketh off Ingnorancy's coat.

[Putteth Wit's gown on Ingnorancy.

[Putteth Ingnorancy's coat on Wit.

Confidence cometh in with a sword by his side; and sayeth as followeth:

Here they [Fame, Favour, Riches, and Worship] come in with viols.

Here the[y] sing "Exceeding Measure."

[Pg 159]

[Experience and Science entereth while they sing.]

[Fame, Favour, Riches, and Worship go out.

[Wit cometh before.

Shame cometh in with a whip. [Reason followeth him.]

[Wit kneeleth down.

[Pg 167]

Here cometh Instruction, Study, and Diligence in.

[Instruction, Study, Wit and Diligence go out.

[Exeat Reason.

Confidence cometh in.

[Confidence exeat.

Instruction cometh in with Wit, Study, and Diligence.

Here Wit cometh in and bringeth in the head upon his sword, and sayeth as followeth:

Confidence cometh running in.

[Exit Confidence.

Confidence cometh running in.

Here Wit, Instruction, Study, and Diligence sing "Welcome, my own," and Science, Experience, Reason and Confidence come in at L[eft], and answer every second verse:

[And when the song is done, Reason sendeth Instruction, Study, and Diligence, and Confidence out; and then, standing in the middle of the place, Wit sayeth as followeth:

Here cometh in four with viols and sing, "Remember me," and, at the last, choir all make curtsey, and so go forth singing.

Thus endeth the Play of Wit and Science, made by Master John Redford.

[Pg 176] [Pg 177]

RESPUBLICA A.D. 1553 A DRAMA OF REAL LIFE IN THE EARLY DAYS OF QUEEN MARY

[Pg 178]

A Merry Interlude, entitled

RESPUBLICA

Made in the Year of our Lord 1553, and the First Year of the most Prosperous Reign of our Most Gracious Sovereign Queen Mary the First

The Parts and Names of the Players:

[Pg 179]

RESPUBLICA.

THE PROLOGUE.

Finis.

[Pg 182]

RESPUBLICA.

ACTUS PRIMI, SCENA PRIMA.

[Avarice.]

[Exeat.

[Pg 185]

ACTUS PRIMI, SCENA SECUNDA.

Adulation. Insolence. Oppression.

Intrant Canta[n]tes.

[Intrat Avarice.

ACTUS PRIMI, SCENA TERTIA.

Avarice. Insolence. Oppression. Adulation.

[They go forward, one after other.

[He whistleth.

[Pg 196]

ACTUS PRIMI, SCENA QUARTA.

Avarice. Adulation. Insolence. Oppression.

[A line is probably lost.

[Pg 199]

[Exeant.

[Exeat Avarice.

ACTUS SECUNDI, SCENA PRIMA.

[Respublica.]

[Intrat Avar[ice] cogitabundus et ludibundus.

ACTUS SECUNDI, SCENA SECUNDA.

Avaricia. Respublica.

[Intrat Avarice, adducens Insolence, Oppression, and Adulation.

[Pg 205]

ACTUS SECUNDI, SCENA TERTIA.

Adulation. Avarice. Respublica. Insolence. Oppression.

[Exeat Resp[ublica.

ACTUS TERTIA, SCENA PRIMA.

[Respublica.]

[Pg 209]

ACTUS TERTII, SCENA SECUNDA

Adulation. Respublica.

ACTUS TERTII, SCENA TERTIA.

People. Adulation. Respublica.

[Exeant.

[Pg 216]

ACTUS TERTII, SCENA QUARTA.

Avarice. Adulation. Oppression.

ACTUS TERTII, SCENA QUINTA.

Oppression. Avarice. Adulation.

ACTUS TERTII, SCENA SEXTA.

Insolence. Adulation. Oppression. Avarice.

[Exeant currentes.

[Pg 226]

ACTUS QUARTI, SCENA PRIMA.

[Respublica.]

[Intrat People.

[Pg 227]

ACTUS QUARTI, SCENA SECUNDA.

Respublica. People.

[Pg 228]

ACTUS QUARTI, SCENA TERTIA.

[Avarice.] Respublica. People.

ACTUS QUARTI, SCENA QUARTA.

Avarice. Insolence. Respublica. Oppression. People.

[Exeat Resp[ublica].

[Exeat.

ACTUS QUINTI, SCENA PRIMA.

[Misericordia.]

ACTUS QUINTI, SCENA SECUNDA.

Respublica. Misericordia. Avarice. Adulation.

[Exeat Mi[sericordi]a.

[Exeat Adul[ation].

Intrant Mi[sericordi]a and Veritas.

ACTUS QUINTI, SCENA TERTIA.

Misericordia. Veritas. Respublica.

[Pg 247]

ACTUS QUINTI, SCENA QUARTA.

Pax. Justitia. Veritas. Misericordia. Respublica.

[Cantent: "The mercy of God," et exeant, etc.

ACTUS QUINTI, SCENA QUINTA.

Avarice. Adulation.

[Exeat.

[Intrat Resp[ublica].

ACTUS QUINTI, SCENA SEXTA.

Respublica. Avarice.

[Intrat People.

ACTUS QUINTI, SCENA SEPTIMA.

Respublica. People.

[Exeat.

ACTUS QUINTI, SCENA OCTAVA.

Insolence. Adulation. Oppression. People. Avarice.

[Intrat Avarice.

[Pg 260]

ACTUS QUINTI, SCENA NONA.

Verity. Justice. Avarice. Respublica. Adulation. Misericordia. Peace. People. Insolence. Oppression.

ACTUS QUINTI, SCENA DE[CIMA].

Nemesis. Respublica. Misericordia. Veritas. Justice. Pax. People. Insolence. Oppression. Adulation. Avarice.

[Cantant et exeant.

Finis.

[Pg 273]

[A reduced Facsimile of the Title-page of "Wealth and Health" from the unique recently recovered copy of the Play now in the British Museum.]

[Pg 274]

An Interlude of WEALTH AND HEALTH very merry and full of Pastime, newly at this time…

The Names of the Players:

Four may easily play this Play

Extract from the Stat. Reg. 1557 [Arber I. 75]

To master John wally these bokes Called Welth and helthe / the treatise of the ffrere and the boye / stans puer ad mensam another of youghte charyte and humylyte an a b c for cheldren in englesshe with syllabes also a boke [Pg 275]called an hundreth mery tayles.... ijs

[WEALTH AND HEALTH.]

A2,r. Here entereth Wealth and Health singing together a ballat of two parts, and after speaketh Wealth.

Here entereth Liberty with a song, and after speaketh.

Here entereth with some jest Ill-Will.

[And Wealth and Health goeth out.

[Pg 286]

[Entereth Shrewd Wit with a song.

[Ill-Will comes in.

[Entereth Hance with a Dutch song.

[And goeth out.

[Liberty and Health returneth back[Pg 290] with Wealth.

[They sing and go out.

[Here cometh Remedy in and to him saith—

[And goeth out.

[Ill-Will and] Wit returneth.

[Wealth, Health, and Liberty cometh in.]

[Health turneth him.

[Liberty turneth him.

[And goeth out. [Remedy cometh in.

[Hance cometh in.

[A line (or lines) apparently missing here.

[And goeth.

[Health cometh in with a kercher on his head.

[Ill-will turneth.

[And goeth out.

[And goeth out.

[Pg 306]

Finis.

[The printing of this play in the original is atrocious—à la Cock-Robin shop: type worn and battered; bad spelling; turned letters—b, d, f, long s, k, l—all long "stamps" used interchangeably; throughout a monument of bad Caxtonship.]

[Pg 310] [Pg 311]

[Reduced Facsimile of the Title-page of "Impatient Poverty" from a copy now in the British Museum.]

[Pg 312]

A New Interlude of IMPATIENT POVERTY newly Imprinted, 1560

Four men may well and easily play this Interlude

Imprinted at London, in Paul's Churchyard at the Sign of the Swan, by John King

[Pg 313]

[IMPATIENT POVERTY.]

Peace beginneth. A2,r.

[Enter Impatient Poverty.]

[Exeunt ambo.

[Pg 321]

[Enter Abundance and Conscience.]

Here cometh Envy running in, laughing, and saith to Conscience.

Here Misrule singeth, without coming in.

Peace entereth.

[And here they face Peace out of the place.

[Peace entereth.

[Enter Misrule.]

[Enter Colhazard.

Here they fight and run all out of the place, and then entereth Prosperity poorly [clad] and saith.

[Envy returneth followed by Misrule.

[Exit.

[Here entereth the Sumner.

[They go out.

[Pg 343]

Abundance entereth.

[The Sumner returneth.

Exeunt ambo.

Here entereth the Sumner again, and Poverty followeth him with a candle in his hand doing penance about the place. And then sayeth the Sumner:

[Peace entereth.

[Exit Sumner.

Thus endeth the interlude called Impatient Poverty.

[Here follow two ornaments and between them the colophon as on page 312.]

[Pg 349]

[Reduced Facsimile of the Title-page of "John the Evangelist" from a unique copy, recently recovered, now in the British Museum.]

[Pg 350]

The Interlude of JOHN THE EVANGELIST

[The Names of the Players:

Imprinted at London, in Foster Lane, by John Waley

[Pg 351]

[SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST.]

A2,r. St. John the Evangelist.

[The continuation seems imperfect.]

[Here again something appears to be missing.]

[Exit, Enter Actio.

[Enter Eugenio.

[They go out and Evil Counsel entereth.

[They go out. Enter Actio and Eugenio.

Finis.

Thus endeth the Interlude of St John the Evangelist.

Imprinted at London in Foster Lane by John Waley.

[Pg 369]

A NOTE-BOOK AND WORD-LIST

INCLUDING

Contemporary References, Bibliography, Variorum Readings, Notes, &c., together with a Glossary of Words and Phrases now Archaic or Obsolete; the whole arranged in One Alphabet in Dictionary Form

[Pg 370]

A FOREWORD TO NOTE-BOOK AND WORD-LIST

Reference from text to Note-Book is copious, and as complete as may be; so also, conversely, from Note-Book to text. The following pages may, with almost absolute certainty, be consulted on any point that may occur in the course of reading; but more especially as regards

The scheme of reference from Note-Book to text assumes the division, in the mind's eye, of each page into four horizontal sections; which, beginning at the top, are indicated in the Note-Book by the letters a, b, c, d following the page figure. In practice this will be found easy, and an enormous help to the eye over the usual reference to page alone in "fixing" the "catchword." Thus 126a = the first quarter of page 126; 40c = the third quarter of page 40; and so forth.

Abbreviations.

NOTE-BOOK AND WORD-LIST TO RECENTLY RECOVERED "LOST" TUDOR PLAYS

With Some Others, viz.:

Mankind—Nature—Wit and Science—Respublica—Wealth and Health—Impatient Poverty—John the Evangelist

A, (a) (passim), of varying usages: e.g. (1) I: "to God a vow"; (2) "a be" (R213,d)—"He tumbleth whom a lust" (R212,c) = he; (3) = one; (4) "a potful a worts" (M13,c) = of; (5) = on; (6) = have; (7) sometimes used to lengthen a line, to accent a syllable, or to make a rhyme-ending: also merely pleonastic. For examples see other volumes of this series.

(b) "azee" (R257,b)—"A, zee!" (R267,a), look! see!

Aband, "if thou aband thee" (N48,c), forsake, abandon. "And Vortiger enforst the Kingdome to aband."—Spenser, Fairy Queen (1590), ii. v. 63.

Able, "zo chwas able" (R229,b), fit, proper, "fettled": in original hable—cf. habile. "Noye, to me thou arte full able, And to my sacrifice acceptable."—Chester Plays (c. 1400), i. 55.

Abry, see Jack Noble.

Abusion, "hidden their abusion" (R180,a), abuse, malpractice. "The vtter extirpation of false doctrine, the roote and chief cause of all abusions."—Udall, Pref. to St. Mark. "To print[Pg 372] such abusion."—Albion Knight, Anon. Pl. 2 Ser. (E.E.D.S.), 131,d.

Adjutory, "God will be you[r] adjutory" (M12,a), properly an adjective = helpful; the exigencies of the rhyme has, however, apparently led to its use substantively: the original manuscript, as indicated, has "be yow adiutory."

Adventure, see Joint.

Affeed, "affeed with them" (N70,a), hired, engaged with for profit: cf. fee (A.S.) = property, money, annual salary, reward. "There is not a thane of them but in his house I have a servant feed."—Shakespeare, Macbeth (1606), iii. 4.

Affere, "With his company myself affere" (N63,d), belong, be identified with, "of a kidney with." "He was then buryed at Winchester in royall wise, As to suche a prince of reason should affere."—Hardyng, Chronicle (d. 1465), f. 106.

Affiance, "Company of my affiance" (N78,a), close connection, affinity, trusted advisers or servants: see other volumes of this series.

Afine, "well afine" (R261,d), perfectly, thoroughly; i.e. well a (= and) fine: a generic intensive. "Till grapes be ripe and well a-fine."—Chaucer, Romaunt of the Rose (1360), 3690.

Against, "against I you call" (R199,b), again: the converse usage (again = against) was also common enough in old writers.

Aged, "some of them were aged ... one by one" (R219,b). Mr. Magnus thinks that in these lines there must be some hint at the treatment of Bishops Gardiner and Bonner, who were imprisoned and their lands seized: see Respublica.