Car. Of bells, boy? "Tis thy fancy; They ring a strange sad knell, a preparation Mine own sweet uncle! you will kill me Hengo. No, as you love me, uncle! I will not eat it, if I do not fetch it; My valiant child! You'll spoil all else. When I have brought it, We'll be as merry Car. Go, i' th' name of Heav'n, boy! Hengo. Quick, quick, uncle! I have it.Car. What ail'st thou? [Oh! [Judus shoots Hengo. Hengo. Oh, my best uncle, I am slain! Car. I see you, [Car. kills Judas with a stone. And Heav'n direct my hand!-Destruction Go with thy coward soul!-How dost thou, Oh, villain, pocky villain! [boy? Hengo. Oh, uncle, uncle, Oh, how it pricks me (am I preserv'd for this?) Extremely pricks me! Car, Coward, rascal coward! Dogs eat thy flesh! Hengo. Oh, I bleed hard; I faint too; out upon't, How sick I am!-The lean rogue, uncle! I've laid him sure enough. Hengo. Have you knock'd his brains out? Cur. I warrant thee for stirring more: Cheer up, child. Hengo. Hold my sides hard; stop, stop; oh, wretched fortune, Must we part thus? Still I grow sicker, uncle. Car. Heaven look upon this neble child! Hengo. I once hop'd [Romans I should have liv'd to have met these bloody At my sword's point, to have reveng'd my father, To have beaten 'em. Oh, hold me hard,! Car. Thou shalt live still I hope, boy. Shall Ilengo. You draw away my soul then; I A little longer, (spare me, Heavens!) but only To thank you for your tender love! Good Good noble uncle, weep not! [uncle, And, noble uncle, when my bones are ashes, You blessed angels, take him! Hengo. Kiss me! so. Farewell, farewell! [Dies. Cur. Farewell the hopes of Britain! Thou royal graft, farewell for ever!~Time and Death, Ye've done your worst. Fortune, now see, now proudly [Look, Pluck off thy veil, and view thy triumph: Look what th' hast brought this land to. Oh, fair flower, How lovely yet thy ruins shew, how sweetly Ev'n death embraces thee! The peace of Heaven, The fellowship of all great souls, be with thee! Enter Petillius and Junius on the rock. Ha! Dare ye, Romans? Ye shall win me bravely. Thou'rt mine! Jun. Not yet, sir. [Fight. Car. Breathe ye, ye poor Romans, And come up all, with all your ancient valours; Like a rough wind I'll shake your souls, and send 'em Enter Suetonius, and all the Roman Captains. Suet. Yield thee, bold Caratach! By all the As I am a soldier, as I envy thee, [gods, I'll use thee like thyself, the valiant Briton. Pet. Brave soldier, yield, thou stock of arms and honour, Thou filler of the world with fame and glory! Jun. Most worthy man, we'll wooe thee, [nour, be thy prisoners. Suet. Excellent Briton, do me but that hoThat more to me than conquests, that true To be my friend! [happiness, [sake, Car. Oh, Romans, see what here is! Had this boy liv'dSuet. For Fame's sake, for thy sword's THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE. Quod si Judicium subtile, videndis artibus illud Horat. in Epist. ad Oct. Aug. This Play was first printed in quarto, in the year 1613. The title-page, edit. 1635, ascribes it to both Authors: The preface and the prologue, however, attribute it to one only. Langbaine says, it was in vogue some years since, being revived at the King's House, and a new prologue, instead of the old oue in prose, spoken by Mrs. Ellen Guin. He likewise conjectures, that the idea of bringing the Citizen and his Wife upon the stage was in imitation of Ben Jonson's Staple of News. We do not know of any revival of it since the time Langbaine mentions above. TO THE READERS OF THIS COMEDY. GENTLEMEN, the world is so nice in these our times, that for apparel there is no fashion; for musick (which is a rare art, though now slighted) no instrument; for diet, none but the French quelque chose that are delicate; and for plays, no invention but that which now runnethan invective way, touching some particular persons, or else it is contemned before it is thoroughly understood. This is all that I have to say, That the Author had no intent to wrong any one in this Comedy; but, as a merry passage, here and there interlaced it with delight, which he hopes will please all, and be hurtful to none. PROLOGUE. WHERE the bee can suck no honey, she leaves her sting behind; and where the bear cannot find origanum to heal his grief, he blastcth all other leaves with his breath. We fear, it is like to fare so with us; that seeing you cannot draw from our labours sweet content, you leave behind you a sour mislike, and with open reproach blame our good meaning, because you cannot reap the wonted mirth. Our intent was at this time to move inward delight, not outward lightness; and to breed (if it might be) soft smiling, not loud laughing; knowing it, to the wise, to be a great pleasure to hear counsel mixed with wit, as, to the foolish, to have sport mingled with rudeness. They were banished the theatre of Athens, and from Rome hissed, that brought parasites on the stage with apish actions, or fools with uncivil habits, or courtezans with immodest words. We have endeavoured to be as far from unseemly speeches, to make your ears glow, as we hope you will be free from unkind reports, or mistaking the author's intention, who never aimed at any one particular in this play, to make our cheeks blush. And thus I leave it, and thee to thine own censure, to like or dislike. Vale'. And thus I leave it, &c.] These words seem more addressed to the reader than spectator, to whom this Address rather would apply as an epilogue. Enter Speaker of the Prologue. Prologue FROM all that's near the court, from all that's great Cit. Hold your peace, goodman boy! Cit. That you have no good meaning: This seven years there hath been plays at this house, I have observ'd it, you have still girds at citizens; and now you call your play, The London Merchant.' Down with your title, boy, down with your title! Prol. Are you a member of the noble city? Cit. I am. Prol. And a freeman? Cit. Yea, and a grocer. Prol. So, grocer; then, by your sweet favour, we intend no abuse to the city. Cit. No, sir? yes, sir; if you were not resolv'd to play the Jacks, what need you study for new subjects, purposely to abuse your betters? Why could not you be contented, as well as others, with the legend of Whittington, or the Life and Death of Sir Thomas Gresham? with the building of the Royal Exchange? or the story of Queen Eleanor, with the rearing of London-Bridge upon wool-sacks? Prol. You seem to be an understanding man; what would you have us do, sir? Cit. Why, present something notably in honour of the commons of the city. Prol. Why, what do you say to the Life and Death of fat Drake, or the Repairing of Fleet Privics? Cit. I do not like that; but I will have a citizen, and he shall be of my own trade. Prol. Oh, you should have told us your mind a month since; our play is ready to begin now. Cit. 'Tis all one for that; I will have a grocer, and he shall do admirable things. Prol. What will you have him do? Cit. Marry, I will have him Wife [below]. Husband, husband! Ralph [below]. Peace, mistress! Wife. Hold thy peace, Ralph; I know what I do, I warrant you. Husband, husband!. Cit. What say'st thou, cony? band; let him kill a lion with a Pestle! Wife. Let him kill a lion with a Pestle, hus Cit. So he shall; I'll have him kill a lion with a Pestle. Wife. Husband! shall I come up, husband? Cit. Ay, cony. Ralph, help your mistress this way. Pray, gentlemen, make her a little room; I pray you, sir, lend me your hand to help up my wife: I thank you, sir; so! Wife. By your leave, gentlemen all! I'm something troublesome; I'm a stranger here; I was ne'er at one of these plays, as they say, before; but I should have seen Jane Shore once; and my husband hath pros mised me any time this twelvemonth, to carry me to the Bold Beauchams, but in truth he did not. I pray you bear with me. Cit. Boy, let my wife and I have a couple of stools, and then begin; and let the grocer do rare things. Prol. But, sir, we have never a boy to play him: Every one hath a part already. Wife. Husband, husband, for God's sake, Jane Shore.] Probably, The First and Second Parts of King Edward the Fourth, containing his merry pastime with the Tanner of Tamworth, as also his love to fair mistrisse Shore, her great promotion, fall and miserie, and lastly the lamentable death of both her and her husband, &c. as it hath divers times been publickly played by the right honourable the earle of Derbie his servants.' B. L. quarto. R. |