A Select Collection of Old Plays: In Twelve Volumes ; with Additional Notes and CorrectionsSeptimus Prowett, 1825 - English drama |
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1st edit 2d edit acted actors agayne Aristippus Ben Jonson bloud brest called Carisophus children of Paul's Cibber comedy court Creweltie cruell Custome Damon dayes death devyll Dionisius doth Drury-lane eche entreth Eubulus farre father faythe Ferrex friendship Gammer Gurton's Needle geve Godde's goddes Gorboduc Gospell grace Grimme Gronno hart hast hath Heywood honour Ignoraunce interludes Jacke John Heywood king knave kynge London Lord Chamberlain lorde Lovewit lyfe lyke lyve matter mynde myne never noble Pardoner Pater cœlestis Pedler performers Perverse Doctrine Pithias players playhouse playne plays Porrex Poticary pray prayse prince promyse Queen realme reign ryght sayde saynt shew Sir William sonne stage Stephano theatre thee thing thinke Thomas Killigrew thou thre thynge Trueman tyme unto vertue waye whych William D'avenant wolde word wyll yelde
Popular passages
Page li - England* began first that language ; all our ladies were then his scholars ; and that beauty in court which could not parley Euphuism...
Page liii - By and by we hear news of shipwreck in the same place, and then we are to blame if we accept it not for a rock. Upon the back of that comes out a hideous monster, with fire and smoke, and then the miserable beholders are bound to take it for a cave. While in the meantime two armies fly in, represented with four swords and bucklers, and then what hard heart will not receive it for a pitched field?
Page xcviii - House, so that the most distant Ear had scarce the least Doubt, or Difficulty in hearing what fell from the weakest Utterance: All Objects were thus drawn nearer to the Sense; every...
Page lxxxi - He hopes that, by comparing the works of Shakespeare with those of writers who lived at the same time, immediately preceded, or immediately followed him, he shall be able to ascertain his ambiguities, disentangle his intricacies, and recover the meaning of words now lost in the darkness of antiquity.
Page clv - ... being acted with mighty state and reverence by the friars of this house, had theaters for the several! scenes, very large and high, placed upon wheels, and drawn to all the eminent parts of the city, for the better advantage of spectators : and contain'd the story of the New Testament, composed into old English Rithme, as appeareth by an ancient MS.
Page cx - ... occasioned such an undulation, from the voice of every actor, that generally what they said sounded like the gabbling of so many people, in the lofty aisles in a cathedral.
Page lii - Now ye shall have three ladies walk to gather flowers, and then we must believe the stage to be a garden. By and by we hear news of shipwreck in the same place, and then we are to blame if we accept it not for a rock.
Page cli - ... and the actors forbidden to present us with any of their tragedies, because we had enough of that in earnest; and comedies, because the vices of the age were too lively and smartly represented ; then all that we could divert ourselves with were these humours and pieces of plays, which, passing under the name of a merry conceited fellow called Bottom the Weaver, Simpleton the Smith, John Swabber, or some such title, were only allowed us, and that but by stealth too, and under pretence of rope-dancing...
Page xcvii - It must be observ'd then, that the Area, or Platform of the old Stage, projected about four Foot forwarder, in a Semi-oval Figure, parallel to the Benches of the Pit; and that the former, lower Doors of Entrance for the Actors were brought down between the two foremost (and then only) Pilasters; in the Place of which Doors, now the two Stage-Boxes are fixt.
Page 128 - Possessed the same and ruled it well in one; He, thinking that the compasse did suffice For his three sonnes three kingdoms eke to make, / Cut it in three, as you would now in twaine; But how much...