Dash'd all my joys, and blasted all my hopes; DEDICATIONS TO FLETCHER'S FAITHFUL SHEPHERDESS, WITHOUT DATE; PRESUMED TO BE THE FIRST EDITION [See page 301]1 I. To that noble and true lover of learning, Sir Walton Aston. Sir, I must ask your patience, and be true. This Play was never liked, except by few That brought their judgments with them; for of late Of common people, have such customs got Had fal'n, for ever press'd down by the rude [See Mermaid Series, vol. ii., pp. 318-21. See also p. 533.] The Plague: in which times, the acting of Plays appears to have been discountenanced. II. To the Inheritor of all Worthiness, Sir William Scipwith. ODE I. If from servile hope or love But so happy to be thought for Worthy Sir, I have all I sought for. II. For no itch of greater name By their verses, do I show it These are lean faults in a poet : III. Nor to make it serve to feed Nor to gain acquaintance by it; Nor to read it after diet. IV. Far from me are all these aims: To build weakness on and pity; Whose true touch Makes all good, let me seem witty. III. To the perfect gentleman, Sir Robert Townesend. If the greatest faults may crave Upon my faith I'll tell you frankly; Apologetical Preface, following these: o, If you be not reasonably assured of your knowledge in this kind of Poem, lay down the Book; or read this, which I would wish had been the Prologue. It is a Pastoral Tragic-Comedy; which the people seeing when it was played, having ever had a singular gift in defining, concluded to be a play of Country hired Shepherds, in gray cloaks, with cur-tailed dogs in strings, sometimes laughing together, and sometimes killing one another; and, missing Whitsun ales, cream, wassail, and Morris dances, began to be angry. In their error I would not have you fall, lest you incur their censure. Understand, therefore, a Pastoral to be-a Representation 0, Shepherds and Shepherdesses, with their Actions and Passionsf which must be such as agree with their natures; at least, not exceeding former fictions and vulgar traditions. They are not to be adorn'd with any art, but such improper ones as nature is said teach to bestow, as Singing and Poetry; or such as experience may them, as the virtues of herbs and fountains; the ordinary course of the sun, moon, and stars; and such like. But you are ever to remember Shepherds to be such, as all the ancient poets (and modern of understanding) have received them; that is, the Owners of Flocks, and not Hirelings.-A Tragic-comedy is not so called in respect of mirth and killing, but in respect it wants deaths (which 1 We can almost be not sorry for the ill dramatic success of this Play, which brought out such spirited apologies; in particular, the masterly definitions of Pastoral and Tragi-Comedy in this Preface. He damns the Town: the Town before damn'd him.-ED. is enough to make it no Tragedy); yet brings some near to it (which is enough to make it no Comedy): which must be a Representation of Familiar People, with such kind of trouble as no life can be without; so that a God is as lawful in this, as in a Tragedy; and mean People, as in a Comedy.-Thus much I hope will serve to justify my Poem, and make you understand it; to teach you more for nothing, I do not know that I am in conscience bound JOHN FLETCHER. THE WARS OF CYRUS.1 A TRAGEDY. AUTHOR UNKNOWN, 1594 Dumb Show exploded. Chorus (to the Audience). Warrants what we record of Panthea. It is writ in sad and tragic terms, -Xenophon May move your tears; then you content our Muse, Or needless antics, imitations, Or shows, or new devises sprung o' late; We will revive the which hath long been done. THE MARRIED BEAU. A COMEDY [PUBLISHED 1694]. BY JOHN CROWNE Wife tempted: she pleads religion. Lover. Our happy love may have a secret Church Under the Church, as Faith's was under Paul's, ["King of Persia against Antiochus King of Assyria," ed. of 1594. Not divided into Acts or paged. See sig. c 3.] 2 So I point it; instead of the line, as it stands in this unique copy— Nor instance nor excuse for what they do. The sense I take to be, what the common playwrights do (or shew by action-the "inexplicable dumb shows [Hamlet, iii, 2, 13] of Shakspeare-), our Chorus relates. The following lines have else no coherence. VOL. IV.-35 Where we may carry on our sweet devotion; [Act iii., p. 287.'] A CHALLENGE FOR BEAUTY. A TRAGI-COMEDY BY T. HEYWOOD [See page 84] Appeal for Innocence against a false accusation. Helena. Both have sworn: And, Princes, as you hope to crown your heads With that perpetual wreath which shall last ever, Your eyes of grace and pity. What sin is it, [Act v., Sc. 1.2] THYESTES. A TRAGEDY [PUBLISHED 1681]. BY JOHN CROWNE, 1681 Atreus, having recovered his Wife, and Kingdom, from his brother Thyestes, who had usurped both, and sent him into banishment, describes his offending Queen. Atreus (solus). "Tis true, in heavy sorrow: 1[Crowne's Works, vol. iv. See also below. [Heywood's Works, vol. v. -still she lives: so she ought, For another extract from this play, see page 573. See also page 530.] |