A long war disturb'd your mind, Here your perfect peace is sign'd; Of what is't fools make such vain keeping? Their death a hideous storm of terror. A crucifix let bless your neck: 'Tis now full tide 'tween night and day, End your groan and come away." Cari. Hence villains, tyrants, murderers! Alas! In my last will I have not much to give― Cari. I will die with her. Duch. I pray thee look thou givest my little boy Some syrup for his cold, and let the girl Say her prayers ere she sleep. Now what you please. What death? Bos. Strangling: here are your executioners. The apoplexy, catarrh, or cough o' th' lungs, Bos. Doth not death fright you? Bos. Yet, methinks, The manner of your death should much afflict you? This cord should terrify you. Duch. Not a whit: What would it pleasure me to have my throat cut With cassia? or to be shot to death with pearls? So I were out of your whispering. Tell my brothers Exec. We are ready. Duch. Dispose my breath how please you; but Bestow upon my women, will you? [my body Exec. Yes. Duch. Pull, and pull strongly; for your able Must pull down heaven upon me :— [strength Yet stay, heaven's gates are not so highly arch'd As princes' palaces; they that enter there Must go upon their knees. Come, violent death, Serve for mandragora to make me sleep. Go tell my brothers, when I am laid out, They then may feed in quiet. [They strangle her. Bos. Where's the waiting-woman? Fetch her some other strangle the children. Look you, there sleeps your mistress. Of young wolves is never to be pitied. Bos. Do you not weep? Other sins only speak, murder shrieks out, The element of water moistens the earth, Bos. I think not so; her infelicity Seem'd to have years too many. Ferd. She and I were twins; And should I die this instant, I had lived Bos. It seems she was born first. You have bloodily approved the ancient truth, Ferd. Let me see her face again. That not the fear of Him which binds the devils Can prescribe man obedience! Never look upon me more. Bos. Why, fare thee well: Your brother and yourself are worthy men: Bos. Let me know [world, Wherefore I should be thus neglected? Sir, [Exit. Bos. He's much distracted. Off, my painted honour While with vain hopes our faculties we tire, To store them with fresh colour. Who's there? Duch. Antonio! Bos. Yes, madam, he is living: The dead bodies you saw were but feign'd statues; He's reconciled to your brother; the Pope hath The atonement. Duch. Mercy. [wrought [She dies. Bos. Oh, she's gone again: there the cords of life broke. Oh, sacred innocence! that sweetly sleeps These tears, I am very certain, never grew Unto a wretch hath slain his father. Come, I'll bear thee hence, And execute thy last will; that's deliver Of some good women; that the cruel tyrant Echo. Oh, fly your fate. Del. Hark: the dead stones seem to have pity And give you good counsel. Ant. Echo, I will not talk with thee, For thou art a dead thing. Echo. Thou art a dead thing. Ant. My duchess is asleep now, [on you, And her little ones, I hope sweetly: Oh, heaven! Shall I never see her more? Echo. Never see her more. Ant. I mark'd not one repetition of the Echo But that, and on the sudden a clear light Presented me a face folded in sorrow. Del. Your fancy, merely, Ant. Come, I'll be out of this ague; I will not henceforth save myself by halves, Del. Your own virtue save you. I'll fetch your eldest son, and second you, However, fare you well! Though in our miseries Fortune have a part, WILLIAM ROWLEY. [Born, 15. Died, 1640 ?] OF William Rowley nothing more is known than that he was a player by profession, and for several years at the head of the Prince's* company of comedians. Though his name is found in one instance affixed to a piece conjointly with Shakspeare's, he is generally classed only in the third rank of our dramatists. His Muse is evidently a plebeian nymph, and had not been educated in the school of the Graces. His most tolerable production is the "New Wonder, or SCENE FROM THE COMEDY OF "A NEW WONDER, OR A WOMAN NEVER VEXT." Persons.-The WIDOW and DOCTOR. Doct. You sent for me, gentlewoman? Wid. Sir, I did; and to this end: I have scruples in my conscience; Some doubtful problems which I cannot answer Nor reconcile; I'd have you make them plain. Doct. This is my duty: pray speak your mind. I can approve it good; guess at mine age. Prince Charles, afterwards Charles I. The play in which his name is printed conjointly with Shakspeare's is called The Birth of Merlin. a Woman never vext." Its drafts of citizen life and manners have an air of reality and honest truth-the situations and characters are forcible, and the sentiments earnest and unaffected. The author seems to move in the sphere of life which he imitates, with no false fears about its dignity, and is not ashamed to exhibit his broken merchant hanging out the bag for charity among the debtors of a prison-house. [last. Wid. 'Twas not much amiss; yet nearest to the How think you then, is not this a wonder? That a woman lives full seven-and-thirty years Maid to a wife, and wife unto a widow, Now widow'd, and mine own, yet all this while From the extremest verge of my remembrance, Even from my weaning hour unto this minute, Did never taste what was calamity? I know not yet what grief is, yet have sought That even those things that I have meant a cross, But a second to yourself I never knew: Wid. Ay, sir, 'tis wonderful: but is it well? For it is now my chief affliction. I have heard you say, that the child of heaven Doct. "Tis a good doubt; but make it not extreme. Wid. It was; but very small: no sooner I [from Doct. All this was happy; nor can you wrest it To drop that wedlock ring from off my finger, Doct. This is but small. Wid, Nay, sure I am of this opinion, That had I suffer'd a draught to be made for it, The bottom would have sent it up again, I am so wondrously fortunate. Doct. You would not suffer it? STEPHEN, A RECLAIMED GAMESTER, NEWLY MARRIED TO THE OVER-FORTUNATE WIDOW. Persons.-STEPHEN, ROBERT his nephew, and WIDOW. Enter STEPHEN with bills and bonds. Wife. How now, sweetheart? what hast thou there? Steph. I find much debts belonging to you, sweet; And my care must be now to fetch them in. Wife. Ha! ha! prithee do not mistake thyself, Nor my true purpose; I did not wed to thrall, Or bind thy large expense, but rather to add Lost, and fetch'd more; why, this had been my joy, Perhaps at length thou wouldst have wasted my store; Why, this had been a blessing too good for me. I have forgot that e'er I had such follies, Enter ROBERT. Steph. Oh, nephew, are you come! the welcomest wish That my heart has; this is my kinsman, sweet. [love, Steph. I should have begg'd that bounty of your Though you had scanted me to have given't him; For we are one, I an uncle nephew, He a nephew uncle. But, my sweet self, My slow request you have anticipated With proffer'd kindness; and I thank you for it. But how, kind cousin, does your father use you? Is your name found again within his books? Can he read son there? Rob. "Tis now blotted quite: For by the violent instigation Of my cruel step-mother, his vows and oaths But in his brow, his bounty and behaviour Steph. Cousin, grieve not at it; that father lost at home, You shall find here; and with the loss of his inheritance, You meet another amply proffer'd you; Be my adopted son, no more my kinsman : (To his Wife.) So that this borrow'd bounty do not stray From your consent. Wife. Call it not borrow'd, sir; 'tis all your own; Rob. You were born to bless us both; Steph. Come then, my dearest son, I'll now give thee A taste of my love to thee: be thou my deputy, To your own will; down to the country ride; Of quiet and content, let nothing grieve thee; I brought thee nothing else, and that I'll give thee. [Exit STEPHEN and ROBERT. Wife. Will the tide never turn? was ever woman Thus burden'd with unhappy happiness? Did I from riot take him, to waste my goods, And he strives to augment it? I did mistake him. Doct. Spoil not a good text with a false comment; All these are blessings, and from heaven sent; It is your husband's good, he's now transform'd To a better shade, the prodigal's return'd. Come, come, know joy, make not abundance scant; You 'plain of that which thousand women want. JOHN FORD. [Born, 1586. Died, 1640?] It is painful to find the name of Ford a barren spot in our poetical biography, marked by nothing but a few dates and conjectures, chiefly drawn from his own dedications. He was born of a respectable family in Devonshire; was bred to the law, and entered of the Middle Temple at the age of seventeen. At the age of twenty, he published a poem, entitled Fame's Memorial, in honour of the deceased Earl of Devonshire; and from the dedication of that piece it appears that he chiefly subsisted upon his professional labours, making poetry the solace of his leisure hours. All his plays were published between the year 1629 and 1639; but before the former period he FROM "THE LOVER'S MELANCHOLY."* Palador, Prince of Cyprus, having fallen into melancholy from the disappointment of losing Eroclea, to whom he was attached, a masque is prepared to divert his thoughts, at the representation of which he sees a youth, passing by the name of Parthenophill, whose resemblance to his mistress strikes him. SCENE-A Room at the Palace. Persons-PALADOR, Prince of Cyprus; ARETUS, his tutor; SOPHRONOS, uncle to EROCLEA; PELIAS, a courtier; MENAPHON, son of SOPHRONOS; AMETHUS, cousin to the Prince; RHETIAS, servant to EROCLEA. Enter ARETUS and SOPHRONOS. Are. THE prince is thoroughly moved. So much distemper'd. Are. What should this young man be, Or whither can he be convey'd? Soph. "Tis to me A mystery; I understand it not. Enter PALADOR, AMETHUS and PELIAS. * I have declined obtruding on the reader some passages in Ford's plays which possess a superior power to the present scene, because they have been anticipated by Mr. Lamb in his Dramatic Specimens. Even if this had not been the case, I should have felt reluctant to give a place to one dreadfully beautiful specimen of his affecting powers, in the tragedy of the Brother and Sister. Better that poetry should cease, than have to do with such sub had for some time been known as a dramatic writer, his works having been printed a considerable time after their appearance on the stage; and, according to the custom of the age, had been associated in several works with other composers. With Dekker he joined in dramatizing a story, which reflects more disgrace upon the age than all its genius could redeem; namely, the fate of Mother Sawyer, the Witch of Edmonton, an aged woman, who had been recently the victim of legal and superstitious murder Nil adeo foedum quod non exacta vetustas The time of his death is unknown. Where is the youth, your friend? Is he found yet? Men. Not to be heard of. Pal. Fly then to the desert, Where thou didst first encounter this fantastic, In sight! Get ye all from me! He that stays Amet. 'Tis strange. Are. and Soph. We must obey. [Exeunt all but PALADOR. Pal. Some angry power cheats, with rare delusions, My credulous sense: the very soul of reason jects. The Lover's Melancholy has much of the grace and sweetness that distinguishes the genius of Ford. ["Mr. Campbell speaks favourably of the poetic portion of this play; he thinks, and I fully agree with him, that it has much of the grace and sweetness which distinguish the genius of Ford. It has also somewhat more of the sprightliness in the language of the secondary characters, than is commonly found in his plays."-GIFFORD.-C.] |