a lig-ajogge i'the boothes, you should ha'thought an earthquake had beene i'the Fayre! But these MafterPoets, they will ha'their owne abfurd courses; they will be inform'd of nothing! Hee has (firreuerence) kick'd me 5 three, or foure times about the Tyring-house, I thanke him, for but offering to putt in, with my experience. I'le be iudg'd by you, Gentlemen, now, but for one conceit of mine! would not a fine Pumpe vpon the Stage ha'done well, for a property now? and a Punque fet vnder vpon Io her head, with her Sterne vpward, and ha'beene fouf'd by my wity young masters o'the Innes o'Court? what thinke you o'this for a fhew, now? hee will not heare o'this! I am an Affe! I! and yet I kept the Stage in Master Tarletons time, I thanke my ftarres. Ho! and that man had 15 liu'd to haue play'd in Bartholmew Fayre, you should ha'seene him ha'come in, and ha'beene coozened i'the Cloath-quarter, fo finely! And Adams, the Rogue, ha' leap'd and caper'd vpon him, and ha'dealt his vermine about, as though they had cost him nothing. And then a fubftantiall watch to ha'ftolne in vpon 'hem, and taken 'hem away, with mistaking words, as the fashion is, in the Stage-practice,

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Booke.

Booke-holder: Scriuener. To him.

How now? what rare difcourse are you falne vpon? ha? ha'you found any familiars here, that you are 25 fo free? what's the businesse ?

Sta. Nothing, but the vnderstanding Gentlemen o'the ground here, ask'd my iudgement.

Booke. Your judgement, Rafcall? for what? sweeping the Stage? or gathering vp the broken Apples for the 30 beares within? Away Rogue, it's come to a fine degree

in these fpectacles when fuch a youth as you pretend to a iudgement. And yet hee may, i'the most o'this matter i'faith For the Author hath writ it iuft to his Meridian, and the Scale of the grounded Iudgements here, his Playfellowes in wit. Gentlemen; not for want of a Prologue, 5 but by way of a new one, I am fent out to you here, with a Scriuener, and certaine Articles drawne out in haft betweene our Author, and you; which if you please to heare, and as they appeare reasonable, to approue of; the Play will follow presently. Read, Scribe, gi'me the Counter- 10 paine.

Scr. ARTICLES of Agreement, indented, betweene the Spectators or Hearers, at the Hope on the Bankeside, in the County of Surrey on the one party; And the Author of Bartholmew Fayre in the said place, and County on the 15 other party the one and thirtieth day of Octob. 1614. and in the twelfth yeere of the Raigne of our Soueragine Lord, IAMES by the grace of God King of England, France, & Ireland; Defender of the faith. And of Scotland the seauen and fortieth.

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INPRIMIS, It is couenanted and agreed, by and betweene the parties abouefaid, and the faid Spectators, and Hearers, aswell the curious and enuious, as the fauouring and iudicious, as alfo the grounded Iudgements and vnderstandings, doe for themfelues feuerally Couenant, and 25 agree to remaine in the places, their money or friends haue put them in, with patience, for the space of two houres and an halfe, and fomewhat more. In which time the Author promiseth to present them by vs, with a new fufficient Play called BARTHOLMEW FAYRE, merry, and 30 as full of noife, as fport: made to delight all, and to

22 abouefaid] aforesaid G

offend none.

Prouided they haue either, the wit or

the honesty to thinke well of themfelues.

It is further agreed that euery perfon here, haue his or their free-will of cenfure, to like or dislike at their owne 5 charge, the Author hauing now departed with his right: It shall be lawfull for any man to iudge his fix pen'orth his twelue pen'orth, fo to his eighteene pence, 2. fhillings, halfe a crowne, to the value of his place: Prouided alwaies his place get not aboue his wit. And if he pay for halfe a Io dozen, hee may cenfure for all them too, fo that he will vndertake that they shall bee filent. Hee shall put in for Cenfures here, as they doe for lots at the lottery: mary if he drop but fixe pence at the doore, and will cenfure a crownes worth, it is thought there is no confcience, or 15 iuftice in that.

It is also agreed, that euery man heere, exercise his owne Iudgement, and not cenfure by Contagion, or vpon truft, from anothers voice, or face, that fits by him, be he

neuer fo first, in the Commifsion of Wit: As alfo, that hee 20 bee fixt and fettled in his cenfure, that what hee approues,

or not approues to day, hee will doe the same to morrow, and if to morrow, the next day, and fo the next weeke (if neede be :) and not to be brought about by any that fits on the Bench with him, though they indite, and arraigne 25 Playes daily. Hee that will fweare, Ieronimo, or Andronicus are the best playes, yet, shall paffe vnexcepted at, heere, as a man whose Iudgement fhewes it is constant, and hath ftood ftill, these fiue and twentie, or thirtie yeeres. Though it be an Ignorance, it is a vertuous and stay'd ignorance; 30 and next to truth, a confirm'd errour does well; such a one the Author knowes where to finde him.

It is further couenanted, concluded and agreed, that how great foeuer the expectation bee, no perfon here, is to expect more then hee knowes, or better ware then a Fayre will affoord: neyther to looke backe to the fword and buckler-age of Smithfield, but content himselfe with 5 the present. In ftead of a little Dauy, to take toll o'the Bawds, the Author doth promise a strutting Horse-courfer, with a leere-Drunkard, two or three to attend him, in as good Equipage as you would wish. And then for Kindeheart, the Tooth-drawer, a fine oyly Pig-woman with her 10 Tapfter, to bid you welcome, and a confort of Roarers for mufique. A wife Iuftice of Peace meditant, in ftead of a Iugler, with an Ape. A ciuill Cutpurfe fearchant. A sweete Singer of new Ballads allurant and as fresh an Hypocrite, as euer was broach'd rampant. If there bee neuer a Seruant- 15 monster i'the Fayre; who can helpe it? he fayes; nor a neft of Antiques? Hee is loth to make Nature afraid in his Playes, like those that beget Tales, Tempefts, and fuch like Drolleries, to mixe his head with other mens heeles, let the concupifence of ligges and Dances, raigne as ftrong as it 20 will amongst you: yet if the Puppets will please any body, they shall be entreated to come in.

In confideration of which, it is finally agreed, by the foresaid hearers, and spectators, that they neyther in themselues conceale, nor suffer by them to be concealed any State- 25 decipherer, or politique Picklocke of the Scene, so folemnly ridiculous, as to search out, who was meant by the Gingerbread-woman, who by the Hobby-horfe-man, who by the Coftard-monger, nay, who by their Wares. Or that will pretend to affirme (on his owne infpired ignorance) what 30 Mirror of Magiftrates is meant by the Iuftice, what great

23 aforesaid W, G

Lady by the Pigge-woman, what conceal'd Statef-man, by the Seller of Moufe-trappes, and fo of the rest. But that fuch perfon, or perfons, fo found, be left discouered to the mercy of the Author, as a forfeiture to the Stage, and your 5 laughter, aforefaid. As alfo, such as shall so desperately, or ambitiously, play the foole by his place aforesaid, to challenge the Author of fcurrilitie, because the language some where fauours of Smithfield, the Booth, and the Pigbroath, or of prophanenesse, because a Mad-man cryes, God Io quit you, or bleffe you. In witneffe whereof, as you haue

prepofterously put to your Seales already (which is your money) you will now adde the other part of suffrage, your hands, The Play fhall presently begin. And though the Fayre be not kept in the fame Region, that some here, 15 perhaps, would haue it, yet thinke, that therein the Author hath obferu'd a speciall Decorum, the place being as durty as Smithfield, and as stinking euery whit.

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Howfoeuer, hee prayes you to beleeue, his Ware is still the fame, else you will make him iuftly suspect that hee that is fo loth to looke on a Baby, or an Hobby-horfe, heere, would bee glad to take vp a Commodity of them, at any laughter, or loffe, in another place.