A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ii Part 1

A Select Collection of Old English Plays.

Vol. II.

by Robert Dodsley.

THE INTERLUDE OF YOUTH.

EDITIONS.

_See Hazlitt's "Handbook," 1867, p. 464, and Remarks_.

MR. HALLIWELL'S PREFACE[1] TO THE FORMER EDITION.

The "Interlude of Youth" is probably the most interesting early-printed moral play that has descended to our times, and it may therefore be considered somewhat singular that it has. .h.i.therto escaped the notice of the publication societies. Its great rarity may, however, account for this circ.u.mstance, only two or three copies of any edition being known to exist. Waley's edition appeared probably about the year 1554, and has a woodcut on the t.i.tle-page of two figures, representing Charity and Youth, two of the characters in the interlude. Another edition was printed by Copland, and has also a woodcut on the t.i.tle-page, representing Youth between Charity, and another figure which has no name over its head. The colophon is: "Imprented at London, in Lothbury, over against Sainct Margarytes church, by me, Wyllyam Copland." See Collier's "History of Dramatic Poetry," vol. ii., p. 313. "The 'Interlude of Youth,'" observes Mr Collier, "is decidedly a Roman Catholic production, and I have therefore little doubt that it made its appearance during the reign of Mary;" and he adds, p. 315, "on the whole, this piece is one of the most amusing and most humorous of the cla.s.s to which it belongs." A fragment of a black-letter copy of the interlude is preserved at Lambeth Palace,[2] and is described by Mr Maitland in his "List of Early Printed Books," p. 311.

INTERLUDE OF YOUTH.

CHARITY.

Jesu that his arms did spread, And on a tree was done to dead, From all perils he you defend!

I desire audience till I have made an end, For I am come from G.o.d above To occupy his laws to your behove, And am named Charity; There may no man saved be Without the help of me, For he that Charity doth refuse, Other virtues though he do use, Without Charity it will not be, For it is written in the faith: _Qui manet in charitate in Deo manet_.

I am the gate, I tell thee, Of heaven, that joyful city; There may no man thither come, But of charity he must have some, Or ye may not come, i-wis, Unto heaven, the city of bliss; Therefore Charity, who will him take, A pure soul it will him make Before the face of G.o.d: In the ABC, of books the least, It is written _Deus charitas est_.

Lo! charity is a great thing, Of all virtues it is the king: When G.o.d in earth was here living, Of charity he found none ending.

I was planted in his heart; We two might not depart.[3]

Out of his heart I did spring, Through the might of the heaven-king: And all priests that be, May sing no ma.s.s without charity: And charity to them they do not take, They may not receive him, that did them make And all this world of nought.

YOUTH.

Aback, fellows, and give me room, Or I shall make you to avoid soon!

I am goodly of person; I am peerless, wherever I come.

My name is Youth, I tell thee, I flourish as the vine-tree: Who may be likened unto me, In my youth and jollity?

My hair[4] is royal and bushed thick; My body pliant as a hazel-stick; Mine arms be both big[5] and strong, My fingers be both fair and long; My chest big as a tun, My legs be full light for to run, To hop and dance, and make merry.

By the ma.s.s, I reck not a cherry, Whatsoever I do!

I am the heir of all my father's land, And it is come into my hand: I care for no more.

CHARITY.

Are you so disposed to do, To follow vice, and let virtue go!

YOUTH.

Yea, sir, even so: For now-a-days he is not set by, Without he be unthrifty.

CHARITY.

You had need to ask G.o.d mercy; Why did you so praise your body?

YOUTH.

Why, knave, what is that to thee?

Wilt thou let[6] me to praise my body?

Why should I not praise it, and it be goodly?

I will not let for thee.

CHARITY.

What shall it be, when thou shalt flit Fro thy wealth into the pit?

Therefore of it be not too bold, Lest thou forethink[7] it, when thou art old: Ye may be likened to a tree, In youth flourishing with royalty, And in age it is cut down, And to the fire is thrown: So shalt thou, but thou amend, Be burned in h.e.l.l without end!

YOUTH.

Ye wh.o.r.eson, trowest thou so?

Beware, lest thou thither go!

Hence, caitiff, go thy way, Or with my dagger I shall thee slay!

Hence, knave, out of this place, Or I shall lay thee on the face!

Sayest thou that I shall go to h.e.l.l, For evermore there to dwell?

I had liever thou had evil fare.[8]

CHARITY.

Ah, yet, sir, do by my reed, And ask mercy for thy misdeed, And thou shalt be an heritor of bliss, Where all joy and mirth is; Where thou shalt see a glorious sight Of angels singing, with saints bright, Before the face of G.o.d.

YOUTH.

What, sirs, above the sky?

I had need of a ladder to climb so high!

But what, and the ladder slip?

Then I am deceived yet, And if I fall, I catch a queck; I may fortune to break my neck, And that joint is ill to set: Nay, nay, not so.

CHARITY.

Oh, yet remember, and call to thy mind, The mercy of G.o.d pa.s.seth all thing.

For it is written by n.o.ble clerks, The mercy of G.o.d pa.s.seth all works; That witnesseth Holy Scripture, saying thus: _Miseratio domini super omnia opera ejus_: Therefore doubt not G.o.d's grace; Thereof is plenty in every place.

YOUTH.

What, methink ye be clerkish, For ye speak good gibb'rish!

Sir, I pray you, and you have any store, Soil[9] me a question, ere ye cast any more, Lest when your cunning is all done, My question have no solution.

Sir, and it please you this, Why do men eat mustard with salt fish?

Sir, I pray you soil me this question That I have put to your discretion.

CHARITY.

This question is but a vanity; It longeth not to me Such questions to a.s.soil.

YOUTH.

Sir, by G.o.d, that me dear bought, I see your cunning is little or nought; And I should follow your school, Soon ye would make me a fool!

Therefore crake no longer here, Lest I take you on the ear, And make your head to ache!

CHARITY.

Sir, it falleth not for me to fight, Neither by day, ne by night; Therefore do by my counsel, I say, Then to heaven thou shalt have thy way.

YOUTH.

No, sir, I think ye will not fight; But to take a man's purse in the night Ye will not say nay; For such holy caitiffs Were wont to be thieves, And such would be hanged as high As a man may see with his eye: In faith, this same is true.