A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ii Part 14

JUVENTUS [_He riseth_].

These comfortable sayings doth me greatly move To arise from this wretched place.

G.o.d'S MERCIFUL PROMISES.

For me his mercy sake thou shalt obtain his grace, And not for thine own desertes, this must thou know; For my sake alone, ye shall receive solace; For my sake alone, he will thee mercy show: Therefore to him, as it is most due, Give most hearty thanks with heart unfeigned, Whose name for evermore be praised.

GOOD COUNSEL.

The prodigal son, as in Luke we read, Which in vicious living his good doth waste, As soon as his living he had remembered, To confess his wretchedness he was not aghast; Wherefore his father lovingly him embrac'd, And was[164] right joyful, the text saith plain, Because his son was returnen[165] again.

JUVENTUS.

O sinful flesh, thy pleasures are but vain: Now I find it true, as the scripture doth say, Broad[166] and pleasant is the path which leadeth unto pain, But unto eternal life full narrow is the way.[167]

He that is not led by G.o.d's spirit surely goeth astray; And all that ever he doth shall be clean abhorred; Although he brag and boast never so much of G.o.d's word.

O subtle Satan, full deceitful is thy snare; Who is able thy falsehood to disclose?

What is the man, that thou doest favour or spare, And doest not[168] tempt him eternal joys to lose?

Not one in the world, surely I suppose.

Therefore happy is the man, which doth truly wait, Always to refuse thy deceitful and crafty bait.

When I had thought to live most christianly, And followed the steps of Knowledge and Good Counsel, Ere I was aware, thou haddest deceived me, And brought me into the path, which leadeth unto h.e.l.l: And of an earnest professor of Christ's gospel Thou madest me an hypocrite, blind and pervert, And from virtue unto vice thou hadst clean turned my heart.

First, by hypocrisy thou didest me move, The mortification of the flesh clean to forsake, And wanton desires to embrace and love; Alas! to think on it my heart doth yet quake: Under the t.i.tle of Friendship to me ye spake, And so to wicked Fellowship did me bring, Which brought me clean to Abhominable Living.

Thus, I say, Satan did me deceive, And wrapped me in sin many a fold; The steps of Good Counsel I did forsake and leave, And forgot the words which before to me he told: The fruits of a true Christian in me waxed cold; I followed mine own l.u.s.ts, the flesh I did not tame, And had them in derision which would not do the same.

Yet it hath pleased G.o.d of his endless mercy To give me respite my life to amend; From the bottom of my heart I repent my iniquity, I will walk in his laws unto my life's end: From his holy ordinance I will never descend, But my whole delight shall be to live therein, Utterly abhorring all filthiness and sin.[169]

_All Christian_ people which be here present, _May learn_ by me hypocrisy to know, _With_ which the devil, as with a poison most pestilent, Daily seeketh all men to overthrow: Credit not all things unto the outward show, But try them with G.o.d's word, that squire[170] and rule most just, Which never deceiveth them, that in him put their trust.

Let no flattering friendship, nor yet wicked company, Persuade you in no wise G.o.d's word to abuse; But see that you stand steadfastly unto the verity, And according to the rule thereof your doings frame and use, Neither kindred nor fellowship shall you excuse, When you shall appear before the judgment seat, But your own secret conscience shall then give an audit.

All you that be young, whom I do now represent, Set your delight both day and night on Christ's Testament: If pleasure you tickle, be not fickle, and suddenly slide, But in G.o.d's fear everywhere see that you abide: In your tender age seek for knowledge, and after wisdom run, And in your old age teach your family to do as you have done: Your bodies subdue unto virtue, delight not in vanity; Say not, I am young, I shall live long, lest your days shortened be: Do not incline to spend your time in wanton toys and nice, For idleness doth increase much wickedness and vice: Do not delay the time, and say, my end is not near; For with short warning the Lord coming shall suddenly appear.

G.o.d give us grace, his word to embrace, and to live thereafter, That by the same his holy name may be praised ever.

GOOD COUNSEL.

Now let us make our supplications together For the prosperous estate of our n.o.ble and virtuous king,[171]

That in his G.o.dly proceedings he may still persevere, Which seeketh the glory of G.o.d above all other thing: O Lord, endue his heart with true understanding, And give him a prosperous life long over us to reign, To govern and rule his people as a worthy captain.

JUVENTUS.

Also let us pray for all the n.o.bility of this realm; And, namely, for those whom his[172] grace hath authorised To maintain the public wealth over us and them, That they may see his gracious acts published; And that they, being truly admonished By the complaint of them which are wrongfully oppressed, May seek reformation, and see it redressed.

GOOD COUNSEL.

Then shall this land enjoy great quietness and rest: And give unto G.o.d most hearty thanks therefore, To whom be honour, praise, and glory for evermore.[173]

JACK JUGGLER.

EDITION.

_A new Enterlued for Chyldren to playe named Iacke Iugeler both wytte and very playsent. Newly Imprented.

The Players' Names.

Mayster Boungrace, A Galant.

Dame Coye, A Gentlewoman.

Iacke Iugeler, The vyce.

Ienkin Careway, A Lackey.

Ales trype and go, A Mayd.

[Colophon.] Imprinted at London in Lothbury by me Wyllyam Copland. 4to, black letter_.

Beneath the players' names occurs a woodcut, of which we annex a facsimile.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

INTRODUCTION.

[Some account of this piece may be found in Haslewood's Preface, which precedes our text of "Thersites." It may be added, that whatever shortcomings may be apparent in these productions from a literary and dramatic point of view, they are by no means devoid of a fair share of shrewd humour and pointed vivacity, and are, moreover, not unimportant contributions, especially when their early date is considered, to the ill.u.s.tration of manners. The low-comic view predominates in most of them, and we meet with occasional grossnesses which, so far as "Jack Juggler" itself is concerned, are the more remarkable when it is recollected that the performance was presented by youths. In none of these ruder specimens of the drama is any distribution to be found into acts and scenes; nor is it invariably clear how the entrances and exits were introduced.

As to the groundwork of this interlude, Mr Child observes:--[174]]

"Plautus's tragi-comedy of 'Amphitryon' has been perhaps more popular on the modern stage than any other ancient play. It is the groundwork of one of the best comedies of the great Moliere, and of a once favourite English drama, which Sir Walter Scott, in an introduction not everywhere distinguished by his usual judgment, styles 'one of the happiest effusions of Dryden's comic muse.' It has been several times translated into our tongue, and by Bonnell Thornton, with an elegance, spirit, and correctness that leave nothing to be desired.

"This is not the place to expatiate on the merits of the Latin play; but the a.s.sertion may be hazarded without much risk, that both the original and Thornton's version are, taken as wholes, considerably superior to any of the imitations. Indeed, the character of Alcmena, as drawn by Plautus, so truly innocent, simple, and loving, her distress on being suspected by her husband, and his agony at finding her, as he believes, dishonest, immediately suggest, as the accomplished translator has observed, a not discreditable comparison with our 'Oth.e.l.lo.' We may add, too, that the conclusion of the fourth act, where Amphitryon, 'perplexed in the extreme,' and defying the G.o.ds in the intensity of his despair, rushes to the house to wreak his vengeance on his family, and is struck down by lightning, rises to grandeur, almost to sublimity, and must produce immense dramatic effect in the representation. Very little of this sort of thing appears in the modern play. What Dryden has made of Alcmena will be understood, when we observe that he adapted her to the standard of contemporary taste.

Yet Scott has strangely said, that, 'in the scenes of a higher cast, Dryden far outstrips both the French and Roman poet!'

"The reader will not find any such important characters as G.o.ds and generals in the drama before him. 'Jack Juggler' can hardly be called an imitation of the comedy of Plautus. It is the play of 'Amphitryon'

without the part of Amphitryon, and resembles more than anything else one of those pieces made up of the comic portions of plays, which used to be called 'drolls.' In fact, 'Jack Juggler' is a caricature even of the comic parts. All dignity is stripped from the characters, every ridiculous feature is much exaggerated, and the language and incidents are ingeniously vulgarized to reduce everything to the grotesque, the quaintness of the expressions greatly heightening the effect to a modern reader. The amiable Alcmena becomes a 'verie cursed shrew.'

General Amphitryon sinks into Master Boungrace, a commonplace 'gentilman,' somewhat subject, we suspect, to being imposed upon by his wife and servants. Bromia, the insignificant and well-conducted attendant, is changed into the smart and malicious Aulsoon tripe and goo.

"There is no proper plot to the piece, the whole action consisting in getting Jenkin Careawaie into as much trouble as possible, when he is left to go to bed with aching bones, and wishing bad luck to his second self. He does not get off with a beating from Jack and his master. The servant-maid lends her tongue, and her mistress both tongue and hand, for the amus.e.m.e.nt of the spectators and the revenge of Jack Juggler.

Those who are acquainted with the tedious performances of those times will recognise with pleasure an uncommon raciness and spirit in this little interlude. The lines are rude, but sharp and bold, and Dame Coye may even be called a well-drawn and original character.

"In Mr Wright's 'Early Mysteries, and other Latin Poems of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries,' will be found a rather clever and once very popular poem, founded on 'Amphitryon,' the 'Geta' of Vital of Blois.

Amphitryon in this is a student of Greek learning, and the awkwardness of Alcmena's situation, after Jupiter's visit is got over, by her a.s.suring her confiding husband that she thinks the whole affair must have been a dream."

JACK JUGGLER.

THE PROLOGUE.

_Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis, Vt possis animo quemvis sufferre laborem_.

Do any of you know what Latin is this?

Or else would you have an Expositorem To declare it in English _per sensum planiorem?_ It is best I speak English, or else within a while I may percase mine own self with my Latin beguile.