The Busie Body Part 1

The Busie Body.

by Susanna Centlivre.

INTRODUCTION

Susanna Centlivre (1667?-1723) in _The Busie Body_ (1709) contributed to the stage one of the most successful comedies of intrigue of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This play, written when there was a decided trend in England toward sentimental drama, shows Mrs. Centlivre a strong supporter of laughing comedy. She had turned for a time to sentimental comedy and with one of her three sentimental plays, _The Gamester_ (1704), had achieved a great success. But her true bent seems to have been toward realistic comedies, chiefly of intrigue: of her nineteen plays written from 1700 to 1723, ten are realistic comedies.

Three of these proved very popular in her time and enjoyed a long stage history: _The Busie Body_ (1709); _The Wonder: A Woman Keeps a Secret_ (1714); and _A Bold Stroke for a Wife_ (1717). _The Busie Body_ best ill.u.s.trates Mrs. Centlivre's preference for laughing comedy with an improved moral tone. The characters and the plot are amusing but inoffensive, and, compared to those of Restoration drama, satisfy the desire of the growing eighteenth-century middle-cla.s.s audience for respectability on the stage.

The theory of comedy on which _The Busie Body_ rests is a traditional one, but Mrs. Centlivre's simple p.r.o.nouncements on the virtues of realistic over sentimental comedy are interesting because of the controversy on this subject among critics and writers at this time. In the preface to her first play, _The Perjur'd Husband_ (1700), she takes issue with Jeremy Collier on the charge of immorality in realistic plays. The stage, she believes, should present characters as they are; it is unreasonable to expect a "Person, whose inclinations are always forming Projects to the Dishonor of her Husband, should deliver her Commands to her Confident in the Words of a Psalm." In a letter written in 1700 she says: "I think the main design of Comedy is to make us laugh." (Abel Boyer, _Letters of Wit, Politicks, and Morality_, London, 1701, p. 362). But, she adds, since Collier has taught religion to the "Rhiming Trade, the Comick Muse in Tragick Posture sat" until she discovered Farquhar, whose language is amusing but decorous and whose plots are virtuous. This insistence on decorum and virtue indicates a concession to Collier and to the public. Thus in the preface to _Love's Contrivance_ (1703), she reiterates her belief that comedy should amuse but adds that she strove for a "modest stile" which might not "disoblige the nicest ear." This modest style, not practiced in early plays, is achieved admirably in _The Busie Body_. Yet, as she says in the epilogue, she has not followed the critics who balk the pleasure of the audience to refine their taste; her play will with "good humour, pleasure crown the Night." In dialogue, in plot, and particularly in the character of the amusing but inoffensive Marplot, she fulfills her simple theory of comedy designed not for reform but for laughter.

Mrs. Centlivre followed the practices of her contemporaries in borrowing the plot for _The Busie Body_. The three sources for the play are: _The Devil Is an a.s.s_ (1616) by Jonson; _L'Etourdi_ (1658) by Moliere; and _Sir Martin Mar-all or The Feigned Innocence_ (1667) by Dryden. From _The Devil Is an a.s.s_, Mrs. Centlivre borrowed minor details and two episodes, one of them the amusing dumb scene. This scene, though a close imitation, seems more amusing in _The Busie Body_ than in Jonson's play, perhaps because the characters, especially Sir Francis Gripe and Miranda, are more credible and more fully portrayed. From the second source for _The Busie Body_, Moliere's _L'Etourdi_, I believe Mrs.

Centlivre borrowed the framework for her parallel plots, the theme of Marplot's blundering, and the name and general character of Marplot. But she has improved what she borrowed. She places in Moliere's framework more credible women characters than his, especially in the charming Miranda and the crafty Patch; she constructs a more skillful intrigue plot for the stage than his subplot and emphasizes Spanish customs in the lively Charles-Isabinda-Traffick plot. Mrs. Centlivre concentrates on Marplot's blundering, whereas Moliere concentrates on the servant Mascarille's schemes. Marplot's funniest blunder, in the "monkey" scene, is entirely original as far as I know (IV, iv). But her greatest change is in the character of Marplot, who in her hands becomes not so much stupid as human and irresistibly ludicrous. Mrs. Centlivre's style is of course inferior to that of Moliere. In the preface to _Love's Contrivance_ (1703), in speaking of borrowings from Moliere, she said that borrowers "must take care to touch the Colors with an English Pencil, and form the Piece according to our Manners." Of course her touching the "Colors with an English Pencil" meant changing the style of Moliere to suit the less delicate taste of the middle-cla.s.s English audience.

A third source for _The Busie Body_ is Dryden's _Sir Martin Mar-all_ (1667). Since Dryden followed Moliere with considerable exactness, it would be difficult to prove beyond doubt that Mrs. Centlivre borrowed from Moliere rather than from Dryden. Yet I believe, after a careful a.n.a.lysis of the plays, that she borrowed from Moliere. She made of _The Busie Body_ a comedy of intrigue based on the theme and plot used by both Moliere and Dryden, but she omitted the scandalous Restoration third plot which Dryden had added to Moliere. Her characters are English in speech and action, but they lack the coa.r.s.eness apparent in Dryden's _Sir Martin Mar-all_. Though it is impossible to prove the exact sources of Mrs. Centlivre's borrowings, there is no doubt that she has improved what she borrowed.

Whatever the truth may be about Mrs. Centlivre's use of her sources, her play remained in the repertory of acting plays long after _L'Etourdi_ and _Sir Martin Mar-all_ had disappeared. _The Busie Body_ opened at the Drury Lane Theater on May 12, 1709. Steele, who listed the play in _The Tatler_ for May 14, 1709, does not mention the length of the run. Thomas Whincop says that the play ran thirteen nights (_Scanderbeg_, London, 1747, p. 190), but Genest says the play had an opening run of seven nights (_Some Account of the English Stage from the Restoration in 1660 to 1830_, II, 419). The play remained popular throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Genest lists it as being presented in twenty-three seasons from 1709 to 1800. It was certainly presented much more frequently than this record shows, for Dougald MacMillan in _The Drury Lane Calendar_ lists fifty-three performances from 1747-1776, whereas Genest records two performances in this period. The greatest number of performances in any season was fourteen in 1758-59, the year David Garrick appeared in the play. From the records available _The Busie Body_ seems to have reached its greatest popularity in England in the middle and late eighteenth century and the early part of the nineteenth century. William Hazlitt, in the "Prefatory Remarks" to the Oxberry acting edition of 1819, says _The Busie Body_ has been acted a "thousand times in town and country, giving delight to the old, the young, and the middle-aged."

_The Busie Body_ enjoyed a similar place of importance in the stage history of America but achieved its greatest popularity, in New York at least, in the nineteenth century. First performed in Williamsburg on September 10, 1736, the play was presented fifteen times in New York in the eighteenth century. In the nineteenth century forty-five performances were given in New York in sixteen seasons from 1803 to 1885 (George Odell, _Annals of the New York Stage_). _The Busie Body_ is frequently cited with _The Rivals_ and _The School for Scandal_ for opening seasons and for long runs by great actors.

The text here reproduced is from a copy of the first edition now in the library of the University of Michigan.

_Jess Byrd_ _Salem College_

PROLOGUE.

By the Author of TUNBRIDGE-WALKS.

Tho' modern Prophets were expos'd of late, The Author cou'd not Prophesie his Fate; If with such Scenes an Audience had been Fir'd, The Poet must have really been Inspir'd.

But these, alas! are Melancholy Days For Modern Prophets, and for Modern Plays.

Yet since Prophetick Lyes please Fools o'Fashion, And Women are so fond of Agitation; To Men of Sense, I'll Prophesie anew, And tell you wond'rous things, that will prove true: _Undaunted Collonels will to Camps repair,_ _a.s.sur'd, there'll be no Skirmishes this Year;_ On our own Terms will flow the wish'd-for Peace, All Wars, except 'twixt Man and Wife, will cease.

The Grand Monarch may wish his Son a Throne, But hardly will advance to lose his own.

This Season most things bear a smiling Face; But Play'rs in Summer have a dismal Case, Since your Appearance only is our Act of Grace.

Court Ladies will to Country Seats be gone, My Lord can't all the Year live Great in Town, Where wanting _Opera's_, _Ba.s.set_, and a _Play_, They'll Sigh and st.i.tch a Gown, to pa.s.s the time away.

Gay City-Wives at _Tunbridge_ will appear, Whose Husbands long have laboured for an Heir; Where many a Courtier may their Wants relieve, But by the Waters only they Conceive.

The _Fleet-street_ Sempstress--Toast of _Temple_ Sparks, That runs Spruce Neckcloths for Attorney's Clerks; At _Cupid_'s _Gardens_ will her Hours regale, Sing fair _Dorinda_, and drink Bottl'd Ale.

At all a.s.semblies, Rakes are up and down, And Gamesters, where they think they are not known.

Shou'd I denounce our Author's fate to Day, To cry down Prophecies, you'd d.a.m.n the Play: Yet Whims like these have sometimes made you Laugh; 'Tis Tattling all, like _Isaac Bickerstaff_.

Since War, and Places claim the Bards that write, Be kind, and bear a Woman's Treat to-Night; Let your Indulgence all her Fears allay, And none but Woman-Haters d.a.m.n this Play.

EPILOGUE.

In me you see one _Busie-Body_ more; Tho' you may have enough of one before.

With Epilogues, the _Busie-Body_'s Way, We strive to help; but sometimes mar a Play.

At this mad Sessions, half condemn'd e'er try'd, Some, in three Days, have been turn'd off, and dy'd, In spight of Parties, their Attempts are vain, For like false Prophets, they ne'er rise again.

Too late, when cast, your Favour one beseeches, And Epilogues prove Execution Speeches.

Yet sure I spy no _Busie-Bodies_ here; And one may pa.s.s, since they do ev'ry where.

Sowr Criticks, Time and Breath, and Censures waste, And baulk your Pleasure to refine your Taste.

One busie Don ill-tim'd high Tenets Preaches, Another yearly shows himself in Speeches.

Some snivling Cits, wou'd have a Peace for spight, To starve those Warriours who so bravely fight.

Still of a Foe upon his Knees affraid; Whose well-hang'd Troops want Money, Heart, and Bread.

Old Beaux, who none not ev'n themselves can please, Are busie still; for nothing--but to teize The Young, so busie to engage a Heart, The Mischief done, are busie most to part.

Ungrateful Wretches, who still cross ones Will, When they more kindly might be busie still!

One to a Husband, who ne'er dreamt of Horns, Shows how dear Spouse, with Friend his Brows adorns.

Th' Officious Tell-tale Fool, (he shou'd repent it.) Parts three kind Souls that liv'd at Peace contented, Some with Law Quirks set _Houses_ by the Ears; With Physick one what he wou'd heal impairs.

Like that dark Mob'd up Fry, that neighb'ring Curse, Who to remove Love's Pain, bestow a worse.

Since then this meddling Tribe infest the Age, Bear one a while, expos'd upon the Stage.

Let none but _Busie-Bodies_ vent their Spight!

And with good Humour, Pleasure crown the Night!_

Dramatis Personae.

Men.

Sir _George Airy_. A Gentleman of Four Thousand a Year in Love with _Miranda_.

Acted by Mr. _Wilks_.

Sir _Francis Gripe_. Guardian to _Miranda_ and _Marplot_, Father to _Charles_, in Love with _Miranda_.

Mr. _Estcourt_.

_Charles_. Friend to _Sir George_, in Love with _Isabinda_.

Mr. _Mills_.

Sir _Jealous Traffick_. A Merchant that had liv'd sometime in _Spain_, a great Admirer of the _Spanish_ Customs, Father to _Isabinda_.

Mr. _Bullock_.

_Marplot_. A sort of a silly Fellow, Cowardly, but very Inquisitive to know every Body's Business, generally spoils all he undertakes, yet without Design.

Mr. _Pack_.

_Whisper_. Servant to _Charles_.

Mr. _Bullock_ jun.

Women.

_Miranda_. An Heiress, worth Thirty Thousand Pound, really in Love with Sir _George_, but pretends to be so with her Guardian Sir _Francis_.

Mrs. _Cross_.