A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Viii Part 96

[5] "For coming from Venice the last summer, and taking Bergamo in my way homeward to England, it was my hap, sojourning there some four or five days, to light in fellows.h.i.+p with that famous _Francattip_ Harlequin, who, perceiving me to be an Englishman by my habit and speech, asked me many particulars of the order and manner of our plays, which he termed by the name of representations. Amongst other talk he enquired of me if I knew any such _Parabolano_ here in London as Signior _Chiarlatano_ Kempino. 'Very well,' quoth I, 'and have been often in his company.' He hearing me say so began to embrace me anew, and offered me all the courtesy he could for his sake, saying although he knew him not, yet for the report he had heard of his pleasance, he could not but be in love with his perfections being absent."

Many of Nash's works furnish evidence that he was well acquainted with Italian poets and writers. Some allusions and translations are pointed out in the notes to the present reprint of "Summer's Last Will and Testament."

[6] It is called "A counter-cuff to Martin junior," &c.

[7] It may be doubted whether Greene and Nash did not contribute to bring the occupation of a _ropemaker_ into discredit. Marston, in his "_Parasitaster_," printed in 1606, for some reason or other, speaks of it in terms of great contempt.

"Then must you sit there thrust and contemned, bareheaded to a grogram scribe, ready to start up at the door creaking, prest to get in, with your leave sir, to some surly groom, _the third son of a ropemaker_."

[8] There is a MS. poem in the Brit. Mus. (Bibl. Sloan. 1489) ent.i.tled "The Tr.i.m.m.i.n.g of Tom Nash," written in metre-ballad verse, but it does not relate to our author, though written probably not very long after 1600, and though the t.i.tle is evidently borrowed from the tract by Gabriel Harvey. Near the opening it contains some notices of romances and works of the time, which may be worth quoting--

"And he as many authors read As ere Don Quixote had.

And some of them could say by heart To make the hearers glad.

"The valiant deeds of Knight o'th' Sun And Rosicleer so tall; And Palmerin of England too And Amadis of Gaul.

"Bevis of Hampton he had read And Guy of Warwick stout; Huon of Bordeaux, though so long, Yet he had read him out.

"The Hundred Tales and Scoggin's Jests And Arthur of the Round Table, The twelve Wise men of Gotham too And Ballads innumerable."

[9] It is unnecessary to quote the pa.s.sage, as the whole tract is reprinted both in the old and new editions of the "Harleian Miscellany."

In his "Almond for a Parrot," Nash adverts to the ticklishness of the times, and to the necessity of being extremely guarded in what he might write. "If thou (Kemp) will not accept of it in regard of the envy of some citizens that cannot away with arguments, I'll prefer it (the book) to the soul of d.i.c.k Tarlton, who I know will entertain it with thanks, imitating herein that merry man Rabelais, who dedicated most of his works to the soul of the old Queen of Navarre, many years after her death, for that she was a maintainer of mirth in her life. Marry, G.o.d send us more of her making, and then some of us should not live so discontented as we do, for nowadays a man cannot have a bout with a ballader, or write _Midas habet aures asininas_, in great Roman letters, but he shall be in danger of a further displeasure."

Nash's "Isle of Dogs" was doubtless a satire upon the age, which "touched too near" some persons in authority. In the last act of "The Return from Parna.s.sus" the Isle of Dogs is frequently spoken of, and once as if it were a place of refuge. _Ingenioso_ says: "To be brief, _Academico_, writs are out for me to apprehend me for my plays, and now I am bound for _the Isle of Dogs_."

[10] Sir J. Harington has an epigram upon the paper war between Harvey and Nash.

TO DOCTOR HARVEY OF CAMBRIDGE.

"The proverb says, who fights with dirty foes Must needs be soil'd, admit they win or lose: Then think it doth a Doctor's credit dash To make himself antagonist to Nash."

--B. II., _Epigr_. 36.

[11] _Tergimini_ means the three Harveys, for Gabriel took up the cudgels for himself and his two brothers.

[12] The death of Nash is spoken of in the address to a tract, which is the more curious, as it forms a second part to "Pierce Penniless." It has been a.s.signed to Decker, under the t.i.tle of "News from h.e.l.l;" [and it was reprinted under the t.i.tle of "A Knight's Conjuring." This issue is included in the Percy Society's series.]

[13] [See the list, however, in "Ath. Cantab.," ii. 307-9, and in Hazlitt's "Handbook," in v.]

[14] In 1589 Nash wrote the address prefixed to Robert Greene's "Menaphon," which contains notices of various preceding and contemporary poets, and which has been admired by all but Mr Malone, for the general purity of its style and the justness of its criticism. As Nash was born in November 1567, he was only in his twenty-second year when it was published.

[15] Parts of "Pierce Penniless, his Supplication to the Devil," are written by Nash in a similar strain of bitter grief for past errors, especially a poem inserted near the commencement. [As to Nash's withdrawal of his apology, see Hazlitt in v.]

"Why is't d.a.m.nation to despair and die When life is my true happiness' disease?

My soul! my soul! thy safety makes me fly The faulty means that might my pain appease.

Divines and dying men may talk of h.e.l.l, But in my heart her several torments dwell.

"Ah, worthless wit, to train me to this woe!

Deceitful arts that nourish discontent.

Ill thrive the folly that bewitch'd me so, Vain thoughts, adieu, for now I will repent.

And yet my wants persuade me to proceed, Since none takes pity of a scholar's need."

The last two lines of the first stanza are given to the Father in "The Yorks.h.i.+re Tragedy," attributed to Shakespeare.

[16] This play (if it do not more properly come under the cla.s.s of _shews_, as Nash himself calls it) was not printed until 1600; but internal evidence proves that it was written, and probably performed, as early as the autumn of 1592. Various decisive marks of time are pointed out in notes in the course of the play, the princ.i.p.al of which are, the great drought, the progress of Queen Elizabeth to Oxford, and the breaking out of the plague. The piece was presented at Croydon, at the residence of some n.o.bleman, who is mentioned in many places. The theatres in London were closed at this date in consequence of the mortality. (See Malone's Shakespeare, by Boswell, in. 299, note). In the prologue we are told that the representation was not on a _common stage_.

[17] The subsequent account of Will Sommers, or Summer, King Henry the Eighth's celebrated fool, is from the pen of Robert Armin, an author and actor, who himself often played the clown's part in the time of Shakespeare. It is in his "Nest of Ninnies, _simply of themselves, without compound_," 1608, 4to--

"Will Sommers born in Shrops.h.i.+re, as some say, Was brought to Greenwich on a holiday, Presented to the King; which Fool disdain'd To shake him by the hand, or else asham'd: Howe'er it was, as ancient people say, With much ado was won to it that day.

Lean he was, hollow-eyed, as all report.

And stoop he did too; yet in all the court, Few men were more belov'd than was this Fool, Whose merry prate kept with the King much rule.

When he was sad, the King and he would rhime; Thus Will exiled sadness many a time.

I could describe him as I did the rest, But in my mind I do not think it best: My reason this--howe'er I do descry him, So many knew him, that I may belie him; Therefore, to please all people, one by one, I hold it best to let that pains alone.

Only thus much: he was a poor man's friend, And help'd the widow often in the end.

The King would ever grant what he did crave, For well he knew Will no exacting knave; But wish'd the King to do good deeds great store, Which caus'd the court to love him more and more."

Some few of the personal particulars, here omitted, Nash supplies in the course of this play. [In 1676 a pamphlet was printed, purporting falsely to be] "A pleasant History of the Life and death of Will Summers; how he came first to be known at court, and by what means he got to be King Henry the Eighth's 'Jester.'" It was reprinted by Harding in 1794, with an engraving from an old portrait, supposed to be Will Summer; but if it be authentic, it does not at all support Armin's description of him, that he was "lean and hollow-eyed." Many of the jests are copied from the French and Italian; and [almost all] of them have been a.s.signed also to Scoggin and Tarlton. One or two of these are introduced into S. Rowley's "When you see me you know me," a historical comedy, first printed in 1605, in which Will Summer plays a prominent part.

[18] Hor. Lib. i. Epist. 16, I, 62.

[19] d.i.c.k Huntley was, perhaps, the book-holder or prompter who is subsequently mentioned, and whom Will Summer, in the licence of his character, calls by his name. Perhaps his "cousin Ned" was another of the actors. Harry Baker is spoken of in the scene, where Vertumnus is despatched for Christmas and Backwinter.

[20] [The tract here referred to is Robert Copland's poem, called "Jyl of Breyntford's Testament." See Hazlitt's "Handbook," p. 122.] Julian of Brentford, or, as she is here called, Gyllian of Braynford, seems to have been an old woman who had the reputation of possessing supernatural power. In Henslowe's MSS., a play by Thomas Downton and Samuel Ridley, called "Friar Fox and Gillian of Brentford," is mentioned under date of February 1598-9, but it was acted, as appears by the same authority, as early as 5th January 1592. She is noticed in "Westward Hoe!" 1607, where Clare says: "O Master Linstock, 'tis no walking will serve my turn: have me to bed, good, sweet Mistress Honeysuckle. I doubt that _old hag Gillian of Braineford_ has bewitched me." Sig. G 4.

Julian of Brentford's will had been spoken of before by Nash in his epistle "to the Gentlemen Students of both Universities," prefixed to Greene's "Menaphoii," in 1589. "But so farre discrepant is the idle vsage of our unexperienced and illiterated Punies from this prescription, that a tale of Joane a Brainfords Will, and the vnlucky frumenty, will be as soone entertained into their Libraries as the best Poeme that euer Ta.s.so eternisht."

[21] Camden, in his "Annals of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth," thus speaks of the ravages of the plague in 1592-3, "For this whole year the sickness raged violently in London, Saturn pa.s.sing through the extreme parts of Cancer and the head of Leo, as it did in the year 1563; in so much, that when the year came about, there died of the sickness and other diseases in the city and suburbs, 17,890 persons, besides William Roe, Mayor, and three Aldermen; so that Bartholomew Fair was not kept, and Michaelmas term was held at St Alban's, twenty miles from London."

[22] Vertumnus enters at the same time, but his name is not mentioned in the old 4to at the opening of the scene. He acts the part of a messenger, and, as appears afterwards, was provided with a silver arrow.

[23] Well-flogged.

[24] Hor. lib. i. car. 28--

"Sed omnibus una manet nox, Et calcanda semel via leti."

[25] "The Queen in her summer progress pa.s.sed through Oxford, and stayed there several days, where she was agreeably entertained with elegant speeches, plays, and disputations, and received a splendid treat from the Lord Buckhurst, Chancellor of the University."--_Camden's "Annals of Elizabeth_." Her progress is again alluded to in that part of the play where Summer makes his will--

"And finally, O words, now cleanse your course, Unto Eliza, that most sacred dame, Whom none but saints and angels ought to name, All my fair days remaining I bequeath, To wait upon her, _till she be return'd_," &c.

[26] The following pa.s.sage in Gabriel Harvey's "New Letter of Notable Contents, 1593," speaking of Nash, confirms the conjecture that _Falantado_ or _Falanta_ was the burden of a song or ballad at the time:--"Let him be the _Falanta_ down-diddle of rhyme, the hayhohaliday of prose, the welladay of new writers, and the cutthroat of his adversaries."

[27] The hobby-horse was a basket-horse used in morris-dances and May games. See note 37 to Greene's "Tu Quoque."

[28] [Hall, the taborer, mentioned in "Old Meg of Herefords.h.i.+re," 1609.

See the reprint in "Miscellanea Antiqua Anglicana," 1816.]

[29] A vulgar colloquialism for laying a girl on the gra.s.s.