A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Xi Part 108

Our long-time-rumour'd Hog, so often cross'd By unexpected accidents, and toss'd From one house to another: still deceiving Many men's expectations, and bequeathing To some lost labour: is at length got loose, Leaving his servile yoke-stick to the goose; Hath a knight's license, and may range at pleasure, Spite of all those that envy our Hog's treasure.

And thus much let me tell you, that our swine Is not, as divers critics did define, Grunting at state-affairs, or invecting Much at our city vices; no, nor detecting The pride or fraud in it; but, were it now He had his first birth, wit should teach him how To tax these times' abuses, and tell some How ill they did in running oft from home; For to prevent (O men more hard than flint!) A matter, that shall laugh at them in print.

Once to proceed in this play we were mindless, Thinking we liv'd 'mongst Jews, that lov'd no swine's flesh: But now that trouble's past, if it deserve a hiss (As questionless it will through our amiss), Let it be favour'd by your gentle sufferance: Wise men are still indu'd with patience: We are not half so skill'd as strolling players, Who could not please here, as at country fairs: We may be pelted off, for aught we know, With apples, eggs, or stones, from thence below; In which we'll crave your friends.h.i.+p, if we may, And you shall have a dance worth all the play: And if it prove so happy as to please, We'll say 'tis fortunate, like Pericles.[363]

[363] _i.e._, The play of that name attributed to Shakespeare.

Perhaps a sneer was designed. To say that a dramatic piece was _fortunate_, is not to say that it was _deserving;_ and why of all the pieces supposed to be written by our great author was this particularised?--_Steevens._

There is good reason to dispute this interpretation of the word _fortunate_, but Mr Steevens seems to have discovered many sneers at Shakespeare that were never intended. Mr Malone, quoting the two last lines from the above prologue, observes: "By _fortunate_ I understand _highly successful_," and he is warranted in this understanding by the following pa.s.sage directly in point, which he might have quoted from lines prefixed by Richard Woolfall to Lewis Sharpe's "n.o.ble Stranger,"

1640--

"Yet do not feare the danger Of critick readers, since thy 'n.o.ble Stranger,'

With pleasing strains has smooth'd the rugged fate Of oft cram'd Theatres, and prov'd _fortunate_."

--_Collier._

Malone, after quoting a pa.s.sage from "Pymlico or Runne Red-cap," 1609, disputes the notion that a sneer at "Pericles" was intended by Tailor.

It appears that "Pericles" drew crowds, and that it was as successful as a play called "Sh.o.r.e." See Malone's Shakespeare, xxi. p. 4, edit.

1821.--_Idem_ (_additional notes to Dodsley_).

THE HOG HATH LOST HIS PEARL.

ACTUS PRIMI, SCENA PRIMA.

_Enter_ LIGHTFOOT, _a country gentleman, pa.s.sing over the stage, and knocks at the other door_.

LIGHT. Ho! who's within here?

_Enter_ ATLAS, _a porter_.

ATLAS. Ha' ye any money to pay, you knock with such authority, sir?

LIGHT. What if I have not? may not a man knock without money, sir?

ATLAS. Seldom; women and servants will not put it up so, sir.

LIGHT. How say you by that, sir? but, I prythee, is not this one Atlas's house, a porter?

ATLAS. I am the rent-payer thereof.

LIGHT. In good time, sir.

ATLAS. Not in good time neither, sir, for I am behind with my landlord a year and three-quarters at least.

LIGHT. Now, if a man would give but observance to this fellow's prating, he would weary his ears sooner than a barber. Do y' hear, sir? lies there not one Haddit, a gentleman, at this house?

ATLAS. Here lies such a gentleman, sir, whose clothes (were they not greasy) would bespeak him so.

LIGHT. Then I pray, sir, when your leisure shall permit, that you would vouchsafe to help me to the speech of him.

ATLAS. We must first crave your oath, sir, that you come not with intent to molest, perturb, or endanger him; for he is a gentleman, whom it hath pleased fortune to make her tennis-ball of, and therefore subject to be struck by every fool into hazard.

LIGHT. In that I commend thy care of him, for which friends.h.i.+p here's a slight reward; tell him a countryman of his, one Lightfoot, is here, and[364] [he] will not any way despair of his safety.

ATLAS. With all respect, sir; pray, command my house. [_Exit_ ATLAS.

LIGHT. So now I shall have a sight of my cousin gallant: he that hath consumed 800 a year in as few years as he hath ears on his head: he that was wont never to be found without three or four pair of red breeches running before his horse or coach: he that at a meal hath had more several kinds than, I think, the ark contained: he that was admired by niters[365] for his robes of gallantry, and was indeed all that an elder brother might be--prodigal; yet he, whose unthriftiness kept many a house, is now glad to keep house in a house that keeps him, the poor tenant of a porter. And see his appearance! I'll seem strange to him.

_Enter_ HADDIT, _in poor array_.

HAD. Cousin Lightfoot, how dost? welcome to the city.

LIGHT. Who calls me cousin? where's my cousin Haddit? he's surely putting on some rich apparel for me to see him in. I ha' been thinking all the way I came up, how much his company will credit me.

HAD. My name is Haddit, sir, and your kinsman, if parents may be trusted; and therefore you may please to know me better when you see me next.

LIGHT. I prythee, fellow, stay: is it possible thou shouldst be he? why, he was the generous spark of men's admiration.

HAD. I am that spark, sir, though now raked up in ashes; Yet when it pleaseth fortune's chaps to blow Some gentler gale upon me, I may then From forth of embers rise and s.h.i.+ne again.

LIGHT. O, by your versifying I know you now, sir: how dost? I knew thee not at first, thou'rt very much altered.

HAD. Faith, and so I am, exceeding much since you saw me last--about 800 a year; but let it pa.s.s, for pa.s.sage[366] carried away the most part of it: a plague of fortune.

LIGHT. Thou'st more need to pray to Fortune than curse her: she may be kind to thee when thou art penitent: but that, I fear, will be never.

HAD. O, no, if she be a woman, she'll ever love those that hate her.

But, cousin, thou art thy father's firstborn; help me but to some means, and I'll redeem my mortgag'd lands, with a wench to boot.

LIGHT. As how, I pray thee?

HAD. Marry thus: Hog the usurer hath one only daughter.

LIGHT. Is his name Hog? It fits him exceeding well; for as a hog in his lifetime is always devouring, and never commodious in aught till his death; even so is he, whose goods at that time may be put to many good uses.

HAD. And so I hope they shall before his death. This daughter of his did, and I think doth, love me; but I, then thinking myself worthy of an empress, gave but slight respect unto her favour, for that her parentage seemed not to equal my high thoughts, puffed up----

LIGHT. With tobacco, surely.

HAD. No; but with as bad a weed--vainglory.

LIGHT. And you could now be content to put your lofty spirits into the lowest pit of her favour. Why, what means will serve, man? 'Sfoot, if all I have will repair thy fortune, it shall fly at thy command.