A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Xi Part 107

[350] St Paul's, at this time, was constantly open, and the resort equally of the busy and the idle. A contemporary writer thus describes _Paul's Walke:_ It "is the land's epitome, or you may call it the lesser ile of Great Brittaine. It is more than this, the whole world's map, which you may here discerne in it's perfect'st motion, justling and turning. It is a heape of stones and men, with a vast confusion of languages; and, were the steeple not sanctified, nothing liker Babel.

The noyse in it is like that of bees, a strange humming or buzze, mixt of walking, tongues, and feet. It is a kind of still roare, or loud whisper. It is the great exchange of all discourse, and no busines whatsoever but is here stirring and afoot. It is the synod of all pates politicke, joynted and laid together in the most serious posture; and they are not halfe so busie at the Parliament. It is the anticke of tailes to tailes, and backes to backes, and for vizards, you need goe no further than faces. It is the market of young lecturers, whom you may cheapen here at all rates and sizes. It is the generall mint of all famous lies, which are here, like the legends popery first coyned and stampt in the church. All inventions are emptyed here, and not few pockets. The best signe of a temple in it is, that it is the theeves sanctuary, which robbe more safely in the croud then a wildernesse, whilst every searcher is a bush to hide them. It is the other expence of the day, after playes, taverne, and a baudy house, and men have still some oathes left to sweare here. It is the eares broth.e.l.l, and satisfies their l.u.s.t and ytch. The visitants are all men, without exceptions; but the princ.i.p.all inhabitants and possessors are stale knights, and captaines out of service; men of long rapiers and breeches, which after all turne merchants here, and trafficke for newes. Some make it a preface to their dinner, and travell for a stomacke: but thriftier men make it their ordinarie, and boord here verie cheape. Of all such places it is least haunted with hobgoblins, for if a ghost would walke more, he could not."--_Earle's "Microcosmographie_," 1628.

[351] The division of this scene is not marked in the old copies, but it is decidedly right, and the numbers of the scenes in the quartos are from two to four, omitting three.--_Collier._

[352] [Old copy, _powr'd._]

[353] Pandolfo's name is omitted in the quartos before the following lines, which are certainly meant to be spoken by him.--_Collier._

[354] _i.e._, Because you know--a very common mode of expression.

[355] _i.e._, When you are declining like the sun, which sets in the west.--_Steevens._

[356] The instances are very numerous throughout this play where Mr Dodsley, and after him Mr Reed, omitted syllables, and thereby spoiled the measure: thus this line ran till now--

"With discontent unrecoverable,"

instead, of _discontentment_.

[357] Old copy, _must_.

EPILOGUE

[_Spoken by Trincalo_].

Two hundred crowns? and twenty pound a year For three good lives? Cargo[358] hai, Trincalo!

My wife's extremely busy, dressing the supper For these great marriages, and I not idle, So that I cannot entertain you here, As I would elsewhere. But if you come to Totnam Some four days hence, and ask for Trincalo, At th' sign o' th' Hogshead, I'll mortgage all my lives To bid you welcome. You that love Trincalo, And mean to meet, clap hands, and make 't a bargain.[359]

[358] A corruption of _corragio!_ Ital. courage! a hortatory exclamation.--_Steevens._

A cant word, meaning a good round sum of money. "Canting Dictionary,"

_in voce_.--_Pegge._

[359] Thus in "A Woman Kill'd with Kindness," 1607, the first scene we have, on a wager being laid--

"What, _clap ye hands_, Or is't no bargain?"

--_Collier._

THE HOG HATH LOST HIS PEARL.

_EDITION._

_The Hogge hath lost his Pearle. A Comedy. Divers times Publicely acted, by certaine London Prentices. By Robert Tailor.

London, Printed for Richard Redmer, and are to be solde at the West-dore of Paules at the of the Starre._ 1614. 4.

INTRODUCTION.

Robert Tailor, the author of this play, is entirely unknown[360]. The t.i.tle-page of it says it was divers times publicly acted by certain London Prentices; and Sir Henry Wotton[361], in a letter to Sir Edmund Bacon, dated 1612-13, gives the following account of its first performance: "On Sunday last at night, and no longer, some sixteen Apprentices (of what sort you shall guess by the rest of the Story), having secretly learnt a new play without book, int.i.tuled, _The Hog hath lost His Pearl;_ took up the _White Fryers_ for their Theater: and having invited thither (as it should seem) rather their Mistresses than their Masters, who were all to enter _per buletini_ for a note of distinction from ordinary Comedians. Towards the end of the Play, the sheriffs (who by chance had heard of it) came in (as they say) and carried some six or seven of them to perform the last Act at _Bridewel;_ the rest are fled. Now it is strange to hear how sharp-witted the City is, for they will needs have Sir _John Swinerton_, the Lord Major, be meant by the _Hog_, and the late Lord Treasurer by the _Pearl_." [362]

FOOTNOTES:

[360] In addition to this play, Robert Tailor was author of "Sacred Hymns," 4, 1615.--_Gilchrist._ [No. This was a different person. But the author of the present play has some complimentary lines before Taylor the Water-poet's "Whipping and Snipping of Abuses," 1614.]

[361] "Reliquiae Wottonianae," fourth edit., 1685, p. 402.

[362] [A story perhaps originating in Swinnerton's name.

W. Smith dedicates his "Hector of Germaine; or, The Palsgrave Prince Elector," 1615, "To the right wors.h.i.+pfull the great Favourer of the Muses, Syr John Swinnerton, Knight, sometimes Lord Mayor of this honourable Cittie of London." He adds that the play was expressly written for citizens.--_Collier._

THE ACTORS' NAMES.

OLD LORD WEALTHY.

YOUNG LORD, _his son_.

MARIA, _his daughter_.

CARRACUS, } } _two gentlemen, near friends_.

ALBERT, } LIGHTFOOT, _a country gentleman_.

HADDIT, _a youthful gallant_.

HOG, _an usurer_.

REBECCA, _his daughter_.

PETER SERVITUDE, _his man_.

ATLAS, _a porter_.

_A Priest._ _A Player._ _A Serving-man._ _A Nurse._

PROLOGUE