Nought but the bloud of her own childe may swage;
These mischiefes spring, when rebells will arise,
To worke revenge, and judge their prince's fact,
This, this ensues when noble men do faile
In loyall trouth, and subjectes will be kinges.
And this doth growe, when loe unto the prince,
Whome death or sodeine happe of life bereaves,
No certaine heire remaines, such certain heire,
As not all onely is the rightfull heire,
But to the realme is so made knowen to be,
And trouth therby vested in subjectes hartes,
To owe fayth there, where right is knowen to rest.
Alas, in parliament what hope can be,
When is of parliament no hope at all,
Which though it be assembled by consent,
Yet is not likely with consent to end:
While eche one for himselfe, or for his frend,
Against his foe, shall travaile what he may,
While now the state left open to the man,
That shall with greatest force invade the same,
Shall fill ambicious mindes with gaping hope;

When will they once with yelding hartes agree?
Or in the while how shall the realme be used?
No, no: then parliament should have bene holden,
And certaine heires appointed to the crowne
To staye the title on established right,
And in the people plant obedience,

While yet the prince did live, whose name and
power

By lawfull sommons and authoritie,
Might make a parliament to be of force,
And might have set the state in quiet stay:
But now, O happie man, whom speedie death
Deprives of life, ne is enforced to see
These hugie mischiefes and these miseries,
These civil warres, these murders, and these
wronges.

Of justice yet must God in fine restore,
This noble crowne unto the law full heire:
For right will alwayes live, and rise at length,
But wrong can never take deepe roote to last.

EDITIONS.

(1.) The Tragedie of Gorboduc; whereof three Actes were written by Thomas Nortone, and the two laste by Thomas Sackvyle. Settforthe as the same was shewed before the Queenes most excellent Majestie, in her highnes court of Whitehall, the 18 Jan. 1561. By the Gentlemen of Thynner Temple, in London, Sept. 22, 4to." Printed for William Griffith.-See Ames's Typographical Antiquities, p. 316.

This Edition I have not seen. It appears to be the first spurious one complained of by the

authors.

(2.) "The Tragedie of Ferrex and Porrex. Setforth without addition or alteration; but altogether as the same was shewed on stage before the Queenes Majestie about nine yeares past, viz. the xviii day of Januarie, 1561, by the Gentlemen of the Inner Temple. Seen and allowed, &c. Imprinted at London by John Daye, dwelling over Aldersgate. B. L. 8vo."

In the Bodleian Library, and in the possession of Thomas Pearson, Esq.

(3.) "The Tragedie of Gorboduc; whereof three Actes were written by Thomas Norton, and the two last by Thomas Sackvyle. Setforth as the same was shewed before the Queenes most excellent Majesty, in her highnes court of Whitehall, by the Gentlemen of the Inner Temple. At London, printed by Edward Allde for John Perrin, and are to be sold in Paule's Churchyard, at the signe of the Angell. B. L. 4to, 1590."

In the collection of Thomas Pearson, Esq. and also in that of Mr Garrick. In the last-mentioned copy is a discourse, entitled, The Serpent of Devision.

THE

RETURNE FROM PERNASSUS;

OR,

THE SCOURGE OF SIMONY.

Publiquely acted by the Students in Saint John's Colledge, in Cambridge.

The Return from Parnassus, or the Scourge of Simony, was publicly acted, as the title-page bears, by the Students of St John's College, Cambridge. It is a most extravagant, but very curious performance. Hawkins, in his Preface to the Origin of the English Drama, says, it is perhaps the most singular composition in the English language. The admirers of Shakespeare will be interested by the mention made of him in the scene where Kempe and Burbage, his fellow actors, discourse of his quarrel with Ben Jonson. It would seem, that Shakespeare had espoused the cause of Decker, in the dispute between him and Jonson; though we may look in vain for the " pill" given to the latter by the Bard of Avon.

THE PROLOGUE.

BOY, STAGE-KEEPER, MOMUS, DEfensor. Boy. Spectators, we will act a comedy (non plus.) Stage-K. A pox on't, this booke hath it not in it, you would be whipt, thou raskall: thou must be sitting up all night at cards, when thou should be conning your part.

Boy. It's all long on you, I could not get my part a night or two before, that I might sleepe on

it.

[Stage-keeper carrieth the Boy away under

his arme. Mo. It's even wel doone, here is such a sturre about a scurvie English show.

Defen. Scurvie in thy face, thou scurvie Jack, if this company were not, you paultry crittick gentleman, you that knowe what it is to play at primero, or passage. You that have beene, student at post and payre, saint and Loadam. You that have spent all your quarters revenewes in riding post one night in Chrismas, beare with the weake memory of a gamster.

Mo. Gentlemen, you that can play at noddy, or rather play upon noddies: you that can set up a jeast, at primero insteed of a rest, laugh at the prologue that was taken away in a voyder.

Defen. What we present I must needs confesse is but slubbered invention: if your wisdome obscure the circumstance, your kindnesse will pardon the substance.

Mo. What is presented here, is an old musty showe, that hath laine this twelfe-moneth in the bottome of a coale-house amongst broomes and old showes, an invension that we are ashamed of, and therefore we have promised the copies to the chandlers to wrappe his candles in.

Defen. It's but a Christenmas toy, and may it please your curtisies to let it passe.

Mom. It's a Christmas toy indeede, as good a conceite as guaging hotcockles, or blinde-man buffe.

Defen. Some humors you shall see aymed at, if not well resembled.

Mom. Humors, indeede; is it not a pretty hu

Pay home the world according to his merit.
Thy purer soule could not endure to see,
Even smallest spots of base impurity;
Nor could small faults escape thy cleaner hands,
Then foule faced vice was in his swadling bands.
Now like Anteus growne a monster is,
A match for none but mighty Hercules.
Now can the world practise in playner guise,
Both sinnes of old and new borne villanyes.
Stale sinnes are stole; now doth the world begin,
To take sole pleasure in a witty sinne.
Unpleasant is the lawlesse sinne has bin,
At midnight rest, when darknesse covers sin.
It's clownish unbeseeming a young knight,
Unlesse it dare outface the gloring light.
Nor can it nought our gallants prayses reape,
Unlesse it be done in staring cheape.
In a sinne-guilty coach not cloasely pent,
Jogging along the harder pavement.
Did not feare check my repining sprit,
Soone should my angry ghost a story write;
In which I would new fostred sinnes combine,
Not knowne earst by truth telling Aretine.

SCENA II.

INGENIOSO, JUDICIO.

Jud. What, Ingenioso, carrying a vinegar bottle about thee, like a great schole-boy, giving the world a bloudy nose?

Ing. Come, I thinke, we shall have you put finger in the eye, and crie, O friends, no friends; say man, what new paper hobby horses, what rattle babies are come out in your late May morrice daunce?

Jud. Sly my rimes as thick as flies in the sunne, I think there be never an alle house in England, not any so base a May pole on a country greene, but setts forth some poets petternels, or demilaunces, to the paper warres in Paules churchyard.

Ing. And well too may the issue of a strong hop, learne to hop all over England, when as better wittes sit like lame coblers in their studies. Such barmy heads wil alwaies be working, when us sad vinegar witts sit souring at the bottome of a barrell; plaine meteors, bred of the exhalation of tobacco, and the vapors of a moyst pot, that soure up into the open ayre, when as sounder wit keepes belowe.

Jud. Considering the furyes of the times, I could better endure to se those young can quaffing hucksters shoot of their pellets, so they would keepe them from these English flores-poetarum; but now the world is come to that passe, that there starts up every day an old goose that sits hatching up those eggs which have ben filcht from the nest of crowes and kestrells; here is a book, Ingenioso; why to condemne it to cleare the usuall Tiburne of all misliving papers, weare too faire a Ing. Faith, Judicio, if I carry the vinegar bot-death for so foule an offender. tle, it's great reason I should confer it upon the bald pated world; and again, if my kitchen want the utensilies of viands, it's great reason other men should have the sauce or vinegar; and for the bloudie nose, Judicio, I may chance indeed give the world a bloudie nose, but it shall hardly give me a crakt crowne, though it gives other poets French crownes.

Jud. I would wish thee, Ingenioso, to sheath thy pen, for thou canst not be successefull in the fray, considering thy enemies have the advantage of the ground.

Ing. Or rather, Judicio, they have the grounds with advantage, and the French crownes with a pox, and I would they had them with a plague too; but hang them swadds, the basest corner in my thoughts, is too gallant a roome to lodge them in; but say, Judicio, what newes in your presse, did you keepe any late corrections upon any tardy pamphlets?

Jud. Veterem jubes renovare dolorem, Ingenioso; what ere befalls thee, keepe thee from the trade of the corrector of the presse.

Ing. Mary so I will, I warrant thee, if poverty presse not too much, ile correct no presse, but the presse of the people.

Jud. Would it not grieve any good spirits to sit a whole moneth nitting out a lousy beggarly pamphlet, and like a needy phisitian to stand whole yeares, tossing and tumbling, the filth that falleth from so many draughty inventious as dayly swarme in our printing-house?

Ing. What's the name of it, I pray thee, Judicio?

Jud. Looke its here, Belvedere.

Ing. What a belwether in Paules church-yard, so cald, because it keeps a bleating, or because it hath the tinckling bel of so many poets about the neck of it, what is the rest of the title?

Jud. The garden of the Muses.

Ing. What have we here, the poet garish gayly bedeket like fore horses of the parish? what follows?

Jud. Quem referent musa, vivet dum robora
tellus,

Dum cælum stellas, dum vehit amnis aquas.
Who blurres fayer paper, with foule bastard rimes,
Shall live full many an age in latter times;
Who makes a ballet for an ale-house doore,
Shall live in future times for ever more.
Then () thy muse shall live so long,
As drafty ballats to thy praise are song.

(ita.)

But what's his devise, Pernassus, with the sunne and the lawrel? I wonder this owle dares looke on the sunne, and I marvaill this gose flies not the lawrell; his devise might have been better a foole going in to the market place to be seene, with this motto, scribimus indocti, or a poore beggar gleaning of eares in the end of harvest, with this word, sua cuiq. gloria.

Jud. Turne over the leafe, Ingenioso, and thou shalt see the paynes of this worthy gentleman; sentences gathered out of all kind of poetts, referred to certaine methodicall heades, profitable