MONSIEUR THOMAS: A COMEDY. The quarto 1639 (the first edition of this excellent Comedy) mentions Fletcher's name only in the title. Monsieur Thomas has not been performed in its original state for many, many years; but an alteration of it, by Tom Durfey, appeared in the year 1678, under the title of Trick for Trick, or The Debauch'd Hypocrite. And, my best sister, you as dear to my sight, And pray let this confirm it: How you've govern'd [vants, My poor state in my absence, how my serI dare and must believe, (else I should wrong ye) The best and worthiest. Alice. As my woman's wit, sir, Which is but weak and crazy. Val. But, good Alice, Tell me how fares the gentle Cellide, Some youth but in his blossom, as herself is? Alice. They need not; for, believe me, So well you've manag'd her, and won her mind, [ripeness, Ev'n from her hours of childhood to this (And, in your absence, that by me enforc'd still) So well distill'd your gentleness into her, Observ'd her, fed her fancy, liv'd still in her, And, tho' Love be a boy, and ever youthful, And young and beauteous objects ever aim'd [Nature, at, Yet here you've gone beyond Love, "better'd Made him appear in years, in grey years fiery, His bow at full bent ever. Fear not, brother; For tho' your body has been far off from her, Yet every hour your heart, which is your goodness, too, I have forc'd into her, won a place prepar'd And willingly to give it ever harbour; Believe she's so much yours, and won by miracle, (Which is by age) so deep a stamp set on her By your observances, she cannot alter. Were the child living now you lost at sea Among the Genoa gallies, what a happiness! What a main blessing! Val. Oh, no more, good sister! Touch no more that string, 'tis too harsh and jarring! [know, With that child all my hopes went, and, you The root of all those hopes, the mother too, Within few days. you are, To breed new admirations. 'Tis my sister; Hylas. A shrewd smart touch!, which does A body keen and active: Somewhat old, Val. What', the old 'Squire of Dames still? I love a woman of her years, a pacer, Forty, and somewhat fulsome, is a fine dish; These young colts are too skittish. your voyage, and return! Val. I thank you. [ness But where's my blessed Cellide? Her slack- Mary. Think not so, dear uncle; Val. You have given me too much comfort. Mary. She will not be long from you. Hylus. Your fair cousin? [sir, Val. It is so, and a bait you cannot balk, If your old rule reign in you. You may know her. Hylas. A happy stock you have 2. Right worthy lady, The poorest of your servants vows his duty And oblig'd faith. Mary. Oh, 'tis a kiss you would, sir; Take it, and tie your tongue up. Hylas. I'm an ass, us, [bears I do perceive now, a blind ass, a blockhead; Enter Francis at one door, and Cellide at another. Val. Oh, my dear life, my better heart! Distresses in my travel, all misfortunes, Val. Oh, dearest! return My noble friend too? What a blessedness Have I about me now! how full my wishes Are come again! A thousand hearty wel What, the old 'Squire of Dames still?] Alluding to the squire of dames, who, in the seventh canto of the Legend of Chastity, in Spenser's Fairy Queen, tells Satyrane, that, by order of his mistress Columbel, (after having served the ladies for a year) he was sent out a second time, not to return till he could find three hundred women incapable of yielding to any temptation. R. 2. A happy stock you have, &c.] This is made a continuation of Valentine's speech, by au Seward. mission of Hylas's name, in the former editions. [Exeunt all but Hylas. Hylas. This last wench! ay, this last wench was a fair one, A dainty wench, a right one! A devil take it, stomach: But what's fifteen, or fifteen score, to my lights, But to encrease my objects? This last wench SCENE II. Enter Sebastian and Launcelot. If you be lousy, shift yourself. Laun. May it please your worship— Seb. Only to see my son; my son, good Your master and my son! Body o' me, sir, celot, person, Not a denier, sweet signior! Bring the Or get you gone again! Du gata whee 4, sir! Laun. Then to answer punctually. Seb. I say, to th' purpose; Laun. Then I say to th' purpose; Because your worship's vulgar understanding 3 Val. Ye wrong my tender love now, even my service, Nothing accepted, nothing stuck between us And our entire affections, but this woman.] The first line is very obscure: Whoever considers the turn of the period will see that it is not to be joined with the second, as if his modesty would not accept his service. It is evident that the word accepted is a corruption, and should be excepted. There are two ways of solving the difficulty of the first line; either by making.it no more than saying, Ye wrong my tender love and service.' But then the euhancing particle even is superfluous. I therefore turn this particle into a verb, and read, Even my service, Ye wrong my tender love now. Nothing excepted, &c.' 6 i. e. You shall be served equal with myself; or expect a service equal to that which is payed to me.' The expression is, I allow, obscure; but the best poets are not always free from obscurity: brevity is the soul of poetry, but it often begets difficulties of construction. Seward. The change of accepted to excepted is admissible: but the conversion of the particle into a zerb, together with the new punctuation, is uncouth and almost unintelligible. 4 Du gata whee] The expression Du cat a whee occurs in The Custom of the Country; upon which we have said (note 18) that we were assured it was not Weich,' as Theobald had asserted, though without declaring its signification. The genuine Welch, of which this Duw cada ni is, God bless is a vitiation, is, Duw cadw chwi, God bless or preserve you. or preserve us. Valetote.] A corruption of voila tout! crown, Seb. Che doga vou, rascal ! [plainly, Laun. Your worship is erroneous; Seb. What, Tom, boy! welcome with all Welcome, 'faith!" thou hast gladded me at Infinite glad I am. I have pray'd too, Thomas, For you, wild Thomas. For coming home. Tho. Sir, I do find your prayers Have much prevail'd above my sins Seb. How's this? [heartily [rudeness, Tho. Else certain I had perish'd with my Ere I had won myself to that discretion I hope you shall hereafter find. (I know it, and I find it) all my rogueries, By mere way of prevention, to undo me. Laun. Sir, as I speak eight languages, I only Told him you came to ask his benediction, De jour en jour! Tho. But that I must be civil, I'd beat thee like a dog.-Sir, howsoever The time I have mispent, may make you doubtful, [sion Nay, harden your belief 'gainst my converSeb. A pox o' travel, I say! Tho. Yet, dear father, Your own experience in my after-courses 6 Don't conjure me with your French furies.] The old man not understanding the expres sion de jour en jour, repeats the English words that are nearest it in sound; and in the old quarto of this play, it is hard to distinguish whether the last word be juries or furies: I prefer the former, and think the similitude of sounds more in character than any allusion between the furies and conjuration. Seward. Furies is the visible lection of the old quarto, and every edition prior to Mr. Seward's; it is also good sense and natural; and conjure me is play enough upon Launcelot's de jour en jour. 7 Will never be in my books, like mad Thomas.] In Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing this expression occurs: I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books;' upon which Dr. Johnson and Mr. Steevens bave thus commented: This is a phrase used, I believe, by more than understand it. To be in one's books is to be ' in one's codicils or will, to be among friends set down for legacies?' Johnson. I rather think that the books alluded to are memorandum books, like the visiting-books of the present age. Such another expression occurs in Middleton's Comedy of Blurt Master Constable, 1602: -There's a man in her tables more than I look'd for.' Hamlet says, -My tables, meet it is I set it down when he pulls out his pocket-book. Probably Tho. He did ill in it, As he does all; for I was uttering [dying A handsome speech or two, I have been stuE'er since I came from Paris. How glad to see thee! [love too, Dor. I'm gladder to see you (with more I dare maintain it) than my father's sorry To see (as he supposes) your conversion ; And I am sure he's vex'd; nay more, I know it; [sir, H'has pray'd against it mainly: But it appears, You'd rather blind him with that poor opinion Than in yourself correct it. Dearest brother, Since there is in our uniform resemblance No more to make us two but our bare sexes, And since one happy birth produc dus hither, Let one more happy mind Tho. It shall be, sister; For I can do it when I list, and yet, wench, Be mad too when I please; I have the trick Beware a traveller. Dor. Leave that trick too. [ou't: quarrels, And the no-causes of 'em; these, I take it, Must needs, and reason for it, be examin'd, Tho. No more of that, sweet Doll; I wili be civil. [right? Dor. But how long? Prithee, dear sister, let me see her! Tho. Nay, I beseech thee. By this light- Tho. Kiss me, and be my friend; we two And shall we now grow strangers? Dor. 'Tis not my fault. Tho. Well, there be other women; and remember you, [lands too, You were the cause of this; there be more And better people in 'em; fare ye well! Aud other loves. What shall become of me, And of my vanities, because they grieve you? Dor. Come hither, come; d' you see that cloud that flies there? SCENE III. Alice. He cannot be so wild still! I've now heard all, and all the truth. Is he the first that has been giv'n a lost man, Probably the phrase was originally adopted from the tradesman's language. To be in tradesman's books' night formerly have been an expression in common conversation for a trust of any other kind. Seward. 8 Not for the world. But where's my mistress.] This line halting a little, Mr. Seward, with admirable precision, reads, Not for the world; but where's my misteress?' |