attributing the lines to King James, is only to depend upon the above slender authority, I shall conclude with suggesting the probability that "Quod King Iames the First" was a shallow artifice of the printer to imply the whole volume was written by that monarch. Conduit street. J. H. ART. XIII. The Joviall Crew, or the Devill turn'd Ranter: being a character of the roaring Ranters of these Times, represented in a Comedie. Con.. taining a true discovery of the cursed conversations, prodigious pranks, monstrous meetings, private performances, rude revellings, garrulous greetings, impious and incorrigible deportements of a sect lately sprung up amongst us,) called Ranters. Their names sorted to their severall natures, and both lively presented in action. London: Printed for W. Ley. 1651. 4to. pp. 15. Gildon says "it was printed in 1651, and that it exhibits a character of the roaring ranters of that time; but that was the age of saints, not of ranters. However, this writer mentions the piece so particularly, that it is probable he had seen it." Biog. Dram. Century. Edinburgh, 1801, small 8vo. Mr. D. also published another edition, same year, large 8vo." A specimen of a book intituled ane compendious booke of godly and spiritual sangs, collectit out of sundrie partes of the Scripture, with sundrie of other Ballates changed out of prophaine sanges for avoyding of sinne and harlotrie, with augmentation of sundrie gude and godly Ballates, not contained in the first edition, Edinburgh, printed by Andro Hart: Edinburgh, printed by W. Ruddiman, J. Richardson, and Company, 1765," Small 8vo. pp. 46, was edited by Sir David Dalrymple. Gildon * Gildon certainly saw a copy, though he has unwittingly called it an Interlude; and as it appears little known, and a copy.seldom occurs, the following short de scription may not prove unacceptable. Opposite the title is a woodcut of the devil, travelling in a flaming car, drawn by two dragons, and attended by imps. The clouds in compartments, after the manner of a map, with the words "London, Edenburgh, Dublin;" in the distance, a cottage with a man and woman seated on a hill, having sheep hooks. Beneath the print is "The Prologue. "Bedlam broke loose? Yes, hell is open'd too; The scene is laid in London; and there is an enumeration of twenty-one characters besides Clink, keeper of Finsbury, a beadle, officers, &c. "Their names are sorted to their several natures," as Dose, an apothecary; Pidwidgin, a taylor; Pandorsus, agent for the devil; Mrs. Crave-drink, and Mrs. All-prate, &c. The first act consists of two scenes; in the first we are told, by "one sacred law, every man's wife must be at his friend's use;" and the second shews the characters dancing a merry jig and singing a ranting song. Pandorsus exhibits these mad pranks of the Joviall Crew for the amusement of his master. the first scene of the second act, two citizen's wives agree to become of the new sect, and "be convertites together; as on that day, the prime of all the The Biog. Dram. has added to th's error the date of 1598. Editor. D 3 In gang, gang, the chief theologists and worthiest sisters of all that zealous tribe were to meet at a tavern." The next scene discovers the whole Crew of the Ranters at a tavern, where an order is given for "twenty gallons of rich sack, lights to adorn the room in every angle, a pound of right varina, and a gross of shining pipes, fit for a female's tooth." The third act opens with preparing to induct the two new members, and they accordingly appear in the following scene, when "all the old ranters, hand in hand, surround the two new ones (who are upon their knees) singing about them the following "Song. "Round, round, all in a ring, Fellow creatures, let us sing; Here are two, that come to be By Pluto's crown, Proserpine's hair, And Messalina, Claudius' wife; By all things of strength and force; By Alcides' back of steel By Jove's escapes, Omphale's wheel, Of our liberties to share: Arise, arise, blest souls, and know Now you may rant, cum Privilegio. They dissolve their hands." The The conclusion of this scene prepares for poetical justice; the whole company are rendered insensible by a sleepy potion, and removed by the constable and watch to Finsbury. The two scenes of the fourth act consist of the Ranters recovering from their stupor; Clink, the keeper, declaring their situation; the introduction of the two husbands of the new sectarists in disguise of Ranters, who are examined on certain items in their articles, and at the conclusion of the scene, "they fall together by the ears; the Ranters are soundly beaten, and their women carried off." In the last act the husbands discover themselves to their wives, and then "tear off their cloaths," that they may be "fitter to dance Lavaltoes." The other Ranters enter in their shirts and shifts, and the beadle, with his whip, has full charge of the company. "Exeunt omnes. Written by S. S. Gent. Licensed and published according to order. Finis." Ross, in his "View of all the Religions of Europe," describes the Ranters as 66 a sort of beasts, that neither divide the hoof, nor chew the cud; that is to say, very unclean ones, by open profession of lewdness and irreligion." A character answering to the one given in this dramatic piece, the leaders of which appear to be noticed in the second act; when a fiddler sings a catch (the best and newest in town) "Excellent, says a Ranter, did this Minerva take flight from John Taylor's or Martin Parker's brain." In a few lines further is "a health to all our friends in Kent:" these allusions appear local; and probably the sect was as little worthy notice as the sealed votaries of Joanna Southcote are now, To this may be added a short account of two scarce publications on the same subject. The first is The Ranter's declaration, with their new oath and protestation; their strange voles, and a new way to get money; their proclamation and summons; their new way of Ranting, never before heard of; their dancing of the hay naked, at the White Lyon in Petticoat-Lane; their mad dream, and Dr. Pockridge his speech; with their trial, examination, and answers; the coming in of 300, their prayer and recantation to be in all cities and market-towns read and published; the mad-Ranter's further resolution; their christmas carol and blaspheming song; their two pretended abominable keyes to enter heaven, and the worshipping of his little majesty, the late Bishop of Canterbury: a new and further discovery of their black art, with the names of those that are possest by the devil, having strange and hideous cries heard within them, to the great admiration of all those that shall peruse this ensuing subject. Licensed according to order, and published by M. Stubs, a late fellow-Ranter. [Wood-cut in four small squares-1. A saluting scene, “This is the way." 2. A tub preacher, "I wil deliver you." 3. A banquet, "We are all shakers." 4. Dancing the hay naked "Play musick."] Imprinted at London by I. C.-M.D.C.L. 4to. four leaves. In this tract there is the incredible number of 5000 civil Ranters mentioned, as also that 3000 had been re-converted since November; and "the truth and certainty of these particulars are attested by (eight names) late fellow-Ranters," The |