J By this good day you must: for I've ta'en order, Though I love your wit, you shall not live by it. Y. Pal. My kind thanks, sir, the poor man's gratitude. Mrs Snore. Give you joy, sweet Master Pallatine, and Your brother too. Quea. And send you more such wives Every year; as many as shall please heaven. Snore. 'Tis day; I'll not to bed, sir, now; my watch Shall be drunk at your worship's wedding. Y. Pal. They shall; and there is gold enough to keep Them so, until thy reign be out. Enter PERT, MEAGER, ENGINE, with Money bags. Pert. Loaden with composition, Pall, Mea. Tis for your sake we groan under these burdens. Y. Pal. The offal of sir Tyrant's trunks. Brother, Pray know these gentlemen; they owe you more Money than they mean to pay now. E. Pal. I remember 'em: but no words, my cavaliers, And you are safe. Where shall we dine to-day? Y. Pal. At Lucy's aunt's; we'll make her costive beldamship Come off,65 when she beholds a goodly jointure, And our fair hopes. E. Pal. First, to the church, lady; I'll make your skittish person sure. Some of Your pleasant arts upon me may become A wise example, and a moral too; Such as their haughty fancy well befits, That undertake to live here by their wits. [Exeunt omnes. THE office of an epilogue is now EPILOGUE To smooth and stroke the wrinkles from each brow; An over-boldness, raised from too much fear. You have a freedom, which we hope you'll use, T'advance our youthful poet, and his muse, With a kind doom; and he'll tread boldly then, | In's best new comic socks, this stage again.† 1 EDITION. The Witts, a Comedie; presented at the Private House in Blacke Fryers, by his Majesties Servants. The author William D'Avenant, servant to her Majestie. London, printed for Richard Meighen, next to the Middle Temple, in Fleet-street. 1636. 4to. 65 Come off-To come off, was a phrase formerly much used. It signifies to pay, as is very clearly proved from the instances produced by Mr Steevens, Dr Farmer, and Mr Tyrwhitt, in their notes to The Merry Wives of Windsor, A. 4. S. 3. + This play, after the first edition, received considerable alterations from the author. SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE.' PART I. PROLOGUE. 2 THE doubtful title, gentlemen, prefixed But one, whose virtue shone above the rest, The history of sir John Oldcastle (who, having married the heiress of lord Cobham, was summoned to parliament by that title on the 18th of December 1409) may be found in Holinshed's Chronicle, vol. ii. p. 544, et seq. and in many other books. In order to heighten his character, the author of this drama has departed from historical truth; for the conspiracy of the earl of Cambridge, lord Scroope, &c. against king Henry V. was discovered by Edmund earl of March, and not by sir John Oldcastle, who was himself engaged in a traitorous design against Henry, and hanged about four years after the execution of those conspirators. The present play was entered on the Stationers' books on the 4th of August 1600, by Thomas Pavier, under the title of The First Part of the History of the Life of Sir John Õldcastle, Lord Cobham. At the same time was entered, The Second Part of the History of Sir John Oldcastle, Lord Cobham, with his Martyrdom; but this was never published. In the title-page of the original edition, in 1600, the name of William Shakspeare is printed at length. -I do not perceive the least trace of our great poet in any part of this play. It is observable, that in the entry on the Stationers' books the author's name is not mentioned. The printer, Pavier, (whose name is not prefixed to any of Shakespeare's undisputed performances, except King Henry V. and two parts of King Henry VI. of which plays he issued out copies manifestly spurious and imperfect) when he published it, was induced, I imagine, to ascribe it to Shakespeare by the success (of the First Part of King Henry IV. The character of Falstaff having been formed, as I conceive, on the sir John Oldcastle of an elder drama, a hope was probably entertained that the public might be deceived, and suppose this piece also to be Shakespeare's performance. MALONE. The History of Sir John Oldcastle, and The Life and Death of Lord Cromwell, are much in the style and manner of Thomas Heywood, by whom I suppose them to have been written.-FARMER. 2 The sarcasm which this prologue contains on some writer, who, in a preceding drama, had exhibited a pampered glutton and an aged counsellor to youthful sin-(by which description either sir John Oldcastle, a character in the old King Henry V. or sir John Falstaff, seems to have been pointed at) induced me, on a former occasion, to doubt whether Shakspeare was the author of the present play. The apparent allusion also to this prologue, in the epilogue to The Second Part of King Henry IV. (“for Oldcastle died a martyr-and this is not the man") appeared to me a strong circumstance against the authenticity of this piece. I am still of the same opinion; nor do I see how it could have been the production of an author who had before exhibited sir John Falstaff on the stage. The present play was written, I believe, after the representation of the First Part, and before that of the Second Part of King Henry IV......MALONE. As they are fighting, Enter the Mayor of Here- True noblemen, and subjects to the king, Her. Good master mayor of Hereford, be May. Serjeant, without the ceremonies of O yes, Pronounce aloud the proclamation: Ser. The king's justices, perceiving what public mischief may ensue this private quarrel, in his majesty's name do straitly charge and command all persons, of what degree soever, to depart this city of Hereford, except such as are bound to give attendance at this assize, and that no man presume to wear any weapon, especially Welshhooks, and forest bills; Owen. Haw! No pill, nor Wells hoog? ha? Ser. And that the lord Powis do presently disperse and discharge his retinue, and depart the city in the king's peace, he and his followers, on pain of imprisonment. Davy. Haw? pud her lord Powis in prison? A Powis! a Powis! Cossoon, hur will live and tye with hur lord. Sher. There are some of them: Sirs, lay bold of them. Owen. Of us? and why? what has hur done, I pray you? Sher. Disarm them, bailiffs. May. Officers, assist. Davy. Hear you, lord shudge, what resson is for this? Owen. Cossoon, pe 'puse for fighting for our lord? 1 Judge. Away with them. Davy. Harg you, my lord. Owen. Gough, my lord Herbert's man, is a shitten knave. Davy. Ice live and tye in good quarrel. 2 Judge. What bail? what sureties? Davy. Hur cozen ap Rice, ap Evan, ap Morice, ap Morgan, ap Lluellyn, ap Madoc, ap Meredith, ap Griffin, ap Davy, ap Owen, ap Skinken, ap Shones. 2 Judge. Two of the most sufficient are enough. Sher. An it please your lordship, these are all but one. 1 Judge. To gaol with them, and the lord Herbert's men: We'll talk with them, when the assize is done. [Exeunt Bailiffs, OWEN, DAVY, &c. Riotous, audacious, and unruly grooms! Must we be forced to come from the bench [They fight. Lord HERBERT is wound-To quiet brawls, which every constable, In other civil places, can suppress? Gough. A Herbert! a Herbert! ed, and falls to the ground. The 2 Judge. What was the quarrel that caused all this stir? Sher. About religion, as I heard, my lord. Enter two Judges, the Sheriff and his Bailiffs be- Lord Powis detracted from the power of Rome, fore them. 1 Judge. Where's the lord Herbert? Is he hurt or slain? Sher. He's here, my lord. 2 Judge. How fares his lordship, friends? Gough. Mortally wounded, speechless; he cannot live. 1 Judge. Convey him hence, let not his wounds take air; And get him dressed with expedition. [Exeunt Lord HERBERT and GOUGH. Master mayor of Hereford, master sheriff o'the shire, Commit lord Powis to safe custody, Affirming Wickliff's doctrine to be true, 1 Judge. This case concerns the king's prero- And 'tis dangerous to the state and commonwealth. Gentlemen, justices, master mayor, and master sheriff, It doth behove us all, and each of us, Sher. Please it your lordship, my lord Powis is In general and particular, to have care gone past all recovery. 2 Judge. Yet let search be made, To apprehend his followers that are left. For the suppressing of all mutinies, And all assemblies, except soldiers' musters, We hear of secret conventicles made, And there is doubt of some conspiracies, Which may break out into rebellious arms, When the king's gone, perchance before he go. Tote as an instance, this one perilous fray: What factions might have grown on either part, o the destruction of the king and realm? et, in my conscience, sir John Oldcastle's nnocent of it; only his name was used. We therefore from his highness give this charge: 'ou, master mayor, look to your citizens; You, master sheriff, unto your shire; and you As justices, in every one's precinct here be no meetings: when the vulgar sort it on their alc-bench, with their cups and cans, Matters of state be not their common talk, Nor pure religion by their lips profaned. Let us return unto the bench again, And there examine further of this fray. Enter a Bailiff and a Serjeant. Sher. Sirs, have ye taken the lord Powis yet? Bail. No, nor heard of him. Ser. No, he's gone far enough. 2 Judge. They that are left behind, shall answer all. [Exeunt. Should have, to colour their vile practices, Suf. O, but you must not swear; it ill becomes One of your coat to rap out bloody oaths. Roch. Pardon him, good my lord; it is his zeal. An honest country prelate, who laments To see such foul disorder in the church. S. John. There's one, they call him sir John He has not his name for nought; for, like a castle, Roch. That is our suit, my lord; that he be ta'en, And brought in question for his heresy. no more; SCENE II.-Eltham. An Anti-chamber in the The king anon goes to the council chamber, Palace. Enter the Duke of SUFFOLK, Bishop of ROCHES- And have been oftentimes invested with. There to debate of matters touching France. Roch. Not as a recompence, | But as a token of our love to you, By me, my lords, the clergy doth present This purse, and in it full a thousand angels, Grievous complaints have passed between the Praying your lordship to accept their gift. lips Of envious persons, to upbraid the clergy; Suf. What proof is there against them to be had, That what you say the law may justify? Roch. They give themselves the name of Protestants, And meet in fields and solitary groves. S. John. Was ever heard, my lord, the like till now? That thieves and rebels, 'sblood, my lord, here tics, Plain heretics, (I'll stand to't to their teeth) VOL. I. | [Offers the Duke a Purse. Suf. I thank them, my lord bishop, for their love, But will not take their money; if you please Roch. Sir, then we crave your furtherance But. The best I can, my lord of Rochester. Roch. Nay, pray you take it; trust me, sir, you shall. S. John. Were ye all three upon Newmarketheath, You should not need strain curt'sy who should have it ; Sir John would quickly rid ye of that care. [Aside. Suf. The king is coming. Fear ye not, my lord; The very first thing I will break with him, Enter King HENRY and the Earl of HUNTING TON. K. Hen. My lord of Suffolk, |