and a third that it never was any great ambition in me to be in this kind voluminously read. All that I have further to say at this time is only this: censure I entreat as favorably as it is exposed to thy view freely. "Ever "Studious of thy Pleasure and Profit, Of the 220 pieces which he here speaks of having been concerned in, only 25, as enumerated by Dodsley, have come down to us, for the reasons assigned in the preface. The rest have perished, exposed to the casualties of a theatre. Heywood's ambition seems to have been confined to the pleasure of hearing the Players speak his lines while he lived. It does not appear that he ever contemplated the possibility of being read by after ages. What a slender pittance of fame was motive sufficient to the production of such Plays as the English Traveller, the Challenge for Beauty, and the Woman Killed with Kindness! Posterity is bound to take care that a Writer loses nothing by such a noble modesty.] THE LATE LANCASHIRE WITCHES: A COMEDY. BY THOMAS HEYWOOD AND RICHARD BROOME. Mr. Generous, by taking off a Bridle from a seeming Horse in his Stable, discovers it to be his Wife, who has transformed herself by Magical Practices, and is a Witch. MR. GENEROUS. WIFE. ROBIN, a groom. Gen. My blood is turned to ice, and all my vitals I may begin to know. What, or where am I, To be thus lost in wonder? Wife. Sir. Gen. Amazement still pursues me, how am I chang'd, Or brought ere I can understand myself Rob. You will believe no witches? Gen. This makes me believe all, aye, anything; And that myself am nothing. Prithee, Robin, Lay me to myself open; what art thou, Or this new transform'd creature? Rob. I am Robin; And this your wife, my mistress. Gen. Tell me, the earth Shall leave its seat, and mount to kiss the moon ; Shall leave her sphere, to stoop to us thus low. Rob. A bridle; a jugling bridle, Sir. A witch! my wife a witch! The more I strive to unwind Myself from this meander, I the more Therein am intricated. Art thou a witch? Prithee, woman, Wife. It cannot be denied, I am such a curst creature. Gen. Keep aloof: And do not come too near me. O my trust; Have I, since first I understood myself, Been of my soul so chary, still to study What best was for its health, to renounce all The works of that black fiend with my best force; And hath that serpent twined me so about, i That I must lie so often and so long With a devil in my bosom? Wife. Pardon, Sir. [She looks down.] Gen. Pardon! can such a thing as that be hoped ? Lift up thine eyes, lost woman, to yon hills; It must be thence expected: look not down Unto that horrid dwelling, which thou hast sought Wife. I am. Gen. With that word I am thunderstruck, And know not what to answer; yet resolve me, Hast thou made any contract with that fiend, The enemy of mankind ? Wife. O I have. Gen. What? and how far? Wife. I have promis'd him my soul. Gen. Ten thousand times better thy body had Wife. What interest in this Soul myself could claim, Gen. O cunning devil: foolish woman, know, Gen. Why, hast thou any hope? Wife. Yes, sir, I have. Gen. Make it appear to me. Wife. I hope I never bargain'd for that fire, Further than penitent tears have power to quench. Gen. I would see some of them. Wife. You behold them now (If you look on me with charitable eyes) Gen. May I presume 't? Wife. I kneel to both your mercies. Gen. Knowest thou what A witch is? Wife. Alas, none better; Or after mature recollection can be Gen. Tell me, are those tears Gen. Rise; and, as I do you, so heaven pardon me; Defend us! Well, I do remember, wife, When I first took thee, 'twas for good and bad : As may have power to quench invisible flames; Gentlemen, welcome; 'tis a word I use ; Compare this with a story in the Arabian Nights, where a man discov ers his wife to be a goul. Being set to meat, that I 'll excuse your fare, And, had I known your coming, we 'd have had A FAIR QUARREL: A COMEDY. BY THOMAS MIDDLETON AND WILLIAM ROWLEY. Captain Ager, in a dispute with a Colonel his friend, receives from the Colonel the appellation of Son of a Whore. A challenge is given and accepted: but the Captain, before he goes to the field, is willing to be confirmed of his mother's honor from her own lips Lady Ager being questioned by her Son, to prevent a duel, falsely slanders herself of unchastity. The Captain, thinking that he has a bad cause, refuses to fight. But being reproached by the Colonel with cowardice, he esteems that he has now sufficient cause for a quarrel, in the vindicating of his honor from that aspersion; and draws, and disarms his opponent. LADY. CAPTAIN, her Son. La. Where left you your dear friend the Colonel ? The fame and reputation of your time Is much engag'd to. Cap. Yes, and you knew all, mother, La. I thought I'd known so much of his fair goodness, More could not have been look'd for. Cap. O yes, yes, Madam: And this his last exceeded all the rest. La. For gratitude's sake let me know this I prithee. Cap. Then thus; and I desire your censure freely, Whether it appear'd not a strange noble kindness in him. La. Trust me, I long to hear't. |