[89] The full title of this play is rather instructive:--"Of Gentylnes
& Nobylyte: a dyaloge betwen the marchaunt, the knyght & the plowman
dysputyng who is a verey gentylman & who is a noble man and how men
shuld come to auctoryte, compiled in maner of an enterlude with divers
toys & gestis addyd therto to make mery pastyme and disport."
[90] _The Pardoner and the Frere_ is dated 5 April, 1533; _Johan
Johan_, 12 February, 153¾.
[91]
And eke, yf thou dysturbe me anythynge,
Thou art also a traytour to the Kynge,
For here hath he graunted me vnder his brode seale
That no man, yf he love hys hele,
Sholde me dysturbe or let in any wyse
[92] If the reference in l. 636 of the _Play of the Wether_ (see note)
is to be pressed, this would be an exception, giving us between 1523
and 1533 as the date of composition.
[93] Dr. Swoboda erroneously places Edward VI.'s birth in August, a
slip of some importance as to some extent spoiling his argument that
_Thersites_ must have been written for a performance at an earlier
date. But perhaps even in October it would not be quite correct to say
"All herbs are dead," while the reference to a New Year's gift, though
not quite decisive, makes it probable that the play was written for a
Christmas entertainment. In any case it is intrinsically probable that
a play acted at an improvised festivity on the birth of an heir to
the throne would be an old one, rather than specially written for the
occasion.
[94]
If no man will with me battle take,
A voyage to hell quickly I will make,
And there I will beat the devil and his dame,
And bring the souls away: I fully intend the same.
After that in Hell I have ruffled so,
Straight to old Purgatory will I go,
I will clean that so purge round about
That we shall need no pardons to help them out.
[95] Dr. Swoboda, who speaks of the plays from the press of William
Rastell as printed by his father (John), was apparently unaware that
neither _The Pardoner and the Frere_ nor _Johan Johan_ bears Heywood's
name, and takes his authorship of them for granted.
[96] It is not contended that the payment was for the performance of
_Thersites_, only that it shows that Heywood was a likely man to be
called on to produce a play about this period.
[97] See notes to ll. 263 and 482. I quote here the end of the French
farce in order to give the "wax" episode in full.
_Le Cousin._ Or ca cousin iay pense
Dung subtil affaire,
Dont vous serez riche a iamas.
_Pernet._ Riche, cousin?
_Le Cousin._ Certes, sire, vous fault chauffer
Et faire ung subtil ouuraige,
Qui vous gardera de dommaige,
Cousin, beau sire.
_Pernet._ Me fault il donc chauffer la cire,
Tandis que vous banqueterez?
Corbieu, ien suis marry,
Je croy que ce paste est bon.
_Le Cousin._ Chauffez & mettez du charbon
Lymaige sera proffittable.
_Pernet._ Vous irayge signer la table?
Je scay bien le benedicite.
_Le Cousin._ Faictes ce que iay recite.
Dea! cousin! ne perdez point de temps.
_Pernet._ Cest vng trespouure passetemps
De chauffer la cire quant on digne!
Regardez elle est plus molle que laine,
En la chauffant rien naqueste.
_Le Cousin._ Conclus & conqueste!
Auec la femme ie banqueste,
Combien que ie ne soye le sire
Et son mary chauffe la cire.