Robert Chester's "Love's Martyr, Or, Rosalins Complaint" (1601)
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• -T-. ' / THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE I ^ -i rJ? - 3- J A/ i iiM':H^- x^' ^W^^^^^^"^-^ Sr:^ pA^' <X:V «/•//. ROBERT CHESTER'S "LOVES MARTYR, OR, ROSALINS COMPLAINT" (1601) WITH ITS SUPPLEMENT, BY SHAKSPERE, BEN JONSON, GEORGE CHAPMAN, JOHN MARSTON, ETC. EDITED, WITH INTRODUCTION, NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS, BY THE REV. ALEXANDER B. GROSART, LL.D., F.S.A., ST. George's, blackburn, Lancashire. PUBLISHT FOR BY N. TRUBNER & CO., 57, 59, LUDGATE HILL, LONDON, E.G., 1S78. SmcsVIII. Do. 2. CLAY AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS, BUNQAT. * To F. J. FURNIVALL, Esq., M.A., AND THE COMMITTEE AND MEMBERS OF »yO YOU CO-WORKERS ON OUR ANCIENT BOOKS OF TIMES ELIZABETHAN, I HERE GIVE CHESTER'S OLD TOME. O MAY IT ONCE MORE LIVE BENEATH YOUR EYES, THRO' INSIGHT THAT NOR BROOKS NOR FEARS DULL FOLLY'S SUPERCILIOUS LOOKS, WHEN FROM REMOTER DAYS, THINGS FUGITIVE AND LONG-FORGOTTEN, WE WOULD FAIN REVIVE. 'LOVE'S martyr; that I BRING FROM HIDDEN NOOKS, A QUICK KEEN MESSAGE BEARS FOR US TO-DAY : AS I, BY HAPPY FORTUNE, FIRST HAVE PROV'D ; FOR IT INTERPRETS 'BIRD OF LOUDEST LAY'— TELLING, HOW GREAT ELIZABETH, ESSEX LOV'D. TURN THEN, GOOD FRIENDS, TO THESE LONG-SEALED PAGES : YOUR KIND APPROVAL MORE THAN COUNTED WAGES. ALEXANDER. B. GROSART. Dr. Nicholson's arrival at *^t* See page xxiv. on my friend Brinsley independent as the is the same conchisions. By 'give' I mean simply furnish, gift only partial, to the to the book as set for my own viz., permission Society stereotype —up Occasional Issues of unique or extremely rare books (50 copies). G. Contents. 7* PACE 2. Rosalins Complaint (describing the parts of her body, the ' isle of Paphos, and Honors louely Squire' (Turtle-Dove st. No. i), the lover of Phcenix No. Ill.t (p. 9, 4), who is also Turtle-Dove No. 111. st. and (p. 125, 3) ; foretelling — the rise of Phoenix No. IV. (p. 12, st. 2) ... ... i I2j: An Introduction to the Prayer (for Phoenix No. i = Turtle- Dove No. 2, p. 13, 1. 3) ... ... ... ... 12—13 of 3. A Prayer made for the prosperitie a siluer-coloured Doue, applyed to the beauteous Phoenix (No. I = Turtle- Dove No. II.) ... ... ... ... ... 13—15 To those of hght beleefe. (An Introduction to) ... 15—16 A meeting Dialogue-wise betweene Nature, the Phoenix the Turtle Doue 16— (No. I, or Turtle-Dove II.), and (No. I.) 131 Phoenix &c. &c. ... ... (i. The troubles of the I, 16—25) of the chief cities in & the (ii. A description England, Castle of Maidens in Scotland ... ... 26—29) of the Nine Women ... ... (iii. An account Worthy 29—32) and anent ... (iv. A description of Windsor Castle; this, 33—34) Here followeth the Birth, Life and Death of honourable ... —80 Arthur, King of Brittaine ... ... ... 34 Plants Herbs in (v. A rymed Catalogue of the & Paphos 81—95) Trees in ... (vi. A rymed Catalogue of the Paphos 95—98) Fish in ... (vii. „ „ Paphos 99—100) Precious Stones in loi — (viii. „ „ Paphos 107) in — (ix. „ „ Beasts & Worms Paphos 107 116) in ... 116— (x. „ „ Birds Paphos 123) who (xi. A description of the male Turtle-Dove (No. i) mourns for his Phoenix III. (p. 9, st. 4), his female "Turtle who is dead" (Turtle-Dove No. III.) ;§ and how the Phcenix I. resolves to share his sorrow, be one with him—Turtle-Dove II. with Turtle-Dove I.—and die with him ... ... 123— 131) Pellican (her Lament over the Deaths of the Turtle-Dove I. — & Phoenix I. or Turtle-Dove ... ... ... 131 133 II.) — Conclusion (Description of Phoenix IV, &c.) ... ... I33 134 " t Phoenix, No. II, is a male, the Arabian Phoenix," p. 5, st. 3. in Dr. Grosart s X The references are to the top-pagings, and not the foot ones as Notes. left all alone, die 1. 16, ?for hhn, read her. Will the male Turtle, ^ p. 125, ' for his female does he of himself as ' him in the third person ?— mate ; or speak F. J. F. 8* Q* THE ARGUMENT. At a Parliament of the — with others gods present [? not mentioned] Jove, Vesta, Juno, Venus, Pallas, Bellona, and Cupid—Rosalin, in the person of Dame Nature, comes to beg assistance. She has established on earth the most perfect Phoenix* that ever existed—a maiden whose personal beauties she describes. Parenthetically, as it " were, p. 5/13, tst. 3, she wishes that Arabian Phoenix," J "love's Lord," would come and take possession of this incomparable beauty. Her fear is that her Phoenix will decay and that no other will arise from her ashes, because " The Arabian fiers are too dull and base To make another spring within her place." — p. 7/15, st. 2. She therefore begs Jove to pity her (Rosalin z=z Nature) and list to her laments. The gods are somewhat startled and incredulous at her wondrous account of her Phoenix, but she confirms her statements by exhibit- ing a picture in which they " behold — The rich wrought Phoenix of Arabian gold." p. 8/i6, st. 3. Jove thereupon bids Nature -hie thee, get thee Phoebus chaire Cut through the skie, and leaue Arabia, * Phoenix No. r, female. t : is the number at the of the S/13 5 top page ; 13, that at its foot. X Phcenix No 2, male. lo* The Argument. * Leaue that il working peece of fruitlesse ayre Leaue me the plaines of white Brytania, These countries have no fire to raise that flame That to this Phoenix bird can yeeld a name." p. 9/17, St. 3. and fly to Paphos He, " Where in a vale like Ciparissus groue — Thou shalt behold a second Phoenix loue." p. 9/17, st. 4. — i. e. the love or mate of another Phoenix. f This lover of Phoenix No. 3, female, is the Turtle-dove described at p. 1 23/131, who is to die with Phoenix No. i, female, and with her produce Phoenix No. 4, female. —He is the hero of the Allegory: he is "true " *' his is Liberal Honors louely squire ; name honor," and he keeps for Nature's Phoenix "Prometheus fire," p. 11/19, st. 3, 4, " Give him, "continues Jove, "this ointment to anoint his head This precious balme to lay unto his feet. These shall direct him to this Phoenix bed Wliere on a high hill he this bird shall meet And of their Ashes by my dome shall rise Another Phoenix J her to equalize."—p. 12/20, st. 2, " This said the Gods and Goddesses did applaud The censure of this thundring Magistrate And Nature gave him euerlasting laud And quickly in the dayes bright coach she gate Downe to the earth, she's whirled through the ayre; Joue joyne these fires, thus Venus made her prayer." p. 12/20, St. 3. Then follows "An Introduction to the Prayer" addressed to the "great Guider of the Sunne and Moone" craving guidance and tlie blotting out of offences, and " Then arm'd with thy protection and thy loue lie make my prayer for thy Turtle-doue." Qy. is this introductory prayer, and the prayer proper which Peece so of = place ; used by Stowe, London, and frequently by Fenton in his translation of Guiciardini's History of Italy, 1599. t Phcenix No. 3, female. Phoenix % No. 4, female. See Chester's "Conclusion," p. 133/141. Tlie Argument. ii* follows, made by Venus, or is Venus' s prayer confined to the four words quoted above: — "Joue joyne these fires" ? In either case the Turtle-dove here mentioned is Dame Nature's (Rosalin's) ' • Phoenix, No, i. Then follows the prayer : "A Prayer made for the prosperitie of a siluer coloured Doue, applyed to the beauteous Phoenix." This prayer is addressed to Jehova, Christ, the God of Israel, in favour of "the siluer coloured earthly Doue,"— "thy siluer Doue," /, e., of course, the Phoenix, and ends with " Let her not wither Lord without increase But blesse her with joyes offspring of sweet peace. Amen. Amen." —p. 15/23, st. 2. This prayer certainly proceeds from the same person as the introductory petition. The author himself now addresses three stanzas to readers of "light beleefe," claiming their indulgence. Then follows, p. 16/24, "A meeting Dialogue-wise betweene Nature, the Phoenix, and the Turtle Doue." The last of these three personages of the Allegory does not appear on the scene till p. 1 23/131. Nature arrives in her chariot and greets the Phoenix. It is not very clear where this meeting takes place. It is a place where "gross cloudie vapours" prevail (p. 18/26, st. 5); the air is st. It is "noysome" (p. 20/28, 2). a " barren country. It is so saplesse that the very Spring Makes tender new-growne Plants be with'ring." p. 21/29, St. 4. " The noisome Aire is growne infectious, The very springs for want of moisture die. The glorious Sunne is here pestiferous," etc., etc. p. 22/30, St. I. Here the Phoenix has long suftered from the power of Envie =: she — Malice ; here, says, " with Adders was I stuno:. And in a lothsome pit was often fluni. * 12 The Aro;ument.&' My Beautie and my Vertues captiuate To Loue, dissembling Loue that I did hate." p. 22/30, St. 3. She complains of Fortune— " That she should place me in a desart Plaine, And send forth Enuie with a ludas kisse To sting me with a Scorpions poisoned hisse. From my first birth-right for to plant me heare, Where I haue alwaies fed on Griefe and Feare." p.