A Digital Anthology of Early Modern English Drama Emed.Folger.Edu
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A Digital Anthology of Early Modern English Drama emed.folger.edu Discover over four hundred early modern English plays that were professionally performed in London between 1576 and 1642. Browse plays written by Shakespeare’s contemporaries; explore the repertoires of London’s professional companies; and download plays for reading and research. This documentary edition has been edited to provide an accurate and transparent transcription of a single copy of the earliest surviving print edition of this play. Further material, including editorial policy and XML files of the play, is available on the EMED website. EMED texts are edited and encoded by Meaghan Brown, Michael Poston, and Elizabeth Williamson, and build on work done by the EEBO-TCP and the Shakespeare His Contemporaries project. This project is funded by a Humanities Collections and Reference Resources grant from the NEH’s Division of Preservation and Access. Plays distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. img: 1a sig: [N/A] This page is a duplicate in EEBO imageset, text of first image obscured by a ruler. img: 1b sig: [N/A] This page is a duplicate in EEBO image set, text of first image obscured by a ruler. img: 2a sig: [N/A] img: 2b sig: A2r ln 0001 THE ln 0002 SHOEMAKERS’ ln 0003 Holiday. ln 0004 OR ln 0005 The Gentle Craft. ln 0006 With the humorous life of Simon ln 0007 Eyre, shoemaker, and Lord Mayor ln 0008 of London. ln 0009 As it was acted before the Queen’s most excellent Majesty ln 0010 on New year’s day at night last, by the right ln 0011 honorable the Earl of Nottingham, Lord high Admiral ln 0012 of England, his servants. ln 0013 Printed by Valentine Simmes dwelling at the foot of Adling ln 0014 hill, near Baynard’s Castle, at the sign of the White ln 0015 Swan, and are there to be sold. ln 0016 1600. img: 3a sig: A2v img: 3b sig: A3r ln 0001 To all good Fellows, Professors of ln 0002 the Gentle Craft; of what degree ln 0003 soever. ln 0004 Kind Gentlemen, and honest boon Companions, ln 0005 I present you here with a merry conceited ln 0006 Comedy, called the Shoemakers’ Holiday, acted ln 0007 by my Lord Admiral’s Players this present ln 0008 Christmas, before the Queen’s most excellent ln 0009 Majesty. For the mirth and pleasant matter, by her Highness ln 0010 graciously accepted; being indeed no way offensive. The ln 0011 Argument of the play I will set down in this Epistle: Sir ln 0012 Hugh Lacy Earl of Lincoln, had a young Gentleman of his ln 0013 own name, his near kinsman, that loved the Lord Mayor’s ln 0014 daughter of London; to prevent and cross which love, the ln 0015 Earl caused his kinsman to be sent Colonel of a company ln 0016 into France: who resigned his place to another gentleman his ln 0017 friend, and came disguised like a Dutch Shoemaker, to the ln 0018 house of Simon Eyre in Tower street, who served the Mayor ln 0019 and his household with shoes. The merriments that passed in ln 0020 Eyre’s house, his coming to be Mayor of London, Lacy’s getting ln 0021 his love, and other accidents; with two merry Threemen’s ln 0022 songs. Take all in good worth that is well intended, for ln 0023 nothing is purposed but mirth, mirth lengtheneth long life; ln 0024 which, with all other blessings I heartily wish you. ln 0025 Farewell. img: 4a sig: A3v wln 0001 The first Threeman’s wln 0002 Song. wln 0003 O the month of May, the merry month of May, wln 0004 So frolic, so gay, and so green, so green, so green: wln 0005 O and then did I, unto my true love say, wln 0006 Sweet Peg, thou shalt be my Summer’s Queen. wln 0007 NOw the Nightingale, the pretty Nightingale, wln 0008 The sweetest singer in all the Forest’s choir: wln 0009 Entreats thee sweet Peggy, to hear thy true love’s tale, wln 0010 Lo, yonder she sitteth, her breast against a brier. wln 0011 But O I spy the Cuckoo, the Cuckoo, the Cuckoo, wln 0012 See where she sitteth, come away my joy: wln 0013 Come away I prithee, I do not like the Cuckoo wln 0014 Should sing where my Peggy and I kiss and toy. wln 0015 O the month of May, the merry month of May, wln 0016 So frolic, so gay, and so green, so green, so green: wln 0017 And then did I, unto my true love say, wln 0018 Sweet Peg, thou shalt be my Summer’s Queen. img: 4b sig: A4r wln 0019 The Second Threeman’s wln 0020 Song. wln 0021 This is to be sung at the latter end. wln 0022 COld’s the wind, and wet’s the rain, wln 0023 Saint Hugh be our good speed: wln 0024 Ill is the weather that bringeth no gain, wln 0025 Nor helps good hearts in need. wln 0026 Troll the bowl, the jolly Nutbrown bowl, wln 0027 And here kind mate to thee: wln 0028 Let’s sing a dirge for Saint Hugh’s soul, wln 0029 And down it merrily. wln 0030 Down a down, hey down a down, wln 0031 Hey derry derry down a down, Close with the tenor boy: wln 0032 Ho well done, to me let come, wln 0033 King compass gentle joy. wln 0034 Troll the bowl, the Nutbrown bowl, wln 0035 And here kind Etc. as often as there be men to drink. wln 0036 At last when all have drunk, this verse. wln 0037 Cold’s the wind, and wet’s the rain, wln 0038 Saint Hugh be our good speed: wln 0039 Ill is the weather that bringeth no gain, wln 0040 Nor helps good hearts in need. img: 5a sig: A4v wln 0041 The Prologue as it was pronounced wln 0042 before the Queen’s wln 0043 Majesty. wln 0044 AS wretches in a storm (expecting day) wln 0045 With trembling hands and eyes cast up to heaven, wln 0046 Make Prayers the anchor of their conquered hopes, wln 0047 So we (dear Goddess) wonder of all eyes, wln 0048 Your meanest vassals (through mistrust and fear, wln 0049 To sink into the bottom of disgrace, wln 0050 By our imperfect pastimes) prostrate thus wln 0051 On bended knees, our sails of hope do strike, wln 0052 Dreading the bitter storms of your dislike. wln 0053 Since then (unhappy men) our hap is such, wln 0054 That to ourselves ourselves no help can bring, wln 0055 But needs must perish, if your saintlike ears wln 0056 (Locking the temple where all mercy sits) wln 0057 Refuse the tribute of our begging tongues. wln 0058 Oh grant (bright mirror of true Chastity) wln 0059 From those lifebreathing stars your sunlike eyes, wln 0060 One gracious smile: for your celestial breath wln 0061 Must send us life, or sentence us to death. img: 5b sig: B1r wln 0062 A pleasant Comedy of wln 0063 the Gentle Craft. wln 0064 Enter Lord Mayor, Lincoln. wln 0065 Lincoln. wln 0066 MY Lord Mayor, you have sundry times wln 0067 Feasted myself, and many Courtiers more, wln 0068 Seldom, or never can we be so kind, wln 0069 To make requital of your courtesy: wln 0070 But leaving this, I hear my cousin Lacy wln 0071 Is much affected to your daughter Rose. wln 0072 Lord Mayor. True my good Lord, and she loves him so well, wln 0073 That I mislike her boldness in the chase. wln 0074 Lincoln Why my lord Mayor, think you it then a shame, wln 0075 To join a Lacy with an Oatley’s name? wln 0076 Lord Mayor. Too mean is my poor girl for his high birth, wln 0077 Poor Citizens must not with Courtiers wed, wln 0078 Who will in silks, and gay apparel spend wln 0079 More in one year, than I am worth by far, wln 0080 Therefore your honor need not doubt my girl. wln 0081 Lincoln. Take heed my Lord, advise you what you do, wln 0082 A verier unthrift lives not in the world, wln 0083 Then is my cousin, for I’ll tell you what, img: 6a sig: B1v wln 0084 ’Tis now almost a year since he requested wln 0085 To travel countries for experience, wln 0086 I furnished him with coin, bills of exchange, wln 0087 Letters of credit, men to wait on him, wln 0088 Solicited my friends in Italy wln 0089 Well to respect him: but to see the end: wln 0090 Scant had he journeyed through half Germany, wln 0091 But all his coin was spent, his men cast off, wln 0092 His bills embezzled, and my jolly coz, wln 0093 Ashamed to show his bankrupt presence here, wln 0094 Became a Shoemaker in Wittenberg, wln 0095 A goodly science for a gentleman wln 0096 Of such descent: now judge the rest by this. wln 0097 Suppose your daughter have a thousand pound, wln 0098 He did consume me more in one half year, wln 0099 And make him heir to all the wealth you have, wln 0100 One twelvemonth’s rioting will waste it all, wln 0101 Then seek (my Lord) some honest Citizen wln 0102 To wed your daughter to.