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 siigm: g[:N 1/A­b] sig: A1r ln 0001 THE ln 0002 CHRONICLE ln 0003 HISTORY ln 0004 OF ln 0005 PERKIN WARBECK. ln 0006 A Strange Truth. ln 0007 Acted (sometimes) by the Queen’s ln 0008 MAJESTY’S Servants at the ln 0009 Phoenix in Drury lane. ln 0010 Fide Honor. ln 0011 LONDON, ln 0012 Printed by T. P. for Hugh Beeston, and are to ln 0013 be sold at his Shop, near the Castle in ln 0014 Cornhill. 1634. img: 2­a sig: A1v ln 0001 The Scene, ln 0002 The Continent of Great Britain. ln 0001 The Persons presented. ln 0002 Henry the seventh. J ames the 4th King of Scotland ln 0003 Daubeney. Earl of Huntly. ln 0004 Sir William Stanley. Earl of Crawford. ln 0005 Oxford. Lord Daliell. ln 0006 Surrey. Marchmount a ln 0007 Bishop of Durham. Herald. ln 0008 Urswick Chaplain to ln 0009 King Henry. Perkin Warbeck. ln 0010 Sir Robert Clifford. Frion his Secretary. ln 0011 Lambert Simnel. Mayor of Cork. ln 0012 Hialas a Spanish Agent. Heron a Mercer. ln 0013 Constable, Officers, Serving­men, Skelton a Tailor. ln 0014 and Soldiers. Astly — a Scrivener. ln 0015 Women. ln 0016 Lady Katherine Gordon, — wife to Perkin. ln 0017 Countess of Crawford. ln 0018 Jane Douglas — Lady Katherine’s maid. img: 2­b sig: A2r ln 0001 TO ln 0002 THE RIGHTLY ln 0003 HONORABLE, ln 0004 WILLIAM CAVENDISH, ln 0005 Earl of Newcastle, Viscount ln 0006 Mansfield, Lord ln 0007 Bolsover and Ogle. ln 0008 MY LORD: ln 0009 Out of the darkness of a former ln 0010 Age, (enlightened by a late, both ln 0011 learned, and an honorable pen) ln 0012 I have endeavored, to personate ln 0013 a great Attempt, and in It, a greater ln 0014 Danger. In other Labors, ln 0015 you may read Actions of Antiquity discoursed; ln 0016 In This Abridgement, find the Actors themselves ln 0017 discoursing: in some kind, practiced as well ln 0018 What to speak; as speaking Why to do. Your ln 0019 Lordship is a most competent Judge, in expressions of img: 3­a sig: A2v ln 0020 such credit; commissioned by your known Ability ln 0021 in examining; and enabled by your knowledge ln 0022 in determining, the monuments of Time. ln 0023 Eminent Titles, may indeed inform, who, their ln 0024 owners are, not often what: To yours, the addition ln 0025 of that information, in BOTH, cannot in any ln 0026 application be observed flattery; the Authority ln 0027 being established by TRUTH. I can only ln 0028 acknowledge, the errors in writing, mine own; ln 0029 the worthiness of the Subject written, being a perfection ln 0030 in the Story, and of It. The custom of ln 0031 your Lordship’s entertainments (even to Strangers) is, ln 0032 rather an Example, than a Fashion: in which consideration, ln 0033 I dare not profess a curiosity; but am ln 0034 only studious, that your Lordship will please, amongst ln 0035 such as best honor your Goodness, to admit into ln 0036 your noble construction linm 0g0:3 37­b JOHN FORD. sig: A3r ln 0001 To my own friend, Master John Ford, ln 0002 on his Justifiable Poem of Perkin Warbeck, ln 0003 This Ode. ln 0004 THey, who do know me, know, that I ln 0005 (Unskilled to flatter) ln 0006 Dare speak This Piece, in words, in matter, ln 0007 A WORK: without the danger of the Lie. ln 0008 Believe me (friend) the name of This, and Thee, ln 0009 Will live, your Story: ln 0010 Books may want Faith, or merit, glory; ln 0011 THIS, neither; without Judgement’s Lethargy. ln 0012 When the Arts dote, then, some sick Poet, may ln 0013 Hope, that his pen ln 0014 In new­stained paper, can find men ln 0015 To roar, HE is THE WIT’S; His NOISE doth sway. ln 0016 But such an Age cannot be known: for All, ln 0017 Ere that Time be, ln 0018 Must prove such Truth, mortality: ln 0019 So (friend) thy honor stands too fixed, to fall. ln 0020 George Donne. ln 0001 To his worthy friend, Master John Ford, ln 0002 upon his Perkin Warbeck. ln 0003 LEt men, who are writ Poets, lay a claim ln 0004 To the Phoebean Hill, I have no name, img: 4­a sig: A3v ln 0005 Nor art in Verse; True, I have heard some tell ln 0006 Of Aganippe, but ne’er knew the Well: ln 0007 Therefore have no ambition with the Times, ln 0008 To be in Print, for making of ill Rhymes; ln 0009 But love of Thee, and Justice to thy Pen ln 0010 Hath drawn me to this Bar, with other men ln 0011 To justify, though against double Laws, ln 0012 (Waving the subtle business of his cause) ln 0013 The GLORIOUS PERKIN, and thy Poet’s Art ln 0014 Equal with His, in playing the KING’S PART. ln 0015 Ralph Eure ln 0016 Baronis Primogenitus ln 0001 To my faithful, no less deserving friend, ln 0002 the Author; This indebted Oblation. ln 0003 PERKIN is redivived by thy strong hand, ln 0004 And crowned a King of new; the vengeful wand ln 0005 Of Greatness is forgot: HIS Execution ln 0006 May rest unmentioned; and HIS birth’s Collusion ln 0007 Lie buried in the Story: But HIS fame ln 0008 Thou hast eternized; made a Crown HIS Game. ln 0009 HIS lofty spirit soars yet. Had HE been ln 0010 Base in his enterprise, as was his sin ln 0011 Conceived, HIS TITLE, (doubtless) proved unjust, ln 0012 Had, but for Thee, been silenced in his dust. ln 0013 George Crymes, miles. img: 4­b sig: A4r ln 0001 To the Author, his friend, upon his ln 0002 Chronicle History. ln 0003 THese are not to express thy wit, ln 0004 But to pronounce thy Judgement fit; ln 0005 In full­filled phrase, those Times to raise, ln 0006 When PERKIN ran his wily ways. ln 0007 Still, let the method of thy brain, ln 0008 From Error’s touch, and Envy’s stain ln 0009 Preserve Thee, free; that ever, thy quill ln 0010 Fair Truth may wet, and Fancy fill. ln 0011 Thus Graces are, with Muses met, ln 0012 And practic Critics on may fret: ln 0013 For here, Thou hast produced, A Story, ln 0014 Which shall eclipse, Their future Glory. ln 0015 John Brograve: Armiger ln 0001 To my friend, and kinsman, Master John ln 0002 Ford, the Author. ln 0003 Dramatic Poets (as the Times go) now ln 0004 Can hardly write, what others will allow; ln 0005 The Cynic snarls; the Critic howls and barks; ln 0006 And Ravens croak, to drown the voice of Larks: ln 0007 Scorn those STAGE­HARPIES! This I’ll boldly say, ln 0008 Many may imitate, few match thy Play. linm 0g0:0 59­a John Ford: Graiensis. sig: A4v wln 0001 PROLOGUE. wln 0002 STudies have, of this Nature, been of late wln 0003 So out of fashion, so unfollowed; that wln 0004 It is become more Justice, to revive wln 0005 The antic follies of the Times, then strive wln 0006 To countenance wise Industry: no want wln 0007 Of Art, doth render wit, or lame, or scant, wln 0008 Or slothful, in the purchase of fresh bays; wln 0009 But want of Truth in Them, who give the praise wln 0010 To their self­love, presuming to outdo wln 0011 The Writer, or (for need) the Actors too. wln 0012 But such THIS AUTHOR’S silence best befits, wln 0013 Who bids Them, be in love, with their own wits: wln 0014 From Him, to clearer Judgements, we can say, wln 0015 He shows a History, couched in a Play: wln 0016 A History of noble mention, known, wln 0017 Famous, and true: most noble, ’cause our own: wln 0018 Not forged from Italy, from France, from Spain, wln 0019 But Chronicled at Home; as rich in strain wln 0020 Of brave Attempts, as ever, fertile Rage wln 0021 In Action, could beget to grace the Stage. wln 0022 We cannot limit Scenes, for the whole Land wln 0023 Itself, appeared too narrow to withstand wln 0024 Competitors for Kingdoms: nor is here wln 0025 Unnecessary mirth forced, to endear wln 0026 A multitude; on these two, rests the Fate wln 0027 Of worthy expectation; TRUTH and STATE. img: 5­b sig: B1r wln 0028 THE wln 0029 CHRONICLE wln 0030 HISTORY OF wln 0031 PERKIN WARBECK.