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 ismigg: :[ N1­/bA] sig: A2r ln 0001 THE ln 0002 MALCONTENT. ln 0003 By John Marston. ln 0004 1604. ln 0005 Printed at London by V. S. for William Aspley, ln 0006 and are to be sold at his shop in Paul’s ln 0007 Churchyard. img: 2­a ismigg: :A 22­vb sig: A3r ln 0001 BENJAMINO JONSONIO ln 0002 POETAE ln 0003 ELEGANTISSIMO ln 0004 GRAVISSIMO ln 0005 AMICO ln 0006 SUO CANDIDO ET CORDATO, ln 0007 JOHANNES MARSTON ln 0008 MUSARUM ALUMNUS ln 0009 ASPERAM HANC SUAM THALIAM ln 0010 D. D. img: 3­a sig: A3v ln 0001 To the Reader. ln 0002 I Am an ill Orator; and in ln 0003 truth, use to indite more honestly ln 0004 then eloquently, for ln 0005 ’tis my custom to speak as ln 0006 I think, and write as I speak. ln 0007 In plainness therefore understand, that in some ln 0008 things I have willingly erred, ln 0009 as in supposing a Duke of Genoa, and in taking ln 0010 names different from that City’s families: for ln 0011 which some may wittily accuse me, but my defense ln 0012 shall be as honest, as many reproofs unto me have ln 0013 been most malicious. Since (I heartily protest) ’twas ln 0014 my care to write so far from reasonable offense, ln 0015 that even strangers, in whose State I laid my Scene, ln 0016 should not from thence draw any disgrace to any, ln 0017 dead or living. Yet in despite of my endeavors, I understand, ln 0018 some have been most unadvisedly overcunning ln 0019 in misinterpreting me, and with subtlety (as deep ln 0020 as hell) have maliciously spread ill rumors, which ln 0021 springing from themselves, might to themselves ln 0022 have heavily returned. Surely I desire to satisfy every ln 0023 firm spirit, who in all his actions, proposeth to ln 0024 himself no more ends than God and virtue do, ln 0025 whose intentions are always simple: to such I img: 3­b sig: A4r ln 0026 protest, that with my free understanding, I have not ln 0027 glanced at disgrace of any, but of those, whose unquiet ln 0028 studies labor innovation, contempt of holy ln 0029 policy, reverent comely superiority, and established ln 0030 unity: for the rest of my supposed tartness, I ln 0031 fear not, but unto every worthy mind ’twill be approved ln 0032 so general and honest, as may modestly ln 0033 pass with the freedom of a Satire. I would fain ln 0034 leave the paper; only one thing afflicts me, to ln 0035 think that Scenes invented, merely to be spoken, ln 0036 should be inforcively published to be read, and that ln 0037 the least hurt I can receive, is to do myself the ln 0038 wrong. But since others otherwise would do me ln 0039 more, the least inconvenience is to be accepted. I ln 0040 have myself therefore set forth this Comedy; but ln 0041 so, that my enforced absence must much rely upon ln 0042 the Printer’s discretion: but I shall entreat, slight ln 0043 errors in orthography may be as slightly o’erpassed; ln 0044 and that the unhandsome shape which this ln 0045 trifle in reading presents, may be pardoned, for ln 0046 the pleasure it once afforded you, when it was presented ln 0047 with the soul of lively action. linm 0g0:4 48­a Me mea sequentur fata. sig: A4v ln 0049 J. M. ln 0001 Giovanni Disguised Malevole sometime ln 0002 Altofronto Duke of Genoa. ln 0003 Pietro Jacomo Duke of Genoa. ln 0004 Mendoza A Minion to the Duchess of ln 0005 Pietro Jacomo. ln 0006 Celso A friend to Altofront. ln 0007 Bilioso. An old choleric Marshal. ln 0008 Prepasso A Gentleman Usher. ln 0009 Ferneze A young Courtier, and enamored ln 0010 on the Duchess. ln 0011 Ferrardo A Minion to Duke Pietro ln 0012 Jacomo. ln 0013 Equato. Two Courtiers. ln 0014 Guerrino. ln 0015 Aurelia Duchess to Duke Pietro Jacomo. ln 0016 Maria Duchess to Duke Altofront. ln 0017 Emilia Two Ladies attending the Duchess. ln 0018 Bianca linm 0g0:1 49­b Maquerelle An old Panderess. sig: B1r wln 0001 THE Vexat wln 0002 MALCONTENT. censura columbas. wln 0003 ACTUS PRIMUS. SCAENA PRIMA. wln 0004 The vilest out of tune Music being heard. wln 0005 Enter Bilioso and Prepasso. wln 0006 Bilioso. wln 0007 Why how now? are ye mad? or drunk? or wln 0008 both? or what? wln 0009 Prepasso Are ye building Babylon there? wln 0010 Bilioso Here’s a noise in Court, you think you wln 0011 are in a Tavern, do you not? wln 0012 Prepasso You think you are in a brothel house do you wln 0013 not? This room is ill scented. wln 0014 Enter one with a Perfume. wln 0015 So; perfume; perfume; some upon me I pray thee: The wln 0016 Duke is upon instant entrance; so, make place there. wln 0017 SCAENA SECUNDA. wln 0018 Enter the Duke Pietro, Ferrardo, Count Equato, wln 0019 Count Celso before, and Guerrino. wln 0020 Pietro. Where breathes that Music? wln 0021 Bilioso. The discord rather than the Music is heard wln 0022 from the Malcontent Malevoles chamber. wln 0023 Ferrardo Malevole. wln 0024 Malevole Yaugh, god a’ man what dost thou there: Duke’s Out of his wln 0025 Ganymede Juno’s jealous of thy long stockings: shadow Chamber. wln 0026 of a woman, what wouldst Weasel? thou lamb a’ wln 0027 Court: what dost thou bleat for? ah you smooth­chinned wln 0028 Catamite. wln 0029 Pietro. Come down thou rugged Cur, and snarl here, wln 0030 I give thy dogged sullenness free liberty: trot about and wln 0031 bespurtle whom thou pleasest. img: 5­a sig: B1v wln 0032 Malevole. I’ll come among you, you Goatish­blooded wln 0033 Toderers, as Gum into Taffeta, to fret, to fret: I’ll fall like a wln 0034 sponge into water to suck up; to suck up. Howl again. I’ll wln 0035 pray, and come to you. wln 0036 Pietro. This Malevole is one of the most prodigious affections wln 0037 that ever conversed with nature; A man or rather a wln 0038 monster; more discontent than Lucifer when he was thrust wln 0039 out of the presence, his appetite is unsatiable as the Grave; wln 0040 as far from any content as from heaven, his highest delight wln 0041 is to procure others’ vexation, and therein he thinks wln 0042 he truly serves heaven; for ’tis his position, whosoever in wln 0043 this earth can be contented is a slave and damned; therefore wln 0044 does he afflict all in that to which they are most affected; the wln 0045 Elements struggle within him; his own soul is at variance; wln 0046 his speech is halter­worthy at all hours; I like him wln 0047 faith, he gives good intelligence to my spirit, makes me understand wln 0048 those weaknesses which others’ flattery palliate: wln 0049 hark they sing. wln 0050 SCAENA TERTIA wln 0051 A Song. wln 0052 Enter Malevole after the Song. wln 0053 See he comes; now shall you hear the extremity of a wln 0054 Malcontent: he is as free as air; he blows over every wln 0055 man. And sir whence come you now? wln 0056 Malevole From the public place of much dissimulation; wln 0057 the church wln 0058 Pietro What didst there? wln 0059 Malevole Talk with a Usurer; take up at Interest. wln 0060 Pietro I wonder what religion thou art? wln 0061 Malevole Of a Soldier’s religion. wln 0062 Pietro And what dost thou think makes most Infidels now? wln 0063 Malevole Sects, sects, I have seen seeming Piety change wln 0064 her robe so oft, that sure none but some arch­devil can wln 0065 shape her a new Petticoat. img: 5­b sig: B2r wln 0066 Pietro. Of a religious policy. wln 0067 Malevole But damnation on a politic religion. wln 0068 Pietro. But what’s the common news abroad Malevole, wln 0069 thou dog’st rumor still. wln 0070 Malevole Common news? why common words are, God wln 0071 save ye, Fare ye well: common actions, Flattery and Cozenage: wln 0072 common things, Women and Cuckolds: and how wln 0073 does my little Ferrard: a ye lecherous Animal, my little wln 0074 Ferret, he goes sucking up and down the Palace into every wln 0075 Hen’s nest like a Weasel: and to what dost thou addict thy wln 0076 time to now, more than to those Antique painted drabs that wln 0077 are still affected of young Courtiers, Flattery, Pride and Venery.