The Roaring Girl, or Moll Cutpurse · chunk 1 of 47
Dekker, Thomas / Middleton, Thomas · published 1611 · first performed or written 1611 (Annals) comedy · Prince Henry's Men · Fortune T9 Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playe typicality 0.75 · 480 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
A Play (expected long) makes the Audience look For wonders:— that each scene should be a book, Composed to all perfection; each one comes And brings a play in's head with him: up he sums, What he would of a Roaring Girl have writ; If that he finds not here, he mews at it. Only we entreat you think our scene. Cannot speak high (the subject being but mean) A Roaring Girl (whose notes till now never were) Shall fill with laughter our vast Theater, That's all which I dare promise: Tragic passion, And such grave stuff, is this day out of fashion. I see attention sets wide ope her gates Of hearing, and with covetous listening waits, To know what Girl, this Roaring Girl should be. (For of that Tribe are many.) One is she That roars at midnight in deep Tavern bowls, That beats the watch, and Constable's controls; Another roars i'th' day time, swears, stabs, gives braves, Yet sells her soul to the lust of fools and slaves. Both these are Suburb-roarers. Then there's (beside) A civil City Roaring Girl, whose pride, Feasting, and riding, shakes her husband's state, And leaves him Roaring through an iron grate. None of these Roaring Girls is ours: she flies With wings more lofty. Thus her character lies, Yet what need characters? when to give a guess, Is better than the person to express; But would you know who 'tis? would you hear her name? she is called mad Moll; her life, our acts proclaim. THe young gentleman (our young master) Sir Alexander's son, is it into his ears (sweet Damsel) (emblem of fragility) you desire to have a message transported, or to be transcendent. A private word or two Sir, nothing else. You shall fructify in that which you come for: your pleasure shall be satisfied to your full contentation: I will (fairest tree of generation) watch when our young master is erected, (that is to say up) and deliver him to this your most white hand. Thanks sir. And withal certify him, that I have culled out for him (now his belly is replenished) a daintier bit or modicum then any lay upon his trencher at dinner— hath he notion of your name, I beseech your chastity. One Sir, of whom he be spoken falling bands. Falling bands, it shall so be given him,—— if you please to venture your modesty in the hall, amongst a curl-pated company of rude servingmen, and take such as they can set before you, you shall be most seriously, and ingeniously welcome. I have died indeed already sir. Or will you vouchsafe to kiss the lip of a cup of rich Orleans in the buttery amongst our waiting women. Not now in truth sir. Our young Master shall then have a feeling of your being here presently it shall so be given him.
seed 43: T16 · seed 44: T15 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
A Play (expected long) makes the Audience looke For wonders:—that each Scoene should be a booke, Compos'd to all perfection; each one comes And brings a play in's head with him: vp he summes, What he would of a Roaring Girle haue writ; If that he findes not here, he mwes at it. Onely we intreate you thinke our Scoene. Cannot speake high (the subiect being but meane) A Roaring Girle (whose notes till now neuer were) Shall fill with laughter our vast Theater, That's all which I dare promise: Tragick passion, And such graue stuffe, is this day out of fashion. I see attention sets wide ope her gates Of hearing, and with couetous listning waites, To know what Girle, this Roaring Girle should be. (For of that Tribe are many.) One is shee That roares at midnight in deepe Tauerne bowles, That beates the watch, and Constables controuls; Another roares i'th day time, sweares, stabbes, giues braues, Yet sells her soule to the lust of fooles and slaues. Both these are Suburbe-roarers. Then there's (besides) A ciuill Citty▪ Roaring Girle, whose pride, Feasting, and riding, shakes her husbands state, And leaues him Roaring through an yron grate. None of these Roaring Girles is ours: shee flies VVith wings more losty. Thus her character lyes, Yet what neede characters? when to giue a gesse, Is better then the person to expresse; But would you know who 'tis? would you heare her name? Shee is cal'd madde Moll; her life, our acts proclaime. THe yong gentleman (our young maister) Sir Alexanders sonne, is it into his eares (sweet Damsell) (embleme of fragility) you desire to haue a message transported, or to be transcendent. A priuate word or two Sir, nothing else. You shall fructifie in that which you come for: your pleasure shall be satisfied to your full contentation: I will (fairest tree of generation) watch when our young maister is erected, (that is to say vp) and deliuer him to this your most white hand. Thankes sir. And withall certifie him, that I haue culled out for him (now his belly is replenished) a daintier bit or modicome then any lay vpon his trencher at dinner—hath he notion of your name, I beseech your chastitie. One Sir, of whom he be spake falling bands. Falling bands, it shall so be giuen him,——if you please to venture your modesty in the hall, amongst a curlepated company of rude seruingmen, and take such as they can set before you, you shall be most seriously, and ingeniously welcome. I haue dyed indeed already sir. ——Or will you vouchsafe to kisse the lip of a cup of rich Orleans in the buttry amongst our waiting women. Not now in truth sir. Our yong Maister shall then haue a feeling of your being here presently it shall so be giuen him.