University of Virginia Library

The Prologue.

At a solenme feast of the Triumuiri in Rome, it was seene
and obserued, that the birds ceased to sing, & sate solitarie
on the house tops, by reason of the sight of a paynted Serpēt
set openly to view. So fares it with vs nouices, that here betray
our imperfections: we, afraid to looke on the imaginary serpent
of Enuy, paynted in mens affections, haue ceased to tune any
musike of mirth to your eares this tweluemonth, thinking, that
as it is the nature of the serpent to hisse: so childhood and ignorance
would play the goslings, contemning, and condemning
what they vnderstood not. Their censures we wey not,
whose sences are not yet vnswadled. The little minutes will be
continually striking, though no man regard them. Whelpes
will barke, before they can see, and striue to byte, before they
haue teeth. Politianus speaketh of a beast, who, while hee is
cut on the table, drinketh, and represents the motions & voyces
of a liuing creature. Such like foolish beasts are we, who,
whilest we are cut, mocked, & flowted at, in euery mans common
talke, will notwithstanding proceed to shame our selues,
to make sport. No man pleaseth all, we seeke to please one.
Didymus wrote foure thousand bookes, or as some say, six thousand,
of the arte of Grammar. Our Authour hopes, it may
be as lawfull for him to write a thousand lines of as light a subiect.
Socrates (whom the Oracle pronounced the wisest man
of Greece) sometimes daunced. Seipto and Lelius by the seaside
played at peeble-stone. Semel in saniuimus omnes. Euery
man cannot, with Archimedes, make a heauen of brasse, or dig
gold out of the iron mynes of the lawe. Such odde trifles, as
Mathematicians experiments be, Artificiall flyes to hang in the
ayre by themselues, daunsing balles, an egge-shell that shall
clyme vp to the top of a speare, fiery breathing goares, Poctæ
noster professeth not to make. Placeat sibi quisq; heebit. What's
a foole but his bable? Deepe reaching wits, heere is no deepe

streame for you to angle in. Moralizers, you that wrest a neuer
meant meaning, out of euery thing, applying all things to
the present time, keepe your attention for the common Stage:
for here are no quips in Characters for you to reade. Vayne
glozers, gather what you will. Spite, spell backwards, what
thou canst. As the Parthians fight, flying away: so will wee
prate and talke, but stand to nothing that we say.

How say you, my masters, doe you not laugh at him for a
Coxcombe? Why, he hath made a Prologue longer then his
Play: nay, 'tis no Play neyther, but a shewe. Ile be sworne,
the sigge of Rowlands God-sonne, is a Gyant in comparison
of it. What can be made of Summers last will & Testament?
Such another thing, as Cyllian of Braynfords will, where shee
bequeathed a score of farts amongst her friends. Forsooth, because
the plague raignes in most places in this latter end of summer,
Summer must come in sicke: he must call his officers to
account, yeeld his throne to Autumne, make Winter his Executour,
with tittle tattle Tom boy: God giue you good night in
Watling street. I care not what I say now: for I play no more
then you heare; & some of that you heard to (by your leaue) was
extempore. He were as good haue let me had the best part:
for Ile be reueng'd on him to the vttermost, in this person of
Will Summer, which I haue put on to play the Prologue, and
meane not to put off, till the play be done. Ile sit as a Chorus,
and flowte the Actors and him at the end of euery Sceane: I
know they will not interrupt me, for feare of marring of all:
but looke to your cues, my masters; for I intend to play the
knaue in cue, and put you besides all your parts, if you take
not the better heede. Actors, you Rogues, come away, cleare
your throats, blowe your noses, and wype your mouthes e're
you enter, that you may take no occasion to spit or to cough,
when you are non plus. And this I barre ouer and besides,
That none of you stroake your beardes, to make action, play
with your cod-piece poynts, or stad fumbling on your button,
when you know not how to bestow your fingers. Serue God,
and act cleanly; a fit of mirth, and an old song first, if you will.