University of Virginia Library

The Prologue.

Your silence and attention worthy friends,
That your free spirits may with more pleasing sense,
Relish the life of this our actiue sceane,
To which intent, to calme this murmuring breath,
We ring this round with our inuoking spelles,
If that your listning eares be yet prepard
To entertayne the subiect of our play,
Lend vs your patience.
Tis Peter Fabell a renowned Scholler,
Whose fame hath still beene hitherto forgot
By all the writers of this latter age.
In Middle-sex his birth and his abode,
Not full seauen mile from this great famous Citty
That for his fame in sleights and magicke won,
Was calde the merry Fiend of Edmonton.
If any heere make doubt of such a name,
In Edmonton yet fresh vnto this day,
Fixt in the wall of that old antient Church
His monument remayneth to be seene;
His memory yet in the mouths of men,
That whilst he liude he could deceiue the Deuill.
Imagine now that whilst he is retirde,
From Cambridge backe vnto his natiue home,
Suppose the silent sable visagde night,
Casts her blacke curtaine ouer all the world,
And whilst he sleepes within his silent bed,
Toylde with the studies of the passed day:
The very time and houre wherein that spirite
That many yeeres attended his commaund;
And often times twixt Cambridge and that towne,
Had in a minute borne him through the ayre,
By composition twixt the fiend and him,
Draw the curtaines.
Comes now to claime the Scholler for his due.
Behold him heere laide on his restlesse couch,
His fatall chime prepared at his head,
His chamber guarded with these sable slights,
And by him stands that Necromanticke chaire,
In which he makes his direfull inuocations,
And binds the fiends that shall obey his will,
Sit with a pleased eye vntill you know
The Commicke end of our sad Tragique show.
Exit.