tiers; delicate quirkes against the rich Cuckold a Cittizen; shadowed glaunces for good innocent Ladies and Gentlewomen; with a nipping scoffe for some honest Justice, who hath once imprisoned him or some thriftie Trades-man, who hath allowed him no credit: alwayes remembred, his object is, A new Play, or A Play newly revived. Other Poems hee admits, as good fellowes take Tobacco, or ignorant Burgesses give a voyce, for company sake; as things that neither maintaine, nor bee against him. Hee can seeme no lesse then one in honour, or at least one mounted: for unto miseries which persecute such, hee is most incident. Hence it proceedes, that in the prosperous fortune of a Play frequented, hee proves immoderate, and falles into a Drunkards paradise, till it be last no longer. Otherwise when adversities come, they come together: For Lent and Shrove-tuesday bee not farre asunder: then hee is dejected daily and weekely his blessings be neither lame nor monstrous: they goe upon foure legges; but move slowly and make as great a distance betweene their steppes, as betweene the foure Tearmes. If he marries, hee mistakes the Woman for the Boy in Womans attire, by not respecting a difference in the mischiefe. But so long as hee liues unmarried, he mistakes the Boy, or a Whore for the Woman; by courting the first on the stage, or visiting the second at her, devotions. Take him at the best, he is but a shifting companion: for he lives effectually by putting on, and putting off. If his profession were single, hee would thinke himselfe a simple fellow, as hee doth all professions besides his owne: His owne therefore is compounded of A COMMON PLAYER 129 all Natures, all Humours, all professions. Hee is politick enough to perceive the Common-wealths doubts of his licence, and therefore in spight of Parliaments or Statutes he incorporates himselfe by the title of a Brother-hood. I need not multiply his character; for boyes and every one, will no sooner see men of this Faculty walke along, but they will (unasked) informe you what hee is by the vulgar denomination. A Friend Is one of the waightiest sillables (God excepted) that English or any Language doth afford. He is neerer to me then marriage, or naturall kindred of the same bloud; because love without kindred or ceremony, is more to be admired; and by the consequent more precious. Marriage and Kindred goes oftentimes no further then the Name or Body; but friendship is annexed with unanimity. My Friend therfore is either disposed (as I am) well: or well disposed to make me better. His multitude of acquaintance doth not extenuate his love, nor devide his affection. His lower fortunes be not distasted, nor dissembled, nor swolne bigger then they bee. He must not be imployed in trifles and continually, like a servant; nor with expectation, like a Sonne: For an absolute Friend will finish (when importance calles) before he can be requested. He therefore among all, confutes the saying of Wares proffer'd: For what a Friend gives freely, (either to prevent request, or to supply a modest silence) inchants the party. Hee is much dearer, then my leggs and armes, for he is my body and my soule together. His honour is true love: which being so, hee loves because he will not, & not because he cannot alter: That man cannot alter, who cannot with honesty disclaime affection; as being tyed with dotage or favours above merrit and requitall: But friends will not: which signifies that their love depends upon approbation of the naked man. A Friend therefore must be freely chosen not painfully created: for jealousies and feares intrude when favours be not mutuall; if favours bee the first beginning. He is manifest to me, whilst invisible to the world: and is indeed much about the making of this Character; little in worth and little pleasing at the first sight. Hee is able and willing, to councell, to perform. A second meeting thinkes him fitt; A second tryall knowes him a fit Friend. The meere imagination of a friends love is an inchanted armor: my heart is impenetrable whilst I weare the comfort for whether I survive or dye, my Friend pre-serves me. Time nor anger can dissolve his amity: for either he submits and I pardon, or I submit & he pardons. Hee is like a true Christian, that undertakes & suffers for Christs sake as a friend for his friends sake with equall joy, both credit and discredit, rest and travaile. Being once had, a friend is full enough, and true a needles epithite: for I am his, he mine: and being so, we are one to another the best or no friends. It is foolish Paganisme to worship the suns rising, which doth regard al alike with his Idolaters and it is crazy dotage for any to honour that friend, who prostitutes his favour to the worlds liking. A perfect friend, thinkes friendship his felicity without which estimation, the neerest friendship, is but a sociable custome: for man hath never made an action perfect, unlesse he drew felicitie from his actions nature. NICHOLAS BRETON (?1545-?1626) ... Characters Upon Essaies Morall, and Divine, . . . London... 1615. 8vo. 16 characters (containing Warre). The Good and the Badde, or Descriptions of the Worthies and Unworthies of this Age.... London,... 1616. 4to. 50 characters (containing A Worthy Marchant). Fantasticks Serving for a Perpetuall Prognostication.... London,... 1626. 4to. 36 characters. 'Nor will it irk thee, now and then to look Quaint Talks in Green Lanes and by Fire-side Nook.' A. B. GROSART. The device of contrast that Breton uses in The Good and the Badde was a favourite one among the character-writers, and Milton was in the fashion with his L'Allegro and Il Penseroso. Fantasticks contains thirty-seven short accounts 'in description of the twelve houres, the twelve moneths, and some special dayes in the yere.' In these prose pictures Breton found himself. They are dewy and sweet. Fantasticks was in part reprinted and enlarged in 1661 as The Twelue Moneths... By M. Stevenson,... London, Printed by M. S. for Thomas Jenner. No reference was made to Breton. 'Augustus' is one of the twelve attractive woodcuts added to this edition. Warre WARRE is a scourge of the wrath of God, which by famine, fire, or sword, humbleth the spirits of 1 Cf. Leigh Hunt's two essays called 'A Now.' |