JOHN MARSTON (?1575-1634)
The Scourge of Villanie.... At London,... 1598. 8vo. [H4, H7]
In the tenth (and last) satire, called 'Humours,' the satirist abandons his 'snarling rage' for 'sporting merriment' and laughs lightly at the typical figures he hails in turn, such as capering Curio,' Drusus an actor, or the 'Fashion-mounger.' The invocation was, no doubt, known to Milton, cf. L'Allegro, for this is Marston's
Sleep grim Reproofe, my jocund Muse dooth sing
In other keyes, to nimbler fingering.
Dull sprighted Melancholy, leave my braine
To hell Cimmerian night, in lively vaine
I strive to paint, then hence all darke intent
And sullen frownes, come sporting meriment,
Cheeke dimpling laughter, crowne my very soule
With jouisance.
An Ardent Playgoer
Luscus what's playd to day? faith now I know
I set thy lips abroach, from whence doth flow
Naught but pure Juliat and Romio.
Say, who acts best? Drusus, or Roscio?
Now I have him, that nere of ought did speake
But when of playes or Plaiers he did treate.
H'ath made a common-place booke out of plaies,
And speakes in print, at least what ere he sayes
Is warranted by Curtaine plaudeties,
If ere you heard him courting Lesbias eyes;
Say (Curteous Sir) speakes he not movingly
From out some new pathetique Tragedie?
He writes, he railes, he jests, he courts, what not,
And all from out his huge long scraped stock
Of well penn'd playes.
'O SPRUCE! How now Piso, Aurelius Ape,
What strange disguise, what new deformed shape
Doth hold thy thoughts in contemplation?
Faith say, what fashion art thou thinking on?
A stitch'd Taffata cloake, a payre of slops
Of Spanish leather? O who heard his chops
Ere chew of ought, but of some strange disguise.
This fashion-mounger, each morne fore he rise
Contemplates sute shapes, & once from out his bed,
He hath them straight full lively portraied.
And then he chukes,' and is as proude of this,
As Taphus when he got his neighbours blisse.
All fashions since the first yeere of this Queene,
May in his studdie fairely drawne be seene,
And all that shall be to his day of doome,
You may peruse within that little roome.
For not a fashion once dare show his face,
But from neate Pyso first must take his grace.
The long fooles coat, the huge slop, the lugg'd
From mimick Piso, all doe claime their roote.
O that the boundlesse power of the soule
Should be coop'd vp in fashioning some roule!'
SAMUEL ROWLANDS (1570-?1630)
Looke to it: For, Ile Stabbe ye.... London... 1604.
8vo. [Copy used, Bodl. Malone 599.]
Out of 34 pieces, about 16 are characters.
Complete Works of S. Rowlands.
Rowlands's 'characters' are homely relations of those written by Sir John Davies and Ben Jonson. He was keenly interested in contemporary manners, which he describes in an easy and good-natured style with frequent dramatic touches.
Looke to it: For, Ile Stabbe ye is spoken by Death, who issues a general challenge. The work is a rendering of the medieval conception of the Dance of Death, in which personages representing all ranks of life were variously grouped, and shown, one and all, to be attended by Death.
Divines, that are together by the eares,
Puft up, high-minded, seedes-men of dissention,
Striving untill Christes seame-lesse garments teares,
Making the Scriptures follow your invention,
Neglecting that, whereon the soule should feede:
Imployde in that, whereof soules have no neede.
Curious in thinges you neede not stir about,
Such as concerne not matter of salvation:
Giving offence to them that are without :
Upon whose weaknes you should have compassion,
Causing the good to grieve, the bad rejoyce;
Yet you with Martha, make the worser choyce.
SOOTH-SAYER, OR FIGURE-FLINGER 21
Sooth-sayer, or Figure-flinger
You Cunning man, or rather co'sning Knave,
That will tell good-man Ninney of his Mare:
Cysley, how many Husbandes she shall have,
Tom Carter, when the weather will be faire :
My neighbour Powling, who hath found his Purse,
And Jone his wife, who did her Chickens curse.
Whether a man shall have a happy life,
Whether a Lover shall his Love enjoy:
Who shall die first, the husband or the wife?
Whether the childe unborne, be girle or boy?
You that can fetch home Servantes runne away,
And finde out any Cattle gone astray.
HENRY FITZGEFFREY (A. 1617)
Satyres And Satyricall Epigram's: With Certaine Observations at Black-Fryers. By H: F... London . . . 1617. 8vo. [F4']
While H. F. is at the theatre with a friend, waiting for the performance, they discuss the typical figures they see entering, in a lively satirical narrative.
The descriptions most like characters are those of Captain Martio (the Swaggerer), Sir Iland Hunt, a Travailer, a plumed Dandebrat, the Spruse Coxcombe, and crabbed Websterio the critic.
WANT it for Women we shu'd all be men.
I cannot present better instance, then
In yon Spruse Coxcombe, yon Affecting Asse,
That never walkes without his Looking-glasse,
In a Tobacco box, or Diall set,
That he may privatly conferre with it.
How his Band jumpeth with his Peccadilly,1
Whether his Band strings ballance equally:
Which way his Feather wagg's: And (to say truth)
What wordes in utterance best become his mouth.
Oh! Hadst thou yesterday beheld the Valour
I saw him exercising on his Taylour,
How, out of measure, hee the Rascall beat,
Not fitting to his minde his Doublet.
Lord! how I laught to see the witlesse Noddy,
Durst not reply, he meant it to his Body.
See Villain, Rogue! (And in he shrinks his brest)
Oh Heauens! Too wide a handfull at the least,
Straight it is Cut! And then proves (being try'd)
As much too little on the other side.
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