added, with various degrees of plausibility, Histriomastix, What You Will, and Wily Beguiled. For Paul's were also certainly planned, although we cannot be sure whether, or if so when, they were actually produced, the curious series of plays left in manuscript by William Percy, of which unfortunately only two have ever been published. As the company only endured for six or seven years after its revival, it seems probable that a very fair proportion of its repertory has reached us. Jack Drum's Entertainment speaks of the 'mustie fopperies of antiquitie' with which the company began its career, and one of these is no doubt to be found in Histriomastix, evidently an old play, possibly of academic origin, and recently brought up to date.[1] The staging of Histriomastix would have caused no difficulty to the Revels officers, if it had been put into their hands as a Paul's play of the 'eighties. The plot illustrates the cyclical progression of Peace, Plenty, Pride, Envy, War, Poverty, each of whom in turn occupies a throne, finally resigned to Peace, for whom in an alternative ending for Court performance is substituted Astraea, who is Elizabeth.[2] This arrangement recalls that of The Woman in the Moon, but the throne seems to have its position on the main stage rather than above. Apart from the abstractions, the whole of the action may be supposed to take place in a single provincial town, largely in an open street, sometimes in the hall of a lord called Mavortius, on occasion in or before smaller domus representing the studies of Chrisoganus, a scholar, and Fourcher, a lawyer, the shop of Velure, a merchant, a market-cross, which is discovered by a curtain, perhaps a tavern.[3] Certainly in the 'eighties these would have been disposed together around the stage, like the domus of Campaspe about the market-place at Athens.scorne a scoffing foole about my Throne'; vi. 271 (s.d.), 'Astraea' [in margin, 'Q. Eliza'] 'mounts unto the throne'; vi. 296 (original ending), 'In the end of the play. Plenty Pride Envy Warre and Poverty To enter and resigne their severall Scepters to Peace, sitting in Maiestie'.]
- ↑ Jack Drum's Ent. v. 112.
- ↑ Histriomastix, i. 6, 'now sit wee high (tryumphant in our sway)'; ii. 1, 'Enter Plenty upon a Throne'; iii. 11, 'If you will sit in throne of State with Pride'; v. 1, 'Rule, fier-eied Warre! . . . Envy . . . Hath now resigned her spightfull throne to us'; vi. 7, 'I [Poverty
- ↑ Histriomastix, i. 163, 'Enter . . . Chrisoganus in his study' . . . (181) 'So all goe to Chrisoganus study, where they find him reading'; ii. 70, 'Enter Contrimen, to them, Clarke of the Market: hee wrings a bell, and drawes a curtaine; whereunder is a market set about a Crosse' . . . (80) 'Enter Gulch, Belch, Clowt and Gut. One of them steppes on the Crosse, and cryes, A Play' . . . (105) 'Enter Vintner with a quart of Wine'; v. 192, 'Enter Lyon-rash to Fourchier sitting in his study at one end of the stage: At the other end enter Vourcher to Velure in his shop'.
