Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	age_n	time_n	write_v	2,053	5	5.4074	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03202	The foure prentises of London VVith the conquest of Ierusalem. As it hath bene diuerse times acted, at the Red Bull, by the Queenes Maiesties Seruants. Written by Thomas Heyvvood.	Heywood, Thomas, d. 1641.	1615 (1615)	STC 13321; ESTC S120519	47,822	86

THE Foure Prentises of London With the Conquest of Ierusalem As it hath bene diuerse times Acted at the Red Bull by the Queenes Maiesties Seruants Written by THOMAS HEYVVOOD Printed at London for I. W. 1615 To the honest and high-spirited Prentises The Readers TO you as whom this Play most especially concernes I thought good to dedicate this Labour which though written many yeares since in my Infancy of Iudgement in this kinde of Poetry and my first practise yet vnderstanding by what meanes I know not it was in these more exquisit refined Times to come to the Presse in such a forwardnesse ere it came to my knowledge that it was past preuention and knowing withall that it comes short of that accuratenesse both in Plot and Stile that these more Censorious dayes with greater curiosity acquire I must thus excuse That as Playes were then some fifteene or sixteene yeares agoe it was in the fashion Nor could it haue found a more seasonable and fit publication then at this Time when to the glory of our Nation the security of the Kingdome and the honour of the City they haue begunne againe the commendable practise of long forgotten Armes the continuance of which I wish the discipline approue and the encouragement thereof euen with my soule applaude In which great and hoped good they deserue not the least attribute of approbation who in the dull and sleepy time of peace first waken'd the remembrance of these armes in the Artillery garden which begun out of their voluntary affections prosecuted by their priuate industries and continued at their owne proper cost and charge deserues in my opinion not onely respect and regard but recompence and reward But to returne againe to you my braue spirited Prentises vpon whom I haue freely bestowed these Foure I I wish you all that haue their courages and forwardnesse their noble Fates and Fortunes Yours Thomas Heywood Drammatis Personae The old Earle of Bulleine His foure sonnes Godfrey Guy Charles Eustace Bella Franca his daughter An English Captaine Robert of Normandy The French Kings daughter Tancred a Prince of Italy The Souldan of Babylon The Sophy of Persia Turnus Moretes A Chorus or Presentor Mutes The French King The Bullenois Bandetti Irishmen Ambushes of Pagans The Clowne The Prologue Enter three in blacke clokes at three doores 1 VVHat meane you my maisters to appeare thus before your times Doe you not know that I am the Prologue Do you not see this long blacke veluet cloke vpon my backe Haue you not sounded thrice Do I not looke pale as fearing to bee out in my speech Nay haue I not all the signes of a Prologue about me Then to what end come you to interrupt mee 2 I haue a Prologue to speake too 3 And I another 1 O superfluous and more then euer I heard of three Prologues to one play 2 Haue you not seene three ropes to tole one bell three doores to one house three wayes to one towne 1 I grant you but I neuer heard of any that had three heads to one body but Cerberus But what doth your Prologue meane 2 I come to excuse the name of the Play 3 I the errours in the Play 1 And I the Author that made the Play Touching the name why is it called True and Strange or The foure Prentises of London A Gentleman that heard the subiect discourst said it was not possible to be true and none here are bound to beleeue it 2 T is true that Alexander at thirty yeares of age conquered the whole world but strange he should doe so If we should not beleeue things recorded in former ages wee were not worthy that succeeding times should beleeue things done in these our ages 1 But what authority haue you for your History I am one of those that wil beleeue nothing that is not in the Chronicle 2 Our authority is a Manuscript a booke writ in parchment which not being publique nor generall in the world wee rather thought fit to exemplifie to the publique censure things concealed and obscur'd such as are not common with euery one than such Historicall Tales as euery one can tell by the fire in Winter Had not yee rather for nouelties sake see Ierusalem yee neuer saw then London that yee see howerly So much touching the name of our History 1 You haue satisfied me and I hope all that heare me Now what haue you to speake concerning the errours in the Play 3 We acknowledge none For the errors we could finde we would willingly amend but if these cleere-sighted Gentlemen with the eyes of their iudgements looking exactly into vs finde any imperfections which are hid from our selues our request is you would rather looke ouer them then through them not with a troubled eye that makes one obiect to seeme two but with a fauourable eye which hath power in it selfe to make many to seeme none at all 1 Oh now I vnderstand you Three Prologues to our Play pardon mee y 'aue need of three hundred me thinkes and all little enough But to end our beginning in a word Thus much by the patience of these Gentlemen Spectators should you oppose your iudgements against vs where we are three which some would thinke too many were we three thousand we thinke our selues to few Our Author submits his labours to you as the Authors of all the content he hath within this circumference But for your sakes this onely we dare say We promist you and wee 'l performe a Play The foure Prentises OF LONDON Actus primus Scoena prima Enter the old Earle of Boloigne and his daughter BELLA FRANCA EARLE DAughter thou seest how Fortune turnes her wheele Wee that but late were mounted vp aloft Lul'd in the skirt of that inconstant Dame Are now throwne head-long by her ruthlesse hand To kisse that earth whereon our feete should stand What censuring eye that sees mee thus deiect Would take this shape to bee that famous Duke Which hath made Boloigne through the world renown'd And all our race with fame and honour crown'd BELL. But father how can you endure a slaue To triumph in your fortunes and heere stand In soule deiect and banisht from your land EARLE I le tell thee Girle The French King and my selfe Vpon some termes grew in a strange debate And taking carefull vantage of the time Whilst I with all my powers in aide of William The Norman Duke now English Conquerour Was busily emploi'd hee seiz'd my right Planting another and supplanting mee This is the ground of my extremitie BEL. If for King Williams sake now Conquerour You lost your birth-right and inheritance How comes it that hee sees you in this state And lifts not vp your fortunes ruinate EARLE A conquered Kingdome is not easily kept Hee hath so much adoe to guard his owne That mine is buried in obliuion And I am forc't to loose the name of Earle And liue in London like a Citizen My foure sons are bound prentice