present you Prompter And what are you to present them I pray Fool. A P a P a P a Pick-pocket Prompter A fool's head are not you a Pick-pocket quoth he a Prologue you mean Fool. Why I was sure it began with a P. And though you will have it a Prologue I say it is a Pick-pocket too I and a Pick-pocket Prologue too for ask um if all their pockets be'nt the worse for it The Prompter offers to strike him and he runs in Prompter Though he 's unready in 's part I dare say He did intend to bid you Welcome to our Play What more he had to tell you in his mind I finde not by the Notes h' has left behind But within gather from their studied parts And tiâ—ing-habits they will use their arts To shew how Royal bloud 's reveng'd when spilt And THORNY-Abbey first came to be built A place for great devotion of much fame Which since to Westminster hath chang'd its name Then if you 'l silent sit and mum not say The Actors enter and begin the Play The Epilogue to Thorny-Abbey AFter so grave a Scene since 't were not fit For to unhinge your thoughts with flashy Wit Or when the King and Court in mourning's clad For Thorny's death that you alone be glad Lest you approve your selves a kin to those Who sooner then comply with Kings depose Th' old Hermit's Doctrine only wee 'l apply And teach you from a Stage to learn to dy Whose Monumental Lesson though 't be true That death betides to Men and Tapers too Yet this one favour we do hope you 'l give Through your Applause that this our Play may live The Prologue to the MARRIAGE-BROAKER YOu who are seated and for entrance pay I bid you hearty Well-come to our Play A Play span-new and ne're yet on the score For th' Poet's faults or what 's the Actors more We therefore hope 't will please and reason good Since 't doth present no tale of Robin Hood No musty Story drâ—ss'd in Phrases new And yet you 'l finde in 't Wit and Language too It s subject is well known a common Vice Made up of Riot and foul Avariee For when a Royster spends his fair Estate And penny-less'gins to repent too late His first-fetch'd project how again to thrive Is â—ast about how richly he may Wive This soon is broke to some whose reaching Wits Can well contrive and 's conscience wrinkled sits Who out of hope to share the prey about Soon plods and finds the youth a Mistress out The Match soon made they 're married with all speed But hasty Weddings soon contention breed Our Play lays open every wile and gin Whereby they coaks and draw the Feinâ—les in Theâ— be attent and since fare arm'd fore warnâ—d How to beware such guiles may hence be learn'd The Prologue to GRIM the Collier of CROYDON YOu 're Well-come but our Plot I dare not tell yee For fear I fâ—ight a Lady with great belly Or should a Scold be 'mong you I durst say Shee 'd make more work then th' Devil in the Play Heard you not never how an Actor's wife Whom he fond fool lov'd dearly as his life Coming in 's way did chance to get a jape As he was ' tired in his Devil's shape And how aquivocal a generation Was then begot and brought forth thereupon Let it not fright you this I dare to say Here is no lecherous Devil in our Play He will nor rumple Peg nor Ioan nor Nan But ha's enough at home to do with Marian Whom he so little pleases she in scorn Doth teach his Devilship to wind the Horn. But if your children cry when Robin comes You may to still them buâ— here Pears or Plums Then sit you quiet all who are come in St. Dunstan will soon enter and begin THORNY-ABBEY OR The LONDON-MAID A TRAGEDY Written by T. W. LONDON Printed in the year 1662. The Persons who are represented in THORNY-ABBEY Sibert Earl of Coventry Emma his Wife The Earl of Wiltshire The KING Lucius a Bishop Prince Edmund the King's Brother Ann Daughter to old Thorny Lobster old Thorny's Man Ioan his Maid Old Thorny Mr. Woodford his Cosen Gaufreid an Attendant on Prince Edmund and his Pander Two Murderers The King's Guard Pages to the King A Post. A Constable with Beadles attending Chorus with dumb Shews Two Citizens over-seers of Thorny's Will Abbess of Haly-well Edmund the King 's base Son by Ann old Thorny's Daughter The Scene LONDON THORNY-ABBEY Or The London Maid Ent. Sibert Earle of Coventry Emma The Earle of Wiltshire meeting them Sibe GOod day and wellcom too my Lord of Wiltshire Wilt. Most Noble Sibert Earle of Coventry Our good King longes to see you Sib. Is he alighted Wilt. Yes Sir at your Castle-gate he stands Cloyd with Petitioners from whose humble hands He fils his own with papers of complaints Still promising redress and comfort to them Sib. Hee 's a right gratious Prince the fire of Hell Consume the Slaves and their petitions For Sibert is not free from their complaints I fear our ruines Emma Why should Sibert fear The King nor all the Land can wrong thee here Sib. A thousand hearts must bleed first harke he comes Enter King Bishop Prince Edmund Earle of VViltshire Attendants King Oh me good Heavens what strange petitions Have these poor people here deliver'd us Command them all to morrow here attend us Where we will answer their petitions Renowned Sibert Earl of Coventry To you and your vertuous Lady herâ— For som few dayes we must be troublesome Sib. Great King my State my Castle self all Here in obedience at your feet shall fall King We thank you both Come Brother Edmund take your place by us Good Bishop Lutius rest your Reverend age And you good Earle of Wiltshire counsell us To work the Commons safety of the Land And weigh all doubts with an impartial hand Only for this our resolution makes A progress through the Land with our own eyes To looke into the States inormityes Sib. 'T will be a deed worthy your eare and care King So had'it need good Sibert for we here intend To see the poor man's wrongs payd with redress And let not great theeves swallow up the less Wilt. It is not well my Leige for since you came From your Court at London still you see Corruption like a loathsome leprosy Hath made the faire face of ag'd ancestry Deform'd and hatefull Temples erected only To holy uses are now for thrift turnd into barneâ— and stables Edm. 'T were fit for to reform them Royall Brother such ulcers found Must needs be cut least they corrupt what 's sound King Such farre worse the sad complaints here speak But by my Crown we 'le have them all remov'd Brother back you to London to your Earldom And in our name summon all the Citizens Unto a generall Councill and there make A stric't inquiry both of all offences and The Offenders see that
you punish Bish. Happy is England in so blest a King Whose only pleasure is his Subjects safety Edm. Our self will play the thrifty husbandman And plucke the ranke weedes from the fruitfull earth That Justice may manure our tillage so That Peace may spring and Equity still grow King And herein shall you doe your self much right For know my Brother all my studies be To banish vice and call back exilde virtue And but to leave it quietly to Thee That art true heyre to all our Soveraignty Edm. Which care if it fall on this tender unapt prop I shall with patience bear the heavy load And with my care break my now quiet sleep And let my eyes and eares still open be To heare and see with pure integrity King Brother be gone You are the Earle of London let us see The City by your care so ordered be That no oppression wrong her pray be carefull Edm. Brother I shall and so I take my leave For to redress in what I can the wrongs Of the poor wretches that with bended knees Throw down their wrongs prayers all at once Oh may their eare be deaf that stops their eares Against the poor that plead with supplyant teares Exit King Be it your charge good Sibert to proclaim In all the government you hould of us As Gloster Worster Warwicke Coventry That all oppressed people may repair Here to your Castle where wee 'l doe them Justice Sib. I shall my Leige the Divel shall damme um first King Keep carefully those papers they contain Severall complaints for whose redress our self Will this day sitt in Counsel to determine Believe me Lords that Prince whose faire example Drawes other to be good may justly claim His peoples love and live in books of Fame Exit Sib. So then I see in this the threatning storm is come And points at me which we must cast to shunne So all those ills he means to punish now My Conscience tells me I have in some sort acted Tush what of that who dares accuse me for 't Say on my back I wear the poor mans sweat My power and greatness might have borne that out But that this vertuous King in this bad age Will needs be good and here in my own house Grant some access unto the multitude That all with base exclaimes as loud as thunder Accuse my actions and in them my life Ent. Emma Em Come Sir I have overheard your passion Take my counsell let not the name of King Dishearten Thee or strike amasing terror to thy heart Were it ten Kings that should oreturn my State I 'de work my safety out of all their ruines Sib. Oh He or I must down Em. Then let him die There is no other way to set you free Sib. Thou hast awak't me and I must confess Thy cousell though through danger points at safety And I will tak 't in time the King shall die To save my life is soundest Policy Exit Ent. Anne Lobster Ioane Io. You lay all on me Lobster Lob. And I should lay all my wayt on thee Ioane thou must Not refuse it for thou knowst women are born to beare Io. I but not such burthens Lob. Nay and you beare not me you l ne're beare child I warrand you Ioane An. So Sir what discant can you make Lob. I young M iâ— but it is upon the plain old Song That every one desires to sing a part in Io. You have it without book Mr Lobster Lob. Oh by the book in any case it must be prickt to them An. Very well Sir whatsoever maids beare they must be sure To bear your knavery for thou art never loaden with that Lob. Or else I were worse then clean linnen Mris For maydes use to beare that Ent. Old Thorny and Woodford Th. Come Cosin Woodford Are you not weary with my long discourse Wo. By my good hopes I swear unless your change Will interrupte me with some other matter I shall find naught to talke on but my daughter Th. I tell you Sir her duty modesty and huswifry Are such large theams and so delightfull to me As I can speak no other Wo. Sir you doe that which all tongues else proclaim Your daughter is the mirror of this City And nothing that is good can glut my eares beside Your talke hath made the way seem short For see we are upon them see your man Sir Th. Hee 's kissing of my maid by the masse how now Lobster What are you doing Sirra Lob. The clothes are drie Sir and Ioane and I am a foulding Th. Thou art foulding her in thy armes me thinks away knave 'T is well done girle and harke you Mr Woodford I have already vow'd a single life Chiefly to give her all unto her portion Oh it would joy my heart to see her well-bestow'd That she might keep my name alive unto posterity She shall have rich possessions to indow her To a good husband Ent. Edmund and Gaâ—foord Wo. Her face without possessions will deserve Th. St. Cozen what honourable Persons have we here Fore heaven it is my Soveraign's brother Noble Edmund The Earle of London our gratious Lord He must not pass without my duty health to your Grace Edm. Our thanks good Thorney Iustice is now impeacht And is araignd by fell oppressors And craves you as a prop for to uphold here Th. A weak decaing prop my noble Lord. Edm. In this small scedule is a mass of wrongs Which crie for a redress be it your care to summon All that are opprest for to repaire to the Earle of Coventry There to give up their grievances Th. It shall be speedily performed my Lord. Edm. A heavenly prospect what fair Creature 's that Wo. His daughter Th. My only Child my Lord even all the fruit That heaven that time and death hath left unpluct From this old sapple-tree Edm. It is a fair one Sir what sudden fire is this That shoots through all my vaines 't is scorching heat 'T is of aspiring flame and through my eyes Shootes a hot lustfull fire that must be quencht In yonder Sea of pleasure no trick yet I hav 't Sir you have a fair ring here trust me I never saw a richer in my eye troth 'T is a fair one or else my fancy wrongs me Th. You praise it to the best my Lord and yet I love it This guift did part my loving wife and me Peace with her Spirit and yet my honored Lord I am no scrupulous Idolater to keep such notes To my perpetual vows it shall be yours Edm. This curtesie for ever bindes me to you I will in some measure gratify your kindness Pray in exchange accept this ring of mine Th. Be your own Chapman Sr please you bestow it I 'l weare it for your sake Edm. With all my heart Knews't thou the sequell of this rings intreaty Thou wouldst have bin more nice in parting with 't But I forget me I must to the King Th. We shall
Open thy mouth and let in these Morsels of mortality to gorge thy hunger Well I 'le in to a corner and feed like a mandiâ— Soldier Exit Ent. Edmund and Bishop Edm. Seek not to disallow my good intent For I must visit her Bish. To give your grace some satisfaction I 'le pass a little with Religious Orders For ne're no man unless a â—rier in confession Might meet in private with a sacred Nunne Edm. High seated Iove far meaner shapes diâ— take When he did visit his fair Parramour And shall I that am a mortall then disdaine The holy habit of a frolick Fryer No Reverent man stand it with thy good liking That shape above all other I would take Bish. You shall in hope your deeds Shall no way tend to acts of sacriledge Edm. To sacriledge no our thoughts are purâ— and free From the least thought of such a horrid crime The habit I will take onely because I would be admitted to her unknown Bish. Your thoughts are noble Sir and we'lâ— assist you Puts on a Fryer's shape Put on this habit and affect your wishes Let me alone to get admittance for you Edm. How doe you like me in this habit my Lord Bish. Now by my holy Order Royall Lord You in this shape may be admitted Unto all our Nunnes and be a helper To increase their stoie Edm. There will be one the less by her I fear Ent. Abesse and Nunnes Ab. Your humble hand-maids High and Reverent Lord Thus bow themselves before your Fatherhood Bish. We come grave Lady to have conference With one of your Religious Votarists That has we hear without Confession Lived many years in this your Nunnery Whose Father being a worthy Cittizen All careless of his life hath left his calling And by the River Thames a mile from London He late haâ—h builded up a famous Abbey Call'd by his own name Thorny and for this Fearing some sin of hers hath thus inforc't him I have here brought a holy Confessor That finding the true cause we may appear To reconcile her to her Fathers love Ab. 'T is a pious work Bish. Is she not here amongst these holy Sisters Ab. No my good Lord go on and call her forth Edm. I 'le be her Confessor Bish. And will not trouble your devotion Come holy Sister leave them to themselves Ab. Beleeve me gratious Lord I know no cause In her that should inforce her Father In such sort to estrange his love Her life is modest chaste and vertuous Ent. Anne with a deaths-head See here she comes sadly alone Ever in grief and contemplation It is the Reverent Bishop holy Daughter That here has brought a holy Confessour To have some conference about your Father Exâ—â— Edm. Oh! who can see a beauty mufflled up Thus like the sun in a malignant cloud And not shed tears Beauteous Nun I came from your Father An. My Father oh holy powers forgive him That has forgotten me but I 'le pray for him He never more will see me but in death As this sad token sent me witnesseth And 't is more wellcome comming from hiâ— hands Then all earths pleasure here I 'le learn to dye And never grieve him with my memory This object tells me that this life is vain All come from earth and must to earth again Edm. A good resolve a vertuous persuasion But tell me fairest what was the cause That made your Father to forsake you thus An. Heaven pardon him I pray that sundred us Edm. Him who why were â—here more Originalls Then your self An. Oh holy Frier let that point alone I may hurt one by that confession Which once I dearly loved but woe is me His love has brought me to this misery Edm. Whaâ— was he speak for you are sworâ— To open every â—cruple of your conscience To your Confessor that hiâ— saâ—ient judgment May minister a balsome to your wounds The oyâ— of vertuoâ—s counsell â—hat's distilde From he unfâ—ined coâ—â—sell of a tongue Tâ—aâ— stâ—ll speaks truth Play tâ—e good Chirurgeon Draw forth the filthy ulcers of your ill That your immaculate good may still rest sound Else the corrupted fistula of Sin Will putrifie the purest of your goodness Nor need you fear I will disclose For I am sworn ever to keep it close An O! holy Father pray for me and him I once did love Edm. It is my duty for to pray for him To entreat the powers above to quit his sin And yours what e're it were but one You once did love in that there is no sin An. Not if the hearts be true But ours met not and there my sorrow grew His place waâ— high and eminent in State Mine low of birth and most unfortunate Oh! let me name his Name with Reverence He is a Royal great and gracious Prince Nay more he 's now a King Edm. But tell me pray Was not your love equally paid from him An. Oh no! his very thought yet comforts me Yet 't is for him I live in misery Lord Edmund Brother to the King deceast Made me believe he lov'd me and I thought His oaths and protestations like himself Should all be Noble true and virtuous So rendred up my Virgin state to him Oh! then my grief began he soon forgot His former vows and left me big with child Which being by my Father once espide And I not daring to make known my love Lest I should wrong the Prince in rage and grief He thrust me forth his doors exclaim'd on me Taking such grief unto his aged heart That never since he would acknowledge me And in a grave he leads a life so poor That to my heart it is a grievous sore The angry Fates have all conspird to show The most that their enraged power can do My father's heart hath quite renounc't his child And my affections from my self exil'd I onely wish my hasty hour-glass run And with my cares my daily tears were done Edm. The King is just how can there be then Such unexpected Constancy in men Anne My noble King is just to whose royal breast 'T is too great boldnesse for me to make request I am too mean for him to think upon Long may he live and long t' enjoy his own That everlasting dayes may Crown his-head Shall be my pray'rs while here I 'me Cloistered Edm. What a soul of Virtue hath this woman Anne My father's Legacy this Sceleton Shall be my mate and sole Companion This face will not deceive me 't is my dear And counstant tutour I will it hear And in my armes for ever shall it lye 'Till death and dust have hid my misery Edm. Oh my heart how heavy art thou grown My lord Bishop I can no longer own This Fâ—yars Coul for I must now disclose My self sh' has suffer'd for my woes But yet I 'le stay and see the event of all Enter Wiltshire young Edmund and Abbesse Woodf Here comes your fair Son To see you Nun. Ann. Oh my dear Child Young Edm. Am