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page v note * Heywood's Apology for Actors, Sig. E 2, 1612, 4to.—Tarlton died in Sept. 1588. A tract by Nash, entitled An Almond for a Parrot, n. d. but published about 1589, is dedicated “To that most Comicall and conceited Caualeire Monsieur du Kempe, Jestmonger and Vice-gerent generall to the Ghost of Dicke Tarlton.”
page v note † “Letoy.—But you, Sir, are incorrigible, and
Take licence to yourselfe to adde unto
Your parts your owne free fancy: and sometimes
To alter or diminish what the writer
With care and skill compos'd; and when you are
To speake to your coactors in the Scene,
You hold interloquutions with the Audients.
Byplay.—That is a way, my Lord, has bin allow'd
On elder stages to move mirth and laughter.
Letoy.—Yes, in the dayes of Tarlton and Kempe,
Before the stage was purg'd from barbarisme,
And brought to the perfection it now shines with:
Then fooles and jesters spent their wits, because
The Poets were wise enough to save their owne
For profitabler uses.”—Brome's Antipodes, 1640, Act ii. sc. 1, Sig. D. 3.
The passage on this subject in Hamlet, Act iii. sc. 2, must be familiar to every reader.
page v note ‡ The term Jig will be afterwards explained.
page vi note * A Knack to know a Knaue.—Alleyn was concerned in several theatres: the Company mentioned above seems to have acted at the Rose.
page vi note † Collier's Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet. i. 297, 298.
page vi note ‡ In the second 4to. of the former play, 1599, and in the only 4to. of the latter, 1600, “Kemp” is prefixed to some speeches of Peter and Dogberry.
page vii note * What character is uncertain: see the names of “The principall Comœdians” at the end of the play in B. Jonson's Workes, 1616, fol.
page vii note † See pp. 1, 2, 19.
page vii note ‡ Liber C. fol. 58 b.
page viii note * Act iv. sc. 4.—Works, ii. 165, ed. Gifford.
page viii note † On the Famous Voyage, Ibid. viii. 242.
page viii note ‡ Sig. F. 8.—In Dekker's Owles Almanacke, 1618, 4to, under “A memoriall of the time sithence some strange and remarkeable Accidents vntill this yeare 1617,” we find “Since the horrible dance to Norwich. … 14 [years].” Sig. B. 4,—a mistake either of the author or printer. Allusions to Kemp's morris may also be found in Dekker and Webster's Westward Ho, 1607, Act v. sc. 1,—see my ed. of Webster's Works, iii. 103; and in Old Meg of Herefordshire for a Mayd Marian, and Hereford Towne for a Morris Daunce, &c. 1609, 4to.,—see p. 10 of reprint in Miscell. Ant. Anglic. 1816.
page ix note * P. 20.
page ix note † The passages in The Retvrne from Pernassus (see p. xi.) “What, M. Kempe, how doth the Emperour of Germany ?” and “Welcome, M. Kempe, from dancing the morrioe ouer the Alpes,” are, I conceive, only sportive allusions to his journey to Norwich.
page ix note ‡ Malone's Shakespeare (by Boswell), iii. 198.
page ix note § Sig B. 2.—Malone choses to read “played the clownes part more naturally,” &c.
page x note ║ Malone's Shakespeare (by Boswell), iii. 490—Yet the name William Kemp appears to have been not uncommon; for Chalmers (ubi supra) mentions that he found “in the parish register of St. Bartholomew the Less, the marriage of William Kempe unto Annis Howard, on the 10th of February, 1605–6;” and I shall presently shew that another individual so called has been confounded with the actor.
page x note * It was probably written about 1602,—certainly before the death of Queen Elizabeth.
page xi note * George Chalmers, who cites the present passage, observes, that Kemp “was as illiterate, probably, as he was certainly jocose. The Cambridge scholars laughed at his gross illiterature.” Malone's Shakespeare (by Boswell), iii.491. What folly to take the measure of Kemp's acquirements from such a scene as this! He may have had no classical learning; but assuredly, as the Nine dates wonder shews, he was not grossly illiterate.
page xi note † i. e. ay.
page xi note ‡ An allusion to B. Jonson's Poetaster, Worts, ii. 525, seq. ed. Gifford: the words “Shakespeare hath given him a purge,” &c. have occasioned considerable discussion; see Gifford's Memoirs of Jonson, p. lx. and p. cclv.
page xi note § i. e. hindrances.
page xi note ║ See note p. ix.
page xii note * i. e. St. Leger's Round, an old country dance.
page xii note † Terms used in the Buttery Books at the universities: see Minsheu in v. v. Size and Cue.
page xii note ‡ An allusion to Dekker's Satiromastix, or The Vntrussing of the Humorous Poet.
page xii note § A character in Kyd's Spanish Tragedy. The speech here given by Studioso from that celebrated piece (and which Burbage of course ought previously to recite), begins in the earlier 4tos.
” What outcries pluck me from my naked bed;” and in the later—
” What outcry calls,” &c.
See Dodsley's Old Plays, iii. 130, last ed.
page xii note ║ From this passage it has been conjectured that Kemp acted Justice Shallow.
page xiii note * Sigs. G. 2, 3.
page xiv note * Their names are attached to the Dedication.
page xiv note † It must have been produced, however, at an earlier date. It is not divided into Acts.
page xiv note ‡ As early as 1589, in the Dedication to a tract already cited (p. v.), Nash had fabled that Kemp was known by reputation in Italy:— “Comming from Venice the last Summer, and taking Bergamo in my waye homeward to England, it was my happe soiourning there some foure or fiue dayes, to light in felowship with that famous Francatrip’ Harlicken, who, perceiuing me to bee an English man by my habit and speech, asked me many particulars of the order and maner of our playes, which he termed by the name of representations: amongst other talke he enquired of me if I knew any such Parabolano here in London as Signior Chiarlatano Kempino. Very well (quoth I), and haue beene oft in his company. He hearing me say so, began to embrace me a new, and offered me all the courtesie he colde for his sake, saying, although he knew him not, yet for the report he had hard of his pleasance, hee colde not but bee in loue with his perfections being absent.” —An Almond far a Parrat, Sig. A. 3.
page xiv note § Dr. W. Marriott, the editor of A Collection of English Miracle Plays, &c. Basel, 1838, has been led into a strange mistake by this passage, which, in his Introductory Essay, p. lxii. he cites from Bibliographical Memoranda, Bristol, 1816. After observing that according to the stage direction in one of the Chester Plays, Adam and Eve stabunt nudi et non verecundabuntur, he continues, “Perhaps our forefathers thought it no indecency to give such representations, considering they had the authority of Scripture for such exhibitions; but it must, nevertheless, strike us as not a little extraordinary, that at least as late as the close of the sixteenth century such scenes were to be found in England. We learn this fact [!!] from a play entitled The TravaiUs of The three English Brothers, 1607,” &c.
page xv note * This piece was an allegorical representation of some of the chief events of the reign of Elizabeth, who was personated under the character of England's Joy: the author was named Vennard: see Collier's Hist, of Eng. Dram. Poet. iii. 405. The Plot of the Play called England's Joy. To be playd at the Swan this 6. of Nov. 1602, is reprinted (from a broadside) in The Harl. Miscell. x. 198, ed. Park.
page xvii note * Sigs. E. 4., F.
page xviii note * iii. 28.
page xix note * P. 19.
page xix note † “The Education of Children in learning; declared by the dignitie, vtilitie, and methode thereof, by W. K. (Wm. Kempe, who seems to have been a schoolmaster at Plymouth). Dedicated to Maister Wm. Hawkins, Esq. maior of Plymouth, &c. Quarto, 1588.” Ames's Typ. Antig. by Herbert, ii. 1242.
I may here observe that Herbert (ii, 1046) has given by mistake the following prose piece to “W. Kempe,” in consequence, probably, of having seen it bound up with the “Dvtiful Invective,” in a volume of the Royal Library: The Censure of a loyall Subiect: Vpon certaine noted Speach and behauiours, of those fourteene notable Traitors, at the place of their executions, the xx. and xxi. of September last past. Wherein is handled matter of necessary e instruction for all dutifull Subiectes: especially, the multitude of ignorant people. Feare God: be true to thy Prince: and obey the Lawes. At London. Printed by Richarde Jones, dwelling at the Signe of the Rose and Crowne, neere Holborne bridge, 1587, 4to. The author was George Whetstone. An Address to the Reader signed T. C. [Thomas Churchyard] sets forth that “my good friend M. G. W. at his departure into the Country, left this most honest work to be censured by me; being right well assured, by the continuance of our true friendshippes, that I would not deceiue him with a flattering iudgement: and (trust me) vpon a considerate reading, I found it a little booke, containing a large testimony of his loyaltie to his prince and countrie,” &c. Then follows the Dedication “To the Right honorable, Sir William Cicill, knight, Baron of Burleigh,” &c. signed G. W., who trusts that this piece “win merite the acceptance of my former bookes.”
page xx note * See Malone's Shakespeare (by Boswell) iii. 135, seq., Collier's Hist, of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 378, seq.
page xx note † Liber B. fol. 282 b.
page xx note ‡ Liber B. fol. 132.
page xxi note * So in MS.
page xxi note † Liber C. fol. 3 b.
page xxi note ‡ P. xix.
page xxi note § P. 2.
page xxii note * Lib. iii. Sat. xi. p. 225. ed. 1764.—” Orchestra” is an allusion to Sir J. Davies's poem of that name.
Augustine Phillips, an actor contemporary with Kempe, has also been mentioned as “an author,” in consequence of the following entry in the Stationers’ Books:
George Chalmers erroneously makes the date of this entry” 1593,” Malone's Shakespeare (by Boswell), iii. 469.
page xxii note † Pp. 10. 13.
page xxii note ‡ Liber B. fol. 304. As this entry is nearly in the words of the title-page, I have not cited it at length. In Malone's Shakespeare (by Boswell), iii. 197, and Collier's Hist, of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 27, the date is wrongly given “Sept. 7.”
page xxii note § Malone's Shakespeare (by Boswell), iii. 299.
page xxiv note * Sig. F.—This play is not divided into acts.
page xxiv note † Ritson (vide Bibl. Poet.) was evidently not aware that these “Merriments” formed part of an extant drama.
page xxv note * He played, I presume, the Cobler.
page xxv note † Sig. E. 4.—Mr. Collier's conjecture (Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 33) that Nash “refers possibly” to the “Merrimentes of the men of Goteham” was thrown out, I think, somewhat hastily.
page xxvi note * Among the books given to it by Robert Burton. No other copy is extant. Blomefield mistook it for a MS.: “In 1599 …… one Kemp came dancing the whole Way from London to Norwich, and there is a MSS. in the Bodleian Library containing an Account of it.”—Hist, of Norf. ii. 250.
page xxvi note † Note on B. Jonson's Works, ii. 166.