Chapter 6

Pleasure attend ye, and about ye sit The springs of mirth, fancy, delight and wit To stir you up, do not your looks let fall, Nor to remembrance our late errors call, Because this day w' are _Spaniards_ all again, The story of our Play, and our Scene _Spain_: The errors too, do not for this cause hate, Now we present their wit and not their state. Nor Ladies be not angry if you see, A young fresh beauty, wanton and too free, Seek to abuse her Husband, still 'tis _Spain_, No such gross errors in your Kingdom raign, W' are _Vesrals_ all, and though we blow the fire, We seldom make it flame up to desire, Take no example neither to begin, For some by precedent delight to sin: Nor blame the Poet if he slip aside Sometimes lasciviously if not too wide. But hold your Fanns close, and then smile at ease, A cruel Scene did never Lady please. Nor Gentlemen, pray be not you displeased, 235] Though we present some men fool'd, some diseased, Some drunk, some mad: we mean not you, you're free, We taxe no farther than our Comedie, You are our friends, sit noble then and see.

Epilogue.

Good night our worthy friends, and may you part Each with as merry and as free a heart As you came hither; to those noble eyes That deign to smile on our poor faculties, And give a blessing to our labouring ends, As we hope many, to such fortune sends Their own desires, wives fair as light as chast; To those that live by spight Wives made in hast.

459] APPENDIX

RULE A WIFE, AND HAVE A WIFE.

The Dramatis Personae are not given in the quarto of 1640 nor in the 2nd folio. They are as follows:--Duke of Medina. Juan de Castro, Sanchio, Alonzo, Michael Perez, Officers. Leon, Altea's brother. Cacafogo, a usurer. Lorenzo. Coachman, etc. Margarita. Altea. Estifania. Clara. Three old ladies. Old woman. Maids, etc.

Unless where otherwise stated the following variations are from the quarto of 1640, the title-page of which runs thus:--

Rule a Wife And have a Wife. A Comoedy. Acted by his Majesties Servants. Written by John Fletcher Gent. Oxford, Printed by Leonard Lichfield Printer to the University. Anno 1640.

p. 170, l. 30. mouth.

p. 171, l. 14. most subtlest.

l. 18. With yee.

l. 19. them.

l. 38. _and often elsewhere_] um _for_ 'em.

p. 172, l. 2. the picke.

p. 173, l. 22. thank ye.

p. 175, l. 1. Yes I.

l. 29. Exit.

l. 31. mine ayme.

p. 176, l. 30. 2nd folio _prints_] calling. And

p. 178, l. 10. a starv'd.

l. 22. look'st.

l. 24. 2nd folio _misprints_] hear.

p. 179, l. 33. Or any.

p. 182, ll. 6, etc. Quarto _frequently prints_ 4 for Altea _here and in similar places_.

l. 33. doubty.

p. 183, l. 2. Has not.

l. 3. 2nd folio _misprints_] hin.

l. 5. Has no.

l. 38. 2nd folio _misprints_] compaines.

p. 184, l. 13. a house.

p. 185, l. 2. Altea, the Ladies.

l. 4. has been.

p. 187, l. 26. I finde.

p. 189, l. 28. enter'd here.

l. 39. salute him.

p. 190, l. 25. if she.

p. 194, ll. 8 and 11. _Omits_ Lady _here and often similarly elsewhere_.

p. 196, l. 26. Exit.

p. 197, l. 20. basinesse.

460]

p. 198, l. 29. (_some copies_), and ruine too.

l. 32. have meaner.

l. 39. 2nd folio _misprints_] Jaun.

p. 200, l. 8. _Some copies read_] laugh him, leave ager.

p. 201, l. 2. _Adds the following line_] It is a Ladies, what's the Ladies name wench.

l. 6. a the.

l. 23. they are.

l. 38. flea me.

p. 202, l. 27. Nor I.

l. 28. _Omits_ of.

p. 203, l. 13. Tas.

l. 17. as ere I looked on.

p. 204, l. 20. Both into.

l. 37. _Adds the following line_] And hold it to my use, the law allowes it,

p. 206, l. 38. I have seen.

p. 207, l. 3. Save.

l. 29. Is possest.

p. 208, l. 1. a your.

l. 17. bless ye.

p. 209, l. 5. believe ye.

l. 6. Pray ye.

l. 12. after ye.

l. 18. forgot ye.

l. 34. vild, vild.

p. 210, l. 15. 2nd folio] do brave, Captain.

p. 211, l. 10. 2nd folio _misprints_] Ptithee.

l. 23. put your fury up, Sir.

l. 32. colt ye.

l. 33. teach ye.

p. 212, l. 22. on, it looked so.

l. 30. Pray ye.

p. 213, l. 39. heere Don Juan.

p. 214, l. 30. 'Tas.

l. 33. _Omits_ do.

p. 215, l. 21. all sit.

l. 28. Has.

p. 216, l. 22. 2nd folio _misprints_] thinks.

l. 31. I goe alas.

l. 38. linnens.

p. 220, l. 1. Has.

l. 21. I use.

p. 223, l. 10. 2nd folio _misprints_] Perox.

l. 14. 2nd folio _misprints_] haugh.

p. 227, l. 12. 2nd folio] Dagge.

l. 24. Nor never.

p. 228, l. 17. 2nd folio _misprints_] millius.

ll. 18 and 19. pawn'd um.

p. 230, l. 17. A that.

p. 231, l. 16. too Templers.

l. 35. 2nd folio misprints] deah.

p. 234, l. 25. raignes.

l. 12. _Adds_ Finis.

l. 24. abuse your.

l. 29. president.