A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 10

A SELECT COLLECTION

                                  OF

                          OLD ENGLISH PLAYS.

                ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY ROBERT DODSLEY
                           IN THE YEAR 1744.

                           _FOURTH EDITION,_

       NOW FIRST CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED, REVISED AND ENLARGED
                WITH THE NOTES OF ALL THE COMMENTATORS,
                             AND NEW NOTES


                                  BY

                           W. CAREW HAZLITT.

                          BENJAMIN BLOM, INC.

                       [Illustration: New York]

                       First published 1874-1876
                 Reissued 1964 by Benjamin Blom, Inc.
                    L.C. Catalog Card No. 64-14702

                        _Printed in U.S.A. by_
                      NOBLE OFFSET PRINTERS, INC.
                           New York 3, N. Y.




THE REVENGER'S TRAGEDY.

           _For a notice of the Edition, see the next page._


INTRODUCTION.

Cyril Torneur is known only as an author, none of the dramatic
biographers giving any account of him. Winstanley quotes the following
distich from a contemporary poet, by which it appears that he was not
held in much estimation for his writings--

    "His fame unto that pitch was only rais'd,
    As not to be despis'd, nor over-prais'd."

He was the author of--

[(1.) The Transformed Metamorphosis, a Poem. 8o, London, 1600.[1]]

(2.) The Revengers Tragoedie. As it hath beene sundry times Acted
by the Kings Maiesties Seruants. At London. Printed by G. Eld, and
are to be sold at his house in Fleete-lane at the signe of the
Printers-Presse. 1607, 4o. Again (a new date only) 1608, 4o.[2]

(3.) "The Atheists Tragedie: Or The honest Mans Reuenge. As in diuers
places it hath often beene Acted. Written by Cyril Tourneur. At London
Printed for John Stepneth and Richard Redmer, and are to be sold at
their shop, at the West end of Paules. 1611,"[3] 4o. Again, 1612, 4o.

(4.) A Traji-Comedy, called The Nobleman, never printed, and which
Oldys says was destroyed by ignorance.[4]

(5.) A Funerall Poeme. Vpon the Death of the most Worthie and Trve
Sovldier: Sir Francis Vere, Knight, Captaine of Portsmouth, L.
Gouernour of his Maiesties Cautionarie Towne of Briell in Holland, &c.,
4o, 1609.

(6.) A Griefe on the Death of Prince Henrie. Expressed in a broken
Elegie, according to the nature of such a sorrow, 4o, 1613.[5]

    [A MS. note in one of the former editions says: "This is
    a most splendid work. The character of _Vendice_ surpasses
    anything else of the kind. The power with which it is conceived
    and conducted is appalling. The quaint way that accompanies
    it adds to its fearful effect. The whole is perfectly
    tremendous."]

FOOTNOTES:

[1] [See Hazlitt's "Handbook," 1867, _art._ Tourneur, in Appendix.]

[2] "The Revenger's Tragedy" was entered on the Stationers' Books, with
"A Trick to Catch the Old One," on the 7th October 1607.

[3] There are some good passages in this play, but upon the whole it
is considerably inferior to "The Revenger's Tragedy." The plot is
unnatural, and the manner in which the catastrophe is brought about
ludicrous.--_Collier_.

[4] It is very probable that Tourneur was concerned in other dramatic
productions, which are either anonymous, or have been lost. He is
mentioned in the following terms by Robert Daborne in a letter to P.
Henslowe, dated 5th June 1613: "I have not only laboured my own play,
which shall be ready before they (the company) come over, but given
Cyrill Tourneur an act of the 'Arraignment of London' to write, yt we
may have that likewise ready for them."--_Collier_.

[5] [This is part of a volume entitled, "Three Elegies on the most
Lamented Death of Prince Henrie," 1613. The others are by John Webster
and T. Heywood.] After the title comes a prose dedication, "To my noble
Maister George Carie," and four lines "To the Reader." At the end of
the "Griefe" are verses "On the representation of the Prince at his
funeralle," and "On the succession," each in eight lines.--_Gilchrist_.


DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.[6]

  DUKE.
  DUCHESS.
  VENDICE, _disguised as Piato_,  } _Brothers to Castiza_.
  HIPPOLITO, _also called Carlo_, }
  LUSURIOSO, _the Duke's Son_.
  SPURIO, _a Bastard_.
  AMBITIOSO, _The Duchess's eldest Son_.
  SUPERVACUO, _second Son to the Duchess_.
  _A third Son to the Duchess._
  ANTONIO.
  PIERO.
  DONDOLO.
  JUDGES.

  CASTIZA.
  GRATIANA, _Mother of Catiza_.

                          _The Scene, Italy._

FOOTNOTES:

[6] [Not in the old copy.]


                        THE REVENGER'S TRAGEDY.




ACTUS I., SCÆNA 1.[7]


            _Enter_ VENDICE. _The_ DUKE, DUCHESS, LUSURIOSO
             _the Duke's son_, SPURIO _the bastard, with_
            _a train, pass over the stage with torchlight_.

    VEN.[8] Duke! royal lecher!