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    The Knight of the Burning Pestle: "There is a method in man's wickedness; it grows up by degrees"
    The Knight of the Burning Pestle: "There is a method in man's wickedness; it grows up by degrees"
    The Knight of the Burning Pestle: "There is a method in man's wickedness; it grows up by degrees"
    Ebook146 pages2 hours

    The Knight of the Burning Pestle: "There is a method in man's wickedness; it grows up by degrees"

    By Francis Beaumont

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    About this ebook

    Francis Beaumont was born in 1584 near the small Leicestershire village of Thringstone. Unfortunately precise records of much of his short life do not exist.

    The first date we can give for his education is at age 13 when he begins at Broadgates Hall (now Pembroke College, Oxford). Sadly, his father died the following year, 1598. Beaumont left university without a degree and entered the Inner Temple in London in 1600. A career choice of Law taken previously by his father.

    The information to hand is confident that Beaumont’s career in law was short-lived. He was quickly attracted to the theatre and soon became first an admirer and then a student of poet and playwright Ben Jonson. Jonson at this time was a cultural behemoth; very talented and a life full of volatility that included frequent brushes with the authorities.

    Beaumont’s first work was Salmacis and Hermaphroditus, it debuted in 1602.

    By 1605, Beaumont had written commendatory verses to Volpone one of Ben Jonson’s masterpieces.

    His solo playwriting career was limited. Apart from his poetry there were only two; The Knight of the Burning Pestle was first performed by the Children of the Blackfriars company in 1607. The audience however was distinctly unimpressed.

    The Masque of the Gentlemen of Grays-Inne and the Inner-Temple was written for part of the wedding festivities for the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King James I and Frederick V, Elector Palatine. It was performed on 20 February 1613 in the Banqueting House at Whitehall Palace.

    By that point his collaboration with John Fletcher, which was to cover approximately 15 plays together with further works later revised by Philip Massinger, was about to end after his stroke and death later that year.

    That collaboration is seen as one of the most significant and fruitful of the English theatre.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStage Door
    Release dateJan 30, 2018
    ISBN9781787377585
    The Knight of the Burning Pestle: "There is a method in man's wickedness; it grows up by degrees"

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      Somewhat ridiculous, but we can see that some of the plots we think new today has actually been in existence for centuries.

    Book preview

    The Knight of the Burning Pestle - Francis Beaumont

    The Knight of the Burning Pestle by Francis Beaumont

    Francis Beaumont was born in 1584 near the small Leicestershire village of Thringstone.  Unfortunately precise records of much of his short life do not exist.

    The first date we can give for his education is at age 13 when he begins at Broadgates Hall (now Pembroke College, Oxford). Sadly, his father died the following year, 1598.  Beaumont left university without a degree and entered the Inner Temple in London in 1600.  A career choice of Law taken previously by his father.

    The information to hand is confident that Beaumont’s career in law was short-lived.  He was quickly attracted to the theatre and soon became first an admirer and then a student of poet and playwright Ben Jonson. Jonson at this time was a cultural behemoth; very talented and a life full of volatility that included frequent brushes with the authorities. 

    Beaumont’s first work was Salmacis and Hermaphroditus, it debuted in 1602. 

    By 1605, Beaumont had written commendatory verses to Volpone one of Ben Jonson’s masterpieces. 

    His solo playwriting career was limited. Apart from his poetry there were only two; The Knight of the Burning Pestle was first performed by the Children of the Blackfriars company in 1607. The audience however was distinctly unimpressed.

    The Masque of the Gentlemen of Grays-Inne and the Inner-Temple was written for part of the wedding festivities for the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King James I and Frederick V, Elector Palatine.  It was performed on 20 February 1613 in the Banqueting House at Whitehall Palace.

    By that point his collaboration with John Fletcher, which was to cover approximately 15 plays together with further works later revised by Philip Massinger, was about to end after his stroke and death later that year.

    That collaboration is seen as one of the most significant and fruitful of the English theatre.

    Index of Contents

    TO THE READERS OF THIS COMEDY

    DRAMATIS PERSONAE

    PROLOGUE

    ACTUS PRIMUS

    SCÆNA PRIMA

    ACTUS SECUNDUS

    SCÆNA PRIMA

    ACTUS TERTIUS

    SCÆNA PRIMA

    ACTUS QUARTUS

    SCÆNA PRIMA

    ACTUS QUINTUS

    SCÆNA PRIMA

    EPILOGUE

    FRANCIS BEAUMONT – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

    FRANCIS BEAUMONT – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY

    TO THE READERS OF THIS COMEDY

    Gentlemen, the World is so nice in these our times, that for Apparel, there is no fashion, For Musick, which is a rare Art, (though now slighted) No Instrument; For Diet, none but the French Kickshoes that are delicate; and for Plaies, no invention but that which now runneth an invective way, touching

    some particular persons, or else it is contemned before it is throughly understood. This is all that I have to say, That the Author had no intent to wrong any one in this Comedy, but as a merry passage, here and there interlaced it with delight, which he hopes will please all, and be hurtful to none.

    DRAMATIS PERSONAE

    The Prologue.

    Then a Citizen.

    The Citizens wife, and Ralph her man, sitting below amidst the Spectators.

    A rich Merchant.

    Jasper his Apprentice.

    Master Humphrey, a friend to the Merchant.

    Luce, the Merchants Daughter.

    Mistress Merry-thought, Jaspers Mother.

    Michael, a second Son of Mistriss Merry-thought.

    Old Master Merry-thought.

    A Squire.

    A Dwarfe.

    A Tapster.

    A Boy that Danceth and Singeth.

    An Host.

    A Barber.

    Two Knights.

    A Captain.

    A Sergeant.

    Soldiers.

    PROLOGUE

    Where the Bee can suck no Honey, she leaves her sting behind; and where the Bear cannot find Origanum to heal his grief, he blasteth all other leaves with his breath. We fear it is like to fare so with us; that seeing you cannot draw from our labours sweet content, you leave behind you a sower mis-like, and with open reproach blame our good meaning, because you cannot reap the wonted mirth. Our intent was at this time to move inward delight, not outward lightness; and to breed (if it might be) soft smiling, not loud laughing: knowing it (to the wise) to be a great pleasure, to hear Counsel mixed with Wit, as to the foolish to have sport mingled with rudeness. They were banished the Theater of Athens, and from Rome hissed, that brought Parasites on the Stage with apish actions, or Fools with uncivil habits, or Courtezans with immodest words. We have endeavoured to be as far from unseemly speeches, to make your ears glow, as we hope you will be free from unkind reports, or mistaking the Authors intention (who never aimed at any one particular in this Play,) to make our cheeks blush. And thus I leave it, and thee to thine own censure, to like, or dislike. Vale.

    [Enter PROLOGUE

    From all that's near the Court, from all that's great

    Within the compass of the City-walls

    We now have brought our Scene.

    [Enter CITIZEN.

    CITIZEN

    Hold your peace good-man boy.

    PROLOGUE

    What do you mean Sir?

    CITIZEN

    That you have no good meaning: These seven years there hath been Plays at this House, I have observed it, you have still girds at Citizens; and now you call your Play The London Merchant. Down with your Title, Boy, down with your Title.

    PROLOGUE

    Are you a member of the noble City?

    CITIZEN

    I am.

    PROLOGUE

    And a Free-man?

    CITIZEN

    Yea, and a Grocer.

    PROLOGUE

    So Grocer, then by your sweet favour, we intend no abuse to the City.

    CITIZEN

    No sir,

    Yes sir,

    If you were not resolv'd to play the Jacks,

    What need you study for new subjects,

    Purposely to abuse your betters?

    Why could not you be contented,

    As well as others,

    With the Legend of Whittington,

    Or the life and death of Sir Thomas Gresham?

    With the building of the Royal Exchange?

    Or the storie of Queen Elenor,

    With the rearing of London bridge upon Woollsacks?

    PROLOGUE

    You seem to be an understanding man:

    What would you have us do sir?

    CITIZEN

    Why?

    Present something notably

    In honor of the Commons of the City.

    PROLOGUE

    Why,

    What do you say, to the life and death of fat Drake,

    Or the repairing of Fleet Privies?

    CITIZEN

    I do not like that,

    But I will have a Citizen,

    And he shall be of my own Trade.

    PROLOGUE

    Oh,

    You should have told us your mind

    A month since,

    Our Play is ready to begin now.

    CITIZEN

    'Tis all one for that,

    I will have a Grocer,

    And he shall do admirable things.

    PROLOGUE

    What will you have him do?

    CITIZEN

    Marry I will have him―

    WIFE

    Husband, Husband.

    [WIFE below, RALPH below.

    RALPH

    Peace, Mistriss.

    WIFE

    Hold thy peace Ralph,

    I know what I do,

    I warrant ye.

    Husband, Husband.

    CITIZEN

    What say'st thou Conie?

    WIFE

    Let him kill a Lion with a Pestle Husband,

    Let him kill a Lion with a Pestle.

    CITIZEN

    So he shall,

    I'll have him kill a Lion with a pestle.

    WIFE

    Husband,

    Shall I come up Husband?

    CITIZEN

    I Cony.

    Ralph, help your Mistriss this way:

    Pray Gentlemen make her a little room,

    I pray you sir

    Lend me your hand to help up my Wife:

    I thank you sir.

    So.

    WIFE

    By your leave Gentlemen all,

    I'm something troublesome,

    I'm a stranger here,

    I was ne'r at one of these Plays, as they say,

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