THE NICE VALOUR; OR, THE PASSIONATE MADMAN. A COMEDY. The Coinmendatory Verses by Gardiner ascribe this Play to Fletcher; the Prologue and Epilogue speak of the Poet singly; Seward (see note 3 on the Commendatory Poems) supposes it to be Beaumont's. It was first printed in the folio of 1647; and hath never been altered, that we are able to discover. Ir grows in fashion of late, in these days, With his rare scenes, he scorn'd this crouch- We stabb'd him with keen daggers, when we Hi write a preface to a play well made. So much he hated baseness; which this day, A suffrage to our plays.] First folio exhibits sufferance. ACT I. SCENE I. Enter Duke, Shamont, and Four Gentlemen. Duke. SHAMONT, welcome! we have miss'd thee long, Tho' absent but two days: I hope your sports Sham. Very nobly, sir; We found game worthy your delight, my lord, Duke. I've enough to hear on't; 1 Gent. What is this gentleman, coz? you are a courtier, Therefore know all their insides. 2 Gent. No further than the taffaty goes, For the most part, which is And upon honour pass it for a true one: He's faithfully true to valour, that he hates us; There is not such a curious piece of courage 2 Ġent. I have told it to much loss, believe 3 Gent. How the duke graces him! What is he, brother? Gent. Don't you yet know him? a vainglorious coxcomb, As proud as he that fell for't'! Who can resolve us best? [bounds, 1 Gent. I can, my lord. 1 Gent. True, my lord; He runs thro' all the passions of mankind, He will not brook an empress, tho' thrice As proud as he that fell for't;] i. e. As proud as Lucifer, who fell through pride. 2 Set but aside his valour no virtue: Which is indeed not fit for any courtier.] The old folio points thus, Set but aside his valour, no virtue Which is indeed, not fit for any courtier, And we his fellows, &c. Seward. This latter is better sense, and therefore restored to the text, but as the construction from the position of the words is a little stiff, and the measure not compleat, perhaps the original might have run, Set but aside his valour, which indeed No virtue is, not fit for any courtier. Seward. .Seward's reading is as stiff as the other. There seems to be a word or two dropped in the preceding line, which has more obscured the passage; the sense of which scems to have been to this effect: As proud as he that fell for't! HE POSSESSES, Which (i. e. his valour) is indeed not fit for any courtier, &c. 3 Maud.] The empress Maud, daughter of Henry I. and mother of Henry II. R. Out Out-laughs a waiting-woman before her first child; And, turning of a hand, so angry H' has almost beat the Northern fellow+ blind, [my lord, That is for that use only; if that mood hold, Duke. I pity him dearly; And let it be your charge, with his kind bro- To see his moods observ'd: let every passion May breed a loathing! let him have enough 1 Gent. I shall see Your charge, my lord, most faithfully effected. Sham. Never ill, man, Until I hear of baseness; then I sicken: 1 Gent. Be arm'd then for a fit! here Will make you sick at heart, if baseness do't. It can be but a qualm. Pray stay it out, sir! Sham. Borne? never any thing That was injurious. 1 Gent. The twinges by the nostril he snuff's And holds it the best remedy for sneezing. Sham. Away! 1 Gent. H'has been thrice switch'd from seven o'clock till nine; [fast, Yet, with a cart-horse stomach, fell to breakForgetful of his smart. Sham. Nay, the disgrace on't; There is no smart but that: base things are felt [know you not; More by their shames than hurts.-Sir, I But that you live an injury to Nature, I'm heartily angry with you. Lapet. Pray give your blow or kick, and For I ne'er saw you before; and indeed 4 H' has almost beat the Northern fellow blind, That is for that use only.] This is probably an allusion to Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, the hero of the North, who ascended the throne in 1611. He was one of the greatest and most successful princes which Europe hath seen, either before or since his time. R. 5 His relish.] We have no doubt but this is corrupt, and that we ought to read, changing only one letter, DIsrelish. Take heed of rash repentance;] i. e. Repentance on account of rashness. I should not have thought an explanation necessary, but that Mr. Sympson would have discarded the word, and read acquaintance for repentance. Seward. 7 I would not, sir, Unless 'twere offer'd me; and if from an enemy, I'd be loth to deny it from a stranger.] The conjunctive particle and in the middle line seems plainly to denote the loss of some sentence previous to it, and the humour seems greatly to suffer by that loss. As to the sentiment, it may, I believe, be restored, but as several expressions will give it, it is impossible to guess how near we shall come to the old reading. I propose, I would not, sir, Unless 'twere offer'd me; if from a friend I'd take't in friendship, and if from an enemy Seward. Seward makes this proposed interpolation: but the old text gives very complete sense; and there is no saying where arbitrary variations would end, if insertions, omissions, or altera tions, Thou dost not know what wrong thou dost To walk so long here; not to die betimes. Let me advise thee, while thou hast to live here, [more! Ev'n for man's honour sake, take not a blow Lapet. You should advise them not to strike me then, sir; [given. For I'll take none, I assure you, 'less they're Sham. How fain would I preserve man's form from shame, And cannot get it done! However, sir, [sir, Lapet. This is worse than beating. Sham. Of what profession art thou, tell me, Besides a taylor? for I'll know the truth. Lapet. A taylor? I'm as good a gentleCan shew my arms and all. [inan Sham. How black and blue they are: The name of gentleman, because I'm one Lapet. I've done, I've done, sir. If there be any harm, beshrew the herald! I'm sure I ha' not been so long a gentleman, To make this anger: I have nothing, no where, But what I dearly pay for. Sham. Groom, begone! [Exit Lapet. I never was so heart-sick yet of man. Enter the Lady, and Lapet's Wife. 1 Gent. Here comes a cordial, sir, from th' other sex, Able to make a dying face look chearful. Shum. The blessedness of ladies! Lady. You're well met, sir. [from me, Sham. The sight of you has put an evil Whose breath was able to make virtue sicken. Lady. I'm glad I came so fortunately. What was it, sir? [eats after it, Sham. A thing that takes a blow, lives and In very good health: you ha' not seen the like, madam; A monster worth your sixpence, lovely worth. Lady. Speak low, sir! by all likelihoods 'tis her husband, That now bestow'd a visitation on me. Farewell, sir! [Exit. Sham. Husband? is't possible that he has a wife? [match! Would any creature have him? 'tis some forc'd If he were not kick'd to th' church o'th' wedding day, [wise; I'll never come at court. Can be no otherPerhaps he was rich; speak, inistress Lapet, was't not so? Wife. Nay, that's without all question. If you are wise, I much suspect your honesty, tions were made, whenever the critick thinks it might improve the passages under his consideration. An editor should give the author's text, not his own. Foreshew That ever broke man's heart-strings. 1 Gent. How? how's this, sir? [apparel? Pas. What, the old trick of ladies? man's Will't ne'er be left amongst you? Steal from court in't! 1 Gent. I see the fit grows stronger. Sham. I can endure no more! 1 Gent. Good, let's alone a little! You are so exact a work! love light things somewhat, sir. Sham. They're all but shames. 1 Gent. What is't you'd say to me, sir? Pas. Can you be so forgetful to enquire 1 Gent. Yes, truly, sir. [it, lady? Pas. The more I admire your flintiness! What cause have I given you, illustrious madam, To play this strange part with me? 1 Gent. Cause enough: Do but look back, sir, into your memory, Your love to other women. Oh, lewd man, 'T has almost kill'd my heart; you see I'm chang'd with it; [on't! I ha'lost the fashion of my sex with grief When I have seen you courting of a dowdy (Compar'd with me), and kissing your forefinger [not this To one o' th' black-guard's mistresses; would Crack a poor lady's heart, that believ'd love, And waited for the comfort? But'twas said, sir, A lady of my hair cannot want pitying; The country's coming up: farewell to you, Pas. Whither intend you, sir? [sir! 1 Gent. A long journey, sir: The truth is, I'm with-child, and go to travel. Pas. With-child? I never got it. 1 Gent. I heard you were busy At the same time, sir; and was loth to trouble you. [cellent madam? Pas. Why, are not you a whore then, ex1 Gent. Oh, by no means; 'twas done, sir, in the state Of my belief in you, and that quits me; It lies upon your falshood. Pas. Does it so ? [contract. You shall not carry her tho', sir; she's my Sham. I prithee, thou four elements illbrued, Torment none but thyself! Away, I say, Pas. Hear me, precious madam! Whoe'er begot it: 'tis the course of greatness. Pas. I'll raise the court, but I will stay your flight. Sham. How wretched is that piece? [Exit Pas. 1 Gent. He's the duke's kinsman, sir. Sham. That cannot take a passion away, sir, Nor cut a fit but one poor hosar shorter; He must endure as much as the poorest beggar, [equality That cannot change his money; there's the In our impartial essence. What's the news now? 3 You are so exact a work: love light things somewhat, sir.] It seems probable that worth was the true word instead of work, as Shamont calls the lady before-lovely worth, and one of the gentlemen in the first page of the play says of Shamont, There is not such a curious piece of courage. Notwithstanding this, work being good sense may still be the true reading. The advice to Shamont to love light things a little, is to laugh and divert himself at the absurdities and phrensies of men. Mr. Sympson thought it obscure, and that it wanted explanation. Seward. Seward seems mistaken in supposing Shumont calls the lady lovely wORTH: he tells her the sight is lovely [i. e. well] worth sixpence: -You ha' not seen the like, madam; A monster worth your sixpence, LOVELY worth. ? That loves a soldier far above a mistress, Thou excellently faithful to'em both.] The emendation here of thou to tho' (although the old |