“Harl. Yee are in the right—
“Kemp. Way to Cuck-holds-hauen; Saint Luke bee your speede!
Exeunt.”[ xvii:1]
When, in the former of these scenes, Kemp is said to be “famous for workes in print,” I understand the ironical compliment as an allusion to his Nine daies wonder only; for I feel assured that all the other pieces which I now proceed to notice, have been erroneously attributed to his pen.
A Dvtifvl Invective, Against the moste haynous Treasons of Ballard and Babington: with other their Adherents, latelie executed. Together with the horrible attempts and actions of the Q. of Scottes: and the Sentence pronounced against her at Fodderingay. Newlie compiled and set foorth, in English verse: For a Newyeares gifte to all loyall English subiects, by W. Kempe. Imprinted at London by Richard Jones, dwelling at the signe of the Rose and crowne, neere Holborne bridge, 1587. 4to. (four leaves) is assigned to our comedian in Ritson’s Bibl. Poet., Collier’s Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet.[xviii:1] &c., &c. The writer calls it “the first fruites of his labour,” and dedicates it “To the right honorable my very good Lord, George Barne, L. Maior of the Cittie of London.” It opens thus:
“What madnes hath so mazd mens minds, that they cānot forsee
The wretched ends of catiues vile, which work by treacherie,
To ouerthrowe the blessed state of happie common wealth,
Or to depriue their soueraigne prince of her long wished health.
If feare of God and of his lawes were clearlie out of minde,
If feare of death (by Princes lawes) might not their dueties binde,
If vtter ruine of the Realme, and spoile of guiltlesse blood,
Might not suffice to stay the rage of traitors cruell moode,
Yet might they well consider howe treasons come to nought,
But alwaies worke their ouerthrowe by whom they first were wrought,”
&c.
Towards the end, the loyalty of the author becomes so extravagant, that in a prayer for Queen Elizabeth, he exclaims:—
“Prolong her daies we pray thee, Lord, and if it be thy will,
Let vs not ouerliue her raigne, but let vs haue her still!”
As the comedian expressly declares that the Nine daies wonder was the “first Pamphlet that euer Will Kemp offred to the Presse,”[xix:1] there can be no doubt that this Dvtiful Invective was written by some other individual of the name; perhaps by the William Kempe who published in the following year a book entitled The Education of Children in learning, and who is supposed to have been a schoolmaster at Plymouth.[xix:2]
During the earlier period of the English stage, after the play was concluded, the audience were commonly entertained by a Jig. As no piece of that kind is extant, we are unable to ascertain its nature with precision; but it appears to have been a ludicrous metrical composition, either spoken or sung by the Clown, and occasionally accompanied by dancing and playing on the pipe and tabor. More persons than one were sometimes employed in a jig; and there is reason to believe that the performance was of considerable length, occupying even the space of an hour.[xx:1] The following entries are given verbatim from the Stationers’ Books: