Thus is explained the apparent paradox by which plays as well as pamphlets become the vehicle of attacks upon players. Three such plays, Histriomastix, The Poetaster, and the second part of The Return from Parnassus, call for special attention. The player-scenes in Histriomastix seem to belong mainly, though not wholly, to the original form of the play, which I regard as an outcome of the campaign of Robert Greene and his fellows about 1590, although the extant text, not printed until 1610, represents a later recension, probably undertaken by Marston, as one of the 'musty fopperies of antiquity' produced by the Paul's boys about 1600.[1] The piece is of the nature of a political morality, and the scenes in question serve as one illustration of its general theme, which is that of the cyclical rotation of society through the successive stages of Peace, Plenty, Pride, Envy, War, Poverty, and so to Peace again. Many side-lights are thrown upon the methods of company organization which have already been described in these pages. In Act I some idle and drunken artisans, Gulch, Clout, Belch the beard-maker, Gut the fiddle-string-maker, Incle the pedlar, combine to form a company. Their poet is Master Posthaste, whom they call a gentleman scholar, but who is evidently a caricature of Anthony Munday, dramatist and Messenger of the Chamber. A scrivener is called in to 'tye a knott of knaves togither', and Bougie the mercer will furnish them with 'rich stuff' at a price. They call themselves Sir Oliver Owlet's men, and take his badge of an owl in an ivy-bush. In Act II they appear on the steps of a market cross and 'cry' a play to be given in the town-house at three o'clock. Their repertory includes The Lascivious Knight, Lady Nature, Mother Gurton's Needle (a tragedy), The Devil and Dives (a comedy), A Russet Coat and a Knight's Cap (an infernal), A Proud Heart and a Beggar's Purse (a pastoral), The Widow's Apron Strings (a nocturnal).[2] Posthaste is also working on 'the new plot of the Prodigall Childe', with a prologue 'for lords' and an epilogue. They are invited to play before Lord Mavortius,
- ↑ Small, 67, has an excellent analysis of Histriomastix. He dates it in 1596, but not convincingly. It might just as well be 1588-90. The text is in R. Simpson, The School of Shakespeare, ii. 1, and needs re-editing. Moreover, Simpson thought that Posthaste was Shakespeare. The actor-scenes are i. 112-62; ii. 70-147, 188-344; iii. 179-243, 265-78; iv. 159-201; v. 61-102, 238-43; vi. 187-240. Of these I think that ii. 247-80; iii. 179-217, 265-78 may belong to the Marstonian revision.
- ↑ Cf. Hamlet, ii. ii. 415, 'The best actors in the world, either for tragedy,comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene individable, or poem unlimited'.
