unity of place?[1] Were these merely played on the edge of the stage, or are we to assume a curtain, cutting off the background of houses, and perhaps painted with an open-country or other appropriate perspective? And what use, if any, can we suppose to have been made of title or locality labels? The latter would not have had much point where the locality was unchanged; but Envy calls out 'Rome' three times in the prologue to the Poetaster, as if she saw it written up in three places. Percy may more naturally use them in Cuckqueans and Cuckolds, on a stage which represents a foreshortening of the distance between three distinct towns. Title-labels seem fairly probable. Cynthia's Revels and The Knight of the Burning Pestle bear testimony to them at the Blackfriars; Wily Beguiled perhaps at Paul's.[2] And if the prologues none the less thought it necessary to announce 'The scene is Libya', or 'The scene Gargaphia, which I do vehemently suspect for some fustian country', why, we must remember that there were many, even in a select Elizabethan audience, that could not hope to be saved by their book.
- ↑ Cf. Dr. Dodipoll, 1 Antonio and Mellida, The Fawn, and Bussy d'Ambois for Paul's, and Sir Giles Goosecap and Fleir for Blackfriars. The early Court plays had similar scenes; cf. p. 43.
- ↑ C. Revels, ind. 54, 'First the Title of his Play is Cynthias Revels, as any man (that hath hope to be sau'd by his Booke) can witnesse; the Scene Gargaphia'; K. B. P. ind. 10, 'Now you call your play, The London Marchant. Downe with your Title, boy, downe with your Title'. For Wily Beguiled, cf. p. 126.
