of his Apes hired, to make a Playe of you; and then is your credit quite vn-done for euer, and euer: Such is the publique reputation of their Playes. He must needes be discouraged, whom they decipher. Better, anger an hundred other, then two such; that haue the Stage at commaundement, and can furnish-out Vices, and Diuels at their pleasure.
(l)
[From An Almond for a Parrat, Or Cutbert Curry-knaues Almes (1590,
early), in McKerrow, Nashe, iii. 354 (Anti-Martinist).]
Therefore we must not measure of Martin as he is allied to Elderton
or tongd like Will Tony, as he was attired like an Ape on the Stage,
or sits writing of Pamphlets in some spare outhouse, but as he is
Mar-Prelat of England.
(m)
[From The First parte of Pasquils Apologie . . . Printed where I was,
and where I will bee readie by the helpe of God and my Muse, to send you
the May-game of Martinisme for an intermedium, betweene the first and
seconde parte of the Apologie (2 July 1590), in McKerrow, Nashe, i. 135
(Anti-Martinist). It may be doubted whether The May-game of Martinism
ever had an existence outside the allusions to it in these pamphlets.]
And when I haue sent you the May-game of Martinisme, at the
next setting my foote into the styrroppe after it, the signet shall be
giuen, and the fielde fought.
xli. 1589. Richard (?) Puttenham.
[From The Arte of English Poesie (1589; S. R. 9 Nov. 1588), edited by
E. Arber (1869); also in J. Haslewood, Ancient Critical Essays, vol. i
(1811), and in part in Gregory Smith, ii. 1. On the author, cf. ch. xxiii.]
Most of the treatise (bks. ii, iii) deals with the technicalities of
poetic structure and style, which the author sometimes illustrates
from interludes and verses of his own. Bk. i praises poetry in general,
on familiar but non-controversial humanist lines, and discusses with
some classical erudition the origin of various types of poetry, as
tragedy, comedy, and pantomime (c. 11), comedy (c. 14), tragedy
(c. 15), staging (c. 17), pastoral (c. 18). In a brief account of English
poets (c. 31) occurs: 'But the principall man in this profession at the
same time [Edward's] was Maister Edward [sic] Ferrys a man of no
lesse mirth and felicitie that way, but of much more skil, and magnificence
in his meeter, and therefore wrate for the most part to the
stage, in Tragedie and sometimes in Comedie or Enterlude, wherein
he gaue the king so much good recreation, as he had thereby many
good rewardes. . . . Of the later sort I thinke thus. That for Tragedie,
the Lord of Buckhurst and Maister Edward Ferrys for such doings
as I haue sene of theirs do deserue the hyest price: Th' Earle of
Oxford and Maister Edwardes of her Maiesties Chappell for Comedy
and Enterlude.'
