Chapter XXIV: Epilogue

_You see our Ladies now are vanished, And gone, perchance, unto their husbands' bed, Convinc'd of guilt; where if they cannot tame Their loose desires, but still retain the name Of Alimony Ladies, you shall hear, They will not forfeit what they hold so dear-- Prohibited delights; and in that stain With blushless dalliance visit you again. Nor shall we build on these our confidence Who give less reins to reason than to sense: Yet for redemption of their husbands' lands, Seal our acquittance with your graceful hands._

_Naviter incumbens calamo, sine merce laboro; Merce carens vates nomine verus ero._

_Hæc thalami socias alimonia fecit iniquas; "Haud aries uni sufficit unus ovi."_--Arnold.

FINIS.

* * * * *

THE PARSON'S WEDDING.

_EDITION._

_The Parson's Wedding, A Comedy. The Scene London. Written at
Basil in Switzerland: by Thomas Killigrew. Dedicated to the
Lady Vrsvla Bartv [Bertie] Widow. London: Printed by J. M.
for Henry Herringman...._ 1663.

This forms part of the collected edition of the works in folio, mentioned presently.

[PREFACE TO THE FORMER EDITION.]

THOMAS KILLIGREW, one of the sons of Sir Robert Killigrew, Chamberlain to the Queen, was born at Hanworth, in the county of Middlesex, in the month of February 1611.[184] Although his writings are not wanting in those requisites which confer reputation on an author, yet [we are permitted to conclude that it was chiefly to his conversational and social qualities, that Killigrew owed his ascendancy at Charles II.'s court--first abroad, and afterwards in England. Hence Sir John Denham was probably led to write those lines--

"Had Cowley ne'er spoke, Killigrew ne'er writ,
Combin'd in one, they'd made a matchless wit."

But, as we know, for at least two generations the Killigrews were all men and women of genius, and were as remarkable, too, for their physical as for their intellectual graces. Killigrew] seems to have been early intended for the court; and to qualify him for rising there, every circumstance of his education appears to have been adapted. In the year 1635, while upon his travels, he chanced to be at London, and an eyewitness of the celebrated imposture of exorcising the devil out of several nuns belonging to a convent in that town. Of this transaction he wrote a very minute and accurate account,[185] still in MS. in the Pepysian Library at Magdalen College, Cambridge. He was appointed page-of-honour to King Charles I., and faithfully adhered to his cause until the death of his master, after which he attended his son in his exile, to whom he was highly acceptable, on account of his social and convivial qualifications. He married Mrs Cicilia Crofts, one of the maids-of-honour to Queen Henrietta. With this lady he had a dispute on the subject of jealousy, at which Thomas Carew was present, and wrote a poem, introduced into the masque of "Coelum Britannicum," and afterwards a copy of verses on their nuptials, printed in his works.[186]

[It appears from the original documents still preserved, that Killigrew was with Prince Charles at Paris in April 1647, and obtained from him a licence to travel, dated April 23. In 1649 he had a grant from James, Duke of York, of the office of Gentleman of the Bed-chamber; and from 1649 to 1652 he was engaged in diplomatic negotiations at Vienna and Florence. His papers, as well as those which he addressed to the Republic of Venice, are extant. Speaking of his mission to Venice], "Although," says Lord Clarendon,[187] "the king was much dissuaded from it, but afterwards his majesty was prevailed upon, only to gratify him (Killigrew) that in that capacity he might borrow money of English merchants for his own subsistence; which he did, and nothing to the honour of his master, but was at last compelled to leave the Republic for his vicious behaviour, of which the Venetian ambassador complained to the king, when he came afterwards to Paris." On his return from Venice, Sir John Denham wrote a copy of verses, printed in his works,[188] bantering the foibles of his friend Killigrew who, from his account, was as little sensible to the inconveniences of exile as his royal master. [But the curious preface to Killigrew's Plays where, under the thin veil of levity, so strong a vein of seriousness seems to be perceptible, tells a different story, perhaps. He wishes the public as much leisure to read his plays as he had to write them--a banishment of twenty years. One of the documents connected with the Killigrews which have come down to us, shows that in 1660 Thomas received the freedom of the city of Maastricht, in Holland. This was perhaps a parting compliment, when he prepared to return to England with his royal companion in exile. At the Restoration] he was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber, and became so great a favourite with his majesty, that he was admitted into his company on terms of the most unrestrained familiarity, and at times when audience was refused to the first ministers, and even on the most important occasions. It does not appear that he availed himself of his interest with the king, either to amass a fortune, or to advance himself in the state. We do not find that he obtained any other preferment than the post of Master of the Revels, which he held with that of Groom of the Bed-chamber. Oldys [very foolishly and absurdly] says he was king's jester at the same time; but although he might, and certainly did entertain his majesty in that capacity, it can scarce be imagined to have been in consequence of any appointment of that kind. He died at Whitehall on the 19th of March 1682,[189] having in 1664 published a collected edition of his plays, viz.:--

1. The Prisoners: a Tragi-Comedy. Written at London, and acted at the Phoenix in Drury Lane.

2. Claracilla: a Tragi-Comedy. Written in Rome, and acted at the Phoenix in Drury Lane. [Dedicated to his dear sister, the Lady Shannon.][190]

3. The Princess; or, Love at First Sight: a Tragi-Comedy. Written in Naples. [Dedicated to his dear Niece, the Lady Anne Wentworth, wife to the Lord Lovelace.]

4. The Parson's Wedding.

5. The Pilgrim: a Tragedy. Written in Paris.

6. The First Part of Cicilia and Clorinda; or, Love in Arms: a Tragi-Comedy. Written in Turin.

7. The Second Part of Cicilia and Clorinda; or, Love in Arms: a Tragi-Comedy. Written in Florence.

8. Thomaso; or the Wanderer: a Comedy. Written in Madrid.

9. The Second Part of Thomaso; or, The Wanderer. Written in Madrid.

10. The First Part of Bellamira, her Dream; or, The Love of Shadows: a Tragi-Comedy. Written in Venice.

11. The Second Part of Bellamira, her Dream; or, The Love of Shadows: a Tragi-Comedy. Written in Venice.

Thomas Killigrew had two brothers, both dramatic writers, viz., Sir William Killigrew,[191] author of Ormasdes, Pandora, Selindra, and The Siege of Urbin;[192] and Dr Henry Killigrew, a clergyman, author of a play called The Conspiracy, printed in 4^o, 1638, and afterwards altered, and printed in folio, 1653, under the title of Pallantus and Eudora.

Dr Henry Killigrew was father to Mrs Ann Killigrew, a young lady celebrated for her wit, beauty, and virtue, and who was the writer of several poems, very highly esteemed by Dryden.

_DRAMATIS PERSONÃ._

MASTER CARELESS, _a gentleman and a wit_. MASTER WILD, _a gentleman, nephew to the Widow_. MASTER JOLLY, _a humorous gentleman, and a courtier_. CAPTAIN, _a leading wit, full of designs_. PARSON, _a wit also, but overreached by the Captain and his Wanton_. MASTER CONSTANT, } _two dull suitors to the lady Widow and_ MASTER SAD, } _Mistress Pleasant_. CROP, _the Brownist, a scrivener_. LADY WILD, _a rich (and somewhat youthful) widow_. MISTRESS PLEASANT, _a handsome young gentlewoman, of a good fortune_. MISTRESS SECRET, _her (indifferent honest) woman_. LADY LOVEALL, _an old stallion-hunting widow_. FAITHFUL, _her (errant honest) woman_. MISTRESS WANTON, _the Captain's livery punk, married to the Parson by confederacy_.

_Bawds_, _Servants_, _Drawers_, _Fiddlers_.

THE PARSON'S WEDDING.[193]