Chapter VII: Epilogue

An honest crew, disposèd to be merry, Come to a tavern by, and called for wine: The drawer brought it, smiling like a cherry, And told them it was pleasant, neat, and fine. “Taste it,” quoth one. He did so. “Fie!” quoth he; “This wine was good; now’t runs too near the lee.”

Another sipped, to give the wine his due, And said unto the rest it drunk too flat; The third said, it was old; the fourth, too new; Nay, quoth the fifth, the sharpness likes me not. Thus, gentlemen, you see how, in one hour, The wine was new, old, flat, sharp, sweet, and sour.

Unto this wine we do allude our play; Which some will judge too trivial, some too grave: You as our guests we entertain this day, And bid you welcome to the best we have. Excuse us, then: good wine may be disgraced, When every several mouth hath sundry taste.

THE FAIR MAID OF THE WEST. _Part I_.

_The Fair Maid of the West, or a Girl worth Gold_, “as it was lately acted before the king and queen with approved liking,” was first published (both parts) in 1631: it had been acted as early as 1617, and from the title-page we may conclude that it held the stage for some time. It probably represents the dramatisation of some already-existent story-book or ballad. “We should be sorry,” remarks Mr. Saintsbury,[2.01] “to lose _The Fair Maid of the West_, with its picture of Devonshire sailors, foreign merchants, kings of Fez, bashaws of various parts, Italian dukes, and what not. The two parts make anything but a good play, but they are decidedly interesting.” Only the first has here been given, as it is complete in itself, and the second part is of less value.

I have marked the changes of scene, and in one or two places have made trifling corrections in the text. For instance, in scene iv. of the first act, by reading “your hopes deceased,” and changing the punctuation, we get a very fair sense where Collier (who edited the play for the Shakespeare Society) was inclined to think that a line had dropped out.

THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.

To the much worthy and my most respected John Othow, Esquire, Counsellor at Law, in the noble Society of Gray’s Inn.

Sir,

Excuse this my boldness, I entreat you, and let it pass under the title of my love and respect, long devoted unto you; of which, if I endeavour to present the world with a due acknowledgement, without the sordid expectation of reward or servile imputation of flattery, I hope it will be the rather accepted. I must ingenuously acknowledge, a weightier argument would have better suited with your grave employment; but there are retirements necessarily belonging to all the labours of the body and brain. If in any such cessation you will deign to cast an eye upon this weak and unpolished poem, I shall receive it as a courtesy from you, much exceeding any merit in me, my good meaning only excepted. Thus wishing you healthful ability in body, untroubled content in mind, with the happy fruition of both the temporal felicities of the world present, and the eternal blessedness of the life future, I still remain as ever,

Yours, most affectionately devoted,
Thomas Heywood.

To the Reader.

Courteous Reader, my plays have not been exposed to the public view of the world in numerous sheets and a large volume, but singly, as thou seest, with great modesty and small noise. These comedies, bearing the title of _The Fair Maid of the West_, if they prove but as gracious in thy private reading as they were plausible in the public acting, I shall not much doubt of their success. Nor need they, I hope, much fear a rugged and censorious brow from thee, on whom the greatest and best in the kingdom have vouchsafed to smile. I hold it no necessity to trouble thee with the argument of the story, the matter itself lying so plainly before thee in acts and scenes, without any deviations or winding indents.

Peruse it through, and thou mayst find in it Some mirth, some matter, and, perhaps, some wit. He that would study thy content,

T.H.