A SELECT COLLECTION
OF
OLD ENGLISH PLAYS.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY ROBERT DODSLEY
IN THE YEAR 1744.
FOURTH EDITION.
NOW FIRST CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED, REVISED AND ENLARGED WITH THE NOTES OF ALL THE COMMENTATORS, AND NEW NOTES

BY
W. CAREW HAZLITT.

BENJAMIN BLOM, INC.

New York

First published 1874-1876
Reissued 1964 by Benjamin Blom, Inc.
L.C. Catalog Card No.: 64-14702

Printed in U.S.A. by
NOBLE OFFSET PRINTERS, INC.
NEW YORK 3, N.Y.

THE OLD COUPLE
A WOMAN NEVER VEXED.
THE ORDINARY
THE LONDON CHANTICLEERS.
THE SHEPHERDS' HOLIDAY.
FUIMUS TROES: THE TRUE TROJANS
THE LOST LADY.

THE OLD COUPLE

EDITION.

[A MS. note in one of the former editions says: "This comedy is pleasingly and fluently written, and though it contains little poetry, is not without some eloquent and beautiful passages. The first scene is the best in the play."]

INTRODUCTION

It seems probable that this comedy, as it is called, was never acted, and on the title-page of the old edition (not printed until 1658, eight years after the death of the author), it is not mentioned that it was performed by any private or public company. This fact was usually stated, though during the period when the theatres were silenced exceptions were not very uncommon. It is pretty obvious, however, from the general structure of the piece and the nature of the dialogue, that "The Old Couple" was not calculated or intended by the author to please the multitude. No inconsiderable part of the plot, and some of the characters, may be considered allegorical, and for the sake of preserving it, some constraint is used in a few of the incidents, and forced and unnatural conversions take place among the persons.[1]

As to the period when it was written, judging from internal evidence, it might be thought that May produced "The Old Couple" late in life, and it was certainly the last printed of any of his works. It will be observed that two lines in the last scene of this play close "The Goblins" of Sir John Suckling.

Sir J. Suckling does not introduce them as a quotation, but nevertheless, from the situation in which they are found in his comedy, it seems likely that they were so, and that they originally belong to May. If this supposition be correct, "The Old Couple" must have been written before 1641, in which year Suckling died, and the latter must have seen it in MS.[2]

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

MEN.

• Sir Argent Scrape, an old covetous rich knight.
• Earthworm, an old miserly niggard.
• Master Freeman.
• Eugeny, Sir Argent Scrape's nephew.
• Euphues (Freeman's nephew) Scudmore's friend.
• Theodore, Earthworm's virtuous son.
• Scudmore, supposed to be slain by Eugeny.
• Fruitful, the Lady Covet's chaplain (Scudmore disguised).
• Barnet.
• Dotterel, a gull, married to the Lady Whimsey.
• Trusty, the Lady Covet's steward.
• Jasper, Earthworm's servant.
• Three neighbours of Earthworm's.
• Officers.

WOMEN.

• The Lady Covet, betrothed to Sir Argent Scrape.
• Matilda (Earthworm's niece), Scudmore's love.
• Artemia (Freeman's daughter), Eugeny's love.
• The Lady Whimsey, married to Dotterel.

[Pg 6]
[Pg 7]

THE OLD COUPLE

ACT I.

Eugeny solus.