KEMPS NINE DAIES WONDER:
PERFORMED IN A DAUNCE
FROM
LONDON TO NORWICH.

WITH
AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES
BY
THE REV. ALEXANDER DYCE.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR THE CAMDEN SOCIETY,
BY JOHN BOWYER NICHOLS AND SON, PARLIAMENT-STREET.

M.DCCC.XL.
 

  COUNCIL
OF
THE CAMDEN SOCIETY,
ELECTED MAY 2, 1839.

President,
THE RIGHT HON. LORD FRANCIS EGERTON, M.P.

THOMAS AMYOT, ESQ. F.R.S. Treas. S.A. Director.
THE REV. PHILIP BLISS, D.C.L., F.S.A., Registrar of the University of Oxford.
JOHN BRUCE, ESQ. F.S.A. Treasurer.
JOHN PAYNE COLLIER, ESQ. F.S.A.
C. PURTON COOPER, ESQ. Q.C., D.C.L., F.R.S., F.S.A.
RT. HON. THOMAS PEREGRINE COURTENAY.
T. CROFTON CROKER, ESQ. F.S.A., M.R.I.A.
THE REV. ALEXANDER DYCE.
SIR HENRY ELLIS, K.H., F.R.S., Sec. S.A.
THE REV. JOSEPH HUNTER, F.S.A.
JOHN HERMAN MERIVALE, ESQ. F.S.A.
JOHN GAGE ROKEWODE, ESQ. F.R.S., Director S.A.
THOMAS STAPLETON, ESQ. F.S.A.
WILLIAM J. THOMS, ESQ. F.S.A. Secretary.
THOMAS WRIGHT, ESQ. M.A., F.S.A.
 

  INTRODUCTION.

William Kemp was a comic actor of high reputation. Like Tarlton, whom he succeeded “as wel in the fauour of her Maiesty as in the opinion and good thoughts of the generall audience,”v:1 he usually played the Clown, and was greatly applauded for his buffoonery, his extemporal wit,v:2 and his performance of the Jig.v:3

  That at one time,—perhaps from about 1589 to 1593 or later—he belonged to a Company under the management of the celebrated Edward Alleyn, is proved by the title-page of a dramavi:1 which will be afterwards cited. At a subsequent period he was a member of the Company called the Lord Chamberlain’s Servants, who played during summer at the Globe, and during winter at the Blackfriars. In 1596, while the last-mentioned house was undergoing considerable repair and enlargement, a petition was presented to the Privy Council by the principal inhabitants of the liberty, praying that the work might proceed no further, and that theatrical exhibitions might be abolished in that district. A counter petition, which appears to have been successful, was presented by the Lord Chamberlain’s Servants; and, at its commencement, the names of the chief petitioners are thus arranged:—Thomas Pope, Richard Burbadge, John Hemings, Augustine Phillips, William Shakespeare, William Kempe, William Slye, and Nicholas Tooley.vi:2

  When Romeo and Juliet and Much ado about Nothing were originally brought upon the stage, Kemp acted Peter and Dogberry;vi:3 and it has been supposed that in other plays of Shakespeare,—in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, As you like it, Hamlet, The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, and The Merchant of Venice, he performed Launce, Touchstone, the Grave-digger, Justice Shallow, and Launcelot. On the first production of Ben Jonson’s Every Man in his Humour, a charactervii:1 was assigned to him; and there is good reason to believe that in Every Man out of his Humour, by the same dramatist, he represented Carlo Buffone.

In 1599 Kemp attracted much attention by dancing the morris from London to Norwich; and as well to refute the lying ballads put forth concerning this exploit, as to testify his gratitude for the favours he had received during his “gambols,”vii:2 he published in the following year the curious pamphlet which is now reprinted. A Nine daies wonder was thus entered in the Stationers’ Books:

  Ben Jonson alludes to this remarkable journey in Every Man out of his Humour, originally acted in 1599, where Carlo Buffone is made

So also William Rowley in the prefatory Address to a very rare tract called A Search for Money, &c., 1609, 4to.:—“Yee haue beene either eare or eye-witnesses or both to many madde voiages made of late yeares, both by sea and land, as the trauell to Rome with the returne in certaine daies, the wild morrise to Norrige,” &c. And Brathwait in Remains after Death, &c. 1618, 12mo. has the following lines:—

  Towards the end of a Nine daies wonder, Kemp announces his intention of setting out shortly on a “great journey;”ix:1 but as no record of this second feat has come down to us, we may conclude that it was never accomplished.ix:2

  The date of his death has not been determined. Malone, in the uncertainty on this point, could only adduce the following passage of Dekker’s Guls Horne-booke, 1609, from which, he says, “it may be presumed”ix:3 that Kemp was then deceased: “Tush, tush, Tarleton, Kemp, nor Singer, nor all the litter of fooles that now come drawling behinde them, neuer plaid the Clownes more naturally then the arrantest Sot of you all.”ix:4 George Chalmers, however, discovered an entry in the burial register of St. Saviour’s, Southwark—“1603, November 2d William Kempe, a man;”ix:5 and since the name of Kemp does not occur in the license granted by King James, 19th May, 1603, to the Lord Chamberlain’s Company (who in consequence of that instrument were afterwards denominated his Majesty’s Servants) there is great probability that the said entry relates to the comedian, and that he had been carried off by the plague of that year.

Two scenes of two early dramas, which exhibit Kemp in propria persona, must necessarily form a portion of the present essay. The Retvrne from Pernassvs: Or The Scourge of Simony. Publiquely acted by the Students in Saint Johns Colledge in Cambridge, 1606,x:1 4to. furnishes the first extract:

“Kemp. M. Pil. and M. Otioso, well met.

“Phil. The same to you, good M. Burbage. What, M. Kempe, how doth the Emperour of Germany?

“Stud. God saue you, M. Kempe; welcome, M. Kempe, from dancing the morrice ouer the Alpes.xi:5

  “Kemp. Well, you merry knaues, you may come to the honor of it one day: is it not better to make a foole of the world as I haue done, then to be fooled of the world as you schollers are? But be merry, my lads: you haue happened vpon the most excellent vocation in the world for money; they come North and South to bring it to our playhouse; and for honours, who of more report then Dick Burbage and Will Kempe? he is not counted a Gentleman that knowes not Dick Burbage and Wil Kempe; there’s not a country wench that can dance Sellengers Roundxii:1 but can talke of Dick Burbage and Will Kempe.

“Phil. Indeed, M. Kempe, you are very famous, but that is as well for workes in print as your part in kue.

“Kempe. You are at Cambridge still with sice kue,xii:2 and be lusty humorous poets; you must vntrusle:xii:3 I road this my last circuit purposely, because I would be iudge of your actions.

“Bur. M. Stud., I pray you take some part in this booke, and act it, that I may see what will fit you best. I thinke your voice would serue for Hieronimo:xii:4 obserue how I act it, and then imitate mee.

“Stud.

“Bur. You will do well after a while.

  “Kemp. Now for you, me thinkes you should belong to my tuition, and your face me thinkes would be good for a foolish Mayre or a foolish iustice of peace. Marke me.xii:5 ‘Forasmuch as there be two states of a common wealth, the one of peace, the other of tranquility; two states of warre, the one of discord, the other of dissention; two states of an incorporation, the one of the Aldermen, the other of the Brethren; two states of magistrates, the one of gouerning, the other of bearing rule; now, as I said euen now, for a good thing cannot be said too often, Vertue is the shooing-horne of iustice, that is, vertue is the shooing-horne of doing well, that is, vertue is the shooing-horne of doing iustly, it behooueth mee and is my part to commend this shooing-horne vnto you. I hope this word shooing-horne doth not offend any of you, my worshipfull brethren, for you, beeing the worshipfull headsmen of the towne, know well what the horne meaneth. Now therefore I am determined not onely to teach but also to instruct, not onely the ignorant but also the simple, not onely what is their duty towards their betters, but also what is their dutye towards their superiours.’ Come, let me see how you can doe; sit downe in the chaire.

“Phil. ‘Forasmuch as there be,’ &c.

“Kemp. Thou wilt do well in time, if thou wilt be ruled by thy betters, that is by my selfe, and such graue Aldermen of the playhouse as I am.

“Bur. I like your face and the proportion of your body for Richard the 3; I pray, M. Phil., let me see you act a little of it.

“Phil.

“Bur. Very well, I assure you. Well, M. Phil. and M. Stud., wee see what ability you are of: I pray walke with vs to our fellows, and weele agree presently.

“Phil. We will follow you straight, M. Burbage.

“Kempe. Its good manners to follow vs, Maister Phil. and Maister Otioso.

[Exeunt Burbage and Kempe.]” xiii:1

  The other drama in which Kemp personally figures is of great rarity, and has escaped the notice of those writers who have touched on his biography. It was the joint work of Day, William Rowley, and Wilkins;xiv:1 and is entitled The Travailes of The three English Brothers. Sir Thomas, Sir Anthony, Mr. Robert Shirley. As it is now play’d by her Maiesties Seruants, 1607,xiv:2 4to. Sir Anthony Shirley having been sent to Italy as ambassador from the Sophy, the following scene is supposed to take place at Venice.

  “Sir Ant. Jesting, Will.

“Kemp. In good earnest it doth, sir.

“S. Ant. I partly credit thee; but what Playe[s] of note haue you?

“Kemp. Many of name, some of note; especially one, the name was called Englands Ioy;xv:1 Marry, hee was no Poet that wrote it, he drew more Connies in a purse-nette, then euer were taken at any draught about London.

“[Re]Enter Seruant.

“Seru. Sir, heres an Italian Harlaken come to offer a play to your Lord-ship.

“Sir Ant.

“[Enter Harlaken and Wife.]

“Kem. I am somewhat hard of study, and like your honor, but if they well inuent any extemporall meriment, ile put out the small sacke of witte I ha’ left in venture with them.

“S. Ant. They shall not deny ’t. Signior Harlaken, he is content. I pray thee question him.

Whisper.

“Kemp. Now, Signior, how many are you in companie?

“Harl. None but my wife and my selfe, sir.

  “Kemp. Your wife! why, hearke you; wil your wife do tricks in publike?

“Harl. My wife can play.

“Kemp. The honest woman, I make no question; but how if we cast a whores part or a courtisan?

“Harl. Oh, my wife is excellent at that; she’s practisd it euer since I married her, tis her onely practise.

“Kemp. But, by your leaue, and she were my wife, I had rather keepe her out of practise a great deale.

“Sir Anth.

“Kemp. You shall finde me no turne-coate. [Exit Sir Anth.] But the proiect, come; and then to casting of the parts.

“Harl. Marry, sir, first we will haue an old Pantaloune.

“Kemp. Some iealous Coxcombe.

“Harl. Right, and that part will I play.

“Kemp. The iealous Cox-combe?

“Harl. I ha plaid that part euer since—

“Kemp. Your wife plaid the Curtizan.

“Harl. True, and a great while afore: then I must haue a peasant to my man, and he must keepe my wife.

“Kemp. Your man, and a peasant, keepe your wife! I haue knowne a Gentleman keepe a peasants wife, but ’tis not vsuall for a peasant to keepe his maisters wife.

“Harl. O, ’tis common in our countrey.

“Kē. And ile maintaine the custome of the coūtry.

Offer to kisse his wife.

“Harl. What do you meane, sir?

“Kemp. Why, to rehearse my part on your wiues lips: we are fellowes, and amongst friends and fellowes, you knowe, all things are common.

“Harl. But shee shall bee no common thing, if I can keepe her seuerall: then, sir, wee must haue an Amorado that must make me Cornuto.

  “Kemp. Oh, for loue sake let me play that part!

“Harl. No, yee must play my mans part, and keepe my wife.

“Kemp. Right; and who so fit to make a man a Cuckold, as hee that keepes his wife?

“Harl. You shall not play that part.

“Kemp. What say you to my boy?

“Harl. I, he may play it, and you will.

“Kemp. But he cannot make you iealous enough?

“Harl. Tush, I warrant you, I can be iealous for nothing.

“Kemp. You should not be a true Italian else.

“Harl. Then we must haue a Magnifico that must take vp the matter betwixt me and my wife.

“Kemp. Any thing of yours, but Ile take vp nothing of your wiues.

“Harl. I wish not you should: but come, now am I your Maister.

“Kemp. Right, and I your seruant.

“Harl. Lead the way then.

“Kemp. No, I ha more manners then so: in our countrie ’tis the custome of the Maister to go In-before his wife, and the man to follow the maister.

“Harl. In—

“Kemp. To his Mistresse.

“Harl. Yee are in the right—

“Kemp. Way to Cuck-holds-hauen; Saint Luke bee your speede!

Exeunt.” xvii:1

When, in the former of these scenes, Kemp is said to be “famous for workes in print,” I understand the ironical compliment as an allusion to his Nine daies wonder only; for I feel assured that all the other pieces which I now proceed to notice, have been erroneously attributed to his pen.

  A Dvtifvl Invective, Against the moste haynous Treasons of Ballard and Babington: with other their Adherents, latelie executed. Together with the horrible attempts and actions of the Q. of Scottes: and the Sentence pronounced against her at Fodderingay. Newlie compiled and set foorth, in English verse: For a Newyeares gifte to all loyall English subiects, by W. Kempe. Imprinted at London by Richard Jones, dwelling at the signe of the Rose and crowne, neere Holborne bridge, 1587. 4to. (four leaves) is assigned to our comedian in Ritson’s Bibl. Poet., Collier’s Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet.xviii:1 &c., &c. The writer calls it “the first fruites of his labour,” and dedicates it “To the right honorable my very good Lord, George Barne, L. Maior of the Cittie of London.” It opens thus:

Towards the end, the loyalty of the author becomes so extravagant, that in a prayer for Queen Elizabeth, he exclaims:—

As the comedian expressly declares that the Nine daies wonder was the “first Pamphlet that euer Will Kemp offred to the Presse,”xix:1 there can be no doubt that this Dvtiful Invective was written by some other individual of the name; perhaps by the William Kempe who published in the following year a book entitled The Education of Children in learning, and who is supposed to have been a schoolmaster at Plymouth.xix:2

  During the earlier period of the English stage, after the play was concluded, the audience were commonly entertained by a Jig. As no piece of that kind is extant, we are unable to ascertain its nature with precision; but it appears to have been a ludicrous metrical composition, either spoken or sung by the Clown, and occasionally accompanied by dancing and playing on the pipe and tabor. More persons than one were sometimes employed in a jig; and there is reason to believe that the performance was of considerable length, occupying even the space of an hour.xx:1 The following entries are given verbatim from the Stationers’ Books:

These entries are quoted (imperfectly) by several antiquarian writers who have enumerated the comedian’s “works;” but his own express declaration, which has alreadyxxi:3 removed the Dvtiful Invective from the list, can only be evaded, in the present case, by weakly arguing—that he did not consider a Jig as a pamphlet, or that the preceding entries relate to pieces which had been conveyed to the printer without his permission. My belief is that the Jigs in question were composed by regular dramatists, and that they were called “Kemp’s” merely because he had rendered them popular by his acting, and probably by flashes of extemporal wit. He tells us that he had “spent his life in mad Jiggesxxi:4”; and to one of those many entertainments Marston alludes in The Scovrge of Villanie, 1599:

I may also remark, that, if Kemp had been a practised jig-maker, he would hardly have required the assistance of a friend to furnish him with verses for the Nine daies wonder.xxii:2

  A most pleasant and merie new Comedie, Intituled, A Knacke to knowe a Knaue. Newlie set foorth, as it hath sundrie tymes bene played by Ed. Allen and his Companie. With Kemps applauded Merrimentes of the men of Goteham, in receiuing the King into Goteham, was printed in 1594, 4to., having been

  Like the pieces already noticed, “Kemps applauded Merrimentes of the men of Goteham” have been inserted in the catalogue of his “works.”xxiv:2 But surely the words of the title-page mean nothing more than ‘merriments in which Kemp had been applauded;’ and since it is not easy to imagine that the scene, as preserved in the printed copy, could have been received with any unusual degree of approbation even by the rudest audience, the probability is, that he enlivened his part,xxv:1 not only by his ever-welcome buffoonery, but also by sundry speeches of extemporal humour: see a passage in The Travailes of The three English Brothers, cited at p. xv. There can be no doubt that Kemp figured in other “merrimentes” besides those “of the men of Goteham,” though they have not descended to our times: “But,” says Nash to Gabriel Harvey, “by the meanes of his [Greene’s] death thou art depriued of the remedie in lawe which thou intendedst to haue had against him for calling thy Father Ropemaker. Mas, thats true, what Action will it beare? Nihil pro nihilo, none in law; what it will doe vpon the stage I cannot tell, for there a man maye make action besides his part, when he hath nothing at all to say: and if there, it is but a clownish action that it will beare; for what can bee made of a Ropemaker more than a Clowne? Will Kempe, I mistrust it will fall to thy lot for a merriment one of these dayes.” Strange Newes, Of the intercepting certaine Letters, &c. 1592.xxv:2

  I have only to add, that the present edition of the Nine daies wonder exhibits faithfully the text of the original 4to, which is preserved in the Bodleian Library,xxvi:1 and which Gifford declared to be “a great curiosity, and, as a rude picture of national manners, extremely well worth reprinting.”xxvi:2

A. DYCE.