Prologue
Pleasure attend ye, and about ye sit
The springs of mirth, fancy, delight and wit
To stir you up, do not your looks let fall,
Nor to remembrance our late errors call,
Because this day w’ are Spaniards all again,
The story of our Play, and our Scene Spain:
The errors too, do not for this cause hate,
Now we present their wit and not their state.
Nor Ladies be not angry if you see,
A young fresh beauty, wanton and too free,
Seek to abuse her Husband, still ’tis Spain,
No such gross errors in your Kingdom raign,
W’ are Vesrals all, and though we blow the fire,
We seldom make it flame up to desire,
Take no example neither to begin,
For some by precedent delight to sin:
Nor blame the Poet if he slip aside
Sometimes lasciviously if not too wide.
But hold your Fanns close, and then smile at ease,
A cruel Scene did never Lady please.
Nor Gentlemen, pray be not you displeased,
Though we present some men fool’d, some diseased,
Some drunk, some mad: we mean not you, you’re free,
We taxe no farther than our Comedie,
You are our friends, sit noble then and see.
Epilogue.
Good night our worthy friends, and may you part
Each with as merry and as free a heart
As you came hither; to those noble eyes
That deign to smile on our poor faculties,
And give a blessing to our labouring ends,
As we hope many, to such fortune sends
Their own desires, wives fair as light as chast;
To those that live by spight Wives made in hast.
APPENDIX
RULE A WIFE, AND HAVE A WIFE.
The Dramatis Personae are not given in the quarto of 1640 nor in the 2nd folio. They are as follows:—Duke of Medina. Juan de Castro, Sanchio, Alonzo, Michael Perez, Officers. Leon, Altea’s brother. Cacafogo, a usurer. Lorenzo. Coachman, etc. Margarita. Altea. Estifania. Clara. Three old ladies. Old woman. Maids, etc.
Unless where otherwise stated the following variations are from the quarto of 1640, the title-page of which runs thus:—
Rule a Wife | And have a Wife. | A Comoedy. | Acted by his | Majesties Servants. | Written by | John Fletcher | Gent. | Oxford, | Printed by Leonard Lichfield | Printer to the University. | Anno 1640.
p. 170,
l. 30. mouth.
p. 171,
l. 14. most subtlest.
l. 18. With yee.
l. 19. them.
l. 38. and often elsewhere] um for ’em.
p. 172,
l. 2. the picke.
p. 173,
l. 22. thank ye.
p. 175,
l. 1. Yes I.
l. 29. Exit.
l. 31. mine ayme.
p. 176,
l. 30. 2nd folio prints] calling. | And
p. 178,
l. 10. a starv’d.
l. 22. look’st.
l. 24. 2nd folio misprints] hear.
p. 179,
l. 33. Or any.
p. 182,
ll. 6, etc. Quarto frequently prints 4 for Altea here and in similar places.
l. 33. doubty.
p. 183,
l. 2. Has not.
l. 3. 2nd folio misprints] hin.
l. 5. Has no.
l. 38. 2nd folio misprints] compaines.
p. 184,
l. 13. a house.
p. 185,
l. 2. Altea, the Ladies.
l. 4. has been.
p. 187,
l. 26. I finde.
p. 189,
l. 28. enter’d here.
l. 39. salute him.
p. 190,
l. 25. if she.
p. 194,
ll. 8 and 11. Omits Lady here and often similarly elsewhere.
p. 196,
l. 26. Exit.
p. 197,
l. 20. basinesse.
p. 198,
l. 29. (some copies), and ruine too.
l. 32. have meaner.
l. 39. 2nd folio misprints] Jaun.
p. 200,
l. 8. Some copies read] laugh him, leave ager.
p. 201,
l. 2. Adds the following line] It is a Ladies, what’s the Ladies name wench.
l. 6. a the.
l. 23. they are.
l. 38. flea me.
p. 202,
l. 27. Nor I.
l. 28. Omits of.
p. 203,
l. 13. Tas.
l. 17. as ere I looked on.
p. 204,
l. 20. Both into.
l. 37. Adds the following line] And hold it to my use, the law allowes it,
p. 206,
l. 38. I have seen.
p. 207,
l. 3. Save.
l. 29. Is possest.
p. 208,
l. 1. a your.
l. 17. bless ye.
p. 209,
l. 5. believe ye.
l. 6. Pray ye.
l. 12. after ye.
l. 18. forgot ye.
l. 34. vild, vild.
p. 210,
l. 15. 2nd folio] do brave, Captain.
p. 211,
l. 10. 2nd folio misprints] Ptithee.
l. 23. put your fury up, Sir.
l. 32. colt ye.
l. 33. teach ye.
p. 212,
l. 22. on, it looked so.
l. 30. Pray ye.
p. 213,
l. 39. heere Don Juan.
p. 214,
l. 30. ‘Tas.
l. 33. Omits do.
p. 215,
l. 21. all sit.
l. 28. Has.
p. 216,
l. 22. 2nd folio misprints] thinks.
l. 31. I goe alas.
l. 38. linnens.
p. 220,
l. 1. Has.
l. 21. I use.
p. 223,
l. 10. 2nd folio misprints] Perox.
l. 14. 2nd folio misprints] haugh.
p. 227,
l. 12. 2nd folio] Dagge.
l. 24. Nor never.
p. 228,
l. 17. 2nd folio misprints] millius.
ll. 18 and 19. pawn’d um.
p. 230,
l. 17. A that.
p. 231,
l. 16. too Templers.
l. 35. 2nd folio misprints] deah.
p. 234,
l. 25. raignes.
l. 12. Adds Finis.
l. 24. abuse your.
l. 29. president.