active 1600 William Kemp

“ Now, Will Kempe, if we can intertaine these schollers at a low rate, it wil be well; they haue oftentimes a good conceite in a part.
“Kempe. Its true indeed, honest Dick; but the slaues are somewhat proud, and, besides, it is a good sport, in a part to see them neuer speake in their walke but at the end of the stage, iust as though in walking with a fellow we should neuer speake but at a stile, a gate, or a ditch, where a man can go no further. I was once at a Comedie in Cambridge, and there I saw a parasite make faces and mouths of all sorts on this fashion. ”

“ Well, once againe farewell mine Hoast at Rockland. After all these farewels, I am sure to Hingham I found a foule way, as before I had done from Thetford to Rockland.
Yet, besides the deep way, I was much hindred by the desire people had to see me. For euen as our Shop-keepers will hayle and pull a man with “Lack ye? what do you lack, Gentlemen?” “My ware is best,” cryes one, “Mine best in England,” sayes an other, “Heere shall you haue choyse,” saith the third ”

“ From Ilford, by Moone-shine, I set forward, dauncing within a quarter of a myle of Romford; where, in the highway, two strong Iades (hauing belike some great quarrell to me vnknowne) were beating and byting either of other; and such through Gods help was my good hap, that I escaped their hoofes, both being raysed with their fore feete ouer my head, like two Smithes ouer an Anuyle.
There being the end of my first dayes Morrice, a kinde Gentleman of London lighting from his horse, would haue no nay but I should leap into his saddle. ”

“ Which myle master Colts his foole would needs daunce with me, and had his desire, where leauing me, two fooles parted faire in a foule way; I keeping on my course to Clare, where I a while rested, and then cheerefully set forward to Bury.
Passing from Clare towards Bury, I was inuited to the house of a very bountifull widdow, whose husband during his life was a Yeoman of that Countrie; dying rich no doubt, as might well appeare, by the riches and plentie that abounded in euery corner of the house. ”

“ But, in a word, your poore seruant offers the truth of his progresse and profit to your honorable view: receiue it, I beseech you, such as it is, rude and plaine; for I know your pure iudgement lookes as soone to see beauty in a Blackamoore, or heare smooth speech from a Stammerer, as to finde any thing but blunt mirth in a Morrice dauncer, especially such a one as Will Kemp, that hath spent his life in mad Iigges and merry iestes. Three reasons mooue mee to make publik this iourney: one to reproue lying fooles I neuer knew; the other to cōmend louing friends, which by the way I daily found ”

“ 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. ”

“ In that towne, to giue rest to my well-labour’d limbes, I continued two dayes, being much beholding to the townsmen for their loue, but more to the Londoners that came hourely thither in great numbers to visite me, offring much more kindnes then I was willing to accept. ”

“ If I haue, your Honourable protection shall thus far defend your poore seruant, that he may, being a plain man, call a spade a spade. Thus fearing your Ladyship is wearier with reading this toy then I was in all my merry trauaile, I craue pardon; and conclude this first Pamphlet that euer Will Kemp offred to the Presse, being thereunto prest on the one side by the pittifull papers, pasted on euery poast, of that which was neither so nor so, and on the other side vrg’d thereto in duety to expresse with thankefulnes the kind entertainment I found. ”

“ 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 ”

“ In this towne of Sudbury there came a lusty, tall fellow, a butcher by his profession, that would in a Morrice keepe mee company to Bury: I being glad of his friendly offer, gaue him thankes, and forward wee did set; but ere euer wee had measur’d halfe a mile of our way, he gaue me ouer in the plain field, protesting, that if he might get a 100 pound, he would not hold out with me; for indeed my pace in dauncing is not ordinary. ”

“ 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 ”

“ Vpon Fryday morning I set on towardes Thetford, dauncing that tenne mile in three houres; for I left Bury somewhat after seauen in the morning, and was at Thetford somewhat after ten that same forenoone. But, indeed, considering how I had been booted the other iourneys before, and that all this way, or the most of it, was ouer a heath, it was no great wonder; for I far’d like one that had escaped the stockes, and tride the vse of his legs to out-run the Constable: so light was my heeles, that I counted the ten mile no better than a leape. ”

“ I fulfild his request: and comming to him, “Dauncer,” quoth hee, “if thou daunce a Gods name, God speede thee! I cannot follow thee a foote farther; but adieu, good dauncer; God speed thee, if thou daunce a Gods name!”
I, hauing haste of my way, and he being able to keep no way, there wee parted. Farewell he: he was a kinde good fellow, a true Troyan; and if euer be my lucke to meete him at more leasure, Ile make him full amendes with a Cup full of Canarie. ”

“ 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 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? ”

“ Her behauiour being very modest and freendly, argued her bringing vp not to be rude. She was a woman of good presence, and, if a foole may iudge, of no smal discretion.
From this widdowes I daunst to Bury, comming in on the Satterday in the afternoone, at what time the right Honorable the Lord Chiefe Justice entred at an other gate of the towne. The wondring and regardles multitude making his honor cleere way, left the streetes where he past to gape at me; the throng of them being so great that poore Will Kemp was seauen times stayed ere hee could recouer his Inne. ”

“ Persons who clear the way for a procession: see Douce’s Ill. of Shakespeare, I. 506. I may just notice that when Grose compiled his Prov. Gloss., the word whifflers had not become obsolete in the city of which Kemp is now speaking. ”

“ Thursday being Market day at Burnt-wood, Tom Slye was earlyer up then the Lark, and sounded merrily the Morrice: I rowsed my selfe, and returned from Romford to the place wher I tooke horse the first night, dauncing that quarter of a myle backe againe thorow Romford, and so merily to Burnt-wood. Yet, now I remember it well, I had no great cause of mirth, for at Romford townes end I strained my hip, and for a time indured exceeding paine ”

“ N. 3. Deloney was no less celebrated among the vulgar for his prose-romances than for his ballads. Thomas of Reading, or the sixe worthie Yeomen of the West, is noticed in the present passage as a well-known work, and was dramatized in 1601 (Malone’s Shakespeare, by Boswell, iii. 325-6; Collier’s Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 99) , but no impression has been discovered earlier than the fourth, 1612, 4to: this tale is reprinted in Thoms’s Early Prose Rom. ”

“ 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.
“Enter seruant.
“Ser. Sir, heres an Englishmanxiv:3 desires accesse to you.
“Sir Ant. An Englishman? whats his name?
“Ser. He calls himselfe Kempe.
“Sir Ant. Kemp! bid him come in.
[Exit Seruant] . Enter Kempe.
Welcome, honest Will; and how doth all thy fellowes in England?
“Kemp. Why, like good fellowes, when they haue no money, liue vpon credit.
“Sir Ant. And what good new Plays haue you?
“Kemp. ”

“ O that Ben Jonson is a pestilent fellow! he brought vp Horace giuing the Poets a pill,xi:3 but our fellow Shakespeare hath giuen him a purge that made him beray his credit.
“Bur. Its a shrewd fellow indeed. I wonder these schollers stay so long; they appointed to be here presently that we might try them: oh, here they come.
[Enter Philomusus and Studioso.]
“Stud.
Take heart, these letsxi:4 our clouded thoughts refine;
The sun shines brightest when it gins decline.
“Bur. M [aster] Phil. and M. Stud., God saue you.
“Kemp. M. Pil. and M. Otioso, well met. ”

“ One hath written Kemps farewell to the tune of Kery, mery, Buffe; another, His desperate daungers in his late trauaile; the third, His entertainement to New-Market; which towne I came neuer neere by the length of halfe the heath. Some sweare, in a Trenchmore I haue trode a good way to winne the world; others that guesse righter, affirme, I haue without good help daunst my selfe out of the world; many say many thinges that were neuer thought. ”

“ There parting with her, I gaue her (besides her skinfull of drinke) an English crowne to buy more drinke; for, good wench, she was in a pittious heate: my kindnes she requited with dropping some dozen of short courtsies, and bidding God blesse the Dauncer. I bad her adieu; and to giue her her due, she had a good eare, daunst truely, and wee parted friendly. But ere I part with her, a good fellow, my friend, hauin writ an odde Rime of her, I will make bolde to set it downe. ”

“ If our marchants and gentlemen wold take example by this man, Gentlemen would not sell their lands to become banckrout Marchants, nor Marchants liue in the possessions of youth-beguiled gentlemen, who cast themselues out of their parents heritages for a few out-cast commodities. ”

“ 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. ”

“ This is the substance of al my iourney; therefore let no man beleeue, how euer before by lying ballets and rumors they haue bin abused, yt either waies were laid open for me, or that I deliuered gifts to her Maiesty. ”

“ Though Kemp declares here that his “imployment for the pageant was utterly spent,” yet Anthony furnished the city shows for 1605, 1611, and (in spite of an attack made on him by Middleton in 1613—see my ed. of Middleton’s Works, v. 219, note) , for 1614, 1615, and 1616.
Except a “Song of Robin Hood and his Huntesmen” in Metropolis Coronata, I am not aware that any of Munday’s ballads are extant—unless indeed the “ditties” in The Banquet of daintie Conceits may be regarded as such ”

“ On Friday morning I set forward towardes Chelmsford, not hauing past two hundred, being the least company that I had in the day-time betweene London and that place. Onward I went, thus easily followed, till I come to Witford-bridge, where a number of country people, and many Gentlemen and Gentlewomen were gathered together to see mee. ”

“ F. 8.—In Dekker’s Owles Almanacke, 1618, 4to, under “A memoriall of the time sithence some strange and remarkeable Accidents vntill this yeare 1617,” we find “Since the horrible dance to Norwich ... 14 [years] .” Sig. B. 4,—a mistake either of the author or printer. Allusions to Kemp’s morris may also be found in Dekker and Webster’s Westward Ho, 1607, Act v. sc. 1,—see my ed. of Webster’s Works, iii. 103; and in Old Meg of Herefordshire for a Mayd Marian, and Hereford Towne for a Morris Daunce, &c. 1609, 4to.,—see p. 10 of reprint in Miscell. Ant. Anglic. ”