A Critical, Old-Spelling Edition of William Rowley's A New Wonder, A Woman Never Vexed

Trudi Laura Darby

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9780429656668
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

First published in 1988, this book offers a critical examination of William Rowley's 1632 play, A New Wonder, A Woman Never Vexed, including chapters on structure and technique, themes, critical history and staging.

[DRAMATIS PERSONAE
OLD FOSTER	a wealthy merchant
STEPHEN FOSTER	his younger brother
ROBERT FOSTER	his son
WALTER BRUYNE	merchant and alderman
SIR GODFREY SPEEDWELL) INNOCENT LAMBSKIN)	suitors to Jane
RICHARD	Old Foster’s factor
GEORGE	Bruyne’s factor
CLOWN	the Widow’s servant
KEEPER of Ludgate gaol
HOST BOXALL
DOCTOR of Divinity
JACK)
DICK)	cheats
HUGH)
KING HENRY III
MOUNTFORD
ARUNDEL
Bowlers, Pembroke, Cardinal, Lord Mayor.
WIDOW of Cornhill	afterwards Stephen’s Wife
MISTRESS FOSTER	wife to Old Foster
JANE	Bruyne’s daughter
JOAN	the Widow’s maid.

The scene: the City of London.]

A NEW WONDER, A WOMAN NEVER VEXT.

Actus Primus.

Enter OLD FOSTER, ALDERMAN BRUYNE and two Factors, RICHARD, and GEORGE.

OLD FOSTER This ayre has a sweet breath Master Bruyne.

BRUYNE Your partner Sir.

OLD FOSTER I, and in good I hope, this halcion gale

Playes the lewd wanton with our dancing say les,

And makes’m big with vaporous envy.

BRUYNE Tis no more yet, but then our fraught is full

When shee returnes laden with merchandize

And safe deliver’d with our customage.

OLD FOSTER Such a delivery heaven send us,

But time must ripen it: are our accounts made even? 10

GEORGE To the quantity of a penny, if his agree with mine:

What’s yours Richard?

RICHARD Five hundred sixty pounds;/read the grosse summe of your broade cloathes. A2^v

GEORGE 68. peices at B, ss, and 1; 57. at 1, ss, and o.

RICHARD lust; leade, xix tunne.

OLD FOSTER As evenly we will lay our bosomes

As our bottomes with love as merchandise,

And may they both increase to infinites.

BRUYNE Especially at home; that golden traffique love 20

Is scantier far than gold; and one myne of that

More worth than twenty Argoseyes

Of the worlds richest treasure.

OLD FOSTER Here you shall dig, and finde your lading.

BRUYNE Here’s your exchange; and as in love

So wee’le participate in merchandize.

OLD FOSTER The merchants casualty:

We alwayes venture on uncertaine ods,

Altho we beare hopes Embleme the anchor with us.

The winde brought it, let the wind blow’t away agen; 30

Should not the Sea sometimes be partner with us

Our wealth would swallow us.

BRUYNE A good resolve: but now I must be bold

To touch you with somewhat that concernes you.

OLD FOSTER I could prevent you; is’t not my unthrifty brother?

BRUYNE Nay, leave out the adjective (unthrifty,)

Your brother Sir, tis he that I would speake of.

OLD FOSTER He cannot be nam’d without unthrifty Sir, tis his proper

Epithite, would you conceite but what my love has done for him so oft, so chargeable, and so expensive, you would not urge another addition.

BRUYNE Nay Sir, you must not stay at quantity till he 41

forfeit the name of brother which is inseparable, hee’s now in Ludgate

Sir, and part of your treasure lyes buryed with him

OLD FOSTER I, by vulgar blemish; but not by any good account;

There let him howle, tis the best stay he hath;

For nothing but a prison can containe him

So boundlesse is his ryot; twice have I raysde

His decayed fortunes to a faire estate A3

But with as fruitlesse charity, as if I had throwne

My safe landed substance backe into the Sea, 50

Or dressd in pitty some corrupted Iade,

And he should kick me for my courtesie.

I am sure you cannot but heare, what quicke-sands

He findes out, as Dice, Cards, Pigeon-holes,

And which is more, should I not restraine it,

Hee’d make my state his prodigality.

BRUYNE All this may be Sir, yet examples dayly shew

To our eyes, that Prodigalls returne at last

51 dressd ] dresse Q

And the lowdest roarer, (as our Citty phrase is)

Will speake calme and smooth; you must helpe with hope Sir, 60

Had I such a brother, I should thinke

That heaven had made him as an instrument

For my best charity to worke upon;

This is a Maxime sure, Some are made poore,

That rich men by giving may encrease their store.

Nor thinke Sir,

That I doe tax your labors and meane my selfe

For to stand idlely by, for I have vowd

If heaven but blesse this voyage now abroad,

To leave some memorable relique after me, 70

That shall preserve my name alive till Doomesday.

OLD FOSTER I Sir, that worke is good, and therein could I

Ioyne with your good intents, but to releeve A wast-good, a spendthrift.-

BRUYNE O no more, no more good Sir.

OLD FOSTER Sirra, when saw you my son Robert?

RICHARD This morning Sir, he said he would goe visit his Vncle.

OLD FOSTER I pay for their meetings I’me sure;

That boy makes prize of all his fingers light on

To releeve his unthrifty Vncle. 80

BRUYNE Does he rob, in troth I commend him.

OLD FOSTER Tis partly your fault, Sirra you see’t, and suffer it.

RICHARD Sir, mine’s a servants duty, his a sonnes,

Nor know I better how to expresse my love

Vnto your selfe, than by lovi...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Authorship
• The Author
• Date
• Text:
• Sources
• The Foster Family
• The Play:
• Critical History
• Staging
• Stage History and Adaptions:
• This Edition
• A New Wonder, A Woman Never Vext
• Press-variants
• Emendation of Accidentals
• Metrical Appendix: Alterations to Lining
• Commentary
• Bibliography