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    The Witch: “The slowest kiss makes too much haste.”
    The Witch: “The slowest kiss makes too much haste.”
    The Witch: “The slowest kiss makes too much haste.”
    Ebook136 pages3 hours

    The Witch: “The slowest kiss makes too much haste.”

    By Thomas Middleton

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    About this ebook

    Thomas Middleton was born in London in April 1580 and baptised on 18th April. Middleton was aged only five when his father died. His mother remarried but this unfortunately fell apart into a fifteen year legal dispute regarding the inheritance due Thomas and his younger sister. By the time he left Oxford, at the turn of the Century, Middleton had and published Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satirese which was denounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury and publicly burned. In the early years of the 17th century, Middleton wrote topical pamphlets. One – Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets was reprinted several times and the subject of a parliamentary inquiry. These early years writing plays continued to attract controversy. His writing partnership with Thomas Dekker brought him into conflict with Ben Jonson and George Chapman in the so-called War of the Theatres. His finest work with Dekker was undoubtedly The Roaring Girl, a biography of the notorious Mary Frith. In the 1610s, Middleton began another playwriting partnership, this time with the actor William Rowley, producing another slew of plays including Wit at Several Weapons and A Fair Quarrel. The ever adaptable Middleton seemed at ease working with others or by himself. His solo writing credits include the comic masterpiece, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, in 1613. In 1620 he was officially appointed as chronologer of the City of London, a post he held until his death. The 1620s saw the production of his and Rowley's tragedy, and continual favourite, The Changeling, and of several other tragicomedies. However in 1624, he reached a peak of notoriety when his dramatic allegory A Game at Chess was staged by the King's Men. Though Middleton's approach was strongly patriotic, the Privy Council silenced the play after only nine performances at the Globe theatre, having received a complaint from the Spanish ambassador. What happened next is a mystery. It is the last play recorded as having being written by Middleton. Thomas Middleton died at his home at Newington Butts in Southwark in the summer of 1627, and was buried on July 4th, in St Mary's churchyard which today survives as a public park in Elephant and Castle.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStage Door
    Release dateNov 1, 2016
    ISBN9781785438776
    The Witch: “The slowest kiss makes too much haste.”

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      Book preview

      The Witch - Thomas Middleton

      The Witch by Thomas Middleton

      The Witch has survived in quarto in the hand of Ralph Crane, a scrivener employed by the King's Players. From the dedication, it is traditionally believed that Middleton recovered the play from the King's Players at the Blackfriars Theater not without much difficulty because the play was a failure and lay in an imprisoned obscurity.

      Thomas Middleton was born in London in April 1580 and baptised on 18th April.

      Middleton was aged only five when his father died. His mother remarried but this unfortunately fell apart into a fifteen year legal dispute regarding the inheritance due Thomas and his younger sister.

      By the time he left Oxford, at the turn of the Century, Middleton had and published Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satirese which was denounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury and publicly burned.

      In the early years of the 17th century, Middleton wrote topical pamphlets. One – Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets was reprinted several times and the subject of a parliamentary inquiry.  

      These early years writing plays continued to attract controversy.  His writing partnership with Thomas Dekker brought him into conflict with Ben Jonson and George Chapman in the so-called War of the Theatres. 

      His finest work with Dekker was undoubtedly The Roaring Girl, a biography of the notorious Mary Frith. 

      In the 1610s, Middleton began another playwriting partnership, this time with the actor William Rowley, producing another slew of plays including Wit at Several Weapons and A Fair Quarrel.

      The ever adaptable Middleton seemed at ease working with others or by himself. His solo writing credits include the comic masterpiece, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, in 1613.

      In 1620 he was officially appointed as chronologer of the City of London, a post he held until his death.

      The 1620s saw the production of his and Rowley's tragedy, and continual favourite, The Changeling, and of several other tragicomedies.

      However in 1624, he reached a peak of notoriety when his dramatic allegory A Game at Chess was staged by the King's Men. Though Middleton's approach was strongly patriotic, the Privy Council silenced the play after only nine performances at the Globe theatre, having received a complaint from the Spanish ambassador.

      What happened next is a mystery.  It is the last play recorded as having being written by Middleton.

      Thomas Middleton died at his home at Newington Butts in Southwark in the summer of 1627, and was buried on July 4th, in St Mary's churchyard which today survives as a public park in Elephant and Castle.

      Index of Contents

      To the Truly Worthy and Generously Affected Thomas Holmes, Esquire

      Dramatis Personae

      ACT I

      Scene I - The Grounds of the Lord Governor's House, a Banquet Laid Out

      Scene II - Hecate's Cave

      ACT II

      Scene I - Antonio's House

      Scene II - The Duke's Palace

      Scene III - A Farmhouse

      ACT III

      Scene I - The Duke's Palace

      Scene II - The Grounds of Antonio's House

      Scene III - A Forest Glade

      ACT IV

      Scene I - The Duke's Palace

      Scene II - Fernando's House

      Scene III - Antonio's House

      ACT V

      Scene I - Antonio's house

      Scene II - Hecate's Cave, a Cauldron Set

      Scene III - Antonio's House

      Thomas Middleton – A Short Biography

      Thomas Middleton – A Concise Bibliography

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      DUKE

      LORD GOVERNOR

      SEBASTIAN, contracted to ISABELLA

      FERNANDO, his friend

      ANTONIO, husband to ISABELLA

      ABBERZANES, a gentleman, neither honest, wise, nor valiant

      ALMACHILDES, a fantastical gentleman

      GASPERO  }

      HERMIO  } servants to ANTONIO

      FIRESTONE, the clown and Hecate's son

      BOY

      DUCHESS

      ISABELLA, niece to the GOVERNOR and wife to ANTONIO

      FRANCISCA, Antonio's sister

      AMORETTA, the Duchess's woman

      FLORIDA, a courtesan

      An OLD WOMAN

      HECATE, the chief witch

      Five other witches, including STADLIN, HOPPO, PUCKLE and HELLWAIN

      MALKIN, a spirit like a cat

      Other Witches and Servants, Mutes

      To the truly worthy and generously affected Thomas Holmes, Esquire:

      Noble Sir,

      As a true testimony of my ready inclination to your service, I have, merely upon a taste of your desire, recovered into my hands, though not without much difficulty, this ignorantly ill-fated labour of mine. Witches are, ipso facto, by the law condemn'd, and it only, I think, hath made her lie so long in an imprison'd obscurity. For your sake alone, she hath thus far conjur'd herself abroad, and bears no other charms about her but what may tend to your recreation, nor no other spell but to possess you with a belief that as she, so he that first taught her to enchant, will always be

      Your devoted

      Thomas Middleton

      ACT I

      SCENE I - The Grounds of the Lord Governor's House, a Banquet Laid Out

      Enter SEBASTIAN and FERNANDO.

      SEBASTIAN

      My three years spent in war has now undone

      My peace forever.

      FERNANDO

      Good, be patient, sir.

      SEBASTIAN

      She is my wife by contract before heaven

      And all the angels, sir.

      FERNANDO

      I do believe you;

      But where's the remedy now? You see she's gone:

      Another has possession.

      SEBASTIAN

      There's the torment.

      FERNANDO

      This day, being the first of your return,

      Unluckily proves the first too of her fastening.

      Her uncle, sir, the GOVERNOR of Ravenna,

      Holding a good opinion of the bridegroom,

      As he's fair-spoken, sir, and wondrous mild—

      SEBASTIAN

      There goes the devil in a sheepskin!

      FERNANDO

      With all speed,

      Clapp'd it up suddenly. I cannot think, sure,

      That the maid overloves him; though being married

      Perhaps, for her own credit, now she intends

      Performance of an honest, duteous wife.

      SEBASTIAN

      Sir, I've a world of business. Question nothing;

      You will but lose your labour. 'Tis not fit

      For any, hardly mine own secrecy,

      To know what I intend. I take my leave, sir.

      I find such strange employments in myself

      That, unless death pity me and lay me down,

      I shall not sleep these seven years. That's the least, sir.

      [Exit.

      FERNANDO

      That sorrow's dangerous can abide no counsel.

      'Tis like a wound past cure; wrongs done to love

      Strike the heart deeply. None can truly judge on't

      But the poor, sensible sufferer, whom it racks

      With unbelieved pains, which men in health,

      That enjoy love, not possibly can act,

      Nay, not so much

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