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    A Trick to Catch the Old One: "My nearest And dearest enemy."
    A Trick to Catch the Old One: "My nearest And dearest enemy."
    A Trick to Catch the Old One: "My nearest And dearest enemy."
    Ebook156 pages1 hour

    A Trick to Catch the Old One: "My nearest And dearest enemy."

    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
    ISBN9781785438912
    A Trick to Catch the Old One: "My nearest And dearest enemy."

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      Book preview

      A Trick to Catch the Old One - Thomas Middleton

      A Trick to Catch the Old One by Thomas Middleton

      The first quarto of A Trick to Catch the Old One was printed in 1608. Middleton wrote it some time between 1604 and 1606.

      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

      Dramatis Personae

      ACT I

      Scene I - A Street in Leicestershire

      Scene II - The Host’s Inn in Leicestershire

      Scene III - A Street in London

      Scene IV - Another Street in London

      ACT II

      Scene I - A Room in Lucre’s House

      Scene II - A Street in London

      ACT III

      Scene I Another Street in London

      Scene II - Hoard's House, London

      Scene III - A Tavern, London

      Scene IV - Dampit's House, London

      ACT IV

      Scene I - An Apartment in Cole Harbour

      Scene II - A Room in Lucre’s House

      Scene III - A Street in London

      Scene IV - A Room in Hoard’s House

      Scene V - Dampit’s Bedroom

      ACT V

      Scene I - A Room in Lucre’s House

      Scene II - A Room in Hoard’s House

      Thomas Middleton – A Short Biography

      Thomas Middleton – A Concise Bibliography

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      (in order of appearance)

      Theodorus WITGOOD, a gallant

      COURTESAN, posing as the Widow Jane Medler

      ONESIPHORUS Hoard, brother of Walkadine Hoard

      LIMBER  }

      KIX   } his friends

      HOST

      LAMPREY, friend of Hoard

      Walkadine HOARD

      Pecunius LUCRE, Witgood's uncle

      SPITCHCOCK, friend of Hoard

      SAM FREEDOMFreedom, son of Lucre's wife by her first husband

      MONEYLOVE, a suitor of Hoard's niece

      GULF, a usurer

      Harry DAMPIT, a lawyer and usurer

      GEORGE, Lucre's servant

      Jinny, Lucre's WIFE

      THREE CREDITORS, the third called Cockpit

      Joyce, Hoard's NIECE

      DRAWER

      WILLIAM, a tapster

      BOY

      VINTNER

      GENTLEMEN, friends of Lucre

      AUDREY, Dampit's servant

      SERGEANTS

      A TAILOR

      A BARBER

      A PERFUMER

      A FALCONER

      A HUNTSMAN

      ARTHUR, Hoard's servant

      A SCRIVENER

      SIR LANCELOT

      LADY FOXSTONE

      ACT I

      SCENE I - A Street in Leicestershire

      Enter WITGOOD, a gentleman, solus.

      WITGOOD

      All's gone! Still thou'rt a gentleman, that's all; but a poor one, that's nothing. What milk brings thy meadows forth now? Where are thy goodly uplands and thy downlands? All sunk into that little pit, lechery. What should a gallant pay but two shillings for his ordinary that nourishes him, and twenty times two for his brothel that consumes him? But where's Longacre? In my uncle's conscience, which is three years' voyage about; he that sets out upon his conscience never finds the way home again―he is either swallowed in the quicksands of law-quillets, or splits upon the piles of a praemunire; yet these old fox-brained and ox-browed uncles have still defences for their avarice, and apologies for their practices, and will thus greet our follies:

      He that doth his youth expose

      To brothel, drink, and danger,

      Let him that is his nearest kin

      Cheat him before a stranger.

      And that's his uncle, 'tis a principle in usury. I dare not visit the city: there I should be too soon visited by that horrible plague, my debts, and by that means I lose a virgin's love, her portion and her virtues. Well, how should a man live now, that has no living, hum? Why, are there not a million of men in the world, that only sojourn upon their brain, and make their wits their mercers; and am I but one amongst that million and cannot thrive upon't? Any trick, out of the compass of law, now would come happily to me.

      [Enter COURTESAN.

      COURTESAN

      My love.

      WITGOOD

      My loathing! Hast thou been the secret consumption of my purse? And now com'st to undo my last means, my wit? Wilt leave no virtue in me, and yet thou never the better?

      Hence, courtesan, round-webbed tarantula,

      That dryest the roses in the cheeks of youth!

      COURTESAN

      I have been true unto your pleasure, and all your lands thrice racked was never worth the jewel which I prodigally gave you, my virginity;

      Lands mortgaged may return and more esteemed,

      But honesty, once pawned, is ne'er redeemed.

      WITGOOD

      Forgive: I do thee wrong

      To make thee sin and then to chide thee for't.

      COURTESAN

      I know I am your loathing now: farewell.

      WITGOOD

      Say, best invention, stay.

      COURTESAN

      I that have been the secret consumption of your purse, shall I stay now to undo your least means, your wits? Hence, courtesan, away!

      WITGOOD

      I prithee, make me not mad at my own weapon, stay (a thing few women can do, I know that, and therefore they had need wear stays); be not contrary. Dost love me? Fate has so cast it that all my means I must derive from thee.

      COURTESAN

      From me! Be happy then;

      What lies within the power of my performance

      Shall be commanded of thee.

      WITGOOD

      Spoke like

      An honest drab, i'faith; it may prove something.

      What trick

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