Blurt, Master Constable: or, The Spaniard's Night Walk
By Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker
()
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.
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Blurt, Master Constable - Thomas Middleton
Blurt, Master Constable by Thomas Middleton
or The Spaniard's Night Walk
There is some doubt as to whether this play can be wholly ascribed to Middleton and whether Thomas Dekker is either the primary author, the co-writer or has heavily revised Middleton’s work.
That is was the latter is perhaps most favoured as it was entered into the Stationers' Register on 7 June 1602, and published later in that year in quarto, a time when Middleton had yet to be published..
Performed by the Children of Paul's,
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 Room in Camillo’s House
Scene II - A Street Before Blurt’s House
ACT II
Scene I - Outside a Tennis Court
Scene II - A Room in Imperia’s House
ACT III
Scene I - A Street Before Hipolito’s House
Scene II - An Old Chapel
Scene III - A Room in Imperia’s House
ACT IV
Scene I - A street Before Imperia’s House
Scene II - Lazarillo’s Room in Imperia’s House
Scene III - A street before Imperia’s House
ACT V
Scene I - A Room in Camillo’s House
Scene II - A Room in Imperia’s House
Scene III - A Street Before Imperia’s House
Thomas Middleton – A Short Biography
Thomas Middleton – A Concise Bibliography
Dramatis Personae
(in order of appearance)
HIPOLITO, a Venetian gentleman
VIOLETTA, his sister
FIRST LADY, called Hero
VIRGILIO, a Venetian gentleman
THIRD LADY
CAMILLO, a Venetian gentleman in love with Violetta
SECOND LADY
BAPTISTA, a Venetian gentleman
BENTIVOLIO, a Venetian gentleman
DOYT, Hipolito's page
DANDIPRAT, Camillo's page
FONTINELL, a French gentleman
LAZARILLO de Tormes de Castille, a Spanish soldier
PILCHER, his boy
BLURT, master constable
SLUBBER, his beadle
TRUEPENNY, Violetta's page
Serving-men
IMPERIA, a courtesan
TRIVIA, her maid
SIMPERINA, her maid
FRISCO, her porter
CURVETTO, an old courtier
MUSICIANS
A FRIAR
Five COURTESANS of Imperia's house
WOODCOCK, part of the watch
GULCH, part of the watch
ASORINO, a Venetian gentleman
The DUKE of Venice
KILDERKIN, part of the watch
PISSBREECH, part of the watch
CUCKOO, part of the watch
GARLIC, part of the watch
ACT I
SCENE I - A Room in Camillo's House
Enter CAMILLO with VIOLETTA, HIPOLITO, BAPTISTO, BENTIVOLIO, and VIRGILO, as returning from war, everyone with a glove in his hat, VIOLETTA and LADIES with them, DOYT and DANDIPRAT.
HIPOLITO
Ay, marry, sir, the only rising up in arms is in the arms of a woman: Peace, I say still, is your only paradise, when every Adam may have his Christmas Eve. And you take me lying any more by the cold sides of a brazen-face field-piece, unless I have such a down pillow under me, I'll give you leave to knock up both my golls in my father's hall, and hang hats upon these tenpenny nails.
VIOLETTA
And yet, brother, when with the sharpest hooks of my wit I labour'd to pull you from the wars, you broke loose, like a horse that knew his own strength, and vow'd nothing but a man of war should back you.
HIPOLITO
I have been back'd since and almost unback'd too.
VIOLETTA
And swore that honour was never dyed in grain till it was dipp'd in the colours of the field.
HIPOLITO
I am a new man, sister, and now cry a pox a' that honour, that must have none but barber-surgeons to wait upon't, and a band of poor straggling rascals, that every twinkling of an eye, forfeit their legs and arms into the Lord's hands. Wenches, by Mars his sweaty buff-jerkin (for now all my oaths must smell a' the soldado), I have seen more men's heads spurn'd up and down like footballs at a breakfast, after the hungry cannons had pick'd them, than are maidenheads in Venice, and more legs of men serv'd in at a dinner than ever I shall see legs of capons in one platter whilst I live.
FIRST LADY
Perhaps all those were capons' legs you did see.
VIRGILIO
Nay, mistress, I'll witness against you for some of them.
VIOLETTA
I do not think for all this that my brother stood to it so lustily as he makes his brags for.
THIRD LADY
No, no, these great talkers are never great doers.
VIOLETTA
Faith, brother,