The Play of Four Ps, Dives and Lazarus,
Lusty Juventus, and The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom.
MORE
The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom? That, my lads,
I’ll none but that. The theme is very good,
And may maintain a liberal argument.
To marry wit to wisdom asks some cunning.
Many have wit that may come short of wisdom.
We’ll see how Master Poet plays his part,
And whether wit or wisdom grace his art.
Go, make him drink, and all his fellows too.
How many are ye?
PLAYER Four men and a boy, sir.
MORE But one boy? Then I see There’s but few women in the play.
PLAYER
Three, my lord: Dame Science, Lady Vanity,
And Wisdom she herself.
MORE
And one boy play them all? By‘r Lady, he’s loaden.
Well, my good fellow, get ye straight together
And make ye ready with what haste ye may.
⌈To Servingmen⌉ Provide their supper’gainst the play be
done,
Else shall we stay our guests here overlong.
⌈To Player⌉ Make haste, I pray ye.
PLAYER
We will, my lord.
Exeunt Servingmen and Player
MORE
Where are the waits? [To Roper] Go, bid them play,
To spend the time a while.
Enter Lady More
How now, madam?
LADY MORE
My lord, they’re coming hither.
MORE
They’re welcome. Wife, I’ll tell ye one thing.
Our sport is somewhat mended: we shall have
A play tonight, The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom,
And acted by my good Lord Cardinal’s players.
How like ye that, wife?
LADY MORE
My Lord, I like it well.
See, they are coming.
Waits play hautbois
The waits plays. Enters Lord Mayor, so many Aldermen
as may, the Lady Mayoress, in scarlet, with other
ladies and Sir Thomas More’s daughters, [one of them
Roper’s wife]; Servants carrying lighted torches by them
MORE
Once again, welcome, welcome, my good Lord Mayor,
And brethren all—for once I was your brother,
And so am still in heart. It is not state
That can our love from London separate.
〈〉
〈 〉 naught but pride;
But they that cast an eye still whence they came
Know how they rose, and how to use the same.
LORD MAYOR
My lord, you set a gloss on London’s fame,
And make it happy ever by your name.
Needs must we say when we remember More,
’Twas he that drove rebellion from our door
With grave discretions, mild and gentle breath,
Shielding a many subjects’ lives from death.
O, how our city is by you renowned,
And with your virtues our endeavours crowned.
MORE
No more, my good Lord Mayor; but thanks to all
That on so short a summons you would come
To visit him that holds your kindness dear.
[To Lady More] Madam, you are not merry with my Lady
Mayoress
And these fair ladies. Pray ye, seat them all.
[To Lord Mayor] And here, my lord, let me appoint your
place;
The rest to seat themselves. Nay, I’ll weary ye;
You will not long in haste to visit me.
LADY MORE
Good madam, sit. In sooth, you shall sit here.
LADY MAYORESS
Good madam, pardon me, it may not be.
LADY MORE
In troth, I’ll have it so. I’ll sit here by ye.
Good ladies, sit.—More stools here, ho!
LADY MAYORESS
It is your favour, madam, makes me thus
Presume above my merit.
LADY MORE When we come to you,
Then shall you rule us as we rule you here.
[They sit]
Now must I tell ye, madam, we have a play
To welcome ye withal. How good soe’er
That know not I; my lord will have it so.
MORE
Wife, hope the best; I am sure they’ll do their best.
They that would better comes not at their feast.
My good Lord Cardinal’s players, I thank them for it,
Play us a play, to lengthen out your welcome,
My good Lord Mayor and all my other friends.
They say it is The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom—
A theme of some import, howe’er it prove.
But if art fail, we’ll inch it out with love.
What, are they ready?
SERVANT
My lord, one of the players craves to speak with you.
MORE With me? Where is he?
Enter [the Player of] Inclination the Vice, ready, [with a bridle in his hand]
PLAYER of INCLINATION Here, my lord.
MORE How now, what’s the matter?
PLAYER of INCLINATION We would desire your honour but to stay a little. One of my fellows is but run to Ogle’s for a long beard for young Wit, and he’ll be here presently.
MORE A long beard for young Wit? Why, man, he may be without a beard till he come to marriage, for wit goes not all by the hair. When comes Wit in?
PLAYER of INCLINATION In the second scene, next to the Prologue, my lord.
MORE Why, play on till that scene come, and by that time Wit’s beard will be grown, or else the fellow returned with it. And what part play’st thou?
PLAYER of INCLINATION Inclination, the Vice, my lord.
MORE Gramercies, now I may take the Vice if I list. And wherefore hast thou that bridle in thy hand?
PLAYER of INCLINATION I must be bridled anon, my lord.
MORE An thou beest not saddled too it makes no matter, for then Wit’s Inclination may gallop so fast that he will outstrip wisdom and fall to folly.
PLAYER of INCLINATION Indeed, so he does, to Lady Vanity; but we have no Folly in our play.
MORE Then there’s no wit in’t, I’ll be sworn. Folly waits on wit as the shadow on the body, and where wit is ripest, there folly still is readiest. But begin, I prithee. We’ll rather allow a beardless Wit than Wit, all beard, to have no brain.
PLAYER of INCLINATION Nay, he has his apparel on too, my lord, and therefore he is the readier to enter.
MORE
Then, good Inclination, begin at a venture.
Exit ⌈Player of Inclination⌉
My Lord Mayor, Wit lacks a beard, or else they would
begin.
I’d lend him mine, but that it is too thin.
Silence, they come.
The trumpet sounds. Enter the Prologue
PROLOGUE
Now for as much as in these latter days
Throughout the whole world in every land
Vice doth increase and virtue decays,
Iniquity having the upper hand,
We therefore intend, good gentle audience,
A pretty, short interlude to play at this present,
Desiring your leave and quiet silence
To show the same as is meet and expedient.
It is called The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom,
A matter right pithy and pleasing to hear,
Whereof in brief we will show the whole sum.
But I must be gone, for Wit doth appear. Exit
Enter Wit, ruffling, and Inclination, the Vice
WIT [sings]
In an arbour green, asleep whereas I lay—
The birds sang sweetly in the midst of the day—
I dreamèd fast of mirth and play.
In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.
Methought I walked still to and fro,
And from her company I could not go;
But when I waked it was not so. iso
In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.
Therefor my heart is surely plight
Of her alone to have a sight
Which is my joy and heart’s delight.
In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.
MORE ⌈to Lord Mayor⌉ Mark ye, my lord, this is Wit without a beard. What will he be by that time he comes to the commodity of a beard?
INCLINATION [to Wit]
O sir, the ground is the better on which she doth go,
For she will make better cheer with a little she can get
Than many a one can with a great banquet of meat.
WIT
And is her name Wisdom?
INCLINATION
Ay, sir, a wife most fit
For you, my good master, my dainty sweet Wit.
WIT
To be in her company my heart it is set.
Therefore I prithee to let us be gone,
For unto Wisdom Wit hath inclination.
INCLINATION
O sir, she will come herself even anon,
For I told her before where we would stand,
And then she said she would beck us with her hand.
(Flourishing his dagger)
Back with those boys and saucy great knaves.
What, stand ye here so big in your braves?
My dagger about your coxcombs shall walk
If I may but so much as hear ye chat or talk.
WIT
But will she take pains to come for us hither?
INCLINATION
I warrant ye, therefore you must be familiar with her.
When she cometh in place
You must her embrace
Somewhat handsomely,
Lest she think it danger
Because you are a stranger
To come in your company.
WIT
I warrant thee, Inclination, I will be busy.
O, how Wit longs to be in Wisdom’s company!
Enter Lady Vanity, singing and beckoning with her hand
VANITY
Come hither, come hither, come hither, come.
Such cheer as I have, thou shalt have some.
MORE
This is Lady Vanity, I’ll hold my life.
Beware, good Wit, you take not her to wife.
INCLINATION [to Lady Vanity]
What, Unknown Honesty, a word in your ear.
[Lady Vanity] offers to depart
You shall not be gone as yet, I swear.
Here’s none but your friends; you need not to fray.
This young gentleman loves ye, therefore you must stay.
WIT
I trust in me she will think no danger;
For I love well the company of fair women—
And, though to you I am a stranger,
Yet Wit may pleasure you now and then.
VANITY
Who, you? Nay, you are such a holy man
That to touch one you dare not be bold.
I think you would not kiss a young woman
If one would give ye twenty pound in gold.
WIT
Yes, in good sadness, lady, that I would.
I could find in my heart to kiss you in your smock.
VANITY
My back is broad enough to bear that mock;
For it hath been told me many a time
That you would be seen in no such company as mine.
WIT
Not Wit in the company of Lady Wisdom?
O Jove, for what do I hither come?
INCLINATION
Sir, she did this nothing else but to prove
Whether a little thing would you move
To be angry and fret.
What an if one said so?
Let such trifling matters go,
And with a kind kiss come out of her debt.
Enter another Player
PLAYER of INCLINATION Is Luggins come yet with the beard?
OTHER PLAYER No, faith, he is not come. Alas, what shall we do?
PLAYER of INCLINATION [to More] Forsooth, we can go no further till our fellow Luggins come, for he plays Good Counsel, and now he should enter to admonish Wit that this is Lady Vanity and not Lady Wisdom.
MORE Nay, an it be no more but so, ye shall not tarry at a stand for that. We’ll not have our play marred for lack of a little good counsel. Till your fellow come I’ll give him the best counsel that I can. Pardon me, my Lord Mayor, I love to be merry.
[He rises and joins the players]
MORE as GOOD COUNSEL
O good Master Wit, thou art now on the bow hand,
And blindly in thine own opinion dost stand.
I tell thee, this naughty lewd Inclination
Does lead thee amiss in a very strange fashion.
This is not Wisdom, but Lady Vanity.
Therefore list to Good Counsel, and be ruled by me.
PLAYER of INCLINATION In troth, my lord, it is as right to Luggins’s part as can be. Speak, Wit.
MORE Nay, we will not have our audience disappointed if I can help it.
WIT
Art thou Good Counsel, and wilt tell me so?
Wouldst thou have Wit from Lady Wisdom to go?
Thou art some deceiver, I tell thee verily,
In saying that this is Lady Vanity.
MORE as GOOD COUNSEL
Wit, judge not things by the outward show.
The eye oft mistakes, right well you do know.
Good Counsel assures thee upon his honesty
That this is not Wisdom, but Lady Vanity.
Enter Luggins, with the beard
PLAYER of INCLINATION O my lord, he is come. Now we shall go forward.
MORE Art thou come? Well, fellow, I have holp to save
thine honesty a little. Now, if thou canst give Wit any
better counsel than I have done, spare not. There I leave
him to thy mercy.
But by this time I am sure our banquet’s ready.
My lord and ladies, we will taste that first,
And then they shall begin the play again,
Which through the fellow’s absence, and by me,
Instead of helping, hath been hindered.
[To Servants] Prepare against we come. Lights there, I
say.—
Thus fools oft-times do help to mar the play.
Exeunt. Players remain
PLAYER of WIT Fie, fellow Luggins, you serve us handsomely, do ye not think ye?
JUGGINS Why, Ogle was not within, and his wife would not let me have the beard, and, by my troth, I ran so fast that I sweat again.
PLAYER of INCLINATION Do ye hear, fellows? Would not my lord make a rare player? O, he would uphold a company beyond all ho, better than Mason among the King’s players. Did ye mark how extemp’rically he fell to the matter, and spake Luggins’s part almost as it is in the very book set down?
PLAYER of WIT Peace, do ye know what ye say? My lord a player? Let us not meddle with any such matters. Yet I may be a little proud that my lord hath answered me in my part. But come, let us go and be ready to begin the play again.
LUGGINS Ay, that’s the best, for now we lack nothing.
[Original Text (Munday)]
[Addition VI (Heywood)]
Enter a Servingman to the players, with a reward
SERVINGMAN Where be these players?
ALL THE PLAYERS
Here, sir.
SERVINGMAN My lord is sent for to the court,
And all the guests do after supper part;
And, for he will not trouble you again,
By me for your reward a sends eight angels,
With many thanks. But sup before you go.
It is his will you should be fairly entreated.
; Follow, I pray ye.
PLAYER of WIT This, Luggins, is your negligence.
Wanting Wit’s beard brought things into dislike;
For otherwise the play had been all seen,
Where now some curious citizen disgraced it,
And, discommending it, all is dismissed.
PLAYER of INCLINATION Fore God, a says true. But hear ye, sirs: eight angels, ha! My lord would never give’s eight angels. More or less, for twelve pence: either it should be three pounds, five pounds, or ten pounds, there twenty shillings wanting, sure.
PLAYER of WIT Twenty to one, ’tis so. I have a trick. My lord comes; stand aside.
Enter More with attendants, with purse and mace
MORE
In haste, to Council? What’s the business now
That all so late his highness sends for me?—
What seek’st thou, fellow?
PLAYER of WIT
Nay, nothing. Your lordship sent eight angels by your
man,
And I have lost two of them in the rushes.
MORE
Wit, look to that! Eight angels? I did send them ten.
Who gave it them?
SERVINGMAN
I, my lord. I had no more about me;
But by and by they shall receive the rest.
MORE
Well, Wit, ‘twas wisely done. Thou play’st Wit well
indeed
Not to be thus deceived of thy right.
Am I a man by office truly ordained
Equally to divide true right his own,
And shall I have deceivers in my house?
Then what avails my bounty, when such servants
Deceive the poor of what the master gives?
Go one and pull his coat over his ears.
There are too many such. Give them their right.
Wit, let thy fellows thank thee; ’twas well done.
Thou now deservest to match with Lady Wisdom.
[Exeunt More and attendants]
PLAYER of INCLINATION God-a-mercy, Wit. [To the Servingman ] Sir, you had a master, Sir Thomas More. More? But now we shall have more.
LUGGINS God bless him, I would there were more of his mind! A loves our quality, and yit he’s a larned man and knows what the world is.
[PLAYER of INCLINATION] Well, a kind man, and more loving than many other, but I think we ha’ met with the first—
LUGGINS First sarved his man that had our angels; and he may chance dine with Duke Humphrey tomorrow, being turned away today. Come, let’s go.
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works Page 269
