The Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher in Ten Volumes - Volume I | Page 3

your_ Honour, _it being no more our owne, then those_ Imperiall Crownes _and_ Garlands _were the Souldiers, who were honourably designed for their Conveyance before the_ Triumpher _to the_ Capitol.
_But directed by the example of some, who once steered in our qualitie, and so fortunately aspired to choose your_ Honour, _joyned with your (now glorified_) Brother, Patrons _to the flowing compositions of the then expired sweet_ Swan _of_ Avon SHAKESPEARE; _and since, more particularly bound to your_ Lordships _most constant and diffusive_ Goodnesse, _from which, wee did for many calme yeares derive a subsistence to our selves, and Protection to the Scene (now withered, and condemned, as we feare, to a long Winter and sterilitie) we have presumed to offer to your_ Selfe, _what before was never printed of these_ Authours.
_Had they beene lesse then all the_ Treasure _we had contrasted in the whole Age of_ Poesie _(some few Poems of their owne excepted, which already published, command their entertainement, with all lovers of_ Art _and_ Language) _or were they not, the most justly admir'd, and beloved Pieces of_ Witt _and the_ World, _wee should have taught our selves a lesse Ambition.
Be pleased to accept this humble tender of our duties, and till we faile in our obedience to all your Commands, vouchsafe, we may be knowne by the_ Cognizance _and_ Character _of_
MY LORD,
Your Honours most bounden
_John Lowin?Richard Robinson?Eyloerd Swanston?Hugh Clearke?Stephen Hammerton?Joseph Taylor?Robert Benfeild?Thomas Pollard?William Allen?Theophilus Byrd_.
TO THE READER.
Poetry _is the_ Child _of_ Nature, _which regulated and made beautifull by Art, presenteth the most Harmonious of all other compositions; among which (if we rightly consider) the_ Dramaticall _is the most absolute, in regard of those transcendent_ Abilities, which should waite upon the_ Composer; _who must have more then the instruction of Libraries which of it selfe is but a cold contemplative knowledge there being required in him a_ Soule _miraculously knowing, and conversing with all mankind, inabling him to expresse not onely the Phlegme and folly of_ thick-skin'd men, _but the strength and maturity of the wise, the Aire and insinuations of the_ Court, _the discipline and Resolution of the Soldier, the Vertues and passions of every noble condition, nay the councells and charailers of the greatest Princes.
This you will say is a vast comprehension, and hath not hapned in many Ages. Be it then remembred to the Glory of our owne, that all these are Demonstrative and met in_ BEAUMONT & FLETCHER, _whom but to mention is to throw a cloude upon all former names and benight Posterity; This Book being, without flattery, the greatest_ Monument _of the Scene that Time and Humanity have produced, and must Live, not only the_ Crowne _and sole_ Reputation _of our owne, but the stayne of all other_ Nations _and_ Languages, _for it may be boldly averred, not one indiscretion hath branded this Paper in all the Lines, this being the Authentick witt that made Blackfriers an Academy, where the three howers spectacle while_ Beaumont _and_ Fletcher _were presented, were usually of more advantage to the hopefull young Heire, then a costly, dangerous, forraigne Travell, with the assistance of a governing Mounsieur, or Signior to boot; And it cannot be denied but that the young spirits of the Time, whose Birth & Quality made them impatient of the sowrer wayes of education, have from the attentive hearing these pieces, got ground in point of wit and carriage of the most severely employed Students, while these Recreations were digested into Rules, and the very Pleasure did edifie. How many passable discoursing dining witts stand yet in good credit upon the bare stock of two or three of these single Scenes.
And now Reader in this_ Tragicall Age _where the_ Theater _hath been so much out-ailed, congratulate thy owne happinesse, that in this silence of the Stage, thou hast a liberty to reade these inimitable Playes, to dwell and converse in these immortall Groves, which were only shewd our Fathers in a conjuring glasse, as suddenly removed as represented, the Landscrap is now brought home by this optick, and the Presse thought too pregnant before, shall be now look'd upon as greatest Benefactor to Englishmen, that must acknowledge all the felicity of_ witt _and_ words _to this Derivation.
You may here find passions raised to that excellent pitch and by such insinuating degrees that you shall not chuse but consent, and & go along with them, finding your self at last grown insensibly the very same person you read, and then stand admiring the subtile Trackes of your engagement. Fall on a Scene of love and you will never believe the writers could have the least roome left in their soules for another passion, peruse a Scene of manly Rage, and you would sweare they cannot be exprest by the same hands, but both are so excellently