THE TRAGIDIE OF

[GORBODUC; OR OF] FERREX AND PORREX 1

SET FORTH WITHOUT ADDITION OR ALTERATION BUT ALTOGETHER AS The Same was SHEWED ON Stage before tHE QUEENES Maiestie, About Nine Yeares Past, vz.,the xviij Day of Ianuarie 1561. BY THE GENTLEMEN OF THE INNER TEMPLE.

Seen and allowed, &c.

Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye, dwelling ouer Aldersgate.

THE PRINTER] TO THE READER

Where this tragedie was for furniture of part of the grand Christmasse in the Inner Temple first written about nine yeares agoe by the Right Honourable Thomas, now Lorde Buckherst, and by T. Norton, and after shewed before her Maiestie, and neuer intended by the authors therof to be published; yet one W. G.2 getting a copie therof at some yongmans hand that lacked a litle money and much discretion, in the last great plage, an[no] 1565, about v yeares past, while the said lord was out of England, and T. Norton farre out of London, and neither of them both made priuie, put it forth excedingly corrupted, euen as if by meanes of a broker, for hire, he should haue entised into his house a faire maide and done her villanie, and after all-to-bescratched her face, torne her apparell, berayed and disfigured her, and then thrust her out of dores dishonested. In such plight, after long wandring, she came at length home to the sight of her frendes, who scant knew her but by a few tokens and markes remayning. They the authors, I meane though they were very much displeased that she so ranne abroad without leaue, whereby she caught her shame, as many wantons do, yet seing the case, as it is, remedilesse, haue, for common honestie and shamefastnesse, new apparelled, trimmed, and attired her in such forme as she was before. In which better forme since she hath come

The Inns of Court Plays, following the models of the classical drama, are closely akin to the School Plays; but they were performed by gallants of fashion (many of them young noblemen), in the highest circles of London society, and as products of fashionable society, they show the marked influence of the, contemporary Italian drama. Gorboduc, famous as the first regular English tragedy, was composed by Thomas Sackville (later Earl of Dorset and Lord High Treasurer) and Thomas Norton (whose brilliant career as a lawyer and courtier was cut short by his early death). It was acted by the young gentlemen of the Inner Temple in 1561-62 on the occasion of their annual Christmas festival, and was repeated by them before Queen Elizabeth on January 18, 1561-62, at Whitehall Palace. Though the play was ultimately modeled on Seneca, the authors drew much of their inspiration from contemporary Italian tragedy (itself an adaptation of Seneca): for instance, blank verse, now first used in the English drama, they took over from the Italians; and the dumb shows they derived from the Italian intermedii. But Sackville and Norton were not slavish imitators either of Seneca or of the Italian writers of tragedy.

A surreptitious and very corrupt edition (A.) was published by William Griffith in 1565, with the title: The Tragedie of Gorboduc, wherof three Actes were wrytten by Thomas Nortone, and the two laste by Thomas Sackuyle The authors, apparently, were offended at the corrupt text of this edition, and gave an authorized text to John Day, who published it about 1570 (B.). A third edition (C.) was issued by Edward Alde in 1590; but this was merely a reprint of the first, and corrupt, edition, and has no special value. I have based the present text on a copy of the second and authorized edition (B.) in the British Museum. In a few cases I

have adopted readings from the other editions; these are properly recorded in the footnotes. I have, of course, modernized the punctuation; and I have abbreviated the catch-names, and supplied stage-directions in place of the bare list of speakers with which each scene is headed.

* William Griffith.

to me, I haue harbored her for her frendes sake, and her owne; and I do not dout her parentes, the authors, will not now be discontent that she goe abroad among you, good readers, so it be in honest companie. For she is by my encouragement, and others, somewhat lesse ashamed of the dishonestie done to her, because it was by fraude and force. If she be welcome among you, and gently enterteined, in fauor of the house from whense she is descended and of her owne nature courteously disposed to offend no man, her frendes will thanke you for it. If not, but that she shall be still reproched with her former missehap, or quarelled at by enuious persons, she, poore gentlewoman, will surely play Lucreces part, and of her-self die for shame; and I shall wishe that she had taried still at home with me, where she was welcome, for she did neuer put me to more charge but this one poore blacke gowne lined with white that I haue now geuen her to goe abroad among you withall.

THE ARGUMENT OF THE TRAGEDIE1

Gorboduc, king of Brittaine, diuided his realme in his lifetime to his sonnes, Ferrex and Porrex; the sonnes fell to discention; the yonger killed the elder; the mother, that more dearely loued the elder, for reuenge killed the yonger; the people, moued with the crueltie of the fact, rose in rebellion and slew both father and mother; the nobilitie assembled and most terribly destroyed the rebels; and afterwardes, for want of issue of the prince, whereby the succession of the crowne became vncertaine, they fell to ciuill warre, in which both they and many of their issues were slaine, and the land for a long time almost desolate and miserably wasted.

DORDAN, a counsellor assigned by the king to his eldest sonne, Ferrex.
PHILANDER, a counsellor assigned by the king to his yongest sonne, Porrex.
Both being of the olde kinges counsell before.

HERMON, a parasite remaining with Ferrex.

TYNDAR, a parasite remaining with Porrex.

NUNTIUS, a messenger of the elder brothers death.
NUNTIUS, a messenger of Duke Fergus rising in armes.
MARCELLA, a lady of the queenes priuie-chamber.
CHORUS, foure auncient and sage men of Brittaine.

[THE SCENE: Britain.]

1 In B. this argument is printed on the back of the title-page.

B. Cloyton.

[GORBODUC; OR, FERREX AND PORREX.]

THE ORDER OF THE DOMME SHEW BEFORE
THE FIRST ACT, AND THE SIGNIFICA-
TION THEREOF.

First the musicke of violenze began to play, during which came in vpon the stage sixe wilde men clothed in leaues; of whom the first bare in his necke a fagot of small stickes, which they all, both seuerally and together, assayed with all their strengthes to breake; but it could not be broken by them. At the length, one of them plucked out one of the stickes and brake it; and the rest plucking out all the other stickes one after an-other did easely breake them, the same being seuered, which, being conioyned, they had before attempted in vaine. After they had this done, they departed the stage, and the musicke ceased. Hereby was signified that a state knit in vnitie doth continue strong against all force, but being diuided is easely destroyed; as befell vpon Duke Gorboduc diuiding his land to his two sonnes, which he before held in monarchie, and vpon the discention of the brethren to whom it was diuided.

May haue redresse, or, at the least, reuenge.

VID.

Neither, my sonne; such is the froward will,

The person such, such my missehappe and thine.

FERR.

15 Mine know I none but grief for your distresse.

VID. Yes, mine for thine, my sonne. A
father? No;

In kinde1 a father, not in kindliness.
FERR. My father? Why, I know nothing

at all

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Wherein I haue misdone vnto his Grace.
VID. Therefore the more vnkinde to thee
and mee!

For, knowing well, my sonne, the tender loue
That I haue euer borne and beare to thee,
He, greued thereat, is not content alone
To spoile thee of my sight, my chiefest
ioye;

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VID. So graunt the goddes! But yet thy And brought me to this age from tender