CAMPASPE1

PLAYED BEEFORE THE QUEENES MAIESTIE

ON NEWYEARES DAY AT NIGHT, BY HER MAIESTIES CHILDREN, AND THE CHILDREN OF PAULES

1 John Lyly, who had attained great fame by his two novels, Euphues the Anatomy of Wyt, 1578, and Euphues and his England, 1580, was presented by the Earl of Oxford in the summer of 1583 with the lease of Blackfriars hall where the royal boy-choristers and the singing children of St. Paul's Cathedral were accustomed to present their plays mainly designed for Court performance before the general public. At once Lyly set himself to the task of writing plays, and within a few weeks had Campaspe ready for the stage. The comedy, after being shown to the public at Blackfriars (the performances served for dressrehearsals), was acted at Court before Elizabeth on Newyear's Day at night.

The play was outfitted by the Office of the Revels, which supplied the customary "players' houses' of canvas painted and stretched on wooden frames. From the text it appears that on one side of the stage was placed the palace of Alexander, and on the opposite side the studio of Apelles (with a curtain that could be drawn open to reveal the interior); and between these two "houses" was an open street, or "marketplace" in which was set Diogenes' tub. An entrance at the rear enabled persons to come in from the "city." The action moved freely from the palace-gate to the market-place (with its tub) and to Apelles' studio. For the text I have used the second quarto of 1584 as reproduced by R. W. Bond in The Complete Works of John Lyly, 1902; but I have altered the original punctuation, and modernized the use of capital letters and italics. In brackets I have added stage-directions to enable the reader to visualize the movements of the actors on the stage peculiar to Court plays.

THE PROLOGUE AT THE BLACK-FRYERS 1

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They that feare the stinging of waspes make fannes of peacockes tailes, whose spots are like eies; and Lepidus, which coulde not sleepe for the chatting of birdes, set vp a beaste whose head was like a dragon: and we, which stande in awe of reporte, are compelled to sette beefore our owle Pallas shield, thinking by her vertue to couer the others deformitie. It was a signe of famine to Aegypte when Nilus flowed lesse then twelue cubites, or more then eighteene: and it may threaten dispaire vnto vs if we be lesse curious then you looke for, or more combersome. But, as Theseus, being promised to be brought to an eagles neast, and trauailing al the day, found but a wrenne in a hedg, yet said, "This is a bird": so, we hope, if the shower of our swelling mountaine seeme to bring foorth • some eliphant, perfourme but a mouse, you will gently say, "This is a beast." Basill softly touched yeeldeth a sweete sent, but chased in the hand, a ranke sauour; wee feare, euen so, that our labours slylye 4 glaunced on will breede some content, but examined to the proofe, small commendation. The haste in performing shall bee our excuse. There went two nightes to the begetting of Hercules; feathers appeare not on the Phoenix vnder seauen monethes; and the mulbery is twelue in budding: but our trauailes are like the hares, who at one time bringeth foorth, nourisheth, and engendreth againe; or like the broode of Trochilus, whose egges in the same moment that they are layd become birdes. But howsoeuer we finish our worke, we craue pardon if we offend in matter, and patience if we transgresse in manners. We haue mixed mirth with counsell, and discipline with delight, thinking it not amisse in the same garden to sowe pot-hearbes that we set flowers. But we hope, as harts that cast their hornes, snakes their skinnes, eagles their bils, become more fresh for any other labour: so, our charge being shaken of, we shalbe fitte for greater matters. But least, like the Mindyans, we make our gates greater then our towne, and that our play runnes out at the preface, we here conclude: — wishing that although there bee in your precise iudgementes an vniuersall mislike, yet wee maye enioy by your woonted courtisies a general silence.

THE PROLOGUE AT THE COURT

Wee are ashamed that our birde, which fluttered by twilight seeming a swan, should bee proued a batte set against the sunne. But, as Iupiter placed Silenus asse among the starres, and Alcebiades couered his pictures, beeing owles and apes, with a courtaine embroidered with lions and eagles, so are we enforced vpon a rough discource to drawe on a smooth excuse; resembling lapidaries who thinke to hide the crake in a stone by setting it deepe in golde. The gods supped once with poore Baucis; the Persian kings sometimes shaued stickes: our hope is Your Heighnesse wil at this time lend an eare to an idle pastime. Appion, raising Homere from hell, demanded onely who was his father; and we, calling Alexander from his graue, seeke onely who was his loue. Whatsoeuer we present, we wish it may be thought the daunsing of Agrippa his shadowes, who, in the moment they were seene, were of any shape one woulde conceiue; or lynces, who hauing a quicke sight to discerne, haue a short memorie to forget. With vs it is like to fare as with these torches, which, giuing light to others, consume themselues: and wee, shewing delight to others, shame our selues.

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1 The small private theatre in which the children were accustomed to present their plays before the better class of Londoners. 3 Careful as to the standards of excellence. 4 Without full attention. Lyly acquired Blackfriars in June or July, 1583. He wrote Campaspe in great haste in order to have it ready for the Queen at the following Christmas season.

2 Alluding to the Queen.

• Labors.

Alluding to the public performances at Blackfriars. As this clause indicates, the play was first acted at Blackfriars.

8 Wax candles. The stage was illuminated by candles set in "great branches" and "smaller branches" hung from wires overhead.

CAMPASPE