Page:The Works of Ben Jonson - Gifford - Volume 4.djvu/362

 .] This Comedy was produced, at the Hope Theatre, (on the Bank-side,) October 31, 1614, and acted, as Jonson tells us, by the lady Elizabeth's servants. The lady Elizabeth was the daughter of James I. she married the Elector Palatine, and saw many evil days both as a wife and mother: her descendants have been more fortunate; and are now on the throne of Great Britain.

The Biographia Dramatica speaks of an edition of this play in quarto, 1614. I know of no earlier one than the folio, 1631-1641, nor do I believe that it ever appeared in that form. In the title-page, it is said that it was dedicated in the year 1614 to king James; but by this expression no more is meant than that it was addressed to him in an occasional prologue, written for the purpose; though this, probably, led to the mistake just noticed. When this play was printed, James was dead.

Bartholomew Fair was always a favourite with the people: this is easily accounted for from the ridicule with which it covers the Puritans. It was revived, as might naturally be expected, immediately after the Restoration, and was frequently honoured with a royal command by Charles, whom tradition represents as greatly delighted with the character of Cokes, which was, indeed, excellently played by Wintersel, and, afterwards by Nokes, the most celebrated comic performer of those days. To this comedy, Collin, the rustic champion of Puritanism, is taken, on his visit to London, and D'Urfey gives a humorous account of his zeal and fury at the scenical disgrace of rabbi Busy. D'Urfey pays an incidental compliment to this piece, by representing Collin as completely deceived at first, and believing that what he saw and heard of the Puritans was a scene of real life.

I am sorry to observe that the excellent folio of 1616 deserts us here. Why this drama was not admitted into it, cannot now be told, unless, as I believe was really the case, that much of that volume was carried through the press some time before it was given to the public. Be this as it may, the subsequent plays do not exhibit, to my eye, the same marks of Jonson's care as those already given: nor do I think that he concerned himself with the revision of the folio now before us, or, indeed, ever saw it, though many of the pieces contained in it are dated several years antecedent to his death.

To this comedy was prefixed the following apt motto:

Si foret in terris, rideret Democritus: nam Spectaret populum ludis attentiùs ipsis, Ut sibi præbentem mimo spectacula plura. Scriptores autem narrare putaret asello  Fabellam surdo. Hor. lib. 2, epist. 1.