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    The Roaring Girl: “Good, happy, swift; there's gunpowder i'th' court, Wildfire at midnight in this heedless fury.”
    The Roaring Girl: “Good, happy, swift; there's gunpowder i'th' court, Wildfire at midnight in this heedless fury.”
    The Roaring Girl: “Good, happy, swift; there's gunpowder i'th' court, Wildfire at midnight in this heedless fury.”
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    The Roaring Girl: “Good, happy, swift; there's gunpowder i'th' court, Wildfire at midnight in this heedless fury.”

    By Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker

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    Thomas Middleton was born in London in April 1580 and baptised on 18th April. Middleton was aged only five when his father died. His mother remarried but this unfortunately fell apart into a fifteen year legal dispute regarding the inheritance due Thomas and his younger sister. By the time he left Oxford, at the turn of the Century, Middleton had and published Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satirese which was denounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury and publicly burned. In the early years of the 17th century, Middleton wrote topical pamphlets. One – Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets was reprinted several times and the subject of a parliamentary inquiry. These early years writing plays continued to attract controversy. His writing partnership with Thomas Dekker brought him into conflict with Ben Jonson and George Chapman in the so-called War of the Theatres. His finest work with Dekker was undoubtedly The Roaring Girl, a biography of the notorious Mary Frith. In the 1610s, Middleton began another playwriting partnership, this time with the actor William Rowley, producing another slew of plays including Wit at Several Weapons and A Fair Quarrel. The ever adaptable Middleton seemed at ease working with others or by himself. His solo writing credits include the comic masterpiece, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, in 1613. In 1620 he was officially appointed as chronologer of the City of London, a post he held until his death. The 1620s saw the production of his and Rowley's tragedy, and continual favourite, The Changeling, and of several other tragicomedies. However in 1624, he reached a peak of notoriety when his dramatic allegory A Game at Chess was staged by the King's Men. Though Middleton's approach was strongly patriotic, the Privy Council silenced the play after only nine performances at the Globe theatre, having received a complaint from the Spanish ambassador. What happened next is a mystery. It is the last play recorded as having being written by Middleton. Thomas Middleton died at his home at Newington Butts in Southwark in the summer of 1627, and was buried on July 4th, in St Mary's churchyard which today survives as a public park in Elephant and Castle.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStage Door
    Release dateNov 1, 2016
    ISBN9781785438943
    The Roaring Girl: “Good, happy, swift; there's gunpowder i'th' court, Wildfire at midnight in this heedless fury.”

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      Book preview

      The Roaring Girl - Thomas Middleton

      The Roaring Girl by Thomas Middleton

      Written with Thomas Dekker.

      The final dramatic collaboration between Middleton and Thomas Dekker, first appeared in quarto in 1611 and is generally considered to have been written in 1608

      Thomas Middleton was born in London in April 1580 and baptised on 18th April.

      Middleton was aged only five when his father died. His mother remarried but this unfortunately fell apart into a fifteen year legal dispute regarding the inheritance due Thomas and his younger sister.

      By the time he left Oxford, at the turn of the Century, Middleton had and published Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satirese which was denounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury and publicly burned.

      In the early years of the 17th century, Middleton wrote topical pamphlets. One – Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets was reprinted several times and the subject of a parliamentary inquiry.  

      These early years writing plays continued to attract controversy.  His writing partnership with Thomas Dekker brought him into conflict with Ben Jonson and George Chapman in the so-called War of the Theatres. 

      His finest work with Dekker was undoubtedly The Roaring Girl, a biography of the notorious Mary Frith. 

      In the 1610s, Middleton began another playwriting partnership, this time with the actor William Rowley, producing another slew of plays including Wit at Several Weapons and A Fair Quarrel.

      The ever adaptable Middleton seemed at ease working with others or by himself. His solo writing credits include the comic masterpiece, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, in 1613.

      In 1620 he was officially appointed as chronologer of the City of London, a post he held until his death.

      The 1620s saw the production of his and Rowley's tragedy, and continual favourite, The Changeling, and of several other tragicomedies.

      However in 1624, he reached a peak of notoriety when his dramatic allegory A Game at Chess was staged by the King's Men. Though Middleton's approach was strongly patriotic, the Privy Council silenced the play after only nine performances at the Globe theatre, having received a complaint from the Spanish ambassador.

      What happened next is a mystery.  It is the last play recorded as having being written by Middleton.

      Thomas Middleton died at his home at Newington Butts in Southwark in the summer of 1627, and was buried on July 4th, in St Mary's churchyard which today survives as a public park in Elephant and Castle.

      Index of Contents

      To the Comic Play-Readers, Venery and Laughter

      Prologus

      ACT I

      Scene I - Sebastian's Chambers in Sir Alexander's House

      Scene II - The Parlour of Sir Alexander's House

      ACT II

      Scene I - The Three Shops Open in a Rank

      Scene II - A Street

      ACT III

      Scene I - Gray's Inn Fields

      Scene II - Gallipot's House

      Scene III - Holborn Street

      ACT IV

      Scene I - Sir Alexander's Chamber

      Scene II - Openwork's House

      ACT V

      Scene I - A Street

      Scene II - Sir Alexander's House

      Epilogus

      Thomas Middleton – A Short Biography

      Thomas Middleton – A Concise Bibliography

      Dramatis Personae

      SIR ALEXANDER Wengrave, and NEATFOOT his man

      SIR ADAM Appleton

      SIR DAVY Dapper

      SIR BEAUTEOUS Ganymede

      SIR THOMAS Long

      LORD NOLAND

      Young [SEBASTIAN Wengrave

      JACK Dapper, son to SIR DAVY, and GULL his page

      GOSHAWK

      GREENWIT

      LAXTON

      TILTYARD a feather-seller

      MISTRESS TILTYARD

      OPENWORK a sempster

      MISTRESS Rosamond OPENWORK

      Hippocrates GALLIPOT an apothecary

      MISTRESS Prudence GALLIPOT

      MOLL, the Roaring Girl

      Ralph TRAPDOOR

      TEARCAT

      SIR GUY Fitzallard

      MARY Fitzallard, his daughter

      CURTILAX, a sergeant, and

      HANGER, his yeoman

      MINISTRI

      COACHMAN

      PORTER

      TAILOR

      Gentlemen

      CUTPURSES

      FELLOW

      To the Comic Play-Readers, Venery and Laughter

      The fashion of play-making I can properly compare to nothing so naturally as the alteration in apparel: for in the time of the great crop-doublet, your huge bombasted plays, quilted with mighty words to lean purposes, was only then in fashion. And as the doublet fell, neater inventions began to set up. Now in the time of spruceness, our plays follow the niceness of our garments: single plots, quaint conceits, lecherous jests, dressed up in hanging sleeves, and those are fit for the times and the termers. Such a kind of light-colour summer stuff, mingled with diverse colours, you shall find this published comedy, good to keep you in an afternoon from dice, at home in your chambers; and for venery you shall find enough for sixpence, but well couched and you mark it, for Venus being a woman passes through the play in doublet in breeches, a brave disguise and a safe one if the statute untie not her codpiece point. The book I make no question but is fit for many of your companies, as well as the person itself, and may be allowed both galley room at the playhouse, and chamber room at your lodging. Worse things I must needs confess the world has taxed her for than has been written of her; but 'tis the excellency of a writer to leave things better than he finds 'em; though some obscene fellow (that cares not what he writes against others, yet keeps a mystical bawdy-house himself, and entertains drunkards to make use of their pockets and vent his private bottle-ale at midnight), though such a one would have ripped up the most nasty vice that ever hell belched forth and presented it to a modest assembly, yet we rather wish in such discoveries, where reputation lies bleeding, a slackness of truth than a fullness of slander.

      Thomas Middleton

      Prologus

      A play expected long makes the audience look

      For wonders, that each scene should be a book,

      Compos'd to all perfection; each one comes

      And brings a play in's head with him: up he sums

      What he would of a roaring girl have writ;

      If that he finds not here, he mews at it.

      Only we entreat you think our scene

      Cannot speak high, the subject being but mean:

      A roaring girl whose notes till now never were

      Shall fill with laughter our vast theatre;

      That's all which I dare promise: tragic passion,

      And such grave stuff, is this day out of fashion.

      I see attention sets wide ope her gates

      Of hearing, and with covetous list'ning waits,

      To know what girl this roaring girl should be,

      For of that tribe are many. One is she

      That roars at midnight in deep tavern bowls,

      That beats the watch, and constables controls;

      Another roars i' th' daytime, swears, stabs, gives braves,

      Yet sells her soul to the lust of fools and slaves.

      Both these are suburb roarers. Then there's beside

      A civil city roaring girl, whose pride,

      Feasting, and riding, shakes her husband's state,

      And leaves him roaring through an iron grate.

      None of these roaring girls is ours: she flies

      With wings more lofty. Thus her character lies;

      Yet what need characters, when to give a guess

      Is better than the person to express?

      But would you know who 'tis? Would you hear her name?

      She is call'd mad MOLL; her life, our acts proclaim.

      ACT I

      SCENE I - Sebastian's Chambers in Sir Alexander's House

      Enter MARY Fitzallard disguised like a sempster with a case for bands, and NEATFOOT a serving-man with her, with a napkin on his shoulder and a trencher in his hand as from table.

      NEATFOOT

      The young gentleman our young master, Sir Alexander's son, is it into his ears, sweet damsel emblem of fragility, you desire to have a message transported, or to be transcendent?

      MARY

      A private word or two, sir, nothing else.

      NEATFOOT

      You shall fructify in that which you come for: your pleasure shall be satisfied to your full contentation. I will, fairest tree of generation, watch when our young master is erected, that is to say, up, and deliver him to this your most white hand.

      MARY

      Thanks, sir.

      NEATFOOT

      And withal certify him that I have culled out for him, now his belly is replenished, a daintier bit or modicum than any lay upon his trencher at dinner. Hath he notion of your name, I beseech your chastity?

      MARY

      One, sir, of whom he bespake falling bands.

      NEATFOOT

      Falling bands: it shall so be given him. If you please to venture your modesty in the hall amongst a curl-pated company of rude serving-men, and take such as they can set before you, you shall be most seriously and ingeniously welcome.

      MARY

      I have dined indeed already, sir.

      NEATFOOT

      Or will you vouchsafe to kiss the lip of a cup of rich Orleans in the buttery amongst our waiting-women?

      MARY

      Not now in truth, sir.

      NEATFOOT

      Our young master shall then have a feeling of your being here; presently it shall so be given him.

      MARY

      I humbly thank you, sir.

      [Exit NEATFOOT.

      But that my bosom

      Is full of bitter sorrows, I could smile

      To see this formal ape play antic tricks:

      But in my breast a poisoned arrow sticks,

      And smiles cannot become me. Love woven slightly,

      Such as

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