A SELECT COLLECTION OF OLD ENGLISH PLAYS. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY ROBERT DODSLEY IN THE YEAR 1744. _FOURTH EDITION_, NOW FIRST CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED, REVISED AND ENLARGED WITH THE NOTES OF ALL THE COMMENTATORS, AND NEW NOTES BY W. CAREW HAZLITT. BENJAMIN BLOM, INC. New York First published 1874-1876 Reissued 1964 by Benjamin Blom, Inc. L.C. Catalog Card No.: 64-14702 _Printed in U.S.A. by_ NOBLE OFFSET PRINTERS, INC. NEW YORK 3, N. Y. NEW CUSTOM. _A New Enterlude, no lesse wittie then pleasant, entituled new Custome, devised of late, and for diverse causes nowe set forthe, neuer before this tyme imprinted. 1573. [Col.] Imprinted at London, in Fleete strete, by William How for Abraham Veale, dwelling in Paules churche-yarde at the signe of the Lambe. 4to, B. L._ DODSLEY'S PREFACE. I have not been able to discover who was the author of this piece. But I think it is one of the most remarkable of our ancient moralities, as it was wrote purposely to vindicate and promote the Reformation. It was printed in 1573, and contrived so that four people might act it; this was frequently done for the convenience of such as were disposed to divert or improve themselves, by representing these kinds of entertainments in their own houses. [The authorship of "New Custom" remains undiscovered. It is a piece which may have been written a few years before it was printed, and is one of the dramatic efforts in furtherance of the Reformation. At the same time, there is no apparent foundation for the hypothesis that the morality was in existence any great length of time before the date of publication.] THE PLAYERS' NAMES IN THIS INTERLUDE BE THESE. The Prologue. PERVERSE DOCTRINE, _an old Popish Priest_. IGNORANCE, _another, but elder_. NEW CUSTOM, _a Minister_. LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL, _a Minister_. HYPOCRISY, _an old Woman_. CRUELTY, _a Ruffler_.[1] AVARICE, _a Ruffler_. EDIFICATION, _a Sage_. ASSURANCE, _a Virtue_. GOD'S FELICITY, _a Sage_. FOUR MAY PLAY THIS INTERLUDE. 1. PERVERSE DOCTRINE. { IGNORANCE, 2. { HYPOCRISY, { _and_ EDIFICATION. { NEW CUSTOM. 3. { AVARICE. { ASSURANCE. { LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL. { CRUELTY. 4. { GOD'S FELICITY. { THE PROLOGUE. THE PROLOGUE.