Kemps Nine Daies Wonder: Performed in a Daunce from London to NorwichKemp, William, active 1600
General
Kemps Nine Daies Wonder: Performed in a Daunce from London to Norwich
Kemp, William, active 1600
Dance -- England; Morris dance
"_Phil._ The same to you, good M. Burbage. What, M. Kempe, how doth
the Emperour of Germany?
"_Stud._ God saue you, M. Kempe; welcome, M. Kempe, from dancing
the morrice ouer the Alpes.[xi:5]
"_Kemp._ Well, you merry knaues, you may come to the honor of it
one day: is it not better to make a foole of the world as I haue
done, then to be fooled of the world as you schollers are? But be
merry, my lads: you haue happened vpon the most excellent vocation
in the world for money; they come North and South to bring it to
our playhouse; and for honours, who of more report then Dick
Burbage and Will Kempe? he is not counted a Gentleman that knowes
not Dick Burbage and Wil Kempe; there's not a country wench that
can dance Sellengers Round[xii:1] but can talke of Dick Burbage and
Will Kempe.
"_Phil._ Indeed, M. Kempe, you are very famous, but that is as well
for workes in print as your part in kue.
"_Kempe._ You are at Cambridge still with sice kue,[xii:2] and be
lusty humorous poets; you must vntrusle:[xii:3] I road this my last
circuit purposely, because I would be iudge of your actions.
"_Bur._ M. Stud., I pray you take some part in this booke, and act
it, that I may see what will fit you best. I thinke your voice
would serue for Hieronimo:[xii:4] obserue how I act it, and then
imitate mee.
"_Stud._ 'Who call[s] Hieronomo from his naked bed,
And,' &c.
"_Bur._ You will do well after a while.
"_Kemp._ Now for you, me thinkes you should belong to my tuition,
and your face me thinkes would be good for a foolish Mayre or a
foolish iustice of peace. Marke me.[xii:5] 'Forasmuch as there be
two states of a common wealth, the one of peace, the other of
tranquility; two states of warre, the one of discord, the other of
dissention; two states of an incorporation, the one of the
Aldermen, the other of the Brethren; two states of magistrates, the
one of gouerning, the other of bearing rule; now, as I said euen
now, for a good thing cannot be said too often, Vertue is the
shooing-horne of iustice, that is, vertue is the shooing-horne of
doing well, that is, vertue is the shooing-horne of doing iustly,
it behooueth mee and is my part to commend this shooing-horne vnto
you. I hope this word shooing-horne doth not offend any of you, my
worshipfull brethren, for you, beeing the worshipfull headsmen of
the towne, know well what the horne meaneth. Now therefore I am
determined not onely to teach but also to instruct, not onely the
ignorant but also the simple, not onely what is their duty towards
their betters, but also what is their dutye towards their
superiours.' Come, let me see how you can doe; sit downe in the
chaire.
"_Phil._ 'Forasmuch as there be,' &c.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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