Lucasta

Name: Lucasta
Author: Lovelace, Richard

Lovelace, Richard

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

<63.1> Fletcher the dramatist fell a victim to the plague of 1625.
See Aubrey's LIVES, vol. 2, part i. p. 352. The verses here
republished were originally prefixed to the first collected edition
of Beaumont and Fletcher's TRAGEDIES AND COMEDIES, 1647, folio.
It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader that Lovelace was
only a child when Fletcher died.

<63.2> VALENTINIAN, A TRAGEDY.  First printed in the folio of 1647.

<63.3> THE MAD LOVER.  Also first printed in the folio of 1647.

<63.4> An allusion to the HERCULES FURENS of Euripides.  Lovelace
had, no doubt, some tincture of Greek scholarship (See Wood's ATH.
OX. ii. 466); but as to the extent of his acquirements in this
direction, it is hard to speak with confidence.  Among the books
of Mr. Thomas Jolley, dispersed in 1853, was a copy of Clenardus
INSTITUTIONES GRAECAE LINGUAE, Lugd. Batav. 1626, 8vo., on the
title of which was "Richard Lovelace, 1630, March 5," supposed
to be the autograph of the poet when a schoolboy.

<63.5> In the margin of the copy of 1647, against these lines
is written--"COMEDIES: THE SPANISH CURATE, THE HUMOROUS
LIEUTENANT, THE TAMER TAMED, THE LITTLE FRENCH LAWYER."

<63.6> Sewers.

<63.7> THE CUSTOME OF THE COUNTREY--Marginal note in the copy
of 1647.

<63.8> Query, LAUD.

<63.9> These lines refer to the prohibition published by the
Parliament against the performance of stage-plays and interludes.
The first ordinance appeared in 1642, but that not being found
effectual, a more stringent measure was enacted in 1647, directing,
under the heaviest penalties, the total and immediate abolition
of theatricals.

<63.10> i.e. The scenic drama.  The original meaning of SCENE
was a wooden stage for the representation of plays, &c.,
and it is here used therefore in its primitive sense.

<63.11> In the old mythology of Greece, Cupid is the pupil
of Mercury or Hermes; or, in other words, LOVE is instructed
by ELOQUENCE and WIT.



                             LUCASTA.

                             Posthume
                              POEMS
                                0F

                      RICHARD LOVELACE ESQ;

                   THOSE HONOURS COME TOO LATE,
                     THAT ON OUR ASHES WAITE.
                     Mart. lib. I. Epig. 26.

                              LONDON.

                 Printed by WILLIAM GODBID for

                          CLEMENT DARBY.

                               1659.

                          THE DEDICATION.

        TO THE RIGHT H0N0RABLE JOHN LOVELACE, ESQUIRE.<64.1>

SIR,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

LucastaLovelace, Richard

General

Lucasta

Lovelace, Richard

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

<63.1> Fletcher the dramatist fell a victim to the plague of 1625.
See Aubrey's LIVES, vol. 2, part i. p. 352. The verses here
republished were originally prefixed to the first collected edition
of Beaumont and Fletcher's TRAGEDIES AND COMEDIES, 1647, folio.
It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader that Lovelace was
only a child when Fletcher died.

<63.2> VALENTINIAN, A TRAGEDY.  First printed in the folio of 1647.

<63.3> THE MAD LOVER.  Also first printed in the folio of 1647.

<63.4> An allusion to the HERCULES FURENS of Euripides.  Lovelace
had, no doubt, some tincture of Greek scholarship (See Wood's ATH.
OX. ii. 466); but as to the extent of his acquirements in this
direction, it is hard to speak with confidence.  Among the books
of Mr. Thomas Jolley, dispersed in 1853, was a copy of Clenardus
INSTITUTIONES GRAECAE LINGUAE, Lugd. Batav. 1626, 8vo., on the
title of which was "Richard Lovelace, 1630, March 5," supposed
to be the autograph of the poet when a schoolboy.

<63.5> In the margin of the copy of 1647, against these lines
is written--"COMEDIES: THE SPANISH CURATE, THE HUMOROUS
LIEUTENANT, THE TAMER TAMED, THE LITTLE FRENCH LAWYER."

<63.6> Sewers.

<63.7> THE CUSTOME OF THE COUNTREY--Marginal note in the copy
of 1647.

<63.8> Query, LAUD.

<63.9> These lines refer to the prohibition published by the
Parliament against the performance of stage-plays and interludes.
The first ordinance appeared in 1642, but that not being found
effectual, a more stringent measure was enacted in 1647, directing,
under the heaviest penalties, the total and immediate abolition
of theatricals.

<63.10> i.e. The scenic drama.  The original meaning of SCENE
was a wooden stage for the representation of plays, &c.,
and it is here used therefore in its primitive sense.

<63.11> In the old mythology of Greece, Cupid is the pupil
of Mercury or Hermes; or, in other words, LOVE is instructed
by ELOQUENCE and WIT.



                             LUCASTA.

                             Posthume
                              POEMS
                                0F

                      RICHARD LOVELACE ESQ;

                   THOSE HONOURS COME TOO LATE,
                     THAT ON OUR ASHES WAITE.
                     Mart. lib. I. Epig. 26.

                              LONDON.

                 Printed by WILLIAM GODBID for

                          CLEMENT DARBY.

                               1659.

                          THE DEDICATION.

        TO THE RIGHT H0N0RABLE JOHN LOVELACE, ESQUIRE.<64.1>

SIR,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Lucasta

Lucasta

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