Spencer. None more fit Than this religious and brave gentleman, Late rescued from death’s sentence. Preacher. None more proud To do you that poor service. Mullisheg. Noble Englishman, I cannot fasten bounty to my will Worthy thy merit: move some suit to us. Spencer. To make you more renowned, great king, and us The more indebted, there’s an Englishman Hath forfeited his ship for goods uncustomed.-- Mullisheg. Thy suit is granted ere it be half begged: Dispose them at thy pleasure. Spencer. Mighty king, We are your highness’ servants. Mullisheg. Come, beauteous maid; we’ll see thee crowned a bride. At all our pompous banquets these shall wait. Thy followers and thy servants press with gold; And not the mean’st that to thy train belongs, But shall approve our bounty. Lead in state, And, wheresoe’er thy fame shall be enrolled, The world report thou art a Girl worth Gold. [_Exeunt_. THE ENGLISH TRAVELLER. _The English Traveller_ was first printed in 1633, and from the preface it would seem that the publication of the play was an accident; the date of its production (at the Cockpit in Drury Lane) we do not know. The bye-plot of the prodigal Lionel and his servant is borrowed from Plautus’ _Mostellaria_, which a century or more later was laid under contribution by Fielding in his _Intriguing Chambermaid_. Heywood may have known Plautus’ comedy in the original or in one of the Italian versions. The character of Young Geraldine deserves study: “he is,” says Professor Ward, “one of the truest gentlemen of Elizabethan comedy.” Mr. Saintsbury (_Elizabethan Literature_, p. 284) ranks _The English Traveller_ with _A Woman Killed with Kindness_ as Heywood’s best plays. In the old editions the scenes are only partially indicated. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. To the Right Worshipful SIR HENRY APPLETON, Knight Baronet, etc. Noble Sir, For many reasons I am induced to present this Poem to your favourable acceptance; and not the least of them that alternate love and those frequent courtesies which interchangeably passed betwixt yourself and that good old gentleman, mine uncle (Master Edmund Heywood), whom you pleased to grace by the title of father. I must confess I had altogether slept (my weakliness and bashfulness discouraging me) had they not been wakened and animated by that worthy gentleman your friend and my countryman, Sir William Elvish, whom (who for his unmerited love many ways extended towards me,) I much honour; neither, sir, need you to think it any undervaluing of your worth to undertake the patronage of a poem in this nature, since the like hath been done by Roman Lælius, Scipio, Mæcenas, and many other mighty princes and captains; nay, even by Augustus Cæsar himself, concerning whom Ovid is thus read (_De Tristi_, lib. 2):