Ben Jonson - The Magnetick Lady. The Induction. lyrics

Two Gentlemen entring upon the Stage. MR. Probee and Mr. Damplay. A Boy of the House meets them. Boy. What do you lack, Gentlemen? what is't you lack? any fine Phantsies, Figures, Humors, Characters, Ideas, Definitions of Lords and Ladies? Waiting-women, Parasites, Knights, Captains, Courtiers, Lawyers? what do you lack? Pro. A pretty prompt Boy for the Poetick Shop. Dam. And a bold! wjere's one o' your Masters; Sirrah, The Poet? Boy. Which of'em? Sir we have divers that drive that Trade, now: Poets, Poet'accios, Poetasters, Poetito's -- Dam. And all Haberdashers of small Wit, I presume; we would speak with the Poet o'the day, Boy. Boy. Sir, he is not here. But I have the Dominion of the Shop, for this time, under him, and can shew you all the variety the Stage will afford for the present. Pro. Therein you will express your own good parts, Boy. Dam. And tye us two for you the gentle Office. Pro. We are a Pair of publick Persons (this Gentleman and my self) that are sent, thus coupled unto you upon State-business. Boy. It concerns but the State of the Stage I hope! Dam. O, you shall know that by degrees, Boy. No man leaps into a business of State, without fourding first the State of the business. Pro. We are sent unto you, indeed from the People. Boy. The People! which side of the People? Dam. The Venison side, if you know it, Boy. Boy. That's the left side. I had rather they had been the right. Pro. So they are. Not the Faces, or Grounds of your People, that sit in the oblick Caves and Wedges of your House, your sinful Six-Penny Mechanicks-- Dam. But the better, and breaver sort of your People! Plush and Velver-outsiders! that stick your House round like so many Eminences -- Boy. Of Clothes, not Understandings? They are at pawn. Well, I take these as a part of your People though; what bring you to me from these People? Dam. You have heard, Boy, the ancient Poets had it in their purpose, still to please this People. Pro. I, their chief aim was -- Dam. Populo ut placerent: (if he understands so much) Boy. Quas fecissent fabulas. I understand that, since I learn'd terrence, i'the third Form at Wesminster: go on, Sir. Pro. Now, these People have imployed us to you, in all their Names, to intreat an excellent Play from you. Dam. For they have had very mean ones, from this Shop of Late, the stage as you call it. Boy. Troth, Gentlemen, I have no Wares, which I dare thrust upon the People with praise. But this, such as it is, I will venture with your People, your guy gallant People: so as you, again, will undertake for them, that they shall know a good Play when they hear it; and will have the Conscience and Ingenuity beside to confess it. Prob. We'll pa** our words for that; you shall have a Brace of us to ingage our selves. Boy. You'll tender your Names, Gentlemen, to our book then? Dam. Yes, here's Mr. Probee; a man of most powerful Speech, and Parts to perswade. Pro. And Mr. Damplay will make good all he undertakes. Boy. Good Mr. Probee, and Mr. Damplay! I like your Securities: whence do you write your selves? Pro. Of London, Gentlemen: but Knights Brothers, and Knights Friends, I a**ure you. Dam. And Knights Fellow's too. Every Poet writes Squire now. Boy. You are good Names! very good Men, both of you! I accept you. Dam. And what is the Title of your Play, here? The Magnetick Lady? Boy. Yes, Sir, an attractive Title the Author has given it. Pro. A Magnete, I warrant you. Dam. O, no, from Magnus, Magna, Magnum. Boy. This Gentleman hath found the true Magnitude -- Dam. Of his Portal or Entry to the Work, according to Vitruvius. Boy. Sir, all our work is done without a Portal -- or Vitruvius. In Foro, as a true Comedy should be. And what is conceal'd within, is brought out, and made present by report. Dam. We see not always observ'd by your Authors of these Times; or any other. Boy. Where it is not at all known, how should it be observ'd? The most of those your people call Authors, never dreamt of any Decorum, or what was proper in the Scene; but grope at it i' the dark, and feel or fumble for it; I speak it, both with their leave and the leave o' your People. Dam. But, why Humors reconcil'd;I would fain know? Boy. I can satisfie you there too: if you will. But, perhaps you desire not to be satisfied. Dam. No? Why should you conceive so, Boy? Boy. My Conceit is not ripe yet: I'll tell you that anon. The Author beggining his Studies of this kind, with every Man in his Humour; and after every Man out of his Humour; and since, continuing in all his >i>Plays, especially those of the Comick thread, whereof the New-Inn was the last, some recent Humours still, or Manners of Men, that went along with the Times; finding himself now near the close, or shutting up of his Circle, hath phant'sied to himself, in Idaea, this Magnetick Mistris. A Lady, a brave bountiful Housekeeper, and a vertuous Widow: who having a young Neice, ripe for a Man and marriageable, he makes that his Center attractive, to draw thither a diversity of Guests, all Persons of different Humours to make up his Perimiter. And this he hath call'd Humours reconcil'd. Pro. A bold undertaking! and far greater then the Reconciliation of both churches, the Quarrel between Humours having been much the ancienter; and in my poor Opinion, the Root of all Schism and faction both in Church and Common-wealth. Boy. Such is the Opinion of many wise Men, that meet at his Shop still, but how he will speed in it, we cannot tell, and he himself (it seems) less cares. For he will not be intreated by us, to give it a Prologue.way already, he says. He will not wooe the Gentile ignorance so much. But careless of all vulgar Censure, as not depending on common Approbation, he is confident it shall super-please judicious Spectators, and to them he leaves it to work with the rest, by Example or otherwise. Dam. He may be deceived in that, Boy: Few follow Examples now, especially if they be good. Boy. The Play is ready to begin, Gentlemen, I tell yon, lest you might defraud the expectation of the People, for whom you are Delegates! Please you take a couple of Seats and plant your selves, here, as near my standing as you can: Fly every thing (you see) to the Mark, and censure it, freely. So you interrupt not the Series or Thred of the Argument, to break or pucker it, with unnecessary Questions. For, I must tell you, (not out of mine own Dictamen, but the Authors) A good Play is like Skean of Silk: which, if you take by the right end, you may wind off at pleasure, On the Bottom or Card of your Discourse, in a Tale, or so; how you will: But if you light on the wrong end, you will pull all into a knot, or Elfe-lock; which nothing but the Sheers, or a Candle will undo, or separate. Dam. Stay! who be these, I pray you? Boy. Because it is your first Question, and (these be the prime persons) it would in civility require an answer: but I have heard the Poet affirm, that to be the most unlucky Scene in a Play, which needs an Interpreter; especially, when the Auditory are awake: and such are you, he presumes. Ergo.