1

CYRI

YYRIL TOURNEUR is known only as an Author, none of the Dramatick Biographers giving any account of him. Winstanley quotes the following diftich from a contemporary Poet, by which it appears that he was not held in much estimation for his writings:

His fame unto that pitch was only rais'd,

As not to be defpis'd, nor over-prais'd.

He was the Author of

(1.) The Revenger's Tragedy. Acted by the King's Servants. 4to, 1607; 4to, 1608.

(2.) The Atheist's Tragedy: or, Honest Man's Revenge. 4to, 16:2.

A Tragi-Comedy, called THE NOBLEMAN, never printed, and which Oldys fays was destroyed by ignorance.

.

"A Funerall Poeme upon the Death of the most worthie "and true Souldier Sir Francis Vere, Knight, Captaine of "Portsmouth, Lord Governour of his Majeftie's cautionarie "Towne of Briell in Holland, &c." 4to, 1609.

"A Griefe on the Death of Prince Henrie. Expressed in a "broken Elegie, according to the nature of fuch a forrow.” 4to, 1613.

VOL. IV.

U

DRA

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

DUKE.
DUTCHESS,

VINDICI,

HIPPOLITO,

}

Brothers to CASTIZA.

LUSURIOSO, the Duke's Son.

SPURIO, a baftard.

AMBITIOSO, the Dutchess's eldest Son.
SUPERVACUO, fecond Son to the Dutchess.

A third Son to the Dutchess.

ANTONIO.

DONDOLO.

CASTIZA.

GRATIANA, Mother of CASTIZA.

THE

THE

REVENGER'S TRAGEDY.

ACTUS I. SCENA I.

Enter Vindici. The Duke, Dutchefs, Lufuriofo the Duke's fon, Spurio the baftard, with a train, pass over the ftage with torch-light.

DU

Vindici.

UKE! royal letcher! go, grey-hair'd adultery!
And thou his fon, as impious iteep'd as he:

And thou his baftard, true begot in evil :

And thou his dutchefs, that will do with devil:
Four exc'ilent characters.-O that marrowless age
Should ftuff the hollow bones with damn'd defires!
And, 'ftead of heat, kindle infernal fires
Within the spendthrift veins of a dry duke,
'A parch'd and juicelefs luxur. O God! one.
That has fcarce blood enough to live upon;
And he to riot it, like a fon and heir!
O, the thought of that

Turns my abused heart-ftrings into fret.
Thou fallow picture of my poifon'd love,
My study's ornament, thou hell of death,
Once the bright face of my betrothed lady,
When life and beauty naturally fill'd out
Thefe ragged imperfections;

When two heaven-pointed diamonds were fet
In those unfightly rings,then 'twas a face
So far beyond the artificial shine

A parch'd and juiceless luxur.] Luxury was the ancient appropriate term for incontinence. Hence this wanton old Duke is called a xur. See Mr. Collins's Note on Troilus and Cressida, edit. 1778, vol. 1X. p. 166. S.

Of any woman's bought complexion,

That the uprightest man, (if such there be,
That fin but feven times a day) broke custom,
And made up eight with looking after her.
Oh, he was able to ha' made a ufurer's fon
Melt all his patrimony in a kifs;

And what his father fifty years told,

To have confum'd, and yet his fuit been cold.
But oh, accurfed palace!

Thee, when thou wert apparel'd in thy flesh,
The old duke poifon'd,

Because thy purer part would not confent
Unto his palfy luft; for old men lustful
Do thew like young men angry; eager, violent,
Out-bid, like their limited performances.

O'ware an old man hot and vicious!

Vengeance, thou murder'ft quit-rent, and whereby
Thou fhew'ft thyfelf tenant to tragedy;

Oh keep thy day, hour, minute, I beseech,

For thote thou haft determin'd. Hum-who e'er knew
Murder unpaid? faith, give revenge her due,
Sh' as kept touch hitherto :-be merry, merry,
Advance thee, O thou terror to fat folks!
To have their coftly three-pil'd flesh worn off
As bare as this-for banquets, ease, and laughter,
Can make great men, as greatness goes by clay;
But wife men little, are more great than they.

What comfort bring'st thou? how go things at court?

Hippolito.

In filk and filver, brother: never braver.

Puh!

Vindici.

Thou play'ft upon my meaning. Pr'ythee fay,

Hae