Two Noble Kinsmen (Quarto, 1634)

Texts of this edition
2. Two Noble Kinsmen, Quarto, 1634 (Old-spelling transcription)
Facsimiles
- The Two Noble Kinsmen, Quarto 1

Prologue
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Complete text

 1PROLOGVE. 
 2Florish.
 3NEw Playes, and Maydenheads, are neare a kin,
 4Much follow'd both, for both much mony g'yn,
 5If they stand sound, and well: And a good Play
 6(Whose modest Sceanes blush on his marriage day,
 7And shake to loose his honour) is like hir
 8That after holy Tye, and first nights stir
 9Yet still is Modestie, and still retaines
 10More of the maid to sight, than Husbands paines;
 11We pray our Play may be so; For I am sure
 12It has a noble Breeder, and a pure,
 13A learned, and a Poet never went
 14More famous yet twixt Po and silver Trent.
 15Chaucer (of all admir'd) the Story gives,
 16There constant to Eternity it lives;
 17If we let fall the Noblenesse of this,
 18And the first sound this child heare, be a hisse,
 19How will it shake the bones of that good man,
 20And make him cry from under ground, O fan
 21From me the witles chaffe of such a wrighter
 22That blastes my Bayes, and my fam'd workes makes(lighter
 23Then Robin Hood? This is the feare we bring;
 24For to say Truth, it were an endlesse thing,
 25And too ambitious to aspire to him;
 26Weake as we are, and almost breathlesse swim
 27In this deepe water. Do but you hold out
 28Your helping hands, and we shall take about,
 29And something doe to save us: You shall heare
 30Sceanes though below his Art, may yet appeare
 31Worth two houres travell. To his bones sweet sleepe:
 32Content to you. If this play doe not keepe,
 33A little dull time from us, we perceave
 34Our losses fall so thicke, we must needs leave.
 35Florish.

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Two Noble Kinsmen (Quarto, 1634)