A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 3

In Short

This collection gathers four distinct plays—Sir Gyles Goosecappe, The Wisdome of Dr. Dodypoll, The Distracted Emperor, and The Tryall of Chevalry—each a vivid relic of a theater scene defined by bravado, transformation, and linguistic invention. Published to preserve works that remained largely inaccessible in their original printings, these plays span the comical, the romantic, and the tragic. They have lasted because they capture a moment when the English language was expanding in reach and power, providing a playground for playwrights who relished the volatility of human character and the fragility of courtly life.

The Story

The collection opens with Sir Gyles Goosecappe, a comedy of manners centered on a group of suitors attempting to win the favor of refined ladies. The play functions as a contest of wit and patience, where characters like the titular knight and his cohorts are continuously outmaneuvered by clever pages who orchestrate the romantic misunderstandings. The tone is light and satirical, mocking the vanity of courtly posturing.

In The Wisdome of Dr. Dodypoll, the narrative takes a more surreal turn, blending romantic intrigue with elements of enchantment. An artist and his patron become ensnared in a plot involving magical jewels and fairylands. The central figure, Lucilia, is abducted by an enchanter, leading to a journey of rescue where identities are obscured by spells. The play concludes with a complex resolution where the true nature of love and fidelity is tested against the artifice of the enchanter’s illusions, ultimately restoring the rightful lovers.

The Distracted Emperor shifts toward a darker, more political atmosphere. It focuses on the machinations of Ganelon, a corrupt nobleman who seeks to sabotage the standing of the hero Orlando. Through a series of betrayals and a murder, the play explores the consequences of unchecked ambition and the difficulty of maintaining order in a state built on shifting allegiances. The ending is grim, as the violence inherent in Ganelon’s jealousy claims the lives of those he sought to manipulate, leaving behind a trail of ruin that underscores the destructive power of a poisoned conscience.

Finally, The Tryall of Chevalry returns to the romantic and heroic mode, focusing on a sprawling conflict between France and Navarre. The story follows the entanglement of princes and ladies whose loyalties are strained by the chaos of war. Intrigue, such as the disfigurement of the lady Bellamira through an infectious herb, drives the characters to extremes of devotion and vengeance. The climax involves a battlefield confrontation where the protagonists must move beyond force to embrace "policy," using their influence to compel peace. It is a story of trial by fire, where the integrity of noble characters is measured by their willingness to sacrifice for love and reconciliation.

How It Unfolds

The witty initiation In Sir Gyles Goosecappe, characters navigate an intricate social maze where silence and verbal restraint are held as the ultimate tests of romantic worthiness. Pages act as the true masters of the narrative, manipulating the clumsy and arrogant suitors for their own amusement.

The enchantment of the image The Wisdome of Dr. Dodypoll begins by grounding the viewer in the world of artistic patronage and the quiet jealousy of a host, only to suddenly pivot into a world of magical artifacts. Characters wander into cavernous, hidden spaces where the lines between the natural world and the supernatural are eroded by stolen jewels and fairy songs.

The descent into political malice The Distracted Emperor sets the stage with the tension between a ruler and his court, quickly introducing a web of suspicion. The plot tightens as the ambitious Ganelon successfully orchestrates a murder, leading to a public confrontation where the truth is finally dragged into the light of the imperial court.

The trial of arms and hearts The Tryall of Chevalry moves from the high-minded promises of courting princes to the sudden, brutal reality of wartime disfigurement and kidnapping. The narrative culminates in a desperate battlefield stalemate where the characters must abandon the sword in favor of diplomatic persuasion to halt the carnage.

The People

Momford is a figure of intense, fluctuating passions, representative of a class that values honor but is constantly destabilized by the whims of those around him. He struggles to maintain composure in the face of what he perceives as the "varried tortures" of the human heart, particularly the inconsistency of the women he loves.

Ganelon stands as the primary antagonist of his story, a man who weaponizes his social standing to cover his moral rot. His desire for power renders him incapable of recognizing the humanity of his own son, La Busse, whom he dismisses as a "thing of too nyce contyence." His downfall is marked by a frantic, murderous realization that his schemes have not made him the master of his fate.

Katharine represents the archetype of the unreachable, haughty noblewoman whose internal development is triggered by the shock of death and loss. Through her journey, she moves from cold, calculated rejection of her suitors to a state of remorse, forced to confront the validity of the love she once scorned.

Bellamira, caught in the crossfire of political violence, serves as the victim of a cruel, transformative act. Her disfigurement forces the men around her to either abandon her or prove the depth of their devotion, ultimately redefining the value of beauty within the play’s moral framework.

In Its Own Voice

"How like a peacockes taile with different lightes, / They differ from themselves; the very ayre / Alter the aspen humors of their bloods."

Momford muses on the perceived inconstancy of the female heart, comparing its shifting nature to the decorative display of a peacock.

"The plaine, and short truth is (my Lord) because I am all liver, and turn'd lover."

A character in Sir Gyles Goosecappe confesses the sudden, overwhelming transformation of his temperament when he falls in love.

"I am inchaunted with thys vyssyon."

The Emperor, witnessing a servant who has been affected by a magical ring, describes his sudden, irrational infatuation with the man's physical appearance.

What It's Really About

These plays are profoundly concerned with the tension between outer appearance and inner reality. Whether through the masks of the court, the illusions of an enchanter, or the physical disfigurement of a noble lady, the text asks if the true self can ever be fully known. There is a persistent argument that human beings are essentially unstable, subject to "aspen humors" and the whims of fate. The works explore the intersection of "policy"—the calculated management of one's reputation—and the raw, often destructive force of love, suggesting that the most virtuous path is frequently the one hardest to discern amidst the artifice of social performance.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the works of Shakespeare or Jonson will find in these pages a familiar, yet refreshing, set of dramatic tools. The language is rich with the distinct, often jagged vitality of the late sixteenth century, featuring proverbs, courtly puns, and raw outbursts that feel remarkably immediate. However, the modern reader should be prepared for the inherent challenges: the dialect is occasionally dense, the footnotes are essential for deciphering archaic slang like "puffcist," and the period attitudes toward gender and class are often restrictive and occasionally jarring.

Despite these hurdles, the book offers a rewarding experience for those interested in the "workshop" of English drama. It feels like stepping into a crowded room of a London playhouse, catching echoes of conversations that were meant to be fleeting but have been caught in amber. What stays with you is not just the plot, but the sheer, restless inventiveness of the playwrights. They were writing for an audience that demanded constant novelty, and that energy remains trapped in these lines, sparking whenever you read them aloud. It is a book for the curious, for those who want to see where the great themes of English literature were first tried, tested, and occasionally mangled.