THE WITCH OF EDMONTON.

THIS Tragi-Comedy, which appears to have been brought on the stage in 1623, was not published till 1658, when it appeared in quarto, with the following title: "The Witch of Edmonton. A known True Story. Composed into a Tragi-Comedy by divers well esteemed poets, William Rowley, Thomas Dekker, John Ford, &c. Acted by the Prince's Servants often, at the Cock-pit in Drury-Lane, once at Court, with singular applause. Never printed till now. London, printed by J. Cottrel, for Edward Blackmore, at the Angel in Paul's Church-yard." There is a rude wooden cut on the title-page, with a portrait of the witch (Mother Sawyer), her familiar, a black dog, and Cuddy Banks, the clown of the piece, in the water. That no doubts might arise of the likenesses, the portraits are respectively authenticated by their proper names.

PROLOGUE.

THE town of Edmonton hath lent the stage
A Devil' and a Witch, both in an age.
To make comparisons it were uncivil,

Between so even a pair, a Witch and Devil:
But as the year doth with his plenty bring,
As well a latter as a former spring,

So hath this Witch enjoy'd the first; and reason
Presumes she may partake the other season:
In acts deserving name, the proverb says,
"Once good and ever;" why not so in plays?
Why not in this? since, gentlemen, we flatter
No expectation; here is mirth and matter.

MASTER BIRD.

'An allusion to the old play of The Merry Devil of Edmonton, written about twenty years before the date of the present drama. Jonson calls it "the dear delight" of the theatre, and it was unquestionably a very popular piece. It was reprinted in Dodsley's Collection of Old Plays, vol. v.

FRANK, THORNEY's son.

CUDDY BANKS, the clown.

Morrice-dancers.

SAWGUT, an old fiddler.

Justice, Constable, Officers, Serving-men and

maids.

DOG, a familiar.

A Spirit.

2 W. Mago and W. Hamluc, or Hamlec, were probably the names of two inferior actors.

Scene. The town and neighbourhood of Edmonton. In the end of the last Act, London.

The whole Argument is this distich:

Forced marriage, murder; murder blood requires ;
Reproach, revenge; revenge, hell's help desires.