THE

NEVV INNE.

OR,

The light Heart.

A COMOEDY.

As it was neuer acted, but most
negligently play'd, by fome,

the Kings Seruants.

And more squeamishly beheld, and cenfu-
red by others, the Kings Subiects.

1629.

Now, at laft, fet at liberty to the Readers, his Maties Seruants, and Subiects, to be iudg'd.

Printed by Thomas Harper, for Thomas Alchorne, and are to be fold at his fhop in Pauls Church-yeard, at the figne of the greene Dragon.

MDCXXXI.

THE

DEDICATION,

ΤΟ

THE READER.

F thou bee fuch, I
make thee my Pa-
tron, and
and dedicate
the Piece to thee:
If not so much,

would I had beene at the charge of
thy better litterature. How-fo-euer,
if thou canst but spell, and ioyne my
sense; there is more hope of thee,
then of a hundred faftidious imper-
tinents, who were there present the
first day, yet neuer made piece of
their prospect the right way. What
did they come for, then? thou wil't

aske me. I will as punctually an-
fwer: To fee, and to bee feene. To
make a generall muster of them-
felues in their clothes of credit: and
possesse the Stage, against the Play.

THE DEDICATION,] these words om. G
10 than 1692, f. passim in this sense.
18 Cloaths 1716

7 Howsoever 1692 f. 14 wil't] 1692 wilt 1716, f.

5

10

15

To dislike all, but marke nothing.
And by their confidence of rising
between the Actes, in oblique lines,
make affidauit to the whole house,
of their not vnderstanding one
Scene. Arm'd, with this præiudice,
as the Stage-furniture, or Arras-
clothes, they were there, as Specta-
tors, away.
For the faces in the
hangings, and they beheld alike.
doe euer. And
So I wish, they may doe euer.
doe truft my selfe, and my Booke,
rather to thy rufticke candor, than
all the pompe of their pride, and so-
lemne ignorance, to boote. Fare
thee well, and fall too.

Read

But, first

BEN. IONSON.

The Argument.

25 Armed G præiudice] prejudice 1692 f.

38 The Argument. ] om. G

35 to W, G

THE ARGVMENT.

He Lord FRAMP VL, a noble Gentleman, well educated, and bred a Schollar, in Oxford, was married yong, to a vertuous Gentlewoman, Sylly's daughter of the South, whose worth (though he truly enioy'd) hee neuer could rightly value; but, as many greene Husbands (giuen ouer to their extrauagant delights, and some peccant humors of their owne) occafion'd in his ouer louing wife, so deepe a melancholy by his leauing her in the time of her lying in, of her second daughter, fhee hauing brought him only two daughters, Frances, and Lætitia: and (out of her hurt fancy) interpreting that to bee a cause of her husbands couldnesse in affection, her not being bleft with a fonne, tooke a refolution with her felfe, after her morths time, and thanksgiuing ritely in the Church, to quit her home, with a vow neuer to re

3 Scholar 1716 f.

4 young 1692 f.

5 virtuous W, G

7 tho' 1716, W enioy'd] enjoin'd 1716 enjoyed W, G ()] G uses 10 humours 1716 f. (A regular change, or to-our) 13 lying in ] lying-in W, G

commas

II occasioned W, G ness 1692 f.

19 son 1692 f.

18 cold21 rightly 1692 f.

5

10

15

20

B