"Oh Hodge, Hodge, good Hodge, you innocent dove, will you forgive
me?"
"Come to the justice of the peace, Gammer Gurton, and I forgive
you!"
They sank tenderly into each other's arms, wholly forgetful of their
master, who still stood near them, and looked on, laughing and
nodding his head.
"Now, then, I have found the finest and most splendid materials for
my piece," said John Heywood, as he left the loving pair and betook
himself to his own room. "Gammer Gurton has saved me, and King Henry
will not have the satisfaction of seeing me whipped by those most
virtuous and most lovely ladies of his court. To work, then,
straightway to work!"
He seated himself at his writing-desk, and seized pen and paper.
"But how!" asked he, suddenly pausing. "That is certainly a rich
subject for a composition; but I can never in the world get an
interlude out of it! What shall I do with it? Abandon this subject
altogether, and again jeer at the monks and ridicule the nuns? That
is antiquated and worn out! I will write something new, something
wholly new, and something which will make the king so merry, that he
will not sign a death-warrant for a whole day. Yes, yes, a merry
play shall it be, and then I will call it boldly and fearlessly a
comedy!"
He seized his pen and wrote: "Gammer Gurton's Needle, a right pithy,
pleasant, and merry comedy."
And thus originated the first English comedy, by John Heywood, fool
to King Henry the Eighth.
Pages:
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224