A SELECT COLLECTION OF OLD ENGLISH PLAYS, VOL. II

Originally published by Robert Dodsley in the Year 1744.

FOURTH EDITION, NOW FIRST CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED, REVISED ANDENLARGED WITH THE NOTES OF ALL THE COMMENTATORS, AND NEW NOTES

BY

W. CAREW HAZLITT

THE INTERLUDE OF YOUTH.

EDITIONS.

See Hazlitt's "Handbook," 1867, p. 464, and Remarks.

MR. HALLIWELL'S PREFACE[1] TO THE FORMER EDITION.

The "Interlude of Youth" is probably the most interesting early-printedmoral play that has descended to our times, and it may therefore beconsidered somewhat singular that it has hitherto escaped the notice ofthe publication societies. Its great rarity may, however, account forthis circumstance, only two or three copies of any edition being knownto exist. Waley's edition appeared probably about the year 1554, andhas a woodcut on the title-page of two figures, representing Charityand Youth, two of the characters in the interlude. Another edition wasprinted by Copland, and has also a woodcut on the title-page,representing Youth between Charity, and another figure which has noname over its head. The colophon is: "Imprented at London, in Lothbury,over against Sainct Margarytes church, by me, Wyllyam Copland." SeeCollier's "History of Dramatic Poetry," vol. ii., p. 313. "The'Interlude of Youth,'" observes Mr Collier, "is decidedly a RomanCatholic production, and I have therefore little doubt that it made itsappearance during the reign of Mary;" and he adds, p. 315, "on thewhole, this piece is one of the most amusing and most humorous of theclass to which it belongs." A fragment of a black-letter copy of theinterlude is preserved at Lambeth Palace,[2] and is described by MrMaitland in his "List of Early Printed Books," p. 311.

INTERLUDE OF YOUTH.

CHARITY.
Jesu that his arms did spread,
And on a tree was done to dead,
From all perils he you defend!
I desire audience till I have made an end,
For I am come from God above
To occupy his laws to your behove,
And am named Charity;
There may no man saved be
Without the help of me,
For he that Charity doth refuse,
Other virtues though he do use,
Without Charity it will not be,
For it is written in the faith:
Qui manet in charitate in Deo manet.
I am the gate, I tell thee,
Of heaven, that joyful city;
There may no man thither come,
But of charity he must have some,
Or ye may not come, i-wis,
Unto heaven, the city of bliss;
Therefore Charity, who will him take,
A pure soul it will him make
Before the face of God:
In the ABC, of books the least,
It is written Deus charitas est.
Lo! charity is a great thing,
Of all virtues it is the king:
When God in earth was here living,
Of charity he found none ending.
I was planted in his heart;
We two might not depart.[3]
Out of his heart I did spring,
Through the might of the heaven-king:
And a

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