I would like to ask the list about the
theater-historical context of remarks made by Thomas More in his
history of Richard III, whe commenting on the invented drama of
Richard scheming his way to the crown in 1483. (Textual notes are at the bottom.)
"And in a stage plaie, the
people knowe right well that he that plaieth the sowdain [soldan,
sultan], is percase a souter [shoemaker], yet if one of
acquaintaunce perchaunce of litle nurture should call hym by his
name while he standeth in his maiestie one of his tourmentours
might fortune breke his hed for marryng the plaie. And so thei
saied, these matters be kynges games, as it were staige playes,
and for the moste part plaied vpon scaffoldes [execution
platforms], in which poore menne be but lookers on, and thei that
wise bee will medle no ferther, for thei that steppe vp with them
when thei cannot plaie their partes thei disorder the plaie and do
theim selues no good."
Now, More was writing about 1513, and apparently as a boy in the
service of Cardinal Morton 1492-94 had not only been in London
audiences for miracle plays, interludes, and the like but also
would "step up and play" with the players. (See the early life by
More's son-in-law William Roper and Richard Marius' modern
biography, p.22). My specific question is about the skit (or
whatever) about a shoemaker pretending to be a sultan. Can anyone
identify that and point me to any theater-history about it?
Note on the text: The textual history
of More's history is amazingly complicated, and those who are very
interested should refer to Richard S. Sylvester, ed., The
Complete Works of St. Thomas More, Vol. 2 (Yale, 1963). In
brief, the text quoted above is the earliest English version
(1543) of what More wrote (ca. 1513 in English and Latin), from a
corrupted MS used in the continuation by chronicler/publisher
Richard Grafton (d.ca. 1572) of Hardyng's Chronicle. This
is transcribed from fol. 76r in STC 12766, available at EEBO; the
most convenient transcription is in Sir Henry Ellis' edition
(London, 1812), p. 515, online at https://archive.org/details/chronicleofiohnh00harduoft/page/515/mode/1up
These sentences appear at the very end of the Edward V chapter in
Hall's Chronicle (1548, 1550), where More's history appeared
second in English.
Cheers,
Al Magary
Hall's Chronicle Project
SF