I can imagine Petrea announcing the publication of Camelot and Vine like this had it been published in 1781. This from the Norwich Paper of that date.
The past is such a wonderful place to live.
New Collection of Prologues and Epilogues.
This Day is Published, Price only 1 shilling.
(Embellished with an elegant Representation of Mr KING, speaking the Prologue to the New Comedy, called Dissipation, now performing at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-lane.) The New and Complete English Spouter; or, an Universal Key to Theatrical Knowledge,-- Containing a complete Collection of all the favourite and most esteemed Prologues and Epilogues, which have been written by the distinguished Wits, to accompany approved Tragedies, Comedies, Operas, Farces, Pantomimes, and other species of Theatrical Entertainment worthy of Notice; and spoken by the most celebrated Performers, at the Theatres Royal, Drury-lane, Covent-garden, Haymarket, and on other Stages (public and private) in different Parts of the Kingdom.
Including a great Variety of Prologues and Epilogues composed on Purpose, and spoken occasionally at several respectable Sporting Clubs, and other Societies of Thespians, by Gentlemen in the Characters of Bucks, Bloods, Choice Spirits, Bravos, Fribbles, etc. Together with that celebrated Piece, called the Picture of a Playhouse; or Bucks have at ye All; and other valuable Pieces, not to be found in any other Collection. The whole interspersed with many Originals, and brought down to the present year, 1781. By Mr PALMER.
London: Printed for Alex. HOGG, No. 16 Paternoster-row, and sold by all other Booksellers in England. N.B. Be careful to ask for "The New English Spouter, by Mr PALMER;" this being the only Work of the Kind, which contains all the new Prologues and Epilogues.
I love the word "fribbles" and shall drop it into conversations.
You can actually get this book - and its revised and enlarged reprints - but at the moment only on crappy "print on demand," so I'll wait for an original to pop up on Abe.
In the meantime, I highly recommend re-reading Camelot and Vine but in the style of "Bucks, Bloods, Choice Spirits, Bravos, Fribbles, etc."
7 comments:
Bucks have at ye All!
Why thank you, Dive, I composed it on Purpose.
If you happen to find an original of The New and Complete English Spouter, let us know. Meanwhile, I regret that I didn't use the word "fribbles" in Camelot & Vine. It would have been nice to pronounce it for the audiobook.
Hee hee, Petrea. I'll let you know when I find a Spouter.
I was lying in bed in this interminable humid heatwave, unable to sleep last night, when a sudden thought popped into my head: I would love to hear your King Arthur declaimed by one of those roister-doistering Bravos and Bucks and Thesps. It didn't help me sleep but it gave me a nice long giggle.
Here, you might want this:
https://weird-old-book-finder.glitch.me/
Yay! Thanks for the rabbit hole, Petrea. Wonderful stuff.
This reminded me that you and Petrea sent me down a rabbit hole a couple nights ago. That and I have a copy of a newspaper from 1811-1812 with reports on the New Madrid earthquake that makes interesting reading. When I can, I like to read period sources for information. It seems somehow more accurate. like I'm experiencing the events through the people who were there.
Speedway, you might like Eyewitness to History, edited by John Carey (you may have already read it). First-person accounts of historical times. I also have an old book called They Saw It Happen, 55BC-1485, edited by W. O. Hassall. It might be findable on Abe Books or something like that.
It's one of the best ways to escape the modern toss that we wade through, Speedway. Reading historical events from sources written at the time adds a frisson from knowing that those writers couldn't possibly know what was coming for them.
The fact that WE know makes me want to scream at them "RUN AWAY!"
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