The Northern Lass
Encyclopedia
The Northern Lass is a Caroline era stage play, a comedy
by Richard Brome
that premiered onstage in 1629
and was first printed in 1632
. A popular hit with its audience, and one of his earliest successes, the play provided a foundation for Brome's career as a dramatist.
at both the Globe
and Blackfriars
theatres, "with good applause." So states the title page of the 1632 first quarto, printed by Augustine Matthews
for the bookseller Nicholas Vavasour. In the original quarto
, Brome dedicated the play to Richard Holford. Holford was a member of Gray's Inn
, and owned land next to the site of the Cockpit Theatre
, where future Brome plays would be produced. Though little is known about Holford or his connection with Brome, it is possible that Holford helped Brome with the legal terminology included in Northern Lass.
The first edition contains prefatory verses praising the play and its author, written by Ben Jonson
, John Ford
, and Thomas Dekker among others. The poem by Jonson begins with the lines, often quoted in the critical literature on Jonson and Brome, that record Brome's evolution from Jonson's former manservant to his fellow dramatist —
The popular play was revived and republished during the Restoration
era; the second edition of 1663 added the subtitle A Nest of Fools to Brome's title. Subsequent editions tended to coincide with stage revivals — so that the play was both revived onstage and republished in 1684, in 1706/7, and in 1717. (Another edition was printed in Dublin in 1726.)
Sir Philip is also approached by an unknown gentlewoman
called Mistress Trainwell, who speaks to him about a promise of marriage and presents him with a letter signed "Constance." Here, Luckless makes the mistake upon which the plot turns: he thinks that this Constance is one Constance Holdup, a loose woman with whom he'd had a brief sexual relationship, and that Mrs. Trainwell is her bawd. Actually, the Constance who wrote the letter is a "pretty gentlewoman" who is the niece of a local judge, Sir Paul Squelch. Luckless had met her briefly, and paid his gentlemanly compliments to her — which the naive young woman mistook for an offer of marriage. Mrs. Trainwell is her governess.
(Constance hails from Durham
and speaks with a Yorkshire
accent throughout the play — making her a northern lass. Hers is not the only dialect material in Brome's text: the minor comic character Sir Salomon Nonsense is from Cornwall
and speaks with a Cornish accent.)
Sir Philip's cousin Triedwell tries to break off Luckless's engagement with Mrs. Fitchow; he goes to the widow to tell her "How lewd and dissolute he is," and how his fortunes have suffered by his extravagances. Fitchow, however, is too cagy to be manipulated; she handles Triedwell with ease, and to his own shock Triedwell finds himself strongly attracted to her. Fitchow, however, thinks that Luckless must have had a hand in his cousin's action, and she suspects that he is having second thoughts about marrying her. Her brother Widgine, infected by the atmosphere of the coming marriage, becomes infatuated with Fitchow's description of the "northern lass" who is Squelch's niece, and wants Fitchow to arrange a marriage for him — despite the fact that neither Widgine or Fitchow has ever even met the girl.
Squelch confronts Luckless about his niece, and questions Luckless's intentions toward her. Luckless admits that upon their first meeting "I did love the lass so well, and at the first sight, that had I not been otherwise allotted...she should have been my bride...." He makes this admission in Mrs. Fitchow's hearing, which only stokes the widow's growing ill feelings. Luckless prevails on Fitchow to marry him a day earlier than planned. At their wedding feast, Triedwell, Mrs. Trainwell, and Constance slip into the Fitchow house costumed and masked, and perform a wedding masque
for the assembled company. Constance sings during the masque, and her voice is recognized. The masquers pass letters to the principals before leaving as mysteriously as they came; and through his letter Luckless realizes his foolish mistake about the two Constances. Fitchow is offended by all of this, and locks herself in her room, refusing to consummate their marriage on the wedding night.
Constance, feeling that Sir Philip has repudiated her, falls into a melancholy
, in which she talks distractedly; her uncle characterizes her state as "direct lunacy and idiotism." Trainwell, however, offers her compassionate care, and starts conspiring with Triedwell to manipulate events toward a positive outcome. The later scenes of the play are occupied with complex plotting, disguises, and busy comings and goings among humorous servants and justices and constables. Triedwell beats Anvil, forcing him in effect to switch sides from Fitchow's faction to Luckless's; he even makes Anvil carry a rope's end around with him, so it will be handy whenever Triedwell wants to beat him again.
Sir Paul Squelch, exasperated at the disorder around him, decides to indulge himself and take a mistress; he settles on the same Constance Holdup who figured in Luckless's confusion. He conceals her by representing her as his niece. This development allows Triedwell and Trainwell to work the trick that resolves the plot. Luckless and Fitchow have agreed to divorce — failure to consummate a marriage being one of the few grounds for divorce allowed by English law at the time. Yet Fitchow will not allow the divorce to be finalized until she hears that Constance is married; she cannot tolerate the thought that Luckless will have the girl he wants after the divorce. Triedwell and Trainwell fool Widgine into thinking that Constance Holdup is the judge's niece; he mistakenly elopes with the "bad" Constance, and Fitchow allows the divorce to be finalized. This frees Sir Philip and the "good" Constance to be married — which cures her melancholia. Mrs. Trainwell gets Sir Paul Squelch to marry her to boot. Most of the characters are happy, or at least content, by the play's end; even Mrs. Fitchow is pacified, once Constance Holdup frees Fitchow's brother Widgine from his commitment to her, for a fee of a hundred pounds.
doubled the two roles.)
The play therefore tends to resemble a modern musical comedy, more so than most plays of its era. The 1706 edition of the play included musical settings for its songs, composed by Daniel Purcell
, the younger brother of Henry Purcell
.
Mistress Fitchow, the play's stereotypical wealthy widow and a "threatening embodiment of dominance," delivers a vivid expression of her side of the marital contest, in her itemized list of things to do "for after marriage" —
The bond between Constance and Sir Philip Luckless is presented in more conventionally idealized romantic terms; but Constance disappears from the play well before the final scene, while Mrs. Fitchow is present to the end.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
by Richard Brome
Richard Brome
Richard Brome was an English dramatist of the Caroline era.-Life:Virtually nothing is known about Brome's private life. Repeated allusions in contemporary works, like Ben Jonson's Bartholomew Fair, indicate that Brome started out as a servant of Jonson, in some capacity...
that premiered onstage in 1629
1629 in literature
The year 1629 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*April 6 - Tommaso Campanella is released from custody in Rome, and gains the confidence of Pope Urban IV....
and was first printed in 1632
1632 in literature
The year 1632 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*On February 14, Tempe Restored, a masque written by Aurelian Townshend and designed by Inigo Jones, is performed at Whitehall Palace....
. A popular hit with its audience, and one of his earliest successes, the play provided a foundation for Brome's career as a dramatist.
Performance and publication
The Northern Lass was acted by the King's MenKing's Men (playing company)
The King's Men was the company of actors to which William Shakespeare belonged through most of his career. Formerly known as The Lord Chamberlain's Men during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it became The King's Men in 1603 when King James ascended the throne and became the company's patron.The...
at both the Globe
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
and Blackfriars
Blackfriars Theatre
Blackfriars Theatre was the name of a theatre in the Blackfriars district of the City of London during the Renaissance. The theatre began as a venue for child actors associated with the Queen's chapel choirs; in this function, the theatre hosted some of the most innovative drama of Elizabeth and...
theatres, "with good applause." So states the title page of the 1632 first quarto, printed by Augustine Matthews
Augustine Matthews
Augustine Matthews was a printer in London in the Jacobean and Caroline eras. Among a wide variety of other work, Matthews printed notable texts in English Renaissance drama....
for the bookseller Nicholas Vavasour. In the original quarto
Book size
The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from "folio" , to "quarto" and "octavo"...
, Brome dedicated the play to Richard Holford. Holford was a member of Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, and owned land next to the site of the Cockpit Theatre
Cockpit Theatre
The Cockpit was a theatre in London, operating from 1616 to around 1665. It was the first theatre to be located near Drury Lane. After damage in 1617, it was christened The Phoenix....
, where future Brome plays would be produced. Though little is known about Holford or his connection with Brome, it is possible that Holford helped Brome with the legal terminology included in Northern Lass.
The first edition contains prefatory verses praising the play and its author, written by Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
, John Ford
John Ford (dramatist)
John Ford was an English Jacobean and Caroline playwright and poet born in Ilsington in Devon in 1586.-Life and work:...
, and Thomas Dekker among others. The poem by Jonson begins with the lines, often quoted in the critical literature on Jonson and Brome, that record Brome's evolution from Jonson's former manservant to his fellow dramatist —
-
-
- I had you for a servant once, Dick Brome;
- And you perform'd a servant's faithfull parts;
- Now, you are got into a nearer room,
- Of fellowship, professing my old arts.
-
The popular play was revived and republished during the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
era; the second edition of 1663 added the subtitle A Nest of Fools to Brome's title. Subsequent editions tended to coincide with stage revivals — so that the play was both revived onstage and republished in 1684, in 1706/7, and in 1717. (Another edition was printed in Dublin in 1726.)
Synopsis
The opening scene introduces Sir Philip Luckless, the play's hero, and his kinsman Triedwell. Triedwell is concerned that Luckless has become engaged to a wealthy lawyer's widow, Mistress Audrey Fitchow. Triedwell is concerned that such a woman, who might be a suitable match for "some hard-bred citizen, crafty lawyer, or country justice," is inappropriate for a "tender nurseling of the Court" like his cousin. Sir Philip, however, is determined to pursue the match. The two men are interrupted by Mrs. Fitchow's brother Widgine and his companion and self-styled tutor Captain Anvil. Widgine quickly reveals himself to be a fool, while Anvil is a poseur and opportunist eager to exploit him.Sir Philip is also approached by an unknown gentlewoman
Gentlewoman
A gentlewoman in the original and strict sense is a woman of good family, analogous to the Latin generosus and generosa...
called Mistress Trainwell, who speaks to him about a promise of marriage and presents him with a letter signed "Constance." Here, Luckless makes the mistake upon which the plot turns: he thinks that this Constance is one Constance Holdup, a loose woman with whom he'd had a brief sexual relationship, and that Mrs. Trainwell is her bawd. Actually, the Constance who wrote the letter is a "pretty gentlewoman" who is the niece of a local judge, Sir Paul Squelch. Luckless had met her briefly, and paid his gentlemanly compliments to her — which the naive young woman mistook for an offer of marriage. Mrs. Trainwell is her governess.
(Constance hails from Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
and speaks with a Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
accent throughout the play — making her a northern lass. Hers is not the only dialect material in Brome's text: the minor comic character Sir Salomon Nonsense is from Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and speaks with a Cornish accent.)
Sir Philip's cousin Triedwell tries to break off Luckless's engagement with Mrs. Fitchow; he goes to the widow to tell her "How lewd and dissolute he is," and how his fortunes have suffered by his extravagances. Fitchow, however, is too cagy to be manipulated; she handles Triedwell with ease, and to his own shock Triedwell finds himself strongly attracted to her. Fitchow, however, thinks that Luckless must have had a hand in his cousin's action, and she suspects that he is having second thoughts about marrying her. Her brother Widgine, infected by the atmosphere of the coming marriage, becomes infatuated with Fitchow's description of the "northern lass" who is Squelch's niece, and wants Fitchow to arrange a marriage for him — despite the fact that neither Widgine or Fitchow has ever even met the girl.
Squelch confronts Luckless about his niece, and questions Luckless's intentions toward her. Luckless admits that upon their first meeting "I did love the lass so well, and at the first sight, that had I not been otherwise allotted...she should have been my bride...." He makes this admission in Mrs. Fitchow's hearing, which only stokes the widow's growing ill feelings. Luckless prevails on Fitchow to marry him a day earlier than planned. At their wedding feast, Triedwell, Mrs. Trainwell, and Constance slip into the Fitchow house costumed and masked, and perform a wedding masque
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
for the assembled company. Constance sings during the masque, and her voice is recognized. The masquers pass letters to the principals before leaving as mysteriously as they came; and through his letter Luckless realizes his foolish mistake about the two Constances. Fitchow is offended by all of this, and locks herself in her room, refusing to consummate their marriage on the wedding night.
Constance, feeling that Sir Philip has repudiated her, falls into a melancholy
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, in which she talks distractedly; her uncle characterizes her state as "direct lunacy and idiotism." Trainwell, however, offers her compassionate care, and starts conspiring with Triedwell to manipulate events toward a positive outcome. The later scenes of the play are occupied with complex plotting, disguises, and busy comings and goings among humorous servants and justices and constables. Triedwell beats Anvil, forcing him in effect to switch sides from Fitchow's faction to Luckless's; he even makes Anvil carry a rope's end around with him, so it will be handy whenever Triedwell wants to beat him again.
Sir Paul Squelch, exasperated at the disorder around him, decides to indulge himself and take a mistress; he settles on the same Constance Holdup who figured in Luckless's confusion. He conceals her by representing her as his niece. This development allows Triedwell and Trainwell to work the trick that resolves the plot. Luckless and Fitchow have agreed to divorce — failure to consummate a marriage being one of the few grounds for divorce allowed by English law at the time. Yet Fitchow will not allow the divorce to be finalized until she hears that Constance is married; she cannot tolerate the thought that Luckless will have the girl he wants after the divorce. Triedwell and Trainwell fool Widgine into thinking that Constance Holdup is the judge's niece; he mistakenly elopes with the "bad" Constance, and Fitchow allows the divorce to be finalized. This frees Sir Philip and the "good" Constance to be married — which cures her melancholia. Mrs. Trainwell gets Sir Paul Squelch to marry her to boot. Most of the characters are happy, or at least content, by the play's end; even Mrs. Fitchow is pacified, once Constance Holdup frees Fitchow's brother Widgine from his commitment to her, for a fee of a hundred pounds.
Music
The abundance of music in The Northern Lass has drawn critical attention, as part of the evolution of dramatic music toward opera on the seventeenth-century stage. Constance, the heroine and title character, sings four full songs during the play, plus snatches of two others; her double, Constance Holdup, sings two songs, plus a miniature duet with Widgine. Widgine also sings a song of his own, in which he is supported by a chorus of other cast members. (Constance and Constance Holdup never appear on stage in the same scene — which suggests that one vocally-talented boy actorBoy player
Boy player is a common term for the adolescent males employed by Medieval and English Renaissance playing companies. Some boy players worked for the mainstream companies and performed the female roles, as women did not perform on the English stage in this period...
doubled the two roles.)
The play therefore tends to resemble a modern musical comedy, more so than most plays of its era. The 1706 edition of the play included musical settings for its songs, composed by Daniel Purcell
Daniel Purcell
Daniel Purcell was an English composer, the younger brother of Henry Purcell.As a teenager, Daniel Purcell joined the choir of the Chapel Royal, and in his mid-twenties he became organist of Magdalen College, Oxford. He began to compose while at Oxford, but in 1695 he moved to London to compose...
, the younger brother of Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
.
Marriage
The picture of marriage provided by The Northern Lass is notably cynical. Mrs. Trainwell describes an unhappy marriage in these terms:- There's tugging for a mastery, and buffetting for the breeches. He barks at her, she snaps at him; she breaks his wine glass, he her looking glass; she puts away his servants, he turns away hers; she locks her chamber door, he bolts his, begetting nothing but a world of strife and disorder.
Mistress Fitchow, the play's stereotypical wealthy widow and a "threatening embodiment of dominance," delivers a vivid expression of her side of the marital contest, in her itemized list of things to do "for after marriage" —
- To have the whole sway of the house, and all domestic affairs...To study and practice the art of jealousy; to feign anger, melancholy, or sickness, to the life...These are arts that women must be well-practic'd in...and ought to be the only study of a widow, from the death of her first husband, to the second; from the second to the third...And so proportionably to the seventh, if she be so long bless'd with life...Besides, in all, to be singular in our will; to reign, govern, ordain laws and break 'em, make quarrels and maintain 'em; profess truths, devise falsehoods; protest obedience, but study nothing more than to make our husbands so; control, controvert, contradict, and be contrary to all conformity...Then does a husband tickle the spleen of a woman, when she can anger him, to please him; chide him, to kiss him; mad him, to humble him; make him stiff-necked, to supple him; and hard-hearted, to break him; to set him up, and take him down, and up again, and down again, when, and as often as we list.
The bond between Constance and Sir Philip Luckless is presented in more conventionally idealized romantic terms; but Constance disappears from the play well before the final scene, while Mrs. Fitchow is present to the end.
External links
- Richard Brome Online http://www.hrionline.ac.uk/brome/ contains a scholarly edition of this play, including textual and critical introductions.
- The Northern Lass online.