The City Madam
Encyclopedia
The City Madam is a Caroline era
comedy
written by Philip Massinger
. It was licensed by Sir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels
, on May 25, 1632, and was acted by the King's Men
at the Blackfriars Theatre
. It was printed in quarto
in 1658 by the stationer Andrew Pennycuicke
, who identified himself as "one of the Actors" in the play. A second edition followed in 1659. Pennycuicke dedicated the play (Massinger was long dead) to Ann, Countess of Oxford — or at least most of the surviving copies bear a dedication to her; but others are dedicated to any one of four other individuals.
No direct source for the play has been identified, other than Massinger's own earlier play, A New Way to Pay Old Debts
, which was modeled on Thomas Middleton
's A Trick to Catch the Old One. Specific connections have been cited between The City Madam and Shakespeare's
Measure for Measure
(regarding Sir John Frugal's pretended absence and masquerade), Ben Jonson
's Volpone
(Luke Frugal's rhapsodizing over his wealth), and Rollo, Duke of Normandy (Stargaze's astrological verbiage), among other works.
The City Madam was adapted into a version titled A Cure for Pride in 1675. The original version may have been revived in 1771, and was definitely performed in 1783 at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
. A play founded on The City Madam, entitled Riches; or, The Wife and Brother, by Sir James Bland Burges, was brought out with success at the Lyceum in 1810.
John Frugal's debtors, Hoist, Fortune and Penury, come to his house to ask for his clemency and with the help of Luke Frugal, who waxes lyrical on the benefits of charity, they convince him into granting them a new delay to pay him back. Luke then convinces his brother's apprentices to steal from their master by forging his accounts. They agree to cheat him out of his money because they would like to become city gallants. Goldwire Junior has an affair with a prostitute called Shave'em and wants to buy her clothes by swindling his master.
Encouraged by their haughty mother, Lady Frugal, both Anne and Mary reject their suitors Sir Maurice Lacy, son of Lord Macy, and Mr. Plenty, a country gentleman. They feel ridiculed and complain to Sir John Frugal about his wife and daughters' vanity and prententiousness. Lady Frugal is angry toward her astrologer, Stargaze, who had predicted a great day for marriages.
Shave'em the whore is visited by two of her customers, Ramble and Scuffle, but she rejects them, pretending she has become a lady. Both men laugh at her and when Shave'em threatens them with a knife, Ramble draws his sword. Goldwire comes to her rescue dressed up as a Justice of the Peace accompanied by Shave'em's procurer, Ding'em, disguised as a constable, and musicians disguised as watchmen.
The characters then learn from Lord Lacy that Master John Frugal has left his house to go to a monastery and that he has bestowed all his goods to his brother Luke, who is surprised by such a reversal of fortune. Lord Lacy also tells Luke that his brother has requested him to welcome in his house some Indians from Virginia whom he could convert to Christianity. Sir John Frugal, Sir Maurice Lacy and Plenty, painted and disguised as Indians and talking gibberish, are then introduced to Master Luke.
All John Frugal's former debtors come back to Master Luke and tell him they might soon be able to pay him back. Master Luke says he will give money to both apprentices Goldwire and Tradewell and implies he would like to meet Shave'em. He is welcomed as a munificent benefactor among them. Goldwire even proposes to procure Shave'em to him. But Master Luke reveals his plot by having Shave'em, Ding'em, the apprentices and his debtors all arrested. He treats Lady Frugal and her daughters with disdain and obliges them to wear coarse clothes to teach them humility.
Sir John, disguised as an Indian, proposes his brother to sacrifice Lady Frugal and her daughters in a satanic ritual (Indians were supposed to worship the devil in Jacobean England). Master Luke agrees to send them to Virginia to be sacrificed in a Satanic ritual. He then receives his apprentices' fathers, Goldwire Senior and Tradewell Senior, but asks them a prohibitive sum of money to take their sons back into his service.
Sir John Frugal finally reveals his true identity and restores order. He wants his brother Luke to be sent to Virginia to atone for the wrongs he has done.
in Stratford-upon-Avon
in a production directed by Dominic Hill.
Caroline era
The Caroline era refers to the era in English and Scottish history during the Stuart period that coincided with the reign of Charles I , Carolus being Latin for Charles...
comedy
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...
written by Philip Massinger
Philip Massinger
Philip Massinger was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including A New Way to Pay Old Debts, The City Madam and The Roman Actor, are noted for their satire and realism, and their political and social themes.-Early life:The son of Arthur Massinger or Messenger, he was baptized at St....
. It was licensed by Sir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels
Master of the Revels
The Master of the Revels was a position within the English, and later the British, royal household heading the "Revels Office" or "Office of the Revels" that originally had responsibilities for overseeing royal festivities, known as revels, and later also became responsible for stage censorship,...
, on May 25, 1632, and was acted by the King's Men
King'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 the Blackfriars Theatre
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...
. It was printed in 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"...
in 1658 by the stationer Andrew Pennycuicke
Andrew Pennycuicke
Andrew Pennycuicke was a mid-seventeenth-century actor and publisher; he was responsible for publishing a number of plays of English Renaissance drama.What little is known of Pennycuicke's acting career comes from his own publications...
, who identified himself as "one of the Actors" in the play. A second edition followed in 1659. Pennycuicke dedicated the play (Massinger was long dead) to Ann, Countess of Oxford — or at least most of the surviving copies bear a dedication to her; but others are dedicated to any one of four other individuals.
No direct source for the play has been identified, other than Massinger's own earlier play, A New Way to Pay Old Debts
A New Way to Pay Old Debts
A New Way to Pay Old Debts is a play of English Renaissance drama, the most popular drama of Philip Massinger. Its central chararacter, Sir Giles Overreach, became one of the more popular villains on English and American stages through the 19th century.-Performance:Massinger most likely wrote the...
, which was modeled on Thomas Middleton
Thomas Middleton
Thomas Middleton was an English Jacobean playwright and poet. Middleton stands with John Fletcher and Ben Jonson as among the most successful and prolific of playwrights who wrote their best plays during the Jacobean period. He was one of the few Renaissance dramatists to achieve equal success in...
's A Trick to Catch the Old One. Specific connections have been cited between The City Madam and Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
Measure for Measure
Measure for Measure
Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. It was classified as comedy, but its mood defies those expectations. As a result and for a variety of reasons, some critics have labelled it as one of Shakespeare's problem plays...
(regarding Sir John Frugal's pretended absence and masquerade), 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...
's Volpone
Volpone
Volpone is a comedy by Ben Jonson first produced in 1606, drawing on elements of city comedy, black comedy and beast fable...
(Luke Frugal's rhapsodizing over his wealth), and Rollo, Duke of Normandy (Stargaze's astrological verbiage), among other works.
The City Madam was adapted into a version titled A Cure for Pride in 1675. The original version may have been revived in 1771, and was definitely performed in 1783 at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
. A play founded on The City Madam, entitled Riches; or, The Wife and Brother, by Sir James Bland Burges, was brought out with success at the Lyceum in 1810.
Synopsis
Sir John Frugal is a merchant whose brother, Luke Frugal, has been to prison and has no money left. Out of charity, Sir John Frugal has invited him to live in his house. Luke is employed there as an under-apprentice, a mere servant who is scorned by Sir John Frugal's wife, Lady Frugal, the eponymous city madam, and her two daughters Anne and Mary. Frugal's apprentices, Goldwire Junior and Tradewell Junior, both pity poor Master Luke.John Frugal's debtors, Hoist, Fortune and Penury, come to his house to ask for his clemency and with the help of Luke Frugal, who waxes lyrical on the benefits of charity, they convince him into granting them a new delay to pay him back. Luke then convinces his brother's apprentices to steal from their master by forging his accounts. They agree to cheat him out of his money because they would like to become city gallants. Goldwire Junior has an affair with a prostitute called Shave'em and wants to buy her clothes by swindling his master.
Encouraged by their haughty mother, Lady Frugal, both Anne and Mary reject their suitors Sir Maurice Lacy, son of Lord Macy, and Mr. Plenty, a country gentleman. They feel ridiculed and complain to Sir John Frugal about his wife and daughters' vanity and prententiousness. Lady Frugal is angry toward her astrologer, Stargaze, who had predicted a great day for marriages.
Shave'em the whore is visited by two of her customers, Ramble and Scuffle, but she rejects them, pretending she has become a lady. Both men laugh at her and when Shave'em threatens them with a knife, Ramble draws his sword. Goldwire comes to her rescue dressed up as a Justice of the Peace accompanied by Shave'em's procurer, Ding'em, disguised as a constable, and musicians disguised as watchmen.
The characters then learn from Lord Lacy that Master John Frugal has left his house to go to a monastery and that he has bestowed all his goods to his brother Luke, who is surprised by such a reversal of fortune. Lord Lacy also tells Luke that his brother has requested him to welcome in his house some Indians from Virginia whom he could convert to Christianity. Sir John Frugal, Sir Maurice Lacy and Plenty, painted and disguised as Indians and talking gibberish, are then introduced to Master Luke.
All John Frugal's former debtors come back to Master Luke and tell him they might soon be able to pay him back. Master Luke says he will give money to both apprentices Goldwire and Tradewell and implies he would like to meet Shave'em. He is welcomed as a munificent benefactor among them. Goldwire even proposes to procure Shave'em to him. But Master Luke reveals his plot by having Shave'em, Ding'em, the apprentices and his debtors all arrested. He treats Lady Frugal and her daughters with disdain and obliges them to wear coarse clothes to teach them humility.
Sir John, disguised as an Indian, proposes his brother to sacrifice Lady Frugal and her daughters in a satanic ritual (Indians were supposed to worship the devil in Jacobean England). Master Luke agrees to send them to Virginia to be sacrificed in a Satanic ritual. He then receives his apprentices' fathers, Goldwire Senior and Tradewell Senior, but asks them a prohibitive sum of money to take their sons back into his service.
Sir John Frugal finally reveals his true identity and restores order. He wants his brother Luke to be sent to Virginia to atone for the wrongs he has done.
Production
The play is not often performed, but it was part of the 2011 season of the Royal Shakespeare CompanyRoyal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
in Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
in a production directed by Dominic Hill.