View source for Titus, or The Palm of Christian Courage

{{Play
|isStub=No
|isSparse=No
|dramatists=Anon. Play Titles A
|year=1644
|contributors=Category:Misha Teramura
|attribution=Misha Teramura
}}
==Historical Records==

===The Printed Argument===

The printed argument for "Titus, or The Palme of Christian Courage" (Wing S4456A) survives in a single copy at Cambridge University Library. The transcription below preserves spelling and some formatting.


<center>TITVS,</center>
<center>OR THE PALME</center>
<center>OF </center>
<center>CHRISTIAN COVRAGE: </center>
<center>To be exhibited by the Schollars of the </center>
<center>Society of IESVS, at Kilken-</center>
<center>ny, ''Anno Domini'' 1644.</center>
<center>_____________________________</center>
<br />
<center>''THE ARGVMENT.''</center>
''Titus'' a noble Gentleman more illustrious for his Christian courage, then parentage: was sollicited by the King of ''Bungo'', to desert his Religion by severall, most artificious infernall plots, all which he sleighted and dashed with his invincible courage, and generous Christian resolution, whereat the King amazed, restored him to his liberty, wife and children, and granted him the freedome of his Religion, with all his lands and possessions of which before he was bereaved as traitor to the Crowne.

''This history is compendiously set downe by Father Francis Solier, of the Society of IESVS in the 18. booke of his Ecclesiasticall historie of Iaponia, and yeare of our Lord,'' 1620.

<center>_____________________________</center>

Printed at Waterford by ''Thomas Bourke'', M.DC.XLIV.

'''[page 2]'''

<center>''THE PROLOGVE''.</center>
Divine love extolleth the Iaponian's courage.
<center>''Act'' 1. ''Scene'' 1.</center>
Iolatrie stormes at her expulsion out of ''Iaponia'', and exciteth hell to revenge.
<center>''Scene''  2.</center>
The Emperor of ''Iaponia'' declareth his affection towards the Idolls, and to this end commandeth a solemne sacrifice.
<center>''Scene'' 3.</center>
The ''Bongo'''s receive no answer from their gods as they were wont, hence they rage against the Christians.
<center>''Scene'' 4.</center>
Faith and Fortitude, implore aide of the triumphant Church.
<center>''The Interlude.''</center>
A Countrey Clowne hearing that a proclamation was to issue against the Christians, is mighty merry, and attempts to robbe a passenger.
<center>''Act'' 2. ''Scene'' 1.</center>
The Emperor commands the edict against Christians to bee proclaimed.
<center>''Scene'' 2.</center>
The edict is promulged.
<center>''Scene'' 3.</center>
''Titus'' perusing the edict, deliberates, with death, judgment, hell, heaven and eternitie.
<center>''Scene'' 3.</center>
The King of ''Bungo'' inquireth narrowly after '''[page 3]''' the Christians.
<center>''Scene'' 4.</center>
''Titus'' is summoned and biddeth adieu to wife and children.
<center>''Scene'' 5.</center>
Idolatrie triumphes before time, and is by faith repressed.
<center>''The Interlude.''</center>
A Souldier fainedly sicke, calleth for the Doctor, whose purse artificiously he conveyeth out of his pocket, and hopes by a lad dreaming to get another.
<center>''Act'' 3. ''Scene'' 2. [''sic''] </center>
The King of ''Bungo'' endevors first by threats, then by faire promises to pervert ''Titus''.
<center>''Scene'' 2.</center>
''Titus'' his wife and familie voweth loyaltie to God before the Crucifix.
<center>''Scene'' 3.</center>
The militant Church doth comfort them.
<center>''Scene'' 4.</center>
S. ''Francis Xaverius'' appeares & encourageth them.
<center>''Act'' 4. ''Scene'' 1.</center>
The King of ''Bungo'' menaceth death to ''Titus'' his youngest sonne, if the father abjure not his faith.
<center>''Scene'' 2.</center>
Foure youngmen in vaine seeke to pervert the lad with the pleasures of the world.
<center>''Scene'' 3.</center>
''Martina'' the daughter, biddeth adieu, with mother and brother, assuring them of her constancy.
<center>''Scene'' 4.</center>
''Simon'' the eldest sonne bewaileth for that he is '''[page 4]''' left behind.
<center>''Scene'' 5.</center>
Tidings are brought to ''Titus'' of his daughters execution, ''Martina'' the mother of Simon is summoned.
<center>''Scene'' 6.</center>
By the King both are sollicited to desert their faith, ''Simon'' scourged.
<center>''The Interlude.''</center>
Two souldiers force a lad to discover where the mothers purse lay hidden by whom they are deceived.
<center>''Act'' 5. ''Scene'' 1.</center>
''Titus'' is sent for by the King, in whose view supposed heads of wife & children are produced.
<center>''Scene'' 2.</center>
They are lead from prison before him and a superficiall command given to kill them in his presence, if he persists in his constant resolution.
<center>''Scene'' 3.</center>
Divine providence declareth Gods care of his elect, and foretelleth ''Titus'' his triumph.
<center>''Scene'' 4.</center>
The King amazed at this constancie dismisseth them, freedome of Religion granted with their lives and estates.
<center>''Epilogue.''</center>
Exhorteth to imitate their couragious Christian resolution.
<center>''FINIS''.</center>


==Theatrical Provenance==

Performed in 1644 at the Jesuit College of Kilkenny, Ireland.


==Probable Genre(s)==

Biblical Moral. (Harbage)


==Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues==

As the first page of the printed plot suggests, the narrative source for the play was François Solier's ''Histoire ecclésiastique des isles et royaumes du Japon'' (1627–29). However, despite the plot's dating of the events to 1620, Solier's story of the "gentil-homme nommé Tite" is assigned to the year 1614, the year in which the Tokugawa shogunate banned Catholicism in Japan (2:533-34). Another account of the story, in English, is found in ''A Briefe Relation of the Persecution Lately Made against the Catholike Christians, in the Kingdome of Iaponia'' (1619). The region of "Bungo" in the plot corresponds to present-day Oita Prefecture in Kyushu Island (Takenaka 14).

The narrative was a popular subject in Jesuit drama internationally, the first known version staged at Mechelen on 4 December 1623, with other recorded performances across Europe documented into the eighteenth century (Proot and Verberckmoes 37–41).


==References to the Play==

(Information welcome.)


==Critical Commentary==


'''Takenaka''' discusses "Titus" in the context of other Jesuit plays that take Catholics in Asia as their subject, including ''Antipelargesis'' (extant in a manuscript at Stonyhurst) and ''Sanctus Franciscus Xavierius'' (Wiggins #2163) as well as another lost play, "''Paulus Japonensis''" (Wiggins #2117), all of which were associated with the English Jesuit College at St. Omers. Takenaka notes that "Titus" "was no doubt intended to encourage the Catholics of Ireland in their own struggle against persecution" and that the play's form, "in which the hero repeatedly and steadfastly rejects temptation and withstands persecution, is highly characteristic of the Counter-Reformation type" (16). Takenaka also proposes that the comic scenes lack "any bearing whatsoever on the main play, except in providing light relief and contrast" (16).

'''Kerrigan''' further elaborates on the topicality of the play's story for Catholics in Ireland and suggests that the printed plot indicates that a large audience was desired (188-94).

'''Keener''' considers the evidence of the play in relation to the Jesuit drama performed at Saint-Omers (893–94). Noting the proximity of Mechelen to Saint-Omers and the similarity of the play's subtitle to ''The Palme of Christian Fortitude'', which was printed in 1630 at Saint-Omers in a translation by the Saint-Omers-educated Edmund Neville, Keener proposes that Neville may have been "involved with the creation or transmission of the play" that was performed in Ireland.


==For What It's Worth==



==Works Cited==


<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em">Keener, Andrew S. "Japan Dramas and Shakespeare at St. Omers English Jesuit College." ''Renaissance Quarterly'' 74 (2021): 876–917.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em">Kerrigan, John. ''Archipelagic English: Literature, History, and Politics 1603-1707''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em">Morejon, Pedro. ''A Briefe Relation of the Persecution Lately Made against the Catholike Christians, in the Kingdome of Iaponia''. Trans. W[illiam] W[right]. Saint-Omer, 1619. STC 14527.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em">Proot, Goran, and Johan Verberckmoes. "''Japonica'' in the Jesuit Drama of the Southern Netherlands." ''Bulletin of Portuguese-Japanese Studies'' 5 (2003): 27–47.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em">Randall, Dale B. J. ''Winter Fruit: English Drama, 1642-1660''. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1995.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em">Solier, François. ''Histoire ecclésiastique des isles et royaumes du Japon''. 2 vols. Paris, 1627–29.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em">Takenaka, Masahiro. ''Jesuit Plays on Japan and English Recusancy''. Tokyo: The Renaissance Institute at Sophia University, 1995.</div>


Site created and maintained by [[Misha Teramura]], University of Toronto; updated 14 June 2018.
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