England's Joy

Richard Vennar (1602)

Historical Records

Promotional Broadside (STC 24636.7)

THE PLOT OF THE PLAY, CALLED ENGLANDS JOY. To be Playd at the Swan this 6. of Nouember. 1602.

FIRST, there is induct by shew and in Action, the ciuill warres of England
from Edward the third, to the end of Queene Maries raigne, with the
ouerthrow of Vsurpation.

2 Secondly then the entrance of Englands Ioy by the Coronation of our
Soueraigne Lady Elizabeth; her Throne attended with peace, Plenty, and ci-
uill Pollicy: A sacred Prelate standing at her right hand, betokening the
Serenity of the Gospell: At her left hand Iustice: And at her feete Warre,
with a Scarlet Roabe of peace vpon his Armour: A wreath of Bayes
about his temples, and a braunch of Palme in his hand.

3 Thirdly is dragd in three Furies, presenting Dissention, Famine, and Bloudshed, which are throwne
downe into hell.

4 Fourthly is exprest vnder the person of a Tyrant, the enuy of Spayne, who to shew his cruelty
causeth his Souldiers dragge in a beautifull Lady, whome they mangle and wound, tearing her gar-
ments and Iewels from off her: And so leaue her bloudy, with her hayre about her shoulders, ly-
ing vpon the ground. To her come certaine Gentlemen, who seeing her pitious dispoylment,
turne to the Throne of England, from whence one descendeth, taketh vp the Lady, wipeth her
eyes, bindeth vp her woundes, giueth her treasure, and bringeth forth a band of Souldiers, who
attend her forth: This Lady presenteth Belgia.

5 Fiftly, the Tytant more enraged, taketh counsell, sends forth letters, priuie Spies, and secret vnder-
miners, taking their othes, and giuing them bagges of treasure. These signifie Lopus, and certaine
Iesuites, who afterward, when the Tyrant lookes for an answere from them, are shewed to him in
a glasse with halters about their neckes, which makes him mad with fury.

6 Sixtly, the Tyrant seeing all secret meanes to fayle him, intendeth open violence and inuasion
by the hand of Warre, whereupon is set forth the battle at Sea in 88. with Englands victory.

7 Seuenthly, hee complotteth with the Irish rebelles, wherein is layd open the base ingratitude
of Tyrone, the landing there of Don Iohn de Aguila, and their dissipation by the wisedome and va-
lour of the Lord Mountioy.

8 Eightly, a great triumph is made with fighting of twelue Gentlemen at Barriers, and sundrie re-
wards sent from the Throne of England, to all sortes of well deseruers.

9 Lastly, the Nine Worthyes, with seuerall Coronets, present themselues before the Throne,
which are put backe by certaine in the habite of Angels, who set vpon the Ladies head, which re-
presents her Maiestie, an Emperiall Crowne, garnished with the Sunne, Moone and Starres; And so
with Musicke both with voyce and Instruments shee is taken vp into Heauen, when presently ap-
peares, a Throne of blessed Soules, and beneath vnder the Stage set forth with strange fire-
workes, diuers blacke and damned Soules, wonderfully discribed in their seuerall torments.

Theatrical Provenance

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Probable Genre(s)

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Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

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References to the Play

Correspondence

John Chamberlain to Dudley Carleton, 19 November 1602

I must not forget to tell you of a cousening prancke of one Venner of Lincolns ynne that gaue out bills of a famous play on satterday was sevenight on the banckeside, to be acted only by certain gentlemen and gentlewomen of account, the price at comming in was two shillings or eighteen pence at least and when he had gotten most part of the money into his hands, he wold have shewed them a fayre payre of heeles, but he was not so nimble to get vp on horsebacke, but that he was faine to forsake that course, and betake himself to the water, where he was pursued and taken and brought before the .L. cheife Iustice, who wold make nothing of yt but a iest and merriment, and bound him ouer in fiue pound to appeare at the sessions: in the meane time the common people when they saw themselues deluded, reuenged themselues vpon the hangings curtaines chaires stooles walles and whatsoeuer came in theyre way very outragiously and made a great spoyle: there was great store of goode companie and many noblemen.

(TNA SP 12/285, fol. 149v; qtd. in Berry 241)

John Savile, King James His Entertainment at Theobalds (1603)

In his "Salutatorie Poeme" celebrating the accession of King James, John Savile heralds the new monarch as a "Mortall God, Englands true Ioy" (sig. B4r). Later in the poem, he connects this epithet to Vennar's play:

I cannot deeme it now gulling toye,

Which Vennard inspir'd) intituled Englands Ioye.

I rather gesse hee did our good diuine

Not daring to disclos't before full time,

Be bold, goe on, nowe's thy præsaging plaine,

King Iames is Englands ioy, long hop'd for gaine…

(sig. C2r-C2v)

Richard Vennar, An Apology (1614)

In his autobiographical apologia, published in 1614, Vennar addresses at some length what transpired on 6 November 1602. The very title page of the book itself recognizes the notoriety of the incident, since Vennar himself is now "abusively called Englands Ioy." In the narrative, Vennar addresses the unavoidability of the incident: "for who can excuse my publique default of the Swan, where not a collier but cals his deere 12 pense to witnesse the disaster of the day? How should I, without blushing, deny the name of England's Joy, who had so many gossips at my Christening?" (6-7). According to Vennar, after his penury and unjust imprisonment following a visit to Scotland in 1600, he observed the lucrative industry "at the Globe on the Banke-side" and "concluded to make a friend of Mammon" (9).

My devise was all sorts of musique, beginning with chambers, the harpe of war, and ending with the hounds, the cry of peace, of which I was doubly provided for Fox and Hare.
     The report of gentlemen and gentlewomens actions, being indeed the flagge to our theater, was not meerely falcification, for I had divers Chorus to bee spoken by men of good birth, schollers by profession, protesting that the businesse was meerely abused by the comming of some beagles upon mee that were none of the intended kennell: I meane baylifes, who seizing mee before the first entrance, spoke an Epilogue instead of a Prologue. (9-10)

After the narrative, Vennar promises to vindicate himself by staging the play soon:

I heere promise the next tearme, with the true history of my life, to bee publiquely presented, to insert, in place of musicke for the actes, all those intendments prepared for that daies entertainement: which, feeling it must rest in your beliefes till then, I will be content so long to weare your apellation… (10)

Vennar's description implies that he had delivered six lines of a prologue before his arrest ("Neither is it strange to have so much mony for six verses": 11).

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John Taylor, A Cast Over the Water (1615)

Apparently the play was performed in 1615, although not, it seems, at the Swan; William Fennor, an "educated pamphleteer," acted in it (Berry 263). In the same year, the "Water Poet" John Taylor published A Cast Over the Water, a collection that included poetic diatribes against Fennor (“him I hold too vnworthy to be my foe”: sig. Bv). In a poem that serves as a riposte to Fennor's own Defense against Taylor (published also in 1615), he insults Fennor's performance in Vennar's play:

Thou brag’st what fame thou got’st vpon the stage

Indeed, thou set’st the people in a rage

In playing Englands Ioy, that euery Man

Did iudge it worse then that was done at Swan.

I neuer saw poore fellow so behist,

T’applaud thee, few or none lent halfe a fist:

Some stinkards hands, perhaps went pit to pat,

Who ignorantlie lik’d they knew not what;

Besides thou know’st, thou promist in thy Bill,

In rare Extemporarie to shew thy skill.

When all thou spok’st, thou studied’st had before,

Thou know’st I know, aboue a month and more.

Besides, the best conceits that were in it

(Poore Foole) thou had’st them from a better wit

Then is thine owne, thy beggerly conceit

Could neere haue mounted to so high a height. (sig. B5v)

Critical Commentary

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For What It's Worth

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Works Cited

Berry, Herbert. "Richard Vennar, England's Joy." ELR 31 (2001): 240–65.

Savile, John. King Iames his entertainment at Theobalds (London, 1603)

[Vennar, Richard.] The Plot of the Play Called Englands Joy ([1602])

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