Love Hath Found Out His Eyes
Historical Records
Fragment in Royal Arbor of Loyal Poesy (1663)
Jordan's own Royal Arbor of Loyal Poesy (1663) reproduces the Prologue and Epilogue from his otherwise lost play:
- A Prologue to a Play of mine, call'd, Love hath found his eyes; or Distractions.
- I Know ye did expect me, but for what,
- To say we have a Play, the Bills shew that;
- Why let's begin then, Sound---But some will say
- Are there no faults in th' Actors, or the Play
- To beg your patience for? Yes faith, there's store,
- Yet all we crave is you'l not make 'em more.
- A very just petition, and 'tis fit
- I think, we bear no more then we commit;
- Yet there are some, wise judges, that do seek
- To raise their laughter on what you dislike:
- The errors of the Actors, and they be
- The witty tribe of our own Quality;
- Why let them laugh, they paid for't, why should we
- Deprive a man of that felicity,
- That cannot help nor hurt us; and I pray
- How e're it prove, don't call't a Pretty Play:
- Let it be good or bad, that slight word pritty
- Shews the Play naught, and the depraver witty.
- The language is but low, and the invention
- No higher then a common apprehension,
- And (in a word) the Authours wish is such
- You'l not despair, nor yet expect too much. (EEBO-TCP, open access)
- The Epilogue spoken by Cupid.
- I Hope these mutual Marriages express
- My opticks are restor'd for each distress
- The Lovers once suppos'd they had by me,
- I have converted to a Jubilee.
- All's happy but my self, for I poor I
- That figure an eternal Deity,
- Must quit my glorious supremacy
- To stand the censure of mortality:
- Be curteous to a God, then whose high laws
- Commands all hearts, yet now must beg applause;
- For if you censure like rig'rous men,
- You spoil the plot and strike me blinde agen:
- All our distractions now are out of date,
- I would they were so too in Church and State,
- That Englands King and People were at rest
- Without confounding eithers interest;
- That jealousies and fears may never more
- Let loyal hearts lie weltring in their gore;
- That so the God of Love may often view
- This Island and present himself to you. (EEBO-TCP, open access)
Stationers' Register
29 June 1660 (SR2, 2.271, CLIO)
| Master Hum. Moseley |
Entred . . . under ye hand of MASTER THRALE warden, the severall plays following, that is to say . . . . vs vjd
|
Warburton's list
"Love Hath Found Out His Eyes" appears as the 18th play noted by John Warburton (1682-1759) in his list of the unprinted MS plays allegedly in his collection until destroyed by Warburton’s cook (Greg, "The Bakings of Betsy" 231):
- The London Marchat (sic) A Com. By Jon Ford.
- The King of Swedland
- Love hath found out his Eyes by Tho. Jorden
- Antonio & Vallia by Phill. Massinger
- The Dutches of Fernandina T. Hen. Glapthorn
See the full list from British Library Lansdowne MS. 807 here.
Theatrical Provenance
Unknown.
Probable Genre(s)
Comedy (Harbage)
Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues
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References to the Play
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Critical Commentary
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For What It's Worth
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Works Cited
Site created and maintained by David McInnis, University of Melbourne; updated 19 Feb 2015.