Love Hath Found Out His Eyes

Thomas Jordan (1640)


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All our distractions now are out of date,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)




Warburton's list

"Duke Humphrey" 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

Jordan, Thomas. A royal arbor of loyal poesie consisting of poems and songs digested into triumph, elegy, satyr, love & drollery. London: Printed by R.W. for Eliz. Andrews, 1663. (EEBO-TCP, open access)

Site created and maintained by David McInnis, University of Melbourne; updated 19 Feb 2015.