Summary
First produced: 1641
First published: 1652
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Farce
Time of work: Seventeenth century
Locale: England
Principal Characters:
Oldrents, a country squire
Springlove, his steward
Rachel, Oldrents' elder daughter
Meriel, his younger daughter
Vincent, Rachel's suitor
Hilliard, Meriel's suitor
Master Clack, a justice
Amie, the justice's niece
Critique:
"A JOVIAL CREW; OR, THE MERRY BEGGARS" serves as a light-hearted, unassuming comedy. The play creates a world where eccentric landowners and philosophically inclined beggars face whimsically implausible problems that allow for equally fanciful solutions. The author's aim was to provide light and cheerful entertainment, a goal that he successfully achieved.
The Story:
Squire Oldrents seemed to have every reason for happiness: a substantial estate guaranteeing a stable income, a reputation for gracious hospitality among the wealthy, and a pair of charming daughters sought after by respectable young men. Yet, his joy was swiftly eclipsed by a fortune-teller's ominous prediction that his daughters would end up as beggars. Hearty, an optimistic friend from better days past, attempted to lift Oldrents' spirits. Through Hearty's influence, Oldrents determined to maintain an outwardly cheerful demeanor despite his internal disquiet.
Another source of concern for Oldrents was his steward, Springlove. Springlove had been a beggar in his youth until Oldrents took him under his wing, offering him an education. Throughout winter, Springlove was diligent in his duties, but come May, he felt an irresistible urge to leave, making up excuses for his absence. One year, Oldrents encountered Springlove begging on the road and learned how he spent his summers. To curb this behavior, Oldrents appointed him steward, a role he fulfilled capably. However, with May approaching again, Springlove declared his intention to return to life on the road.
Oldrents, in his generosity, maintained an old barn as a shelter for wandering beggars. Rachel and Meriel, his daughters, had long observed these beggars and envied their unfettered lifestyle. Bored with their predictable lives and disheartened by their father's melancholic outlook, they devised a plan to join the beggars. Their suitors, Vincent and Hilliard, fearing they might lose the women they loved, agreed to accompany them. When they shared their plan with Springlove, he confided the fortune-teller's prophecy. The sisters believed that joining the beggars, even temporarily, could alleviate their father's worry about the prediction. They wrote Oldrents a letter revealing their plan, which he, fearing its contents would shatter his resolve to remain cheerful, refused to read.
Their first night on the road shattered any romantic illusions the four novice beggars held about their new lifestyle. Vincent and Hilliard, after a restless and uncomfortable night, were tempted to return home but did not want to appear weak. The sisters, having slept in a pigsty, shared their disillusionment but decided not to be the first to admit defeat.
Lacking the humility essential for successful begging, their initial attempts were unsuccessful despite Springlove's guidance. When Vincent eventually found the courage to ask two gentlemen for money, he requested so large a sum that they threatened him with their swords. Hilliard met a similar fate, eliciting a whipping after asking for too much, then uncharacteristically demanded satisfaction for the affront. Meanwhile, a man named Oliver, having noticed the girls, attempted to force his attentions on Rachel but was thwarted by the timely arrival of the men. Realizing Oliver would be too embarrassed to report the incident, Springlove suggested they summon a beadle to punish the girls instead.
The next travelers the group encountered were Martin and Amie. Amie had fled her uncle's home to escape an arranged...
(This entire section contains 1384 words.)
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marriage to Master Talboy, pursued by Martin, the justice's clerk, who saw an opportunity for self-advancement. Doubting her decision after spending time with Martin, she was unsure of her choice. Hungry and dejected, they met the group of beggars. Springlove offered them food and proposed to help arrange their marriage. Moved by his kindness, Amie decided to stay with the beggars for a time.
Meanwhile, a search party was looking for the runaways. Oliver and Talboy, the spurned suitor, were among those searching. They ended up at Oldrents' estate. Despite his daughters' absence, Oldrents was determined to maintain a jovial atmosphere, welcoming his guests with song and drink. However, Talboy's constant lamenting irritated him. On impulse, Oldrents chose to visit Master Clack, known for his eccentricity.
Authorities stopped the beggars on suspicion of harboring fugitives. This encounter marked the breaking point for the amateur beggars, who abandoned any pretense of enjoying this lifestyle. When the constable threatened to beat Springlove unless he revealed Amie's location, she, having developed feelings for him, stepped forward. Amie was taken home, and the beggars were arrested.
Upon their arrival at Master Clack's residence, where Oldrents was present, the justice initially considered harsh penalties for the vagrants. However, learning that they could perform a play, he opted to entertain Oldrents without incurring any costs. The play, featuring Rachel, Meriel, and Springlove in leading roles, centered on two lost daughters and a wayward steward. Oldrents was overjoyed to be reunited with his daughters, and his happiness increased when it was revealed that Springlove was his illegitimate son. Springlove, planning to marry Amie and having embraced his true identity, vowed to abandon his begging ways. Thus, Oldrents' last worry was resolved, restoring his sense of contentment.
Further Critical Evaluation of the Work:
Springlove's admiration for the happiness of the beggars—described as "a jovial crew"—echoes a sentiment that resonated with many. At the time of the play's production, England was on the brink of a tumultuous period marked by civil strife, regicide, and Cromwell's military rule. The carefree, tension-free life of the beggars offered a welcome escape to audiences of the era, contrasting with the somber realities of the day. The play was an alternative to the escapist romances Brome critiqued in his prologue, which were popular amidst "these sad and tragic days."
The motif of the merry beggars is a charming and longstanding theme in English literature. Drawing inspiration from earlier works such as Fletcher's "THE BEGGAR'S BUSH" and Middleton and Rowley's "THE SPANISH GYPSY," Brome crafted a comedic masterpiece that would later inspire writers like Gay in "THE BEGGAR'S OPERA" and Burns in "The Jolly Beggars." Frequently revived during the Restoration and eighteenth century, "A JOVIAL CREW" became Brome's most famous play. The underlying theme of such works is that the beggar's life of freedom, joy, and camaraderie is more rewarding than the mundane and onerous responsibilities of a respectable life. This romantic notion also suggests a kinship between "statute beggars" and "courtier beggars," with the former, driven by necessity rather than ambition, appearing more dignified and sympathetic.
Unlike some of Brome's earlier works, "A JOVIAL CREW" does not rely heavily on complex plot structures but instead thrives on its engaging characters, particularly the two pairs of lovers whose lively exchanges reveal their genuine humanity. Their attempts to adopt unfamiliar social roles humorously highlight their discomfort and inadequacies. The benevolence surrounding Springlove, the loyal steward and part-time beggar-king, and Oldrents, the generous and open-hearted landlord, enhances the nostalgic sense of social stability and goodwill that had become rare in the broader world.
The play has traditionally been viewed as cheerful and lighthearted; however, contemporary critics have discerned underlying grim realities that occasionally surface. The beggars' community represents an escape from the world's anxieties, a world that even the utopian Oldrents cannot entirely avoid. Outside his protected domain, society is rife with thieves, swindlers, corrupt officials, and exploitative landlords. Although Justice Clack is comically portrayed, he embodies a petty tyrant whose philosophy is to "punish 'em first and be compassionate afterwards." Moreover, the romanticized vision of jolly beggars is tempered by the harsher realities the lovers encounter, revealing a life fraught with the threat of arrest and persecution.
The play's light-hearted nature and happy resolution provided audiences with some of the final vestiges of joy before the Puritans closed theaters the following year, not to reopen them for eighteen years. The nation's subsequent turmoil eerily mirrored the poet-beggar's prediction in "A JOVIAL CREW": "I would have the country, the city, and the court, be at great variance for superiority. Then I would have Divinity and Law stretch their wide throats to appease and reconcile them; then would I have the soldier cudgel them all together and overtop them all."