The anonymous playwright owes much more than the title of the play to
Ben Jonson. Acutus, overflowing with bitter and tedious moralising, is
evidently modelled on Macilente in _Every Man Out of His Humour_. The
very dog--Getica's dog--was suggested by Puntarvolo's dog. Indeed,
throughout the play we are constantly reminded of _Every Man Out of His
Humour_; but the unknown writer had some inventiveness of his own, and
was not a mere copyist. The jolly fat host, with his cheery cry "merry
hearts live long," is pleasant company; and his wife, the hard-working
hostess, constantly repining at her lot, yet seemingly not dissatisfied
at heart, has the appearance of being a faithful transcript from life.
Cornutus (the hen-pecked citizen) and his gadding wife are familiar
figures, but not the less welcome on that account. Getica's anxiety at
the loss of her dog is amusingly depicted. In fact, the whole play would
be tolerable, if the moralising were cut out and the text were free from
corruptions.
EVERIE Woman in her Humor.
LONDON Printed by E.
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