The Works of John Marston. Volume 3

A lively anthology of early‑Seventeenth‑Century drama and verse, this volume brings together John Marston’s sharp‑tongued comedies, spirited masques and brisk poetry, all reflecting the bustling energy of London’s theatrical world. The centerpiece is a bustling city comedy where Master Touchstone, a respectable goldsmith, juggles the ambitions of his two very different daughters—proud Gertrude and modest Mildred—and the antics of his apprentices, Quicksilver and Golding. When a swashbuckling knight, Sir Petronel Flash, arrives and marries the flamboyant Gertrude, his schemes to turn her inheritance into a venture to the New World set the stage for a cascade of romantic entanglements, financial machinations, and drunken escapades along the Thames.

Interwoven with the play are satirical verses, a playful masque, and lively pageants that showcase Marston’s talent for caricature and social commentary. The collection captures the restless humor and moral reckonings of a city on the cusp of change, inviting listeners to hear the clamor of tavern talks, the clang of the goldsmith’s forge, and the witty repartee that made the era’s stage unforgettable.