Ale, and Tobacco 15 



above, by any means certain; and if it were, it would not entirely 

 disprove identity of authorship. 



But if the author of Wine, Beere, and Ale did not himself write the 

 earlier dialogues he certainly imitated them closely. The correspond- 

 ence which we have observed in style extends also to matters of 

 structure. Taking our text as it stands in the first edition, the 

 principal personages match the contestants of the other pieces with 

 sufficient exactness. They are relatives and rivals among liquors just 

 as Sword and Rapier, Band arid Cuffe are relatives and rivals in arms 

 and haberdashery. The quarrel for precedence is carried on in much 

 the same way, begirming with angry words and leading up (as in the 

 earlier debates) to a challenge. The issue of a duel is avoided in all 

 three cases by the intervention of a mediator, some character akin to 

 but not quite a rival of the contestants — in the one play Dagger, in 

 another Band, in the third Water. These personages render parallel 

 decisions in almost identical terms.'^ A song in each case follows the 

 reconciliation of the rivals. 



It is evident, then, that these three debates were modelled on one 

 and the same plan. But whereas Exchange Ware, and Work for 

 Cutlers manifestly correspond at every point. Wine, Beere, and Ale 

 shows an effort to elaborate the material throughout. Thus to the 

 principals. Wine, Beere, and Ale, are added their servants. Sugar, 

 Tost, and Nutmeg, who enjoy a preliminary skirmish before the main 

 dispute. These figures were doubtless suggested by the mention of 

 Collar as Ruffe's "man" in Exchange Ware. A slight complication is 

 secured in Wine, Beere, and Ale by making Sugar, like Lingua, the 

 mischievous instigator of the broil. The number of principals is also 

 increased from two to three. Wine and Beere begin the brawl and 

 carry it on for some eighty lines in precisely the manner of the earlier 

 debates. Ale, entering just after the challenge, appears at first to be 

 about to play the pacific r61e of Band and Dagger, but being already 

 warmed by the mischief-loving Sugar, he is easily drawn into the 



^' "Well then, Ruff shall be the most accounted ol among the clergy, for he is the graver fellow ; 

 although I know the Puritans will not greatly care for him; he hath such a deal of sitting, and they love 

 standing better. As for you, Band, you shall be made the most of amongst the young gallants: al- 

 though sometimes they shall use Ruff for a fashion, but not otherwise," etc. Exchange Ware. Cf. 

 the decision of Water in the text, lines 373 S., Dagger, in Worke for Cullers, assigns Sword to the camp 

 and Rapier to the court. 



