[From Thomas Dekker, The Magnificent Entertainment: Given to King James, 1604.]
From Dekker's the account of 'The Device' planned to welcome James at the eastern boundary of the city. Dekker and Jonson collaborated on an entertainment for James on his entry into London on 15 March 1604. They published separate accounts of the devices and speeches presented on the occasion. In defending his creation of a female Genius of London to be the first to welcome the king, Dekker, in his published version, pours scorn on Jonson's elaborate display of scholarship in his account, The King's Entertainment (Jonson had a male 'Genius Urbis' in his part of the performance). Dekker's device had not in fact been performed.
*****************************************... the induction of such a Person, might (without a Warrant from the court of Critists) passe very currant.
To make a false florish here with the borrowed weapons of all the old Maisters of the noble Science of Poesie, and to keepe a tyrannicall coyle, in Anatomizing Genius, from head to foote, (only to shewe how nimbly we can carve up the whole messe of the Poets) were to play the Executioner, and to lay our Cities houshold God on the rack, to make him confesse, how many paire of Latin sheets, we have shaken & cut into shreds to make him a garment. Such feates of Activitie are stale, and common among Schollers, (before whome it is protested we come not now (in a Pageant) to play a Maisters prize). For Nunc ego ventosoæ Plebis suffragia venor.
The multitude is now to be our Audience, whose heads would miserably runne a wooll-gathering, if we doo but offer to breake them with hard words.
(sig. A4-v)I am [sic] one to hunt for the votes of a fickle public (Horace, Epistles 1.19.37)