Patient Grissel

Patient Grissel is a play by Thomas Dekker, Henry Chettle, and William Haughton. It was mentioned in Henslowe's diary in the entry for December 1599. It was first printed in 1603.

The plot is a variant of the medieval tale of patient Griselda, as told in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

The play contains Dekker's poem "Golden Slumbers" (which was adapted by Paul McCartney for the song of the same name on The Beatles' Abbey Road album):

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,

Smiles awake you when you rise.

Sleep, pretty wantons; do not cry,

And I will sing a lullaby:

Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

Care is heavy, therefore sleep you;

You are care, and care must keep you;

Sleep, pretty wantons; do not cry,

And I will sing a lullaby:

Rock them, rock them, lullaby.^[1]

References

1. Collier, J.P., ed. (1841). Patient Grissil: a comedy by T. Dekker, H. Chettle and W. Haughton. Reprinted from the Black Letter Edition of 1603. With an introduction and notes. London: F. Shoberl, Jun. p. 61.