A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ix Part 126

[232] i.e., Hedgehogs. See a note on Shakespeare's "Tempest," i. 28, edit. 1778.--_Steevens_.

Again, in Erasmus's "Praise of Folie," 1549, sig. Q 2: "That the soule of Duns woulde a litle leve Sorbone College, and enter into my breast, be he never so thornie, and fuller of pricles than is any _urcheon_."

[233] Perhaps, instead of _the masks are made so strong_, we ought to read, _the mesh is made so strong_. It clearly means the _mesh of the net_, from what is said afterwards.--_Collier_. [But _mask_, in Halliwell's "Dictionary," is said to be used for _mesh_. What is intended above is not a _net_, but a network ladder.]

[234] [_Hazard_, the plot of a tennis-court.--Halliwell's "Dictionary."]

[235] This is one of the many phrases in these volumes which, being not understood, was altered without any authority from the ancient copies.

The former editions read _odd mouthing_; the text, however, is right; for old, as Mr Steevens observes, was formerly a common augmentative in colloquial language, and as such is often used by Shakespeare and others. See notes on the "Second Part of Henry IV." act ii. sc. 4, and "The Taming of the Shrew," act iii. sc. 2.

Again, in Tarlton's "Newes out of Purgatory," 1630, p. 34: "On Sunday at Ma.s.se there was _old ringing of bells_, and old and yong came to church to see the new roode."

[236] A sneer at the Utopian Treatises on Government.--_Steevens_.

[237] The latest of the old copies, [and the first edition, have] _wine_ instead of _swine_, which is clearly a misprint, as the _hogs_ of Olfactus are subsequently again mentioned.--_Collier_.

[238] [Old copies, _he_.]

[239] [A flogging.]

[240] [i.e., A blockhead, a fool.--_Steevens_.]

[241] _Nor I out of Memory's mouth_ is the correct reading, although the p.r.o.noun has been always omitted. Anamnestes is comparing his situation with that of Mendacio.--_Collier_.

[242] [See "Popular Antiquities of Great Britain," ii. 296.]

[243] [Another name of Jupiter.]

[244] [Edits., _belly_.]

[245] Chess.

[246] A favourite game formerly, and apparently one of the oldest in use. The manner in which it was played will appear from the following epigram of Sir John Harington, the translator of Ariosto--

_The Story of Marcus's Life at Primero_.

"Fond Marcus ever at _Primero_ playes, Long winter nights, and as long summer dayes: And I heard once to idle talke attending The story of his times and coins mis-spending At first, he thought himselfe halfe way to heaven, If in his hand he had but got a sev'n.

His father's death set him so high on flote, All rests went up upon a sev'n and coate.

But while he drawes from these grey coats and gownes, The gamesters from his purse drew all his crownes.

And he ne'er ceast to venter all in prime, Till of his age, quite was consum'd the prime.

Then he more warily his rest regards, And sets with certainties upon the cards, On sixe and thirtie, or on sev'n and nine, If any set his rest, and saith, and mine: But seed with this, he either gaines or saves, For either Faustus prime is with three knaves, Or Marcus never can encounter right, Yet drew two Ases, and for further spight Had colour for it with a hopeful draught But not encountred, it avail'd him naught.

Well, sith encountring, he so faire doth misse, He sets not, till he nine and fortie is.

And thinking now his rest would sure be doubled, He lost it by the hand, with which sore troubled, He joynes now all his stocke unto his stake, That of his fortune he full proofe may make.

At last both eldest hand and five and fifty, He thinketh now or never (thrive unthrifty.) Now for the greatest rest he hath the push: But Cra.s.sus stopt a club, and so was flush: And thus what with the stop, and with the packe, Poore Marcus and his rest goes still to wracke.

Now must he seek new spoile to rest his rest, For here his seeds turne weeds, his rest, unrest.

His land, his plate he p.a.w.nes, he sels his leases, To patch, to borrow, and shift he never ceases.

Till at the last two catch-poles him encounter, And by arrest, they beare him to the Counter.

Now Marcus may set up all rests securely: For now he's sure to be encountred surely."

Minsheu thus explains _Primero_:--"_Primero and Primavista_, two games at cards. Primum et primum visum, that is, first and first seene, because he that can show such an order of cards first, winnes the game."

[See Dyce's "Shakespeare Glossary," in _v_.]

[247] See Note 30 to "The Dumb Knight."

[248] [See "Popular Antiquities of Great Britain," ii. 318-19.] So in Dekker's "Belman's Nights-walke," it is alluded to:--"The set at _Maw_ being plaid out."

Henslowe in his Diary mentions a play under the t.i.tle of "The Maw,"

which probably had reference to the game at cards so called. It was acted on the 14th December 1594. He also names a play ent.i.tled "The Macke," under date of Feb. 21, 1594-5; but it is doubtful if they were not the same.--_Collier_.

[249] In the old editions this is given as a part of what is said by Anamnestes.--_Collier_.

[250] [See Dyce's "Middleton," iii. 106. _There's no ho_, there are no bounds or restraints with them.--_Reed_. They are not to be restrained by a call or ho. The expression is common.--_Dyce_.]

[251] Rather Ptolemy.--_Pegge_.

[252] _Latten_, as explained by Dr Johnson, is "Bra.s.s; a mixture of Copper and Caliminaris stone." Mr Theobald, from Monsieur Dacier, says, "C'est une espece de cuivre de montagne, comme son nom mesme le temoigne; c'est ce que nous appellons au jourd'huy du _leton_. It is a sort of mountain copper, as its very name imports, and which we at this time of day call _latten_." See Mr Theobald's note on "The Merry Wives of Windsor," act i. sc. 1.

Among the Harleian MSS. is a tract, No. 6395, ent.i.tled "Merry Pa.s.sages and Jeasts," written in the seventeenth century, [printed by Thoms in "Anecdotes and Traditions," 1839,] in which is the following story of Shakespeare, which seems ent.i.tled to as much credit as any of the anecdotes which now pa.s.s current about him: "Shake-speare was G.o.d-father to one of Ben Jonson's children, and after the christning, being in a deepe study, Jonson came to cheere him up, and ask't him why he was so melancholy? No, faith, Ben (sayes he) not I, but I have been considering a great while, what should be the fittest gift for me to bestow upon my G.o.d-child, and I have resolv'd at last; I pr'y thee what, says he? I faith, Ben, Ile e'en give him a douzen good _Lattin_ spoones, and thou shall translate them."

[253] _Deft_ is handy, dexterous. So in "Macbeth," act iv. sc. 1--

"Thyself and office _deftly_ show."

See note on "Macbeth," edit. 1778.--_Steevens_.

[254] [Concert.]

[255] [Summoners, officers of the old ecclesiastical court.]

[256] [Ignorant of arts.]

[257] A _jangler_, says Baret, is "a jangling fellowe, a babbling attornie. _Rabula, ae_, mas. gen. [Greek: Dikologos]_ Vn pledoieur criard, une plaidereau_."

[258] This speech is in six-line stanzas, and _beforn_ should rhyme to _morn_, as it does in the old copies, which were here abandoned.

--_Collier_.

[259] i.e., "Going. _Gate_, in the Northern Dialect, signifies a way; so that _agate_ is at or upon the way."--Hay's "Collection of Local Words," p. 13, edit. 1740.

[260] Here again, as in the pa.s.sage at p. 354, we have _arms_ for _harms_. In the old copies this speech of the Herald is printed as prose.--_Collier_.

[261] A monster feigned to have the head of a lion, the belly of a goat, and the tail of a dragon.

[262] "If at any time in Rolls and Alphabets of Arms you meet with this term, you must not apprehend it to be that fowl which in barbarous Latine they call _Bernicla_, and more properly (from the Greek) _Chenalopex_--a creature well known in Scotland, yet rarely used in arms; but an instrument used by farriers to curb and command an unruly horse, and termed Pastomides."--Gibbons's "Introductio ad Latinam Blasoniam," 1682, p. 1.

[The allusion here is to the barnacle of popular folk-lore and superst.i.tion, which, from a sh.e.l.l-fish, was transformed into a goose.--See "Popular Antiquities of Great Britain," iii. 309.]

[263] [A reference to the belief in prodigies reported from Africa.

"Africa semper aliquid oportet novi."--S. Gosson's "School of Abuse,"