979. bums] i. e., perhaps, bum-rolls: “The ladies also extended their garments from the hips with foxes’ tails and bum-rolls [stuffed cushions],” &c.—Strutt’s Dress and Habits, &c. vol. ii. p. 259.
980. and] i. e. if.
981. deny] i. e. refuse.
982. and] i. e. if.
983. thing] So ed. 1630. First ed. “things.”
984. most] i. e. greatest,—thorough.
985. and] i. e. if.
986. pants] “Qy. haunts?” says a friend; but I believe the text is right: for the sake of the rhyme, pants is used in the forced sense of—breathes, exists, dwells.
987. lie] Old eds. “lyes.”
988. An Ordinary] In Middleton’s days (and, I believe, long after,) gambling was carried on at ordinaries. The place of action is not marked in the old eds.
989. impressure] Old eds. “impressier.”
990. skills] i. e. signifies.
992. wears a smock] Equivalent, I believe, to—is a knave: “the answer of a mad fellowe to his mistresse, who being called knaue by her, replied that it was not possible, for, said he, if you remember yourselfe, good mistresse, this is leape yeare, and then, as you know well, knaues weare smockes.”—Treatise against Jud. Astrol., &c., by J. Chamber, 1601, p. 113. Compare too vol. iii. p. 81.
993. and] i. e. if.
994. will] i. e. desire.
995. knew] Old eds. “know.”
996. the Standard] Of the Standard in Cheapside, which John Wells, mayor in the year 1430, first “caused to be made with a small cistern with fresh water,” &c., an ample account will be found in Stow’s Survey of London, b. iii. p. 34, ed. 1720.
999. and] i. e. if.
1001. inward] i. e. intimate.
1002. beholding] Is often used for beholden by our early writers.
1003. slight] i. e. contrivance, artifice.
1004. She’d] Old eds. “She would.”
1005. keeps] i. e. dwells.
1006. fond] i. e. foolish.
1007. Thomasine] Here, and in a subsequent stage-direction, the old eds. designate her “Quomodoes Wife,” but in all the other stage-directions, and in all the prefixes to her speeches, “Thomasine.”
1008. look] Old eds. “lookes.”
1009. a cast of manchets] i. e. a couple of small loaves, or rolls, of fine white bread. “A cast of hawks” (a not unfrequent expression) occurs in our author’s Spanish Gipsy, act ii., scene 2.
1010. a custard] Appears, from several passages in our old writers, to have been a common love-present.
1011. aunt] i. e. procuress—in which sense the word often occurs.
1012. and] i. e. if.
1015. cloth] i. e. hangings.
1017. Retires] Old eds. “Exit:” but presently, when called by Quomodo, he replies, “I’m ne’er out a’ the shop, sir.”
1018. what lack you] Was the constant address of shopkeepers to customers. In 1628, Alexander Gill was brought before the council for saying, among other things, that the king was only fit to stand in a shop and cry what do you lack?
1019. inward] i. e. intimate acquaintance.
1020. and] i. e. if.
1021. bedfellow] It was formerly common for men (even those of the highest rank) to sleep together; and the custom was still prevalent in the time of Cromwell: see the notes of Steevens and Malone on Shakespeare’s Henry V. act ii. sc. 2; and Clarendon’s Hist. of the Rebellion, vol. vii. p. 34, ed. 1826.
1023. walk] i. e. depart.
1024. Brainford] A common corruption of Brentford.
1025. take up a commodity of cloth] Many passages in our early writers might be cited to shew how common a custom it was for needy gallants to take up commodities, i. e. wares which they were to convert into ready money. Brown paper (which Quomodo presently mentions,) was an article frequently taken up; see Steevens’s note on Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, act iv. sc. 3; and ginger, pins, packthread, &c. &c., are also found in the strange list of commodities.
1026. grow diseased] i. e. become uneasy.
1027. i-wis] i. e. certainly, truly. There can be no doubt that the word is an adverb.
1029. take me with you] i. e. understand me fully.
1030. where] i. e. whereas.
1032. as late our graceless dames] The allusion here is probably to the execution of Sir Everard Digby, who, for his share in the gunpowder plot, was drawn, hanged, and quartered, at the west end of St. Paul’s Church, 30th January, 1606: see Stow’s Annales, p. 882, ed. 1631.
1033. wale] i. e. texture; properly, the ridge of threads.
1034. quo’] i. e. quoth.
1035. wold] Old eds. “wilde.”
1039. logs yet to keep Christmas with] The bringing in and burning of the log, a huge piece of fire-wood, was (at least in the country) an important ceremony on Christmas eve. It was lighted with a piece of the last year’s brand: see the poem entitled Ceremonies for Christmasse in Herrick’s Hesperides, p. 309, ed. 1648.
1041. before] Old eds. “with the cloath:” but see his first speech as Idem, p. 460.
1042. he] i. e. Quomodo: so ed. 1630. First ed. “we.”
1043. a proper springall] i. e. a handsome youth. Old eds. “a proper, springfull.”
1045. he] i. e. he who.
1046. To her speeches in this scene, and in all the subsequent scenes where she appears, is prefixed “Curt.” i. e. courtesan; and in the stage-directions after this scene, she is called “Courtesan” or “Harlot.”
1047. the tailor points it] When this play was written, women’s gowns were usually made by men.
1048. tirewoman] i. e. cap-maker, milliner.
1049. Hellgill’s Servant] Old eds. “One.”
1051. Fath.] Old eds. “Sho.”
1052. risse] i. e. risen.—Ed. 1630, “rissen:” but the other form frequently occurs.
1053. and] Old eds. “and a.”
1054. Clubs, clubs] Was the cry which called forth the London apprentices when any fray arose.
1055. and] i. e. if.
1059. merely] i. e. absolutely.
1060. and] i. e. if.
1063. and] i. e. if.
1064. and] i. e. if.
1065. banes] i. e. bans.
1066. likes] i. e. pleases.
1069. a warning-piece] So old eds.: but qy. “a warning: peace!”
1070. know] So ed. 1630.—First ed. “knew.”
1071. knew] Old eds. “know.”
1072. and] i. e. if.
1073. lecher] Old eds. “leather.”
1074. a] So ed. 1630. Not in first ed.
1075. come] Old eds. “comes.”
1078. bachelors] So ed. 1630.—First ed. “batchler.”
1080. Fal.] Qy. Easy?
1081. and] i. e. if.
1082. Easy] Qy. Fal.?
1083. bring] So ed. 1630.—First ed. “ring.”
1084. gossip] i. e. sponsor.
1087. owe] i. e. own.
1088. a dark shop’s good for somewhat] The city tradesmen were frequently twitted about the darkness of their shops. “What should the city do with honesty?... Why are your wares gumm’d; your shops dark,” &c.—Brome’s City Wit, act i. sc. 1. (Five New Playes, 1653.)
1089. recullisance] i. e. (I suppose) recognisance: cullisen frequently occurs as a corruption of cognisance: see Gifford’s note on B. Jonson’s Works, vol. ii. p. 36.
1090. blue beadles] The dress formerly worn by beadles was blue: so Taylor, the water-poet;
1095. and] i. e. if.
1096. a bow wide] A term in archery—when the arrow flew a bow-length wide (on one side or other) of the mark.
1097. let] i. e. hinderance.
1101. I’ll have ’emlopt, &c.] Something seems to have dropt out before these words.
1104. beaten] i. e. trite.
1105. take on] i. e. grieve bitterly.
1106. searchers] i. e. persons appointed officially to examine bodies, and report the cause of death.
1108. the great] i. e. the gross.
1109. brave] i. e. richly dressed.
1110. and] i. e. if.
1111. Immediately before these exclamations the old eds. have a stage-direction (a warning for the bell-ringer and performers to be in readiness), “A Bell Toales, a Confused crie within.” The bell, of course, does not toll till the Boy has been sent to “bid ’em ring out.”
1112. reap’t] Old eds. “reape it.”
1113. and] i. e. if.
1114. mought] i. e. might.
1115. and] i. e. if.
1116. passion] i. e. sorrow.
1118. the hospital boys] Compare Brome: “He is indeed my brother, and has been one of the true blew Boyes of the Hospitall; one of the sweet singers to the City Funeralls with a two penny loafe under his arme.” The City Wit, act iii. sc. 1.—(Five New Playes, 1653.)
1119. censure] i. e. opinion.
1120. I’ve] Old eds. “I have.”
1121. One] So ed. 1630. First ed. “Ont.”
1122. hear] So ed. 1630. First ed. “feare.”
1123. lewd] i. e. vile, base.
1124. A coffin brought in, &c.] The stage-direction in the old eds. is, “A counterfet Coarse brought in, Tomazin and al the mourners equally counterfeit:” but we find there (see next page) a subsequent stage-direction, “Pointing after the coffin.”
1125. T.’s Moth.] The old eds. (which do not mark her entrance) merely prefix “Moth.” to her speeches.
1126. cousin] i. e. kinsman, relation: in Shakespeare, Olivia calls her uncle Toby cousin (Twelfth Night); and the king says,
I suspect that the word was sometimes used (and perhaps is so in the present passage) as a familiar address to a person who was not related to the speaker.
1127. I’ve] Old eds. “I have.”—The line is the second of a couplet.
1128. I’ve] Old eds. “I have.”
1129. I’ve] Old eds. “I have.”
1131. with writings] The old eds. add, “having cousned Sim Quomodo.”
1132. I’ve] Old eds. “I have.”
1134. I’ve] Old eds. here and in the next line but two, “I have.”
1136. Enter Officers, &c.] The old eds. have no stage-direction here. From the words which presently follow, “This is the other,” it seems that Falselight had been previously taken into custody; and as they both afterwards make their appearance together at the justice’s house, I have thought it best to despatch them thither in company.