981. the twelvepenny-stool gentlemen] i.e. gentlemen who pay twelvepence for a stool to sit upon the stage during the performance: see note, p. 412. This is one of the passages which led Malone to think that “persons were suffered to sit on the stage only in the private playhouses (such as Blackfriars, &c.)” Hist. Acc. of Engl. Stage, p. 78—Shakespeare (by Boswell), vol. iii.: but Mr. Collier has shewn that the practice was not confined to private theatres: Hist. of Engl. Dr. Poetry, vol. iii. p. 352.
982. hench-boy] i.e. page.
984. resolve] i.e. satisfy.
985. gear] i.e. stuff.
986. saveguard] i.e., properly, a sort of large petticoat, worn by women over the other clothes, to protect them from soiling.
987.
Gos. Moll, Moll!
Green.Pist, Moll!] One speech in old ed., with the prefix “All.”—The exclamation
“pist” again occurs at p. 468. I unnecessarily altered it into
“hist” at p. 268.
990. and] i.e. if.
991. sew] Old ed. “sowes.”
992. Brainford] The old form of Brentford.
995. Saint Antling’s bell] See note, vol. i. p. 503.—“At St. Antholin’s church there used to be a lecture early in the morning, which was much frequented by the puritans of the times.” Reed.
996. spittle] i.e. hospital. “The reuenge was common as the Law, or as the blowes of a Spittle whore.” The Owles Almanacke (by Dekker), 1618, p. 18.—Gifford wished to make a distinction between spittle and spital (note on Massinger’s City Madam, act iii. sc. 1); but see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict., and Nares’s Gloss. in v.
997. burgh] Or burre is “a broad ring of iron behind the handle [of a tilting lance], which burre is brought into the sufflue or rest, when the tilter is ready to run against his enimy, or prepareth himself to combate or encounter his adverse party.” R. Holme’s Acad. of Armoury, cited by Nares, Gloss. in v.
998. the high German’s size] So afterwards, in act iii. sc. 1, Moll exclaims,
where Reed remarks, “He seems to have been noted for his extraordinary strength, and is probably the same person mentioned in The Curtaine Drawer of the World, 1612, 4to. p. 27. ‘Aske but this Curtaine Drawer and he will tell you, that few there are, and those escape very hardly like the bird out of the snare, like the German out of Woodstreet, or those that commit murder, or like him that escapes the hangman from the tree of execution.’” Nares (Gloss. in German, High,) says, he was "probably a tall German, shown for a sight ... I do not agree with the editor [Reed], that the same person is meant by the German ‘who escaped out of Woodstreet.’ The high German must have been some man generally known for strength or size; that the same person should also have had a very narrow escape from Wood Street, is possible to be sure, but very improbable. Perhaps the high German was the famous fencer, whose feats are thus recorded: ‘Since the German fencer cudgelled most of our English fencers, now about 5 moneths past.’ ["a moneth past"—in my copy, p. 7.] Owle’s Almanacke [by Dekker], publ. 1618, p. 6. High German may, however, be only in opposition to low German, or Dutch; as, for a long time, high German quack doctors were in repute."
1001. pigsnie] i.e. little pig—a term of endearment.
1003. at Parlous Pond] “This, I imagine, is the same place now called Peerless Pool. It is situated near Old-street Road, and was formerly a spring that, overflowing its banks, caused a very dangerous pond, which, from the number of persons who lost their lives there, obtained the name of Perilous Pool. To prevent these accidents, it was in a manner filled up until the year 1743, when it was enclosed, and converted into a bathing-place.” Reed. Parlous is a corruption of perilous.
1004. Hey, trug, &c.] “I suppose Trug is the name of the spaniel whom he is sending into the water to hunt ducks; or else that he means to say trudge, trudge.” Steevens. Perhaps trug is equivalent to bitch: see note, p. 222.
1005. Come, let’s away, &c.] An imperfect couplet: see notes, p.7 of this vol. and p. 424 of vol. i.
1006. two-leav’d tongues] Old ed. “two leaud tongues.” The last editor of Dodsley’s Old Plays printed “two lewd tongues,”—leaud being, as he thinks, the old spelling of lewd. Qy. “two loud?”
1007. Virginia] “Great efforts were used about this time to settle Virginia.” Reed.
1008. And so, &c.] A quotation, probably.
1009. long coats, &c.] i.e. petticoats: in some parts of Scotland they are still worn by male idiots of the lowest class.
1010. great Dutch slop] i.e. large wide breeches.
1011. towards] i.e. in preparation.
1012. Many one, &c.] A word, perhaps a line, wanting here.
1013. good man’s] This seems to be an allusion to the proverbial saying, “God’s a good man:” see Much ado about Nothing, act iii. sc. 5, Malone’s Shakespeare (by Boswell), vol. vii. p. 104, and Steevens’s note.
1016. phrampel] “Phrampel here appears to signify fiery or mettlesome.” Reed. It is written also frampold, frampul, &c., and generally signifies vexatious, saucy, peevish, &c.
1018. baffle] See note, p. 449. In The Devil is an Ass, act iv. sc. 3, is a stage-direction, “Baffles him [i.e. passes him with some act of contempt] and exit.” B. Jonson’s Works, by Gifford, vol. v. p. 127.
1019. Exit] Old ed. “Exit Coachman with his whip.”
1021. bankrout] i.e. bankrupt.
1022. Brainford] See note, p. 463. The inn called The Three Pigeons was resorted to by company of an inferior rank. At a later period, when puritanism had silenced the stage, it was kept by the celebrated actor, Lowin.
1025. liberal] i.e. too free.
1027. leiger] See note, p. 316. That the last editor of this play should have had any doubts about the meaning of the word, is somewhat strange.
1028. wedlocks] “i.e. wives. So in The Poetaster [by B. Jonson], act iv. sc. 3, ‘Which of these is thy wedlock, Menelaus?’” Reed.
1029. familiar] i.e. a demon—properly, such as attends on a sorcerer or witch.
1030. viage] i.e. voyage (see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in v.), excursion.
1031. Three Pigeons] See note, p. 479. I suspect that this speech was intended to close with a hobbling couplet.
1033. to his umbles] “i.e. his inside. Umbles are the entrails of a deer.” Steevens.
1034. kyes] “i.e. cries. She imitates the jargon talked by nurses to infants.” Steevens.
1036. water] Old ed. “waters.”
1037. apron husbands] “i.e. husbands who follow their wives as if tied to their apron-strings.” Steevens.
1038. cotqueans] i.e. men who meddle with female affairs.
1039. Laxton, with bays, &c.] An imperfect couplet: see notes, p. 7 of this vol. and p. 424 of vol. i.
1040. Pan-da-rus ... Cres-sida] So in old ed., to mark the difficulty with which such hard names were read by mistress Gallipot.
1041. bankrout] i.e. bankrupt.
1042. steal, steal] Qy. ought these words to be considered as a stage-direction?
1043. Where] i.e. whereas.
1045. Since last I saw him, &c.] Perhaps this scene is by Dekker: in his Whore of Babylon, 1607, we find
1047. sirrah] When this play was written, and long after, a female was frequently so addressed: see my note on Webster’s Works, vol. iii. p. 23.
1048. sadness] i.e. seriousness.
1050. ramp] i.e. ramping, rampant creature: “although she were a lustie bounsing rampe, somewhat like Gallemella,” &c. G. Harvey’s Pierces Supererogation, 1593, p. 145.
1052. placket] Has been variously explained—the opening of the petticoat—the forepart of the shift or petticoat: Nares (Gloss. in v.) insists that it meant only a petticoat, generally an under one.
1053. a noise of fiddlers] i.e. a company of musicians,—an expression frequently occurring: “those terrible noyses, with thredbare cloakes, that liue by red lattises and Iuy-bushes, hauing authority to thrust into any mans roome, onely speaking but this, Will you haue any musicke?” Dekker’s Belman of London, 1608, sig. B 4.
1055. ningles] Or ingles (the former being an abbreviation of mine ingles), i.e. favourites. The word was used (and perhaps originally) in a worse sense: see vol. i. p. 301.
1057.
“The speaker is here employing terms in use only at the university.” Steevens.
1059. beg plac’d] i.e. beg to be plac’d: but qy. “be plac’d?”
1060. Lies] i.e. He lies, he shall lie.
1061. puttocks] i.e. kites.
1062. sprites] Old ed. “spirits.”
1065. walk] Old ed. “walkes.”
1066. these men-widwives, &c.] So in The Whore of Babylon, 1607, by Dekker (see note, p. 490): “Doe not you know, mistresse, what Serieants are? ... why they are certaine men-midwiues, that neuer bring people to bed, but when they are sore in labour, that no body els can deliuer them.” Sig. D.
1067. Trap. Honest servant, &c.] Old ed. “Both. Honest Serieant fly, flie Maister Dapper,” &c.
1071. court-cupboard] i.e. a moveable sideboard, or buffet, for displaying plate or other valuables: it was also called “cupboard of plate,” see p. 91.
1072. lets] i.e. hinders.
1073. mysteries] i.e. arts: but qy. “miseries?”
1074. hose] i.e. breeches.
1075. owe] Old ed. “owes.”
1076. lays] i.e. wagers.
1078. and] i.e. if.
1079. swan above bridge] When this play was written, the Thames abounded with swans.
1082. th’ Burse] i.e. the New Exchange in the Strand. “Over this building, in the time of Middleton, were many shops where women’s finery was sold.” Steevens.
1083. cavell’d] So spelt in old ed. for the sake of the rhyme.
1084. Between, &c.] The old ed. gives this speech partly as prose, partly as verse. I have done what I could to arrange the lines.
1085. sigh] Old ed. "sight,"—which, perhaps, Middleton wrote; for I think I have seen that form of the word. The preterite of the verb sigh was often written sight.
1086. plunge] i.e. difficulty, straits.
1087. and] i.e. if.
1089. puttock] i.e. a kite.
1090. roses] “i.e. roses anciently worn in shoes.” Steevens. They were made of ribbons gathered into a knot, and were sometimes of a preposterous size.
1092. fline] i.e. flown.
1093. a cramp ring] i.e. a ring, which having been solemnly consecrated on Good Friday, was supposed to have the power of preventing the cramp. See in Waldron’s Literary Museum, 1792, a reprint of The Ceremonies of Blessing Cramp-Rings on Good Friday, used by the Catholick Kings of England.
1095. incontinently] i.e. immediately.
1097. rest] i.e. a support,—without it the soldiers could not manage to fire the old muskets, which were very heavy and unwieldy.
1098. pursenets] i.e. nets, the mouths of which were drawn together by a string.
1099. cog] i.e. lie, wheedle.
1100. ingle] i.e. coax.
1101. a riven dish] “i.e. a broken dish.” Reed.
1102. frumped] i.e. mocked.
1103. till all split] “This expression occurs in many old plays. See the notes of Dr. Farmer, Mr. Steevens, and Mr. Malone, on Midsummer Night’s Dream, act i. sc. 2.” Reed. It occurs in several old plays at least; and (as Nares observes in Gloss.) denotes violence of action.
1105. gib] Is, properly, a male cat—but sometimes applied, as a term of reproach, to a woman: “She is a tonnysh gyb,” says old Skelton, in Elynour Rummyng, v. 99.
1106. a mumming] i.e. a masquing, in which originally the performers used gesticulation only, without speaking: mistress Openwork puns on the different meanings of mask and masque.
1108. sprites] Old ed. “spirits.”
1109. Your two flags] “Alluding to the flags which were placed formerly on the tops of playhouses.” Reed.
1110. Mis. G.] Old ed. “Mist. Open.”
1111. Westward ho] A comedy, by Dekker and Webster, which was first printed in 1607, and which may be found in my edition of Webster’s Works, vol. iii. The scene lies partly in London and partly in Brentford; and a “western voyage” from the former to the latter place gives the title to the play—westward ho! being one of the exclamations used by the watermen who plied on the Thames.
1112. A stale, &c.] i.e. a pretence or cover under which he keeps a harlot: the stale, or stalking-horse, was the real or artificial horse behind which sportsmen approached their game.