532. were] MS. “was.”
533. clipp’d] Or cleped—i. e. called.
534. beholding] For beholden—a common form in our old writers.
537. condition] i.e. quality, disposition.
539. strangeness] i. e. shyness, reserve.
540. cast] i. e. contrived.
541. are] MS. “is.”
542. depend] MS. “depends.”
543. sweets] MS. “pretious sweetes.”
544. flow] MS. “flowes.”
545.
So in Shakespeare’s Macbeth:
547. Song above.]
In act iii. sc. 5 of Davenant’s alteration of Macbeth, this passage is inserted, with some variations. It is so highly fanciful, and comes in so happily where Davenant has placed it (viz. immediately after these lines of the original Macbeth—
that one is almost tempted to believe it was written by Shakespeare, and had been omitted in the printed copies of his play. Till the MS. of The Witch was discovered, towards the end of the last century, the passage in question was of course supposed to be the composition of Davenant.
548. coll] i. e. embrace.
549. Over steep, &c.] Davenant gives,
which I suspect is the true reading: compare what Hecate says at p. 260,
551. A fair Warning, &c.] So there is an old play entitled A Warning for faire Women, 1599, 4to, the author unknown.
552. Dearer] i. e. more afflictive.
553. men] MS. “man.”
554. disease] i. e. disturb.
555. Enter Francisca above] MS. has, “Enter Francisca in her Chamber;” but it is evident that she entered on what was called the upper stage: see note, vol. ii. p. 125.
556. slights] i. e. artifices.
557. resolv’d] i. e. satisfied, convinced.
558.
Cries i. e. snores—disease, i. e. disturb, waken. It was formerly a general custom to eat possets just before bed-time.—Steevens compares this passage with the following one of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, act ii. sc. 2;
and observes, that Macbeth’s expression, act ii. sc. 1, “There’s no such thing,” is likewise used by Francisca (see p. 317), when she undeceives her brother.
559. Flo.] MS. “Fra.”
560. ruinous] MS. “ruynes.”
561. knowledge] Altered by Reed to “conscience.”
562. Antonio] MS. has “Sebastian,” and prefixes “Seb.” to the first and third speeches in this scene.
563. untruss’d] i. e. the points or tagged laces by which the hose or breeches were attached to the doublet, being yet untied.
564. If she be, &c.] The MS. makes these two lines a part of Florida’s speech.
566. Cum. volui, &c.] Ovid, Met. vii. 199, where the first line is
but I find it quoted, as in our text, by Corn. Agrippa, Occult. Philos. lib. i. cap. lxxii. p. 113. Opp. t. i. ed. Lugd.; by R. Scot, Discouerie of Witchcraft, l. xii. c. vii. p. 225, ed. 1584; and by Bodinus, De Magorum Dæmonomania, lib. ii. cap. ii. p. 130, ed. 1590. From the last-mentioned work, indeed, Middleton seems to have transcribed the passage, since he omits, as Bodinus does, a line after “Vipereas rumpo,” &c.
568. acopus] I am uncertain about the meaning of this word. Pliny mentions an herb, and also a stone, called acopos: see Hist. Nat. lib. xxvii. cap. iv. t. ii. p. 423, and lib. xxxvii. cap. x. t. ii. p. 787, ed. Hard. 1723.
569.
Preceded in MS. by the words “A charme Song about a Vessell,”—is the “Song” of the witches “about the caldron,” Macbeth, act iv. sc. 1. In the folios of Shakespeare we find only “Musicke and a Song. Blacke Spirits, &c.;” in later editions the rest has been supplied from Davenant’s alteration of Macbeth, (see note, p. 303) where what follows in our text is inserted, with some variations.
570. again] Davenant gives “a grain”—a specious reading, but not, I believe, the true one.
571. let the air, &c.] So the 1st Witch says in Shakespeare’s Macbeth;
In the passage just quoted, the modern editions wrongly retain antique, the old spelling of antic.
“Though,” says Lamb, “some resemblance may be traced between the Charms in Macbeth and the Incantations in this Play, which is supposed to have preceded it, this coincidence will not detract much from the originality of Shakspeare. His Witches are distinguished from the Witches of Middleton by essential differences. These are creatures to whom man or woman plotting some dire mischief might resort for occasional consultation. Those originate deeds of blood and begin bad impulses to men. From the moment that their eyes first meet with Macbeth’s, he is spell-bound. That meeting sways his destiny. He can never break the fascination. These Witches can hurt the body; those have power over the soul. Hecate in Middleton has a son, a low buffoon: the hags of Shakspeare have neither child of their own, nor seem to be descended from any parent. They are foul Anomalies, of whom we know not whence they are sprung, nor whether they have beginning or ending. As they are without human passions, so they seem to be without human relations. They come with thunder and lightning, and vanish to airy music. This is all we know of them. Except Hecate, they have no names; which heightens their mysteriousness. The names and some of the properties which Middleton has given to his Hags excite smiles. The Weird Sisters are serious things. Their presence cannot coexist with mirth. But, in a lesser degree, the Witches of Middleton are fine creations. Their power too is, in some measure, over the mind. They raise jars, jealousies, strifes, like a thick scurf o’er life.” Spec. of Engl. Dram. Poets, p. 174.
572. Servants] Here the MS. marks also the entrance of “Francisca” and “Aberzanes;” but they have no speeches during the present scene.
573. How] Qy. “Who?”
574. passion] i. e. violent grief.
575. Ever Almachildes now] Something seems to be omitted after these words.
576. Alexander Gough] An actor, who, during the suppression of the theatres, “helpt Mr. Mosely the bookseller to this and several other dramatic Manuscripts.” Langbaine’s Acc. of Engl. Dram. Poets, p. 298.
577. merry] Was altered by Weber to “gay,” for the sake of a better rhyme.
578. A Room in Brandino’s House] Weber marked this scene “The Country. An Inner Court of Brandino’s House:” and he did so, I presume, because Philippa and Violetta presently “appear at a window.” But the scene evidently takes place within the house. So in A Trick to catch the Old One, vol. ii. p. 82, Joyce “appears above,” and, like Philippa, throws down a letter to Witgood, who is standing in a room of Hoard’s house. See also p. 314 of this vol. On such occasions the upper stage was used: vide note, vol. ii. p. 125.
579. and] i. e. if.
580. What posy’s, &c.] Our ancestors were so fond of posies, that they had them inscribed on various parts of the house—nay, even on their cheese-trenchers: see vol. i. p. 31, and the present vol. p. 98.
581. Bring] Old ed. “Brings.”
582. and] i. e. if.
583. go] Old ed. “goes.”
585. Astilio] Qy. “Attilio?” one of the characters in the play.
586. a’ life] i. e. as my life, exceedingly.
587. proper] i. e. handsome.
588. in my books] i. e. in my favour: see more than enough concerning this expression, in the notes on Shakespeare’s Much ado about Nothing, act i. sc. 1, and Nares’s Gloss.
589. and] i. e. if.
590. exit] Here Weber put a stage-direction, “Drops a letter, and exit.” Wonderful that he should have read the play, without perceiving that the letter was thrown down by Philippa! The other editors adopted the safer plan of adding nothing to the stage-directions of the 4to.
591. and] i. e. if.
592. has had opportunity] In Dodsley’s Old Plays, and Weber’s B. and F., we find (among many similar improvements of the metre), “he has had an opportunity.”
594. improv’d] Qy. “approv’d?”
596. and] i.e. if.
597. have] Old ed. “has.”
598. cannot tell] i. e. know not what to say, or think, of it: see Gifford’s note on B. Jonson’s Works, vol. i. p. 125.
600. hose] i. e. breeches.
601. come] Old ed. “comes.”
602. gom] i. e. man, fellow: Anglo-Sax. The word occurs frequently in our earliest poetry.
603. have at your plum-tree] So in Nash’s Haue with you to Saffron-Walden, 1596; “Yea Madam Gabriela, you are such an old ierker, then Hey ding a ding ... haue at your plum-tree.” Sig. R 4.
604. and] i.e. if.
605. and] i. e. if.
606. and] i. e. if.
607. put up] i. e. sheathe my sword.
609. were] Old ed. “was.”
610. the ——] So old ed., a blank being left for some word.
611. oil of ben] “‘Been or behen, in pharmacy, denotes a medicinal root, celebrated, especially among the Arabs, for its aromatic, cardiac, and alexiterial virtues.’ Chambers’s Dictionary. The same writer says, there are two kinds of been, white and red, and that they are both brought from the Levant, and have the same virtues, being substituted for each other.” Reed.
614. and] i. e. if.
615. have] Old ed. “has.”
616. and] i. e. if.
617. stamp] i. e. “halfpenny.” Reed.
618. borne me in hand] i. e. kept me in expectation.
619. could] Old ed. “would.”
621. and] i. e. if.
623. You may go; who lets you] Given in old ed. to Ricardo: lets, i. e. hinders.
625. and] i. e. if.
626. And] i. e. if.
628. cock-shoot] Properly, cock-shut—was a large net, suspended between two poles, employed to catch, or shut in, woodcocks, and used chiefly in the twilight—hence cock-shut came to signify twilight. (See Gifford’s note on B. Jonson’s Works, vol. vi. p. 473.) Perhaps “a fine cock-shoot evening” means here—a fine evening for taking our game.
629. chamberlin] So written for the sake of the rhyme.
631. keep] Old ed. “keeps.”
632. and] i. e. if.
633. A song] The songs are frequently omitted in the printed copies of our early dramas; but the present direction seems to mean, that the actor who played Latrocinio was to sing a few words of any song he might choose.
635. perceiverance] Or as the word is usually found, perceivance--i. e. power of perceiving. Old ed. “perseverance.”
636. at Philip] i. e. when one calls to it Philip--a familiar name for a sparrow.
638. mar’l] i. e. marvel.
639. whittles] i. e. knives. Old ed. “whistles,” a reading which did not startle preceding editors.
641. fond] i. e. foolish.
642. And] i. e. if.
643. conceit] i. e. quickness of apprehension.
644. ask that seriously] Thus improved in Dodsley’s Old Plays, and Weber’s B. and F., “ask me that question seriously!”
645. both] i. e. shirts and smocks: see our author’s More Dissemblers besides Women, act i. sc. 4.
646. child of Egypt] i. e. gipsy.
647. resolve] i. e. satisfy, convince.
651. and] i. e. if.
652. a’ life] See note, p. 348—altered, in Dodsley’s Old Plays and Weber’s B. and F., to “I love a wrangling life!”
653. and] i. e. if.
654. copy] “i. e. plenty, a sense in which Ben Jonson frequently used copy, from copia. Hence we may infer that he wrote this portion of the play. The next scene is in his best manner.” Collier. Surely in the text “copy upon copy” is to be understood of law-papers.
655. to quit] i. e. to be even—equal with.
656. and] i.e. if.
657. gally-gascoyns] “i. e. wide hose or slops” [trousers]. Reed.
658.
So in The Honest Lawyer. Acted by the Qveenes Maiesties Servants. Written by S. S. 1616. 4to.;
Concerning this passage, see my remark, p. 340.
660. the first part written last] “This alludes to the first and second parts of historical plays and tragedies, which had been so much in fashion. It has been ascertained in more than one instance, that the first part of a successful play was written after the second had met with applause.” Collier.
662. hose] i. e. breeches—altered in Dodsley’s Old Plays, and Weber’s B. and F., to “coat!”
663. space] Altered by editors to “pace”—but, I believe, wrongly.