243. cast] i. e. couple: see Gifford’s note on B. Jonson’s Works, vol. iii. p. 447, and my note on Webster’s Works, vol. iv. p. 295.
245. How, &c.] Given to “Soto” in old eds.
248. haut] i. e. high, lofty: “to brave his enemy in the rich and lofty Castilian [tongue].” Dekker’s English Villanies, &c. sig. M 4, ed. 1632.
249. brave] A play on the word—fine.
250. cloth] Improperly altered by the editor of 1816 to “clothes.”
251. maps] i. e. mops.
252. in Rome, I'll go to him with a mortar “The clown in Fletcher’s Fair Maid of the Inn, act v. sc. 2, makes use of a similar expression: ‘He did measure the stars with a false yard, and may now travel to Rome with a mortar on’s head, to see if he can recover his money.’ On this Mason observes, ‘One class of presidents in the parliament of Paris were styled présidents à mortier, for a cap they wore resembling in shape a mortar.’” Editor of 1816. See also Cotgrave’s Fr. Engl. Dict. in v. mortier; but in this expression, which seems to have been proverbial, does mortar mean a cap? “So that methinkes I could flye to Rome (at least hop to Rome, as the olde Prouerb is) with a morter on my head.” Dedicatory Epistle to Kemps nine daies wonder, 1600.
253. woods] Old eds. “wookes.”
255. larks] So editor of 1816. Old eds. “markes.”
257. the elephant and camels] The writer thought only of London, where such shows were much followed: see Gifford’s notes on B. Jonson’s Works, vol. ii. pp. 149, 152; and Chalmers’s Suppl. Apol., p. 208.
258. vild] i. e. vile—a form common in our old authors.
259. about] Qy. “above?”
261. Who are] A MS. addition in copy of the first 4to: see note, p. 109. The editor of 1816 supplied “But who are.”
262. gaberdines] i. e. coarse loose frocks.
263. tiring-house] i. e. the dressing-room—in theatrical language.
264. do our tops, &c.] Qy. ought Alvarez and his companions to enter before these words?
265. Alv. Gui., &c.] Old eds. “Omnes.”
267. San. [sings] I suspect that only a portion of this song should be assigned to Sancho.
268. threading-needles] “Thread my needle is yet a common sport; and to this, probably, the song alludes.” Editor of 1816.
270. Mull-sack] A familiar contraction: so “mull-wines,” vol. i. p. 391.
272. noul] i. e. noddle, head.
273. fox] “i. e. intoxicate.” Editor of 1816.
275. quarrels] Old eds. “families.”—“I have no doubt the printer caught the word from the preceding lines.” Editor of 1816.
276. his] Old eds. “he.”
277. Mar.] Old ed. “Al.”
278. in your t’other hose]—hose, i. e. breeches—a sort of proverbial expression: compare vol. i. p. 262, and B. Jonson’s Tale of a Tub;
279. report] Ed. 1661, “a report.”
281. trow] i. e. think you.
282. Yes, sure, &c.] To this line, which in old eds. forms part of Francisco’s speech, the prefix “Joh.” is added with a pen in copy of the first 4to: see note, p. 109.
283. As hotly, &c.] To this line in old eds. is prefixed “Ans.” i. e., perhaps, the Answer of those who form the rear.
284. Ped.] Old eds. “Ro.”
285. father] Old eds. “fathers.”
286. need] Old eds. “needs.”
287. have] Old eds. “hath.”
288. Gui. Car., &c.] Old eds. “Omnes.”
289. and] i. e. if.
290. we’d] Old eds. “hee’d.”
291. your] Qy. “you?” compare p. 145, 3d line from bottom.
292. [straightway] Inserted by the editor of 1816.
293. Sir] A MS. correction in copy of the first 4to: see note, p. 109. Old eds. “For.” The editor of 1816 makes “For she’s past the worst” the conclusion of Louis’s speech.
294. You shall not part, &c.] The audience, it seems, was to suppose that, after Francisco (p. 152) had said,
the scene had changed to the neighbourhood of Fernando’s house!
296. Thy griefs grow wild] So editor of 1816. Old eds. “The griefs grow wide.”
299. a wife, young lady] The editor of 1816 strangely follows the reading of ed. 1661, “a wise young lady.”
300. style] Old eds. “stiles.”
302. one] Qy. “son?”
303. What I have suffer’d, what thou ought’st to do] “I cannot but believe that the line that should follow this has been lost.” Editor of 1816.—I see no reason for believing so.
304. Sir] Qy. “Sit?”
305. gules] i. e., in heraldic language, red.
306. This] The editor of 1816 prints “Thy.”
307. Night] Old eds. “Might.”
308. Alv., Gui., &c.] Old ed. here and afterwards, “All.”
310. Muly Crag a whee] A corrupted name probably, used with a quibble.
311. [sings] Had there not been a “Chorus” (in old eds. “Omnes”), I should have supposed that the rhyming lines in this initiation-scene were spoken, not sung.
312. best] Qy. “left?”
313. leman] i. e. mistress.
314. Now mark, &c.] Before these words in the old eds. is a direction (printed as part of the verse), “Teach him how,” merely intended for the actor who played Alvarez,—not, as the editor of 1816 thinks, “a direction to the other gipsies to instruct Don John how he is to perform the directions of their chief.”
315. Car.] Old eds. “Cla.”
316. hey-de-guize] A kind of rural dance—a word variously spelt, and of doubtful etymology.
317. lopes] i. e. leaps.
318. wench] Qy. “wrench?” Compare Sir John Davies’s Orchestra, or a Poeme of Dauncing;
319. growt] a corruption of great.
320. because the beast is corn-fed] “This seems so odd a reason why the elephant could not go, that I believe we should read, ‘is not fed.’” Editor of 1816.—But does not corn-fed mean, even in the present day, fattened up? and, perhaps, there is a quibble—cornified (having corns).
321. Jack[s]-in-boxes I have to regret that the following passage does not well admit of abridgment: “This Jacke in a Boxe, or this Diuell in mans shape, wearing (like a player on a stage, good clothes on his backe) comes to a Goldsmiths Stall, to a Drapers, a Habberdashers, or into any other shoppe, where he knowes good store of siluer faces are to be seene. And there drawing foorth a faire new boxe, hammered all out of Siluer plate, he opens it, and powres forth twenty or forty Twenty-shillings pieces in new Gold. To which heape of worldly temptation thus much hee addes in words, that either he himselfe, or such a Gentleman (to whom he belongs) hath an occasion for foure or fiue dayes to vse forty pound. But because he is very shortly (nay he knowes not how suddenly) to trauaile to Venice, to Jerusalem or so, and would not willingly bee disfurnished of Gold, he doth therefore request the Citizen to lend (vpon those Forty Twenty-shilling pieces) so much in white money (but for foure, or fiue, or sixe dayes at the most) and for his good will he shall receiue any reasonable satisfaction. The Citizen (knowing the pawne to be better then a Bond) powreth downe forty pound in siluer: the other drawes it, and hauing so much gold in hostage, marcheth away with Bag and Baggage. Fiue dayes being expired, Jacke in a Boxe (according to his bargaine) beeing a man of his word, comes againe to the shop or stall, (at which he Angles for fresh Fish) and there casting out his line with a siluer hooke, that is to say, powring out the forty pound which he borrowed. The Citizen sends in, or steppes himselfe for the Boxe with the Golden Deuill in it: it is opened, and the army of Angels being mustered together, they are all found to be there. The Boxe is shut againe and set on the stall whilest the Citizen is telling of his mony: But whilest the musicke is sounding, Jacke in a Boxe actes his part in a dumbe shew thus; he shifts out of his fingers another Boxe of the same mettall and making that the former beares, which second Boxe is filled only with shillings, and being poized in the hand, shall seeme to carry the weight of the former, and is clap’d downe in place of the first. The Citizen in the meane time (whilest this Pitfall is made for him) telling the forty pounds, misseth thirty or forty shillings in the whole summe, at which the Jacke in a Boxe starting backe (as if it were a matter strange vnto him) at last (making a gathering within himselfe for his wits) he remembers, he sayes, that he layd by so much money as is wanting (of the forty pounds) to dispatch some businesse or other, and forgot to put it into the bag againe; notwithstanding, he intreats the Citizen to keepe his Gold still, he will take the white money home to fetch the rest and make vp the summe, his absence shall not bee aboue an houre or two: before which time hee shall bee sure to heare of him, and with this the little Deuil vanisheth carrying that away with him which in the end will send him to the Gallowes, (that is to say, his owne Gold) and forty pound besides of the Shop-keepers which he borrowed, the other being glad to take forty shillings for the whole debt, and yet is soundly boxt for his labor.” English Villanies, &c., sig. H, ed. 1632.
322. cozen fools with gilt rings “You haue another kind of Lifter, or more properly a cunning night shifter, and it is thus: You shall haue a fellow that in an euening or night time, or some time at noone dayes, as hee likes the company and sorts his opportunity, that will wilfully drop sometime a spoone, other while a ring or else some peece of coyned money, as the likenes of gold and siluer, and so spurning it afore them in the view of others, to the end they should cry halfe part; which he taking hold of, sayth, nay by my troth, what will you giue me and take it all? and so some greedy fooles offer thus much, thinking it gold, which the Lifter takes as knowing it counterfeit, and so are they cunny-caught.” Dekker’s Belman of London, sig. G 4, ed. 1608.
323. Not] Ed. of 1816, “Rot,” mistaking for an r the broken n of ed. 1661.
325. black] May be the right reading: but qy. “back?”
326. Car.] Old eds. “Cla.”
327. mall’d] So written for the rhyme.
328. all to-be-dabbled A writer in the additions to Boucher’s Gloss. (new ed. in v. All) has well observed, that in such expressions as this it is a mistake to suppose that all is coupled with to, and that it becomes equivalent to omnino from being thus conjoined: the to is connected with the following participle as a prefix.
329. dill] i. e., perhaps, darling: see Nares’s Gloss. in v. Dilling, and Moor’s Suff. Words in v. Dills; or, perhaps, another form of dell—see note, vol. ii. p. 538.
330. Jet] i. e. strut.
331. bravery] i. e. finery.
332. like] i. e. please.
333. young] A MS. correction in copy of the first 4to, see note, p. 109, and so the editor of 1816. Old eds. “younger.”
334. reals] “Real, a Spanish sixpGuide into Tongues in v.—“A coin worth forty maravedis.” Neuman’s Span. and Engl. Dict. in v.
335. since] A MS. correction ubi sup., and so the editor of 1816. Old eds. “sinne,” and “sin.”
336. a striker] A quibble:
The word is more frequently applied to the dissolute of the other sex: note, vol. ii. p. 454.
337. arm] A MS. correction ubi sup. Old eds. “army,” which the editor of 1816 vainly endeavoured to explain.
338. See they, &c.] Given to “Al.” in first ed. by a mistake, which is corrected in ed. 1661.
339. not like a pantaloon] “i. e. represent him in the full possession of his strength and mental faculties, and not like a feeble old man. ‘The lean and slipper’d pantaloon’ of Shakespeare will occur to every reader.” Editor of 1816.
341. jet] i. e. strut.
342. [pleasures] Compare p. 172, last line; but I am by no means confident that I have supplied the right word.
343. property] i. e. in theatrical language, a thing necessary for the scene.
344. Take you pepper in the nose] “i. e. if you be captious and ready to take offence.” Editor of 1816.
345. like an owl, &c.] “To look like an owl in an ivy-bush” is a proverbial expression: see Ray’s Proverbs, p. 61, ed. 1768. A tuft or bush of ivy was formerly hung out at the door of a vintner.
347. Hold his nose, &c.] i. e. “confine him to a short allowance.” Editor of 1816.
348. case] i. e. pair.
349. anon, anon] “Was the reply of the waiters [drawers] when called, as sufficiently appears in act ii. sc. iv. of the First Part of Henry IV.” Editor of 1816.
351. Alv.] Old eds. “An.”
352. visitation] Ed. 1661, “visitations.”
354. Exit Sancho] So the editor of 1816: but I suspect a misprint in the words “Away you.” It is necessary, however, that Sancho should quit the stage: see p. 180.
359. she] A MS. correction ubi sup. Old eds. “how.”
360. lannard] “Or laner, is a species of hawk.” Editor of 1816.
361. sin] Old eds. “sins.”
362. stamp] So ed. 1661. First ed. “stamps.”
363. fall] Old eds. “full.”
364. flow] Old eds. “flew.”
365. storm] Ed. 1661, “storms.”
366. Sir, I am, &c.] Qy.
Six lines after, the metre is imperfect.
368. sweet] A MS. correction ubi sup. Old eds. “sir.”
369. here sit they] A MS. correction ubi sup. First ed. “he sit they.” Ed. 1661 has only “they sit.”
370. white] Qy. for the metre, “whiter”? The double comp. was common: “his more braver daughter.” Shakespeare’s Tempest, act ii. sc. 1.
371. it] Old eds. “it is.”
372. sometimes heard] A MS. correction ubi sup., which the editor of 1816 had anticipated. Old eds. “something hard.”
373. friends] Qy. “friend”?
374. First promise, &c.] The editor of 1816 gives the line thus:
but the preceding “Despatch!” makes up the measure.
376. Scene II. A field] Old eds. have only “Ex. at one dore, Enter presently at the other” (a stage-direction which occurs again in The Changeling]: as there was no moveable painted scenery (see notes, vol. ii. pp. 142, 147, and pp. 29, 111, 154, of this vol.), the audience was to suppose that, on the re-entrance of Alvarez and Louis, the stage represented a field.