1108. thus] Altered, unnecessarily I think, to “that’s,” by the editor of 1816.
1109. And sets ’em all in order] “Brancha [Bianca] here evidently alludes to the 13th chapter of St. Paul’s first Epistle to the Corinthians.” Editor of 1816.
1110. caltrop] “A Caltrop; or iron engine of warre, made with foure pricks, or sharp points, whereof one, howsoeuer it is cast, euer stands upward.” Cotgrave’s Dict. in v. Chaussetrape.
1111. triumph] i. e. show, masque.
1114. sake ... part] As the rest of the dialogue is in rhyme, I suspect that something has dropt out here.
1115. antimasque] i. e. an interlude introduced during the masque, “something directly opposed to the principal masque:” see Gifford’s note on B. Jonson’s Works, vol. vii. p. 251.
1116. Ay, and makes love—take that] The editor of 1816 follows the pointing of the old ed., “Ay, and makes love take that,” remarking, in a note, “I confess I have no very clear understanding of this passage.” The difficulty lies in knowing what “that” is by which Livia destroys Isabella.
1117. have] Old ed. “has.”
1118. Runs on a sword, &c.] i. e. perhaps on a sword carried by one of the guard. The editor of 1816 gives “Falls on his sword;” but see the preceding speech of Hippolito.
1119. Drinks, &c.] Here the editor of 1816 gives “Stabs herself,” observing in a note, “I have added this stage-direction, without which I cannot otherwise understand the following speech of the Lord Cardinal’s.” But it is evident, I think, from the last words of Bianca,—
“Tasting the same death in a cup of love,”—
that she drains off the poisoned cup which she had prepared for the Cardinal, and which Ganymede had by mistake presented to the Duke.
1120. no enemy] Old ed. “no Enemy, no Enemy.”
Stage directions, except for entrances, can be:
The same convention is followed here. Since this version is wider than the original, most directions are on the same line as the speech.
Entrances were centered and separated slightly from lines above and below. This is rendered here as a full blank line.
The footnote scheme used lettered references, repeating a-z. On numerous occasions, letters were repeated, and sometimes skipped. The numeric resequencing of notes here resolves those lapses. Footnotes are sometimes referred to directly in a footnote by its letter designation. The few direct references to a lettered note use the new numeric value.
Note 891 regarding “Familists” of Amsterdam, refers the reader to a note on p. 104 of Volume 1. No relevant note appears there, but it is likely that the reference should be to the introductory note to “The Family of Love” in Volume 2, beginning on p. 103.
The cross-reference in note 194 for the term ‘foisting’ refers to p. 544 of vol. iii. The reference is to note 1186 in vol. ii.
Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original.
| 26.33 | Thou[l’/’l]t make me play | Transposed. |
| 118.33 | foisting] See note, vol. ii[i]., p. 544. | Removed |
| 119.33 | a very small coin.[”] | Added. |
| 193.34 | [“]First, promise me | Added. |
| 466.36 | cacokenny] Qy. [“]cacochymy” | Added. |
board] The spelling of the old ed. is right—“bord,” i. e. size. So in Beaumont and Fletcher’s Knight of the Burning Pestle;
where, says M. Mason, “bord means rim or circumference.”
corps] So the word is used as a plural in Epigrams and Satyres, by Richard Middleton, 1608;
“111 Rider’s Dictionary] A Dict. Engl. and Lat. and Lat. and Engl., by John Rider, first printed at Oxford, 1589, was a work once in great repute.”
“this she, trow;”
Read
“this she, trow?”
Roch, Main, and Petronill, itch and ague curers] Compare Taylor the water-poet: “he must be content with his office, as ... Saint Roch with scabbes and scurfes ... Saint Petronella the Ague or any Feuer.” A Bawd, p. 93—Workes, 1630.
Epistle to Nicholas the first, &c.] Since writing the note on these words, I have found in the Κειμηλια Literaria of Colomesius what he calls a confirmation of the absurd story of the six thousand infants’ heads. “Simile quid narratur a Joscelino, in Episcoporum Cantuariensium Vitis, p. 210. editionis Hanovianæ. Anno 1309, inquit, Radulphus Bourn Augustinensis Ecclesiæ Abbas electus, cum ad Papam Avinioni agentem confirmandus accessisset, reversus domum, testatur se vidisse in itinere piscinam in quadam Monialium Abbatia, quæ Provines dicebatur; in qua, cum educta aqua luto purgaretur, multa parvulorum ossa, ipsaque corpora adhuc integra reperiebantur. Unde ad criminalia judicia subeunda viginti septem Moniales Parisios ductæ et carceribus mancipatæ fuerunt, de quibus quid actum fuerit, nescivit.” Col. Opera, p. 301, ed. Fabr.
the new prophet, the astrological tailor] Perhaps Ball, who is thus mentioned by Osborn: “And, if common Fame did not outstrip Truth, King James was by Fear led into this extreme; finding his Son Henry not only averse to any Popish Match, but saluted by the Puritans as one prefigured in the Apocalyps for Rome’s destruction. And to parallel this, one Ball, a Taylor, was inspired with a like Lunacy, tho’ something more chargeable; for not only he, but Ramsay his Majesty’s Watch-maker, put out Money and Clocks, to be paid (but with small Advantage, considering the Improbability) when King James should be crowned in the Pope’s chair.” Trad. Memor. on the Reign of K. James—Works, vol. ii. p. 153, ed. 1722; see also B. Jonson’s Works by Gifford, vol. v. p. 242.
To take out] i. e. to copy—a not uncommon expression in our old writers.