1. passion] i. e. sorrow.
2. arrant] The rhyme requiring the old spelling.
3. Before Sir Oliver Twilight’s house] There is nothing in this scene to assist us in determining where it takes place. Perhaps I have not marked it rightly; but the location now given to it seems, on the whole, to be that which is least objectionable.
4. his affected mistress] i.e. the mistress whom he affects.
5. have] Old ed. “hath.”
6. See where he comes] I possess a copy of this play, which seems to have been used by the prompter towards the end of the 17th century, several passages being altered, and many marked for omission. As a specimen of the former, the present speech will suffice:
“See where he comes, as melancholly and angry as a looseing Bully of Marribone.”
7. True] Qy. “Tush”?
8. ne’er] Old ed. “now.”
10. him] i. e. Philip.
11. unkindly] i. e. unnatural (not according to kind—nature).
12. dower] Old ed. “Down.”
13. covetous] Old ed. “courteous.”
14. May-butter] “If during the moneth of May before you salt your butter you saue a lumpe thereof, and put it into a vessell, and so set it into the Sun the space of that moneth, you shall finde it exceeding soueraigne and medicinable for wounds, straines, aches, and such like grievances.” G. Markham’s English Housewife, p. 199, ed. 1637.
15. condition] i. e. disposition, nature.
16. Thanks, good, &c.] Makes in old ed. a portion of Jane’s speech.
17. Dowland’s Lacrymæ] “Lachrimæ or seaven Teares figured in seaven passionate Pauans, with divers other Pauans, Galiards, and Almands, set forth for the Lute, Viols, or Violons, in five Parts,” was a very popular musical work, composed by John Dowland, a celebrated lutanist.
18. and] i. e. if.
20. tenth] Old ed. “eleventh.”
21. against the hair] i. e. against the grain, contrary to nature.
22. devil] old ed. “Devils.”
23. angels] A play on the word—gold coins worth about ten shillings each.
24. runs there ... no comfortable strain] Compare Skelton’s Magnyfycence;
The verb is more common;
25. jets] i. e. struts.
26. price] Qy. “piece”?
27. an adversary] Old ed. “a longer adversary.”
28. brief] i. e. short writing.
29. lose] Used here perhaps ironically: but qy. “taste”?
30. suits] Old ed. “Suiters.”
31. glass] A friend suggests “gloss:” but in act ii. sc. 1, Lady G. says of the letter in question, “here’s a glass will shew him,” &c.
32. brave] i. e. fine.
33. Herein] Qy. “Wherein”?
34. shut] Old ed. “shuts.”
35. Philip] After this word old ed. gives a stage-direction “Enter Philip,” though it has previously marked his entrance at the commencement of the scene.
37. ye] Old ed. “you”—but this line was meant to rhyme with the next.
38. ought] i. e. owed.
39. sh’ owes] Old ed. “shows:”—owes, i. e. owns, possesses.
40. trow] i. e. think you.
41. great slops] i. e. wide trousers.
42. be cover’d] i. e. put on your hat.
43. passion] i. e. sorrow.
44. budgelling] Perhaps a form of boggling. A friend suggests “budgetting.”
45. son] Qy. “sum”? but perhaps “this” in the next line means Savourwit.
46. make] Old ed. “makes.”
47. lets] i. e. hinders.
48. I’d] Old ed. “I’ll.”
49. hartichalks and cabishes] i. e. artichokes and cabbages.
50. And] i. e. if.
51. squat] Jamieson (Sup. to Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang.) gives “Squat, to strike with the open hand, particularly on the breech,” in which sense the word seems to be used above.
52. Beholding] i. e. Beholden—a form of the word frequent in old writers.
53. resolve] i. e. satisfy, inform.
54. quit] i. e. requite.
55. and] i. e. if.
56. necessary property] This expression occurs in vol. iii. p. 598: see note, p. 640 of that vol., and note, vol. ii. p. 308.
57. strossers] Or trossers, trusses, &c.—i. e. tight drawers: see Gifford’s note on Shirley’s Works, vol. i. p. 19.
59. Now, gallant, &c.] Is read, in old ed., by lady Goldenfleece.
60. conceit] i. e. fanciful thought, ingenious device—alluding to the Signs which are presently brought in.
62. banquet] Equivalent (as I have already observed, see note, vol. iii. p. 252,) to what we now call a dessert. G. Markham, in his English Housewife, has the following passage. “I will now proceed to the ordering or setting forth of a Banquet, wherein you shall observe, that Marchpanes have the first place, the middle place and last place; your preserved fruits shall be dish’d up first, your pastes next, your wet Suckets after them, then your dryed Suckets, then your Marmalades, and Goodiniakes, then your Comfets of all kindes; Next your Peares, Apples, Wardens back’d, raw or rosted, and your Orenges and Lemons sliced; and lastly, your Wafer-cakes. Thus you shall order them in the closet: but when they goe to the Table, you shall first send forth a dish made for shew only, as Beast, Bird, Fish, Fowle, according to the invention: then your Marchpane, then preserved fruite, then a Paste, then a wet Sucket, then a dry Sucket, Marmalade, Comfets, Apples, Peares, Wardens, Orenges and Lemons, sliced; and then Wafers, and another dish of preserved fruites, and so consequently all the rest before, no two dishes of one kinde going or standing together, and this will not onely appeare delicate to the eye, but invite the appetite with the much variety thereof.” P. 136, ed. 1637.
63. Take no care for me, widow] I may just observe, that this speech of Weatherwise, and his next speech but one, “By the mass,” &c., seem to have been intended for blank verse; and probably are somewhat corrupted.
65. Yes] Qy. “Yet”?
66. and] i. e. if.
67. Come cut and long tail] i. e. come who will—dogs of all sorts.
68. Townbull Street] i. e. a jocular corruption, I suppose, of Turnbull, or, properly, Turnmill Street: see note, vol. iv. p. 34.
70. have] Old ed. “has.”
71. cypress] Written also cyprus, cipres—a stuff something like (or, according to Nares, Gloss. in v., the same as) crape.
72. yon] Old ed. “you.”
73. and] i. e. if.
74. these] Old ed. “this.”
75. resolve] i. e. satisfy, inform.
77. quit] i. e. requite.
78. have] Old ed. “has.”
81. Staying Lady Twilight] Old ed. “Shogs his Mother.”
82. and] i. e. if.
83. to] i. e. compared with.
84. play] Old ed. “plays.”
85. ye] Old ed. “you:” but a couplet was evidently intended.
86. jealous] i. e. suspicious.
87. devotion] Compare the Communion Service, “shall receive the alms for the poor, and other devotions of the people, in a decent basin.”
88. Approve] i. e. prove.
89. and] i. e. if.
90. these] Old ed. “those.”
91. like] i. e. please.
92. rubs ... mistress] A metaphor from the game of bowls: the mistress meant the small ball, now called the jack, at which the players aim.
93. and] i. e. if.
94. and] i. e. if.
95. knew] Old ed. “know.”
96. peevish] i. e. foolish, weak, poor.
98. Throws, &c.] Old ed. “Throws somewhat at him.”
99. lead] Old ed. “leads.”
100. cogging] i. e. lying, cheating. The particular allusion I do not understand.
103. parbreaking] i. e. vomiting.—Old ed. “Barbreaking.”
104. feed] A friend conjectures “fleet”—i. e. float; but notwithstanding the confusion of metaphors, I believe that the text is right.
105. affection] Old ed. “affliction.”
106. suffice] Old ed. “suffer.”
107. proper] i. e. handsome.
108. Make clear the weather] The words of mistress Low-water to Beveril: see above.
109. Act III.] I am not responsible (as in some other of Middleton’s dramas) for the division of this play into acts; which I notice on account of the comparative shortness of the present act.
110. bewrayed] i. e. betrayed, discovered.
111. tail] Old ed. “tails.”
112. And] i. e. if.
113. slander] Old ed. “slave.” The author, I apprehend, would hardly have written “slaver” (in the sense of slander.)
114. whilom] i. e. once, formerly.
115. passion] i. e. grief.
116. Pond’s Almanac] The following is the title of the earliest Pond’s Almanac I have met with,—“Ponde. 1607. A President for Prognosticators. A new Almanacke for this present yeare of our Lord God M.DCVII. Being the third after Leape yeare. Calculated for the Latitude and Meridian of the Auncient shire towne of Essex called Chelmesford: And generally for all great Britaine, amplyfied with new additions, By Edward Pond: practicioner in the Mathematickes & Phisick. Imprinted at London for the Company of Stationers.”
117. Fifth day, &c.] Compare vol. iii. p. 537, and p. 18 of this volume.
118. and] i. e. if.
120. believ’d] Old ed. “bely’d.”
121. candles] Qy. “caudles”?
123. stand] Old ed. “stands.”
127. Are] Old ed. “Is.”
128. nicely] i. e. scrupulously.
129. and] i. e. if.
130. proceeded] A university term: compare vol. iv. p. 68, and note.
131. Air] Old ed. “fair.”
132. aloof off] Compare vols. i. p. 427; iii. p. 40, and notes.
133. joy] Old ed. “joys.”
134. lets] i. e. hinders.
135. quit] i. e. acquitted.
136. And] i. e. if.
137. proper] i. e. handsome.
138. and] i. e. if.
139. faith] Old ed. “y’faith.”
140. set] Old ed. “sets;” and in next line but one “Has.”
141. ’fection] So old ed.—a contraction of affection—i. e. affectation.
143. to approv’d] i. e. to have proved.
145. Sir O. Twi., &c.] Old ed. “All. Sir Ol.”
146. knows] Old ed. “that knows.”
147. and] i. e. if.
148. branched] Has been explained—embroidered, flowered (see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. and Cotgrave’s in v.); but if Gifford be right (note on Ford’s Works, vol. ii. p. 510), it means “with tufts, or tassels, dependent from the shoulders.”
149. sweep] Old ed. “sweeps.”
150. bleaking-house] i. e. bleaching-house.
151. and] i. e. if.
152. warring] Old ed. “waiting.”
153. and] i. e. if.
154. blue-coats] i. e. servants—who usually wore blue.
155. Scene closes] Old ed. has “Manent Widow and Mrs. Low-water,” and after that stage-direction, distinctly marks, “Act 5. Scæn. 1.”
157. And] i. e. if.
158. miss’d] Old ed. “must.”
159. powers] Qy. “pores”?
160. above] i.e. on the upper stage—which was supposed to represent a gallery on this occasion: see note, vol. ii. p. 125.
161. best—] So old ed. Qy. “best bow”—a couplet being intended?
162. resolv’d] i. e. satisfied.
163. refuse] i. e. renounce.