A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ix Part 130

Marston, in the "First Part of Antonio and Mellida," act v., makes Balurdo say: "No, I am not Sir Jeffrey Balurdo: I am not as well known by my wit as an _alehouse_ by a _red lattice_."

[384] i.e., Defiles. See note on "Macbeth," edit. 1778, iv. 524.

--_Steevens_.

[385] [See note at p. 470.]

[386] The first edit, reads, _and any man else and he_.

[387] Three different departments of a prison, in which debtors were confined according to their ability or incapacity to pay for their accommodations: all three are pretty accurately described by Fennor in "The Compter's Commonwealth," 1617.

[388] [Edits., _importance_.]

[389] _Sack_ with _sugar_ was formerly a favourite liquor. Although it is mentioned very often in contemporary writers, it is difficult to collect from any circ.u.mstances what the kind of wine then called _sack_ was understood to be. In the Second Part of "Henry IV.," act iv. sc. 3, Falstaff speaks of _sherris sack_; and Dr Johnson supposes the fat knight's admired potation was what we now call _sherry_, which he says is drunk with sugar. This last a.s.sertion is contradicted by Mr Steevens, who with more truth a.s.serts that _sherry_ is at this time never drunk with _sugar_, whereas _Rhenish_ frequently is. Dr Warburton seems to be of opinion that the sweet wine still denominated _sack_ was that so often mentioned by Falstaff, and the great fondness of the English nation for _sugar_ rather countenances that idea. Hentzner, p. 88, edit.

1757, speaking of the manners of the English, says, _In potu copiosae immittunt saccarum_--they put a great deal of sugar in their drink; and Moryson, in his "Itinerary," 1617, p. 155, mentioning the Scots, observes, "They drinke pure wines, not with _sugar, as the English_;"

again, p. 152, "But gentlemen garrawse onely in wine, with which many mixe _sugar_, which I never observed in any other place or kingdome to be used for that purpose: and because the taste of the English is thus delighted with sweetnesse, the wines in tavernes (for I speak not of merchants or gentlemen's cellars) are commonly mixed at the filling thereof, to make them pleasant." _Sack and sugar_ are mentioned in "Jack Drum's Entertainment," sig. G 3; "The Shoemaker's Holiday," sig. E; "Everie Woman in Her Humour," sig. D 4; and "The Wonderful Yeare," 1603.

It appears, however, from the following pa.s.sage in "The English Housewife," by Gervase Markham, 1631, p. 162, that there were various species of _sack_: "Your best _sacke_ are of Seres in Spaine, your smaller of Galicia and Portugall: your strong _sackes_ are of the islands of the Canaries and of Malligo, and your Muscadine and Malmseys are of many parts of Italy, Greece, and some speciall islands." [But see an elaborate note on sack (vin sec) in Dyce's "Shakespeare Glossary,"

in _v_.]

[390] [Edit., _courses_.]

[391] [A room in the inn so called.]

[392] The second edition has it, _my master hopes to ride a c.o.c.khorse by him before he leaves him_.--_Collier_.

[393] _Such is Master Scarborow; such are his company_--edit. 1611.

--_Collier_.

[394] [A room so called.]

[395] [Old copies, _time_.]

[396] See note to "The City Nightcap," act iii.

[397] Move, or stir. _Bouger_, Fr.

[398] I believe an _Epythite_ signifies a beggar--[Greek: epithetaes].-- _Steevens_.

[399] [Alluding to a tapestry representing the story of Susanna.]

[400] [Edits., _father's old man_.]

[401] [Edits., _to_.]

[402] [Booty, earnings.]

[403] This is a corruption of the Italian _corragio_! courage! a hortatory exclamation. So, in the Epilogue to "Alb.u.mazer," 1615--

Two hundred crowns? and twenty pound a year For three good lives? _cargo_! hai, Trincalo!"

--_Steevens_.

[404] A Fr. G. _Cigue_, utr. a Lat. Cucuta.--_Skinner_.

_Cigue_ f. Hemlocke, Homlocke, hearbe Bennet, Kex.--_Cotgrave_.

[405] _Dry-meat_ is inserted from the copy of 1611.--_Collier_.

[406] _Heir_ and _heiress_ were formerly confounded in the same way as _prince_ was applied to both male and female. So in Cyril Tourneur's "Atheist's Tragedy," 1612, we have--

This Castabella is a wealthy _heire_."

--_Collier_.

[407] We must here suppose that butler whispers to Ilford the place where the lady _lies_ or _lodges_.--_Collier_.

[408] The following extracts from Stubbes's "Anatomie of Abuses," 4to, 1595, p. 57, will show the manners of the English in some particulars which are alluded to in the course of these volumes: "Other some (i.e., of the women of England) spend the greatest part of the day _in sitting at the dore_, to show their braveries, and to make knowne their beauties, to beholde the pa.s.sengers by, to view the coast, to see fas.h.i.+ons, and to acquaint themselves with the bravest fellows; for if not for these causes, I see no other causes why they _should sit at their dores_, from morning till noon (as many do), from noon to night, thus vainly spending their golden dayes in filthy idleness and sin.

Againe, other some being weary of that exercise, take occasion (about urgent affaires you must suppose) to walke into the towne, and least anything might be gathered, but that they goe about serious matters indeed, they take their baskets in their hands, or under their arms, under which pretence pretie conceits are practized, and yet may no man say black is their eye.

"In the field's and suburbes of the cities they have gardens either paled or walled round about very high, with their harbers and bowers fit for the purpose. And least they might be espied in these open places, they have their banquetting-houses with galleries, turrets, and what not, therein sumptuously erected: wherein they may (and doubtless do) many of them play the filthy persons. And for that their gardens are locked, some of them have three or four keys a piece, whereof one they keep for themselves, the other their paramours have to goe in before them, least happily they might be perceived, for then were all the sport dasht. Then to these gardens they repair, when they list, with a basket and a boy, where they meeting their sweet harts, receive their wished desires."

[409] See note to "The Parson's Wedding," iii. 3.

[410] [A woman of loose character. Such was its ordinary acceptation, yet not its invariable one. See Lovelace's Poems, by Hazlitt, 1864, pp.

xl., xli., and 133, notes.] See note to "King Henry IV., Part II.,"

edit. 1778, v. 522.--_Steevens_.

[411] [Edits., _throw_.]

[412] "Towards the rear of the stage there appears to have been a balcony or upper stage, the platform of which was probably eight or nine feet from the ground. I suppose it to have been supported by pillars.

From hence, in many of our old plays, part of the dialogue was spoken; and in front of it curtains likewise were hung, so as occasionally to conceal the persons in it from the view of the audience."--Malone's "History of the Stage." See his edition of "Shakespeare" by Boswell, iii. 79.

[413] [The two brothers, disguised for the purpose, pretend to be their sister's uncles, and engage in a conversation about her marriage, intended to be overheard by Ilford and the others below.]

[414] [Edits., _beyond discourse, she's a paragon for a prince, than a fit implement for a gentleman; beyond my element_.]

[415] [Edit. 1607] says, _Exit Ilford with his Sister_, but this is obviously an error: it means with Scarborow's sister.--_Collier_.

[416] _Indeed_, second and third editions.

[417] [Edits., _for_.]

[418] [Edits., _flourish_.]

[419] [i.e., _Which make_.]

[420] _Them_ is the reading of the quarto, 1611, and perhaps Thomas refers to "nature and her laws," mentioned not very intelligibly, in his preceding speech.--_Collier_. [The first edit. of 1607 reads rightly _thee_.]

[421] The grammar and language of this line are alike obscure and incorrect; but the sense is tolerably clear--"Thou hast been so bad, the best thing I can say is, &c."