A Select Collection of Old English Plays Originally Published by Robert Dodsley in the year 1744

OLD ENGLISH PLAYS. Damon. Stay, stay, stay! for the king’s advantage, stay! O mighty king, mine appointed time is not yet fully pass’d; Within the compass of mine hour, lo, here I come at last. A life I owe, and a life I will you pay: O my Pithias, my noble pledge, my constant friend! Ah! woe is me! for Damon’s sake, how near were thou to thy end! Give place to me, this room is mine, on this stage must I play. Damon is the man, none ought but he to Dionysius his blood to pay. Gronno. Are you come, sir? you might have tarried, if you had been wise: For your hasty coming you are like to know the price. Pithias. O thou cruel minister, why didst not thou thine office? Did I not beg thee make haste in any wise? Hast thou spared to kill me once, that I may die twice? Not to die for my friend is present death to me; and alas! Shall I see my sweet Damon slain before my face? What double death is this? but, O mighty Dionysius, Do true justice now: weigh this aright, thou noble Eubulus; Let me have no wrong, as now stands the case: Damon ought not to die, but Pithias: By misadventure, not by his will, his hour is past; therefore I, Because he came not at his just time, ought justly to die: So was my promise, so was thy promise, O king, All this court can bear witness of this thing. Damon. Not so, O mighty king: to justice it is contrary, That for another man’s fault the innocent should die: Ne yet is my time plainly expired, it is not fully noon. Of this my day appointed, by all the clocks in the town. Pithias. Believe no clock, the hour is past by the sun. Damon. Ah my Pithias, shall we now break the bonds of amity? Will you now overthwart me, which heretofore so well did agree? Pithias. My Damon, the gods forbid but we should agree; Therefore agree to this, let me perform the promise made for thee. Let me die for thee: do me not that injury, Both to break my promise, and to suffer me to see thee die, Whom so dearly I love: this small request grant me, I shall never ask thee more, my desire is but friendly. Do me this honour, that fame may report triumphantly, That Pithias for his friend Damon was contented to die. Damon. That you were contented for me to die, fame cannot deny; Yet fame shall never touch me with such a villainy, To report that Damon did suffer his friend Pithias for him guiltless to die; Therefore content thyself, the gods requite thy constant faith, None but Damon’s blood can appease Dionysius’ wrath. And now, O mighty king, to you my talk I convey; Because you gave me leave my worldly things to stay, To requite that good turn, ere I die, for your behalf this I say, Although your regal state dame Fortune decketh so, That like a king in worldly wealth abundantly ye flow, Yet fickle is the ground whereon all tyrants tread, A thousand sundry cares and fears do haunt their restless head: No trusty band, no faithful friends do guard thy hateful state, And why? whom men obey for deadly fear, sure them they deadly hate. That you may safely reign, by love get friends, whose constant faith Will never fail, this counsel gives poor Damon at his death: Friends are the surest guard for kings, gold in time does [142] wear away, And other precious things do fade, friendship will never decay. Have friends in store therefore, so shall you safely sleep; Have friends at home, of foreign foes so need you take no keep. Abandon flatt’ring tongues, whose clacks truth never tell; Abase the ill, advance the good, in whom dame virtue dwells; Let them your playfellows be: but O, you earthly kings, Your sure defence and strongest guard stands chiefly in faithful friends: Then get you friends by liberal deeds; and here I make an end. Accept this counsel, mighty king, of Damon, Pithias’ friend. O my Pithias! now farewell for ever, let me kiss thee, ere I die, My soul shall honour thee, thy constant faith above the heavens shall fly. Come, Gronno, do thine office now; why is thy colour so dead? My neck is so short, that thou wilt never have honesty in striking off this head. [143] Dionysius. Eubulus, my spirits are suddenly appalled, my limbs wax weak: This strange friendship amazeth me so, that I can scarce speak. Pithias. O mighty king, let some pity your noble heart meve; You require but one man’s death, take Pithias, let Damon live. Eubulus. O unspeakable friendship! Damon. Not so, he hath not offended, there is no cause why My constant friend Pithias for Damon’s sake should die. Alas, he is but young, he may do good to many. Thou coward minister, why dost thou not let me die? Gronno. My hand with sudden fear quivereth. Pithias. O noble king, show mercy upon Damon, let Pithias die. Dionysius. Stay, Gronno, my flesh trembleth. Eubulus, what shall I do? Were there ever such friends on earth as were these two? What heart is so cruel that would divide them asunder? O noble friendship, I must yield; at thy force I wonder. My heart this rare friendship hath pierc’d to the root, And quenched all my fury: this sight hath brought this about, Which thy grave counsel, Eubulus, and learned persuasion could never do. [ To Damon and Pithias ] O noble gentlemen, the immortal gods above Hath made you play this tragedy, I think, for my behoof: Before this day I never knew what perfect friendship meant. My cruel mind to bloody deeds was full and wholly bent: My fearful life I thought with terror to defend, But now I see there is no guard unto a faithful friend, Which will not spare his life at time of present need: O happy kings, who in [144] your courts have two such friends indeed! I honour friendship now, which that you may plainly see, Damon, have thou thy life, from death I pardon thee; For which good turn, I crave, this honour do me lend, O friendly heart, let me link with you, to you [145] make me the third friend. My court is yours; dwell here with me, by my commission large, Myself, my realm, my wealth, my health, I commit to your charge: Make me a third friend, more shall I joy in that thing, Than to be called, as I am, Dionysius the mighty king. Damon. O mighty king, first for my life most humble thanks I give, And next, I praise the immortal gods that did your heart so meve, That you would have respect to friendship’s heavenly lore, Foreseeing well he need not fear which hath true friends in store. For my part, most noble king, as a third friend, welcome to our friendly society; But you must forget you are a king, for friendship stands in true equality. Dionysius. Unequal though I be in great possessions, Yet full equal shall you find me in my changed conditions. Tyranny, flattery, oppression, lo, here I cast away; Justice, truth, love, friendship, shall be my joy: True friendship will I honour unto my life’s end; My greatest glory shall be to be counted a perfect friend. Pithias. For this your deed, most noble king, the gods advance your name, And since to friendship’s lore you list your princely heart to frame, With joyful heart, O king, most welcome now to me, With you will I knit the perfect knot of amity: Wherein I shall instruct you so, and Damon here your friend, That you may know of amity the mighty force, and eke the joyful end: And how that kings do stand upon a fickle ground, Within whose realm at time of need no faithful friends are found. Dionysius. Your instruction will I follow; to you myself I do commit. Eubulus, make haste to fet new apparel, fit For my new friends. Eubulus. I go with joyful heart. O happy day! [ Aside. ] [ Exit. Gronno. I am glad to hear this word. Though their lives they do not lese, It is no reason [146] the hangman should lose his fees: These are mine, I am gone with a trice. [ Exit. Here entereth Eubulus with new garments . Dionysius. Put on these garments now; go in with me, the jewels of my court. Damon and Pithias . We go with joyful hearts. Stephano. O Damon, my dear master, in all this joy remember me. Dionysius. My friend Damon, he asketh reason. Damon. Stephano, for thy good service be thou free. [ Exeunt Dion . [147] Stephano. O most happy, pleasant, joyful, and triumphant day! Poor Stephano now shall live in continual play: [148] Vive le roy , with Damon and Pithias, in perfect amity. Vive tu , Stephano, in thy pleasant liberality: [149] Wherein I joy as much as he that hath a conquest won, I am a free man, none so merry as I now under the sun. Farewell, my lords, now the gods grant you all the sum of perfect amity, And me long to enjoy my long-desired liberty. [ Exit. Here entereth Eubulus beating Carisophus . Away, villain! away, you flatt’ring parasite! Away, the plague of this court! thy filed tongue, that forged lies, No more here shall do hurt: away, false sycophant! wilt thou not? Carisophus. I am gone, sir, seeing it is the king’s pleasure. Why whip ye me alone? a plague take Damon and Pithias! since they came hither, I am driven to seek relief abroad, alas! I know not whither. Yet, Eubulus, though I be gone, here after time shall try, There shall be found even in this court as great flatterers as I. Well, for a while I will forego the court, though to my great pain: I doubt not but to spy a time, when I may creep in again. [ Exit. Eubulus. The serpent that eats men alive, flattery, with all her brood, Is whipp’d away in princes’ courts, which yet did never good. What force, what mighty power true friendship may possess, To all the world Dionysius’ court now plainly doth express: Who since to faithful friends he gave his willing ear, Most safely sitteth on his seat, and sleeps devoid of fear. Purged is the court of vice, since friendship ent’red in, Tyranny quails, he studieth now with love each heart to win: Virtue is had in price, and hath his just reward; And painted speech, that gloseth for gain, from gifts is quite debarr’d. One loveth another now for virtue, not for gain; Where virtue doth not knit the knot, there friendship cannot reign; Without the which no house, no land, no kingdom can endure, As necessary for man’s life as water, air, and fire, Which frameth the mind of man all honest things to do. Unhonest things friendship ne craveth, ne yet consents thereto. In wealth a double joy, in woe a present stay, A sweet companion in each state true friendship is alway: A sure defence for kings, a perfect trusty band, A force to assail, a shield to defend the enemies’ cruel hand; A rare and yet the greatest gift that God can give to man; So rare, that scarce four couple of faithful friends have been, since the world began. A gift so strange and of such price, I wish all kings to have; But chiefly yet, as duty bindeth, I humbly crave, True friendship and true friends, full fraught with constant faith, The giver of all friends, the Lord, grant her, most noble Queen Elizabeth. The Last Song. The strongest guard that kings can have, Are constant friends their state to save; True friends are constant both in word and deed, True friends are present, and help at each need; True friends talk truly, they glose for no gain, When treasure consumeth, true friends will remain; True friends for their true prince refuseth not their death: The Lord grant her such friends, most noble Queen Elizabeth. Long may she govern in honour and wealth, Void of all sickness, in most perfect health; Which health to prolong, as true friends require, God grant she may have her own heart’s desire: Which friends will defend with most steadfast faith, The Lord grant her such friends, most noble Queen Elizabeth. FINIS. [1] [This preface was found among my father’s dramatic collectanea, formed about 1850, and I have printed it with a few additions.— W.C.H. ] [2] It was acted on the 2d and 3d September 1566. [3] [Warton’s “H.E.P.,” by Hazlitt, iv. , 215-16.] [4] “Annals of the Stage,” iii. , 1. [5] “British Bibliographer,” Introduction to the “Paradise of Dainty Devices,” p. vi. The reader may also be referred to Brydges’ “Restituta,” i. , 367; “Brit. Bibl.” i. , 494; “Censura Literaria,” first edit. vii. , 350. [6] [Warton’s “H.E.P.,” by Hazlitt,” iv. , 215.] [7] See “Nugæ Antiquæ,” vol. ii. , p. 392, ed. 1804. [8] [As to the song of the “Willow Garland,” mentioned by Warton as by Edwards, see “H.E.P.” by Hazlitt, iv. , 216.] [9] “History of English Poetry,” by Hazlitt, iv. , p. 21. [A writer in the “Shakespeare Society’s Papers,” vol. ii. , printed from what he supposed to be a fragment of a later impression of this book the story of the “Waking Man’s Dream,” which is also to be found narrated in Burton’s “Anatomy of Melancholy,” 1621.] [10] [See Warton’s “H.E.P.” by Hazlitt, iv. , 214. Warton is very positive in asserting that the first edition was not in 1571, but in 1570, yet no such edition is at present known. The play, however, having been licensed in 1567 (Collier’s “Extr. from Stat. Reg.” i. , 166), it is extremely probable that it was published even before 1570.] [11] A specimen of the elegy on Edwards by Turbervile printed in the editions of his poems in 1567 and 1570, is here subjoined: “Epitaph on Maister Edwards, sometime Maister of the Children of the Chappell, and Gentleman of Lyncolnes Inne of Court— “Ye Learned Muses nine, and sacred Sisters all, Now lay your cheereful Cithrons downe and to lamenting fall. Rent off those garlandes greene, doe laurel leaves away, Remove the myrtill from your browes, and stint on strings to play; For he that led the daunce, the chiefest of your traine, I meane the man that Edwards height, by cruell death is slaine. Ye courtyers chaunge your cheere, lament in wailfull wise, For now your Orpheus hath resignd, in clay his Carcas lies. O ruth, he is bereft, that whilst he liued heere, For Poet’s Pen and passing Wit, could haue no Englishe Peere. His vaine in Verse was such, so stately eke his stile, His feate in forging sugred Songs with cleane and curious file; As all the learned Greekes and Romaines would repine, If they did live againe, to vewe his Verse with scornefull eine.” [12] Nature. [13] Authours , first edition. [14] Spake , second edition. [15] Although it is obvious that great pains were taken by Mr Reed and others (to say nothing of Dodsley) in the collation of this dramatic piece, yet they left it in a very imperfect state. In the course of it not less than fifty important variations and errors have been detected, consisting of words omitted, and words accidentally inserted, independently of errors of the press, for which of course an editor was not responsible. It is hoped that it will be now found more uniformly correct, although the editor can scarcely flatter himself that the reprint may not be still found defective.— Collier. [16] Philosophie , both editions. The alteration by Mr Dodsley. [But Dodsley does not seem to have perceived that by the change he converted the text into nonsense. The original reads— “Lovers of wisdom are termed philosophie.” The emendation introduced was suggested by Mr Collier, who remarks:] “In the next line the author expressly speaks of lovyng of wisdom , as if intending to employ the words he had used before.” [17] [Scurrility.] [18] Great , second edition. [19] Omitted in second edition. [20] The , second edition. [21] Omitted in second edition. [22] [The original has consultat .] [23] A Fletcher is a maker of arrows, from fleche an arrow, Fr. The Fletcher’s Company had several charters granted to them, though at present, I believe, they have only a nominal existence. Aristippus means to say, that he differs as much in disposition from Carisophus , as Jack the arrowsmith varies in quality from a bolt or arrow of his own making.— S. [24] So, in [Fulwell’s] “Leke [will] to Leke, quoth the Devil to the Collier” [1568]: “There thou mayst be called a knave in grane, And where knaves be scant thou mayst go for twayne.” See a note on “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” vol. i. , edition 1778, p. 176.— S. [25] i.e., If he were hanged for it, he could not tell one tale without telling two lies. Yet Mr Collier would change where to were he . [26] This whole line is omitted in the later of the two old copies, and as Mr Reed and his friend remarked in their notes sometimes even the variation of letters, it is singular that they should have passed over this circumstance without observation.— Collier. [27] Meane , second edition. [28] Ed. 1571 has patron . [29] This was proverbial. See [Hazlitt’s] “Collection of Proverbs,” p. 291. [30] A proverbial expression often found in ancient writers. Heywood has it: “Happy man, happy dole .” See Dyce’s Glossary to his second edition of Shakespeare, p. 201. Dole , Mr Steevens observes (Notes to “The Taming of the Shrew,” act i. , sc. 1), is any thing dealt out or distributed, though its original meaning was the provision given away at the doors of great men’s houses. It is generally written be his dole , though Ray, p. 116, gives it as in the second 4to by his dole. Shakespeare also uses the phrase in “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” Again, in “Hudibras,” p. 1, c. 3, l. 637— “Let us that are unhurt and whole, Fall on, and happy man be’s dole .” [31] He , first edition. [32] Bosome , second edition. [33] Original, outwery . [34] Seeketh , second edition. [35] Grace , second edition. [36] Quietly , first edition. [37] [i.e., So near are they .] [38] To contrive in this place signifies to wear away, to spend, from contero , Lat. So in Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew,” act i., sc. 2— “Please you we many contrive this afternoon?” Totum hunc contrivi diem. — S. See also the Notes of Dr Warburton and Dr Johnson on the above line in Shakespeare. [39] Taunts or sarcasms. See Johnson.— N. [40] Plain-song is planus cantus , uniform modulation. Descant is musical paraphrase. See a Note on “The Midsummer Night’s Dream,” vol. iii., p. 63; and another on “King Richard III. ” vol. vii., p. 6, edit. 1778.— S. [41] Spenser has this word which, as Dr Johnson observes, appears to be the same as winch . It should seem to be expressive of some slight degree of pain, and in this instance to mean the same as if the speaker had said, I care not a fillip .— S. [42] Dionysius the tyrant is said to have punished with death one of his subjects for dreaming he had killed him. This was hardly more iniquitous than the execution of the gentleman, who having a white deer in his park, which was killed by Edward the Fourth, wished the deer, horns and all, in the belly of him that counselled the king to kill it, whereas in truth no man counselled the king to it : or than the attainder and execution of Algernon Sydney, on the evidence of private and unpublished papers, without any proof, or even a suggestion, of their intended publication.”— Principles of Penal Law , c. 11. [43] With crueltie , second edition. [44] Through , both editions. The alteration by Mr Dodsley. [45] Is lyke unto a stage , second edition. [46] This sentence stands in the old copies, Omnis solum fortis patria .— Collier. [But Mr Collier printed patriæ . [47] See [Hazlitt’s] “Proverbs,” p. [336.] [48] The seat means the situation . See, in Dr Johnson’s Dictionary, instances of it from Raleigh, Hayward, Bacon, and B. Jonson.— N. So Duncan, in “Macbeth,” says— “This castle hath a pleasant seat .” [49] This quotation is given as follows in both the old copies— “ Dic mihi musa virum captæ post tempora Trojæ, Multorum homines mores qui vidit et urbes. ” Query—Was it meant by the author that Damon should misquote?— Collier. [Surely not.] [50] This is he , &c., first edition. [51] i.e. , Plentiful suppers, luxurious couches, and the king’s purse full of gold at command. [In the original this is printed so as to be absolute nonsense.] Aristippus was not intended for a blunderer.— S. [52] Tyoe , first edition. [53] A cant term for be silent; mum and budget are the words made use of by Slender and Ann Page in “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” [54] [To make up his plunder or prize-money. From the old French bouge .] [55] The first edition reads— “I wyll lay one mouth for you to Dionysius,” &c., which was altered in the second edition as it stands in the text.— Collier. [56] A proverbial expression, of which it is difficult to give a satisfactory explanation, though the meaning of it is sufficiently obvious. A gentleman, who formerly wrote in The Gentleman’s Magazine under a feigned name, supposes the word cat should be changed to cate ; “an old word for a cake or other aumalette , which being usually fried , and consequently turn’d in the pan , does therefore very aptly express the changing of sides in politics or religion, or, as we otherwise say, the turning one’s coat . Gentleman’s Magazine , 1754, p. 66. Another writer, however, gives the following [very absurd] explanation of it:— “ Capitan , to turn capitan , from a people called Catipani , in Calabria and Apulia , who got an ill name by reason of their perfidy; very falsely by us called Cat in pan .”— Ibid. p. 172. [57] Should , second edition. [58] Commodity is interest. So in the former part of this play, p. 198— “They would honour friendship, and not for commodity .” and see “King John,” act ii., sc. 2— “ Commodity , the bias of the world.” [59] [A rare word in this sense; for it appears to stand for blab .] [60] [Original reads tunes . The emendation was first suggested by Mr Collier.] [61] Regale sorta di strumento simile all’organo, maminore.—Baretti Dizion. Ital. ed Ing. Bacon distinguishes between the regal and the organ in a manner which shows them to be instruments of the same class. “The sounds that produce tones are ever from such bodies as have their parts and pores equal, as are nightingale pipes of regals or organs.”— Nat. Hist. cent, ii., sec. 102. But, notwithstanding these authorities, the appellative regal has given great trouble to the lexicographer, whose sentiments with regard to its signification are collected and brought into one point of view by Sir John Hawkins, in his “History of Music,” vol. ii., p. 448, from whence this note is extracted. See also a note by the Hon. Daines Barrington to “Hamlet,” act iii., sc. 2, in the edition of Shakspeare, 1773, omitted in that of 1778. [62] Seeing , second edit. [63] Should , first edit. [64] Now , first edit. [65] Unto , second edit. [66] [ Too , first edit. ] [67] [ What , both eds. ] [68] Crowd. [69] “ King ” is omitted in the first edition, and supplied by the second.— Collier. [70] This , first edition. [71] [Old editions have, where opinion simplenesse have , &c. Simpleness, ignorance— i.e. , who have deserved mercy, having offended from not knowing better.] [72] Thrust , first edition. [73] [Old edit. , injurie .] [74] Yeelde speedily , second edition. [75] To pawne , second edition. [76] Folly. Thus Spenser, in his Sonnets, “ Fondess it were for any, being free, To covet fetters, though they golden be.” [77] Old editions read, Take heede: for life wordly , &c. [78] Hinder me. [79] [I do not understand the allusion. The sense seems to be, I will beat you, come what may—I will put prudence in my purse or pocket.] [80] [Originals have colpheg you .] I believe we should read, colaphize —i.e., box or buffet. Colaphiser , Fr. See Cotgrave’s “Dictionary.”— Steevens. [81] i.e. , Loose companion. So Spenser— “Might not be found a ranker franion .” Again— “A faire franion fit for such a pheere.”— S. Again, in “The First Part of King Edward IV. ,” sign. C, p. 5: “Hees a franke franion , a merrie companion, and loves a wench well.” [82] See Note to “Gammer Gurton’s Needle,” vol. iii., p. 198. [83] [ Stephano spelled backwards.] [84] Read Κρητιξω . Vide Erasm. Adag. The Cretans were famous for double-dealing. Cretizare , however, is a word employ’d by lexicographers, instead of mentiri.— Steevens . [85] Crack-rope was a common term of contempt in old plays. “You codshed, you cracke-rope , you chattering pye.” — Apius and Virginia , sign. B. Again in that very rare play, “The Two Italian Gentlemen”— “Then let him be led through every streete in the town, That every crackrope may fling rotten egs at the clown.” — Collier . [See also Tarlton’s “Jests,” 1611 (“Old English Jest-Books,” ii., p. 211).] [86] [Old edition, which .] [87] [Old editions have monckes .] [88] [Old editions have pantacle .] I suppose he means to say a pantofle — i.e. , a slipper. Perhaps he begins his attack with a kick.— S. The second edition reads— “Even heere with a faire pantacle I will you disgrace,” an epithet not found in the oldest copy, and hardly consistent with the supposition that pantacle means pantofle .— Collier . [Probably, a slap on the face.] [89] Geve , second edition. [90] More properly touch-box . While match-locks, instead of fire-locks, to guns were used, the touch-box , at which the match was lighted, was part of the accoutrement of a soldier. “When she his flask and touch-box set on fire.” Line of an author, whose name I cannot at this time recollect.— Steevens . [91] A Dottrel is a silly kind of bird which imitates the actions of the fowler, till at last he is taken. If the fowler stretches out a leg, the bird will do so to. So, in Butler’s “Character of a Fantastic ( Remains , vol. ii., p. 132)”: “He alters his gate with the times, and has not a motion of his body that ( like a Dottrel ) he does not borrow from somebody else.” See also Jonson’s “Devil is an Ass,” iv. , 6, and Dyce’s “Beaumont and Fletcher,” iii. , 79, and v. , 64. [92] [Original here has Cobex epi . Colliers used to be nick-named Carry-coals . See Hazlitt’s “Proverbs,” p. 98.] [93] [Do up, open.] [94] [For the supply of the court, or Bouche de la cour .] [95] It was you , first edition. [96] Doth , second edition. [97] i.e. , A cast of that species of hawks that were called Merlins .— Steevens. He calls them [ merlins , which he might perhaps have been supposed to pronounce] Murlons on account of their size. Merlins were the smallest species of hawks. Turbervile says, “These merlyns are very much like the haggart falcon in plume, in seare of the foote, in beake and talons. So as there seemeth to be no oddes or difference at al betwixt them save only in the bignesse , for she hath like demeanure, like plume, and very like conditions to the falcon, and in hir kind is of like courage, and therefore must be kept as choycely and as daintly as the falcon.” The merlin was chiefly used to fly at small birds; and Latham says, it was particularly appropriated to the service of ladies. [98] Father Grimme , second edition. [99] [Something seems to have dropped out of the text here to this purport.] [100] Adopted into the original text from the second edition.— Collier. [101] [A play on the similarity between rug and rogue .] [102] What fault can you see heere? second edition. [103] [Small casks, buckets.] [104] i.e. , Robin red breasts. Shakespeare uses ruddock for red breast in “Cymbeline.”— S. Again, in Nash’s “Lenten Stuff,” 1599: “He eft soons defined unto me, that the red herring was this old tickle cob, or magister fac totum, that brought in the red ruddocks , and the grummel seed as thick as oatmeal, and made Yarmouth for Argent to put down the city of Argentine.” [105] Hose at , second edition. [106] Well , first edition. [107] [Luscious.] [108] An intended mistake for muscadine. — S. [109] Jebit avow mon companion. Both 4tos. — S. [110] Ihar vow pleadge pety Zawne. Both 4tos. [ Zawne appears to be a loose application of Zani quasi noodle , though here, perhaps, the meaning is rather mimic .] [111] Was , second edition. [112] [Interrupt? See Nares, edition 1859, in v.] [113] Coppe , in Chaucer, is used for the top of anything, and here seems intended to signify the head, or, as the common phrase is, a hair-brained fellow. [114] Merie , second edition. [115] See “Gammer Gurton’s Needle,” vol. iii., p. 189, note. [116] [See Rimbault’s “Little Book of Songs and Ballads,” 1851, p. 83.] [117] Benne is the French word for a sack to carry coals. See Cotgrave. [118] Bate me an ace, quoth Bolton, is among the Proverbs published by Mr Ray. That gentleman adds, “Who this Bolton was I know not, neither is it worth enquiring. One of this name might happen to say, Bate me an ace , and, for the coincidence of the first letters of the two words Bate and Bolton , it grew to be a proverb. We have many of the like original; as v.g. Sup, Simon, &c., Stay, quoth Stringer, &c. There goes a story of Queen Elizabeth, that being presented with a Collection of English Proverbs, and told by the author that it contained all the English Proverbs, nay, replied she, Bate me an ace, quoth Bolton : which Proverb being instantly looked for, happened to be wanting in his Collection.” [See Hazlitt’s] “Proverbs,” p. [80.] This story of Queen Elizabeth forms the point of an epigram by H.P. (probably Henry Parrot) in a collection called “The Mastive,” 1615— “A pamphlet was of proverbs penn’d by Polton Wherein he thought all sorts included were; Until one told him, Bate m’ an ace, quoth Bolton : Indeed (said he) that proverb is not there.” [119] [Sacks of coal, more properly, benters , as just above.] [120] In the former edition, Mr Dodsley had altered this to pay mee wel . [121] [Urine.] [122] Aloue , French is to allow, to approve, to praise. I know of no other word that resembles that in the text. Alosed , in Chaucer, is praised .— S. [Possibly, Hallo, hallo! may be the true reading.] [123] From the manner in which this expression is used by Sir John Harington, in “The Anatomie of the Metamorphosis of Ajax,” 1596, sig. L, 7, it seems as though it was intended for a sallow hue. “Both of a complexion inclining to the oriental colour of a Croyden sanguine .” [124] The 4tos read Pallarrime . The razors of Palermo were anciently famous. They are mentioned in more than one of our old plays, and particularly in “The Wounds of Civill War,” by Thomas Lodge, 1594, “Neighbour sharpen the edge tole of your wits upon the whetstone of indiscretion, that your wordes may shine like the rasers of Palermo .”— S. [125] He means a pestilence quean.— S. [126] A pestle of porke — i.e. , gammon of bacon.— Minsheu. [127] Trimly , second edition. [128] [[ i.e. , Dionysius, to which Dodsley changed it.] [129] Bonns , both 4tos . [130] Sometimes called New Queen Street, where there seems to have been the sign of the three Cranes . Ben Jonson mentions this place in “The Devil is an Ass,” act. i. sc. 1. “From thence shoot the bridge child, to the Cranes of the Vintry , And see there the gimblets how they make their entry!” Stow says it was a place of some account for the Costermongers who had warehouses there; and it appears from Dekker’s “Belman of London,” sig. E 2, that the beggars of his time called one of their places of rendezvous by this name. [See Herbert’s edition of Ames, p. 367-8.] [131] These , first edition. [132] Vaunted , second edition. [133] Increased is , old editions. [134] Streams , second edition. [135] [ None such , old editions. The meaning seems to be, a perfect friend:— ’tis a world to seek one such .] [136] Both the old copies have it “ my state to moan,” which may be right, and the substitution [to thy , which was made in the earlier editions] should not have been made without notice.— Collier. [137] Whether I will or not. See Note 23 to “Grim the Collier of Croydon.” [138] i.e. , It rideth fast upon noon. The word is used by Spenser and many of our ancient writers. [139] With Pithias in his custody, and Stephano, as is evident from the rest of the scene.— Collier. [140] Hinder him. [141] Doth , both 4tos . [142] Doo , first edition. The reading of both the old copies in this place is “ Golden time doo wear away.” If it were worth while to remark the difference between doo and doos , it might have been as well not to make the change in the text without notice, although it is probably right.— Collier. [143] i.e. , Thou wilt derive no credit from striking off a head so disadvantageously placed for the purpose of decollation. Honnetete , French, anciently signified fame or reputation in the dexterous execution of any undertaking, whether honourable or the contrary. Honesty seems here to be used with the French meaning.— Steevens. In this instance the author appears to have had before him the speech which Sir Thomas More made at his execution. Hall, in his “Chronicle,” p. 226, says, “Also the hangman kneled doune to him askyng him forgiuenes of his death (as the maner is), to whom he sayd I forgeue thee, but I promise thee that thou shalt neuer haue honestie of the strykyng of my head, my necke is so short .” [144] The two old copies have it, “O happie kinges within your courtes,” &c.— Collier. [145] Two to , second edition. [146] No reason , first edition. [147] This direction means that Dionysius, Damon, Pithias, and all others go out, excepting Stephano.— Collier. [148] [Old copies, joy .] [149] [Freedom.]

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