Lapas attēli
PDF
ePub

had kept me to my gambols o' the country still, selling of fish, short service, shoeing the wild mare, or roasting of robin-redbreast. These were better,

than, after all this time, no masque : you look at me. I have recovered myself now for you, I am the honest plain country spirit, and harmless; Robin Goodfellow, he that sweeps the hearth and the house clean, riddles for the country maids, and does all their other drudgery, while they are at hot-cockles: one that has discoursed with your court spirits ere now; but was fain to-night to run a thousand hazards to arrive at this place; never poor goblin was so put to his shifts to get in to see nothing. So many thorny difficulties as I have past, deserved the best masque; the whole shop of the revels. I would you would admit some of my feats, but I have little hope of that, i'faith, you let me in so hardly.

Plu. Sir, here's no place for them nor you. Your rude good-fellowship must seek some other sphere for your admitty.

Rob. Nay, so your stiff-necked porter told me at the gate, but not in so good words. His staff spoke somewhat to that boisterous sense: I am sure he concluded all in a non-entry, which made me e'en climb over the wall, and in by the wood-yard, so to the terrace, where when I came, I found the oaks of the guard more unmoved, and one of them, upon whose arm I hung, shoved me off o' the ladder, and dropt me down like an acorn. 'Twas well there was not a sow in the verge, I had been eaten up else. Then I heard some talk of the carpenter's way, and I attempted that; but there the wooden rogues let a huge trap-door fall on my head. If I had not been

2 Riddles for the country maids.] To prevent any misapprehension of an ambiguous phrase, it may be just necessary to observe that, by riddling, Robin means, passing the embers through a sieve.

course.

a spirit, I had been mazarded. Though I confess I am none of those subtle ones, that can creep through at a key-hole, or the cracked pane of a window. I must come in at a door, which made me once think of a trunk; but that I would not imitate so catholic a coxcomb as Coryat.3 Therefore I took another I watched what kind of persons the door most opened to, and one of their shapes I would belie to get in with. First I came with authority, and said, I was an engineer, and belonged to the motions. They asked me if I were the fighting bear of last year, and laughed me out of that, and said the motions were ceased. Then I took another figure, of an old tire-woman; but tired under that too, for none of the masquers would take note of me, the mark was out of my mouth. Then I pretended to be a musician, marry I could not shew mine instrument, and that bred a discord. Now there was nothing left for me that I could presently think on, but a feather-maker of Blackfriars, and in that shape I told them, Surely I must come in, let it be opened unto me; but they all made as light of me, as of my feathers; and wondered how I could be a Puritan, being of so vain a vocation. I answered, We are all masquers sometimes with which they knock'd

3 Which made me think of a trunk, &c.] This alludes to one of those ridiculous mishaps which befel poor Tom in his travels through Switzerland. It is thus recorded by one of the numerous wags who under the name of "panegyrists," and the banners of Jonson, combined to furnish a laugh for prince Henry at the expense of this catholic coxcomb:

"Yet must I say thy fortune herein was ill,

For thou went'st nak't to wash thy shirt at Basil;
And having seen cloysters, and many a monke,
Becam❜st thyself a Recluse in a trunke."

After Coryat, there follows, "and make a case: uses." It was omitted by Whalley, and is, to me, unintelligible.

+ I answered, We are all masquers sometimes.] Jonson is always

Hypocrisy o' the pate, and made room for a bombard man, that brought bouge for a country lady or two, that fainted, he said, with fasting for the fine sight since seven o'clock in the morning. O how it grieved me, that I was prevented of that shape, and had not touched on it in time, it liked me so well; but I thought I would offer at it yet. Marry, before I could procure my properties, alarum came that some of the whimlens had too much; and one shewed how fruitfully they had watered his head, as he stood under the grices; and another came out, complaining of a cataract shot into his eyes by a planet, as he was star-gazing. There was that device defeated! By this time I saw a fine citizen's wife or two let in; and that figure provoked me exceedingly to take it; which I had no sooner done, but one of the blackguard had his hand in my vestry, and was groping of me as nimbly as the Christmas cut-purse. He thought he might be bold with me, because I had not a husband in sight to squeak to. I was glad to forego my form, to be rid of his hot steaming affection, it so smelt of the boiling house. Forty other devices I had of wiremen and the chandrie, and I know not what else but all succeeded alike. I offered money too, but that could not be done so privately, as it durst be taken, for the danger of an example. At last, a troop of strangers came to the door, with whom I made myself sure to enter: but before I could mix, they were all let in, and I left alone without, for want

:

happy in his allusions to this anomaly in the practice and preaching of the Puritans. See vol. ii. p. 441.

A bombard man that brought bouge,] i. e. provisions. Bouge of court was an allowance of meat and drink to the officers of the court. WHAL.

Whalley has not noticed the bombard man. He was one of the people who attended at the buttery-hatch, and carried the huge cans of beer to the different offices. For, one of the blackguard, which occurs below, see p. 236,

of an interpreter. Which, when I was fain to be to myself, a Colossus [of] the company told me, I had English enough to carry me to bed; with which all the other statues of flesh laughed. Never till then did I know the want of an hook and a piece of beef, to have baited three or four of those goodly wide mouths with. In this despair, when all invention and translation too failed me, I e'en went back, and stuck to this shape you see me in of mine own, with my broom and my candles, and came on confidently, giving out, I was a part of the Device at which, though they had little to do with wit, yet, because some on't might be used here to-night, contrary to their knowledge, they thought it fit, way should be made for me; and, as it falls out, to small purpose.

Plu. Just as much as you are fit for. Away, idle spirit; and thou the idle cause of his adventuring hither, vanish with him. 'Tis thou, that art not only the sower of vanities in these high places, but the call of all other light follies to fall, and feed on them. I will endure thy prodigality nor riots no more; they are the ruin of states. Nor shall the tyranny of these nights hereafter impose a necessity upon me of entertaining thee. Let them embrace more frugal pastimes. Why should not the thrifty and right worshipful game of Post and Pair content them; or the witty invention of Noddy, for counters; or God make them rich, at the tables ? but masquing and revelling! Were not these ladies and their gentlewomen more housewifely employed, a dozen of them to a light, or twenty (the more the merrier) to save charges, in their chambers at home, and their old night-gowns,

6 At the tables ?] It may now be added to the note on this game, (vol. iv. p. 165,) that it seems to be a species of backgammon. Noddy is, I believe, a variation of cribbage.

at draw-gloves, riddles, dreams, and other pretty purposes, rather than to wake here, in their flaunting wires and tires, laced gowns, embroidered petticoats, and other taken up braveries? Away, I will no more of these superfluous excesses. They are these make me hear so ill, both in town and country, as I do; which if they continue, I shall be the first shall leave them.

Masq. Either I am very stupid, or this is a reformed Cupid.

Rob. How! does any take this for Cupid? the Love in court?

Masq. Yes, is't not he?

Rob. Nay, then we spirits, I see, are subtler yet, and somewhat better discoverers. No; it is not he, nor his brother Anti-cupid, the love of virtue, though he pretend to it with his phrase and face: 'tis that impostor Plutus, the god of money, who has stolen Love's ensigns; and in his belied figure rules the world, making friendships, contracts, marriages, and almost religion; begetting, breeding, and holding the nearest respects of mankind: and usurping all those offices in this age of gold, which Love himself performed in the golden age. 'Tis he that pretends to tie kingdoms, maintain commerce, dispose of honours, make all places and dignities arbitrary from him, even to the very country, where Love's name cannot be razed out, he has yet gained there upon him by a proverb, Not for Love or Money. There Love lives confined, by his tyranny, to a cold region, wrapt up in furs like a Muscovite, and almost frozen to death: while he, in his inforced shape, and with his ravished arms, walks as if he were to set bounds and give

7 They are these make me hear so ill,] i. e. make me to be so ill spoken of. This latinism has been noticed before. Taken up braveries, are expensive dresses procured on credit.

« iepriekšējāTurpināt »