Who when their owne wilde lust is falsely spent Gilchrist's Corbet, p. 126. P. 90. Beauties, have ye seen this toy ?] This beautiful song will also be found in the second book of Ayres and Dialogues, published in 1615 by Henry Lawes. P. 90. He hath marks about him plenty.] The folio reads, more pleasantly, I think: "He hath of marks, about him plenty." P. 98. After the song they came (descending in an oblique motion) from the Zodiac.] The folio has came forth instead of came. P. 102. Note (6). However desirable it may be, &c.] Gifford ought certainly here to have referred to Charles Lamb, with whose Specimens, published in 1808, we know (only too well) that he was acquainted. He winds up his quotations with, "These and the preceding extracts may serve to show the poetical fancy and elegance of mind of the supposed rugged old bard. A thousand beautiful passages might be adduced from those numerous court masques and entertainments, which he was in the daily habit of furnishing, to prove the same thing. But they do not come within my plan." NOTES TO THE MASQUE OF QUEENS. Page 104. HE Masque of Queens.] Mr. Collier printed for the Shakespeare Society, 1849, "From the original and beautiful autograph of the poet, preserved among the Royal Manuscripts in the British Museum, of which Gifford and his predecessors knew nothing." It has many minor variations, and is particularly interesting as showing the form in which the poet himself arranged his matter. The variations are much more numerous in the prose portion than in the verse. After some hesitation I have decided upon not recording them. P. 117. And, soon, as she turn'd her beak to the south.] So in The Ghost of Richard III., 1614, Shak. Soc. p. 17: "And as a raven's beak pointed to the south, Crokes following ill from sharp and ravenous maw." P. 117. The spurging of a dead-man's eyes.] Here Gifford allows to pass unmodernized the same word which he unrelentingly sacrificed in the Induction to the Staple of News, vol. v. p. 155. P. 119. A piper it got, at a church-ale.] Brand says, in his Popular Antiquities, "There were bride-ales, church-ales, clerk-ales, give-ales, lamb-ales, leet-ales, midsummer-ales, Scot-ales, Whitsunales, and several more." The church-ale appears to have been held at Whitsuntide, and two young men were specially told off some months before to make the necessary arrangements. P. 120. Night-shade, moon-wort, libbard's-bane.] Libbard's-bane was a general name for all the aconites. It was also called leopard'sbane and wolf's-bane. P. 127. His head of a drake.] It is perhaps unnecessary to say that in our romantic poetry drake always stands for dragon. P. 128. Note (2).] This attack upon bishop Percy is hardly justified by his innocent remark. Had he quoted Henry the Fourth's solution of the difficulty, it would have been otherwise. "They may well call him Solomon, for he is certainly the son of David." P. 130. The furniture of Perseus,] i. e. the armour of Perseus. So Spenser, the Faerie Queen, v. 3: "They gave themselves addresse, full rich agnized, As each one had his furnitures avized." P. 131. Nor on mine arm advanced with Pallas' shield.] Jonson printed and wrote: "Nor on mine arm advanced wise Pallas' shield,” and his editors have not improved him by the change. P. 138. BEL-ANNA, royal queen of the ocean.] Here Southey notes "James' Queen, a name in which he plainly remembered BELPHOEBE." P. 141. Lo you, that cherish every great example.] The line, as Jonson wrote it and printed it, is : "To you that cherish every great example." The substitution of Lo for To makes it something like absolute nonsense. P. 143. Her house is all of echo made, And as her brow the clouds invade, Her feet do strike the ground.] The third line, as Jon son wrote it and printed it, was: "And as her brows the clouds invade." Consider how infinitely grander and more poetical it is to think of her "brows invading the clouds," than of the "clouds invading her brow." NOTES TO PRINCE HENRY'S BARRIERS. Page 148. HE Speeches, &c.] The painstaking and accurate Mr. erroneously supposes these speeches to have been at prince Henry's Creation, and the Tilting at Christmas to have been merely a Grand Rehearsal. This is quite his own notion, without any apparent foundation, except an ignorance of the existence of Daniel's Tethys' Festival, and a supposition that the Barriers were connected with or performed at the same time as the Masque of Oberon, which, however, was not performed till January 1, 1610-11. To reconcile the account of the Tethys' Festivals in Winwood's Memorials, with the Masque of Oberon, as printed in Jonson's Works, he supposes that some introductory matter not absolutely connected with it has been omitted.' In short, in his over-abundant zeal for Jonson, he forgot there were any contemporary masque writers. But I have hitherto abstained from imitating Mr. Gifford's severity in displaying the errors of others; and, having elucidated this grand matter, shall continue to correct his in silence." Progresses of King James the First, 4 vols. 4to. 1828, vol. ii. p. 271. 6 * Mr. Nichols, in this particular instance as it happens, did scant justice to Gifford, as, if he had looked at vol. viii. note p. 270, he would have seen that he became aware of his blunder before the work came to an end. The "Mr. Cohen," who supplied the information, became better known afterwards as sir Francis Palgrave. P. 150. Claims Arthur's seat.] This surely was the natural place for mentioning that "claims Arthur's seat was the anagram of Charles James Stuart. Jonson brings it forward again, post, p. 330, and then Gifford has his note. P. 150. All that is high, or great.] Jonson unquestionably wrote, "All that is high and great.” P. 152. Proceed in thy great work; bring forth thy knight.] Southey, being thoroughly read on this subject himself, is struck with Jonson's familiar acquaintance with the Morte d'Arthur. P. 153. Call forth the fair Meliadus.] Southey remarks upon the "allusions to Moliadus, which Gifford, by his note, seems not to understand." I wish Southey had expressed himself more clearly a rare remark to have to make with regard to one of the most lucid of all writers. P. 154. Such copy of incitement.] This use of copy for plenty (copia) is very common with Jonson. See note (6), vol. ii. p. 307. Incitement is misprinted inticement in the folio. P. 155. Did great Eliza add A wall of shipping, and became thereby The aid, or fear, of all the nations nigh.] "Nations nigh" is a sorry substitute for "the nations high." When the editors made this sagacious change, did they reflect on the poor compliment conveyed by the word they substituted, as compared to the other? P. 161. Be your virtues steel'd.] Another detestable change altogether unauthorized-virtues for virtue. One can understand the advantage of steeling a knight's virtue, i.e., his valour; but what is to be gained by steeling his faith, hope, charity, &c., is not so apparent. P. 163. I dare not speak his virtues, for the fear Of flattering him, they come so nigh and near 66 To wonders.] 'Why slumbers Gifford?" For slumbering he must have been to lend his sanction to this idiotic trifling with the poet's meaning. Jonson, of course, wrote and printed: "They come so high, and near To wonders." NOTE TO OBERON, THE FAIRY PRINCE. Page 178. THANK the wise Silenus for his praise.] Jonson wrote and printed: "I thank the wise Silenus for this praise" NOTES TO LOVE FREED FROM FOLLY. Page 184. COVE Freed from Folly, &c.] The date of this masque is settled by Mr. Devon's happy discovery among the Pell Records of the "Bill of Account of the Hole Charges of the Queen's Ma's Maske at Christmas, 1610," in which the names of the characters completely identify it. The whole charge amounted to £719 1S. 3d., divided into three accounts, of which No. 2 is annexed. It will be seen that both Jonson and Inigo were liberally rewarded, and on the same scale, but Ben's name stands first. Rewards to the persons imployed in the Maske. £. 40 40 20 5500 Imprimis, to Mr. Benjamin Johnson for his invention. Item to 15 musitions that played to the pages and fooles. Item to 5 boyes, that is 3 Graces, Sphynks, and Cupid. 20 12 20 4 20 ΙΟ Sma tot. £292 P. 184. "Mr. Stephen Jones-a name utterly unworthy of notice, &c.-He could grovel in falsehood."] This is about the least uncivil mention which Mr. Stephen Jones meets with in the course of these nine volumes! What private offence he had given to Gifford I have never ascertained, but the crime of editing the Biographia Dramatica deserved on the whole reward rather than punishment. Mr. Jones appears to have thought his Dictionary very entertaining, for he dedicates it to the Prince Regent, and hopes its perusal will afford him a temporary and not unwelcome relaxation from the cares of empire." |