court-star there, that planet of wit, madona Saviolina?

Fast. O Lord, sir! my mistress.

Punt Is she your mistress?

Fast. Faith, here be some slight favours of her's, sir, that do speak it, she is; as this scarf, sir, or this riband in my ear, or so; this feather grew in her sweet fan sometimes, though now it be my poor fortune to wear it, as you see, sir: slight, slight, a foolish toy.

Punt. Well, she is the lady of a most exalted and ingenious spirit.

Fast. Did you ever hear any woman speak like her? or enriched with a more plentiful discourse?

Car. O villainous! nothing but sound, sound, a mere echo; she speaks as she goes tired, in cobweb-lawn, light, thin; good enough to catch flies withal.

Punt. O, manage your affections.

Fast. Well, if thou be'st not plagued for this blasphemy one day--

Punt. Come, regard not a jester: It is in the

This scarf, sir, or this riband in my ear, or so; this feather grew in her sweet fan sometimes,] In those days of gallantry, it was an honourable mode for the men to wear publicly some token of their mistress, or favour she was supposed to give them. Gloves, ribands, &c. were the usual insignia of this kind. The fans then in use were made of feathers. WHAL.

The fashion of wearing roses, that is knots of ribands, in the ear, is frequently mentioned by our old dramatists, and among the rest by Shakspeare:

66

my face so thin,

"That in my ear I could not stick a rose,

"Lest men should say, Look, where three-farthings goes."

King John.

Theobald supposes the rose here mentioned to be the flower

so called; but he is mistaken.

power of my purse to make him speak well or ill of me.

Fast. Sir, I affirm it to you upon my credit and judgment, she has the most harmonious and musical strain of wit that ever tempted a true ear; and yet to see !-a rude tongue would fane heaven, if it could.

Punt. I am not ignorant of it, sir.

pro

Fast. Oh, it flows from her like nectar, and she doth give it that sweet, quick grace, and exornation in the composure, that by this good air, as I am an honest man, would I might never stir, sir, but-she does observe as pure a phrase, and use as choice figures in her ordinary conferences, as any be in the Arcadia.

Car. Or rather in Green's works, whence she may steal with more security.'

Sord. Well, if ten pound will fetch 'em, you shall have it; but I'll part with no more.

- She does observe as pure a phrase, and use as choice figures as any be in the Arcadia.] An unfinished pastoral romance written by sir P. Sidney, in compliment to his sister. It is mentioned in the Antiquary: ""Twere a solecism to imagine that a young bravery, who lives where any waiting woman speaks perfect Arcadia," &c. Lord Orford talks slightly of it in his Royal and Noble Authors, and with a certain degree of justice for though it contains some nervous and elegant passages, yet the plan of it is poor; the incidents trite and uninteresting, and the general style pedantic and affected. It does not appear to have been meant for the public.

3 Whence she may steal with more security.] Because, as Whalley says, and as Jonson certainly means to insinuate, they were less read, But the fact is not so; Robert Green was at once the most voluminous and the most popular author of his time. He was, says Wood, "a pastoral sonnet-maker," (Antony misconceives the general nature of his writings,)" and author of several things which were pleasing to men and women of his time. They made much sport, and were valued among scholars, but since, they have been mostly sold on ballad-mongers stalls." Green died in great poverty, in 1592.

Fung. I'll try what that will do, if you please. Sord. Do so; and when you have them, study hard.

Fung. Yes, sir. An I could study to get forty shillings more now! Well, I will put myself into the fashion, as far as this will go, presently.

Sord. I wonder it rains not: the almanack says, we should have store of rain to-day. [Aside. Punt. Why, sir, to-morrow I will associate you to court myself, and from thence to the city, about a business, a project I have; I will expose it to you, sir; Carlo, I am sure, has heard of it.

Car. What's that, sir?

Punt. I do intend, this year of jubilee coming on, to travel and because I will not altogether go upon expense, I am determined to put forth some five thousand pound, to be paid me five for one, upon the return of myself, my wife, and my dog from the Turk's court in Constantinople. If all or either of us miscarry in the journey, 'tis gone: if we be successful, why, there will be five and twenty thousand pound to

4 I am determined to put forth some five thousand pound, to be paid me five for one, &c.] In this age, when travelling was hazardous and insecure, it seems to have been no unusual prac tice to put out money at going abroad, on condition of receiving it back trebled, quadrupled, or, as here, quintupled on the completion of the expedition. To this there are innumerable allusions in our old writers. In the Ball, by Shirley, it forms a principal incident of the play. Barnaby Riche also mentions it, "whipsters, that having spent the greatest part of their patrimony in prodigality, will give out the rest of their stocke to be paid two or three for one, upon their return from Rome," &c. Thus too, Shakspeare.

Each putter out of one for five,--as Malone properly reads; and not as Steevens has it, "on five for one," which to the cars of Shakspeare and his audiences would have been intolerable.

As voyages became more frequent, and the dangers of them

entertain time withal. Nay, go not, neighbour Sordido; stay to-night, and help to make our society the fuller. Gentlemen, frolick: Carlo! what! dull now?

Car. I was thinking on your project, sir, an you call it so. Is this the dog goes with you? Punt. This is the dog, sir.

Car. He does not go barefoot, does he?
Punt. Away, you traitor, away!

Car. Nay, afore God, I speak simply; he may prick his foot with a thorn, and be as much as the whole venture is worth. Besides, for a dog that never travell'd before, it's a huge journey to Constantinople, I'll tell you now, an he were mine, I'd have some present conference with a physician, what antidotes were good to give him, preservatives against poison; for, assure you, if once your money be out, there'll be divers attempts made against the life of the poor

animal.

Punt. Thou art still dangerous.

Fast. Is signior Deliro's wife your kinswoman? Sog. Ay, sir, she is my niece, my brother's daughter here, and my nephew's sister. Sord. Do you know her, sir?

Fast. O lord, sir! signior Deliro, her husband, is my merchant."

Fung. Ay, I have seen this gentleman there often.

consequently better understood, the odds fell; and adventurers were content to take three to one upon their return.

"Sir Solus straight will travell, as they say,

"And gives out one for three," &c.

(This expression justifies Malone's correction.) Davies, Epig. 11. Gentlemen, frolick!] Sec The Alchemist.

6

Signior Deliro is my merchant] i. e. my broker or banker: In Jonson's days there were none who professed the trade of

Fast. I cry you mercy, sir; let me crave your name, pray you.

Fung. Fungoso, sir.

Fast. Good signior Fungoso, I shall request to know you better, sir.

Fung. I am her brother, sir.

Fast. In fair time, sir.

Punt. Come, gentlemen, I will be your conduct.'

Fast. Nay, pray you, sir; we shall meet at signior Deliro's often.

Sog. You shall have me at the herald's office, sir, for some week or so at my first coming up. Come, Carlo. [Exeunt.

Mit. Methinks, Cordatus, he dwelt somewhat too long on this scene; it hung in the hand.

. Cor. I see not where he could have insisted less, and to have made the humours perspicuous enough.

Mit. True, as his subject lies; but he might have altered the shape of his argument, and explicated them better in single scenes.

Cor. That had been single indeed. Why, be they not the same persons in this, as they would have been in those? and is it not an object of more state, to behold the scene full, and relieved with variety of

banking, exclusively. The goldsmiths of Lombard-street were almost all bankers.

7 I will be your conduct.] Your conductor or guide. So Shakspeare:

"Come, bitter conduct, come unsavoury guide." Rom. and Jul. WHAL.

8 That had been single indeed.] That had been weak or silly ; in this sense single occurs perpetually in our old writers. This is the meaning of the term in Macbeth, (my single state of man) about which so much has been written to so little purpose; and this too is the undoubted sense of it in Henry IV." Is not your wit single?"

• Is it not an object of more state to behold the scene fall, &c.]