But never in diameter.1 The whole town Study his theorems, and dispute them ordinarily At the eating academies. Kas. But does he teach Living by the wits too? Face. Anything whatever. You cannot think that subtlety but he reads it. He made me a captain. I was a stark pimp, Just of your standing, 'fore I met with him; It is not two months since. I'll tell you his method : First, he will enter you at some ordinary. Kas. No, I'll not come there: you shall pardon me. Face. For why, sir? Kas. There's gaming there, and tricks. Face. Why, would you be A gallant, and not game? Kas. Ay, 'twill spend a man. Face. Spend you! it will repair you when you are spent. How do they live by their wits there, that have vented Six times your fortunes? Kas. What, three thousand a year! 1 But never in diameter.] i.e., the lie direct; the others are the lie circumstantial. See As You Like It, where the several degrees are humorously recounted. The same subject is alluded to by Fletcher in words exactly similar to our author's: "Has he given the lie In circle or oblique, or semicircle, Or direct parallel? you must challenge him." Queen of Corinth, act iv. sc. I. The ridicule upon this absurdity of duelling is finely maintained, as occasion presented, by the great triumvirate of dramatic poets, Shakspeare, Jonson, and Fletcher.-WHAL. It only remains to refer the reader who may And for the whole year through at every place Where there is play, present him with the chair; The best attendance, the best drink, sometimes Two glasses of Canary, and pay nothing; The purest linen and the sharpest knife, The partridge next his trencher: and somewhere The dainty bed, in private, with the dainty. You shall have your ordinaries bid for him, As playhouses for a poet; and the master Pray him aloud to name what dish he affects, Which must be buttered shrimps: and those that drink To no mouth else, will drink to his, as being The goodly president mouth of all the board. Kas. Do you not gull one? Face. 'Ods my life! do you think it? You shall have a cast commander, (can but get In credit with a glover, or a spurrier, For some two pair of either's ware aforehand,) Will, by most swift posts, dealing [but] with him, Arrive at competent means to keep himself, His punk, and naked boy, in excellent fashion, And be admired for't. Kas. Will the doctor teach this? Face. He will do more, sir: when your land is gone, As men of spirit hate to keep earth long You shall behold the faces and the persons wish for further information on this subject, to a very pertinent note by Warburton on the following speech of Touchstone, As You Like It, act v. sc. 4: "O, sir, we quarrel in print by the book," &c. The book alluded to there, as well as here, is a formal treatise on Honour and Honourable Quarrels, by Vincentio Saviolo (a more precise Caranza); and the copious extracts which the commentator has judiciously selected, comprise all that is necessary to render the well meant satire of our old dramatists fully intelligible. 2 Whose bonds are current for commodity ;! This alludes to a practice often mentioned by the wits of Jonson's time, of compelling the young spendthrift to take a part of the sum which he wanted to borrow in different kinds On th' other side, the merchants' forms, and others, That without help of any second broker, Who would expect a share, will trust such parcels: In the third square, the very street and sign To be delivered, be it pepper, soap, All which you may so handle, to enjoy Young gentlewomen, heirs, the fortunat'st man! He's sent to, far and near, all over Eng-And so shall she. land, To have his counsel, and to know their Kas. God's will, my suster shall see him. By the way, you must eat no cheese, Nab, And that same melancholy breeds worms; but pass it : He told me, honest Nab here was ne'er at tavern But once in's life! Drug. Truth, and no more I was not. Drug. In troth, we had been a shooting, supper, That lay so heavy o' my stomach Face. And he has no head To bear any wine; for what with the noise of the fiddlers, And care of his shop, for he dares keep no servants- Drug. My head did so ache Face. As he was fain to be brought home, The doctor told me: and then a good old woman of damaged goods at a stated price, of which he made what he could. There is no end to their pleasantry on this subject. See Massinger, vol. ii. p. 51. 1 Face. Ay, that was with the grief Face. Sir, he is busy now: But if you have a sister to fetch hither, sooner; And he by that time will be free. [Exit. Face. Drugger, she's thine: the damask! -[Exit Abel.] Subtle and I Must wrestle for her. [Aside.]-Come on, You see how I turn clients here away, The ceremonies were enjoined you? Face. 'Tis well: that shirt may do you More worship than you think. Your aunt's a-fire, But that she will not shew it, t' have a sight of you. Have you provided for her grace's servants? Dap. Yes, here are six score Edward shillings. I would you had had the other noble in Dap. I have some Philip and Maries. Are best of all: where are they? Hark, Enter Subtle, disguised like a priest of But what he will part withal as willingly, Upon her grace's word-throw away your purse As she would ask it:-handkerchiefs and all [He throws away, as they bid him. She cannot bid that thing but he'll obey.If you have a ring about you, cast it off, Or a silver seal at your wrist; her grace will send Sub. [In a feigned voice.] Is yet her Her fairies here to search you, therefore grace's cousin come? Face. He is come. And therefore, even of that a piece she hath sent, Which, being a child, to wrap him in was rent; And prays him for a scarf he now will wear it, With as much love as then her grace did tear it, About his eyes, [They blind him with the rag,] to shew he is fortunate. And, trusting unto her to make his state, He'll throw away all worldly pelf about him; Which that he will perform, she doth not doubt him. Face. She need not doubt him, sir. Alas, he has nothing 1 Just twenty nobles. Face. O, you are too just. I would you had had the other noble in Maries.] If the reader will be at the pains to reckon this account he will find Master Dapper deserves the praise of justice which Face gives him. Twenty nobles at six shillings and eightpence each, amount to the sum of six pounds thirteen shillings and fourpence, which sum the other pieces make. The Harry's sovereign was a half sovereign only, and valued at ten shillings. Face wanted the other noble in Maries because the money was coined in the several successive deal Gape, sir, and let him fit you. [They thrust a gag of gingerbread in his mouth. Sub. Where shall we now Bestow him? Dol. In the privy. Sub. Come along, sir, I now must shew you Fortune's privy lodgings. Face. Are they perfumed, and his bath Only the fumigation's somewhat strong. ACT IV. SCENE I.-A Room in Lovewit's House. Enter Face and Mammon. Face. O, sir, you are come in the only finest time. Mam. Where's master? Face. Now preparing for projection, sir. Your stuff will be all changed shortly. Mam. Into gold? Face. To gold and silver, sir. 2 Get his suit.] i.e., Face's: his servant's dress. 3 What shall we do with this same puffin here,] A species of watercoot or gull. She shall feel gold, taste gold, hear gold, sleep gold; Nay, we will concumbere gold: I will be puissant, And mighty in my talk to her. Re-enter Face with Dol richly dressed. Here she comes. Face. To him, Dol, suckle him. This is the noble knight But, good sir, no divinity in your con- I told your ladyship ference, For fear of putting her in rage. Mam. I warrant thee. Mam. Madam, with your pardon, I kiss your vesture. Dol. Sir, I were uncivil Face. Six men [sir] will not hold her If I would suffer that; my lip to you, sir. 1 How scrupulous he is, &c.] I have already noticed the sanctity, real or pretended, of the workers in Alchemy. Norton tells them that "While thei worke thei must needes eschewe, All ribaudry, els thei shal finde this trewe, That such mishap shall them befall, Thei shal destroy part of their works or all." And he declaims violently against the admission of any female into the presence of the other sex while thus employed. This explains the caution of Subtle, the alarm of Face, and lays besides a probable and artful preparation for the impending catastrophe. Erasmus has treated the subject of Alchemy with/much pleasantry though with no part of the Mam. I hope my lord your brother be in health, lady. Dol. My lord my brother is, though I no lady, sir. Face. Well said, my Guinea bird. Slept all the happy remnant of his life After that act, lien but there still, and panted, He had done enough to make himself, his issue, And his posterity noble. Dol. Sir, although We may be said to want the gilt and trappings, deep knowledge of Jonson: he has not forgotten however, to make his adepts affect an unusual strain of piety. "Admonebat alcumista, rem felicius (they had hitherto failed) successuram, si Virgini matri, quæ, ut scis, Paraliis colitur, mitteret aliquot aureos dono: artem enim esse sacram, nec absque numinum favore rem prosperè geri."-Alcum. Their ill success is attributed in some measure to their using an improper kind of coal. "Caussabatur erratum in emendis carbonibus: quernos enim emerat, cum abiegnis esset opus," &c.-Ibid. A note on this dialogue in the Elzevir edition, proves that Jonson's satire was at least well timed. "Sunt adhuc (apud Britannos) qui in alcumistica parum sobrii sint, quanquam lex capitalis af posita est." |