SCENE I.-Before Lovewit's door. Enter Lovewit, with several of the Neigh bours. them, A plague o' the moth, say I! Sure he ha got Some bawdy pictures to call all this ging;1 The friar and the nun; or the new motion Love. Has there been such resort, say Of the knight's courser covering the parson's you? 1 Nei. Daily, sir. 2 Nei. And nightly, too. 3 Nei. Ay, some as brave as lords. 4 Nei. Ladies and gentlewomen. 5 Nei. Citizens' wives. I Nei. And knights. 6 Nei. In coaches. 2 Nei. Yes, and oyster-women. I Nei. Beside other gallants. 3 Nei. Sailors' wives. 4 Nei. Tobacco men. 5 Nei. Another Pimlico ! Love. What should my knave advance, To draw this company? he hung out no Of a strange calf with five legs to be seen, 6 Nei. No, sir. 3 Nei. We had gone in then, sir. Of teaching in the nose that e'er I knew of. 2 Nei. No such thing, sir. Love. Nor heard a drum struck for baboons or puppets? 5 Nei. Neither, sir. mare; The boy of six year old with the great A cry, sayst thou? Nei. Yes, sir, like unto a man Love. What device should he bring forth That had been strangled an hour, and now? 1 All this ging;] i.e., gang. This substitution of i for a was common in our author's days, though a late critic could not find an instance of it. Thus Drayton : "Rock and Rollo Who still led the rustic ging." And Greene: "Bless me (quoth Cloth-breeches) what a ging was here gathered together." A similar change took place in other words, such as hang, &c. Thus Machin: "Heaven in thy palm this day the balance hings."-Dumb Knight, act i. It is needless to produce more examples of so prevalent a practice. In this and the preceding could not speak.2 2 Nei. I heard it too, just this day three weeks, at two o'clock Next morning. Love. These be miracles, or you make them so ! A man an hour strangled, and could not speak, And both you heard him cry? 3 Nei. Yes, downward, sir. Love. What, with the plague? stand thou then farther. Face. No, sir, I had it not. Love. Who had it then? I left Face. Yes, sir, my fellow, The cat that kept the buttery, had it on her Love. Thou art a wise fellow. Give me Conveyed away in the night: and so I shut thy hand, I pray thee, What trade art thou on? 3 Nei. Asmith, an't please your worship. Love. A smith! then lend me thy help to get this door open. 3 Nei. That I will presently, sir, but fetch my tools[Exit. I Nei. Sir, best to knock again afore you break it. Love. [Knocks again.] I will. Enter Face in his butler's livery. Face. What mean you, sir? 1, 2, 4 Nei. O, here's Jeremy! Face. Good sir, come from the door. Love. Why, what's the matter? Face. Yet farther, you are too near yet.1 Love. In the name of wonder, What means the fellow ! Face. 'The house, sir, has been visited. as The Alchemist was written before Othello (a circumstance of little moment with him where Jonson is concerned), Mr. Malone ventures to express a doubt on the subject. "Old Ben (he says) generally spoke out, and if he had intended to sneer at the manner of Desdemona's death would have written-like unto a woman," &c. This remark, of which the candour is at least equal to the consistency, the reader will do well to bear in mind. Meanwhile the critics might have spared their pains. Strangled an hour, &c. (though Lovewit perversely catches at the literal sense to perplex his informants), has no reference to duration of time, but means simply suffocated, and therefore unable to utter articulate sounds. A similar mode of expression occurs in Measure for Measure: "Show your sheep biting face, and be hanged an hour "where Mr. Henley, who usually takes more trouble to show his ignorance of our old writers than seems absolutely necessary, gravely assures us "that the poet evidently refers to the ancient mode of punishing by the collistṛigium or original pillory," &c. whereas it is merely a vulgar imprecation-"shew-and be hanged!" The reader will find more on this subject in Bartholomew Fair. 1 Yet farther, you are too near yet.] Face wants to draw him away from the door that he may not hear anything of what is passing within. The house up for a month Vir. In threaves, d'ye call it? Gent. Usher, act ii.-WHAL. In days of Pimlico and Eye-bright.] A place near Hogsden, Mr. Whalley says, famous for cakes and ale. Thus in the City Match: "Marry, it has been To squire his sisters, and demolish custards, At Pimlico." And in Greene's Tu Quoque: "I have sent my daughter this morning as far as Pimlico for a draught of Derby ale. Pimlico is sometimes spoken of as a person, and may not improbably have been the master of a house once famous for ale of a particular description. So, indeed, may Eyebright,-unless (as I rather incline to think) the term be applied to a sort of malt liquor in which the herb Face. They did pass through the doors then, Or walls, I assure their eye-sights, and their spectacles; For here, sir, are the keys, and here have been, In this my pocket, now above twenty days: And for before, I kept the fort alone there. But that 'tis yet not deep in the afternoon, I should believe my neighbours had seen double Through the black pot, and made these apparitions! For, on my faith to your worship, for these three weeks And upwards, the door has not been opened. Love. Strange! I Nei. Good faith, I think I saw a coach. 2 Nei. And I too, I'd have been sworn. Love. Do you but think it now? And but one coach? 4 Nei. We cannot tell, sir: Jeremy Is a very honest fellow. Face. Did you see me at all? 1 Nei. No; that we are sure on. 2 Nei. I'll be sworn o' that. Love. Fine rogues to have your testimonies built on! Enter Surly and Mammon. Face. Surly come ! And Mammon made acquainted! they'll tell all. How shall I beat them off? what shall I do? Nothing's more wretched than a guilty con- It was no bawdy-house, but a mere chancel ! Sur. The happy word, BE RICH- Sur. Should be to-day pronounced to all your friends. And where be your andirons now? and your brass pots, That should have been golden flaggons, and great wedges? Mam. Let me but breathe. What, they have shut their doors, Methinks ! Sur. Ay, now 'tis holiday with them. Mam. Rogues, [He and Surly knock. Cozeners, impostors, bawds! Face. What mean you, sir? Face. Another man's house! Here is the owner, sir; turn you to him, Mam. Are you, sir, the owner? Mam. And are those knaves within your cheaters ? Love. What knaves, what cheaters? Face. The gentleman is distracted, sir! Nor lights have been seen here these three weeks, sir, Within these doors, upon my word. Accedam atque appellabo: heu, quam timeo miser! Nihil est miserius quam animus hominis conscius.' There is a passage among the fragments of Menander which sufficiently explains the situation of Face: Ο συνιστορων αντω τι, καν ᾖ θρασύτατος, It is become a cage of unclean birds. the constable. Tri. You shall do well. Ana. We'll join to weed them out. Ana. Call her not sister; she's a harlot Kas. I'll raise the street. Love. Good gentleman, a word. Ana. Satan avoid, and hinder not our zeal ! [Exeunt Ana. Trib. and Kast. Love. The world's turned Bethlem. Face. These are all broke loose, Out of St. Katherine's, where they use to keep The better sort of mad-folks. I Nei. All these persons 1 I think the moon has crazed'em all.] Thus poet again uses the expression in the Tale of a Shakspeare: "It is the very error of the moon : She comes more near the earth than she was wont, And makes men mad." 2 By the fat knight and the lean gentleman.] i.e., by Mammon and Surly: yet Surly is spoken of (p. 53 a) as too fat for a Spaniard. So Tub: "And if the dapper priest Be but as cunning, point in his devise, As I was in my lie.' Johnson (see his Dict.) brings the expression from point de vise, in the exact point of view: and in this he is supported by the manner in which many of our old writers give the words. I have little doubt, however, but that the phrase is of mathematical derivation—à point devisé, to a precise or given point: and hence exact, correct, &c. Mr. Douce (Illust. of Shakspeare) derives it "from the labour of the needle." Point, he tells us, from Cotgrave, is a stitch, and devisé anything disposed or arranged: this may be granted-but a dictionary will never teach us to put words together; and the origin i.e., exactly the same in every particular. Our of the expression, if not given in the former 3 Punk devise, my suster!] i.e., as Upton observes, thou arrant whore. The phrase is taken from the French à points devisez. Chaucer in the Romaunt of the Rose, ver. 1215: "Her nose was wrought at point devise," i.e., And Shakspeare, in with the utmost exactness. Twelfth Night, act ii. sc. 2: "Mal. I will be point devise, the very man. part of this note, is yet to seek. 2 Nei. Yes, indeed, sir. 3 Nei. These were the parties. Face. Peace, you drunkards! Sir, I wonder at it: please you to give me leave To touch the door, I'll try an the lock be changed. Love. It amazes me ! It's all I beg. I'll help you to a widow, In recompense, that you shall give me thanks for, Will make you seven years younger, and a rich one. 'Tis but your putting on a Spanish cloak: I have her within. You need not fear the house; Face. [Goes to the door.] Good faith, sir,It was not visited. There's no such thing: 'tis all deceptio visus. Would I could get him away. [Aside. Dap. [within.] Master captain! "master doctor! Love. Who's that? Face. Our clerk within, that I forgot! [Aside.] I know not, sir. Dap. [within. For God's sake, when will her grace be at leisure? Face. Ha! Illusions, some spirit o' the air!-His gag is melted, And now he sets out the throat. [Aside. Dap. [within.] am almost stifledFace. Would you were altogether. Love. 'Tis in the house. Ha! list. Face. Believe it, sir, in the air. Love. Peace, you. [Aside. Love. But by me, who came Love. Well: let's see your widow. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-A Room in the same. Enter Subtle, leading in Dapper, with his eyes bound as before. Sub. How have you eaten your gag? Dap. Yes, faith, it crumbled Away in my mouth. Sub. You have spoiled all then. I hope my aunt of Fairy will forgive me. Sub. Your aunt's a gracious lady; but in troth You were to blame. Dap. The fume did overcome me, Dap. [within.] Mine aunt's grace does And I did do't to stay my stomach. Pray not use me well. Sub. [within.] You fool, Peace, you'll mar all. Face. [speaks through the keyhole, while Lovewit advances to the door unobserved.] Or you will else, you rogue. Love. O, is it so? then you converse with spirits! Come, sir. No more of your tricks, good Jeremy. The truth, the shortest way. Face. Dismiss this rabble, sir.What shall I do? I am catched. Love. Good neighbours, [Aside. I thank you all. You may depart. [Exeunt Neighbours.]-Come, sir, You know that I am an indulgent master; And therefore conceal nothing. What's your medicine, To draw so many several sorts of wild fowl? Face. Sir, you were wont to affect mirth and wit But here's no place to talk on't in the street. Give me but leave to make the best of my fortune, And only pardon me the abuse of your house: Here comes the captain. Face. How now! is his mouth down? Sub. Ay, he has spoken! Face. A pox, I heard him, and you too. He's undone then. I have been fain to say, the house is haunted With spirits, to keep churl back. Sub. Why, then triumph and sing Face. Did you not hear the coil About the door? Sub. Yes, and I dwindled with it. Face. Shew him his aunt, and let him be dispatched : I'll send her to you. [Exit Face. Sub. Well, sir, your aunt her grace Will give you audience presently, on my suit, |