quarrel once an hour, with the terrible boys,' if you should but keep them fellowship a day. La-F. It should be extremely against my will, sir, if I contested with any man. Cler. I believe it, sir: Where hold you your feast? La-F. At Tom Otter's, sir. Daup. Tom Otter! what's he? La-F. Captain Otter, sir; he is a kind of gamester, but he has had command both by sea and by land. Daup. O, then he is animal amphibium? La-F. Ay, sir: his wife was the rich chinawoman, that the courtiers visited so often ;* that gave the rare entertainment. She commands all at home. 3 The terrible boys,] These terrible boys are mentioned in the Alchemist, A. IÍI. S. 3. "Kast. Sir, not so young, but I have heard some speech "Of the angry boys, and seen 'em take tobacco." A citation from Wilson's Life of King James will make the allusion still more manifest: "The king minding his sports, many riotous demeanours crept into the kingdom; divers sects of vicious persons, going under the title of roaring boys, bravadoes, roysters, &c. commit many insolencies; the streets swarm, night and day, with bloody quarrels, private duels fomented," &c. UPTON. These pestilent miscreants continued, under various names, to disturb the peace of the capital, down to the accession of the present royal family. His wife was the rich china-woman, that the courtiers visited so often ;] In Jonson's days, the trade with the East had not been long opened; and the china, and laquered ware which we derived either directly or through the medium of the Dutch, from China, and the Japanese islands, were objects of very general curiosity in both sexes. Enough remains in our old dramatists to shew that advantage was taken of this, to convert the places of exhibition (almost always private houses) into a kind of bagnios, of which the owners were the most convenient Cler. Then she is captain Otter. La-F. You say very well, sir; she is my kinswoman, a La-Foole by the mother-side, and will invite any great ladies for my sake. Daup. Not of the La-Fooles of Essex? La-F. No, sir; the La-Fooles of London. [Aside. La-F. They all come out of our house, the La-Fooles of the north, the La-Fooles of the west, the La-Fooles of the east and south-we are as ancient a family as any is in Europe-but I myself am descended lineally of the French La-Fooles-and, we do bear for our coat yellow,* or or, checker'd azure, and gules, and some three or four colours more, which is a very noted coat, and has, sometimes, been solemnly worn by divers nobility of our house-but let that go, antiquity is not respected now.-I had a brace of fat does sent me, gentlemen, and half a dozen of pheasants, a dozen or two of godwits, and some other fowl, which I would have eaten, while they are good, and in good company :there will be a great lady or two, my lady Haughty, my lady Centaure, mistress Dol Mavis-and they come o' purpose to see the silent gentlewoman, mistress Epicone, that honest sir John Daw has promised to bring thither-and then, mistress Trusty, my lady's woman, will be there too, and this honourable knight, sir Dauphine, with yourself, master Clerimont-and we'll be very merry, of procuresses. If we may trust the poets and essayists of queen Anne's days, matters were not much mended when they wrote; as no place of assignation is more frequently mentioned than a "china-house." 5 And we do bear for our coat yellow, &c.] This is a humorous allusion to the parti-coloured dress of the domestic fool of our ancestors, which is still retained on the stage. and have fidlers, and dance.-I have been a mad wag in my time, and have spent some crowns since I was a page in court, to my lord Lofty, and after, my lady's gentleman-usher, who got me knighted in Ireland, since it pleased my elder brother to die.-I had as fair a gold jerkin on that day, as any worn in the island voyage, or at Cadiz, none dispraised; and I came over in it hither, shew'd myself to my friends in court, and after went down to my tenants in the country, and surveyed my lands, let new leases, took their money, spent it in the eye o' the land here, upon ladies-and now I can take up at my pleasure. Daup. Can you take up ladies, sir? Cler. O, let him breathe, he has not recover'd. Daup. Would I were your half in that commodity! La-F. No, sir, excuse me: I meant money, which can take up any thing. I have another guest or two, to invite, and say as much to, gentlemen. I'll take my leave abruptly, in hope you will not fail-Your servant. [Exit. I had as fair a gold jerkin on that day, as any was worn in the island voyage, or at Cadiz, none dispraised;} "This island voyage (as Upton observes) was undertaken 1585, sir Francis Drake being admiral, with a fleet of one and twenty sail, and with above two thousand volunteers aboard: they went to Hispaniola, and there made themselves masters of the town of St. Domingo. The other adventure here mentioned, was undertaken in 1596, when the earl of Essex and sir Walter Raleigh burnt the Indian fleet at Cadiz, consisting of forty sail, and brought home immense treasures." Shakspeare alludes to this finery of dressing, when our youth went abroad, in King John: -and some "Have sold their fortunes at their native homes, A. II. S. 1. WHAL. Daup. We will not fail you, sir precious LaFoole; but she shall, that your ladies come to see, if I have credit afore sir Daw. Cler. Did you ever hear such a wind-sucker, as this? Daup. Or such a rook as the other, that will betray his mistress to be seen! Come, 'tis time we prevented it. Cler. Go. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. A Room in Morose's House. Enter MOROSE with a tube in his hand, followed by MUTE. Mor. Cannot I, yet, find out a more compendious method, than by this trunk, to save my servants the labour of speech, and mine ears the discords of sounds? Let me see: all discourses but my own afflict me; they seem harsh, impertinent, and irksome. Is it not possible, that thou shouldst answer me by signs, and I apprehend thee, fellow? Speak not, though I question you. 7 Did you ever hear such a wind-sucker,] A kind of kite, that supports itself for a considerable time in the air with little or no motion, its beak being turned towards the wind, which it seems to suck. WHAL. All discourses but my own afflict me ;] This is well observed; for Morose, like his name-sake in Libanius, is extremely delighted with the sound of his own voice. This, however, is a trait of nature, and must have been taken from actual observation. You have taken the ring off from the street door, as I bade you? answer me not by speech, but by silence; unless it be otherwise [Mute makes a leg.]-very good. And you have fastened on a thick quilt, or flock-bed, on the outside of the door; that if they knock with their daggers, or with brick-bats, they can make no noise?-But with your leg, your answer, unless it be otherwise. [makes a leg.]-Very good. This is not only fit modesty in a servant, but good state and discretion in a master. And you have been with Cutbeard the barber, to have him come to me? [makes a leg.]- Good. And, he will come presently? Answer me not but with your leg, unless it be otherwise: if it be otherwise, shake your head, or shrug. [makes a leg.]-So! Your Italian and Spaniard are wise in these: and it is a frugal and comely gravity. How long will it be ere Cutbeard come? Stay; if an hour, hold up your whole hand; if half an hour, two fingers; if a quarter, one; [holds up a finger bent.]— Good: half a quarter? 'tis well. And have you given him a key, to come in without knocking? [makes a leg.]-good. And, is the lock oil'd, and the hinges, to-day? [makes a leg.]— good. And the quilting of the stairs no where worn out and bare? [makes a leg.] - Very good. I see, by much doctrine, and impulsion, it may be effected; stand by. The Turk, in this divine discipline, is admirable, exceeding all the potentates of the earth; still waited on by mutes; and all his commands so executed; yea, even in the war, as I have heard, and in his marches, most of his charges and directions given by signs, and with silence: an exquisite art! and I am 9 Yea, even in the war, as I have heard, and in his marches, |