Of your elixir, your lac virginis, Your sal, your sulphur, and your mercury, Your marchesite, your tutie, your magnesia, Your toad, your crow, your dragon, and your panther; Your sun, your moon, your firmament, your adrop,1 Your lato, azoch, zernich, chibrit, heautarit, And then your red man, and your white woman, With all your broths, your menstrues, and materials Of piss and egg-shells, women's terms, man's blood, Hairo' the head, burnt clouts, chalk, merds, Powder of bones, scalings of iron, glass, Sub. And all these named, Intending but one thing; which art our writers Used to obscure their art. Mam. Sir, so I told him Because the simple ideot should not learn it, | He'll be mad too. Sub. Was not all the knowledge Wrapped in perplexed allegories? Mam. I urged that, And cleared to him, that Sisyphus was To roll the ceaseless stone, only because appears at the door.]-Who is this? 1 Your adrop, &c.] Adrop est azar, lapis ipse-Chem. Dict. Lato is a species of aurichalc; azoch and chibrit are, I believe, but other names for mercury; zernich is auripigment, and heautarit-I know not what. 2 Face. A lord's sister, &c.] I have adopted the arrangement of the quarto, 1612, in these short speeches. It is so much more natural than that of the folio, 1616, that I am inclined to attribute the alteration to a mere oversight. I warrant thee.] i.e., I will secure thee from the effects of his anger. Mam. I warrant thee. Why sent hither? Face. Sir, to be cured. Sub. [within.] Why, rascal! [Exit. Mam. 'Fore God, a Bradamante, a brave piece. Sur. Heart, this is a bawdy-house! I will be burnt else. Mam. O, by this light, no: do not wrong Too scrupulous that way: it is his vice. A Bradamante,] The name of an heroine in Orlando Furioso.-WHAL 5 An excellent Paracelsian,] A follower of Paracelsus. Philippus Aureolus Paracelsus Theophrastus Bumbastus de Hohenheim, (I love, as the good Vicar of Wakefield says, to give the whole name), was born in 1493, at Einsiedeln, a little town near Zurich. His father, who was a physician, taught him the rudiments of his art, and would perhaps have taught him more, had not the incurable passion of his son for rambling prevented it. Before he was twenty Strange cures with mineral physic. He deals all With spirits, he; he will not hear a word Of Galen; or his tedious recipes.- Re-enter Face. How now, Lungs ! Face. Softly, sir; speak softly. I meant To have told your worship all. This must not hear. he had overrun a great part of Germany, conversing indifferently with barbers, old women, conjurers, chemists, quacks, &c., and eagerly adopting from each whatever he imagined conducive to the system of imposture which he had already planned. From Germany he proceeded to Russia, where he fell into the hands of the Tartars and was carried to the Cham, who sent him to Constantinople to preside over the education of his son! Here, as all the world knows, he learned the grand secret, and returned to Germany with the philosopher's stone. At Basle he set up for a physician, and having by accident or mistake cured Frobenius (the noted printer), he acquired considerable practice. In 1527 he was appointed professor of physic and gave lectures. As he had far more cunning than knowledge, he wrapped up all that he delivered in a kind of mystical jargon (like the alchemists), which was perfectly unintelligible, and procured him a vast number of scholars. Emboldened by success, he now pretended to magic, and held conference with a familiar or demon, whom, for the convenience of consulting, he constantly carried about with him in the hilt of his sword. He was also a warm stickler for reformation in ecclesiastical matters, which, as he had no religion, sets off his patriotism to great advantage. His language was rude, and his manner gross and offensive in the highest degree; he was arrogant, assuming, and full of the most extravagant promises and pretensions. He offered to teach the secret of making gold ad libitum, and lived on alms. He undertook readily to protract the existence of his patients to any period; and while debating in his own mind how many centuries he himself would live, died of a common fever in the hospital of Salzburg, in the 48th year of his age. The rest of his character is easily settled. He was of a lively fancy, and of an active and restless disposition: in our times he would have been a quack and a puppet-showman; in his own, this was not sufficient for his ambition, and he became a professed necromancer. From what I have read of his works, which are written in a mean, uncouth, and barbarous style, I should suppose that such a man might be compounded out of a Darwin and a Cagliostro. Paracelsus seems to have first fallen upon that ridiculous species of quackery which was revived not long ago with such parade under the name of animal magnetism. His elixir of life was assisted in s operation by a process very similar to what the modern professors of the art call treating: Mam. No, he will not be "gulled:"1 let him alone. Face. You are very right, sir; she is a most rare scholar, And is gone mad with studying Broughton's works." If you but name a word touching the She falls into her fit, and will discourse As you would run mad too, to hear her, sir. the patient was wearied by some contemptible mummery into a state of somnolency, from which he was to awake with a renovated constitution. It is not a little mortifying to observe that the boasted discoveries of this prodigious period, which has been proudly termed "the age of reason," but which would be more aptly denominated the age of impudence, had been made long since. There is not one of the miraculous inventions which for a short time immortalized the philosopher Godwin, that had not been the object of sovereign contempt and ridicule many centuries before he was born. 1 No, he will not be gulled :] Mammon alludes with a sneer to Surly's declaration, p. 20 a. She is gone mad with studying Broughton's works.] Mr. Hugh Broughton, a celebrated rabbin in Queen Elizabeth's days, and a great publisher."-WHAL. Broughton was an English divine, and a considerable proficient (as has been already observed, vol. i. p. 354 a) in the Hebrew. His attainments, however, in this language only served to make him ridiculous, for he fell upon a mode of explaining it perfectly incomprehensible to himself as well as to others. He was of a very pugnacious humour, and wasted many years of his life in a most violent dispute with the Archbishop of Canterbury and a Jew rabbi about the sense of sheol and hades. This rabbi, Howell says, was of the tribe of Aaron, and of such repute for sanctity at Amsterdam (where he saw him), that "when the other Jews met him they fell down and kissed his feet."-Let. vii. This did not, however, secure him from the coarse revilings of Broughton, whose insolence and pride were beyond all bounds. The reader may be amused with a specimen or two of his opinion of himself. "The Jews desired to have me sent to all the synagogues in Constantinople, if it were but to see my angelicall countenance.' "French, Dutch, Papist, Protestant call for me, being a man approved over the world." "If the Queen (Elizabeth) will not preferre me for my pains, I will leave the land," &c. All this, with much more, is to be found in an "answer to Master Broughton's letters to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury;" in which he is constantly spoken of as one grown mad with unprofitable study and self-conceit. At all events the study of him was well calculated to make others mad. Mam. How might one do t' have conference with her, Lungs? Face. O, divers have run mad upon the conference: I do not know, sir. I am sent in haste Sur. Be not gulled, Sir Mammon. And trust confederate knaves and bawds and whores. One of the treacherousest memories, I do think, Of all mankind. Sur. What call you her brother? He will not have his name known, now I think on't. Sur. A very treacherous memory! Sur. Tut, if you have it not about you, pass it, Mam. You are too foul, believe it. Till we meet next. One word. Face. I dare not, in good faith. [Going. Mam. Stay, knave. Face. He is extreme angry that you saw her, sir. Mam. Drink that. [Gives him money.] What is she when she's out of her fit? Face. O, the most affablest creature, sir! so merry! So pleasant! she'll mount you up, like quicksilver, Over the helm; and circulate like oil, No trick to give a man a taste of her- Sub. [within.] Ulen! Face. I'll come to you again, sir. [Exit. Mam. Surly, I did not think one of your breeding Would traduce personages of worth. Your friend to use; yet still loth to be I do not like your philosophical bawds. Their stone is letchery enough to pay for, Without this bait. Mam. 'Heart, you abuse yourself. I know the lady, and her friends, and means, The original of this disaster. Her brother Has told me all. Sur. And yet you never saw her Till now! Mam. O yes, but I forgot. I have, believe it, 1 Ulen In the folio, 1616, this is made a part of Mammon's speech. It is evident, however, from the abrupt departure of Face, that it is spoken by Subtle within. The 4to, 1612, omits it altogether. Jonson constantly writes this word in the German character. 2 With less danger of the quicksilver, Or the hot sulphur.] "Meaning (as Upton Mam. Nay, by this hand, 'tis true. He's one I honour, and my noble friend; And I respect his house. Sur. Heart! can it be That a grave sir, a rich, that has no need, A wise sir, too, at other times, should thus, With his own oaths, and arguments, make hard means To gull himself? An this be your elixir, And with less danger of the quicksilver, Re-enter Face. Face. Here's one from Captain Face, sir, [to Surly.] Desires you meet him in the Temple-church, Some half hour hence, and upon earnest business. Sir, [whispers Mammon] if you please to quit us now; and come Again within two hours, you shall have My master busy examining o' the works; And I will steal you in, unto the party, That you may see her converse.-Sir, shall I say You'll meet the captain's worship? Sur. Sir, I will.- [Walks aside. But, by attorney, and to a second purpose.3 Now, I am sure it is a bawdy-house; I'll swear it, were the marshal here to thank me: The naming this commander doth confirm it. observes) with less danger of being salivated for it." 3 But by attorney, and to a second purpose.] i.e., I will delegate, as it were, or appoint some other character to act instead of my own proper character. He speaks this (as Upton says) aside for soon after he puts on the person of a Spanish don.-WHAL. Face. As my life, sir. Face. Not I, sir! Mam. Come, I was born to make thee, my good weasel, Set thee on a bench, and have thee twirl a chain With the best lord's vermin of 'em all. Mam. A count, nay, a count palatine —— Mam. Shall not advance thee better: no, nor faster. [Exit. Re-enter Subtle and Doll. Sub. Has he bit? has he bit? Sub. And shall we twitch him? A wench is a rare bait, with which a man No sooner's taken, but he straight firks mad. Sub. Dol, my Lord What'ts'hum's sister, you must now Bear yourself statelich.4 Dol. O, let me alone. Mam. And wilt thou insinuate what I I'll not forget my race, I warrant you. Face. Send your stuff, sir, that my master May busy himself about projection. Mam. Thou hast witched me, rogue: take, go. [Gives him money. Face. Your jack, and all, sir. Mam. Thou art a villain-I will send my jack, And the weights too. Slave, I could bite thine ear.3 Away, thou dost not care for me. 1 What fall;] The fall (a very fashionable article of dress) was a ruff or band, which, instead of being plaited round the neck, was turned back on the shoulders. This gentleman has a parlous head.] A common corruption of perilous, dangerously shrewd, &c. So Shakspeare: I'll keep my distance, laugh and talk aloud; Have all the tricks of a proud scurvy lady, And be as rude as her woman. Face. Well said, sanguine! Sub. But will he send his andirons ? And 's iron shoeing-horn; I have spoke to him. Well, I must not lose my wary gamester yonder. If I can strike a fine hook into him, now!— I'll about it. vol. i. p. 130 a. The flow of spirits and exultation of Mammon at the near prospect of gratifying two of his predominant passions (lust and avarice) are exquisitely delineated. Bear yourself statelich.] Dutch, and should be written staatlyk. This affectation of introducing Dutch and Flemish words was common to our old writers: we have lustigh, froelich, &c. in every drama: terms with which we were supplied by the soldiers who returned from the wars in the Netherlands, and which are very inadequately translated by the English words lusty, frolic, &c. Sub. Ods so! 'tis he, he said he would And rectify your menstrue from the phlegma. send what call you him? He looks like a gold-end-man,] I find from Whalley's copy that he had consulted Steevens on the meaning of this expression, but without success. It is somewhat strange that this distinguished critic should be ignorant of so common a term. A gold-end-man is one who buys broken pieces of gold and silver, an itinerant jeweller. In the Beggar's Bush, Higgins enters crying, "Have ye any ends of gold and silver, maids?" words which might be heard every day in the streets of London. And in Eastward Hoe, where the word often occurs, Gertrude says that her father "will do more for his daughter that has married a scurvy gold-end-man (a goldsmith's apprentice) than for her.' 2 I must use him In some strange fashion now to make him admire me.] Nothing (says Upton) can be finer imagined than this change of Subtle's behaviour. Fools always admire what they least understand; and character is the least they are acquainted with. To the voluptuous and wicked Mammon, Subtle appears holiness and humility itself; to the ignorant and devout Ananias, he appears all learning and science; to which every other consideration must submit: and all this very agreeably to the rules of decorum, to excite the admiration and wonder of those various kinds of fools."-WHAL. A faithful brother,] So the Puritans styled themselves. Subtle affects to misunderstand the expression, and to take him for a believer in alchemy. Then pour it on the Sol, in the cucurbite, And let them macerate together. Face. Yes, sir. And save the ground? Sub. No: terra damnata Must not have entrance in the work.-Who are you? Ana. A faithful brother,3 if it please you. A Lullianista Ripley Filius artis? Ana. I understand no heathen language, truly. Sub. Heathen! you Knipper-doling ? is Ars sacra, Or chrysopoeia, or spagyrica, Or the pamphysic, or panarchic knowledge, A heathen language? Ana. Heathen Greek, take it. Sub. How! heathen Greek? A Lullianist?] A follower of Raymund Lully. See vol. i. p. 355 a. A Ripley George Ripley, so called from the place of his birth, was Canon of Bridlington in Yorkshire. He was an adept, and wrote a poem called the Compound of Alchemie, which, with a few shorter pieces by him on the same subject, was printed by Ashmole, in his Theatrum Chemicum, 1652. Ripley lived in the 15th century, and dedicated his great work to Edward IV. More of him may be found in Fuller's Worthies of England. Know you the sapor pontic? sapor stiptic?] I learn from Norton that "there be nyne sapors," all of which, he adds, "maie bee learnde in halfe an hwer." The two in the text, which are all that I shall burden the reader's memory with at present, are thus explained: "So is the sowerish tast called sapor pontic, And lesse sower allso called sapor stiptic." I have taken some pains to instil a portion of this divine art," alchemy, into my readers; and, to say the least, shall think myself very which they may make by the aid of my reungratefully used if a small portion of the gold searches, be not set aside for my use. doling (as Upton says) was a fanatical anabaptist 7 Heathen, you Knipper-doling?] "Knipperat Munster in Germany; he, with one Rotmar and John Bockholdt, commonly called John of Leyden, a tailor, and the rest of the superstitious crew, raised great disturbances in the Low Cour tries about the year 1533." |