Cor. Is this not purely good?

Maci. S'blood, why should such a prick-ear'd hind as this

Be rich, ha? a fool! such a transparent gull

That may be seen through! wherefore should he have land,

Houses, and lordships? O, I could eat my entrails, And sink my soul into the earth with sorrow.

2

Car. First, to be an accomplished gentleman, that is, a gentleman of the time, you must give over housekeeping in the country, and live altogether in the city amongst gallants; where, at your first appearance, 'twere good you turn'd four or five hundred acres of your best land into two or three trunks of apparel-you may do it without going to a conjurer -and be sure you mix yourself still with such as flourish in the spring of the fashion, and are least popular: study their carriage and behaviour in all; learn to play at primero and passage, and ever (when

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2 You must give over housekeeping in the country, &c.] Primum fac procul te abducas a patria-Ingere te in convictum juvenum vere nobilium. Eras. 'Iππ. аνɩπT.

3 Least popular.] Least vulgar; most removed from the common people. WHAL.

Much of what follows may be found, in fuller detail, in that most curious pamphlet of Decker, the Gul's Horn-book, printed a few years after this play. All the advantages of precision, vigour, and elegance, are on the side of Jonson; his old antagonist, however, is extremely interesting and amusing.

4 Learn to play at primero and passage.] Primero was a game on the cards, once very fashionable. It is not, however, described in the Compleat Gamester, and the explanation of it, in Minsheu's Dictionary (like many others of his) explains nothing. From a very long epigram in Dodsley's Old Plays, vol. i. p. 168, it may be collected that it was a very complicated amusement. Passage is a game at dice, which some perhaps may comprehend by the following description: "It is played at but by two, and it is performed with three dice. The caster throws continually till he hath thrown doublets under ten, and then he is out and loseth; or doublets above ten, and then he passeth, and wins." Comp. Game. p. 167.

you lose) have two or three peculiar oaths to swear by, that no man else swears: but, above all, protest in your play, and affirm, Upon your credit, As you are a true gentleman, at every cast; you may do it with a safe conscience, I warrant you.

Sog. O admirable rare! he cannot chose but be a gentleman that has these excellent gifts: more, more, I beseech you.

Car. You must endeavour to feed cleanly at your ordinary, sit melancholy, and pick your teeth when you cannot speak and when you come to plays, be humorous, look with a good starch'd face, and ruffle your brow like a new boot, laugh at nothing but your own jests, or else as the noblemen laugh. That's a special grace, you must observe.

Sog. I warrant you, sir.

Car. Ay, and sit on the stage and flout, provided you have a good suit.

Sog. O, I'll have a suit only for that, sir.

Car. You must talk much of your kindred and allies.

Sog. Lies! no, signior, I shall not need to do so, I have kindred in the city to talk of: I have a niece is a merchant's wife; and a nephew, my brother Sordido's son, of the Inns of court.

Car. O, but you must pretend alliance with courtiers and great persons: and ever when you are to dine or sup in any strange presence, hire a fellow with a great chain,5 (though it be copper, it's no matter,) to bring you letters, feign'd from such a nobleman, or

5 Hire a fellow with a great chain, &c.] The stewards and chief gentlemen of great families, were accustomed at this period to wear chains about their necks, as badges of distinction: they were commonly of silver, or silver gilt; though mention is sometimes made of gold ones. Thus Middleton, "Run, sirrah, call in my chief gentleman in the chain of gold, expedite." A Mad World my Masters. WHAL.

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such a knight, or such a lady, To their worshipful, right rare, and nobly qualified friend and kinsman, signior Insulso Sogliardo: give yourself style enough. And there, while you intend circumstances of news, or enquiry of their health, or so, one of your familiars, whom you must carry about you still, breaks it up, as 'twere in a jest, and reads it publicly at the table : at which you must seem to take as unpardonable offence, as if he had torn your mistress's colours, or breath'd upon her picture, and pursue it with that hot grace, as if would advance a challenge upon it presently.

you

To bring you letters feigned from such a nobleman, or such a knight, &c.] From Erasmus: Fingito literas a magnatibus ad te missas, in quibus identidem appelleris, Eques Clarissimus. Curabis ut hujusmodi literæ tibi velut elapsæ, aut per oblivionem relictæ veniant aliorum manus. WHAL.

7 As if he had torn your mistress's colours, or breath'd upon her picture.] For colours, see Cynthia's Revels. On the next passage, Whalley says, "Breath'd has here the same meaning as Shakspeare (he means, his commentator,) has assigned it in Henry IV" “And when you breathe in your watering, they cry, Hem! and bid you play it off." Ist Part, A. ii. S. 4. And Theobald, in the margin of his copy, is yet more offensive. I should not notice this folly, were it not for the opportunity which it gives me, of relieving Shakspeare from some of the filth heaped upon him by his critics. By breathing in his watering, he meant neither more nor less, than taking breath in his draught, as cattle sometimes do: a breach of good manners noticed by our old writers.

And this Steevens (to say nothing of the rest) might have concluded, if he had not been possessed with the spirit of impurity, from the very passage adduced below: but the pleasure of alluding to a beastly line in the School of Salerno was not to be resisted.

That all hold up their heads, and laugh aloud,

Drink much at one draught, breathe not in their drink;

MS. Timon of Athens.

That none go out to Can any thing be clearer? and yet Shakspeare and his readers are still insulted with the vices of drunken porters.

To breathe upon, in the text, means either to sully or to speak dispraisingly of. The picture was a miniature, which lovers sometimes wore with their mistress's colours, on their arms and breasts.

Sog. Stay, I do not like that humour of challenge, it may be accepted; but I'll tell you what's my humour now, I will do this: I will take occasion of sending one of my suits to the tailor's, to have the pocket repaired, or so; and there such a letter as you talk of, broke open and all, shall be left: O, the tailor will presently give out what I am, upon the reading of it, worth twenty of your gallants.

Car. But then you must put on an extreme face of discontentment at your man's negligence.

Sog. O, so I will, and beat him too: I'll have a man for the purpose.

Mac. You may; you have land and crowns: O partial fate!

Car. Mass, well remember'd, you must keep your men gallant at the first, fine pied liveries laid with good gold lace; there's no loss in it, they may rip it off and pawn it, when they lack victuals.

Sog. By 'r lady, that is chargeable, signior, 'twill bring a man in debt.

Car. Debt! why that's the more for your credit, sir: it's an excellent policy to owe much in these days, if you note it."

Sog. As how, good signior? I would fain be a politician.

8 I will take occasion of sending one of my suits to the tailor's, &c.] Interdum insue vesti, aut relinque in crumena, ut quibus sarciendi negotium dederis illic reperiant. Illi non silebunt, et tu, simul ac resciveris, compones vultum ad iracundiam ac mæstitiam, quasi doleat Eras. Id.

casus.

It's an excellent policy to owe much in these days, if you note it.] This and much of what follows is from Panurge's panegyric on debtors. Jonson was a diligent reader of Rabelais, and has numberless allusions to him. In this place, however, Erasmus had been before him: Nulla est commodior ad regnum via quam deberi quamplurimis: primum creditor observat te non aliter quam obligatus maguo beneficio vereturque ne quam præbeat ansam amittenda pecuniæ: Servos nemo magis habet obnoxios, quam debitor suos creditores; quibus si quid aliquando reddas, gratius est quam si dono des. Idem.

Cor. O! look where you are indebted any great sum, your creditor observes you with no less regard, than if he were bound to you for some huge benefit, and will quake to give you the least cause of offence, lest he lose his money. I assure you, in these times, no man has his servant more obsequious and pliant, than gentlemen their creditors: to whom, if at any time you pay but a moiety, or a fourth part, it comes more acceptably than if you gave them a new-year's gift.

Sog. I perceive you, sir: I will take up,' and bring myself in credit, sure.

Car. Marry this, always beware you commerce not with bankrupts, or poor needy Ludgathians : 2 they are impudent creatures, turbulent spirits, they care not what violent tragedies they stir, nor how they play fast and loose with a poor gentleman's fortunes, to get their own. Marry, these rich fellows, that have the world, or the better part of it, sleeping in their counting-houses, they are ten times more placable, they; either fear, hope, or modesty restrains

1I will take up.] That is, goods on credit. The phrase is common in the writers of those times. So Falstaff: "If a gentleman would be thorough with 'em, in honest taking up, they stand upon security."

Again, in Donne,

There's now as great an itch of bravery,
And heat of taking up. Elegy xvi.

WHAL.

2 Always beware you commerce not with bankrupts, or poor needy Ludgathians, &c.] I know not how this reflection on the poverty of the tradesmen of Ludgate crept in here; they were surely among the wealthiest of our author's time. The thought itself, though obvious enough, is from Erasmus: Caveto, ne cum tenuibus habeas commercium; nam hi ob parvulam summulam ingentes excitant tragedias. Placabiliores sunt, quibus lautior est fortuna; cohibet illos pudor, lactat spes, deterret metus. Idem.

Our old writers sometimes use Ludgate for the prison there. Jonson could scarcely mean people imprisoned for debt by Ludgathians; for Sogliardo needed no caution on that head.