Fung. Here's such a world of questions with him now! Yes, I think there be such a thing, I saw the picture. Would he would once be satisfied! Let me see, the doublet, say fifty shillings the doublet, and between three or four pound the hose; then boots, hat, and band: some ten or eleven pound will do it all, and suit me, for the heavens!" [Aside.

it serves to explain, and of which the sense has been hitherto mistaken :

"And now at length he's brought

Unto fair London city,
Where in Fleet-street
All those may see't,

That will not believe my ditty." Ballad on Cromwell. "Alluding," says the Editor, "to Cromwell's having lodged there at some period of his life." But the allusion is to the notoriety of this street for its exhibitions of puppet-shows, "naked Indians," "strange fishes," and "monsters" of every description. The laudable custom of hanging out a picture of what was to be seen, is still preserved in full force.

66

7 Some ten or eleven pound will do it all, and suit me, for the heavens !] This expression occurs in The Merchant of Venice. Away! says the fiend, for the heavens!" Upon which Mr. M. Mason observes, "As it is not likely that Shakspeare should make the Devil conjure Launcelot to do anything for the heavens, I have no doubt but the passage is corrupt, and that we ought to read, Away! says the fiend, for the haven-by which Launcelot was to make his escape, if he was determined to run away!" My old acquaintance succeeds no better in geography than in criticism: the haven of Venice is all his own, and it would be the height of injustice to compliment Shakspeare with the discovery of it.

Mr. Malone says that the expression means, "Begone, says the fiend, to the heavens." This appears less likely to come from the "Devil," than the " conjuration" which so scandalized Mr. M. Mason. But enough of trifling; the words are merely a petty oath; and wheresoever they occur, in this manner, and by whomsoever they are spoken, mean neither more nor less than-by heaven! Such is the sense of them in the text: Some ten or eleven pound will do it all, by heaven!

This ignorance of the language, if accompanied by modesty, would be no great evil; but when it emboldens the commentator to corrupt and alter it to his own conceptions, as Whalley has done

Sog. I'll see all those devices an I come to London

once.

Fung. Ods 'slid, an I could compass it, 'twere rare. [Aside.]-Hark you, uncle.

Sog. What says my nephew?

Fung. Faith, uncle, I would have desired you to have made a motion for me to my father, in a thing that- -Walk aside, and I'll tell you, sir; no more but this: there's a parcel of law books (some twenty pounds worth) that lie in a place for little more than half the money they cost; and I think, for some twelve pound, or twenty mark, I could go near to redeem them; there's Plowden, Dyar, Brooke, and Fitz-Herbert, divers such as I must have ere long; and you know, I were as good save five or six pound, as not, uncle. I pray you, move it for me.

Sog. That I will: when would you have me do it? presently?

Fung. O, ay, I pray you, good uncle: [SOGLIARDO takes SORDIDO aside.]-send me good luck! Lord, an't be thy will, prosper it! O my stars, now, now, if it take now, I am made for ever.

in this place, it becomes a serious matter. In a subsequent scene of this play Macilente says,

66

Now, for my soul, another minion

Of the old lady Chance's!"

On which Whalley observes, "I apprehend the words for my soul are corrupt, and should be read 'fore my soul." And accordingly the expression, thus happily corrected a second time, is made part of the text.

That no future doubts may arise on the subject, I will subjoin two or three of as many score examples which I could instantly produce: the first shall be from Jonson himself: "Come on, sir Valentine, I'll give you a health, for the heavens, you mad Capricio, hold hook and line!" Case is Altered. The second, from his old enemy Decker: "A lady took a pipefull or two (of tobacco) at my hands, and praised it, for the heavens !" Untrussing the Humourous Poet. And, to conclude, Tweddle, the drunken piper, in Pasquil and Katharine, exclaims, "I must goe and clap my mistress' cheekes (his tabor) there, for the heavens."

Fast. Shall I tell you, sir? by this air, I am the most beholden to that lord, of any gentleman living; he does use me the most honourably, and with the greatest respect, more indeed than can be utter'd with any opinion of truth.

Punt. Then have you the count Gratiato?

Fast. As true noble a gentleman too as any breathes; I am exceedingly endear'd to his love: By this hand, I protest to you, signior, I speak it not gloriously, nor out of affectation, but there's he, and the count Frugale, signior Illustre, signior Luculento, and a sort of 'em, that when I am at court, they do share me amongst them; happy is he can enjoy me most private. I do wish myself sometime an ubiquitary for their love, in good faith.

Car. There's ne'er a one of these but might lie a week on the rack, ere they could bring forth his name; and yet he pours them out as familiarly, as if he had seen them stand by the fire in the presence, or ta'en tobacco with them over the stage, in the lords room.'

Punt. Then you must of necessity know our courtstar there, that planet of wit, madona Saviolina? Fast. O Lord, sir! my mistress.

Punt. Is she your mistress?

Fast. Faith, here be some slight favours of hers, sir, that do speak it, she is; as this scarf, sir, or this riband in my ear, or so; this feather grew in her sweet fan sometimes, though now it be my poor

8 I speak it not gloriously,] i. e. gloriosè, vain-gloriously; a common acceptation of the word by the writers of Jonson's time.

9 Or ta'en tobacco with them over the stage, in the lord's room.] The lords rooms answered to the present stage-boxes. The price of admission to them appears to have been originally a shilling. Thus Decker: "At a new play you take up the twelve-penny room, next the stage, because the lords and you may seem to be hailfellow, well met." Gul's Hornbook, 1609.

1 This scarf, sir, or this riband in my ear, or so; this feather

fortune to wear it, as you see, sir: slight, slight, a foolish toy.

Punt. Well, she is the lady of a most exalted and ingenious spirit.

Fast. Did you ever hear any woman speak like her? or enriched with a more plentiful discourse?

Car. O villainous! nothing but sound, sound, a mere echo; she speaks as she goes tired, in cobweblawn, light, thin; good enough to catch flies withal. Punt. O, manage your affections.

Fast. Well, if thou be'st not plagued for this blasphemy one day——

of

Punt. Come, regard not a jester : It is in the power my purse to make him speak well or ill of me.

Fast. Sir, I affirm it to you upon my credit and judgment, she has the most harmonious and musical strain of wit that ever tempted a true ear; and yet to see!—a rude tongue would profane heaven, if it could.

Punt. I am not ignorant of it, sir.

Fast. Oh, it flows from her like nectar, and she doth give it that sweet, quick grace, and exornation in the composure, that by this good air, as I am an honest man, would I might never stir, sir, but-she does observe as pure a phrase, and use as choice grew in her sweet fan sometimes.] In those days of gallantry, it was an honourable mode for the men to wear publicly some token of their mistress, or favour she was supposed to give them. Gloves, ribands, &c. were the usual insignia of this kind. The fans then in use were made of feathers. WHAL.

The fashion of wearing roses, that is, knots of ribands, in the ear, is frequently mentioned by our old dramatists, and among the rest by Shakspeare:

That in my ear I could not stick a rose,

Lest men should say, Look, where three-farthings goes."

King John.

Theobald supposes the rose here mentioned to be the flower so

called; but he is mistaken.

figures in her ordinary conferences, as any be in the Arcadia. 2

Car. Or rather in Green's works, whence she may steal with more security.3

Sord. Well, if ten pound will fetch 'em, you shall have it; but I'll part with no more.

Fung. I'll try what that will do, if you please. Sord. Do so; and when you have them, study hard.

Fung. Yes, sir. An I could study to get forty shillings more now! Well, I will put myself into the fashion, as far as this will go, presently.

Sord. I wonder it rains not: the almanack says, we should have store of rain to-day.

[Aside. Punt. Why, sir, to-morrow I will associate you to court myself, and from thence to the city, about a business, a project I have; I will expose it to you, sir; Carlo, I am sure, has heard of it.

Car. What's that, sir?

2 She does observe as pure a phrase, and use as choice figures as any be in the Arcadia.] An unfinished pastoral romance written by sir P. Sidney, in compliment to his sister. It is mentioned in the Antiquary: "Twere a solecism to imagine that a young bravery, who lives where any waiting-woman speaks perfect Arcadia," &c. Lord Orford talks slightly of it in his Royal and Noble Authors, and with a certain degree of justice: for though it contains some nervous and elegant passages, yet the plan of it is poor; the incidents trite and uninteresting, and the general style pedantic and affected. It does not appear to have been meant for the public.

3 Whence she may steal with more security.] Because, as Whalley says, and as Jonson certainly means to insinuate, they were less read. But the fact is not so; Robert Green was at once the most voluminous and the most popular author of his time. He was, says Wood, "a pastoral sonnet-maker," (Antony misconceives the general nature of his writings,)" and author of several things which were pleasing to men and women of his time. They made much sport, and were valued among scholars, but since, they have been mostly sold on ballad-mongers' stalls." Green died in great poverty, in 1592.