envi how 8 To sing: My mind to me a kingdom is, Mighty, and fear'd; that loved, and highly favour'd; Mit. O, peace, you break the scene. Enter SOGLIARDO, and CARLO Buffone. Maci. Soft, who be these? I'll lay me down awhile till they be past. [Lies down. Mit. What is he? Cor. A tame rook, you'll take him presently; list. Sog. Nay, look you, Carlo; this is my humour now! I have land and money, my friends left me well, and I will be a gentleman whatsoever it cost me. 8 My mind to me a kingdom is.] Words of an old ballad, the thought from Seneca. WHAL. Whalley alludes, I suppose, to this verse in the Thyestes, Mens regnum bona possidet. Car. LA most gentlemanlike resolution.> Sog. Tut! an I take an humour of a thing once, I am like your tailor's needle, I go through: but, for my name, signior, how think you? will it not serve for a gentleman's name, when the signior is put to it, ha? Car. Let me hear; how is it? Sog. Signior Insulso Sogliardo: methinks it sounds well. Car. O excellent! tut! an all fitted to your name, you might very well stand for a gentleman: I know many Sogliardos gentlemen. Sog. Why, and for my wealth I might be a justice of peace. Car. Ay, and a constable for your wit. Sog. All this is my lordship you see here, and those farms you came by. Car. Good steps to gentility too, marry: but, Sogliardo, if you affect to be a gentleman indeed, you must observe all the rare qualities, humours, and compliments of a gentleman. Sog. I know it, signior, and if you please to instruct, I am not too good to learn, I'll assure you. Car. Enough, sir.—I'll make admirable use in the projection of my medicine upon this lump of copper here. [Aside]-I'll bethink me for you, sir. Sog. Signior, I will both pay you, and pray you, and thank you, and think on you. Sog. Signior Insulso Sogliardo.] There are several allusions, in the instructions which Carlo gives Sogliardo for becoming a gentleman, to one of the Colloquies of Erasmus. The following is pointed out by Whalley: Restat cognomen. Hic illud imprimis cavendum, ne plebeio more te patiaris vocari Harpalum Comensem: sed Harpalum à Como: hoc enim nobilium est. Iπevs aviñños, sive Ementita Nobilitas. 1 Compliments of a gentleman.] This word, in Jonson's age, had the sense which we now give to accomplishments. Thus, in Sir Giles Goosecap, 1606: "Adorned with the exactest complements belonging to nobleness." Envy 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 Houses, and lordships? O, I could eat my entrails, 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 3 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. аvɩTT. 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. 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 Minshew'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, beseech you. I 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, (though it be copper, it's no matter,) to bring you letters, feign'd from such a nobleman, or 5 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. Surcasm not invective 6 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 you would advance a challenge upon it presently. 7 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 elapsa, aut per oblivionem relicta veniant aliorum manus. WHAL. 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; 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. |