O, how I hate the monstrousness of time, Mit. In faith this humour will come ill to some, Asp. This humour? good! and why this humour, Mitis? Nay, do not turn, but answer. Mit. Answer, what? Asp. I will not stir your patience, pardon me, I urged it for some reasons, and the rather To give these ignorant well-spoken days Some taste of their abuse of this word humour. Cor. O, do not let your purpose fall, good Asper; It cannot but arrive most acceptable, Chiefly to such as have the happiness Daily to see how the poor innocent word Is rack'd and tortured. Mit. Ay, I pray you proceed. Asp. O, I crave pardon, I had lost my thoughts. 8 How I hate, &c.] Jonson began already to take a high tone: --but whatever may be thought of his confidence, it is impossible not to be pleased with the spirit of this nervous speech. It is altogether in the best manner of antiquity; and, if it was spoken by Jonson, as is not very improbable, he might have informed the audience that they were unsuspectingly listening to the manly language of the Grecian stage. Or the founder of Cripplegate.] That the founder of Cripplegate was lame, must, if taken at all, be taken on the poet's word. Stow, somewhat better authority in a case of this nature, says that it was so called from the number of lame persons, who usually took their station there for the purpose of begging. The name (Porta Contractorum) is very ancient. Why, humour, as 'tis ens, we thus define it,' And in itself holds these two properties, In some one part, and are not continent, It Unto the general disposition: As when some one peculiar quality 1 As 'tis ens, we thus define it.] Ens is a term of the schools, and signifies a substance, or existence. WHAL. 2 This may be truly said to be a humour.] What was usually called the manners in a play or poem, began now to be called the humours. The word was new; the use, or rather abuse of it was excessive. It was applied upon all occasions, with as little judgment as wit. Every coxcomb had it always in his mouth; and every particularity he affected was denominated by the name of humour. To redress this extravagance, Jonson is exact in describing the true meaning, and proper application of the term. It hath been observed that the word, in the sense which he assigns it, is peculiar to our English language; but the quality intended by it is not peculiar to the people. Our poet's great excellence was the lively copying of these humorous characters. WHAL. The abuse of this word is well ridiculed by Shakspeare, in that amusing creature of whimsey, Nym. Merry Wives of Windsor. Steevens quotes a long epigram by way of illustrating the subject, without remarking that it is a mere copy, and, indeed, a very feeble But that a rook, by wearing a pyed feather, Cor. He speaks pure truth; now if an ideot Asp. Well, I will scourge those apes, Mit. Asper, (I urge it as your friend,) take heed, You might as well have told me, yond' is heaven, Yes, Mitis, and their souls; and who they be Good men, and virtuous spirits, that loath their vices, But why enforce I this? as fainting? no. one, of this acute and pertinent disquisition. But Steevens knew little of Jonson. 3 Do I not know the time's condition,] i. e. the temper, quality, or disposition of the times. In this sense the word is used by Shakspeare and all our old writers. If any here chance to behold himself, Cor. Why, this is right furor poeticus! This supposition, that a madman speaks. Asp. What, are you ready there? Mitis, sit down, And my Cordatus. Sound ho! and begin. I leave you two, as censors, to sit here: Sits with his arms thus wreath'd, his hat pull'd here, * Sits with his arms, &c.] These "marks of the judicious" were very prevalent, and are noticed as such by all the writers of Jonson's time. Thus Shakspeare: "Your hat, pent-house like, o'er the shop of your eyes; with your arms crossed on your thin belly doublet, like a rabbit on a spit." Love's Labour Lost. And Shirley: "I do not despair, gentlemen; you see I do not wear my hat in my eyes, crucify my arms," &c. Bird in a Cage. With respect to crying mew, it appears to have been an old and approved method of expressing dislike at the first representation of a play. Decker has many allusions to the practice; and, what appears somewhat strange, in his Satiromastix, charges Jonson with mewing at the fate of his own works. "When your plays are misliked at court, you shall not cry mew, like a puss, and say you are glad you write out of the courtiers' element." A. v. Our gallery critics, perhaps, will be pleased, and proud, to hear that their formidable cat-calls have so remote an origin. Will shew more several motions in his face Make it be sooner swallow'd? Asp. O, assure you. Or, if it did not, yet, as Horace sings, Mean cates are welcome still to hungry guests. Cor. 'Tis true; but why should we observe them, Asper? Asp. O, I would know 'em; for in such assemblies They are more infectious than the pestilence: And therefore I would give them pills to purge, Asp. Peace, Mitis, I do know your thought; " Than the new London, Rome, or Niniveh.] Puppet-shews, or, as they were then styled, motions, at that time in great vogue. WHAL. • Jejunus rarò stomachus vulgaria temnit. Jonson. Sit like an Aristarchus or stark ass, &c.] This string of "clenches" Dryden flings in Jonson's face with somewhat more justice than the false grammar just above. Very little, indeed, can be said in their favour, and yet it might be wished that Dryden had found a more legitimate cause than spite for producing them. |