A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Xiv Part 127

In _Mercurius Politicus_, No. 168, from Thursday, Aug. 25, to Thursday, Sept. 1, 1653, p. 2700, is the following pa.s.sage:--"At Monmouth a.s.size an old man of _eighty-nine years_ was put to death for adultery, committed with a woman above _sixty_."

[260] [Lindabrides is a character in the "Mirror of Knighthood,"

once a famous romance. The name was afterwards applied to women of a certain cla.s.s. She is mentioned in act ii. of "A Match at Midnight."]

[261] [Dragged.]

[262] This incident is borrowed from the Italian, and it is employed by many of their novelists. It also forms the eighth story of "Les Comptes du Monde adventureux," printed at [Paris in 1555, and a translation from the Italian.] Casti founded his tale of "La Celia" upon it, with the variation of making the old woman a negress; but in this change he was not original. Richard Brome employed it in his "Novella," acted at the Blackfriars Theatre thirty years before Killigrew's play was published.--_Collier._

[263] [A hit at some of the frivolous poetry of an earlier period. See Hazlitt's "Handbook" _v._ Lenton.]

[264] The _sickness_ was the common name for the plague. See Gifford's Ben Jonson, iii. 353, iv. 9, &c.--_Collier._

[265] This alludes to one of the regulations made to prevent the spreading of the plague. When a house became infected, the officers empowered for that purpose immediately placed a guard before it, which continued there night and day, to prevent any person going from thence until the expiration of forty days. At the same time, _red crosses, of a foot long_ were painted on the doors and windows, with the words LORD HAVE MERCY UPON US, in great letters, wrote over them, to caution all pa.s.sengers to avoid infected places.

In a collection of epigrams, ent.i.tled, "More Fools Yet," written by R. S. (Roger Sharpe), 1610, 4^o, is the following--

"Rusticus, an honest country swayne, Whose education simple was, and plaine, Having survey'd the citie round about, Emptyed his purse, and so went trudging out.

But by the way he saw, and much respected, A doore belonging to a house infected; Whereon was plac't (as 'tis the custome still) _Lord have mercy upon us!_ This sad bill The sot perusde; and having read, he swore, All London was, unG.o.dly, but that doore.

Here dwells some vertue yet, sayes he; for this A most devout religious saying is: And thus he wisht (with putting off his hatte) That every doore had such a bill as that."

[266] Robert Gomersall, in 1628, published a poem, in three cantos, called "The Levite's Revenge." It arrived at a second edition in 1633, and seems to have been popular.--_Collier._

[267] This is probably meant to ridicule John Ball, a celebrated puritan divine, born in 1585, and died in 1640, after publis.h.i.+ng many religious controversial works.--_Collier._

[268] It seems doubtful whether the preceding part of this speech does not belong to Wanton.--_Collier._

[269] [Mistress.]

[270] _To fling an old shoe_ after a person to produce good luck is a custom still spoken of, and hardly yet disused. It is mentioned in many writers: as in "The Wild Goose Chase," act ii.

sc. 1--

"If ye see us close once, Begone, and leave me to my fortune suddenly, For I am then determined to do wonders.

Farewell, _and fling an old shoe_."

[271] See note to "A Match at Midnight" [xiii. 81].

[272] One of the original actors in the plays of Shakespeare. See an account of him in Wright's "Historia Histrionica" _infra_, vol. xv.

[273] Banks, who was famous for a horse, which was taught to show tricks, and perform several feats of art, to the great admiration of the virtuoso spectator. This celebrated horse is mentioned by several writers of Queen Elizabeth's time, as Ben Jonson, in "Every Man out of his Humour," act iv. sc. 6: "He keeps more ado with this monster than ever _Banks_ did with his horse, or the fellow with the elephant."

Again, in "Jack Drum's Entertainment," sig. B 3: "It shall be chronicled next after the death of _Bankes his horse_."

Again, in Dekker's "Satiromastix," 1602: "I'll teach thee to turn me into _Bankes_ his horse, and to tell gentlemen I am a juggler, and can show tricks."

And in Dekker's "Wonderfull Yeare," 1603: "These are those ranck riders of art, that have so spur gal'd your l.u.s.tie wing'd Pegasus, that now he begins to be out of flesh, and (even only for provander sake) is glad to show tricks like _Bankes_ his curtall."

See Digby "On Bodies," c. 37, p. 393. Sir Walter Raleigh's "History of the World," 1st part, p. 178. Gayton's "Notes on Don Quixote," part 4, p. 289.

[274] [_i.e._, Without their upper garments.]

[275] Stephen Marshall and Thomas Case, two of the most celebrated divines among the Presbyterians. Marshall was the person who preached the famous sermon before the House of Commons, Feb. 13, 1641, from Judges v. 23, "Curse ye Meroz," &c.

This sermon is mentioned by Lord Clarendon. Both these sectaries are noticed by Butler. See Dr Grey's edition of "Hudibras," p. 3, c. i., l. 884; p. 3, c. ii., l. 636, and the notes.

[276] [Perhaps a play on _choler_ and _colour_ is intended here.]

[277] _Slot_, in hunting, means the print of the foot on the ground. See Todd's Johnson.--_Collier._

[278] [Bourbonne-les-Bains, in the Haute Marne.]

[279] Prologues and epilogues were formerly spoken in _black cloaks_.

[280] [He misunderstands the Parson's cla.s.sical allusion to Nessus.]

[281] [The name of the actor who filled the part of Wild.]