A Select Collection of Old English Plays Part 121

[31] [_i.e._, Medoro, the character so called in the "Orlando Furioso." Trotter has just called Giovanno _Orlando_, which was, by the way, a common name for any mad-brained person, and often occurs in poems and plays.]

[32] [Shaken me by the nape of the neck; from _nudder_, the nape.]

[33] [The pin of the wheel by which Antonio was to be executed.

Aurelia pretends to desire to tread it herself.]

[34] [St. James.]

[35] [_i.e._, The customary garb.]

[36] [_i.e._, An astrologer and a physician.]

[37] [Former edition, _vorke_.]

[38] [This gibberish is left much as it stands in the old copy.]

[39] [The editor of 1810 printed deliberately _sweet must seat me easie_.]

[40] [Old copy has _as plain--'tis true_.]

[41] [Here used, apparently, in the sense of something of no value, and from the context it may be surmised that _vermin_ is intended.]

[42] [Old copy, _a resurrection_.]

[43] [_i.e._, Vermin.]

[44] [Former edit., _flower_.]

[45] [He quotes a pa.s.sage from the "First Part of Hieronimo,"

1605.]

[46] [Former edit., _And_.]

[47] [_i.e._, The left remnant of thy days.]

[48] [Former edit., _unto_.]

[49] ["This strange jumble (which it seems was acted with applause) may be taken as the most singular specimen extant of the serious mock-heroic. There is nothing in "The Tailors" itself so ludicrous as the serious parts in which the tailors appear.

Nevertheless there are a few happy pa.s.sages in the play."--_MS.

note in a copy of the former edit._]

FOOTNOTES: l.u.s.t'S DOMINION or THE LACIVIOUS QUEEN.

[50] "History of English Dram. Poetry," iii. p. 97.

[51] The curtain in front of the old theatres divided in the middle, and was drawn to the sides; but it may save further explanation to add here that, "beside the princ.i.p.al curtain, they sometimes used others as subst.i.tutes for scenes."--_Malone._

[52] [Former edit., _sick, heavy, and_.]

[53] [Old copy, _I'll lay there away_.]

[54] [The Moor pretends that he meant to refer to the dead King.]

[55] [Edits., _That seeing_.]

[56] [Old copy, _Here_.]

[57] [The edits., give this speech to Balthazar, but he was not present when the arrangement with the friars was concluded.]

[58] [Bowing.]

[59] In the original this speech is given to Alvero; but it is evidently an error, as he does not enter till some time after.

[60] In the original it runs, _This music was prepar'd thine ears_. An omission was evident. I trust the right reading is restored.--_Dilke._

[61]

"And none of you will bid the winter come, To thrust his icy fingers in my maw."

--"King John," act v. sc. 7.

[62] In the original this is given to Alvero, but evidently in error.

[63] _i.e._, Unchaste.

[64] Muskets.

[65] "The mark at which an arrow is shot, which used to be painted white."--_Johnson._

[66] [An abbreviated form of _G.o.d's sonties_, which again is a corruption, though of what is rather doubtful; probably, however, of _G.o.d's saints_.]

[67] [Edits., _See_.]

[68] [Hamstring me.]

[69] _Under show of shrift_, or, in other words, as coming to hear me confess.

[70] Thirty ma.s.ses on the same account.

[71] Despatch.

[72] Strut.

[73] [Edits., give these words to Eleazar.]

[74] With force, vigour, energy, vehemence.