A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ii Part 76

[255] Reprove.

[256] The colophon is: Imprinted at London, in Paules Churche yearde at the Sygne of the Swane by John Kyng.

[257] From the time he calls.

[258] A young deer. "_Tegge or p.r.i.c.ket, saillant_"--Palsgrave's _Eclairciss.e.m.e.nt_, 1530 (edit. 1852, p. 279).

[259] Jerks with the whip.

[260] Old copy, _wourne_.

[261] i.e., Mankind, masculine, furious.

[262] Stranger. A more usual form is _fremed_.

[263] The meaning seems to be obvious enough; but the word is not to be found in our glossaries.

[264] Halliwell mentions this word; but none of his interpretations suits the present context.

[265] Old copy, _stomachere_.

[266] Defile.

[267] Abided.

[268] Old copy, _even_.

[269] Old copy, _as_.

[270] Old copy, _once_.

[271] Referring to the speech below. In the old copy this direction is printed in the margin, and such is, no doubt, its most suitable position.

[272] Old copy, _once our_. Perhaps we ought to read _sour_.

[273] Staffing or forcing, the same kind of thing as we now know under the name of _forced_ meat.

[274] Old copy, _Mido_.

[275] Servant.

[276] Jolly, Fr. _joli_.

[277] Forestalled.

[278] Wretches.

[279] Lose no time.

[280] Late.

[281] _To have on the petticoat_ is a phrase of very unusual occurrence, of which the sense may, without much difficulty or risk of error, be collected from the context.

[282] Ragan and the others must be supposed to be at the back of the stage, out of Esau's sight; but they come forward severally, and plead for themselves.

[283] Run.

[284] i.e., Old witch. But compare Halliwell, _v. Mab_.

[285] Old copy, _Rebecca_.

[286] A word of contempt often used in our old comedies, as we now employ _chap_.

[287] _In the old copy this line is improperly given to Isaac_.

[288] The _new guise_ is a term often met with in old plays, but the application of it here is not very clear, although the meaning of the writer--in a way that he (Jacob) little expected--is sufficiently intelligible.

[289] In the old copy this word is improperly placed opposite the line, _That all quarrel, &c_.

[290] Understanding.

[291] [The interlude of "The Disobedient Child," edited by J.O.

Halliwell. Percy Society, 1848.]

[292] [But see Cooper's "Cambridge Athenae," i., 554.]

[293] [The Bridgewater copy of the original edition was most obligingly collated for the present writer by Mr Alexander Smith, of Glasgow. It affords numerous corrections of the Percy Society's text.]

[294] [The full t.i.tle is: _A pretie and mery new Enterlude, called The Disobedient Child, compiled by Thomas Ingelend, late Student in Cambridge. Imprinted at London, in Flete strete, beneath the Conduit, by Thomas Colwell_. 4.]

[295] These first eight lines are also found in the interlude introduced into the play of _Sir Thomas More_, printed by the Shakespeare Society, p. 60.--_Halliwell_.

[296] Without shame--shameless.

[297] Immediately. See "Oth.e.l.lo," Act. iv. sc. 3.

[298] That is, according to my judgment. See "Lear," Act i. sc. 4.-- _Halliwell_.

[299] To split, or burst. Generally spelt _rive_.

[300] Both tender and delicate. [Here, as pointed out in a note to Heywood's "Four P.P." _supra_, the word _nice_ is to be p.r.o.nounced _nich_.]

[301] Beaten.

[302] [Query same as _spwyn_, to burst or break out. See Way's edit, of the "Promptorium," v. _Spwyn_.]

[303] Compare "Troilus and Cressida," i. 2.

[304] Burial. From the Latin.