A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Vii Part 115

[128] Old copy, metals.

[129] An early instance of an echo of this kind upon the stage is to be found in Peele's "Arraignment of Paris," 1584. Mr D'Israeli has an entertaining essay upon them in his "Curiosities of Literature," second series. They were carried to a most ridiculous excess afterwards.

[130] The old spelling of _than_ was _then_, and this must be observed here. The echo is supposed to encourage Marius again to take up arms--

"Nought better fits old Marius' mind than war."

And the reply of the echo is, "Then war," or then go to war.

[131] This pa.s.sage is quoted by Mr Steevens in a note on "Hamlet,"

act v. sc. 1, to show that "the winter's _flaw_" there spoken of means "the winter's _blast_."

[132] Old copy, Distia.

[133] _Dreariment_ is not so frequently met in any of our old writers as Spenser: I do not recollect it in any play before. It requires no explanation.

[134] Old copy, _coffer_.

[135] Old copy, _Marius live_.

[136] _Lozel_ is always used as a term of contempt, and means a worthless fellow.

[137] Old copy, _have_.

[138] Old copy, _And_.

[139] Old copy, _consist_.

[140] We have before had Pedro the Frenchman, or rather the _Gaul_, according to Plutarch (though why he is called by the Spanish name of Pedro, we know not), employed to murder Marius, swearing _Par le sang de Dieu, Notre Dame_, and _Jesu_: and towards the close of the play, where a couple of ludicrous characters are introduced, "to mollify the vulgar," the "_Paul's steeple_ of honour" is talked of. Such anachronisms, however gross, are common to all the dramatists of that day. Shakespeare is notoriously full of them; and all must remember the discussion between Hamlet and his friend regarding the children of Paul's and of the Queen's chapel.

[141] Shakespeare and many other writers of the time use this form of _fetch_: thus in "Henry V." act iii. sc. 1--

"On, on, you n.o.ble English, Whose blood is _fet_ from fathers of war-proof."

[142] _Glozing_ and _flattering_ are synonymous: perhaps to _gloze_, or, as it is sometimes spelt, to _glose_, is the same word as to _gloss_. It is common in Milton in the sense that it bears in the text.

[143] [i.e., Pinky eyne or pink (small) eyes.] See Mr Steevens's note on the song in "Anthony and Cleopatra," beginning--

"Come, thou monarch of the vine, Plumpy Bacchus, with _pink_ eyne."

[144] This incident is founded upon a pa.s.sage in Plutarch's "Life of Caius Marius," only in that author the man with the wine discloses where Anthony is concealed to the drawer, of whom he gets the wine, and not to the soldiers.

[145] The meaning of to _a.s.soil_ is to absolve (see note 4 to "The Adventurers of Five Hours"), from the Latin _absolvere_; but here it signifies to _resolve_ or _remove_ doubts. Thus in a pa.s.sage quoted by Mr Todd--

"For the _a.s.soiling_ of this difficulty, I lay down these three propositions."--Mede, _Rev. of G.o.d's House_.

The word is frequently to be met with in Spenser in the sense of to discharge, or set free.

[146] In _doly_ season is in melancholy or wintry season: an adjective formed from _dole_, and with the same meaning as _doleful_.

[147] The death of Anthony is thus related in North's Plutarch, "Life of Marius"--

"But he (Marius) sent Annius one of his captaines thither ... and when they were come to the house which the drawer had brought them to, Annius taried beneath at the doore, and the souldiers went up the staiers into the chamber, and finding Anthonie there, they began to encourage one another to kill him, not one of them having the heart to lay hands upon him. For Anthonies tongue was as sweet as a Syrene, and had such an excellent grace in speaking, that when he began to speake unto the souldiers and to pray them to save his life, there was not one of them so hard-hearted as once to touch him, no not onely to looke him in the face, but looking downewards fell a weeping. Annius perceiving they taried long and came not downe, went himself up into the chamber and found Anthonie talking to his souldiers, and them weeping, his sweete eloquent tongue had so melted their hearts: but he, rating them, ran furiously upon him and strake off his head with his owne hands."

[148] Shakespeare's commentators might have added this pa.s.sage to the long list of others they have brought forward (see note on "Oth.e.l.lo,"

act i. sc. 3), to show that _intention_ and _attention_, and _intentive_ and _attentive_, were once, synonymous.

[149] This expression is also introduced by Lodge into his "Rosalynde,"

1590, though probably this play was written first--

"With sad and sorry cheer About her wond'ring stood The _citizens of the wood_."

Shakespeare calls deer in "As You Like It" citizens, and elsewhere, "native burghers of this desert city."

The author of "Fuimus Troes" goes farther, and calls the blessed souls in heaven _citizens_--

"Then shall I Envy no more those _citizens_ above The ambrosian juncates of the Olympian hall."

[150] Old copy, _arm_.

[151] The name of _Carbo_ is accidently omitted before this reply in the quarto.

[152] Old copy misplaces the words _break_ and _bend_; the alteration here made was suggested by Mr Collier.

[153] i.e., With a _withy_, or twig of willow.

[154] Old copy, _the ravens_.

[155] The quarto reads: "Enter Scipio and Norba.n.u.s, Publius Lentulus,"

but the latter has nothing to do with the scene, while Carinna is omitted.

[156] Old copy, _heedless_.

[157] It is very common for Shakespeare and his contemporaries to use the word _pretend_ for intend. See notes to "The Two Gentlemen of Verona," act ii. sc. 6.

[158] In his "Life of Marius," Plutarch states that this event occurred at Perusia, and that Young Marius was besieged there by Sylla; but in his "Life of Sylla" he corrects the error, and informs us that Young Marius was besieged by Lucretius, and that he slew himself at Praeneste.

[159] _Jest_ was used by our ancestors in various senses, but here it means a deed or action only; thus Sir T. Elyot, as Mr Todd notes, speaks of "the _jests_ or acts of princes and captains." In fact, this is the general signification of the term, though it has sometimes a more particular application. _Gest_ and _jest_ are the same word, though now and then distinguished.

[160] Old copy, _floats_.

[161] Old copy, _lo_.

[162] Old copy, _yea_. By _She_ Sylla must be understood to refer to Fate, whom he has just mentioned.

[163] [Old copy, _while_.]

[164] i.e., _Verse_.