Microcosmography Part 23

It may not be amiss to notice in this place, that a considerable part of _The Belman of London, bringing to light the most notorious villanies that are now practised in the kingdom, &c._ 4to. 1608, is derived from Harman's _Caveat_. Among the books bequeathed to the Bodleian, by Burton, (4to.

G.8. Art. BS.) is a copy of the _Belman_, with the several pa.s.sages so borrowed, marked in the hand-writing of the author of the _Anatomy of Melancholy_, who has also copied the _canting dialogue_ just given, and added several notes of his own on the margin.

FOOTNOTES:

[BV] In the epistle to the reader, the author terms it "this _second_ impression."

[BW] A _ruffler_ seems to have been a bully as well as a beggar, he is thus described in the _Fraternitye of Vacabondes_; (see p. 228.) "A ruffeler goeth wyth a weapon to seeke seruice, saying he hath bene a seruitor in the wars, and beggeth for his reliefe. But his chiefest trade is to robbe poore way-faring men and market-women." In _New Custome_ a morality, 1573, Creweltie, one of the characters, is termed a _ruffler_.

See also Decker's _Belman of London_. Sign. C. iv.

[BX] "An _upright man_ is one that goeth wyth the trunchion of a staffe, which staffe they cal a Flitchm[=a]. This man is of so much authority, that meeting with any of his profession, he may cal them to accompt, and comaund a share or snap vnto himselfe of al that they have gained by their trade in one moneth." _Fraternitye of Vacabondes._

[BY] This worthy character approaches somewhat near to a shop-lifter.

Decker tells us that "their apparele in which they walke is commonly freize jerkins and gallye slops." _Belman._ Sign. C. iv.

[BZ] A rogue, says Burton, in his MS. notes to Decker's _Belman of London_, "is not so stoute and [hardy] as the vpright man."

[CA] A person whose parents were rogues.

[CB] "These be called also _clapperdogens_" and "go with patched clokes."

Sign. C. iv.

[CC] A _Frater_ and a _Whipiacke_, are persons who travel with a counterfeite license, the latter in the dress of a sailor. See _Fraternitye, Belman_, &c.

[CD] "An _Abraham-man_ is he that walketh bare-armed, and bare-legged, and fayneth hymselfe mad, and caryeth a packe of wool, or a stycke with baken on it, or such lyke toy, and nameth himselfe Poore Tom." _Fraternitye of Vacabondes._

[CE] A person who asks charity, and feigns sickness and disease.

[CF] One who pretends to be dumb. In Harman's time they were chiefly Welsh-men.

[CG] An artificer who mends one hole, and makes twenty.

[CH] A _jarke man_ can read and write, and sometimes understands a little Latin. A _patrico_ solemnizes their marriages.

[CI] These are commonly women who ask a.s.sistance, feigning that they have lost their property by fire.

[CJ] A woman who cohabits with an _upright man_, and professes to sell thread, &c.

[CK] "These _antem mortes_ be maried wemen, as there be but a fewe: for _antem_, in their language is a churche--" &c. _Harman_. Sign. E. iv. A _walking morte_ is one unmarried: a _doxe_, a _dell_, and a _kynchin morte_, are all females; and a _kynchen co_ is a young boy not thoroughly instructed in the art of _canting_ and _prigging_.

[CL] In Florio's _Italian Dictionary_, the word _dinascoso_ is explained "secretly, hiddenly, in _hugger-mugger_." See also Reed's _Shakspeare_, xviii. 284. _Old Plays_, 1780. viii. 48.

[CM] Herbert notices _c.o.c.k Lorelles Bote_, which he describes to be a satire in verse, in which the author enumerates all the most common trades and callings then in being. It was printed, in black letter, Wynken de Worde, 4to. without date. _History of Printing_ ii. 224, and Percy's _Reliques_, i. 137, edit. 1794.

ii. _Picture of a Puritane, 8vo._ 1605. [Dr. Farmer's _Sale Catalogue_, page 153, No. 3709.]

iii. _"A Wife novv the Widdow of Sir Thomas Overbvrye. Being a most exquisite and singular Poem of the Choice of a Wife. Wherevnto are added many witty Characters, and conceited Newes, written by himselfe and other learned Gentlemen his friends.

Dignum laude virum musa vetat mori, Caelo musa beat. Hor. Car. lib. 3.

London Printed for Lawrence Lisle, and are to bee sold at his shop in Paule's Church-yard, at the signe of the Tiger's head. 1614."_[CN]

[4to. pp. 64, not numbered.]

Of Sir Thomas Overbury's life, and unhappy end, we have so full an account in the _Biographia_, and the various historical productions, treating of the period in which he lived, that nothing further will be expected in this place. His _Wife_ and _Characters_ were printed, says Wood, several times during his life, and the edition above noticed, was supposed, by the Oxford biographer, to be the fourth or fifth[CO]. Having never seen a copy of the early editions, I am unable to fix on any character undoubtedly the production of Overbury, and the printer confesses some of them were written by "other learned gentlemen." These were greatly encreased in subsequent impressions, that of 1614 having only twenty-one characters, and that in 1622 containing no less than eighty.

A COURTIER,--(_Sign. C. 4. b._)

To all men's thinking is a man, and to most men the finest: all things else are defined by the understanding, but this by the sences; but his surest marke is, that hee is to bee found onely about princes. Hee smells; and putteth away much of his judgement about the scituation of his clothes. Hee knowes no man that is not generally knowne. His wit, like the marigold, openeth with the sunne, and therefore he riseth not before ten of the clocke. Hee puts more confidence in his words than meaning, and more in his p.r.o.nuntiation than his words. Occasion is his Cupid, and hee hath but one receipt of making loue. Hee followes nothing but inconstancie, admires nothing but beauty, honours nothing but fortune.

Loues nothing. The sustenance of his discourse his newes, and his censure like a shot depends vpon the charging. Hee is not, if he be out of court, but, fish-like, breathes destruction, if out of his owne element. Neither his motion, or aspect are regular, but he mooues by the vpper spheres, and is the reflexion of higher substances. If you finde him not heere, you shall in Paules with a pick-tooth in his hat, a cape cloke, and a long stocking.

FOOTNOTES:

[CN] In 1614 appeared _The Husband_, a _Poeme_, expressed in a compleat man. See _Censura Literaria_, v. 365. John Davies, of Hereford, wrote _A Select Second Hvsband for Sir Thomas Overbvries Wife, now a matchlesse widow_. 8vo. Lond. 1616. And in 1673 was published, _The Ill.u.s.trious Wife, viz. That excellent Poem, Sir Thomas Overbvrie's Wife, ill.u.s.trated by Giles Oldisworth, Nephew to the same Sir T. O._

[CO] It was most probably the fifth, as Mr. Capel, who has printed the _Wife_, in his very curious volume, ent.i.tled _Prolusions_, 8vo. Lond.

1760, notices two copies in 1614, one in 8vo. which I suppose to be the third, and one in 4to. stated in the t.i.tle to be the fourth edition: the sixth was in the following year, 1615; the seventh, eighth, and ninth were in 1616, the eleventh in 1622, twelfth in 1627, thirteenth 1628, fourteenth, 1630, fifteenth, 1632, sixteenth, 1638, and Mr. Brand possessed a copy, the specific edition of which I am unable to state, printed in 1655. _Catalogue_, No. 4927.

iv. "_Satyrical Essayes, Characters, and others, or accurate and quick Descriptions, fitted to the life of their Subiects._ [Greek: ton ethon de phylattesthai mallon dei he tous hecheis]. Theophras.

Aspice et haec, si forte aliquid decoctius audis, Jude vaporata Lector mihi ferucat aure. IUUEN.

_Plagosus minime Plagiarius._

_John Stephens. London, Printed by Nicholas Okes, and are to be sold by Roger Barnes, at his Shop in St. Dunstane's Church-yard. 1615._"

[8vo. pp. 321. t.i.tle, preface, &c. 14 more.]

In a subsequent impression of this volume, 8vo. in the same year, and with a fresh t.i.tle page, dated 1631[CP], we find the author to be "John Stephens the younger, of Lincoln's Inn:" no other particulars of him appear to exist at present, excepting that he was the author of a play ent.i.tled, _Cinthia's Revenge; or, Maenander's Extasie_. Lond. for Barnes, 1613, 4to. "which," says Langbaine, "is one of the longest plays I ever read, and withal the most tedious." Ben Jonson addressed some lines[CQ]

to the author, whom he calls "his much and worthily esteemed friend," as did F. C. G. Rogers, and Thomas Danet.

Stephens dedicates his book to Thomas Turner, Esq. For the sake of a little variety I give one of his "three satyricall Essayes on Cowardlinesse," which are written in verse.

ESSAY I.

"Feare to resist good virtue's common foe, And feare to loose some lucre, which doth grow By a continued practise; makes our fate Banish (with single combates) all the hate, Which broad abuses challenge of our spleene.

For who in Vertue's troope was euer seene, That did couragiously with mischiefes fight, Without the publicke name of hipocrite?

Vaine-glorious, malapert, precise, deuout, Be tearmes which threaten those that go about To stand in opposition of our times With true defiance, or satyricke rimes.