The IME Vindicated, &c.] Chamberlain writes to Carleton, January 25, 1622(3): "More feasting and dancing this Christmas than ever. masque scenes were devised by Inigo Jones, and the masque written by Ben Jonson, but he runs a risk by impersonating George Withers, the poet, as a Whipper of the Times [Chronomastix], which is a dangerous jest." P. 6. Pardon me, madam, more than most accurst.] This ancient joke had now done duty for so many years that it must have appeared rather out of date in 1623. P. 6. T have given the stoop, and to salute the skirts, &c.] This use of the word stoop settles the question of its meaning in The Alchemist, vol. iv. p. 130. P. 7. Triumphs in print at my admirers' charge.] Jonson refers to the portrait of Wither, engraved by Hole. It is indeed a "glorious front," in the true sense of the word glorious. The clothes are as glorious as Queen Elizabeth's. The inscription is: "Loe this is he whose infant muse begann My glorious front, and word at large, To brave the World before yeares stil'd him Man. Though praise he sleight, and scornes to make his Rymes. Yet few, by good men, have bine more approv'd, None so unseene so generally loved." And then follows an independent couplet : Sr. T. I. "Non pictoris opus fuit hoc, sed pectoris, unde J. M. So that I think Jonson's second line should be printed admirer's, in the singular, rather than admirers'. P. 7. The sempster hath sat still as I pass'd by, And dropt her needle.] Minsheu explains sempster to be a needle-woman, as Jonson uses it; but it also meant a male sewer. P. 8. The unctuous Bounty is the boss of Billinsgate.] It is true that there was a famous spring at Billingsgate called The Boss, but Jonson is here playing on the other meaning of the word, with which we are made acquainted by Cotgrave, "A Fat Bosse, Femme bien grasse et grosse; une coche." So Marlowe in Tamburlaine makes Zenocrate call Zabina, “Disdainful Turkess, and unreverend Boss!" and Lyly in Euphues (Arber, p. 115), "Wrest all parts of her body to the worst, be she never so worthy. If shee be well sett, then call hir a Bosse," &c. Our word bosom is plainly of the same origin, and this may explain how the secondary meaning grew up. P. 10. The other zealous rag is the compositor.] So in Richard the Third, Act v. Sc. 3: "Lash hence these overweening rags of France." P. 10. Time whipt, for terror to the infantry.] This pleasant way of talking of the children as infantry, originated with Jonson. Mr. Thackeray was partial to it. P. 12. His dog piping Lachrymæ.] In Dyce's Beaumont and Fletcher (vol. x. p. 398) we find— "Arion, on a dolphin, playing Lachrymæ." Nares says, "It is the first word of the title of a musical work, composed by John Dowland, in the reign of James I." The full title was 66 Lachrimæ, or seven Teares figured in seven passionate Pavans, with divers other Pavans, Galiards and Almands, as set forth to the Lute, Viols or Violins in five parts." The popularity of the work is apparent from the constant allusions to it. In No Wit like a Woman's, Middleton expressly mentions it as Dowland's: "Now thou plaiest Dowland's Lachrymæ to thy master." NOTES TO NEPTUNE'S TRIUMPH, ETC. Page 22. EPTUNE'S Triumph, &c.] A great deal of writing has been wasted about the date of the performance of this masque. One long argument will be found in Dyce's Beaumont and Fletcher (vol. x. p. 398), and Mr. Collier too has had his own views on the subject. Gifford would seem to have had some exclusive information: "Neptune's Triumph appears to have been celebrated with uncommon magnificence. All hearts and hands were in it; and the Spanish influence then received a check, from which it has not recovered to this day." I am sorry to be obliged to tell a tale less redounding to Jonson's fame, but the fact is, Neptune's Triumph was never performed at all! It was rehearsed more than once in the first week of January, 1623-4, but the jealousies between the Spanish and French ambassadors were then at such a height, that it was thought prudent to have no performance, and the king's health was made an excuse for its indefinite postponement. Jonson thought himself at liberty after this to work the materials into his other pieces. See in particular The Fortunate Isles, and a passage in The Staple of News. P. 24. No, but one that has a good title.] This should be as in the folio, one that has as good title." 66 P. 24. You are to know the palates of the times.] This is not improved by being changed from "palate of the times." P. 26. What ranks, what files, to put the dishes in.] The folio has properly, "put his dishes in." P. 28. And Neptune's guard hath drunk all that they meant.] Nichols says this is aimed at "the King's Guard, in a hit at whom Jonson delights." P. 29. In a brave broth, &c.] These same lines occur in The Staple of News, vol. v. p. 241 : "Send in an Arion In a brave broth, and of a watery green, As all the world would take him for a dolphin." The Staple of News was first acted in 1625. With regard to Fletcher's assumed imitation in the Bloody Brother (Dyce's Beau mont and Fletcher, vol. x. p. 398), of which I am by no means certainly convinced, it is possible that Fletcher, or the writer of that portion of the play, may have been present at one of the rehearsals of this masque, and carried away a general impression of the passage. P. 31. The clouds, the cortines, and the mysteries.] I at first thought that the retention of the spelling cortines in this place was capricious on Gifford's part, but I now believe it was to indicate its meaning, as in Latin, the screen from behind which an oracle was delivered. P. 31. What correspondencies are held.] This should unquestionably be correspondences, as in the folio. P. 31. The way of your gallimaufry.] Nares describes it as a confused heterogeneous jumble, from gallimafrie." The word is used by Shakspeare, and we have Taylor's Water-Worke; or the Sculler's Travels from Tyber to Thames; with his Boat laden with a Hotch-Potch, or Gallimawfrey of Sonnets, Satyres and Epigrams. P. 36. Where Proteus' herds, and Neptune's orcs do keep.] Orks, as the folio spells the name, were marine animals of some sort. Drayton (Polyolb. ii. p. 687) speaks of them as— "The ugly orks that for their lord the ocean woo;" and Phineas Fletcher elevates them into monsters of the deep, As much more monstrous than the seas that bred him." Grosart ed. (vol. i. p. 20). In a fine passage in The Roman Actor, vol. ii. p. 218, Massinger speaks of "the sea spouted into the air By the angry Orc, endangering tall ships and Gifford here explains it to be a "fabulous sea monster, depicted on most of the marine charts of Massinger's time-the Whale of our old romances." P. 37. Relish like anchovies or caveare.] Caveare was twice mentioned in Cynthia's Revels, vol. ii. p. 249 and p. 257. NOTES TO PAN'S ANNIVERSARY. Page 40. HERE is a great difficulty both about the date and the whereabouts of the performance of this masque. Mr. Nichols, who bestowed both thought and research upon the question, feels convinced that its position among the other pieces in the folio of 1641 is correct, and that there is no reason to doubt its having been performed before King James, though a year earlier than the date assigned to it. On the whole he thinks it most likely that it was commissioned by Buckingham for the entertainment he gave James at Barley-on-the-Hill in August, 1624. There is an obstacle in the way in the fact of our knowing that a masque by young Maynard was acted on that particular occasion, but Mr. Nichols sees less difficulty in believing that Buckingham had provided two masques than in any other theory. See his Progresses, vol. iii. p. 986. P. 41. Bright day's-eyes, and the lips of cows.] Southey remarks (Common Place Book, Fourth Series, p. 327) that he had seen this odd inversion in some very sweet verses." 66 P. 42. Blue hare-bells, pagles, pansies, calaminth.] Pagles were cowslips, and calaminth was mint. P. 44. The looking to all of their lungs.] The folio expresses this much more naturally, "the looking to of all their lungs." P. 46. And on the pipe more airs than Phœbus can.] This word can, which recurs in every stanza of this hymn, should surely have a note to explain that "it is not the potential of some verb, but the present of the Saxon term for know or comprehend, used by our old writers in all the inflections." See vol. vi. p. 15. To see them wave it like a wood, And others wind it like a flood.] For some incomprehensible reason the second line has been made nonsense of by altering it from "To see some wave it like a wood," as it stands in the folio. P. 49. So may the first of all our fells be thine.] For this word fell see vol. vi. p. 244, and vol. ix. p. 176. P. 49. And both the beestning of our goats and kine.] Beestning is the first milk given by a cow, ewe, or she-goat. |