P. 18, l. 22, commodities.]--goods, in which needy prodigals took
either part or whole of the sum they wanted to borrow, and for which
they gave a bond: these commodities (sometimes consisting of brown
paper!) they were to turn into ready money. Our early writers have
innumerable allusions to the custom.
P. 18, l. 22, wit, whither wilt thou?]--A kind of proverbial
expression, by no means unfrequent: see, for instance, Shakespeare's _As
you like it_, Act iv. sc. 1.
P. 18, l. 26, tottered.]--tattered.
P. 18, l. 30, M. Weild the mayor.]--See note, p. 29.
P. 19, l. 8, I put out some money to haue threefold gaine at my
returne.] See note, p. 26.
P. 19, l. 19, Bench-whistlers.]--perhaps, sottish idlers on ale-house
benches; see Gifford's note in B. Jonson's _Works_, i. 103.
P. 19, l. 19, ketlers and keistrels.]--The first of these terms I am
unable to explain; but it occurs in Middleton's _Black Book_, "So,
drawing in amongst bunglers and _ketlers_ under the plain frieze of
simplicity, thou mayest finely couch the wrought velvet of knavery;" and
in his _Father Hubburd's Tales_, we find "like an old cunning bowler to
fetch in a young _ketling_ gamester:" see Middleton's _Works_, v. 543,
589, ed. Dyce. _Keistrels_ are hawks of a worthless and degenerate
breed.
P. 20, l. 3, pretends.]--intends.
P. 20, l. 9, sort.]--set, band.
P. 20, l. 24, Jigmonger.]--ballad maker.
P. 20, l. 26, the great ballet-maker T. D., alias Tho. Deloney,
Chronicler of the memorable liues of the 6. yeomen of the west, Jack of
Newbery, the Gentle-craft.]--Thomas Deloney succeeded Elderton as the
most popular ballad-writer of the time: for an account of his poetical
pieces, see Ritson's _Bibl. Poet._ and Collier's _Hist. of Engl. Dram.
Poet._ iii. 100. The pleasing ballad of _Fair Rosamond_, reprinted in
Percy's _Rel. of An. Engl. Poet._ ii. 143. ed. 1794, is probably the
composition of Deloney, as it is found in more than one of his
publications. In 1596, had he not eluded the search of the Mayor of
London, he would have been punished for writing "a certain Ballad,
containing a Complaint of great Want and Scarcity of Corn within the
Realm ... bringing in the Queen speaking with her People Dialogue-wise,
in very fond and undecent sort," &c., Stow's _Survey_, B. v. 333. ed.
1720, where he is described as "an idle Fellow, and one noted with the
like Spirit in printing a Book for the Silk Weavers, wherein was found
some such like foolish and disorderly matter." Nash terms him "the
Balletting Silke-weauer," _Haue with you to Saffron-walden_, 1596, Sig.
N. 3. Deloney was no less celebrated among the vulgar for his
prose-romances than for his ballads. _Thomas of Reading, or the sixe
worthie Yeomen of the West_, is noticed in the present passage as a
well-known work, and was dramatized in 1601 (Malone's _Shakespeare_, by
Boswell, iii. 325-6; Collier's _Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet._ iii. 99),
but no impression has been discovered earlier than the fourth, 1612,
4to: this tale is reprinted in Thoms's _Early Prose Rom._ i. Of _The
pleasant Historie of John Winchcomb, in his younguer yeares called Jack
of Newbery, the famous and worthy Clothier of England; declaring his
life and loue, together with his charitable deeds and great
Hospitalitie_, &c., the earliest edition extant is the eighth, 1619,
4to: its entry in the Stationers' Books stands thus:
"7 Maii [1596].
"Tho. Millington Entered for his copie a book }
called Jack of Newbery So } vi^d."
that he haue yt lawfully aucthorised }
(_Liber_ C. fol. 19)
_The Gentle Craft, A most merry and pleasant History, not altogether
vnprofitable, nor any way hurtfull: very fit to passe away the
tediousnes of the long winters euenings_, in Two Parts, 1598, 4to., is
probably the first edition, for the following entry in the Stationers'
Books seems to relate to it:
"19^o Octobris [1597]
"Raphe Blore Entred for his copie vnder thande }
of Mr. Dix and Mr. Man a booke } vi^d."
called The gentle crafte intreatinge }
of Shoomakers.... }
(_Liber_ C. fol. 25.)
Verses of various kinds are inserted in these novels.
P. 21, l. 7, one whose imployment for the Pageant was vtterly spent, he
being knowne to be Eldertons immediate heyre.]--An allusion to Anthony
Munday. During a long life he figured in various capacities,--as a
player, an apprentice to Allde the printer, a retainer of the Earl of
Oxford, a Messenger of her Majesty's Chamber, Poet to the City,
dramatist, writer in verse and prose, and draper. He also excited
considerable attention, and drew much trouble on himself, by his efforts
in detecting the treasonable practices of the Jesuits. According to the
inscription on his monument in the church of St. Stephen, Coleman
Street, he died in his 80th year, August 10th 1633. (Stow's _Survey_, B.
iii. 61. ed. 1720.) For a fuller account of Munday and his writings, see
Chalmers's _Biog. Dict._, Collier's _Supplementary volume to Dodsley's
Old Plays_, Warton's _Hist. of Engl. Poet._, iii., 290, _seq._ ed. 4to.,
_Ritson's Bibl. Poet._, and Lowndes's _Bibl. Man._ His _Downfall of
Robert Earl of Huntington_, and _Death of Robert_, &c. (in the latter of
which, if not in the former, he was assisted by Chettle) are reprinted
by Mr. Collier in the volume just mentioned; his _English Romayne Life;
Discovering the Lives of the Englishmen at Rome, the orders of the
English Seminarie, &c._ and his _Banquet of daintie Conceits, &c._ may
be found in _The Harl. Miscell._ VII. 136, IX. 219, ed. Park; his
_Triumphes of Reunited Britania_, _Metropolis Coronata_, and
_Crysanaleia, the Golden Fishing_, are included in Nichols's _Prog. of
K. James_, i. 564, iii. 107, 195; and extracts from his translations of
various romances are given in Sir E. Brydges's _Brit. Bibl._ i. 225,
135, ii. 561.
Gifford thinks it probable that most of the annual pageants from 1591
to the death of Elizabeth were produced by Munday (Note on B. Jonson's
_Works_, vi. 328). Though Kemp declares here that his "imployment for
the pageant was utterly spent," yet Anthony furnished the city shows for
1605, 1611, and (in spite of an attack made on him by Middleton in
1613--see my ed. of Middleton's _Works_, v. 219, note), for 1614, 1615,
and 1616.
Except a "Song of Robin Hood and his Huntesmen" in _Metropolis
Coronata_, I am not aware that any of Munday's ballads are
extant--unless indeed the "ditties" in _The Banquet of daintie Conceits_
may be regarded as such; but there is no doubt that they were numerous,
and hence, in the present passage, he is termed the "immediate heyre" of
William Elderton. This personage,--who is said to have been, at
different periods of his life, an actor, the master of a company of
players, and an attorney in the Sheriff's Court, London,--obtained great
notoriety by his ballads. See a list of his pieces in Ritson's _Bibl.
Poet._: vide also Warton's _Hist. of Engl. Poet._ iv. 40, ed. 4to. His
song "The God of love," &c. (of which a puritanical moralization still
exists) is quoted in Shakespeare's _Much ado about Nothing_, act v. sc.
2. His _Verses on the Images over the Guild-hall Gate_ may be read in
Stow's _Survey_, B. iii. 41, ed. 1720; his ballad of _The King of Scots
and Andrew Browne_, in Percy's _Rel. of An. Engl. Poet._ ii. 207, ed.
1794; his _New Yorkshyre Song_, in Evans's _Old Ballads_, i. 20, ed.
1810; and his _Newes from Northumberland_, _The Dekaye of the Duke_,
_The daungerous Shooting of the Gunne at the Court_ and _A moorning Diti
upon Henry Earl of Arundel_, in _The Harl. Miscell._ X. 267, _seq._ ed.
Park. Elderton appears to have ceased pouring forth his doggrel about
the time that Deloney began to write. In 1592 he was dead: see Nash's
_Strange Newes, Of the intercepting certaine Letters_, &c., 1592, Sig.
D. 4. He was nearly as famous for drinking as for rhyming: of two
epitaphs on him, preserved by Camden, I subjoin the first:
"Hic situs est sitiens, atque ebrius Eldertonus;
Quid dico, hic situs est? hic potius sitis est."
_Remaines--Epitaphes_, 56, ed. 1605.
P. 21, l. 11, mistery.]--art, trade.
P. 21, l. 14, making.]--poetical composition.
P. 21, l. 15, Macdobeth.]--This mention of a piece anterior to
Shakespeare's tragedy on the same subject has escaped the commentators.
P. 21, l. 21, the bankside.]--In Southwark, where the Globe and other
theatres were situated.
P. 21, l. 29, hoddy doddy.]--A term of contempt, which occurs in B.
Jonson's _Every Man in his Humour_, Act iv. sc. 8, _Works_, i. 141, ed.
Gifford, and is used by a comparatively recent writer, Swift. See
Richardson's _Dict._ in v.
P. 21, l. 30, habber de hoy.]--"A _Hober-de-hoy_, half a man and half
a boy." Ray's _Proverbs_, p. 57, ed. 1768.--The word is variously
written: see Jamieson's _Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang._ in v. _Hobbledehoy_.
P. 21, l. 30, squall.]--probably, poor effeminate creature. Taylor,
the water-poet, describes the rich foolish gallant calling his harlot,
"Ducke, Lambe, _Squall_, Sweet-heart, Cony, and his Doue."
_A Whore_, p. 112.--_Workes_, 1630.
and Middleton, who employs the word several times, seems to use it in
the sense of wench: see his _Works_, iii. 55, v. 575. ed. Dyce.
P. 21, l. 32, Derick.]--hang,--the name of the common hangman when
this tract was written: he is frequently mentioned in our old plays.
P. 22, l. 6, Mundus Furiosus.]--_Mundi Fvriosi sive P. A. Iansonii
Narra[tio]nis Rervm Tota Europa Gestarum, Continvatio ab Anno 1597 vsque
ad annum præsentem 1600._ _Coloniæ_, 1600, 8vo.
P. 22, l. 7, Cullians.]--scoundrels.
P. 22, l. 13, this beggerly lying busie-bodies name brought out the
Ballad-maker.]--Kemp, I conceive, alludes here to Richard Johnson, who
is still remembered by his _Famous Historie of the Seuen Champions of
Christendome_, in two Parts, of which the earliest extant edition
(_what_ edition the title-page does not indicate) was printed in 1608,
4to. Ritson remarks that this celebrated romance is mentioned in Meres's
_Palladis Tamia_ (fol. 268), 1598. _Observ. on Warton's Hist. of Engl.
Poet._ p. 23; but I can produce a notice of it anterior to that date
from the Stationers' Books:
"20 Aprilis [1596]
"Jo Danter Entred for his copie vnder thande of }
the Wardens, A booke Intituled the }
famous Hystory of the Seven Champions }
of Christiandom, St. George of } vi^d."
England, St. Dennys of Fraunce, St. }
James of Spayne, St. Anthony of Italy, }
St. Andrewe of Scotland, St. Patrick }
of Irland, and St. David of Wales, }
"6 Sept. [1596]
"Cuthbert Burby Entred for his copie by assigment }
from John Danter, Twoo }
bookes, viz. the first pte and second }
pte of the vii Champions } vii^d."
of Christiandom. Reservinge }
the workmanship of the printinge }
at all tymes to the said Jo }
Danter.... }
(_Liber_ C. fol. 10 b., fol. 13 b.)
Johnson's _Nine Worthies of London: Explaining the honourable Exercise
of Armes, the Vertues of the Valiant, and the memorable Attempts of
magnanimous Minds, &c._ (a poem somewhat resembling the _Mirror for
Magistrates_,) is reprinted in _The Harl. Miscell._ viii. 437, ed. Park.
He was also the compiler, and probably in part the author, of _The Crown
Garland of Golden Roses_, &c. See Ritson's _Bibl. Poet._