Sir,--The following passage from the _Anatomy of Melancholy_, published
1651, struck me as a curious corroboration of the passage in Mr.
Macaulay's _History_ which describes the "young Levite's" position in
society during the seventeenth century; and as chance lately threw in my
way the work from which Burton took his illustration, I take the liberty
of submitting Notes of both for your examination.
"If he be a trencher chaplain in a gentleman's house (as it befel
Euphormio), after some seven years' service he may perchance have
a living to {27} the halves, or some small rectory, with the
mother of the maids at length, a poor kinswoman, or a crackt
chambermaid, to have and to hold during the time of his
life."--Burton, _Anat. of Mel._ part i. sect. 2. mem. 3. subsect 15.
Burton is here referrng to the _Euphormionis Lusinini Satyricon_,
published anno 1617. It professes to be a satire, or rather A FURIOUS
INVECTIVE, on the corrupt manners of the times, and is in four parts:
the 1st is dedicated to King James I.; the 2nd to Robert Cecil; the 3rd
to Charles Emmanuel of Savoy; the 4th to Louis XIII., King of France.
The use that Burton makes of the name of Euphormio is any thing but
happy. He was not a "_trencher chaplain_" but the slave of a rich
debauchée, Callion, sent in company with another slave, Percas, to carry
some all-potent nostrum to Fibullius, a friend of Callion, who was
suffering from an attack of stone. Euphormio cures Fibullius, not by the
drug with which he was armed, but by a herb, which he sought for and
found on a mountain. Fibullius, to reward his benefactor, offers him as
a wife a most beautiful girl, whom he introduces to him privately while
in his sick room. Euphormio looks with no little suspicion on the offer;
but, after a few excuses, which are overruled by Fibullius, accepts the
lady as his betrothed, "seals the bargain with a holy kiss," and walks
out of the room (to use his own words) "et sponsus, et quod
nesciebam--Pater," page 100. The next mention of this lady [evidently
the prototype of the "crackt chambermaid,"] is in page 138. Callion had
paid his sick friend Fibullius a visit, and, on the eve of his
departure, had ordered Euphormio to ride post before him, and prepare
the inhabitants of the districts through which he was to pass for his
arrival. While Euphormio is on the horseblock in the act of mounting his
steed, a rustic brings him a letter from Fibullius, and in conversation
gives him such an account of his bride as forces upon him the
reflection, that even the grim Libitina would be preferable, as a bride,
to so confirmed a Thais, so fruitful a partner, as the _protegée_ of
Fibullius would be likely to prove. But, as these _notes_ have, in spite
of all my attempts at condensation, already grown to a most formidable
size, I will not indulge in any moral reflections; but conclude by
_querying_ you, or any of your readers, to inform me whether the
personages mentioned in the _Euphorm. Lus. Satyricon_, such as Callion,
Pereas, Fibullius, &c., are real characters or not? as, in the former
case, I am inclined to think that the work might throw some interesting
lights on the private manners and characters of some of the courtiers of
the day. "No scandal against any of the maids of honour"--of course. The
phrase "_To the halves_" (in the quotation from Burton) means,
inadequate, insufficient; we still talk of "half and half" measures.
Montanus inveighs against such "perturbations, that purge _to the
halves_, tire nature, and molest the body to no purpose."--Burton,
_Anat. of Mel._, part. ii. sect. 2. mem. 4. subsect. 6.