Who dares affirme that Silla dares not fight?
When I dare sweare he dares adventure more
Than the most braue and all-daring[76] wight,[77]
That euer armes with resolution bore;
He that dares[78] touch the most unwholsome whore
That euer was retir'd into the Spittle[79]
And dares court wenches standing at a doore,
(The portion his wit being passing little);
He that dares give his dearest friends offences,
Which other valiant fooles doe feare to doe:
And when a feaver doth confound his sences,
Dare eate raw beefe, and drink strong wine thereto:
He that dares take tobacco on the stage,[80]
Dares man a whore at noone-day through the street:
Dares dance in Paul's and in this formall age,
Dares say and doe whateuer is unmeet;
Whom feare of shame could neuer yet affright,--
Who dares affirme that Sylla dares not fight?
[Footnote 76: MS. "valiant and all-daring." D. [First edition, "braue,
most all daring." G.]]
[Footnote 77: MS. "Knight." D.]
[Footnote 78: Isham, 'dare.' G.]
[Footnote 79: Hospital: or query prison? So late as Thomson's "Castle
of Indolence" (c I. 77) we have the word: "all the diseases which the
_spittles_ know." G.]
[Footnote 80: Probably most readers are aware that it was formerly
the custom of gallants to smoke tobacco on the stage, during the
performance, either lying on the rushes or sitting upon hired stools.
D. [In Hutton's 'Satyres' and 'Epigrams' (1619) well edited by
RIMBAULT for the Percy Society, there are various passages
illustrative of above, _e.g._
"Dine with Duke Humfrey in decayed Paules"
Confound the streetes with chaos of old braules,
Dancing attendance on the Black-friers stage
Call for a stoole with a commanding rage, &c. [pp. 68, 69.] Cf.
Also Ben Jonson's _Devil is an Ass_ (1616) who censures the conduct of
the gallants allowed seats on the stage. G.]]