Shakespeare, in the _Second Part of Henry IV._ act v. sc. 3 makes
Silence sing the following scrap:--
"Do me right,
And dub me knight:
_Samingo_."
And Nash, in his _Summer's Last Will and Testament_, 1600 (reprinted in
the last edition of Dodsley's _Old Plays_, vol. xi. p. 47.) has
"Monsieur Mingo for quaffing doth surpass,
In cup, in can, or glass;
God Bacchus, do me right,
And dub me knight,
_Domingo_"
T. Warton, in a note in vol. xvii. of the _Variorum_ Shakespeare, says,
"_Samingo_, that is _San Domingo_, as some of the commentators have
observed. But what is the meaning and propriety of the name here, has
not yet been shown. Justice Silence is here introduced as in the midst
of his cups; and I remember a black-letter ballad, in which either a
_San Domingo_ or a _Signior Domingo_, is celebrated for his miraculous
feats in drinking. Silence, in the abundance of his festivity, touches
upon some old song, in which this convivial _saint_, or _signior_, was
the burden. Perhaps, too, the pronounciation in here suited to the
character." I must own that I cannot see what San Domingo has to do with
a drinking song. May it not be an allusion to a ballad or song on
_Domingo_, one of King Henry the Eighth's jesters?
"--_Domyngo Lomelyn_,
That was wont to wyn
Moche money of the kynge,
At the cardys and haserdynge."
Skelton's _Why come ye not to Courte_, ed. Dyce, ii. p. 63.
None of the commentators have noticed this, but I think my suggestion
carries with it some weight.
In the _Privy Purse Expenses of King Henry the Eighth_ (published by Sir
H. Nichols, in 1827), are many entries concerning this _Domingo_, most
of which relate to payments of money that he had won from the king at
cards and dice. He was evidently, as Sir Harris Nichols observes, one of
King Henry's "diverting vagabonds," and seems to have accompanied his
majesty wherever he went, for we find that he was with him at Calais in
1532. In all these entries he is only mentioned as Domingo; his surname,
and the fact of his being a Lombard, we learn from Skelton's poem,
mentioned above.
The following story, told of _Domingo_, occurs in Mr. (afterwards Sir
John) Harington's _Treatise on Playe_, 1597, printed in the _Nugae
Antiquae_, edit. Park, vol. i. p.222.:--
"The other tale I wold tell of a willinge and wise loss I have
hearde dyversly tolde. Some tell it of Kyng Phillip and a favoryte
of his; some of our worthy King Henry VIII. and _Domingo_; and I
may call it a tale; becawse perhappes it is but a tale, but thus
they tell it:--The kinge, 55 eldest hand, set up all restes, and
discarded flush; _Domingo_ or _Dundego_ (call him how you will),
helde it upon 49, or som such game; when all restes were up and
they had discarded, the kinge threw his 55 on the boord open, with
great lafter, supposing the game (as it was) in a manner
sewer. _Domingo_ was at his last carde incownterd flush, as the
standers by saw, and tolde the day after; but seeing the king so
mery, would not for a reste at primero, put him owt of that
pleasawnt conceyt, and put up his cardes quietly, yielding it
lost."
Park was not acquainted with any particulars of this _Domingo Lomelyn_,
for he says, in a note, "Query, jester to the king?"
The first epigram in Samuel Rowland's entertaining tract, _The Letting
of Humours Blood in the Head-waine_, &c. 1600, is upon "Monsieur
Domingo;" but whether it relates to King Henry's jester is a matter of
some question.