A NOTE-BOOK AND WORD-LIST (continued 2)

Love, "Hasty love is soon hot, and soon cold" (WS161,a); Heywood (Works, E.E.D.S., II. 6,d) has "hot love, soon cold."

Lowler (JE354,d), a variant of Loller = Lollard. Originally applied (c. 1300) to a charitable fraternity, and subsequently to pretenders to austere piety and humility. Hence in reproach to certain "heretics," followers of Wyclif and similar purists.

Lungis (JE357,c), in original Longes. As this play is, generally speaking, carefully printed the use of the capital seems to point to a proper name, and not to lunges = thrusts, stabs. Lungis is the apocryphal name of the centurion who pierced our Lord with a spear: L. longinus. The O.E.D. cites this as the origin of lungis = lout, loafer—a generic reproach. On the other hand, if lunge = a stab, it gives an instance of the use of the word some 200 years earlier than Dr. Murray's premier example: in either case the present illustration is useful and interesting.

Lurdan, Lurden (passim), a generic reproach and term of abuse; examples are numerous.

Mace, see Mass.

Macro Plays and Manuscripts (The). These derive their name from a former owner, Cox Macro, an eighteenth century antiquary, physician, and cleric. From the Dictionary of National Biography it appears he was born in 1683, and died in 1767. He was the eldest son of Thos. Macro, grocer and alderman, and five times Mayor of Bury-St.-Edmunds. Thos. Macro married Susan, only daughter of Rev. John Cox, rector of Risby (near Bury-St.-Edmunds). The son received his name from his mother's surname. His name was made the subject of a punning motto for the family—"Cocks may crow." Educated at Bury Grammar School, he matriculated at Jesus College, Cambridge, but migrated to Christ's. In 1703 he entered at Leyden University, where he studied under Boerhave. In 1710 he proceeded to LL.B. degree at Cambridge, and to D.D. in 1717. He was chaplain to George II., but his possession of a large fortune rendered him independent of preferment. Macro was reputed to be master of most modern languages, and his house at Little Haugh contained a large collection of artistic treasures. Macro died 2nd Feb. 1767, and was buried at Norton, near Bury. A catalogue of Macro's treasures was compiled in 1766. Among them were many letters from Protestant martyrs, which came to him through Bishop Cox; the great register of Bury Abbey; a ledger-book of Glastonbury Abbey; and the original MS. of Spenser's View of the State of Ireland. Many of his MSS. had previously been the property of Sir Henry Spelman, others formed part of the library of Bury Abbey. The Macro property ultimately came to John Patteson, M.P. for Norwich, who disposed of the old masters (pictures) in 1819, and sold the books and MSS. for no more than £150 (it is said) to Richard Beatniffe, a Norwich bookseller, who resold them at a large profit. They were sold for Beatniffe by Christie in 1820, and realised £700, 41 lots going to Dawson Turner, and the rest to Hudson Gurney. The latter are now in the possession of J. H. Gurney, of Keswick Hall, near Norwich, and are described in the Historical MSS. Commission's 12th Report. Macro's correspondence with literary men and artists forms the additional MSS. at the British Museum, 32556-7. The Rev. Joseph Hunter edited for the Camden Society in 1840 a volume of Ecclesiastical Documents, containing 21 charters from Macro's library; and from a MS. formerly in his possession was printed, in 1837, for the Abbotsford Club, a morality called Mind, Will, and Understanding. So far generally the D.N.B.: the manuscript of the plays alone concern the present volume. I have not seen the volume myself, though I hope one day to have the satisfaction of reproducing it in facsimile. I have therefore to acknowledge my indebtedness for the précis which follows to Mr. A. W. Pollard's exhaustive account as given in the introduction to the Early English Text Society's Macro Plays (Extra Series, xci.). Boiled down, the facts are these, so far as they relate to the two Macro Plays included in the present volume, Mankind and Respublica. Mankind now forms part of a volume which in the eighteenth century contained other plays and treatises in manuscript, with which we need not now concern ourselves, except to remark the strange juxtaposition of old moralities, a Juvenal, a treatise on alchemy, etc. When sold at auction in 1820 the collection was broken up, and three plays, Mankind, Wisdom, and The Castle of Perseverance, bound afresh in one volume. Other points of interest are given by Mr. Pollard, but which I pass by as not germane to the present purpose. The manuscript of Mankind and Wisdom are contemporaneous; and were, says Mr. Pollard, in the same ownership before the end of the fifteenth century. This is in all likelihood a fact; but that the ownership was a purely personal one is not so clear as appears at first sight, or for the reasons stated by Mr. Pollard. It is now necessary for me to quote Mr. Pollard's own words in order to make my suggestions quite clear. He says: "It is ... possible that both this play and ... [Wisdom] were written in different parts of a miscellany-book belonging to Monk Hyngham, though the fact that his doggerel inscription of ownership is written after each of them inclines one at first to think that they were separate units among his possessions. As it occurs at the end of this play [Mankind], the inscription ... has been partly erased and partly cut through, the lower part of the leaf being supplied with modern paper. Enough, however, of the inscription remains to make it fairly certain that it reads like that at the end of the next play: O liber si quis cui constas forte queretur Hyngham que monacho dices super omnia, consto. This apparently is to be translated (I owe the suggestion to Dr. Warner): 'O book, if any one by chance asks to whom do you belong, you are to say I belong to Hyngham, above everything which a monk can own.' Who Monk Hyngham was we do not know. He may have belonged to Bury-St.-Edmunds, whence some of the Macro manuscripts are said to have come." Thus far also Mr. Pollard.

Now, I am inclined to think the deductions hitherto drawn from the foregoing facts are not altogether of the soundest. In the first place, Is the inscription rightly translated? Secondly, Does "Hyngham" refer to a person or a place? In answer to the first question, I offer an alternative reading for consideration; in reply to the second, I offer evidence that a place is meant. If I am right in my contentions fresh light is thereby thrown upon several problems, at present unsolved, in respect to these Macro plays. To take the points in order. The inscription as given by Mr. Pollard in his introductory remarks on page xxx, varies somewhat from the text as given on pages 34 and 73: que is quem and consto is given as consta[s]. My own text (40,d) follows the latter, which for the sake of the ensuing argument I quote again, with contractions, etc., duly indicated:

Now if for quem we read quod and for consta[s] we substitute consta[t], we get on surer ground. The original hardly conveys the idea that constas occurs twice, though there is evidently a play on "constas," "constat"; at least that is a possible reading. In this instance, too, the verb constare seems to be used in the sense of value, and one hardly sees where Dr. Warner's belong comes in. If quod and constat are accepted, the translation would be something like this:

"O book, if haply anyone should ask to what [place] you are precious, tell them Hyngham, which [quod] to a monk is precious beyond all [places]."

That is, the book is precious to Hyngham; Hyngham is precious beyond all places to the monks.

This brings me to the next point. Assuming this translation to be correct (and I invite discussion), it seems pretty clear that the ownership of the manuscripts of Mankind and Wisdom was not to a Monk Hyngham, but to a monk or monks of Hyngham. Facts again seem to confirm alike this new view and also the Eastern Counties tradition. Hyngham, Hingham, or Ingham, as a surname, is not common in the district; on the contrary, it is uncommonly rare. It belongs more to the north, especially to Lancashire and Yorkshire. Its occurrence now-a-days in Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool, and Manchester, may be regarded as fifty or sixty to two, or at most three, for other large towns all over the country; whilst in the Eastern Counties it is simply not to be found. This is especially and particularly the case as regards Lincoln, Grimsby, Boston, Stamford, Norwich, Yarmouth, Ipswich, Bury-St.-Edmunds, Cambridge, Colchester, Chelmsford, etc. The facts are at least significant.

On the other hand, taking Hyngham (or Ingham) as a place-name, we go, as the kiddies say, from "cold" to "hot" at once. There are three places of this name, all comparatively close to one another. There is Ingham near Bury-St.-Edmunds, Ingham near Lincoln, and Ingham 16 miles N.E. from Norwich. I have been unable at present to trace any ecclesiastical connection with the two Inghams first named. But at Ingham near Norwich, Sir Miles de Stapleton, of Bedale, in Yorkshire, in the fourteenth century founded a chantry in the church of Ingham, with a warden and two priests, in honour of the Holy Trinity. This foundation afterwards became a priory of friars of the order of the Holy Trinity, otherwise known as "Trinitarians" or "Mathurines." At the dissolution there were seven friars, and a revenue estimated at £63 per annum. "Yngham Trynyte" is twice mentioned in Bale's Three Laws [Works, E.E.D.S. 34 and 63]. In Carlisle's Topographical Dictionary of England (1808), Ingham is spoken of as being in the fourteenth century "a college or priory of the order of the Holy Trinity." This is as far as I have at present gone, but I shall not have sought and written in vain if my remarks lead to further research in connection with these Macro plays. The new light certainly tends to confirm Mr. Pollard's dates; but how far it affects his argument founded on the collation of the manuscript, I do not know, and writing, as I do, far away from the great centres of antiquarian literary research and reference, my inquiries have been perforce of the slightest.

Madge Mason, "it passeth any man's madge mason" (R211,b), imagination: People, like Codrus in Misogonus (Anon. Pl., Series 2), is given to distorting the "hard words" he hears.

Mahound, "by Mahound's bones, ... by Mahound's nose" (WS144,c), Mahomed.

Main groat (IP341,c), a term at hazard: an earlier use than in O.E.D.

Mainmission, "needest no mainmission" (N48,c), manumission: rare, a refashioning after main hand (O.E.D., in which the only example given is the present one).

Mainprize (N123,c), to procure or grant the release of a prisoner by making oneself surety for his appearance. "Mede shal nouzȝte meynprise ȝow bi the Marie of heuene."—Langland, Piers Plow. (1377), B. iv. 179.

Maistry, "no maistry yourself to comfort" (N121,d), i.e. it is no achievement (or is easy), to comfort yourself. "It is no grete maistre to gader up that money."—Paston Lett. (1456), I. 380.

Makebate (IP315,d), busybody, breeder of strife "a discordant element." "They agree better together, then to fal at variance for y^e wild wordes of suche a malicious make-bate."—More, Suppl. Soulys (1529), Works, 296, 2.

Malkin (passim), slut, slattern, strumpet: originally a typical name for a woman of the lower classes. Hence many colloquial and proverbial expressions—"no man desireth Malkin's maidenhead"; "mo maids than Malkin"; "an old mother Malkin's talk"; "Malkin, the May lady" (Maid Marian); a "carter's or swineherd's Malkin"; "some gentleman-swallowing (= whorish) Malkin"; "a kitchen Malkin"; "trapish ... petticoats to heels like a Malkin," etc.

Mall, "this mall shall beat him to dust" (WS142,c), a club; usually of hard wood. "A leaden maule, or suche lyke weapon, to beate downe his enemyes withall."—Ascham, Toxoph. (1545), 70 (Arber).

Mankind. The text is given on pp. 1-40. This curious picture of real life and ne'er-do-weels in late Plantagenet and early Tudor times is one of the unique Macro plays, and existed, until quite recently, in manuscript only. With this manuscript and its history I have dealt fully in another part of this volume (see Macro Plays and MSS.). During the last ten years Mankind has been three times reprinted—by Dr. Brandl (Quellen, etc., 1904), by Prof. Manly (Specimens of the Pre-Shakespearean Drama, 1904), and by the Early English Text Society (Extra Series xci, 1904). The last-named text in all probability more nearly approaches fidelity to the original than the others; but as the amanuensis, to all appearance, was the same for all three, and was responsible for the confessedly untrustworthy texts which Dr. Brandl and Prof. Manly have been compelled to use without an opportunity of a new collation with the original manuscript, one cannot but entertain some misgiving as to the accuracy of the Early English Text Society's version. Especially is this the case in view of the fact that, so far as I can learn, the E.E. text, as set by the printers from the copy supplied to them, does not seem to have been compared with the original MS. The manifold errors too, alike in the otherwise admirable introductory sketches, in the footnotes, and in the glossary, are not reassuring. Quotation after quotation, reference after reference, are incorrectly given. For example, in § 2, pp. xi.-xix., there are no less than twelve errors of this description that have casually come to my notice; while, having occasion to use the glossary references more frequently, I have found its usefulness much more largely impaired. Taking a column here and there at random, these are the results:—page 196, col. 1, 2 errors; 199, col. 2, 1 error; 200, col. 2, 5 references wrong; 210, col. 1, 4 errors. Why, too, Monk Hyngston (xix.) instead of Hyngham? And, in reference to this strange inaccuracy, I must add that the same Society's edition of Respublica is no better; indeed, it is worse! One page alone of the Notes (p. 66) contains no less than four wrong references, and the weight of Mr. Magnus's argument for an attribution of the play to Udall is marred by such unaccountable misquotation of names as Mengrade for Merry-greek and Mumblecourt for Mumblecrust (both on page xxi.). Under the circumstances, and being unable to obtain access to the original manuscript, my own text must be taken for what it is ultimately proved. I have, of course, always given greater weight to the E.E.T.S. version, because it is the copy nearest to the original (the Brandl and Manly texts are copies of this copy), but in many cases Dr. Brandl and Professor Manly have done what service they could, and good service often, in suggested and amended readings and restorations. As no good purpose could, under the circumstances, have been served in dealing with all the minutiæ of this kind in an uncertain text, I have confined my remarks in this respect to the more important points raised. By punctuation, often and in toto, I differ from all three, jointly and severally; varying the interpretation. These I have noted. But one conclusion is obvious. The texts of these Macro plays as they stand are not all that scholars can desire; and it is to be hoped that permission may be obtained for a collotype facsimile of the whole of the plays. The cost would be great, but I have no doubt that consideration can be satisfactorily solved. Corrigenda, Suggested Readings, Restorations, etc. [In the following pages the attributions are indicated by F = Early Eng. Text Society's Editors; M = Professor Manly; B = Dr. Brandl; and Ed. = the present editor.] The "Names of the players" do not appear in the original manuscript—"our first creation" (3,b), original syest or syrst (F)—"to have him revived" (3,c), original hade—"By meditation of our Lady" (4,a), read mediation (M)—"make his avaunt" (4,b), a-vaunce in MS.—"that venomous serpent" (4,d), original vemynousse—"leave your calculation" (5,a), calcacyon in F.: I follow M and B in present reading—[A leaf of the manuscript, etc.] (6,a), in the manuscript the next speech is to Mercy, but I have followed Prof. Manly's suggestion, also quoted by Dr. Furnivall. He says: "These lines begin a new leaf in the MS. They seem highly inappropriate in the mouth of Mercy.... Moreover, it is clear from ["we three" (7,a), and "all three" (7,c)] that the entrance of New Gyse, Now-a-days, and Nought was immediately preceded by Mercy's use of the words forming their names. I therefore suppose that at least one leaf of MS. (containing their entrance) has been lost at this point, and suggest that the command to the minstrels be assigned to New Gyse"—"have traced somewhat to fell" (7,a), to fylde fell in MS.: I have followed the Manly text, which is based on a suggestion of Prof. Kittredge's, that fylde was written by mistake, and that the copyist then, observing that fylde neither rhymed nor made sense, added the right word, but neglected to erase fylde—"Christ's curse have ye" (7,b), hade in MS. = had ye = have ye—"I had the cup in my hand" (7,b), MS. has cup ready in: so also F and B; M as in present text—"Say no[ugh]t again" (7,c), I have followed Manly: B and F have not as in MS.—"shall find us sh[r]ews" (7,c), schewys in MS.—"that brought you hither" (7,c), brethern in MS., hither being M's emendation with a suggestion that possibly brether is the right word: F and B follow MS.—"Ye betray many men" (7,d), "a man" struck out (F)—"my denomination" (8,a), "by" written over in MS. (F)—"a little force" (8,a), faus in MS.—"full of English Latin" (8,a), a marginal note says: "to have this English made in Latin: I am a-ferde yt wyll brest: 'It ram be' [? MS.], quod the bocher on-to me, 'When I stale a leg a motun ȝe are a stronge cunnynge clerke, I prey,' etc."—"here is a pardon by limit" (8,c), I have omitted lo before "here" by mistake: "pardon by limit" is in original, pardon bely mett—"the demonical frayry" (8,d), M supposes a line lost here, but there is no indication of such in the MS.—"of their own Christ" (9,b), her in MS.—"Alas! what was thy fortune" (10,d), here a marginal note in the MS. occurs, "I may both syth and sobbe; þis ys a pituose remembrance, O In my soull, so sotyll in thy substance." Prof. Manly says "this may be a part of the three lines necessary to restore the versification." He indicates a line missing before the line beginning "Alas! what was thy fortune," and two lines missing after the line ending "that stinking dunghill"—"[Mankind approaches Mercy" (11,a), F adds "and kneels to him"—"In sinful guiding" (11,b), sympull in MS. which is followed by F; M has sinful—"Vita hominis est milicia" (11,d), nnilicia in MS.—"Measure yourself," etc. (12,b), this line is in margin in MS.—"I trow and ye were" (12,d), It row in MS.: the same miscript occurs at 13,a—"Mo than a good sort" (13,b), M suggests emending to "Methink a"—"To them ye will go" (13,b), hem in MS.; I follow M: B suggests hom—"by Saint Quintin" (13,c), Sent Qisyntyn in MS.—"I am even very weary" (13,c), wery wery in MS.—"be there again to-morrow" (13,c), M, for the sake of the rhyme, suggests to-morne—"patience of Job in tribulation" (14,a), so in M: the MS. has &—"my own sweet son" (14,a), against this line in the margin in another hand is, "ita factum est"—"To pervert your conditions" (14,b), þer in MS.: F suggests for þi; M reads your; B suggests your—"all their means" (14,b), nnenys in MS.—"intermise yourself not" (14,c), scratched through in MS. and "intro-mytt" written over in another hand—"of the cunning that I can" (15,a), co[=m]ynge ... kam in MS.—"It is written, etc." (16,a), this song is omitted by Manly (see Holyke, ante) but given by F and B, the latter in Quellen, pp. 50-51, not page 61 as erroneously given by the Early English Text editors—"if he will have compos[t]" (17,c), compasse in MS.: F corrects to compass[t]e; M to compost; B to composte—"By Cock's body sacred" (18,b), F queries this as being sakyide in MS.—"By the aid of His grace" (18,b), syde in MS.: F suggests ayde and says "MS. fs crost there before syde ... see line 400" [With the help, &c., 19,a]—"Nec in hasta" (18,c), hastu in MS.: F refers to "Non in gladio, nec in hasta.... 1 Reg. xvii. 47"—"Alack, alack!" (19,d), F says (this commences leaf 127 back), "In another hand, at top, 'Honorabyll well belouyd frende, I hertely Recummend me on-to you'"—"Yea, Christ's cross" (20,b), Crastes in MS.: M suggests Christ's curse, comparing it with "Christ's copped curse" (36,a)—"There! we're on anon" (20,b), I may have been misled, though the MS. is by no means clear: "Ther, wher, on & on," which might be interpreted, "There, ware! on anon! Out! ye shall not," etc., or "There! we're one and [i.e. to] one. Out! ye shall not," etc.—"Know ye any aught" (20,c), out in MS.: F and B read ouȝt—"with a flowte" (20,d), flewte in MS.: M queries it for flowte, which I have adopted—"Else there shall" (20,d)? þei in MS. (F)—"he is a worshipful man" (21,a), worschyppull in MS.—"nor pence nor two pence" (21,b), of in MS.; F, M, and B read or—"Ye say us ill" (21,b), as in MS.—"The devil have [thee]" (22,a), suggested by M—"that be sought" (22,c), so in MS.: F and B read that [yt] be; though elliptical the passage reads = that which is to be: my "pointing" varies from other authorities—"Mischief hat[h] informed [me]" (22,d), hat in MS.: [me] suggested by F—"Take W[illiam] Fide" (22,d), suggested by F: M reads w[ith yow], and B w[yth yow]—"begin at m[aster] Huntington" (23,a), supplied by M—"Huntington of Sanston ... Hammond of Swaffham" (23,a and b), see E.E.T.S edition—"see well where and whither" (23,b), be in MS.—"Let us con well our neck-verse" (23,c), com in MS.—"I bless you with my left hand" (23,c), right struck out in MS.—"enter, I hope, unreadily" (24,a), so in M: ouer redyly in MS.—"grace were wane" (24,b), "cran (?) written after 'wane' in another hand" (F)—"While I over-delve it" (24,c), ouer dylew yt in MS.—"into thi[s] yard" (25,b), supplied by M—"pow[d]er of Paris" (25,d), supplied by M—"Ye shall [see] a good sport" (25,d), supplied by M: Brandl, however, suggests that a = have, which provides, I think on reflection, a better reading without altering the text—"Be as be may ... Mercy be wroth" (26,a and b), "these lines are added at the bottom of the page" (F), be is it in original—"I shall sleep" (26,b),?MS. skepe (F)—"rideth over the gallows" (26,d), galouf in MS. for galous—"And thy own wife brethel" (27,a), see Brethel, ante (382,d): F in a footnote (p. 22) says, "Qy. bethell, M," but M (p. 338) has "Qy. brethell"!—"Adieu, fair master" (27,b), F suggests master[s]—"such a likely man" (27,d), lyghly which F reads lygh[t]ly = likely—"ye have sco[u]red a pair of fetters" (28,d), scoryde in MS.: see Scoured, post, (461,a)—"that sweet mouth" (28,d), þo in MS.—"do it [in] forma" (29,c), "fo" is struck out after it in MS.: in is supplied by M—"his side-gown may be sold" (29,d), solde in F and M, but F has a note "solde MS., tolde M" which I do not understand: M at all events is intelligible in noting the solde of his text as "MS. tolde"; but which is correct?—"spare that ye may" (30,a), so in MS and F, which I have followed: M reads mow (to rhyme with yow, p. 30, line 1), and notes his departure from the original—"beshrew your ears, a fair hand" (30,b), & in MS. and F: M reads a—"Curia tenta generalis" (30,c), Carici in MS.: see Curia, ante (391,a)—"makest much [tarrying]" (30,d), supplied by M and adopted by F—"I can[not] express this inconvenience" (32,d), [not] supplied by M and adopted by F—"Christus et omnia jura" (33,c), sit in MS.: emended by Kittredge in M—"Equity to be laid over part[l]y" (33,d), party in MS: this line was a puzzler to M and B in consequence of the wretchedly inaccurate copy of the text supplied to them, and on which they had to work. The variations are characteristic: F is direct from MS. and collated (?); M and B are copies of a copy made by the same person at different times: these differ alike one with the other, and with the F copy. (F) "Equyte to be leyde ouer party, & mercy to prevayll." (M) O quyte to be leyde ouer, perty & mercy to prevayll! (B) O, quyte to be leyde, ouer party and mercy to prevayll! The readings adopted or suggested are—(F) As given above. (M) Equyte to be leyde ouer, pety & mercy to prevayll! (B) O, quyte to be lewyde, ouer pety and mercy to prevayll! From this it will be seen that all differ with one another and from myself in interpreting this line: I offer mine as a suggestion—"with these cursed caitiffs" (34,a), cayftys in MS.—"nigh dead in the crick" (34,c), my in MS.: corrected by M and B, and adopted by F, to ny—"Hic, hic, hic" (34,c), M says a line is wanted here rhyming with the third line lower down to complete the stanza—"a cepe coppus" (34,d), so in original which says M may be intentional: he reads cape corpus—"give the rope just to thy neck" (35,d), pye in MS.: restored by M and B—"He is so timorous" (36,a), He ys ys in MS.—"To see your solicitious face" (36,b), solaycyose in MS.: M reads solacyose; B solicitose—"What! ask mercy yet once again?" (36,c), F says that from this point to "good perseverance" (40,b) the MS. is in another hand—"my worst transgression" (36,c), wernt or werunt in MS.: F has werst: M has wekit—"dolorous fears" (36,d), seris in MS.: F has feris: M has feres; and B suggests sores—"this sinful sinner to redeem" (36,d), so in MS.: M and B suggest reduce for the rhyme's sake—"Nam hec ... non sunt" (36,d), F "notes" this passage: "Ps. lxxvi (lxxvii, Engl.), 11, 'hæc mutatio dexteræ Excelsi'; 'Verte impios, et non erunt'—Prov. xii. 7"—"as Himself doth precise" (37,b), M says "precyse does not rhyme: qy. preche, or, as Kittredge suggests, precysely teche"—"Nolo mortem, &c." (37,b), "Nolo mortem impii, sed ut convertatur impius a vita sua, et vivat, Ezech. xxviii. 11" (F)—"he will [be] reducible" (37,b), M—"Incline your capacity," etc. (37,d), in MS. this line reads, "My doctrine is convenient, Incline your capacity": the change is due to M—"as I said before" (38,a), he in MS. (M)—"cause of great grievance" (38,b), "ge in MS. altered to ce or se" (F)—"Not to the lowli'st joy" (38,d), F reads holest, and "notes" M's query of MS. being miswritten for loliest or lest: B also suggests lo[w]l[i]est—"Scripture doth prove" (38,d), prewe in MS. and followed by F: M has prove—"my suavious solace" (38,d), to B: F has suatius; M has solatius—"my inexcusable reproof" (39,a), so in MS.: M suggests inexorable may be better—"fantastical visions, sedulously sought" (39,b), sedociusly in MS.: the emendment is to M: B reads seducively—"Libere velle," etc. (40,a), Libere welle liebere welle (Kittredge in M)—"Dominus custodi[a]t te" (40,b), custodit se in MS. (M)—"my several patrociny" (40,c), "? MS. suuerall (several, individual). Kittredge suggests special" (F)—"Search your conditions" (40,c), in original Serge—"O Liber," etc. (40,d), see Macro Plays.

Man of Arms (M28,c), a sarcasm: Mischief is loaded with fetters.

Manitory, "my doctrine manitory" (M39,b), warning.

Market, "about our market depart" (R207,d), here generic for business, affairs.

Mary Mass (R202,b), a mass in honour of the Virgin Mary: specifically festivals held on Candlemas Day (2 February), the assumption (15 August), and the latter Marymass, the nativity of the Virgin (8 September). The asseveration was common in the sixteenth century; moreover, a covert allusion to the trouble of Queen Mary as regards the celebration of the mass in her late brother's time may be intended.

Mas (passim), master: in Respublica mace.

Mass, see Prime.

Masship, "I trow we shall his masship trim" (R230,d), mastership.

Mast, "mast Wealth" (WH289,d), master.

Matins, see Prime.

Measure, "Measure is treasure" (M12,b), proverbial. "Men wryte of oold how mesour is tresour."—Lydgate, Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 208 (c. 1430).

Medwall (Henry). Mr. T. Seccombe, writing in the Dictionary of National Biography, says he "flourished in 1486"; but beyond the fact that he was chaplain to John Morton (who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1486, and died in 1500), little is known of this early writer of interludes. The only work of his extant is Nature (see pp. 43-133). Bale mentions another interlude not now extant, but ascribed to Medwall, "Of the Finding of Truth, carried away by Ignorance and Hypocrisy." This was diversified by the introduction of a fool, an innovation which commended it to Henry VIII. when it was produced before him at Richmond, Christmas 1516. Apart from this feature the piece was misliked, and the King "departyd before the end to hys chambre."

Meek, "Except that man himself do meek" (WH279,b), abase, humble.

Mell, "not suffer to mell" (R213,a)—"with such-high matters to mell" (R235,b),—"will not mell" (R250,b), meddle.

Member, "I scannot member his name" (R212,d),—"to member in my heart" (R234,d), remember: in original membre.

Memento, "Memento, homo," etc. (M15,b): see Job xxxiv. 15.

Menge, "I shall menge his corn" (M24,a), mix, or? scatter.

—Surrey, Songs and Sonnets (1557), Description of Spring.

Merchant, "prattling merchant" (passim), fellow, chap: frequently in depreciation.

Mere, "be used mere" (WS174,a), simply, solely, "single-eyed," unquestionably, downright.

—Shakespeare, Winter's Tale (1604), iii. 2.

Met, "I hope to have his foot met" (M23,d), caught.

Mich, "cost him even as mich" (N67,c), much.

—Morte Arthure, MS. Lincoln, f. 66.

Mischieve, "herself to mischieve" (IP313,d), harm, injure.

—Shakespeare, Timon of Athens (1609), iv. 3.

Misericordia, "put out the i of Misericordia, and without an i play e'en plain trussing corda" (R243,d); the pun survives to this day.

Misery, "harlotry, misery, treachery" (R263,d), miserliness, parsimony, coveteousness. "But Brutus, scorning his (Octavius Cæsar's) misery and niggardliness, gave unto every band a number of wethers to sacrifice."—North, Plutarch (1578), p. 215.

Mish, mash, see Driff, draff.

Miswomen (IP320,c), a generic reproach: here = strumpets, wantons.

—Chaucer, Remedy of Love.

Mo (passim), more.

Mome (passim), clown, buffoon, blockhead, fool.

Moon, "made you believe the moon was a green cheese" (R265,c), bamboozled or deceived you; the proverbialism is, in truth, of respectable antiquity: also cream cheese.

Morrow, "on Sundays, on the morrow" (M31,c), in the morning.

Moselling, "I fell down moselling" (JE363,d), original moselynge;? drunk (cf., muzzling, muzzy): the E.E.T.S. editors gloss meselynge = diseaseful, from measle, but the context would bear my own "shot." "In meselynge glotonye, with goode metis and drynkys trye, I norche my syster Lecherye" (Castell of Persev. [E.E.T.S.], 144, 2258).

Mot, mought (passim), might.

Mounsire, "Mounsire authority" (R197,c)—(also R224,b), an early corrupted form of "Monsieur": cf. modern Mounseer.

Mumchance (WH286,a), a game of hazard with cards or dice: see Nares.

Nam, "Nam hæc est mutatio, dexteræ Excelsi: vertit impios, et non sunt" (M36,d), see Psalm lxxvii. 11, and Prov. xii. 7.

Namnot, nammot (R267,d), am not: the double negative, ne am not.

Narse (WS153,b), arse: the transference of the n of the indefinite article, and a similar process in respect to the n of "mine," "thine," etc. is not infrequent in M.E.; cf. "naunt," "nuncle," "nam," "newt," "nickname," etc.

Nature. The text will be found on pages 41-133, together with a reduced facsimile of the title-page of the unique copy now in the British Museum (C34,e54). Bound up with it, at the end of the volume, are two duplicate leaves. In several places (see 105,c; 106,d; 112,d; 114,a) the lower margins have suffered by cutting; otherwise it is a good copy, but without date, place, or printer's name. It is well printed, probably by John Rastell, between 1510-20, and is in excellent preservation. When printing my own text, I was not aware that a fragment comprising two complete and well-preserved pages had been discovered in an album consisting entirely of "Specimens of the English Printers from Caxton to Robert Barker," which Sir John Fenn had collected for the completion of Ames-Herbert's Typographical Antiquities, and which was offered for sale by Mr. Bernard Quaritch in his Catalogue, No. 237 (pp. 97-99), the price affixed being £280. For the foregoing particulars I am indebted to Materialen zur Kunde des alteren Englischen Dramas, so ably edited by Prof. Bang of Louvain University and other well-known English, American, and Continental scholars. I have, so far, been unable to trace the subsequent history of this volume; but I am not without hopes, later on, of being in a position to supply full and detailed particulars. What more nearly concerns the present purpose is the fact that in vol. xii. of Materialen are given facsimiles of parts of each of these two pages, by means of which two out of the four lines cut away, each on different pages, have been restored, viz. at 112,d and 114,a—a fortunate and happy circumstance (see Corrigenda, etc., infra). Another fragment was known to exist at the Bodley. This is mentioned by Mr. Greg in his Handlist of English Plays; but no particulars are furnished, and on enquiry at the Bodley no trace of the fragment could at first be found. I, thereupon, made search, and at last unearthed it, finding it buried in a mass of uncatalogued early printed scraps. This was after delving through a dozen volumes of similar miscellaneous material, so let it now be ear-marked for future reference. The Bodley shelf-mark is Rawl. 4^o 598 (12). It came into the Bodleian with the Rawlinson collection of MSS. and printed books in 1755. The fragment (Aiiii) is small, and is apparently of the same edition as the British Museum copy, and the extra leaves. As the Quaritch fragment is also undoubtedly of similar parentage, it is unlikely that the play was printed more than once. The Bodley fragment comprises (a) "But, if Reason tickle ..." (last line p. 49) down to " ... that from above is sent" (p. 50, 11th line of text from bottom); and (b) "No well-advised body ..." (page 51, 11 lines from top) down to "It shall not skill as for this intent" (p. 52, 2 lines from top). By this it will be seen that this recovery does not serve to restore either of the two missing lines, not restored by the other fragments. Nature was produced before Archbishop Morton in Henry VII.'s reign (see 51,c; 88,b); and Bale states that it was translated into Latin. A period of nearly three days seems to have elapsed between the representation of Parts I. and II. (see 90,d). Other allusions I have dealt with in this Note-Book as they occur. Of the author little is known save what is revealed by the play, and Bale's mention (see Medwall). From the former it is evident, however, as Prof. Gayley first pointed out, that he must have possessed a remarkably vivid imagination, or have enjoyed a closer acquaintance than might be expected of one of his cloth with the seamy side of London life; for there are few racier or more realistic bits of description in our early literature than the account given by Sensuality of Fleyng Kat and Margery, of the perversion of the hero by the latter, and of her retirement when deserted to that house of "Strayt Religyon at the Grene Freres hereby," where "all is open as a gose eye." Dr. Gayley remarks that though "the plot is not remarkable, nor the mechanism of it, for almost the only device availed of is that of feigned names, still the author's insight into the conditions of low life, his common sense, his proverbial philosophy, his humorous exhibition of the morals of the day, and his stray and sudden shafts at the foibles of his own religious class, would alone suffice to attract attention to this work. And even more remarkable than this in the history of comedy is Medwall's literary style; his versification excellent and varied, his conversations witty, idiomatic, and facile. Indeed, he is so far beyond the ordinary convention that he writes the first bit of prose to be found in our drama." Nature has only once before been reprinted in modern times, in Prof. Brandl's admirable Quellen series. The present text is taken direct from the British Museum copy, and has been re-collated with the original in proof: mere misprints I have, as a rule, not noted. It is proper to point out that the "Humility" of the "Names of the Players" (p. 42) appears in the text, except in one instance, as "Meekness"; likewise that "Good Occupation" is the "Good Business" of the text; "Pride" also is occasionally given as "Pry. Co." Corrigenda, Amended Readings, etc.: The Names of the Players (42,b and c), these are from the end of play—"things here below" (44,b) by low in original—"To the which end" (50,b), original ye—"nor yet so furious" (51,b), original yt—"point oversight" (51,c), original has point of; my mistake—"use thee as a servant" (52,b), original servand—"As far as" (57,d), original for—"And let thy word be cousin to thy deed" (59,a), original world ... consyn—"See that ye commit" (59,b), original So—"to every man's guise" (60,b), original ges—"my chief counsellor" (60,c), original conselour—"Sens. Lord! ye say well" (61,b), between this and the previous line Dr. Brandl points out that a line has been dropped, but there is no break in the original copy—"To put himself" (61,c), in original selse—"[He goeth out....]" (64,d), considerable confusion exists in the original from this point to the end of the next page. The lines beginning "Worldly Affection," "Come hither!" are assigned to The World, whereas it is clear that The World goes out, and Mankind, calling to Worldly Affection (who comes in), continues his speech, addressing the new comer. From this point the speeches now given, rightly I think, to Worldly Affection are in original to The World, except the last on page 65, which appears as a continuation of Mankind's speech. I may remark that Dr. Brandl differs—"[Pride]. Who dwelleth here" (66,c), in original Pry. Co.—"worn gilt spurs ... cutted whores" (66,d), original sperys ... horys—"How say ye, sirs" (67,a), original syrst: Brandl suggests reading fyrst—"Allez ... vous avant!" (69,c), original Ale seygniour ale vouse auant"—"judge in common pleas" (71,c), original, place—"Sir! bid him welcome," etc. (72,b), in original the catch-cue to "Sens." is repeated here; the present interpolated "direction" makes the action clear—Man. Me?" (73,a), in original Man. is misprinted as part of text, Man me?—"The world told me" (73,c), read World—"Where they shall" (93,b), original misprinted shalbe—"Sirs, God speed ye!" (112,d), original you—"[A line has been shaved away at the foot of the page]" (112,d), this is now restored from the Quaritch fragment, "Had I set a done (= adown) my gear." A line similarly shaved off at 114,a is also restored by "I wene he wyll be dede"—"great scorn and disdain" (120,c), original storn—"mind and good will" (121,b), Dr. Brandl suggests reading lust—"to the uttermost" (122,d), Dr. Brandl suggests uttermest—"He speaketh sometime" (126,a), so in original, Dr. Brandl prints seeketh—"[Help] to reform" (128,d), this word is cut away at the foot of the page: the same mishap has occurred at "in this case" (130,a).

Ne, "ne would" (N124,a), not, neither.

Neat, "a horse and a neat" (M26,c), an ox, bullock, cow, heifer: now rare.

Nec, "nec in hasta," etc. (M18,c), see 1 Reg. xvii. 47—"Non in gladio, nec in hasta...."

Neck-verse, "he could his neck-verse" (M27,d), a verse on which one's neck depends, in allusion to hanging: originally "a Latin verse printed in black letter (usually the beginning of the 51st Psalm), formally set before one claiming benefit of clergy, ... by reading which he might save his neck" (O.E.D.). See other volumes of this series.

Needings (M34,d), "relieving nature," doing that is necessary.

Negligence, (a) "if it please your negligence" (M21,a), i.e. if an "interval" will be acceptable: this usage = a pleasing relaxation of attention, or absence of restraint, was common enough.

(b) "Committed to my negligence" (N83,a), in sarcasm.

Nemble, "now am I nemble" (IP337,d), nimble: cf. trimble = tremble.

Nemesis (R., passim), the embodiment of retributive justice; this passage serves the O.E.D., being nearly half a century earlier than the first given by Dr. Murray.

Nesh, "tender and nesh" (IP337,b), succulent, juicy.

Nest, see Feather.

New Guise, see Guise.

New Jet, see Jet.

New Year, "in the worship of the new year" (IP334,c), i.e. at the next jollification.

Nil, see Suffer.

Nine stocks, "sit in nine stocks" (R220,d). Mr. Magnus thinks the meaning of this somewhat obscure sentence to be that the culprit shall be sentenced to the stocks nine times running; note the exigency of a rhyme to mine locks.

Ninnat (R., passim), ne will not.

Nold, "The skitb[r]ains nold not" (R267,b)—"for she nolde suffer" (N45a), would not be—n[e w]o[u]ld: cf. Namnot, etc.

Noli me tangere, "He is a noli-me-tangere" (M23,b), generic for anybody or anything repellant, an awkward tempered person. "He was wont to say of them that they were of the tribe of Dan, and were noli me tangere's."—R. Naunton, Frag. Reg. (c. 1630), 18 (1870).

Nolo, "Nolo mortem peccatoris, inquit" (M37,b): see Ezekiel xxviii. 11—"Nolo mortem impii, sed ut convertatus impius a vita sua, et vivat."

Nomination, "that is my nomination" (R199,d), name, designation. "Because of these two effectes ... hath it the nomination of kayes."—Frith (d. 1533), Workes, p. 58.

Non, see Inventus.

Nonage, "the nonage of this gentleman" (N53,d), legal minority. "My parents deceased in mine nonage."—Godly Queen Hester, Anon. Pl., 2 Ser. (E.E.D.S.), 257,c.

Nonny, see Hey.

Nourice, "thy tender nourice" (N46,d), nurse. "Flatterers ben the devil's nourices that nourish his children with milke of losengrie."—Chaucer, Cant. Tales (1383), Persones Tale.

Nymphs, "at her nymphs" (R251,b), i.e. handmaidens, waiting women.

Oar, see Boat.

Obedient, "subdued to reason as his obedient" (N55,d), one subject to authority, a subordinate: an earlier instance of the substantive use of obedient than that recorded in the O.E.D. by a century and a quarter.

Obstinant, "if he be obstinant" (IP346,b), obstinate: the O.E.D. records the word as a substantive, earmarking it "rare," and giving a single quotation only, but the adjectival form is absent.

Occupy, "a merchant's place to occupy" (IP339,b), formerly occupy was almost as hard-worked a verb as the modern American fix. Amongst other senses it meant, take possession, seize, enter upon, hold, have in possession, enjoy, reside in, tenant, stay, abide, employ, busy about, engage, make use of, etc.

Odible, "as carene is odible" (M32,d)—"dispectuous and odible" (M33,b), hateful, odious. "His face was so hatefull and so odyble."—Lydgate, Chron. Troy (1412-20), III. xxiv.

Old Boy, "play ever ... the old boy" (N75,b), as one who has become skilled, clever, knowing through practice and experience; foreshadowing the slang usage: cf. "olde souldier, veteranus" (Huloet., 1552).

Om (passim), them—'em.

Ont (passim), on it—on[i]t.

Opray, Opry, "opray counsel" (N71,c)—"such opry" (N71,c), not in O.E.D.:? = operary, practical.

Organs, "Piers Pickpurse playeth at organs" (R240,a), i.e. as if fingering an organ: formerly organs (pl.) denoted a single instrument.

Osculare, "osculare fundamentum" (M8,c), the modern vulgar jeer wrapped up in Latin.

Other (passim), either.

Overbliss, "he may overbliss it" (M17,c), overbless: Nought sarcastically says that Mankind may treat his land too well by using it as a jakes.

Oweth, "he oweth to be magnified" (M3,b), ought. "Forgotten was no thing That owe be done."—Chaucer's Dreme (c. 1500), 1405.

Owl-flight, "in the owl-flight" (M25,d), when owls go abroad, dusk; here under cover of night. "He ran away by nyght In the owle flyght Lyke a cowarde Knyght."—Skelton, Dk. Albany (c. 1529), 312.

Oyez (passim). "Hear ye": a call (usually three times given) to command silence and attention.

Painful, "painful ministers" (R234,b), "Young, painful, tractable" (WS137,d), careful, diligent, painstaking: cf. careful = full of care; hateful = full of hate, etc. "Vertuous sermons and painefull preaching."—Stapleton, tr. Bede's Hist. Ch. Eng. (1565), 79.

Pale, "four kine to my pale" (R229,a), an enclosed space, limit: here = holding.

Pardon, "forty days of pardon" (M8,c), an indulgence, a papal warrant of forgiveness of "faults": see other volumes of this series.

Paris Gates (N67,a),? the entrance to Paris Garden; see Halliwell and Nares.

Parlement, "A parlement, a parlement," (M35,a), conference, consultation, talk.

—Robert de Brunne, p. 244.

Participable, "be participable of" (M3,d), partakers of.

Party, see Mankind, Amended Readings.

Pash, Passhe (passim), (a) the Passover, Easter-tide, properly Pasch.

(b) "Pash head! pash brain" (WS143,b), smash, dash to pieces.

—Marlowe, 1 Tamburlaine (1590), i. 1.

Pass, "I do not pass" (WS147,c), care, reck, mind: see other volumes of this series.

Passeive, "we passeive" (R212,a), perceive.

Passible, "obedient and passible" (M33,a), able to feel or suffer. "Therein he assumed human nature, mortal, and passible."—Chr. Sutton, Godly Meditations (1622), p. 24 (ed. 1849).

Patrociny, "my several patrociny" (M40,c), patronage, protection, defence, support. "To take hym and his pore causis into your patrocynye and protection."—Wolsey, Lett. to Gardener (1529) in Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. App. xxxiii. 92.

Patus, "I beshrew your patus" (M21,c), head: mock Latin.

Paul's steeple, etc. (passim), Paul's (Poules, Paules, Powlys, Pawles, etc.), i.e. St. Paul's Cathedral in London, a favourite lounge and business resort in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries,—hence frequent allusions in old writers.

Peak, "bold to peak in" (R255,d), peep. "That other pries and peekes in euery place."—Gascoigne, Steele Glas. (1576), 68 (Arber).

Peason, (a) "peason knaves" (R213,c), peasant knaves: a generic reproach = low fellow, rascal, "villain." Possibly also with an eye on the chief food staple of the lower classes in Tudor times, pease (or peason) and beans.

(b) see Peson.

Peers, "with all their old peers" (IP346,c), associates, companions: perers in original. "Children sittynge in Cheepynge ... cryinge to her peeris."—Wyclif, Matt. xi. 16 (1382).

Permounted, "how ye beeth permounted" (R256,c), ? a portmanteau word promoted + mounted.

Persecuted, "how shall this redress be well persecuted" (R269,c), pursued (Magnus).

Perswaged, "cham perswaged" (passim), persuaded.

Perversious, "this perversious ingratitude" (M33,b), perverse.

Pervertionate, "that ever be pervertionate" (M10,c), perverse.

Perzent, "whom itch do perzent" (R211,a), represent.

Peson, "piss my peson" (M12,c), what peson means is somewhat obscure. The recorded meanings are (1) = pl. of pease; (2) a staff-like instrument used for weighing purposes before scales were employed, and so, maybe, a staff. The context, however, would seem to suggest peason as a shortened or popular name of the peasecod doublet, a long-breasted garment carried down to a long peak in front, having the lower part stiffly quilted and projecting.

Pestel, "a pestel on him" (R199,a), i.e. a pestilence.

Petticoat, "have at thy petticoat" (R270,d); cf. "I'll pay him o' th' petticoat."—Misogonus, Anon. Pl., 2 Ser. (E.E.D.S.), 157,b. "I dare jeopard a groat, If he may reach them, will have on the petticoat."—Jacob and Esau, 2 Anon. Pl., 2 Ser. (E.E.D.S.), 77,c.

Pew, "God give him an ill pew" (JE363,c), in original pue: a rare transferred usage of the common word = "station, situation, allotted place" (O.E.D.). "Ye lat me peyne here in a peynfull pewe, That is a place of grete doloures."—Pety Job (c. 1400) 555, in 26 Pol. Poems, 139.

Pie, "hands be in the pie" (R191,d), the modern "finger in the pie" is more modest; the present example is the earliest given in the O.E.D.

Pike, "pike thee home" (WS157,a)—"they bad me pike me home" (R256,a), walk, be off, get home. Mr. Magnus glosses the Respublica example, "pick." "He bad them then go pyke them home."—Ane Ballat of Matrymonie (c. 1570) in Laing, Pop. Poet. Scotland, ii. 77.

Pip, "God send them both the pip" (R215,c), properly a disease peculiar to poultry and the like, but frequently used jocosely by old writers for various diseases in human beings, specifically, however, of the pox. "I have a master: I wolld he had ye pyppe."—Play Sacram (c. 1460), 525.

Piss, see Rods.

Plain, "did not ich plain me to you?" (R229,d), complain, lament, bewail.

—Robert de Brunne, p. 312.

Players (The names of the). The following references to Players' Names in this volume and the Play in which they occur may be of service.

Abstinence (N); Abundance (IP); Actio (JE); Adulation (R); Avarice (R).

Bodily Lust (N).

Charity (N); Chastity (N); Colhazard (IP); Comfort (WS); Confidence (WS); Conscience (IP).

Diligence (WS).

Envy (N and IP); Eugenio (JE); Evil Counsel (JE); Experience (WS).

Fame (WS); Favour (WS).

Garcon (N); Gluttony (N); Good Occupation (N).

Hance (WH); Health (WH); Honest Recreation (WS); Humility (N).

Idleness (WS); Idleness (JE); Ill-Will (WH); Impatient Poverty (IP); Ingnorancy (WS); Innocency (N); Insolence (R); Instruction (WS); Irisdision (JE).

Justicia (R).

Liberality (N); Liberty (WH).

Man (N); Mankind (M); Mercy (M); Mischief (M); Misericordia (R); Misrule (IP); Mundus (N).

Nature (N); Nemesis (R); New Guise (M); Nought (M); Now-a-days (M).

Oppression (R).

Patience (N); Pax (R); Peace (IP); People (R); Poverty (IP); Pride(N); Prologue (R); Prosperity (IP).

Quickness (WS).

Reason (N and WS); Remedy (WH); Respublica (R); Riches (WS).

St. John the Evangelist (JE); Science (WS); Sensuality (N); Shame (WS); Shamefacedness (N); Shrewd Wit (WH); Sloth (N); Strength (WS); Study (WS); Sumner (IP).

Tediousness (WS); Titivillus (M).

Veritas (R).

Wealth (WH); Wit (WS); Worldly Affection (N); Worship (WS); Wrath (N).

Plette, "whom should I plette" (IP341,d), plead.

—Chaucer, Troilus and Creseide, ii.

Pleyseris, "ye may be pleyseris with the angels above" (M40,d), so in original: Manly suggests partakers.

Policate, "such a policate wit" (R213,b), polished: ? a compound of polished + delicate, or a corruption of politic = sharp, clever, well-devised.

Poll, "I see you would poll me" (R220,c), plunder, pillage, rob.

Populorum, "by his precious populorum" (R259,b) A coinage of no special worth save a bare record.

Port, "Wealth hath great port" (WH279,d), carriage, mien, bearing, state. "With another port."—Jacob and Esau, Anon. Pl., 2 Ser. (E.E.D.S.), 72,c. "Keep house, and port, and servants as I should."—Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrew (1593), i. 1.

Potestate, "a worthy potestate" (N71,b), potentate, chief authority. "And whanne thei leeden you unto synagogis and to magistratis and potestatis; nyle ye be bisy how or what ye schulen answere, or what ye schulen scye."—Wycliffe, Luke xii.

Poticary (N125,a), apothecary: see Heywood, The Four P.P.

Precise, "as Himself doth precise" (M37,b), to determine with precision: cf. Fr. preciser.

Preclair, "preclair pre-eminence" (IP347,d), illustrious, eminent. "That puissant prince preclair." Lyndesay, Monarche.

Preys, "the gubbins of booties and preys" (R183,d), spoil, plunder.

Pryke, "pryke not your felicities" (M4,b), fix.

Prime, "mass and matins, hours and prime" (M31,c)—"by prime" (JE360,c), the first of the canonical hours, succeeding to lauds.

Privity, see Jewels.

Promidence, "climbing up aloft for promidence" (R212,d),? prominence, predominance.

Prout, "zo thick prout whorecop" (R256,b)—"maketh us prout" (R256,c), proud: in original prowte and prout respectively; A.S. prut.

Puddings, see Dogs.

Purvey, Purveyed, "purvey such a lad" (N68,b; also 65,c)—"hath purveyed me" (N43,c), provide, plan, contrive: specifically to supply provisions.

Puttock (JE363,b), properly the common kite, but also applied to other birds of prey.

Qualified, "would not be qualified" (R224,c), appeased, mollified, calmed. "Whan the quene was thus qualyfyed"—tr. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (c. 1540), 210 (Camden, No. 29).

Quorum, see Justices of Quorum.

Rail, "if thou rail too far" (N52,b), wander, roam. "I rayle, I straye abrode, je trace, je tracasse. He doth naught els but rayle here and there."—Palsgrave, Lang. Franc. (1530), 678, I.

Raise, "is that the great love ye raise her" (WS147,a), bear: cf. the now (except as regards cattle) rare sense of raise = beget.

Rat, "we have smelled a rat" (R187,a), one of the earliest instances of this proverbial saying.

Rather, "later or rather" (R188,c), earlier. "Aftir me is comun a man, which was maad bifor me; for he was rather than Y."—Wyclif (1388), John i. 30.

Raught, "raught to Cumberland" (R254,a), reached.

Rebated, "openly rebated" (R197,a): see Respublica, Var. readings, etc.

Rech, "For other wealth I not rech" (WH278,c), strive or reach out for.

Recreatory, "my singular recreatory" (M38,d), source of comfort, "joy": the only quotation in the O.E.D.

Recumbentibus, "a shrewd recumbentibus" (M20,b)—"speak to Mankind for the recumbentibus of my jewels" (M22,c), "a knock-down blow" (O.E.D.), but the second example does not quite fit this sense which seems to refer to the position of the object attacked, rather than the act of attacking.

Red cap, "him that wears the red cap" (WH303,c). Remedy seems to have worn a red cap:? as the symbol of spiritual authority. The term is of rare occurrence; only two examples of so early a date are quoted in the O.E.D., both from State papers—(a) "Captaine Redde Cappe, one of the rebelles of the last yere" (1549); (b) = red-hat = cardinal (1539).

Rede, "by my rede" (N121,d), counsel. Also as verb.

Redford (John), musician, poet, and writer of interludes, was, according to Hawkins, organist and almoner of St. Pauls. Tusser, in his autobiographical poem, mentions him as master of the children of St. Paul's about 1535. As a musician, his instrumental works are well known, consisting mainly of florid counterpoint upon a plain song. As master of the children at St. Paul's, it was part of his duty to provide dramatic entertainments. A quaint specimen of his skill in this respect is afforded by his "Wit and Science." This is preserved among the additional MSS. at the British Museum (No. 15,233), the memorandum book in which it is written, and of which the original binding is still in excellent condition, containing some musical sketches (possibly memoranda only), and fragments of two other moralities, one of them in Redford's name. The date of his death is unknown, but as Sebastian Westcott was master of the children of St. Paul's in 1559, probably Redford had died before that date.

The fragments of other interludes, probably both by Redford, included in add. MSS 15,233, are as follows:—

[Fragment No. 1.]

In the MS. this fragment is cancelled with a pen.

[Fragment No. 2.]

The other fragment of an interlude (cancelled in the MS.) is as follows:—

Corage.

Kyndnes.

Corage.

Clennes.

This is not signed by Redford; it is only conjecturally his.

The other works of Redford's in the MS. book (additional MSS. 15,233) appear to be separate poems, with titles (some apparently inserted in his reprint by Halliwell Phillips). The numbers to the right refer to the pages in Halliwell Phillips's reprint.

1. Lamentation of boys learning the prick song. (14 stanzas of 4 lines each) 62

2. "Nolo Mortem peccatoris: hœc sunt verba Salvatoris." (23 stanzas of six lines each) 68

3. "Long have I been a singing man." (8 stanzas of six lines each) 80

4. "Will and Power." (3 stanzas of seven lines each) 86

5. "The Pleasure of Godliness." Besides some irregular opening lines. (22 stanzas of six lines each) 92

6. "The goodness of all God's gifts." (11 stanzas of seven lines each) 97

7. "The sinfulness of man." (8 stanzas of eight lines each) 100

Reducible, "he will be reducible" (M37,b), reclaimable.

Refrait, "harp both on refrait" (N59,d), refrain, burden. "Of ther song the refreit was of pees."—Lydgate in Pol. Poems (1443), II., 211 (Rolls).

Remord, "thou ought to remord" (IP316,b), feel remorse. "Remord and rew, and pondir weill my parte."—A. Scott, Poems (c. 1560), xiii. 38 (S.T.S.).

Remotion, "to you ... have recourse and remotion" (M3,d), inclination to.

Ren (passim), run.

Reporture, "to make reporture" (N100,c), mention, report. "To hyr I wyll goo and make reportur."—Digby Myst. (c. 1485), III., 2084 (1882).

Resided, "one resided me with a bowl of water" (JE358,a). I have been unable to arrive at any satisfactory explanation of this passage.

Respublica. The text is given on pp. 177-272. The original forms one of the Macro plays in manuscript, now the property of Mr. J. H. Gurney of Keswick Hall, near Norwich: see Macro Plays and Manuscripts, ante. Respublica has been three times previously printed in modern times—(a) by Mr. John Payne Collier in Illustrations of Old English Literature, I. (1866), B. M. press-mark, 2326, c; (b) by Prof. Brandl in Quellen, etc. (1904); and (c) by the Early English Text Society (Extra Series xciv.), edited by Mr. Leonard A. Magnus, LL.B., "from Mr. Gurney's unique Macro MS. 115" (1905), B. M. press-mark, Ac. 9926/60. I do not know how Mr. Collier got his copy; Dr. Brandl states his copy was made for him by Dr. Emeke, "and we both have collated it." Whether the copy was made direct from the original manuscript, or whether it was (as in the case of Mankind) (q.v.) a copy of a copy, or further, whether the collation of the proof-sheets was with the original or with the copy is not stated: still even the last is something towards assurance, for the ways of the modern "comp." and the oversight of the average "reader" are, at times, passing strange. Yet Mr. Magnus by his remark, "Prof. Brandl had to make his edition from a copy of the manuscript," seems to infer that the German editor was unable to get into close contact with the original. This uncertainty is unfortunate, for were we sure of the contrary, there would have been immediate and well-founded confidence in the fidelity of Prof. Brandl's text. But worse remains. Mr. Magnus, beyond saying that "the manuscript has been kindly lent by the owner," nowhere, so far as I can read, mentions that the copy of the same as prepared for the printers had, when in proof, been compared with the original manuscript. My own experience in collating the three copies of Mankind (q.v.), made respectively for the E.E.T.S., Prof. Manly, and Prof. Brandl, does not tend to reassure one. Indeed, the sampling of Mr. Manly's printed sheets in another direction has convinced me that though the text may be, and probably is, substantially accurate, yet it would be folly to waste valuable time in furnishing, for this play, even the simplest of textual notes and criticism. Knowing, by experience, the weighty trustworthiness of Prof. Brandl's work in respect to other plays, I commenced by modernising his text, at the same time collating it with that of Collier, only to find, when I came to compare it with the E.E.T. Society's edition, just the same obviously careless miscripts and blunders that I found when collating Mankind. This estimate was confirmed when I tested the value of the work done on Respublica, apart from the text, in the same fashion that I tested the worth of Mankind. Taking pages xviii. (four lines from bottom) to xxii. (two lines from top) of Mr. Magnus' Introduction (E.E.T.S., Extra Series xciv.), to prove the accuracy of the quotations and references, what is the result? In 124 lines there are no fewer than forty errors in quotation, reference figures, and the like, or more than one mistake for every three lines!!! I fear little faith can be placed in the accuracy of the text of the play when such a result is forthcoming in respect to the very structure of the setting. Nor is this an isolated or specially selected weak spot: these particular pages attracted attention as providing an obviously distinctive chance of checking the work done. Turn again to the glossary references, and taking a column haphazard, the second column of page 79, and the same process of verifying the printed page shows five blunders in thirty-four entries from Cale to Creature. Or, take page 66 of the notes, and one reaps four blunders in twelve lines (Notes, l. 439-l. 581)! I cannot therefore help feeling uncertain about the text of the play itself, and as I have been unable, as yet, to get access to the original, I prefer to save useless labour by sending forth my own text without comment of any kind. As a matter of course the E.E.T.S. version is no doubt nearest the original, and, in doubtful cases I have, equally of course, followed it in preference to the Collier or Brandl versions; but it must not be taken as worth more than it really is. I can only once again express a sincere hope that some one will in the near future be allowed to reproduce these invaluable Macro Plays in facsimile. Respublica is noteworthy in more respects than one. Obviously written by a Catholic, it is the Reformation in its social and political, and not in its doctrinal, aspect that forms the pivot of the action of the play. The calmest judgments of posterity incline to the view that the mainspring of the revolt against the Papacy in England rested more on zeal as the tool of worldliness than, as elsewhere, on worldliness as the tool of zeal. A king whose character was despotism itself personified, unprincipled ministers, a rapacious aristocracy, a servile Parliament, such were the instruments by which England was delivered from the yoke of Rome. The work which had been begun by Henry, the murderer of his wives, was continued by Somerset, the murderer of his brother, and completed by Elizabeth, the murderer of her guest. By Reformers and Catholics alike, religion was made the tool of spoliation, rapine, and oppression. The Reformation left the country morally and materially bankrupt, and Catholic though Mary was, much seems to have been expected of her by the nation at large. Indeed, the great mass of the people cared little or nothing for the factional strife of either camp, except so far as it affected them from a social point of view. Hence the motif of Respublica and its curiously moderate tone. It would really seem that Queen Mary was possessed of a softness not usually credited to her, and that she succumbed to political faction as her brother before her and her sister after her succumbed. It is, therefore, this aspect—the social aspect—of the great upheaval with which the author of Respublica is concerned, and no more pithy or pungent contemporary narrative or satire exists. Apart from the regrettable shortcomings of Mr. Magnus' volume in other respects, he has done useful yeoman service to English scholarships by tracing and emphasising, point by point, the action of the play in its relation to political events, practically identifying the play as a stage version of the events of the reign of Edward VI. I can only refer my readers to his altogether admirable analysis—a statement of fact and resumé which happily is not and cannot be marred by the evil influence of inaccuracy of reference and quotation. Further, if Mr. Magnus' essay be read in conjunction with that portion of Hallam's Constitutional History of England, which concerns this period—Macaulay's famous review of the same will serve admirably—and with Book II. of Burnett's History of the Reformation, the key will be found to emphasise the points made by Mr. Magnus, and to illustrate and explain the political and social allusions with which Respublica abounds. On the question of authorship, Mr. Magnus also attempts an attribution, suggesting Udall, the author of Ralph Roister Doister. His facts and inferences are, to my mind, inconclusive; as he himself admits. Identity of phraseology, tricks of style, similarity of orthography, and the like, are at best uncertain grounds to form the basis of Tudor attributions. Very shortly the corpus of pre-Shakespearean drama now in progress will enable the student to tackle his subject to more purpose than heretofore.

Rested, "would have rested me" (IP316,c), a contracted form of arrest.

Restority, "it is restority" (R222,c), restorative; note the exigency of the rhyme.

Ricepudding-cake (R. passim), Respublica (q.v.).

Ringworm, "a running ringworm" (M28,a), i.e. the mark of the halter round New Guise's neck.

Rods, "rods in piss" (R219,b), a reckoning in store.

Rond, "rond in your ear" (M14,c), whisper.

Room, "to have with him a room" (N49,d; 50,a), post, office, station, position. "To have and enjoy that office and room."—Holinshed, Scotland (an. 1543).

Royals, "give us red royals" (M21,b), i.e. give us gold, not coppers: red = gold is frequently found in old writers, though it is now only used in thieves' slang. The royal was a gold coin of varying value, from 10s. to 30s.: see other volumes of this series. "Ich shall not mis of red ones to haue store."—T. Howell, Poems (1568), i. 91 (Grosart).

Rutter, "A rutter, huffa gallant" (N77,c), trooper, horseman: also a swaggering, dashing gallant. That this last mentioned is the sense is clear from the phrase huffa gallant, which in old writers is commonly put into the mouths of roisterers and dashing men of fashion: see Four Elements, Hickscorner, etc.

Rutterkin, "what rutterkin have we here" (IP332,b), a rutter: see previous entry.

Sad, "sad a-sleep" (M26,c), sound, firm, not to be easily awakened. "It was founded on a sad stoon."—Wyclif, Luke vi.

Saint Audrey, "St. Audrey's holy bend" (M28,a), bend = band: see Nares, s.v. Tawdry.

Saint Catherine's (JE361,c). This is probably St. Catherine's near Guildford, which was one of the stations on the "Pilgrim's way" from Winchester to Canterbury, the route lying also through Kent. From St. Catherine's, which stands on a knoll just to the south of Guildford, the "way" leads up through "The Chantries" to St. Martha's Chapel, which crowns a considerable hill, thence proceeding eastward into Kent.

Saint Chad (IP336,c). Of course this saint was picked for the rhyme's sake. St. Chad was better known by his Saxon name of St. Ceadda, a Northumbrian by birth. His early life was spent in a monastery in Ireland. In 664 he succeeded Bishop Cedda, his brother, as abbot of Lastingham. Subsequently he became Bishop of York, but resigned the bishopric on a question arising as to the regularity of his consecration, retiring to his old office at Lastingham. On the death of Jaruman, bishop of Mercia, Ceadda was induced to enter the episcopate once more. He died at Lichfield in 672. He has always been a popular saint in the English Calendar, his festival falling on the 2nd March.

Saint Charity (M11,b), see Anon. Plays (E.E.D.S.), 3 Ser., 293,d.

Saint Gabriel's Mother (M35,b), perhaps a reference to the Virgin Mary. There are three St. Gabriels, of whom the one recognised in the gnostic systems is the more likely. He was the angel specially associated with the conception of the Virgin Mary, and according to some versions was Jesus Himself taking the form of the angel Gabriel for the purpose of preparing the Virgin, in a physical sense, for the miraculous conception.

Saint George, "Saint George thee borrow" (R208,a), whether merely used as a salutation or referring to some song is not clear: as regards the phrase, see Udal, Works (E.E.D.S.), 146,d.

Saint Hugh (IP341,a). There are no less than four St. Hughs who were bishops, viz.:—Hugh, 9th Bishop of Geneva, early in 7th century; Hugh, 13th Bishop of Alby, said to have been in possession of the See when the Saracens took the city in 722; Hugh, 37th Bishop of Paris, died in 730; Hugh, 18th Bishop of Séez, in latter half of 8th century. There is also a legendary St. Hugh, patron of the Abbey of Tewkesbury, who is said to have buried Brihtric, King of Mercia, in the chapel of St. Faith at Tewkesbury, and to have been buried there himself in 812. According to Dictionary of Christian Biography, the story is an impudent fabrication.

Saint Quintin (M13,b) came into Gaul with St. Lucian of Beavais, and was martyred by the Romans under Rectiovarus.

Saint Trunnion, see Heywood, Works (E.E.D.S.), I., 272,d.

Sallet, "for lack of a sallet" (R229,b), a light helmet, chiefly used by foot-soldiers in the fifteenth century: see God's Good. "Many a time, but for a sallet, my brain-pan had been cleft with a brown-bill."—Shakespeare, 2 Henry VI., ix. 10.

Sancto, "Cum sancto ... perverteris" (M15,c), see Psalm xvii. 27.

Scamble, Scambling, "I doubt not to scamble and rake" (R187,c)—"fall thus to scambling" (R194,d)—"as quick scambling as ever I saw" (R221,c), i.e. pilfer and plunder when and how possible; see "Catch that catch may" (R187,b), and cf. Cotgrave, "Scamblingly, catch that catch may."—"Much more being scambled up after this manner."—Holinshed, Chronicle (Epis. Dedic.).

Scape, "the scape of extreats" (R183,d), trick, cheat: see Respublica. "They readily pardon all faults and scapes committed by negligence."—North, Plutarch, p. 206.

Scottling, "a pretty scottling" (M6,d), scuttling.

Scoured, "scoured a pair of fetters" (M28,d), a very common piece of Old Cant = to go, or lie, in, or wear fetters: usually, "to scour the cramp-rings or derbies." "Then to the quier-ken to scoure the cramp-ring."—Dekker, Beggar's Curse (1608). "And 'cause we are poor made to scour the cramp-ring."—Dekker, Lanthorne and Candlelight. The original is scoryde.

Sectourship, see Respublica.

Secule, "secule thyself" (IP342,d),? a misprint for secure.

Sereful, "a sereful man" (N81,c), I suspect from the context that this is a misprint for fearful = full of fear, timid. Or it may be akin to the use of sere by Ascham, characterised by Nares as "peculiar" to that writer = individual, particular, single: whence sereful would mean "peculiar," "full of idiosyncracies," "difficult."

Shaked, "They shaked me up" (R255,d), shook.

Shalch, "what shalch zai to om" (R.,passim), shall I—shal[l i]ch.

Shales, "served but with shales" (R214,d), shells.

Sharings (R183,c), shearings.

Shent, "you will be shent" (N105,c, et passim), blamed.

Shroud cell (M17,c),? privy place, such as the crypt of a church: shrouds are properly places under ground: the meaning is that Mankind has met Mercy privately.

Side, see Aloft.

Side-gown, "his side-gown may be sold" (M29,d), long gown: cf. "side-sleeves" = long sleeves. There are examples enough in Nares.

Si didero (M20,d), i.e. "I'll pay you back with profit" (E.E.T.S. ed.).

Sighing, "weeping, sighing, and sobbing" (M32,d), the sythynge of the original seems worth recording.

Siker, "siker thyself, man!" (N51,b), secure, make all safe, assure

—Chaucer, Legend of Ariadne.

Sikerness, "In one is sikerness" (N55,b), certainty, security, sureness: see previous entry.

Silver hook (IP345,d), a bribe.

Sindons, "the sindons in which were wrapped the chalices" (R221,d), a wrapper of cotton or linen. "There were found a book and a letter, both written in fine parchment, and wrapped in sindons of linen."—Bacon.

Singular, "my sing'lar solace" (M36,c)—"my ... singular recreatory" (M39,a), unique: in original singler and synguler respectively.

—Shakespeare, Cymbeline (1605), iii. 4.

Sir Will—Sir William of Trentram (JE356,b; 357,a): see Trentham.

Sleet, "I will not sleet my love to greet" (WS172,c), neglect.

Sleight (passim), art, skill, dexterity, expertness: generic in both a good and bad sense.

Sliped, "sliped down to the hard knee" (N77,c), sloped: note the rhyme with "striped."

Slipper, "A slipper sugar-mouthed whorecop" (R212,c), "the ground be slipper and sliding" (JE363,d), slippery. "I know they bee slipper that I have to do wyth, and there is no holde of them."—Barnes, Workes (1573), p. 283.

Slither, "make you to slither" (M7,c), slide, glide: still dialectical.

Slouthy, see Flouthy.

Smattering, "a smattering face" (M27,b),? a wanton face: cf. smoterlich = wanton; also smorterest place (N95,a), place being considered as a misprint for "piece."

Four Elements, Anon. Pl., 1 Ser. (E.E.D.S.), 22,b.

Smorterest, "the smorterest place" (N95,a): see previous entry.

Smoult, "gay, smoult smirking whorecop" (R214,b), smooth.

Socket, "his wife's socket" (M8,c), vulva.

Sonde, "God ... send us of His sonde" (M24,b), message, dispensation.

—Chaucer, Cant. Tales (1383), 5322.

Sort (passim), company, assemblage, knot of people, gang: see other volumes of this series.

Sovereigns, "sovereigns I beseech you" (M3,d; also IP347,a), i.e. the audience, "Masters," "excellencies": cf. M.E. soverainly = above all.

Sowneth (JE360,b), soundeth: see other volumes of this series.

Spadibus, "in spadibus" (M18,c), spades; cf. Breadibus.

Sparling, "my own ... sparling": (WS162,c), properly the smelt: formerly colloquial for "gull," "simpleton," and (so it would appear) as an endearment. Probably, however, the exigencies of a rhyme with "darling" influenced the author. Later, the cry, "Westward for smelts!" = on the spree, in search of conies, male or female.

Special, "my predelict special" (M39,a), favourite: most frequently used of a paramour, male or female.

Spiritualty, "an officer of the spiritualty" (IP343,c), the hierarchy of the Church: here = an officer of the Ecclesiastical Courts.

Squat, "squat out ons brain" (R256,d), squash.

Starve, see Grass.

State, "a great state" (N68,d)—"haled up with states" (R267,c)—"to compare with a state" (IP339,c), a person of rank or importance. "When states ... sit in the cool."—Heywood, Works (E.E.D.S.), II., 258,b.

Statt, see Stow.

Stile, see Hedge.

Store, "store is no sore" (R184,c), in Heywood, Works (E.E.D.S.), 12,c; 176,d.

Stow, "stow, statt, stow!" (M32,b), "Stow, stow, says Halliwell, was formerly addressed to a hawk by a falconer to make it come to his fist."

Strussioners, "such strussioners as these" (R265,c), destructioners + constructioners.

Stud, "Doth you stud your brains" (R228,b). People's perversion (perhaps intentional) of "study."

Suffer, "he will not suffer" (R213,a); in original nil not, and it should have been so printed in text. Nil = will not n[e w]il[l]: cf. namnot, ninnat.

Superate, "now it is superate" (M15,a), conquered, overcome.

Supersedeas (R261,d), a writ having in general the effect of a command, to stay or forbear, on good cause shown, my ordinary proceedings which might otherwise be proceeded with: hence a stay, a stop. "To give a supersedeas to industry."—Hammond, fl. (1605-60), Works, i. 480.

Tagetive, "Am I a tagetive" (WH277,c). I can find no trace of this word. Can Wealth be regarded as offended at being spoken to as if he were one of the "tag" or rabble?

Tane (WH294,b; 305,a), taken.

Tenderance, "cometh of great tenderance" (N52,d), watchfulness.

The, "God let you never the" (M., et passim), prosper, thrive.

Thirleth, "a short prayer thirleth heaven" (M25,a), ascends to, pierces, penetrates. "If ony thirle or make an hole in a feble walle."—Gesta Romanorum.

Tide, "tarry here this tide" (M23,d), time, season.

Tinkers, "though tinkers should lack work" (R213,d), cf. "Like Banbury tinkers, that in mending one hole make three."

To, "thou must needs to" (N50,d), elliptic; i.e. "go to."

To-beaten, "all to-beaten" (M19,c), to = A.S. prefix implying deterioration, destruction, or completeness; i.e. beaten unmercifully.

To-gloried, "all to-gloried" (M34,c): see previous entry. To-gloried = finically fine or grandiloquent (i.e. your phraseology is destructive of "measure").

Tority, "ye give me tority" (R266,c), authority.

Trentham (Sir William of Trentham). As already stated (see John Evangelist) the entrances and exits, and the connection between different parts of this play of John the Evangelist, are by no means obvious. At 356,b, Eugenio, referring to Irisdision, says he may well be called "witless Sir Will"; and when Eugenio speaks of the coming of Sir William of Trentham (357,a), in comes John the Evangelist. The most feasible explanation is that the part of John the Evangelist was played by a parish priest whose name was Sir William of Trentham. The clerical use of Sir = dominus is common, but the only reference I can find to Trentham (near Stoke-on-Trent) is in the 5th volume of "Magna Britannia," pp. 92 and 154. In both places there is mention of a monastery of "Canons Regular of St. Augustine," built in the reign of William Rufus. According to Dugdale and Speed it was valued, at the time of the dissolution, at £106, 3s. 10d. per annum. As the rule of the Augustines enjoins poverty, chastity, and humility, my suggestion receives confirmation of a sort at 359,b and c, where "wilful poverty" is enjoined. As regards Irisdision, who is obviously the same as John the Evangelist and Sir William of Trentham, this is a puzzle. Eugenio is Greek, but an attempt at making Greek of Irisdision is not quite satisfactory, and may seem somewhat far-fetched. Iris in Greek mythology was a messenger of the gods, who are sometimes noted collectively by Dis—is Irisdision intended to mean "a divine messenger"?

Trepitt, "take you here a trepitt" (M7,d), blow.

Trise, "trise him out at your gates" (M21,d), haul, pull.

Trust, (a) "in trust is treason" (M33,b), in Heywood (Works, E.E.D.S., II., 67,c).

(b) "best be trust" (R196,a), i.e. Avarice has called his minions back to coach them, and bids them be ready (to truss = to tuck up the gown and generally to prepare oneself). On the other hand, Mr. Magnus (E.E.T.S.) says, "Mr. Daniel has explained this phrase as a nickname for a dishonest fellow, with a by-play on trussed (i.e. hanged)."

Uncurtess, "so uncurtess/, so inconsiderate" (M33,b; 34,a), unthoughtful, careless, uncivil.

Underfong, "war or battle to underfong" (N90,a), undertake, manage, wage.

Unrightful, "In unrightful to say pride of him than" (JE366,c), the passage is obscure or corrupt; unrightful occurs in Bale (Works, E.E.D.S.), 59,c—"justices unrightful."

Unthrifts rent (JE364,c)—"let us go to Unthrift's a while" (JE361,c), a rent = tenements or houses let out to others; often named after the proprietor: Fulwood's Rents, Holborn, is (1907) a case in point.

Until (passim), to, unto.

Valeslie, "you liest valeslie" (R210,c), valorously.

Vowels: "worship of the five vowels" (M22,c), the passage as it stands is obscure. Furnivall and Pollard read v. vowellys, Manly, v voli ellys and Brandl, volvellys. I have perforce followed the first-named as the most likely to be according to the original, but in view of the uncertainty as to the accuracy of either transcript, little can be said (see Mankind). Manly (whom the E.E. Text editors follow) suggests vij (or xx) devellys; Brandl dewellys? The phrasing is suggestive, "worship" (cf. "worship of the new year": see New Year), and "v vowels," which of course is distinctive, but I am quite at a loss to suggest an explanation. If the allusion is to gaming, vowels may be a miscript for volvelles, quite a different word. Whitney says of it—"A small and generally circular movable plate affixed to an engraving containing a dial or lottery, and made to carry the index hand or pointer." There is a paragraph in Notes and Queries (Sixth Series, vol. xi. p. 217) referring to "volvelles," and it seems pretty evident from this that they were well known as instruments of chance; there is an allusion in Withers' Emblems, where he makes use of the "Index" or "volvelle" in a moral sense. One could understand the "worship of volvelles," if this were a gambling game, as one can understand the "worship of dice."

Walsingham Whistle (M20,c), probably an allusion to the "Wishing Wells" at Walsingham (Norfolk). Persons drinking of them were said to obtain the fulfilment of any wish made while drinking. Nought, appealed to, said he could "pipe on a Walsingham whistle," i.e. wish for what he wanted, and perhaps get it. Apparently he does, for he wished for the entry of Titivullus, who appears.

Walter, "I love ill to walter" (JE364,a), tumble, roll about. "To turne or walter in mire" (Baret, 1580).

Wart, "che wa'r't, a false harlot you art" (R210,c), war[ran]t.

Wat, "some great wat" (N69,b)—"Brother wat" (WH297,a), a wight, a man.

Way, "do way, do way" (M6,c), away, away!

Wealth and Health is one of the recently recovered "lost" plays (see Preface), and is of unknown authorship. The text is given on pp. 273-309, from a photograph copy of the original now in the British Museum, together with a reduced facsimile of the title-page. The B.M. entry is—

Wealth. An enterlude of Welth and Helth, very mery and full of pastyme, newly att his [i.e. att this] tyme imprinted. B. L. [London, 1565?] 4^o. [C.34,i.25.

The collation is sixteen leaves, Ai (title with back blank) to Div. in 4s. The play is wretchedly printed on very thin paper, and simply bristles with printer's errors. I have taken no heed of most of these in the present text which I have collated twice with the old copy. I think I have succeeded in producing a substantially correct version of the original, any specially doubtful point being noted infra. This, however, must be taken with one reservation—so far as the state of the typography would allow I have given the Dutch and Spanish jargon exactly as it appears in the old text. It was simply impossible to make sense out of it. Many of the words have no resemblance to anything in Dutch. It was submitted to Dutch and German scholars to no effect. The sense occasionally can be gleaned—for example, that Hance was a drunken Hollander who wanted to get an engagement as gunner by the English. But the whole is evidently a caricature of Dutch, with which the author obviously had no acquaintance beyond a few scattered words, and the "patter" was put in simply to tickle the ears of the groundlings. As regards date, the British Museum Catalogue suggests "? 1565" for this recovered copy; but Hazlitt states that the play was licensed in 1557-8, and printed by John Waley in 1558. There is little internal evidence to help to a decision. Hance (300,c) says he has been in England "this darteen (thirteen) year," and if we deduct this from 1557-8 we get 1544-5, which is close enough to the times of Anne of Cleves (1540), the "Flander's mare" of Henry VIII., to suggest that the play may have been written and played a year or two earlier than the date of its entry at Stationers' Hall. There are two references to the Sovereign (301,b and 308,d), Queen Elizabeth, who succeeded 17th Nov. 1558, but these allusions do not, of course, reveal anything. Corrigenda, Amended Readings, etc.: Title-page (274), a reduced facsimile being given (273), direct comparison may be made: though very indistinct, there are traces of the lines of a written inscription on the lower half of the page—Names of Players (275 et seq.), these are given in margin; in places dropped a little out of line, but nowhere so that the commencement of the speech is not easily identified—"praise yourself too much ye may" (276,a), original so—"Yet no displeasure" (276,b), original Yeth—"to you no dispraise" (276,b), in original dyspayre—"am I a tagetive" (277,c), original tagetyve, but the first "stamp" may be anything: see Tagetive—"I, Wealth, have all treasure" (278,a), original hatg: the close alphabetical juxtaposition of v and t on the one hand and e and g of the misprint (for so I take it) is curious: see supra—"their pain is such" (280,c), original there—"Ill-W. Why, I came," etc. (284,a), throughout the original Ill-Will, who is given his full name in the stage direction marking his entrance, is "tagged" in the margin Will—"H[eal]th. Whose," etc. (284,a), the letters in square brackets are rubbed away, but the speech seems to be to Health rather than Wealth. See Health's speech, 283,b.—"and kindred too" (284,d), original kinred—"lest that I mar" (285,d), so I think in original: the letters are blurred, but the portions visible indicate the rubbed-out strokes: if so, note the three rhymes, were, near, mar: Dr. Murray gives mer(e) as a form current from the 13th to the 16th centuries—"I came my way" (286,c), original can—"Ill-W. I would come in" (286,c), in original this speech is given to Wit, but clearly that is a mistake—"Hance Beerpot, a scon router" (287,a), so in original, which there seemed no need to modernise to Hans: see ante—"his name is War" (287,c), in view of recent discussion in N. and Q. note the rhyme with mar—"with your gound? stand near" (287,c), this may possibly read "with your gound-stand near?"—"I am very glad" (289,d), the next line is very indistinct, and even the paper at this place is opaquer than elsewhere, so debarring restoration in that wise: it looks like "Some crafty wile for him [I would] ye had," but I would is very doubtful, unless we reckon on a glaring misprint—"they shall not flit" (290,c), original flye—"[Health]. Sirs! now go your way" (291,c), the name is not in original, but the lines are apparently as now attributed—"w'out blane" (294,b), wout in original—"If a man be never so...." (295,a), the line appears to have got loose, and in printing this has caused extra blurring: so may not be correct; what follows looks like "so ... good and b ... be but thrifty": but it is uncertain to a degree—"Speak! be not afraid" (295,d), in original afryde—"What sayest thou in his face" (296,a), obviously misprinted in the original: the word meant may be seest—"for these years twenty" (296,b), this in original—"as good know" (296,d), in original no—"And your subtilty known" (297,a), in original Aud our subtillitte knowen—"Ill-W. Peace! no mo words" (297,b), in original this is given to Wit—"with kindness my heart do kill" (299,b), herye in original—"magt not do thereto" (300,a), aot in original—"I understand thee well" (300,d), Ic in original: the author has forgotten himself in this instance—"Wit. I will go to fetch them" (304,d), in original I Iyf go to fetch tham—"should lean to man's life" (305,a), in original leaue—

Where, "where he go" (JE354,d), whether.

Whister, "whister him in the ear" (N77,d), whisper.

White wine (JE361,a), an allusion, I suppose, to the rotten eggs shied at a victim in the pillory.

Widge, "chad a widge" (R229,a), horse. In a recent number of Notes and Queries appeared the following, which seems worth quoting, as exemplifying the survival in Tudor-English dialect of an A.S. word that itself had only a limited vogue. "In South-Western dialect, widge, a horse (mare) ... from M.E. wig, A.S. wicg. The ... word is only found in poetry, and with moderate frequency; while in other Teutonic languages wigg, horse, occurs solely, to my knowledge, in O. Sax., The Heliand, and there but once. Stratmann's Mid. Eng. Dictionary (ed. H. Bradley) gives a solitary example of wig, horse, in Early English Homilies (ed. R. Morris), rendering the more notable its survival to the above date. The word is not in Halliwell's Dictionary." (H. P. L.)

Wit and Science, by John Redford. The text, collated anew in proof with the original manuscript in the British Museum (Add. MSS. 15,233), will be found on pages 135-175, together with a reduced facsimile of the penultimate page of the manuscript (p. 136), and the concluding lines of the same with Redford's signature (p. 175). This last facsimile has been included because nowhere in the Museum Catalogue does Redford's name occur; the play has never been catalogued as his though his name appears both in the MS. and in the Shak. Soc. reprint (Ac. 9485.33). A good deal of confusion and uncertainty has existed concerning the identity of this and two other Wit plays, a question which I discuss in Anon. Plays (E.E.D.S.), Series IV., now in the press. I refer the reader to this volume, which will reach subscribers in due course. Besides the Shakespeare Society's reprint, Prof. Manly has included Wit and Science in his Specimens of the Pre-Shakespearean Drama. The MS. is in the shape of a memorandum book, the lines running across the short width of the page. There has been no cutting of the margins. It was purchased at the sale of the Bright MSS. in 1844, and the binding is without doubt contemporary with the MS., though it has apparently been patched here and there. Corrigenda, Amended Readings, etc.: "The better hold out he may" (138,b), ye in manuscript, which Halliwell follows: Prof. Manly has he—"Study. Yea, hold your peace ... that way" (139,c), Halliwell in his reprint (1848) reads thus:—

"Good, sir" (141,b), original God, sir—"Striketh him" (144,d), this stage direction, which is not in manuscript, should, of course, have been put within brackets—"Give ear to that we sing and say" (145,c), so in MS.; what in transcript of song in Shakespeare Soc. Papers, II. 78: it may also be noted that in the same transcript the commencement of the fifth stanza inserts an not in the MS. which reads "After eye given"—"Here cometh in Honest Recreation," etc. (145,a to 146,b), this stage direction in MS. is continuous, and the song is given at the end of the play. I have inserted it here as more convenient—"while we him bear" (146,b), here in MS., which is followed by Halliwell; I have accepted Prof. Manly's amendment—"Rea. I wot well that" (146,d), in MS. these words are followed in the same line by the first five words of the next line, "The more to blame ye"; the scribe finding out his mistake crossed them through, and then re-wrote them in the next line as in text—"Here Comfort, Quickness, Strength go out" (147,a), in the margin, very small, between the speakers' names as if by an afterthought, is written, "Al go out save Honest"—"Sure call a blow or twain" (162,d), Halliwell says "the scribe here began to write the preceding speech of Science but erased it." Reference to the manuscript shows that the previous line originally ran, "By the mass, madam, ye can no good," and that the words in italics were then crossed through and the line re-written as in the present text. The next line, commencing "And thou shalt sure," etc., has apparently been written in after the mistake was discovered; it occurs at the end of a page. At the top of the next page of the MS. the word "Art" is written, and then crossed through, as if the writer had begun to write the lines ascribed to Science (162,d) commencing "Art a-swearing, too?"—"Welcome, mine own" (171,c), in the MS. this song appears in another part of the book quite distinct from the play, but as it is obviously intended to be sung here it is restored to its place. Therefore the stage directions supra and infra (171,c, 172,d) are continuous in the MS.—"life's end [end] it" (174,d), in the MS. the line reads with life's end end it, but the second end is crossed through, erroneously it would seem.

Wolpit, Our Lady of (IP315,d). Woolpit is about eight miles east of Bury-St.-Edmunds. Taylor in his Index Monasticus (p. 117) includes it in a list of shrines, images, etc., in Suffolk to which pilgrimages were made. The manor was given to the monks of Bury-St.-Edmunds prior to the Conquest. They were possessed of it in the time of Edward I., and probably continued in possession till the dissolution of the monasteries.

Wonning (JE363,d), dwelling.

Worne, "the wild worm is come into his head" (N98,d); cf. "maggot in brain."

Wote, "half a wote" (N67,c), i.e. "half I wot."

Writ of Privilege (IP316,d), a writ to deliver a privileged person from custody when arrested in a civil suit.

Year-day, "my father's year-day" (M32,b), either birthday or the anniversary of death.

Zee, see A zee.

Zembity (R230,a), semblity; Magnus suggests "dissemble."

Zoryless (R212,d), sorryless (for sorriness).

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