Editorial note — THE DUTCH LOVER. (continued 3)
Reading edition
Dramatis Personæ
p. 226 I have added to the Dramatis Personæ ‘Boy, Page to Marcel, Servant to Carlo, A Friar, Swains, Four Shepherds, Four Nymphs, Dutch men and Dutch women.’
Act I: Scene i
p. 227, l. 3 The locale A Street is not marked in 4to 1673 or 1724.
p. 229, l. 4 Christian. 1724 ‘christian’.
Act I: Scene ii
p. 231, l. 8 his nice Honour. 1724, wrongly, omits ‘nice’.
p. 232, l. 3 I must still love on. 1724 omits ‘still’.
p. 233, l. 6 after long Despairs. 1724 ‘after long Despair’.
p. 233, l. 21 too much of Joy. 1724 ‘Joys’.
p. 233, l. 28 change thy Wonder. 4to 1673 ‘Wonders’.
p. 234, l. 23 Marcel is surprized. 1724 omits this stage direction.
p. 234, l. 36 And thou, Antonio, that has betray’d her. 4to 1673 ‘And thou, Antonio, thou hast betray’d her’. 1724 ‘And thou, Antonio, thou that hast betray’d her’.
p. 235, l. 17 a kind obliging Lady. 1724 ‘A kind of obliging Lady’.
p. 236, l. 4 Am I a Dog. 4to 1673 wrongly marks this line ‘aside’.
p. 236, l. 10 I, like the Birds. 4to 1673 omits ‘the’.
p. 237, l. 1 Biscay, a Surgeon. 4to 1673 omits ‘a’.
p. 237, l. 7 Down of Swans. 1724 ‘Swan’.
Act I: Scene iii
p. 238, l. 3 and lik’d him. 1724 ‘and like him’.
p. 240, l. 2 this is the first. 1724 ‘this was the first’.
p. 240, l. 34 to his heart. 1724 omits.
p. 241, l. 8 Prithee instruct. 4to 1673 as prose.
p. 241, l. 20 Command me. 4to 1673 as prose.
p. 242, l. 13 My Death. 1724 ‘me death’.
Act II: Scene i
p. 243, l. 8 undone its Fame. 1724 ‘undone his Fame’.
p. 244, l. 11 the next Morning’s Sun. 4to 1673 ‘th’ Approach of next Morning’s Sun’. 1724 ‘of the next Morning Sun’.
p. 244, l. 31 They go out. 4to 1673 omits ‘they’.
Act II: Scene ii
p. 248, l. 33 Come, come. 1724 prints this speech as prose.
p. 249, l. 20 Look at one another and go. 1724 omits, reading ‘exeunt’.
Act II: Scene iii
p. 251, l. 10 very unlucky. 4to 1673 ‘very unluckily’.
Act II: Scene iv
p. 252, l. 21 Marcel coming towards him jostles him. 4to 1673 reads ‘Marcel coming towards justles him’.
p. 253, l. 7 given him some. 4to 1673 omits ‘him’.
Act II: Scene vi
p. 257, l. 12 Of your Victims. 1724 prints this line and the next as prose.
p. 257, l. 24 Offers her a Dagger. 1724 omits ‘her’.
p. 259, l. 31 a Pox of her terms. 1724 ‘A Pox on her terms’.
Act II: Scene vii
p. 261, l. 5 Haunce van Ezel. 1724 ‘Hance’.
Act III: Scene i
p. 266, l. 2 I cry you Mercy. 1724 ‘I cry your Mercy’.
p. 266, l. 11 he does not boast. 4to 1673, wrongly, ‘he does but boast’.
p. 267, l. 36 But do you find her. 1724 ‘But do you not find her’.
p. 268, l. 11 ’tis certain ’tis so. 1724 ’’tis certain so’.
p. 269, l. 19 lest he surprize us. 1724 ‘lest he surprizes us’.
Act III: Scene ii
p. 269, l. 27 Ah, ah, a pox of all Sea-Voyages. 1724 omits ‘all’.
p. 270, l. 28 to our Courages. 1724 ‘Courage’.
p. 271, l. 24 over a Leg. 1724 ‘over Leg’.
p. 272, l. 21 Rummer. 4to 1673 ‘Romer’.
p. 272, l. 33 that’s not the Fashion. 1724 omits ‘not’.
p. 272, l. 34 I’ll manage her. 1724 ‘I manage her’.
Act III: Scene iii
p. 273, l. 6 Scene III. Draws off. A Grove. 1724 omits ‘Draws off.’ I have added the locale ‘A Grove.’
p. 278, l. 24 how darst thou. 1724 ‘how durst thou’.
p. 278, l. 34 that could not defend. 4to 1673 omits ‘that’.
Act III: Scene iva
p. 283, l. 34 you knew not of my Brother’s. 1724 ‘you know not my Brother’s’ and omits ‘[To Franc.’
p. 284, l. 4 to see the fair Clarinda [Goes to Clarinda] here, is a Happiness. 1724 ‘to see the fair Clarinda [Goes to Clarinda.] Here is a Happiness’.
p. 285, l. 7 Goes out. 1724 ‘Exit’.
Act IV: Scene i
p. 286, l. 27 Surlily to him. 1724 ‘Goes surlily to him’.
p. 287, l. 26 by instinct. [Aside. 1724 omits ‘Aside’.
p. 287, l. 27 Stands looking very simply. 1724 omits ‘very’.
p. 288, l. 5 new-fashion’d Spanish Civility. 1724 omits ‘Spanish’.
p. 289, l. 13 it made my Stomach wamble. 1724 ‘it had made’.
p. 289, l. 32 Gaber. 1724 ‘Gabor’.
p. 290, l. 28 Fakes, to entertain. 1724 ‘Faith’.
p. 291, l. 5 They two dance. 1724 ‘They too dance.’
Act IV: Scene ii
p. 296, l. 2 Runs behind Lovis. 1724 omits.
p. 297, l. 1 I declare it here upon. 1724 ‘Here I declare it upon’.
p. 298, l. 13 who starts as afraid. 1724 misreads ‘as aforesaid.’
Act IV: Scene iii
p. 301, l. 6 Oh, is it bravely done. 1724 ‘Oh, it is bravely done ...’ and punctuates ‘:’ instead of ‘?’
p. 301, l. 12 on this Body. 1724, wrongly, ‘on thy Body’.
p. 301, l. 34 Takes to his Sword. 1724 ‘the Sword’.
Act V: Scene i
p. 310, l. 3 Cleo. Oh my Fears. 4to 1673 wrongly marks ‘aside’.
p. 312, l. 3 Weeps. This stage direction is not given by 4to 1673.
p. 319, l. 1 How very very wicked. 1724 ‘How very wicked’.
p. 319, l. 32 Count d’ Olivarez. 4to 1673 here and elsewhere when the name occurs ‘Conte De Olivari’s’.
p. 320, l. 17 if you are pleas’d. 1724 ‘if your are pleas’d’.
Act V: Scene ii
p. 322, l. 1 Carlo’s House. 4to 1673 ‘House of Carlo’.
p. 322, l. 5 Dor. As for. 4to 1673 misreads ‘Dom. As for’.
p. 323, l. 11 Hau. What a Devil. 1724 ‘Hau. What the Devil’.
p. 324, l. 7 Truth. [Goes out. 1724 ‘Exit.’
p. 324, l. 20 God-ha’-Mercy. 1724 ‘God-a-Mercy’.
p. 324, l. 20 Go in. 1724 omits.
Epistle
p. 221 An Epistle to the Reader. This amusing and witty Epistle only appears in the 4to, 1673, finding no place in the various collected editions of Mrs. Behn’s plays. The writer of comedy—‘the most severe of Johnson’s sect’—with his ‘musty rules of Unity’—at whom she glances pretty freely is Shadwell, who had obtained great success with The Sullen Lovers (produced 2 May, 1668; 4to, 1668), and in spite of some mishaps and opposition, made another hit with The Humourists (1671; 4to, 1671). An ardent disciple of Ben Jonson, he had in the two printed prefaces to these plays belauded his model beyond all other writers, insisting upon the Unities and the introduction of at least two or three Humours as points essential to any comedy.
p. 221 Doctor of Malmsbury. The famous philosopher, Thomas Hobbes (1588-1670), who was born at Westport, a suburb of Malmesbury (of which town his father was vicar).
p. 222 unjantee. —‘Jantee’ obsolete form of ‘jaunty’: see N.E.D.
p. 222 the mighty Echard. That facetious divine, John Eachard, D.D. (1636-97), Master of Catherine Hall, Cambridge. His chief work, The Grounds and Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy and Religion enquired into. In a Letter to R. L. (London, 1670), published anonymously, is stuffed full with Attic salt and humour. He has even been censured for a jocosity (at his brethren’s expense) beneath the decorum of the cloth.
p. 224 English Game which hight long Laurence. To play at Laurence = to do just nothing at all; to laze. Laurence is the personification of idleness. There are many dialect uses of the name, e.g., N.W. Devon ‘Lazy’s Laurence’, and Cornish ‘He’s as lazy as Lawrence’, vide Wright, English Dialect Dictionary.
Act I: Scene ii
p. 234 Women must be watcht as Witches are. One of the tests to which beldames suspected of sorcery were put—a mode particularly favoured by that arch-scamp, Matthew Hopkins, ‘Witch-Finder General’—was to tie down the accused in some painful or at least uneasy posture for twenty-four hours, during which time relays of watchers sat round. It was supposed that an imp would come and suck the witch’s blood; so any fly, moth, wasp or insect seen in the room was a familiar in that shape, and the poor wretch was accordingly convicted of the charge. Numerous confessions are recorded to have been extracted in this manner from ailing and doting crones by Master Hopkins, cf. Hudribras, Part II, canto iii, 146-8:—
Some for setting above ground Whole days and nights, upon their breeches, And feeling pain, were hang’d for witches.
cf. again The City Heiress, Act i:—
Watch her close, watch her like a witch, Boy, Till she confess the Devil in her,—— Love.
p. 235 Count d’Olivarez. Gaspar Guzman d’Olivarez was born at Rome, 1587. For many years all-powerful minister of Philip IV; he was dismissed 1643, and died 20 July, 1645, in banishment at Toro.
p. 235 a Venice Curtezan. Venice, the home of Aretine and Casanova, was long famous for the beauty and magnificence of her prostitutes. This circumstance is alluded to by numberless writers, and Ruskin, indeed, maintains that her decline was owing to this cause, which can hardly be, since as early as 1340, when her power was only rising, the public women were numbered at 11,654. Coryat has some curious matter on this subject, and more may be found in La Tariffa delle Puttane di Venegia, a little book often incorrectly ascribed to Lorenzo Venicro.
Act II: Scene i
p. 245 They enter at another Door. Vide note Rover I, Act II, I, p. 30.
Act III: Scene i
p. 263 Beso los manos, signor. = Beso las manos, señor.
p. 265 Don John. The famous hero of Lepanto died, not without suspicion of poison, in his camp at Namur, 1578. Otway introduces him in Don Carlos (1676).
Act III: Scene ii
p. 271 Souses. A slang term for the ‘ears’. cf. The Roundheads, Act II, I, ‘a pair of large sanctify’d Souses.’
p. 271 Butter-hams. Apparently from Dutch boterham = a slice of bread and butter. The two narrow strips of trimming on either side of the cloak.
p. 272 a Rummer of a Pottle. A jug or goblet holding one pottle = two quarts.
Act III: Scene iii
p. 278 Snick-a-Sne. A combat with knives amongst the Dutch. Snik: Dutch = a sharp weapon. Dryden in his Parallel betwixt Painting and Poetry (4to, June, 1695) speaks of ‘the brutal sport of snick-or-sne’. Mrs. Behn has happily put several characteristically Dutch phrases in Haunce’s mouth.
p. 278 Pharamond. A heroic romance in twelve volumes, the seven first of which are by the celebrated la Calprenède, the remainder being the work of Pierre de Vaumorière. It was translated into English by J. Phillips (London, 1677, folio). Lee has taken the story of Varanes in his tragedy, Theodosius (1680), from this romance.
Act IV: Scene i
p. 289 Bethlehem-Gaber. Bethlen-Gabor (Gabriel Bethlen), 1580-1629, was a Hungarian noble who embraced the Protestant religion, and in 1613, with the help of an Ottoman army, succeeded in establishing himself as King of Transylvania. His reign, although one long period of warfare and truces, proved a most flourishing epoch for his country. Himself a musician and a man of letters, he was constant in his patronage of art and scholars, cf. Abraham Holland’s Continued Inquisition of Paper Persecutors (1626):—
But to behold the walls Butter’d with weekly Newes composed in Pauls By some decaied Captaine, or those Rooks Whose hungry brains compile prodigious books Of Bethlem Gabor’s preparations and How terms betwixt him and th’ Emperor stand.
p. 291 a Hoy. A small vessel like a sloop, peculiarly Dutch. Pepys, 16 June, 1661, speaks of hiring ‘a Margate hoy’.
Act V: Scene ii
p. 323 a Lapland Witch. cf. Paradise Lost, Book II, l. 666:—
To dance With Lapland witches, while the labouring moon Eclipses at their charms.
Act V: Scene iia
p. 329 the German Princess. Mary Morders, alias Stedman, alias Kentish Moll, a notorious imposter of the day, who pretended to be a Princess from Germany. She had been transported to Jamaica in 1671, but returning too soon and stealing a piece of plate, was hanged at Tyburn, 22 January, 1673. Her adventures formed the plot of a play by Tom Porter, A Witty Combat; or, The Female Victor (4to, 1663). Kirkman’s Counterfeit Lady Unveiled (8vo, 1673), contains very ample details of her career. Pepys went to visit her ‘at the Gatehouse at Westminster’, 29 May, 1663. In talk he was ‘high in the defence of her wit and spirit’ (7 June, 1663). 15 April, 1664, the diarist further notes: ‘To the Duke’s house and there saw The German Princess acted by the woman herself ... the whole play ... is very simple, unless, here and there, a witty sprinkle or two.’ This piece was doubtless identical with Porter’s tragi-comedy.
p. 329 four Shillings, or half a Crown. Four shillings was the price of admission to the boxes on the first tier of the theatre; half a crown to the pit. These sums are very frequently alluded to in prologue and epilogue. Dryden in his second epilogue to The Duke of Guise (1682), after referring to the brawls and rioting of the pit, says:—
This makes our boxes full; for men of sense Pay their four shillings in their own defence.
The epilogue (spoken by Mrs. Bontell) to Corye’s The Generous Enemies (1671), has these lines:—
Though there I see—Propitious Angels sit [points at the Boxes. Still there’s a Nest of Devils in the Pit, By whom our Plays, like Children, just alive, Pinch’d by the Fairies, never after thrive: ’Tis but your Half-crown, Sirs: that won’t undo.
Epilogue
p. 330 Rotas. The Rota was a political club founded in 1659 by James Harrington. It advocated a system of rotation in filling government offices.