When I was drunk o'er night; or to a wench; He trots the dagger out o' th' sheath. Mem. Elyzium, The blessed fields, man! Chi. I know no fields blessed, [have been But those I have gain'd by. I have dream'd I In Heav'n too. [zium. Mem. There, handle that place; that's ElyChi. Brave singing, and brave dancing, And rare things. Mem. All full of flow'rs. Chi. And pot-herbs. And everlasting ages of delight. Chi. I slept not so far. Mem. Meet me on those banks Some two days hence. Chi. In dream, Sir? Sir. And there I muster all, and pay the soldier. Away; no more, no more! Chi. God keep your lordship! This is fine dancing for us. Enter Siphax. Sip. Where's the general? Chi. There's the old sign of Memnon; You may go look, as I have. [of devils, Chi. Why, question him and see; he talks Hells, Heav'ns, princes, pow'rs, and potenYou must to th' pot too. Sip. How? Chi. Do you know Elyzium? A tale he talks the wild-goose-chase of. Sip. Elyzium? I have read of such a place. [tates. 27 If I eat well and sleep well.] Luxurious eating makes unquiet slumbers, and unquiet slumbers create frequent dreams, but they who sleep well dream little: I think therefore I have restored the true reading, which gives new humour as well as a new sense. Mr. Seward reads, sleep ILL. Seward. 25 Your worship's fairly met.] We suspect these words should form Siphax's address to Memnon; but will not disturb the text. 29 Mem. Provision.] As I can see no reason why a word should stand here without any idea connecting with the following sentence, I have substituted the natural word, which I'm confirmed in by Mr. Sympson's concurrence in the same conjecture. Seward, Sip. I am well content, Sir, To prove no purchaser. Mem. Away, thou world-worm! Thou win a matchless beauty? [at? Sip. 'Tis to lose't, Sir; For being dead, where's the reward I reach The love I labour for? Mem. There it begins, fool. Thou art merely cozen'd; for the loves we now know Are but the heats of half an hour, and hated 30 Desires stirr'd up by Nature to encrease her; Licking of one another to a lust; Coarse and base appetites, earth's mere inheritors, And heirs of idleness and blood: Pure love, That that the soul affects, and cannot purchase [love, Sir, While she is loaden with our flesh; that Which is the price of honour, dwells not here; Your ladies' eyes are lampless to that virtue; That beauty smiles not on a cheek wash'd over, [phax, Nor scents the sweets of ambers: Below, SiBelow us in the other world, Elyzium, Where's no more dying, no despairing, mourning, Where all desires are full, deserts down loaden, There, Siphax, there, where loves are ever living! Sip. Why do we love in this world then? [Siphax, The Maker lost his work else; but mark, What issues that love bears. Sip. Why, children, Sir I never heard him talk thus; thus divinely And sensible before. For thou art understanding. Sip. What you please, Sir. [trust thee: Mem. And as a faithful man-ñay, I dare I love the princess. Sip. There 'tis that has fir'd him; I knew he had some inspiration. But does she know it, Sir? Mem. Yes, marry does she; I've given my heart unto her. Sip. If you love her Mem. Nay, understand me; my heart taken from me, Out of my body, man, and so brought to her. How lik'st thou that brave offer? There's Mem. And since thou'rt come thus fitly, I'll do it presently, and thou shalt carry it; For thou canst tell a story, and describe it. And I conjure thee, Siphax, by thy gentry, Next by the glorious battles we have fought in, [tresses, By all the dangers, wounds, heats, colds, disThy love next, and obedience, nay, thy life— Sip. But one thing, first, Sir: If she pleas'd to grant it, [sider. Could you not love her here, and live? Con- [love, [here Mem. Thou say'st right; but our ranks Seward. Desires.] Mr. Sympson and I concurred in believing hated to be a corruption, though we allow it to make good sense; heated seems much the most natural word. Heated is not amiss in itself; but would in this place be tautology: for the loves we now know Are but the heats of half an hour, and heated 31 And after death, the living.] I doubt whether loving be not the true word here, but as both are nearly equal, as to sense, I shall not change the text. Seward. The old reading is right, and the whole clause, taken together, agrees exactly with what has gone before: There's the love I told thee of, and after death the living! These words are little else than repeating, There, Siphar, there, where loves are ever living. And bloods are bars between us; she must stand off too, As I perceive she does. Sip. Desert and duty Make even all, Sir. Mem. Then the king, tho' I Have merited as much as man can, must not let her, So many princes covetous of her beauty. I would with all my heart, but 'tis impossible. Sip. Why, say she marry after? Mem. No, she dares not; The gods dare not do ill; come. Sip. Do you mean it? Mem. Lend me thy knife, and help me off. Be not so stupid mad, dear general! Sip. As you love that you look for, Heav'n and the blessed life Mem. Hell take thee, coxcomb! Why dost thou keep from it? Thy knife, I say! [beg it, Sip. Do but this one thing, on my knees I Stay but two hours 'till I return again. For I will to her, tell her all your merits, Your most unvalu'd love, and last your dan Enter Chilax, Fool, and Page. Chi. You dainty wits! Two of ye to a cater, To cheat him of a dinner? Page. Ten at court, Sir, Are few enough; they are as wise as we are. Chi. Hang ye, I'll eat at any time, and any where; I never make that part of want. 'Tis a hard day at court, a fish-day. Chi. So it seems, Sir, The fins grow out of thy face. [me Preach to This day the company of one dear custard, Or a mess of Rice ap Thomas, 32 needs a main wit. Beef we can bear before us, lin'd with brewis, And tubs of pork; vociferating veals, Chi. Line thy mouth with 'em. Page. Fellow Crack! why, what a consort Are we now bless'd withal? Fool. Fooling and fiddling. Nay, an we live not now, boys-What new songs, sirrah? Stre. A thousand, man, a thousand. Alluding to the old sport? Stre. Of all sizes. Fool. And how does small Tim Treble here; the heart on't? Boy. To do you service. Fool. Oh, Tim! the times, the times, Tim! And next, what money's stirring? He's here; but such a general! The time's chang'd, Stremon; He was the liberal general, and the loving, Stre. Why, what ails he? Chi. Nay, if a horse knew, and his head's big enough, I'll hang for't. Didst thou ever see a dog Another smiling, not a word the third hour. He would bounce that out in two hours. 32 Rice op Thomas.] Rice ap Thomas seems to be the name of some dish well known in the time of our Authors; yet this Welch dainty is strangely introduced at Paphos, the scene of this drama. nour, Such a strong reputation 34 for my welcome So many on white unicorns, next them Of all occasions; for Friday cannot fish out And what he dares do! Dare he meet me Thunder in this hand; in his left-Fool! Chi. Fool, I would have thee fly i' th' air, Chi. This, Sir, this, you slave, Sir! [All laugh. Death, ye rude rogues, ye scarabes! 36 [Seizes the Fool. Fool. Hold, for Heav'n's sake, Lieutenant, sweet lieutenant! Chi. I have done, Sir. Page. You've wrung his neck off. Of this strange passion, when it hits, to hale [heads. Along by th' hair, to kick 'em, break their I'll act no more. Stre. 'Tis but to shew, man. Fool. Then, man, [it; He should have shew'd it only, and not done Chi. I'll have thee to him; Thou hast a fine wit, fine Fool, and canst He'll hug thee, boy, and stroke thee. Stre. But how came he, Chilax? Chi. He loves thee well, [taken And much delights to hear thee sing; much Stre. If musick Can find his madness, I'll so fiddle him, He'll firk you, an you take not heed too. To see his own trade triumph over him; [Aside. Now what your silver sound 37 can do; our Stre. Something shall be done Shall make him understand all. Let's to th' 33 The strangest general that e'er thou heardst of, Stremon.] Stremon should certainly begin a new line, and is the beginning of Chilax's acting the General, as is proved by Stre mon's answer. 34 Such a strong reputation.] I have ventured to insert in the text a conjecture of Mr. Sympson's, as believing he has hit upon the true reading. Seward. They read, strong preparation; but there is not sufficient reason to reject the old reading. 35 Trapt with tenter-hooks.] Trapt signifies accoutered, accommodated; as we still use the word trappings. So in Ben Jonson, And to answer all things else, 36 Scarabes.] See note 49 to Elder Brother. 37 Silver sound.] In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, act iv. scene v. one of the musicians sings part of an old song, in which is the following line; 38 A paven] The paven, from pavo, a peacock, is a grave majestic dance. The method of dancing it was anciently by gentlemen dressed with a cap and sword, by those of the longrobe in their gowns, by princes in their mantles, and by ladies in gowns with long trains, the motion whereof in the dance resembled that of a peacock's tail. This dance is supposed to have been invented by the Spaniards, and its figure is given, with the characters for the steps, in the Orchesographia of Thoinet Arbeau. Every paven has its galliard, a lighter kind of air, made out of the former. Sir John Hawkins's notes on Shakespeare. In Enter Siphax at one door, and a Gentleman Sip. God save you, Sir! Pray how might Gent. Why, very fitly, Sir; she's e'en now To walk out this way into th' park. "Stand Sip. I much thank you. [Exit Gentleman. Enter Calis, Lucippe, and Cleanthe. Calis. Let's have a care, for I'll assure ye, wenches, I wou'd not meet hini willingly again; You need not fear; the walks are view'd and [his But methinks, madam, this kind heart of Sip. Keep me, ye bless'd angels! What killing power is this? Calis. Why dost thou look for't? Dost think he spoke in earnest? [lady, A gentleman should keep his word; and to a Calis. Out, fool! You're welcome from the wars! Would you with us, Sir? [fearful; Pray speak your will. He blushes; be not I can assure you, for your sister's sake, Sir―― There's my hand on it. Cle. Do you hear, Sir? [less. Calis. Sure these soldiers are all grown sense- He looks not well too; by my life, I think- Are all dumb saints.39 Consider, and take fire and bullets, Cle. Fy, beast! No more my brother! Sip. Sister, honour'd sister! Sip. But stay till I deliver-- I am asham'd to own thee. Sip. Fare you well then! Cle. Why? Stay, dear Siphax! My anger's past; I'll hear you speak. Cle. Out with it, man! Sip. Oh, I have drank my mischief. Sip. My destruction; [princess, In at mine eyes I have drank it. Oh, the Cle. How, fool? the rare princess! [dar'st not! Cle., Thou dost not love her sure? thou In Stephen Gosson's School of Abuse, Pipers, &c. 1579, it is enumerated as follows, ⚫liardes, measures, fancies, or new streynes.' 39 Are all dull saints.] Mr. Sympson doubts whether we should not read dull sots: But I think he has missed a fine image here. These soldiers are like the dull statues of saints, they only stand still in speechless adoration. Seward. containing a Pleasaunt Invective against Poets, among other dances: Dumps, parins, galSteevens's notes on Shakespeare. This is refinement. We can see no allusion to statues, nor perfectly understand her calling soldiers saints. The old books say, DUMB saints. Dull never occurs till the octavo of 3711. 4° His palate's down.] This seems to be the same as what is now called chap-fallen by the vulgar. VOL. I. 3 I |
