A scholar, as you are, I know them diamonds, [ed; Char. These not repin'd at, as you seem t' The motion must be of a strange condition, If I refuse to yield to't; therefore, Eustace, Without this tempest in your looks, propound And fear not a denial. 50 [it, Eust. I require then, (As from an eneiny, and not a brother) My mistress Angellina, as she was Char. These are strict Char. I'm no gamester, Eustace; You understand what a wretched thing you How deeply wounded by yourself, and made [you, O' th' danger you were plung'd in; teaching And with what curious respect and care Before a gaudy outside. Pray you, fix here; Eust. This discourse Is from the subject. Char. I'll come to it, brother; But if you think to build upon my ruins, 59 My rest is up.] The word rest is frequently employed by the old dramatic writers, and is commonly an allusion to the manner of firing the harquebus. This, says Mr. Steevens, was so heavy a gun, that the soldiers were obliged to carry a supporter, called a rest, which they fixed on the ground before they levelled to take aim. Decker uses it in his comedy of Old Fortunatus, 1600. Set your heart at rest; for I have set up my rest, that unless you run swifter ⚫ than a hart, home you go not.' See also Romeo and Juliet, act iv. sc. v. R. Rest, in this place, seems to allude to some game, like the modern hazard. The speech of Eustace and answer of Charles cannot well bear any other sense: Nor will I give less-I'm no gamester-Your resolution stands to win or lose all. Some copies read, Nor will I go less. 31 Taught by the masters of dependencies.] Mr. Whalley, in his notes on Ben Jonson, says, dependance, when the fighting system was in vogue, signified the ground or cause of [me; The lofty noise your Greek made, only pleas'd But, now he's turn'd an Oliver and a Rowland[in him) (Nay, the whole dozen of peers are bound up Let me remember! when I was of his years, I did look very like him; and, did you see My picture as I was then, you would swear That gallant Eustace (I mean, now he dares fight) Was the true substance and the perfect figure. Though I am lost to all deserving men, In my revenge, and from that made a stranger Char. Seek not, Eustace, By violence, what will be offer'd to you And one that, not compell'd to't by your Mir. Nobly said, Charles; [reason, And learn from my experience, you may hear And never maim your fighting. For your credit, [and swinge me, Which you think you have lost, spare Charles; And soundly, three or four walking velvet [serve it, cloaks, That wear not swords to guard 'em,53 yet deThou art made up again. quarrel. The reader may see the doctrine humourously explained in the Devil is an Ass, act iii.' It is also mentioned in the New Inn, and Every Man in his Humour, by the same author; and is fully explained by Caranza, in his Treatise on Duelling. R. 52 I'd dance a mattachin with you.] This was a dance, as Skinner tells us in his Etymologicum, of great rapidity, so called from the Italian word matto, a fool or madman: because the performers used many frantic gesticulations: And Ferrarius, in his Origines Linguæ Italicæ, gives us much the same description of it. Theobald. 53 spare Charles; and swinge me,' And soundly, three or four walking relvet cloaks, That wear no swords to guard 'em.] How would Eustace give proof of his valour, by beating And. Yes, by my life, Sir; and if now you And speedily, by force or by persuasion, My good old master (for now I pity him) Is ruin'd for ever. Char. Ha! my father? And. He, Sir. Mir. By what ineans? speak. And. At the suit of Monsieur Lewis, And know my father injur❜d? My lady Angellina Eust. What of her? And. She's carried away too. And. While you were absent, [men A crew of monsieur Lewis's friends and kinsBy force brake in at th' back part of the house, And took her away by violence. Faithful Andrew (As this can witness for him) did his best In her defence; but 'twould not do. Mir. Away, And see our horses saddled! 'tis no time Arising between brothers, should you prosper, Would shame your victory. Eust. I would do much, Sir; But still, my reputation Mir. Charles shall give you All decent satisfaction; nay, join hands, Eust. And if I follow not, a coward's name Be branded on my forehead! Char. This spirit makes you A sharer in my fortunes. Mir. And in mine; Of which (Brisac once freed, and Angellina Again in our possession) you shall know My heart speaks in my tongue. Eust. I dare not doubt it, Sir. [Exeunt. falsely Your malice hath inform'd him, he in justice Must set me right again. Ang. Sir, let not passion So far transport you as to think in reason, beating three or four beaux who had no swords to defend themselves with? The meaning undoubtedly is, who wear swords for ornament, and not for use, as Cowsy above says, he does; and that the court allows it. Put not for no, and it will give this sense: Only it will still remain capable of the former. I would therefore read, We believe Mr. Seward perfectly right in altering no to not; but why transpose? He seems desirous of establishing a double entendre; which his transposition entirely destroys. Our reading is nearer the old text; while, taken in either sense, the meaning may be said to be void of ambiguity: That wear not swords to guard them. Syl. Her lust! You are her father. Lew. And you her bawd. Syl. Were you ten lords, 'tis false; The pureness of her chaste thoughts enterSuch spotted instruments. [tains not Ang. As I have a soul, Sir Lew. I am not to be alter'd: To sit down With this disgrace would argue me a peasant, And not born noble: All rigour that the law, And that encrease of pow'r by favour yields, Shall be with all severity inflicted; [serve, You have the king's hand for't; no bail will And therefore at your perils, officers, away Bri. This is madness. [with 'em. Lew. Tell me so in open court, And there I'll answer you. ment, That is not tender'd to you; rather than Char. This is a most strong truth, Sir. Let us be right Frenchmen; violent to charge, On Angellina, shall dispute in her belly, He was an ass, but now is grown an Amadis; Bri. Your brother, Sir. Hereafter, like me, ever dote on learning; You know for what; and see you rut no more, You understand me. So, embrace on all sides. I'll pay those billmen, and make large amends; Provided we preserve you still our friends. [Exeunt omnes. THE EPILOGUE. 'Tis not the hands, or smiles, or common way 54 And shew your loves and liking to his wit, ———not worth a cardecue.] We have made an English word of this from a corruption of the French, un quart d'écu, i.e. the fourth part of a French crown. Theobald. THE SPANISH CURATE. A COMEDY. The Commendatory Verses by Gardiner and Lovelace attribute this Comedy wholly to Fletcher; but we see no more reason for assigning this Play to him exclusively, than any other published in the joint names of him and Beaumont. The folio of 1647 contains the first printed copy. The Spanish Curate was revived at Drury-Lane Theatre in 1749; but it has not been performed for many years past. Dryden (in his Spanish Fryar) and Congreve (in his Old Batchelor) are greatly indebted to the Comedy now before us; and it seems very evident, that it afforded some material hints towards framing a musical entertainment, of a modern date, called the Padlock. Angelo.] This character, Mr. Theobald, with a freedom unknown to any Editors but those of Beaumont and Fletcher's Works in 1750, expunges from the drama; and yet he suffers the name Angelo to remain to those speeches which are allotted to him in the play. VOL. I. 2 F |