PARTIDA - MALCOLM-CHAUCER-SPENSER "He was no enemy to Monachism, though he disliked the monks. They lived not according to their profession, wherefore while he lived he gave them little, when he died, nothing, and yet his intent was to end his days in a monastery if he could have found one to his mind."-Ibid. This man seems to me the best and wisest of his age. [The Ramists.] THE Ramists formed a party as late as James I. The word is used in Truth brought to Light, &c. p. 17, 1651. [Extended Sense of Fornication.] "FORNICATION in the Palace with any person in the Queen's service was manifest treason, but not of so high a kind as other treason but with the Nurse of the princes, or the Keeper of the Queen's wardrobe, it was as bad as if committed with the Queen herself. For the one might dress herself in the Queen's clothes in order to improve her appearance, and thus occasion scandal, and it might injure the milk of the other, and thus affect the prince or princess whom she suckled."-Partida, 2, tom. 14, lib. 4. [Oboe-Hautboy-Theorbo.] "Is oboe or hautboy a corruption from theorbo, which I find made into the Orboe in an advertisement from the undertakers of the Royal Academy, 1720 ? ”—MALCOLM'S M. and C. of London to 1700, vol. 1, p. 386, 8vo. [Borel, or, Borrel.] BOREL or Borrel is used by our old writers to signify coarse, rude, belonging to the common people. ." because I am a borel man, At my beginning first I you beseche Have me excused of my rude speche." CHAUCER, Frank Prol. HENRY MORE. 333 "How 'be I am but rude and borrell." SPENSER, Shepheards' Calendar, July.1 [Felony in the King's Chapel at Whitehall— and Sir Francis Bacon's Remark.] UPON "the araignment of John Selman, who was executed neere Charing-Crosse the 7th of January, 1612, for a ffellony by him committed in the King's Chappell at White-Hall upon Christmas day last, in bility," SIR FRANCIS BACON, "to whom at presence of the King and divers of the Nothat time it did belong, proceeded to judgement, and asking on the prisoner, thus or to this effect in some sort he spake: 'The first and greatest sinne that ever was committed was done in Heaven. The second was done in Paradise, being heaven upon earth: And truly I cannot chuse but place this in the third rank, in regard it was done in the house of God, where he by his own promise is always resident, as also for that the cause of that assembly was to celebrate the feast of the birth of our Lord and Saviour.""-British Bibliographer, vol. 6, p. 538. plains [Burnt Wine.] "EUG. What will you have to entertain 'em Sir? Thrift. Some rosemary, which thou rising betimes Their Sunday-clothes, and the washt white May'st steal and bring us from the Temple with azure stains. Gardens. Eug. Some comfits Sir. A mourning citizen Will never weep without some sugar-plums. Thrift. They shall have none Eugine, nor no burnt wine, [The Irysshe skilled in Harpe and Tymbre.] I like not drinking healths to the memory "THOUGH Scotlonde the doughter of Irlonde use harpe, tymbre and tabour, nethelesse Irysshe men be connyng in two maner instrumentis of musyke, in harpe and tymbre that is armed with wyre and strenges of bras. In whiche instrumentes though they playe hastely and swyftely, they make ryght mery armonye and melodye with thycke tewnes, werbles and notes. And begynne from bemoll1 and playe secretely under dymme sowne under the grete strenges, and torne agayn unto the same. So that the greatest partye of the crafte hydeth the crafte, as it wolde seme as though the crafte so hydde sholde be ashamed yf it were take."-Polycronycon, lib. 1, cap. 34. Of the dead, 'tis profane." DAVENANT, The Wits. [Syllogisms and Shackles,—their Connection.] In his second age, namely boy's state, it is requisite that he travail in the art of syllogisms (for then the understanding begins to display its forces), which have the same proportion with logick as shackles have with the feet of mules not yet trained, who going some days therewith, take afterward a certain grace in their pace.-HuARTE'S English Translation. [Pocket-Mirrors.] "ENTER Lady Frugal, Anne, Mary and Milliscent, in several postures, with looking-glasses at their girdles."-MASSINGER. The City Madam. It appears from innumerable passages in our old writers, that it was customary, not only for ladies, but for gentlemen, to carry mirrors about them. The former, we see, wore them at their girdles. Thus Jonson, "I confess all, I replied, And the glass hangs by her side UNDERWOODS. THE latter, I hope like the fine gentlemen of the present day, kept them in their pockets and yet there are instances of MASSINGER - GIFFORD - FYNES MORYSON. their displaying them as ostentatiously as the vainest of the fair sex. Thus Jonson again : "Where is your page? call for your casting bottle, and place your mirror in your hat, as I told you."-Cynthias Revels. GIFFORD'S Massinger. [Miniver.] "YOUR fortune Or rather your husband's industry, advanced you To the rank of a merchant's wife. He made a knight, And your sweet mistress-ship ladyfied, you wore Satin on solemn days, a chain of gold, You were privileged, and no man envied it; "Minever, as I learn from Cotgrave, is the fur of the ermine mixed with that of the small wesel, (menu vair), called gris or gray. In the days of our author, and indeed long before, the use of furs was almost universal. The nobility had them of ermine and sable; the wealthy merchants, of vair and gray, (the dainty miniver of Luke), and the lower order of people of such home materials as were easier supplied, squirrels, lamb, and above all rabbit's skins. For this last article the demand was anciently so great, that innumerable rabbit warrens were established in the vicinity of the metropolis."-GIFford. [Shining Shoes-Hodiè-Shiners.] "THE Owners of dark shops, that vent their wares With perjuries; cheating vintners, not contented 335 With half in half in their reckonings, yet cry out, When they find their guests want coin, 'Tis late, and bedtime These ransack at your pleasures. 3 Ban. How shall we know them? Claud. If they walk on foot, by their ratcoloured stockings And shining shoes; if horsemen, by short boots, And riding furniture of several counties." MASSINGER'S Guardian. "OUR old dramatists make themselves very merry with these shining shoes, which appear, in their time, to have been one of the characteristic marks of a spruce citizen. Thus Newton, rallying Plotwell for becoming a merchant, exclaims: "Slid! his shoes shine too!" The City Match. And Kitely observes that Wellbred's acquaintance, [The Goldsmiths' Shops in London.] "THE goldsmiths' shops at London, in England (being in divers streets, but especially that called Cheape-side), are exceeding richly furnished continually with gold, and silver plate and jewels. The goldsmiths' shops upon the bridges at Florence and Paris, have perhaps sometimes beene as richly or better furnished, for the time on some nuptuall feast of the princes or like occasion, with plate and jewels borrowed of private persons for that purpose: but I may lawfully say, setting all love of my country apart, that I never see any such daily shew, any thing so sumptuous in any place of the world, as in London."FYNES MORYSON. [Common Custom of Weaving.] "I SAW one weaving, like our poor people or beggars in England, who sit in highways weaving coarse tape."-Ibid. [Dutch Skill in Dyeing, &c.] [The Mystery of Dyeing.] "BRABANT is plenteouse of marchandyse and makynge of clothe. For the wulle that they have out of Englonde they make clothe of dyverse colours, and sende it into other provynces and londes, as Flaundres dooth. For though Englonde have wulle at the best, it hath not so grete plente of good water for dyversy colours and hewes as Flaundres hath and Braban. Netheles at London is one welle that helpeth wel to make good scarlette, and so is at Lincoln one certayne place in the broke that passeth by the towne."-Polycronycon, vol. 1, p. | Dutch.”—Truth brought to Light, p. 30. 27. The craft and mystery of dyeing must have been kept secret with great art, when so much could be attributed to the quality of the water. [The Cypress Hatband a Sign of Mirth "præter invisas cupressos."] "I HAVE seen," says RICHARD BOOтHBY, "in a market town in the country where I was born, divers gentlemen, &c. associated together, having for their pleasure music playing before them, with every one a cypress hat-band, then in fashion, put over their faces, dance regularly through the market and chief streets in the town, and so into an "THE clothiers in James the First's reign petitioned that no more white cloths might be sent out of the kingdom, for they went to Holland to be dressed and dyed, and were then reimported at a heavy cost. They hoped, if their petition were granted, they trusted that the trade of dressing cloth might be restored in process of time, and they might have as good skill in it as the Litchfield. "THEY have a custom at Whitsuntide, ye Monday and Tuesday, called the Green Bower Feast, by which they hold their charter. The bailiff and sheriff assist at the ceremony of dressing up babies with garlands of flowers and greens, and carry it in procession through all the streets and then assemble themselves at the market-place, and so go in a solemn procession through the great street to a hill beyond the town, where is a large green bower made, in which they have their feast. Many smaller bowers are made around for company, and MELIADUS-HARRISON-DAVENANT — MASSINGER. for booths to sell fruit, sweetmeats, gingerbread, &c."-MRS. FIENNES'S MSS. [Marriage-makings at Tournaments.] “A celluy temps la coustume estoit merveilleusement mise sus que la ou les tournoyemens devoient estre les dames et les damoiselles dillec entour et de deux journees de loing y venoient, je dy des dames qui estoient de noble lignage; les chevaliers qui estoient leurs parens charnelz les amenoient illec et moult de dames et de damoiselles estoient ja illec venues. La estoient maries moult honnorablement et moult haultement, qui ja neussent este mariees de long temps se ne fust ce quelles estoient illec venues.-Les dames et damoiselles quon y amenoit y faisoit on plus venir pour les marier que pour nulle autre chose." -MELIADUS, c. 52, ff. 82. [Fine Alabaster burned-Plaster of Paris.] "WITHIN doors," says HARRISON, "such as are of ability do oft make their floors and parget of fine alabaster burned, which they call plaster of Paris, whereof in some places we have great plenty, and that very profitable against the rage of fire."-See HOLINSHED, vol. 1, p. 315. [White-Powder.] "I HOPE he wears no charms About him, key guns or pistols charged with White powder." DAVENANT'S Siege. [Armas del Torneo.] "DEZID Vos a mi buen amigo el Marques, que pues el me demanda licencia de hazer en este dia armas que a mi plaze de gela dar con una condicion, que quando el viere que yo echo la manga de mi camisa fuera del mirador, que se aparte del torneo."CHR. DEL R. D. RODRIGO, ff. 37. [Superfluous Bravery.] 337 |