[247] _Aut Shirley aut Diabolus_. Cf. _Duke's Mistress_, iv. 1: "You shall lead destiny in cords of silk, And it shall follow tame and to your pleasure." [248] Sc. swaggering. [249] A Chrisome child was one that died within a month after birth, at the time of wearing the Chrisome cloth (i.e. the cloth formerly wrapt round a child after baptism). Device implies that his rival is perfectly helpless among ladies, a mere child. [250] "In the City of London," says Nares, "young freemen who march at the head of their proper companies on the lord mayor's day, sometimes with flags, were called _whifflers_ or _bachelor whifflers_, not because they cleared the way but because they went first as whifflers did.--'I look'd the next Lord Mayor's day to see you o' the livery, or one of the _bachelor_ whifflers. _City Match_.'" [251] These words are scored through in the MS. [252] To "bear a brain" means to have understanding. The expression is very common. [253] Not marked in the MS. [254] The earliest reference I have yet found to the "Cup at _Newmarket_" is in Shirley's _Hyde Park_, v. 1. [255] The exact date of his death is unknown; he was dead before the performance of Ben Jonson's _Bartholomew Fair_ (1614). [256] "Merlin. The _falco aesalon_ of Linnaeus, a small species of hawk; sometimes corrupted into murleon. It was chiefly used to fly at small birds, and Latham says it was particularly appropriated to the service of ladies."--Nares. [257] Thomas Heywood gives an account of the "great ship" in his "True description of his Majesties Royall Ship built this yeare 1637 at Wool-witch in Kent," &c. 1637. 4to. [258] "Back side" = back yard. [259] A wild cat. [260] This scene was added, as an afterthought, at the end of the MS. In the body of the MS. we find only "_A song ith taverne. Enter Thomas_." [261] The stage direction is my own. [262] All that I know at present of Mr. Adson is that he published in 1621 a collection of "Courtly Masquing Ayres." [263] A corruption of "_save-reverence_": we usually find the form "sir-reverence." [264] i.e. drunk. [265] An allusion to Webster's "_Vittoria Coromborea, or the White Devil_." [266] Not marked in MS. We have, instead, a note:-- _"And then begin as was intended."_ [267] Old authors constantly allude to the riotous conduct of the 'prentices on Shrove Tuesday. [268] This is a correction (in the MS.) for "to a Beggars tune." [269] So in Dekker & Middleton's _First Part of the Honest Whore_ (IV. 3):-- "_A sister's thread_ i' faith had been enough." Dyce was no doubt right in thinking that the expression is a corruption of _sewster's_ thread. In Ford's _Lady's Trial_, Gifford altered "sister's thread" to "_silver_ thread." Shirley has "sister's thread" in _Hyde Park_ (V. 1). [270] With this abuse cf. a very similar passage in Shirley's _Duke's Mistress_ (IV. 1). [271] The _Woman Hater_ in Beaumont and Fletcher's play.