A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01
English drama
62. Acquaintance.
63. List.
64. Compassionate.
65. _See_ "Popular Antiquities of Great Britain," 1870, iii. 319, 320.
66. Checked.
67. Old copy, _Then_. Perhaps we should read, _Then when_ a common
expression.
68. So the old copy, but perhaps we ought to read _pining_.
69. Patient, invalid.
70. A proverbial expression.
71. The colophon is: "Johes rastell me imprimi fecit. Cum privilegio
regali." Beneath is the printer's device.
72. It is now known that at least four editions of this moral play were
printed, two by Richard Pynson, and two by John Skot. See Hazlitt's
"Handbook," p. 463-4, where all will be found described.
73. Afterwards sold with others to Dibdin for 500 guineas, and advertised
in the _Lincoln Nosegay_, 1814.
74. For the present edition the two impressions by Pynson, unknown to
Hawkins, and one of those issued by Skot about 1530, have been collated.
Hawkins was not aware that Skot printed the piece more than once. The
imperfect copy by Pynson, in the British Museum, restores not only words,
but portions of lines dropped in Skot's two issues, and has been of the
greatest value on this occasion. But, on the other hand, both Pynson's
editions, so far as they respectively go, exhibit misreadings, which are
set right in Skot's.
75. Skot's other edition, _wonderous_.
76. The Second Person of the Trinity seems here to be meant.--Percy. [In
this opinion it is hardly easy to concur. It appears to have been the
Godhead whom the writer intended to personify, and although he makes the
speaker refer to his Passion and Redemption, it is evidently only in a
delegated sense; for Death refers to him spiritually as the Almighty.]
77. _Appaireth_ the same as _impaireth_, grows worse, degenerate, &c.
78. Skot's other edition, used by Hawkins, reads, _Have I do we_.
79. Acquaintance.
80. Been begotten.
81. _Adonai_, one of the names of God; it is the plural of _Adoni_, which
signifies _Lord_.
82. The copy of Pynson's edition in the British Museum begins abruptly at
this line, sign. B. _recto_, and is complete thenceforward to the end.
83. The old proverb. This is perhaps the earliest instance of its use in
print.
84. So Skot's other edition, and Pynson's in British Museum. Hawkins
printed _For wete you well will_.
85. The other edition by Skot reads _will not_, according to Hawkins.
86. Entice.
87. The earliest instance in print, perhaps, of this proverb being used.
88. i.e. Weened.
89. Hawkins printed _what_.
90. i.e., Thanked be God my Creator.
91. Information, knowledge.
92. Hawkins printed _voice voider_.
93. Skot's other edition, _from hell and from the fire_.
94. Health.
95. Are called.
96. Five Wits, i.e., the Five Senses. These are frequently exhibited as
five distinct personages upon the Spanish stage. See Riccoboni, p. 98;
but our moralist has represented them all by one character. In
Shakespeare's "King Lear," the Madman says, "Bless thy Five Wits!"
meaning the Five Senses.--_Percy_.
97. Praise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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