(2.) _Ram-Alley; Or Merry-Trickes. A Comedy. Divers times here-to-fore acted by the Children of the Kings Revels. Written by Lo. Barrey. London. Printed by John Norton, for Robert Wilson._ 1636. 4. INTRODUCTION. Lodowick Barry is said to have been a gentleman of Irish birth, and Anthony Wood is pleased to compliment him with the title of Lord, which is very probably a mistake. No circumstances concerning him remain, not even the times of his birth and death; though the latter was not unlikely to be soon after the publication of the following play, the only one which he wrote. The writer of his article in the "Biographia Dramatica" says that "the plot in this play of William Small-shanks decoying the Widow Taffata into marriage is the same with that in Kiligrew's 'Parson's Wedding,' _and both taken from the 'English Rogue._'" The latter part of this assertion is entirely without foundation, and the least attention to dates would have prevented the writer's falling into so gross an error. Both plays were published before "The English Rogue" appeared; "Ram-Alley"[318] above fifty years; and "The Parson's Wedding" about ten or twelve. FOOTNOTES: [235] "Here (_i.e._, at Edmonton) lieth interred vnder a seemlie Tombe without Inscription, the Body of _Peter Fabell_ (as the report goes) vpon whom this fable was fathered, that he by his wittie deuises beguiled the deuil: belike he was some ingenious conceited gentleman, who did vse some sleightie trickes for his owne disports. He liued and died in the raigne of Henry the Seuenth, saith the booke of his merry pranks."--Weever's "Funeral Monuments," fol. 1631, p. 534. Norden says: "There is a fable of one _Peter Fabell_ that lyeth in the same church also, who is saide to have beguiled the Devill by pollicie for Money."--"Speculum Britanniæ" (Middlesex), p. 18. [236] A monosyllable (perhaps _is_ or _lives_) has dropt out here, and rendered the line imperfect.--_Collier._ [The metre is quite correct.] [237] So in "Hamlet," act i. sc. 5. "And each particular hair to stand on end Like quills upon the fretful porcupine." [238] [Old copies, _or_.] [239] The measure was injured by the needless insertion of _is_ in this line, not supported by any of the old copies.--_Collier._ [240] The [later] quartos read, _I'll despatch_, &c.--_Collier._ [241] _Safeguards_ are outward petticoats, still worn by the wives of farmers, &c., who ride on horseback to market.--_Steevens._ They are called so, says Minsheu, _voce Saveguard_, because they guard the other clothes from soiling. They are mentioned several times in "The Roaring Girl." Again, in "Ram Alley," act i. sc. 1. "On with _your cloak and safeguard_, you arrant drab." [242] The quartos of 1626 and 1631 read, _Here's a room in the very Homer and Illiads of a lodging_, which may be right.--_Collier._ [Most probably _not._] [243] [Compare Chappell's "Pop. Music," 8o edit., p. 118.]