A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 11
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 11
English drama
See note 6 to "The Hog hath lost his Pearl," _post_. The custom in
London, I believe, is almost abolished; it is, however, still retained
in many parts of the kingdom. [See "Popular Antiquities of Great
Britain," by Hazlitt, i. 47, where it is said] that "at Newcastle upon
Tyne the great bell of St Nicholas' Church is tolled at twelve o'clock
at noon on this day; shops are immediately shut up, offices closed,
and all kinds of business ceases; a sort of little carnival ensuing
for the remaining part of the day." Again: the custom of frying
pancakes (in turning of which in the pan there is usually a good deal
of pleasantry in the kitchen) is still retained in many families in
the north, but seems, if the present fashionable contempt of old
custom continues, not likely to last another century. The apprentices
whose particular holiday this day is now called, and who are on
several accounts so much interested in the observation of it, ought,
with that watchful jealousy of their ancient rights and liberties
(typified here by pudding and play) which becomes young Englishmen, to
guard against every infringement of its ceremonies, and transmit them
entire and unadulterated to posterity!" [A copious account of this
subject will be found in "Popular Antiquities of Great Britain," i.
37-54.]
[163] [Edits., here and below, _Mal go_.]
[164] [Clotted].
[165] A term of vulgar abuse. So Falstaff says, "Away, you scullion!
you _rampallian_! you fustilarian!"--"2d Part of Henry IV." act ii.
sc. i. See also Mr Steevens's note on the passage.
[166] _i.e._, Cupid. "_The bird-bolt_," Mr Steevens observes (note on
"Much Ado about Nothing," act i. sc. 1), "is a short, thick arrow,
without point, and spreading at the extremity so much as to leave a
flat surface, about the breadth of a shilling. Such are to this day in
use to kill rooks with, and are shot from a cross-bow."
[167] A _passion_ was formerly a name given to love-poems of the
plaintive species. Many of them are preserved in the miscellanies of
the times. See in "England's Helicon," 1600, "The Shepherd Damon's
_Passion_," and others.
[168] [A common form of _Walter_ in old plays and poetry. Joyce
intends, of course, a _jeu-de-mot_.]
[169] [This passage seems to fix with tolerable clearness the meaning
of the word _caroch_ and the kind of vehicle which was intended.
Compare Nares, 1859, in _v._]
[170] [_i.e._, This business succeed.]
[171] This street, Stow observes, in his time, was inhabited by
wealthy drapers, retailers of woollen cloths, both broad and narrow,
of all sorts, more than any one of the city.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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