[213] Meeting. So in "Hamlet," act iii. sc. 1-- "That he, as 'twere by accident, may here _Affront_ Ophelia." [214] An allusion, probably, to some old ballad. "Hamlet," act iii. sc. 2, refers to the same, and appears to repeat the identical line, which is also introduced in "Love's Labour's Lost," act iii. sc. 1. Bishop Warburton observes that "amongst the country May-games there was an hobby-horse which, when the puritanical humour of those times opposed and discredited these games, was brought by the poets and ballad-makers, as an instance of the ridiculous zeal of the sectaries" (Note to "Hamlet.") See also Mr Steevens's note on the same passage. Again, in Massinger's "Very Woman," act iii. sc. 1-- "How like an everlasting Morris dance it looks; Nothing but _hobby-horse_ and Maid Marian." The _hobby-horse_ was also introduced into the Christmas diversions, as well as the May-games. In "A True Relation of the Faction begun at Wisbich, by Fa. Edmonds, alias Weston, a Jesuite," 1595, &c., 4º, 1601, p. 7, is the following passage: "He lifted up his countenance, as if a new spirit had bin put into him, and tooke upon him to controll and finde fault with this and that (_as the comming into the hall of a hobby-horse in Christmas_), affirming that he would no longer tolerate these and those so grosse abuses, but would have them reformed." Whatever the allusion in the text be, the same is also probably made in Drue's "Dutchess of Suffolk," 1631-- "CLUNIE. Answer me, _hobbihorse;_ Which way cross'd he you saw now? JENKIN. Who do you speake to, sir? _We have forgot the hobbihorse_." --Sig. C 4.--_Gilchrist._ [215] See Dyce's Middleton, ii. 169. [216] This line very strongly resembles another in "The Merchant of Venice:" "You spend but time, _To wind about_ my love with _circumstance_." --_Steevens._ [217] "Is this the origin of epilogues by the characters?"--_MS. note in former edit._ [218] "This is a very lively and pleasant comedy; crude and careless, but full of life, humour, &c."--_MS. note in former edit._ ALBUMAZAR. _EDITIONS._ (1.) _Albumazar. A Comedy presented before the Kings Maiestie at Cambridge, the ninth of March, 1614. By the Gentlemen of Trinitie Colledge. London, Printed by Nicholas Okes for Walter Burre, and are to be sold at his Shop, in Pauls Church-yard._ 1615. 4º. (2.) _Albumazar. A Comedy presented before the Kings Maiesty at Cambridge. By the Gentlemen of Trinity Colledge. Newly revised and corrected by a speciall Hand. London, Printed by Nicholas Okes_ 1634. 4º. [There is a third 4º printed in 1668, with an epilogue by Dryden.] [REEDS PREFACE.] [John] Tomkis,[219] [or Tomkins, son of Thomas Tomkins, a celebrated musician of the reign of James I.], the author of this play, was of Trinity College, Cambridge.