Franco Sacchetti, in his sixteenth novel, expressly tells us that it was a proverb. _Perchè ben dice il proverbio, che l'amore e la tossa non si puo celare mai._ [61] The question "You, sirrah, Is my Lady Ninny awake yet?" is given in the old 4º to Scudmore, but it belongs to Sir John Worldly. Scudmore is not on the stage. [62] Old copy, _doing_. [63] Old copy, _moustachios_. [64] [The old copy and Collier give this speech to Strange.] [65] [In the sense of _hot_, salacious.] [66] An allusion to the well-known story of Friar Bacon and his brazen head, which spoke three times, but was not attended to by his man Miles. See Greene's "Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay," [in Dyce's edits, of Greene, and the prose narrative in Thoms's Collection, 1828.] [67] A boisterous, clownish character in the play of "The Lancashire Witches," by Heywood and Brome. It was not printed until 1634. Either Lawrence was a person who figured in that transaction, and whose name is not recorded, or (which is not impossible) the play was written very long before it was printed. [68] Perhaps the play originally ended with a song by a boy, in which the rest joined chorus. AMENDS FOR LADIES. _EDITIONS._ _Amends for Ladies. A Comedie. As it was acted at the Blacke-Fryers, both by the Princes Servants, and the Lady Elizabeths. By Nat. Field. London: Printed by G. Eld, for Math. Walbancke, and are to be sold at his Shop at the new Gate of Grayes Inne, or at the old._ 1618. 4º. _Amends for Ladies. With the merry prankes of Moll Cut-Purse, Or, the humour of roaring: A Comedy full of honest mirth and wit. As it was Acted at the Blacke-Fryers both by the Princes Servants and the Lady Elizabeths. By Nath. Field. London, Printed by Io. Okes, for Math. Walbancke, and are to be sold at his Shop at Grayes-Inne Gate._ 1639. 4º. INTRODUCTION. This excellent old comedy seems to have been deservedly popular on its performance by two different companies at the Black Friars Theatre before 1618, and it was twice printed. It is not easy to decide whether the comic or the serious scenes are the best; although the first are not without some of the coarseness which belonged to the manners of the age. The language is generally well-chosen. Some passages are of the higher order of poetry, and from them we may judge that Field was capable of writing other parts of "The Fatal Dowry" than those which Mr Gifford, in his just admiration of Massinger, was willing to assign to him. The characters are numerous, varied, and well-distinguished.