“With upsie freeze I line my head,” of our text, is in the play “Cromwell’s Coronation” printed “With _tipsy_ frenzie.” But we often find the other phrase; sometimes, as in the ballad of “The Good Fellow’s Best Beloved” (i.e. strong drink) varied thus, “With good _ipse he_,” (about 1633). See Bd. Soc. _Roxb. Bds._ iii. 248, where is W. Chappell’s note, quoting Nares:—“It has been said that _op-zee_, in Dutch, means ‘over sea,’ which cones near to another English phrase for drunkenness, being ‘half-seas over.’ But _op-zyn-fries_ means, ‘in the Dutch fashion,’ or _à la mode de Frise_, which perhaps is the best interpretation of the phrase.” In Massinger and Decker’s “Virgin Martyr,” 1622, Act ii. sc. 1, we find the vile Spungius saying, “_Bacchus_, the God of brewed wine and sugar, grand patron of rob-pots, _upsie freesie_ tipplers, and _super-naculum_ takers,” &c. Probably Badham’s conjecture is right, and in Hamlet, i. 4, we should read not “up-spring,” but “_Keeps wassail, and the swaggering ~upsy freeze~._” (_Cambr. Essays_, 1656; _Cambr. Shakesp._ viii. 30). T. Caldecott had so early as 1620 (in _Spec. new edit. Shakesp._ Hamlet) anticipated the guess, but not boldly. He brings forward from T. Lodge’s _Wit’s Miserie_, 4to, 1596, p. 20, “Dance, leap, sing, drink, _upsefrize_.” And again:— _For ~Upsefreeze~ he drunke from four to nine,_ _So as each sense was steeped well in wine:_ _Yet still he kept his ~rouse~, till he in fine_ _Grew extreame sicke with hugging ~Bacchus~ shrine._ [_The Shrift._] A new Spring shadowed in sundrie pithie Poems by _Musophilus_, 4to. 1619, signat. l. b., where “_Upsefreese_” is the name of the frier. Like “Wassael” and “Trinkael,” the phrase upsie-friese, or vrijster, seems to have been used as a toast, perhaps for “To your sweetheart.” Pages 259, 354. _If none be offended._ The exact date of this ballad’s publication was 31st December, 1659: in _Thomason Collection_, Numero xxii., folio, Brit. Mus. Page 270. _Pray why should any, &c._ Probably written in 1659-60, when Monk was bridling the Commons. “Cooks” alludes to John Cook, the Solicitor for the Commonwealth, who at the trial of Charles Ist. exhibited the charge of high treason. After the Restoration, Cook was executed along with Hugh Peters, 16th Oct., 1660, at Charing Cross. Pages 283 (line 22), 395. _I have the finest Nonperel._ “_Hyrens_” (as earlier printed in _Wit and Drollery_, 1656, p. 26), instead of “Syrens” of our text, is probably correct. Ancient Pistol twice asks “Have we not _Hirens_ here?” (_Henry_ IV., Part 2nd, Act ii. sc. 4). George Peele had a play, now lost, on “The Turkish Mahomet and Hiren the fair Greek” [1594?] In the _Spiritual Navigator_, 1615, we learn, is a passage, “There be Syrens in the sea of the world. _Syrens?_ _Hirens_, as they are now called. What a number of these syrens, hirens, cockatrices, courteghians—in plain English, harlots—swimme amongst us!” Page 287. Title, “_Oxford Feasts._”