_Scu._ Sweete-breads I hold my life, that diuels an asse. --Dekker, _Wks._ 3. 328. Jonson uses it again in _The Staple of News_, _Wks._ 5. 188: The conjurer cozened him with a candle’s end; he was an ass. Dekker (_Non-dram. Wks._ 2. 275) tells us the jest of a citizen who was told that the ‘Lawyers get the Diuell and all: What an Asse, replied the Citizen is the diuell? If I were as he I would get some of them.’ =HIS MAIESTIES SERVANTS.= Otherwise known as the _King’s Company_, and popularly spoken of as the _King’s Men_. For an account of this company see Winter, ed. _Staple of News_, p. 121; and Fleay, _Biog. Chron._ 1. 356-7; 2. 403-4. =Ficta voluptatis=, etc. The quotation is from Horace, _De Art. Poet._, line 338. Jonson’s translation is: Let what thou feign’st for pleasure’s sake, be near The truth. Jonson makes use of this quotation again in his note ‘To the Reader’ prefixed to Act 3 of _The Staple of News_. =I. B.= Fleay speaks of this printer as J. Benson (_Biog. Chron_. 1. 354). Benson did not ‘take up freedom’ until June 30, 1631 (_Sta. Reg._ 3. 686). Later he became a publisher (1635-40; _Sta. Reg._ 5. lxxxiv). I. B. was also the printer of _Bartholomew Fair_ and _Staple of News_. J. Benson published a volume of Jonson’s, containing _The Masque of the Gypsies_ and other poems, in 1640 (_Brit. Museum Cat._ and Yale Library). In the same year he printed the _Art of Poetry_, 12mo, and the _Execration against Vulcan_, 4to (cf. _Pub. of Grolier Club_, N. Y. 1893, pp. 130, 132). The evidence that I. B. was Benson is strong, but not absolutely conclusive. =ROBERT ALLOT.= We find by Arber’s reprint of the _Stationer’s Register_ that Robert Allot ‘took up freedom’ Nov. 7, 1625. He must have begun publishing shortly after, for under the date of Jan. 25, 1625-6 we find that Mistris Hodgettes ‘assigned over unto him all her estate,’ consisting of the copies of certain books, for the ‘some of forty-five pounds.’ The first entry of a book to Allot is made May 7, 1626. In 1630 Master Blount ‘assigned over unto him all his estate and right in the copies’ of sixteen of Shakespeare’s plays. In 1632 Allot brought out the Second Folio of Shakespeare’s works. On Sept. 7, 1631 _The Staple of News_ was assigned to him. The last entry of a book in his name is on Sept. 12, 1635. The first mention of ‘Mistris Allott’ is under the date of Dec. 30, 1635. Under date of July 1, 1637 is the record of the assignment by Mistris Allott of certain books, formerly the estate of ‘Master Roberte Allotts deceased.’ Among these books are ‘37. _Shakespeares Workes_ their part. 39. _Staple of Newes_ a Play. 40. _Bartholomew fayre_ a Play.’ I have been able to find no record of _The Devil is an Ass_ in the _Stationer’s Register_.