[264] "The unfortunate Traveller, or the Life of Jack Wilton," "Works," vol. v. p. 60, and Prefatory letter to Greene's "Menaphon." [265] Greene's "Groats-worth," "Works," vol. i. p. 143; Mere's "Paladis Tamia"; "Merchant of Venice," act v. sc. 1. [266] "Pierce Penilesse," "Works," vol. ii. p. 92. [267] "Histrio-mastix," 1633, 4to, p. 215. Coryat reports on hearsay (1608) that women had already appeared at that date on the English stage; but he is careful to note that he had never personally witnessed this extraordinary phenomenon; and he adds that he was greatly astonished to see in Italy women perform their parts in a play "with as good a grace, action and gesture and whatsoever convenient for a player as ever I saw any masculine actor" ("Crudities," London, 1776, vol. ii. p. 16). [268] "Strange newes of the intercepting certaine letters," 1592, "Works," vol ii. p. 267. [269] "Lenten Stuffe," vol. v. pp. 226, 244, 216. [270] "Works," vol. v. p. 231. [271] Preface to "Christ's teares," edition of 1594, "Works," vol. iv. p. 6. [272] Prefatory letter to Greene's "Menaphon." [273] "Anatomie of Absurditie," 1589, "Works," vol. i. p. 37. [274] "The unfortunate Traveller, or the Life of Jack Wilton," 1594, "Works," vol. v. [275] In these cases, Nash, or rather his hero (for Nash does not himself make use of this language which he in no way admired, but only puts it into the mouth of his self-confident good-for-nothing as the finishing touch to his portrait), adopts Lyly's style entirely, alliteration and all: "The sparrow for his lecherie liveth but a yeere, he for his trecherie was turned on the toe." [276] "Works," vol. v. pp. 15 _et seq._ [277] Name of a room in the tavern. [278] It was translated into English from the Latin by John Palsgrave: "Acolastus," London, 1540, 4to. As to this play and its author, Gulielmus Gnapheus (Fullonius) of the Hague, who had it represented in 1529, see C. H. Herford, "Studies in the Literary Relations of England and Germany in the Sixteenth Century," Cambridge, 1886, 8vo, pp. 84 _et seq._, 108 _et seq._ [279] _Ibid._ p. 71. _Cf._ "Returne from Parnassus," 1601, ed. Macray, Oxford, 1886, act iv. sc. 3, pp. 138 _et seq._, where the rules of good acting are also under discussion. Shakespeare's opinions on the same are well known ("Hamlet," act iii. sc. 2, A.D. 1602). [280] "Works," vol. v. p. 183. [281] "Christs teares" (preface of the edition of 1594), "Works," vol. iv. p. 5. He recurs again to the same topic in his "Lenten Stuffe" (1599), and complains that when he talks of rushes it is taken to mean Russia, &c. [282] "Pierce Penilesse his supplication to the Divell" (1592), "Works," vol. ii. [283] Nash speaks of himself as being Pierce: "This is a predestinate fit place for Pierse Pennilesse to set up his staff on." "Lenten Stuffe," "Works," vol. v p. 201. [284] "Works," vol. ii. _Cf._ Ben Jonson: "Sir Politick (speaking to Peregrine):