p. 176 _Dumfounding_. A rude and rough form of practical joking. The players ‘dumfounded’ each other with sudden blows stealthily dealt. cf. Shadwell’s The True Widow (1678), Act iv, I. Prig in the theatre says: ’.ou shall see what tricks I’ll play; ‘faith I love to be merry’. (Raps people on their backs, and twirls their hats, and then looks demurely, as if he did not do it.) The pit, often a very pandemonium, was the chief scene of this sport. Dryden, prologue to _The Prophetess_ (1690), speaks of the gallants in the theatre indulging freely in That witty recreation, called dumfounding. p. 176 _stum’d Wine_. To stum wine is to renew dead and insipid wine by mixing new wine with it and so raising a fresh fermentation. cf. Slang (still in common use) ‘stumer’, a generic term for anything worthless, especially a worthless cheque. p. 176 _Grisons_. A ‘grison’ is a servant employed on some private business and so dressed in gray (gris) or a dark colour not to attract notice. cf. Shadwell’s _The Volunteers_ (1693), Act ii, sc. I: ‘_Sir Nich_. I keep grisons, fellows out of livery, privately for nothing but to carry answers.’ THE LUCKY CHANCE. p. 183 _Laurence, Lord Hyde_. This celebrated statesman (1641-1711) was second son of Edward Hyde, first Earl of Clarendon. The Dedication must have been written in 1686 when, wavering between the Catholic Faith and Protestantism, he was still high in favour with the King. 4 January, 1687, he was dismissed from court owing to his persistent refusals to be received into the Church. p. 183 _The Abbot of Aubignac_. François Hédelin, Abbé D’Aubignac, a famous critic and champion of the theatre, was born at Paris, 4 August, 1604. Amongst his best known works are: _Térence justifié_ (4to, 1646, Paris), an attack on Ménage; _La Practique du théâtre_ (4to, 1669, Paris); and _Dissertations concernant le poëme dramatique en forme de remarques sur les deux tragédies de M. Corneille, intitulées_ Sophonisbe _et_ Sertorious (12mo, 1663, Paris). He died at Nemours, 27 July, 1676. p. 185 _Dr. Davenant_. Charles Davenant, LL.D, (1656-1714), eldest son of Sir William Davenant. He sat for St. Ives, Cornwall, in the first parliament of James II, and was appointed, along with the Master of the Revels, to license plays. p. 185 _Sir Roger L’Estrange_. The celebrated Tory journalist, pamphleteer and censor was born in 1616. He had ever been a warm defender of James II, and upon this monarch’s accession was liberally rewarded. 21 May, 1685, a warrant was issued directing him to enforce most strictly the regulations concerning treasonable and seditious and scandalous publications. After the Revolution he suffered imprisonment. He died 11 December, 1704.