[89] Dyce's correction: old ed. "sinne." [90] So the old ed. Cunningham boldly reads "Governor," which is certainly the word we should have expected. [91] Dyce and the other editors give "When duck you?" I take "when" to be an abrupt exclamation denoting impatience, in which sense the word is often found (see Dyce's _Shakespeare Glossary_). [92] Scene: a room in Barabas' house. [93] _I.e._ portendeth. [94] Old ed. "life." [95] Old ed. "least." [96] A very old proverb; it is found in Chaucer's _Squieres Tale_, John Heywood's _Proverbs, Comedy of Errors_, &c. [97] Old ed. "plot." [98] _I.e._ in abundance. Dyce compares Beaumont and Fletcher's _Knight of the Burning Pestle_, ii. 2:-- "Here's money and gold _by th' eye_, my boy." [99] Briefly. [100] The juice of ebony (variously written "hebon" or "hebenon") was thought to be a strong poison. Cf. _Hamlet_, i. 5:-- "Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole With juice of cursed _hebenon_ in a vial." [101] Scene: the Senate-house. [102] Old ed. "Bashaws." (I have kept the spelling "Basso" throughout.) [103] Scene: a room in the convent.--The stage direction in the 4to. is "_Enter two Friars and Abigail._" [104] Scene: a street. [105] _I.e._ compared to. [106] A vulgar Italian oath. (Old ed. "_Catho diabola._") [107] Old ed. "inmates." [108] Upper rooms; lofts. The word is still used in some parts of the country. [109] Dyce reads "untold." [110] This line and the next are given to Ithamore in the old copy. [111] Ithamore. [112] The old form (preserved in "Covent Garden") of "convent." [113] Scene: a room in Barabas' house. In the 4to. this scene is a continuation of the former. [114] Old ed. "save." Perhaps we should read:-- "What will you? save my life!" [115] Scene: the front of Barabas' house. [116] I am tempted to arrange the verse thus:-- "O happy hour, Wherein I shall convert an infidel, And bring his gold into our treasury!" [117] Scene: a balcony of Bellamira's house. [118] The verse read by criminals to entitle them to "benefit of clergy." The first words of the 51st Psalm were commonly chosen. [119] Sermon. Cf. _Richard III._ iii. 2:-- "I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart; I am in debt for your last _exercise_." [120] _I.e._, a pair of mustachios. [121] The contemptuous expression "Turk of tenpence" is found in Dekker's _Satiromastix_, &c. [122] In old ed. these words are printed as part of the text. I have followed Dyce in printing them as a stage-direction. [123] So the old ed.--Dyce and Cunningham read "cunning;" but the expression "running banquet" (akin to our "hasty meal") occurs in _Henry VIII._ i. 4, l. 13. [124] So modern editors. Old ed. "steed." [125] Dyce observes that "realm" was often written "ream." Marlowe was not much addicted to quibbling. [126] A musical term. [127] Scene: a room in Barabas' house. [128] "Tottered" and "tattered" are used indifferently by old writers.