[489] The reference is to the frost of 1564.--"There was one great frost in England in our memory, and that was in the 7th year of Queen Elizabeth: which began upon the 21st of December and held in so extremely that, upon New Year's eve following, people in multitudes went upon the Thames from London Bridge to Westminster; some, as you tell me, sir, they do now--playing at football, others shooting at pricks."--"The Great Frost," 1608 (Arber's "English Garner," Vol. I.) [490] "This yeare [1560] in the end of September the copper monies which had been coyned under King Henry the Eight and once before abased by King Edward the Sixth, were again brought to a lower valuacion."--Hayward's _Annals of Queen Elizabeth_, p. 73. [491] On the 4th June 1561, the steeple of St. Paul's was struck by lightning. [492] "On the 10th of October (some say on the 7th) appeared a blazing star in the north, bushing towards the east, which was nightly seen diminishing of his brightness until the 21st of the same month."--Stow's _Annales_, under the year 1580 (ed. 1615, p. 687). [493] The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. [494] Vixenish. IN MARCUM. XXI. When Marcus comes from Mins',[495] he still doth swear, By "come[496] on seven," that all is lost and gone: But that's not true; for he hath lost his hair, Only for that he came too much on[497] one. FOOTNOTES: [495] Dyce conjectures that this was the name of some person who kept an ordinary where gaming was practised. (MS. "for newes.") [496] So eds. B, C.--Isham copy and ed. A "a seaven." [497] So MS. with some eccentricities of spelling ("to much one one").--Old eds. "at." IN CYPRIUM. XXII. The fine youth Cyprius is more terse and neat Than the new garden of the Old Temple is; And still the newest fashion he doth get, And with the time doth change from that to this; He wears a hat now of the flat-crown block,[498] The treble ruff,[499] long coat, and doublet French: He takes tobacco, and doth wear a lock,[500] And wastes more time in dressing than a wench. Yet this new-fangled youth, made for these times, Doth, above all, praise old George[501] Gascoigne's rhymes.[502] 10 FOOTNOTES: [498] Shape or fashion; properly the wooden mould on which the crown of a hat is shaped. [499] So MS.--Old eds. "ruffes." [500] Love-lock; a lock of hair hanging down the shoulder in the left side. It was usually plaited with ribands. [501] So MS. and eds. B, C.--Not in Isham copy or ed. A. [502] Gascoigne's "rhymes" have been edited in two thick volumes by Mr. Carew Hazlitt. He died on 7th October 1577. In Gabriel Harvey's _Letter Book_ (recently edited by Mr. Edward Scott for the Camden Society) there are some elegies on him. IN CINEAM. XXIII.