[546] If the play ended at six, it could hardly have begun before three. From numerous passages it appears that performances frequently began at three, or even later. Probably the curtain rose at one in the winter and three in the summer. IN AFRUM. XL. The smell-feast[547] Afer travels to the Burse Twice every day, the flying news to hear; Which, when he hath no money in his purse, To rich men's tables he doth ever[548] bear. He tells how Groni[n]gen[549] is taken in[550] By the brave conduct of illustrious Vere, And how the Spanish forces Brest would win, But that they do victorious Norris[551] fear. No sooner is a ship at sea surpris'd, But straight he learns the news, and doth disclose it; No[552] sooner hath the Turk a plot devis'd To conquer Christendom, but straight he knows it. Fair-written in a scroll he hath the names Of all the widows which the plague hath made; And persons, times, and places, still he frames To every tale, the better to persuade. We call him Fame, for that the wide-mouth slave Will eat as fast as he will utter lies; 20 For fame is said an hundred mouths to have, And he eats more than would five-score suffice. FOOTNOTES: [547] This word is found in Chapman, Harrington, and others. [548] So MS.--Old eds. "often." [549] Groningen was taken by Maurice of Nassau. Vere was present at the siege. [550] The expression "take in" (in the sense of "conquer, capture") is very common. [551] An English expedition, under Sir John Norris, was sent to Brittany in 1594. [552] This line and the next are found only in Isham copy and MS. IN PAULUM. XLI. By lawful mart, and by unlawful stealth, Paulus, in spite of envy, fortunate, Derives out of the ocean so much wealth, As he may well maintain a lord's estate: But on the land a little gulf there is, Wherein he drowneth all this[553] wealth of his. FOOTNOTES: [553] So Isham copy--Eds. A, B, C "the."--MS. "ye." IN LYCUM. XLII. Lycus, which lately is to Venice gone, Shall, if he do return, gain three for one;[554] But, ten to one, his knowledge and his wit Will not be better'd or increas'd a whit. FOOTNOTES: [554] When a person started on a long or dangerous voyage it was customary to deposit--or, as it was called, "put out"--a sum of money, on condition of receiving at his return a high rate of interest. If he failed to return the money was lost. There are frequent allusions in old authors to this practice. IN PUBLIUM. XLIII.