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upon a dolphin, in a masque presented before Elizabeth, and throwing off his disguise, swearing he was none of Arion, not he, but only honest Harry Goldingham; is an additional instance of the inartificial nature of the devises by which our forefathers were amused. Add to this, so great a favourite was the subject of Jonah, and so strict was the regard paid to the history of his voyage, that in "Greene and Lodge's Looking-glass for London and England," 'nature is made afraid in their play,' to use the words of Ben, by the appearance of the whale, and the monster is brought forward releasing Jonah from his durance by casting him on the stage. These examples of the extravagant nature of theatrical representation, in the early state of the drama, may be thought sufficient justification of Jonson's satire on general grounds to those, however, who object that seamonsters are not servant-monsters, Ben shall answer for himself: when in the passage already quoted from the induction, he says, "if there be no little Davy in the fair to take toll of the bawds; no tooth-drawer; no cut-purse; no bal

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not he, but even honest Harry Goldingham; which blunt discovery pleased the Queen better than if it had gone through in the right way: yet he could order his voice to an instrument exceeding well." Mery Passages and Jeastes. Harl. MS. 6395. Shakspeare, 4-394.

lad-singer, allurant; no hypocrite, rampant; nor a servant-monster; he is merely recapitulating the objections he had before supposed would be taken to their omission; and in the original passage he has explained his servant-monster in terms too clear to be misunderstood, and too express to admit of misconstruction. The stagekeeper is introduced complaining that the poet "has not hit the humours, he does not know 'em; he has not conversed with the Bartholomew birds, as they say; he has never a sword and buckler-man in his fair; nor a little Davy, to take toll of the bawds there, as in my time; nor a Kind-heart, if any body's tooth should chance to ake in his play; nor a juggler with a well-educated ape, to come over the chain for a king of England, and back again for the prince, and sit still on his arse" (saving your modesties) for the pope and the king of Spain! None of these fine sights." The "Welcome's familiar" of Bishop Corbet* has not yet been explained, or it 'would probably be found one of Jonson's ser

vant-monsters.

It is worthy of remark, that Ben seems to have anticipated the discoveries of the sharp

* Why doth not Welcome rather purchase her,

And bear about this rare familiar?

Corbet's Poems. 1807.

sighted critics in his own day, who would find something short of treason in the characters of his drama; and the text is so palpable, that one can be at no loss to discover a commentary among "the politic picklocks of the scene" in our own. "It is finally agreed by the aforesaid hearers and spectators, that they neither in themselves conceal, nor suffer by them to be concealed, any state decipherer or politic picklock of the scene, so solemnly ridiculous as to search out who was meant by the ginger-bread woman; who, by the hobby-horse man; who, by the costar-monger; who, by their wares; and so of the rest. But that such person or persons, so found, be left discovered to the mercy of the author, as a forfeiture to the stage, and your laughter aforesaid."

To the sources already described, we might, perhaps, without danger of correction, refer the nest of antiques, in which the commentators suppose the satyrs in "The Winter's Tale" are sneered at. But when it is remembered, that in Lanthorn Leatherhead, the motion-master, Jonson intended to satirize Inigo Jones, the great machinist of the masques and pageants of that period, I cannot forbear thinking that Een, by a natural association, has assimilated the drolls and mummeries of Bartholomew fair, with the

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more romantic and artificial subjects of Jones's labours.

If Shakspeare had been the object of the commentators' research instead of Jonson, it is inconceivable what a profusion of learning and industry would have been lavished on the reader, in producing proof of the frequency of such exhibitions. Indeed there was no city procession, no nuptial masque or May-day pageant, but exhibited groupes of these fantastic masqueraders; even the Christmas gambols of the Lord of Misrule were composed of servant-monsters, nests of antiques, and such like drolleries. This mock-monarch "chooseth forth," says Stubbs,* "twenty, forty, threescore, or an hundred lustie guttes, like to himself, to wait upon his lordly majestie, and to guard his noble person. These he investeth in various liveries of green, yellow, or such like colours. This done, they tie about either legge twentie or fortie belles, with riche handkerchiefs in their hands, and sometimes laide acrosse over their shoulders, and neckes, borrowed, for the most part, of their pretie mopsies and loving Bessies. Thus all things set in order, they have their hobby-horses, their dragons, and other antiques, together with

* Stubbs's “Anatomie of Abuses.” 1595.

their baudie pipers, and thundring drummers,* to strike up the devil's dance with-all."

Such is the sanctimonious anatomist's account of the entertainments of the vulgar; but these grotesque Robin-Goodfellows were not confined to their circle, they formed part of the royal entertainment at Oxford, in 1605. "The comedy began between nine and ten, and ended at one; the name of it was Albas, whereof, says an eye-witness,† I never saw reason. In the acting thereof, they brought in five or six men nearly naked, which were much disliked by the queen and ladies, and also many rusticale, songs and dances, which made it very tedious."

At these, as palpably as at Shakspeare, the nest of antiques in Jonson might be aimed. If, however, any singular reference must be made, where most probably only the general practice

* Mr. Malone thinks Ben meant to sneer at "The Tempest," (which he supposes was written in 1612,) in the prologue to "Every Man in his Humour:

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nor tempestuous drum

Rumble to tell you when the storm will come.

Every Man in his Humour," it is certain, was written in 1598; to admit that the prologue was composed at the same time, would be overturning some of the commentators' most ingenious theories.

+ Leyland's "Collectanea," vol. ii. p. 637. 8vo. 1774.

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