Volume I Part 34 (2/2)

p. 14 _Gambo._ The Gambia in W. Africa has been a British Colony since 1664, when a fort, now Fort James, was founded at the mouth of the river.

+Act I: Scene ii+

p. 17 _Hogoes._ Haut-gout, a relish or savoury.

+Act I: Scene ii+

p. 26 _a Piece of Eight._ A piastre, a coin of varying values in different countries. The Spanish piastre is now synonymous with a dollar and so worth about four s.h.i.+llings. The old Italian piastre was equivalent to 3_s._ 7_d._

+Act II: Scene i+

p. 30 _Balcony... each side of the Door._ With regard to the proscenium doors and balconies of a Restoration theatre, our knowledge of these points has been rendered much more exact since the valuable discovery by that well-known authority in stage matters, Mr. W. J. Lawrence, of Sir Christopher Wren's designs for the second Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 1674. Beyond the proscenium on the ap.r.o.n there are four doors each with its balcony above. The height of these balconies from the stage is considerable, surprisingly so indeed in view of the fact that characters frequently have to climb up into or descend from one of these 'windows', e.g., Shadwell's _The Miser_ (1672), Act. iv, when the drunken bullies 'bounce at the Doors', we have 'Squeeze at the Window in his Cap, and undressed,' who cries: 'I must venture to escape at this Window'; 'he leaps down', and yells, as he falls, 'Death! I have broke my Bones; oh! oh!' whilst the scowrers run up, exclaiming: 'Somebody leaped out of a Window', and he is promptly seized. In Ravenscroft's _The London Cuckolds_ (1682), Act. v: 'Enter Ramble above in the Balcony'. This gallant, escaping from the house hurriedly, decides 'which way shall I get down? I must venture to hang by my hands and then drop from the Balcony'. Next: 'As Ramble is getting down Doodle enters to look for his glove, Ramble drops upon him and beats him down.' This could hardly have been an easy bit of stage business, although Smith, who acted Ramble, was an athletic, tall young fellow.

Normally no doubt only two of the doors (those nearest the proscenium opening on opposite sides) with their balconies were in constant use by the actors as the exigencies of the play might demand, but if required, all four balconies, and more frequently, all four doors could be and were employed. It is noticeable in Wren's design that the balconies are not stage balconies, but side boxes, a permanent part of the general architectural scheme, and there can be no doubt that, save in exceptional circ.u.mstances, the two outermost were occupied by spectators. If the play did not require the use of a balcony at all, spectators would also fill the inner side boxes. In time, indeed, two doors and two balconies only came to be used, but for some decades at least all four were practicable. The present pa.s.sage of _The Rover_ indicates the use of three doors. The bravos hang up two little pictures of Angelica, one at each side of the door of her house, and presently the fair courtezan appears in her balcony above. A little later Don Pedro and Stephano enter by one door at the opposite side, Don Antonio and his page by the second door on the same side as Pedro.

In Etheredge's _She Wou'd if She Cou'd_ (6 February, 1668) Act ii, 1, Courtal and Freeman are seen following up Ariana and Gatty in the Mulberry Garden. Presently 'The Women go out, and go about behind the Scenes to the other Door', then 'Enter the Women [at one door]

and after 'em Courtal at the lower Door, and Freeman at the upper on the contrary side'.

Three balconies are employed in Ravenscroft's _Mamamouchi_ (1672; 4to 1675) Act iv. We have 'Enter Mr. Jorden, musick' obviously in one balcony from the ensuing dialogue. Then 'Cleverwit, in Turk's habit, with Betty Trickmore and Lucia appear in the Balcony' number two. A song is sung and 'Young Jorden and Marina in the Balcony against 'em'. Young Jorden remarks, 'Now, dearest Marina, let us ascend to your Father, he is by this time from his Window convinc'd of the slight is put on you....' 'They retire' and although there has been no exit marked for Mr, Jorden, we find directly, 'Enter Mr.

Jorden and Trickmore,' obviously upon the stage itself, to which Mr.

Jorden has descended. It must be noted, however, that the use of more than two balconies is very rare.

Mr. W. J. Lawrence in _The Elizabethan Playhouse and other Studies_ (First Series) aptly writes: 'No dramatist of the time had a better sense of the theatre than Mrs. Behn, and none made more adroit employment of the balconies.' He then cites the scene of Angelica, her bravos and admirers.

p. 36 _a Patac.o.o.ne._ A Spanish coin in value about 4_s._ 8_d._

+Act II: Scene ii+

p. 38 _a Pistole-worth._ The pistole was a gold coin worth about 16_s._

p. 42 _a shameroon._ A rare word meaning a trickster, a cozening rascal.

+Act III: Scene iia+

p. 54 _bow'd Gold._ Bowed for bent is still used in the North of England: 'A bowed pin.'

+Act III: Scene iii+

p. 57 _disguis'd._ A common phrase for drunk.

+Act IV: Scene ii+

p. 75 _cogging._ To cog = to trick, wheedle or cajole.

+Act V: Scene i+

p. 99 _Tramontana._ Foreign; Italian and Spanish _tramontano_ = from beyond the mountains.

p. 101 _upse._ Op zijn = in the fas.h.i.+on or manner of. _Upse Gipsy_ = like a gipsy, cf. _The Alchemist_, iv, vi:

<script>