Volume I Part 66 (2/2)
p. 117. _Lucia... Mrs. Norris._ In the quarto the name of this actress is spelled Norice. Even if the two characters Lucia and Petronella Elenora were not so entirely different, one being a girl, the second a withered crone, it is obvious that as both appear on the stage at one and the same time Mrs. Norris could not have doubled these roles. The name Mrs. Norice, however, which is cast for Lucia is undoubtedly a misprint for Mrs. Price. This lady may possibly have been the daughter of Joseph Price, an 'Inimitable sprightly Actor', who was dead in 1673. We find Mrs. Price cast for various roles of no great consequence, similar to Lucia in this play. She sustained Camilla in Otway's _Friends.h.i.+p in Fas.h.i.+on_ (1678), Violante in Leanerd's _The Counterfeits_ (1679), Sylvia in _The Soldier's Fortune_ (1683), Hippolita in D'Urfey's _A Commonwealth of Women_ (1685), and many more, all of which belong to the 'second walking-lady'.
Mrs. Norris, who acted Petronella Elenora, was a far more important figure in the theatre. One of those useful and, indeed, indispensable performers, who, without ever attaining any prominent position, contribute more essentially than is often realized to the success of a play, she became well known for her capital personations of old women and dowagers. Wife of the actor Norris, she had been one of the earliest members of Davenant's company, and her son, known as Jubilee d.i.c.ky from his superlative performance in Farquhar's _The Constant Couple_ (1699), was a leading comedian in the reigns of Anne and the first George. Amongst Mrs. Norris' many roles such parts as Lady Dupe, the old lady in Dryden's _Sir Martin Mar-All_ (1667), Goody Rash in Crowne's _The Country Wit_ (1675), Nuarcha, an amorous old maid, in Maidwell's _The Loving Enemies_ (1680), Mother Dunwell, the bawd in Betterton's _The Revenge; or, A Match in Newgate_ (1680), all sufficiently typify her special line, within whose limits she won considerable applause.
+Act I: Scene i+
p. 120 _Crab-Wine._ An inferior tipple brewed from sour apples.
p. 122 _Tantalus better than ever Ovid described him._
Quaerit aquas in aquis, et poma fugacia captat Tantalus: hoc illi garrula lingua dedit.
_Amorum_, ii, 11, 43-4.
Tibi, Tantale, nullae Deprenduntur aquae; quaeque imminet effugit arbos.
_Met_, iv, 457-8.
p. 126 _I ... must be this very Mountebank expected._ One may remember Rochester's unpenetrated masquerade as Alexander Bendo, high above 'the b.a.s.t.a.r.d race of quacks and cheats,' and Grammont's account of all the courtiers and maids of honour flocking for lotions and potions of perpetual youth to the new empiric's lodgings 'in _Tower-Street_, next door to the sign of the _Black Swan_, at a Goldsmith's house.' In the _Works of the Earls of Rochester, Roscommon and Dorset_ (2. vols. 1756), there is a rough cut of Rochester as a charlatan delivering a speech to the a.s.sembled crowd.
On the platform also stands his attendant, a figure dressed in the diamonded motley of Harlequin.
p. 126. _in querpo._ A Spanish phrase, _en cuerpo_ = without a cloak; in an undress or disguise.
+Act I: Scene ia+
p. 133 _old Adam's Ale._ A very ancient colloquialism for water. In Scotland 'Adam's wine' and frequently merely 'Adam'. Prynne in his _Sovereign Power of Parliament_ (1648), speaks of prisoners 'allowed only a poor pittance of Adam's ale.' cf. Peter Pindar (John Wolcot), _The Lousiad_, Canto ii, ll. 453-4:--
Old Adam's beverage flows with pride From wide-mouthed pitchers in a plenteous tide.
+Act II: Scene i+
p. 141 _a Pageant._ Here used to signify a platform or low scaffold.
+Act III: Scene i+
p. 157 _the Royal Sovereign._ In a Navy List of 1684 the _Royal Sovereign_ is cla.s.sed as one of the 'Nine First Rate' vessels. 1545 tons, 100 guns at home, 90 guns abroad, 815 men at home, 710 men abroad. In 1672 her commander was Sir Joseph Jorden. An authority on nautical matters whom I have consulted informs me that less men and fewer guns were carried to relieve the top hamper of the s.h.i.+p in a sea-way. Most vessels then were inclined to be top heavy, and although able to carry all their guns in the narrow seas, yet when going foreign were glad to leave ten behind, well knowing they would soon lose by scurvy or disease numbers of their crew apart from losses in battle. Although these s.h.i.+ps were pierced with ports for, say, 100 guns, it did not follow they always carried so many, as a complete broadside could be fired by running the gun carriages across from one side to another before the fight, so she would not be so heavy above and not so liable to roll and spoil the aim of the guns.
p. 159 _Bezolos mano's, Seignior._ Senor, beso las manos. = Sir, I kiss your hands; the usual Spanish salutation.
p. 165 _brown George._ Coa.r.s.e black bread; hard biscuit. cf.
Urquhart's _Rabelais_ (1653), Book IV. Author's prologue: 'The devil of one musty crust of a Brown George the poor boys had to scour their grinders with.' And Dryden, _Persius_ (1693), v. 215:--
Cubb'd in a cabin, on a matra.s.s laid, On a Brown George with lousy swabbers fed.
p. 165 _Spanish Pay._ Slang for fair words; compliments, and nothing more.
+Act IV: Scene ib+
p. 182 _fin'd._ In a somewhat unusual sense of to fine = to pay a composition or consideration for a special privilege.
+Act V: Scene iii+
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