Volume Iii Part 144 (1/2)

p. 175 _Bantring and Shamming_. Banter = to chaff or make fun of, at this time a new slang word. It is almost certain that the verb, which came into use about 1670, was a full decade earlier than the noun. In 1688 the substantive 'Banter' was up-to-date slang. For the verb _vide_ D'Urfey's _Madam Fickle_ (1676), Act v, I, where Zechiel cries to his brother: 'Banter him, banter him, Toby. 'Tis a conceited old Scarab, and will yield us excellent sport--go play upon him a little--exercise thy Wit.' cf. Swift, _Apology_ (1710), _Talke of a Tub_: 'Where wit hath any mixture of raillery, 'tis but calling it banter, and the work is done. This polite word of theirs was first borrowed from the bullies in Whitefriars, then fell among the footmen, and at last retired to the pedants.'

For 'shamming' cf. Wycherley's _The Plain Dealer_ (1674), iii, I, where the Lawyer says to Manly: 'You ... shammed me all night long.'

'Shammed!' cries Manley, 'prithee what barbarous law-term is that?'

'Shamming ...' answers the lawyer, ”tis all our way of wit, Sir.' And Freeman explains 'Shamming is telling you an insipid dull lie with a dull face, which the sly wag the author only laughs at himself; and making himself believe 'tis a good jest, puts the sham only upon himself.'

p. 176 _Dumfounding_. A rude and rough form of practical joking. The players 'dumfounded' each other with sudden blows stealthily dealt. cf.

Shadwell's The True Widow (1678), Act iv, I. Prig in the theatre says: 'You shall see what tricks I'll play; 'faith I love to be merry'. (Raps people on their backs, and twirls their hats, and then looks demurely, as if he did not do it.) The pit, often a very pandemonium, was the chief scene of this sport. Dryden, prologue to _The Prophetess_ (1690), speaks of the gallants in the theatre indulging freely in

That witty recreation, called dumfounding.

p. 176 _stum'd Wine_. To stum wine is to renew dead and insipid wine by mixing new wine with it and so raising a fresh fermentation. cf. Slang (still in common use) 'stumer', a generic term for anything worthless, especially a worthless cheque.

p. 176 _Grisons_. A 'grison' is a servant employed on some private business and so dressed in gray (gris) or a dark colour not to attract notice. cf. Shadwell's _The Volunteers_ (1693), Act ii, sc. I: '_Sir Nich_. I keep grisons, fellows out of livery, privately for nothing but to carry answers.'

THE LUCKY CHANCE.

p. 183 _Laurence, Lord Hyde_. This celebrated statesman (1641-1711) was second son of Edward Hyde, first Earl of Clarendon. The Dedication must have been written in 1686 when, wavering between the Catholic Faith and Protestantism, he was still high in favour with the King. 4 January, 1687, he was dismissed from court owing to his persistent refusals to be received into the Church.

p. 183 _The Abbot of Aubignac_. Francois Hedelin, Abbe D'Aubignac, a famous critic and champion of the theatre, was born at Paris, 4 August, 1604. Amongst his best known works are: _Terence justifie_ (4to, 1646, Paris), an attack on Menage; _La Practique du theatre_ (4to, 1669, Paris); and _Dissertations concernant le poeme dramatique en forme de remarques sur les deux tragedies de M. Corneille, int.i.tulees_ Sophonisbe _et_ Sertorious (12mo, 1663, Paris). He died at Nemours, 27 July, 1676.

p. 185 _Dr. Davenant_. Charles Davenant, LL.D, (1656-1714), eldest son of Sir William Davenant. He sat for St. Ives, Cornwall, in the first parliament of James II, and was appointed, along with the Master of the Revels, to license plays.

p. 185 _Sir Roger L'Estrange_. The celebrated Tory journalist, pamphleteer and censor was born in 1616. He had ever been a warm defender of James II, and upon this monarch's accession was liberally rewarded. 21 May, 1685, a warrant was issued directing him to enforce most strictly the regulations concerning treasonable and seditious and scandalous publications. After the Revolution he suffered imprisonment.

He died 11 December, 1704.

p. 185 _Mr. Killigrew_. Charles Killigrew (1655-1725), Master of the Revels, was son of Thomas Killigrew by his second wife Charlotte de Hesse. He had been appointed Master of the Revels in 1680, patentee of Drury Lane Theatre in 1682. He was buried in the Savoy, 8 January, 1724-5.

p. 186 _Mr. Leigh_. Antony Leigh, the famous comedian, who created Sir Feeble Fainwood. The scene referred to is Act iii, sc. II, where it must be confessed that, in spite of her protestation, Mrs. Behn gives the stage direction--Sir Feeble 'throws open his Gown, they run all away, he locks the Door.'

p. 186 _Oedipus_. Dryden and Lee's excellent tragedy was produced at Dorset Garden in 1679. Betterton created Oedipus and his wife Jocasta.

It was extraordinarily popular, as, indeed, were all the plays Mrs. Behn marshalls forth in this preface. The scene particularly referred to is Act ii, I: 'Oedipus enters, walking asleep in his s.h.i.+rt, with a Dagger in his Right-Hand and a Taper in his Left.' A little after 'Enter Jocasta, attended with Lights, in a Night-Gown.'

p. 186 _City Politicks_. This comedy by Crowne is a mordant satire upon the Whigs. It was produced with great success at the Theatre Royal and printed quarto 1683. A certain Florio feigns to be dying in order to prevent the Podesta suspecting an intrigue between his wife, Rosaura, 'the Lady Mayoress', and so impotent an invalid. Artall is in love with Lucinda, who is married to a toothless old lawyer, Bartoline. Says Genest: 'The Podesta and Bartoline are as well cuckolded as any Tory could wish.' cf. The conclusion of Act ii and the commencement of Act iii; also the discovery of Florio and Rosaura in Act v.

p. 186 _London Cuckolds_. This immensely popular play, five merry side-splitting acts which kept the stage for a century, was produced in 1682 at Dorset Garden. Ravenscroft has no less than three cuckolds in his Dramatis Personae: Doodle, Dashwell, and Wiseacre. The intrigues and counter-intrigues are innumerable. At the end the cuckolds all jeer one another.

p. 186 _Sir Courtly Nice_. This witty comedy, Crowne's masterpiece, was produced at the Theatre Royal in 1685. Mrs. Behn's allusion is to Act ii, II, where Crack, disguised as a tailor, visits Leonora. The language is often cleverly suggestive.

p. 186 _Sir Fopling_. Etheredge's third comedy, _The Man of Mode; or, Sir Fopling Flutter_ was produced at the Duke's Theatre in 1676. It met 'with extraordinary success'. Mrs. Behn points at Act iv, II.

p. 186 _Valentinian_. The reference is to the Earl of Rochester's _Valentinian_, altered from Fletcher, which was produced with great applause at the Theatre Royal in 1684. The Court Bawds, Balbus, Proculus, Chylax, Lycinius, with the 'lewd women belonging to the court', Ardelia and Phorba, are important characters in the tragedy. The direct allusion is, perhaps, to Act ii, I. The scene after the rape, Act iv, sc. III, 'opens, discovers th'Emperor's Chamber. Lucina newly unbound by th'Emperor'. The 'Prologue spoken by Mrs. Cook the first day' is by Mrs. Behn (_vide_ Vol. VI). It is certain that an audience which found no offence in Rochester's _Valentinian_ could ill have taken umbrage at the freedoms of _The Lucky Chance_.

p. 186 _The Moor of Venice. Oth.e.l.lo_ was one of the first plays to be revived at the Restoration, and was, perhaps, the most frequently seen of all Shakespeare. On 11 October, 1660, Burt acted Oth.e.l.lo at the c.o.c.kpit. Downes gives Mohun as Iago; Hart, Ca.s.sio; Cartwright, Brabantio; Beeston, Roderigo; Mrs. Hughes, Desdemona; Mrs. Rutter, Emilia. But it is certain Clun had also acted Iago--(Pepys, 6 February, 1668). Hart soon gave up Ca.s.sio to Kynaston for the t.i.tle role in which he is said to have excelled. After his retirement in 1683 it fell to Betterton, of whose greatness in the part Cibber gives a lively picture.

The _Tatler_ also highly commends this actor's Oth.e.l.lo.

p. 186 _The Maids Tragedy_. Mrs. Behn refers to Act ii, I, and Act iii, I. Hart acted Amintor; Mohun, Melantius; Wintershall, the King; Mrs. Marshall, Evadne. Rymer particularly praises Hart and Mohun in this tragedy, saying: 'There we have our Roscius and Aesopus both on the stage together.' After 1683 it was differently cast. It will be remembered that Melantius was Betterton's last role, in which he appeared for his benefit 13 April, 1710, to the Amintor of Wilks and the Evadne of Mrs. Barry. He died 28 April, a fortnight after.