Part 33

An artificer who mends one hole, and makes twenty.

A jarke man can read and write, and sometimes understands a little Latin. A patrico solemnizes their marriages.

These are commonly women who ask assistance, feigning that they have lost their property by fire.

A woman who cohabits with an upright man, and professes to sell thread, &c.

"These antem mortes be maried wemen, as there be but a fewe: for antem, in their language is a churche--" &c. Harman. Sign. E. iv. A walking morte is one unmarried: a doxe, a dell, and a kynchin morte, are all females; and a kynchen co is a young boy not thoroughly instructed in the art of canting and prigging.

In Florio's Italian Dictionary, the word dinascoso is explained "secretly, hiddenly, in hugger-mugger." See also Reed's Shakspeare, xviii. 284. Old Plays, 1780. viii. 48.

Herbert notices Cock Lorelles Bote, which he describes to be a satire in verse, in which the author enumerates all the most common trades and callings then in being. It was printed, in black letter, Wynken de Worde, 4to. without date. History of Printing ii. 224, and Percy's Reliques, i. 137, edit. 1794.

ii. Picture of a Puritane, 8vo. 1605. [Dr. Farmer's Sale Catalogue, page 153, No. 3709.]

iii. _"A Wife novv the Widdow of Sir Thomas Overbvrye. Being a most exquisite and singular Poem of the Choice of a Wife. Wherevnto are added many witty Characters, and conceited Newes, written by himselfe and other learned Gentlemen his friends.

Dignum laude virum musa vetat mori, Cælo musa beat. Hor. Car. lib. 3.

London Printed for Lawrence Lisle, and are to bee sold at his shop in Paule's Church-yard, at the signe of the Tiger's head. 1614."_

Of Sir Thomas Overbury's life, and unhappy end, we have so full an account in the Biographia, and the various historical productions, treating of the period in which he lived, that nothing further will be expected in this place. His Wife and Characters were printed, says Wood, several times during his life, and the edition above noticed, was supposed, by the Oxford biographer, to be the fourth or fifth. Having never seen a copy of the early editions, I am unable to fix on any character undoubtedly the production of Overbury, and the printer confesses some of them were written by "other learned gentlemen." These were greatly encreased in subsequent impressions, that of 1614 having only twenty-one characters, and that in 1622 containing no less than eighty.

A COURTIER,--(Sign. C. 4. b.)

To all men's thinking is a man, and to most men the finest: all things else are defined by the understanding, but this by the sences; but his surest marke is, that hee is to bee found onely about princes. Hee smells; and putteth away much of his judgement about the scituation of his clothes. Hee knowes no man that is not generally knowne. His wit, like the marigold, openeth with the sunne, and therefore he riseth not before ten of the clocke. Hee puts more confidence in his words than meaning, and more in his pronuntiation than his words. Occasion is his Cupid, and hee hath but one receipt of making loue. Hee followes nothing but inconstancie, admires nothing but beauty, honours nothing but fortune. Loues nothing. The sustenance of his discourse his newes, and his censure like a shot depends vpon the charging. Hee is not, if he be out of court, but, fish-like, breathes destruction, if out of his owne element. Neither his motion, or aspect are regular, but he mooues by the vpper spheres, and is the reflexion of higher substances. If you finde him not heere, you shall in Paules with a pick-tooth in his hat, a cape cloke, and a long stocking.

FOOTNOTES:

In 1614 appeared The Husband, a Poeme, expressed in a compleat man. See Censura Literaria, v. 365. John Davies, of Hereford, wrote A Select Second Hvsband for Sir Thomas Overbvries Wife, now a matchlesse widow. 8vo. Lond. 1616. And in 1673 was published, The Illustrious Wife, viz. That excellent Poem, Sir Thomas Overbvrie's Wife, illustrated by Giles Oldisworth, Nephew to the same Sir T. O.

It was most probably the fifth, as Mr. Capel, who has printed the Wife, in his very curious volume, entitled Prolusions, 8vo. Lond. 1760, notices two copies in 1614, one in 8vo. which I suppose to be the third, and one in 4to. stated in the title to be the fourth edition: the sixth was in the following year, 1615; the seventh, eighth, and ninth were in 1616, the eleventh in 1622, twelfth in 1627, thirteenth 1628, fourteenth, 1630, fifteenth, 1632, sixteenth, 1638, and Mr. Brand possessed a copy, the specific edition of which I am unable to state, printed in 1655. Catalogue, No. 4927.

iv. "Satyrical Essayes, Characters, and others, or accurate and quick Descriptions, fitted to the life of their Subiects. [Greek: tôn êthôn dê phylattesthai mallon dei hê tous hecheis]. Theophras.

Aspice et hæc, si forte aliquid decoctius audis, Jude vaporata Lector mihi ferucat aure. IUUEN.

Plagosus minime Plagiarius.

John Stephens. London, Printed by Nicholas Okes, and are to be sold by Roger Barnes, at his Shop in St. Dunstane's Church-yard. 1615."

In a subsequent impression of this volume, 8vo. in the same year, and with a fresh title page, dated 1631, we find the author to be "John Stephens the younger, of Lincoln's Inn:" no other particulars of him appear to exist at present, excepting that he was the author of a play entitled, Cinthia's Revenge; or, Mænander's Extasie. Lond. for Barnes, 1613, 4to. "which," says Langbaine, "is one of the longest plays I ever read, and withal the most tedious." Ben Jonson addressed some lines to the author, whom he calls "his much and worthily esteemed friend," as did F. C. G. Rogers, and Thomas Danet.

Stephens dedicates his book to Thomas Turner, Esq. For the sake of a little variety I give one of his "three satyricall Essayes on Cowardlinesse," which are written in verse.

ESSAY I.

"Feare to resist good virtue's common foe, And feare to loose some lucre, which doth grow By a continued practise; makes our fate Banish (with single combates) all the hate, Which broad abuses challenge of our spleene. For who in Vertue's troope was euer seene, That did couragiously with mischiefes fight, Without the publicke name of hipocrite? Vaine-glorious, malapert, precise, deuout, Be tearmes which threaten those that go about To stand in opposition of our times With true defiance, or satyricke rimes. Cowards they be, branded among the worst, Who (through contempt of Atheisme), neuer durst Crowd neere a great man's elbow to suggest Smooth tales with glosse, or Enuy well addrest. These be the noted cowards of our age; Who be not able to instruct the stage With matter of new shamelesse impudence Who cannot almost laugh at innocence; And purchase high preferment by the waies, Which had bene horrible in Nero's dayes. They are the shamefull cowards, who contemne Vices of state, or cannot flatter them; Who can refuse advantage, or deny Villanous courses, if they can espye Some little purchase to inrich their chest Though they become vncomfortably blest. We still account those cowards, who forbeare (Being possess'd with a religious feare) To slip occasion, when they might erect Hornes on a tradesman's noddle, or neglect The violation of a virgin's bed With promise to requite her maiden-head. Basely low-minded we esteeme that man Who cannot swagger well, or (if he can) Who doth not with implacable desire, Follow revenge with a consuming fire. Extortious rascals, when they are alone, Bethinke how closely they have pick'd each bone, Nay, with a frolicke humour, they will brag, How blancke they left their empty client's bag. Which dealings if they did not giue delight, Or not refresh their meetings in despight, They would accounted be both weake, vnwise, And, like a timorous coward, too precise. Your handsome-bodied youth (whose comely face May challenge all the store of Nature's grace,) If, when a lustfull lady doth inuite, By some lasciuious trickes his deere delight, If then he doth abhorre such wanton ioy; Whose is not almost ready to destroy Ciuility with curses, when he heares The tale recited? blaming much his years, Or modest weaknesse, and with cheeks ful-blown Each man will wish the case had beene his own. Graue holy men, whose habite will imply Nothing but honest zeale, or sanctity, Nay so vprighteous will their actions seeme, As you their thoughts religion will esteeme. Yet these all-sacred men, who daily giue Such vowes, wold think themselves vnfit to liue, If they were artlesse in the flattering vice, Euen as it were a daily sacrifice: Children deceiue their parents with expence: Charity layes aside her conscience, And lookes vpon the fraile commodity Of monstrous bargaines with a couetous eye: And now the name of generosity, Of noble cariage or braue dignity, Keepe such a common skirmish in our bloud, As we direct the measure of things good, By that, which reputation of estate, Glory of rumor, or the present rate Of sauing pollicy doth best admit. We do employ materials of wit, Knowledge, occasion, labour, dignity, Among our spirits of audacity, Nor in our gainefull proiects do we care For what is pious, but for what we dare. Good humble men, who haue sincerely layd Saluation for their hope, we call afraid. But if you will vouchsafe a patient eare, You shall perceiue, men impious haue most feare."

The second edition possesses the following title--"New Essayes and Characters, with a new Satyre in defence of the Common Law, and Lawyers: mixt with reproofe against their Enemy Ignoramus, &c. London, 1631." It seems not improbable that some person had attacked Stephens's first edition, although I am unable to discover the publication alluded to. I suspect him to be the editor of, or one of the contributors to, the later copies of Sir Thomas Overbury's Wife, &c.: since one of Stephens's friends, (a Mr. I. Cocke) in a poetical address prefixed to his New Essayes, says "I am heere enforced to claime 3 characters following the Wife; viz. the Tinker, the Apparatour, and Almanack-maker, that I may signify the ridiculous and bold dealing of an vnknowne botcher: but I neede make no question what he is; for his hackney similitudes discouer him to be the rayler above-mentioned, whosoeuer that rayler be."

FOOTNOTES:

Coxeter, in his MSS. notes to Gildon's Lives of the Eng. Dram. Poets, in the Bodleian, says that the second edition was in 8vo. 1613, "Essays and Characters, Ironical and Instructive," but this must be a mistake.