appears of immoderate length; it must however have been highly relished by the Court; and the spirit and accuracy with which the male characters are drawn, and the delicacy and sweetness with which some of the female ones are depicted, though they cannot delight (as at the time) by the happiness of their application, may yet be perused with pleasure as specimens of poetic excellence, ingenious flattery, or adroit satire."-Ben Jonson's Works (ed. Gifford, 1816), vol. vii. p. 366. On the text of this Metamorphosed Gipsies Gifford says in his Introduction: “A MASQUE, &c.] From the folio 1641. But a copy of it had stolen abroad, and been printed the year before, together with a few of Jonson's minor poems, by J. Okes, in 12mo. "The folio, never greatly to be trusted, is here grievously incorrect, and proves the miserable incapacity of those into whose hands the poet's papers fell. The surreptitious copy in 12mo. is somewhat less imperfect, but yet leaves many errors. These I have been enabled in some measure to remove, by the assistance of a MS. in the possession of my friend Richard Heber, Esq., to whose invaluable collection, as the reader is already apprised, I have so many obligations. This, which is in his own hand, and is perhaps the only MS. piece of Jonson's in existence, is more full and correct than either of the printed copies, the folio in particular, and is certainly prior to them both. It fills up many lacunæ and, in once instance, completes a stanza, by furnishing three lines, which no ingenuity could have supplied." In speaking of Jonson's Masques, Mr. Procter says, "Jonson returned to London in May, 1619," and "speaks of his welcome by King James, who was pleased to see him. Towards the end of May our author went to Oxford, where he resided for some time at Christchurch, with Corbet, afterwards Bishop of Norwich, with whom he was on terms of friendship. During his stay at Oxford he composed several of his Masques and other works; quitting the place occasionally, however, to accompany the Court in its royal progresses, and probably visiting the gentry around. Amongst these Masques, the best were, The Vision of Delight, Pleasure reconciled to Virtue, and The Gypsies Metamorphosed. Although the dialogue in the Masques, generally, strikes us as being tedious and somewhat too pedantic, yet the contrast of the Masque with the Anti-Masque-the mixture of the elegant with the grotesque, the introduction of graceful dances, the ingenious machinery, and the music married' to the charming lyrics, of which these little dramas are full, must have rendered them in the main very delightful performances. .. The Metamorphosed Gypsies is a much longer and more elaborate. performance than the others. It comprises, as its title will probably suggest, a considerable quantity of the gipsy cant or slang, and some rough and not over-delicate jesting; but several of the lyrics are, as usual, very delightful.” (P. xxiii-iv.) The present song is the answer to the following question of Puppy's to the gipsy Patrico :-"But I pray, sir, if a man might ask on you, how came your Captain's place first to be called the Devil's Arse?'" Mr. Chappell prints the tune of it at p. 161 of his Popular Music, and says that other copies of the song are in the Pepys Collection of Ballads, and, with music, in Pills to purge Melancholy. Also that "in S. Rowland's Martin Markhall, his defence and answer to the Bellman of London, 1610, is a list of rogues by profession, in which Cock Lorrel stands second. He is thus described:-- After him succeeded, by the general council, one Cock Lorrell, the most notorious knave that ever lived.'.. By trade he was a tinker, often carrying a pan and hammer for shew; but when he came to a good booty, he would cast his profession into a ditch, and play the padder." Gifford, who quotes the same treatise from Beloe's Anecdotes, adds that Cock Lorrell as he "past through the town would crie, Ha' ye any worke for a tinker? To write of his knaveries, it would aske a long time. This was he that reduced in forme the Catalogue of Vagabonds or Quartern of Knaves, called the Five and twentie Orders of Knaves. This Cock Lorell continued among them longer than any of his predecessors; for he ruled almost two and twentie years until the year A.D. 1533, and about the five and twenty year of Hen. VIII." In 1565, says Mr. Chappell, a book was printed called The Fraternitye of Vacabondes; whereunto also is adjoyned the twenty-five orders of knaves: confirmed for ever by Cocke Lorell. Cocke Lorell's Bote, printed by Wynkyn de Worde, is, we hope, so well known by the Percy Society's edition of it, as to need no further mention. COOKE Laurell wold needs have the devill his guest, who came in his hole' to the Peake to dinner, Where neuer ffeend had such a feast provided him yet att the charge of a sinner. His stomacke was queasie, he came thither coachet,2 to helpe itt hee Called for a puritan pochet 4 eggs Promooters in plumbe9 broth was his first dish, his owne priuye 10 kitchen had noe 11 such meate. 12 Sixe pickeld taylors slasht 13 & cutt, With Sempsters & tire women ffitt for his pallatt,14 With ffeathermen15 & perfumers put Some 12 in a charger, to make a graue Yett thoe with this hee much was taken, 16 sallett. by which you may know 19 the devill is a wencher. 20 24 28 32 36 A rich ffatt vserer stewed in his Marrowe, & by him a lawyers head in greene sawce,2 both which his belly tooke in Like a barrowe As if tell 3 then he had neuer seene sowce.4 8 6 9 Then, Carbonadoed 5 & cooket with paynes,7 Tow roasted sherriffes came whole to the borde,the ffeast 11 had beene nothing without them ;— both liuing & dead they were foxed 12 & furred, theire chaines like sawsinges 13 hang about them. The next 14 dish was a Maior of a towne, with a pudding of Maintenance 15 [thrust 16] in his like a goose in his 17 fethers drest in his gowne, a stewed Usurer, a carbonadoed Serjeant's face, 2 roast Sheriff's a Mayor, 2 boiled Pages, 15 Cap of Maintenance, one of the Regalia, or Ornaments of State, belonging to the King of England, before whom it is carry'd at the Coronation, and other great solemnities. Caps of Maintenance also are carry'd before the Mayors of several Cities of England. Phillips.-F. 16 thrust.-P. 17 the.-P. 18 An has been altered into p in the MS.-F. See 19 i. e. pages.-P. A hench-man or hench-boy, page d'honneur qui marche devant quelque Seigneur de grande authorité. Sherwood (in Cotgrave). Mr. Way's note1, Promptorium, p. 293, and Household Ordinances as there referred to. Henchman or Heinsmen, a German Word signifying a Household-Servant; and formerly taken amongst us for a Page of Honour or Footman. Phillips.-F. 20 to a.-W. a roast Cuckold, a Lecher's back, a Harlot's haunch, a Midwife pasty, an old Justice of the Peace, and a Holy Sister's kidney, which nearly made the Devil sick, a Traitor'sguts' pie, 40 44 48 52 56 60 1 came hot.-P. A London Cuckold hott from the spitt: but 2 when the Carver vpp had broke 3 him, the devill chopt up his head att a bitt, [him. but the hornes were verry neere like to haue choakt1 The chine of a leacher too there was roasted, A long 6 ffatt pasty of a Midwiffe hot: & for a cold baket meat into the storye, a reuerend painted Lady was brought, had beene confined in crust till 9 shee was hooary. To these an ouer worne10 justice of peace, 12 With a clarke like a gisarne 11 trust vnder eche arme; 14 Then broyled and broacht 15 on a buchers pricke, "ffor harke," quoth hec, "how his bellye rumbles! 2 and.-P. 4 to choake. 12 14 W. omits this stanza and the next one.-F. 15 i. e. rosted.-F. 16 Humbles. The humbles of a deer are the Liver, &c.-P. "Noumbles of a dere, or beest, entrailles. Palsgrave. Præcordia, the numbles, as the hart, the splene, the lunges, and lyver. Elyot. Skinner writes the word the humbles' of a stag, and rightly considers it as derived from umbilicus." Way in Promptorium, p. 360, note.-F. "Gybelet, idem quod Garbage (see note", above). Gybelet of fowlys. Profectum. Promptorium.-F. |