Thomas Heywood by Thomas Heywood - HTML preview

THE RAPE OF LUCRECE FOOTNOTES.

[1] makes legs bows.

[2] balm the consecrated oil used at coronations. Shakespeare has the expression: “’Tis not the balm, the sceptre and the ball.”

[3] be countant i.e. held accountant.

[4] estates nobles.

[5] humorously oddly.

[6] mome blockhead.

[7] laugh, Democritus the laughing philosopher of Abdera:

Perpetuo risu pulmonem agitare solebat
Democritus.—Juvenal, x., 33-4.

[8] curst shrewish.

[9] “Rome” was pronounced like “room.”

[10] generously of such noble blood.

[11] he was: by power divine the old editions miss the point by reading “he was by power divine.”

[12] coach-naves wheels, properly part of the axle.

[13] timeless untimely. This passage is corrupt.

[14] sparkled scattered.

[15] trifurk three-forked.

[16] rubs obstacles: originally a term used at the game of bowls.

[17] ballater maker of ballads

[18] sansing bell i.e. sanctus bell.

[19] moe more; i.e. others.

[20] lose waste.

[21] the water that God Mercury makes i.e. a cosmetic lotion containing mercury.

[22] being taken with the manner caught in the act. Cowel says, “manner or mainour denotes the thing that a thief taketh or stealeth.”

[23] doom decree.

[24] prevent forestall.

[25] buckle contend.

[26] traversed thoroughly examined.

[27] attaint accusation.

[28] topping lopping off.

[29] where i.e. whereas.

[30] suburbians the suburbs of London were formerly the chief resort of loose women.

[31] holly holy.

[32] hatchel heckle or dress.

[33] with Duke Humphrey dine i.e. not dine at all. “This phrase is said to have arisen from part of the public walks in Old St. Paul’s called Duke Humphrey’s walk, where those who were without the means of defraying their expenses at a tavern were accustomed to walk in hope of procuring an invitation.”—Halliwell.

[34] hey ho a favourite ballad-burden.

[35] cocket pert.

[36] Attalia Heywood was probably thinking of Horace’s Attalicæ condiciones.

[37] pounded i.e. penned up.

[38] upse freeze strong beer, imported from Friesland: hence to drink upse freeze was to drink hard.

[39] tassaker from tasse? Hence a cup or goblet.

[40] manage management.

[41] lavoltoes a dance in the course of which the woman, after being turned round several times, sprang up as high as she could with her partner’s assistance.

[42] wheel i.e. a spinning-wheel.

[43] rebatoes i.e. turn your ruffs into loose collars.

[44] frontlets forehead-bands.

[45] rails short mantles.

[46] billements head and neck ornaments.

[47] bongraces shades to preserve the complexion.

[48] There is no dash in the original; the singer evidently substituted the refrain for the omitted word.

[49] This song also occurs in Heywood’s Challenge for Beauty.

[50] cony-wool rabbit skin.

[51] shag rough hair.

[52] monmouth a kind of flat cap.

[53] chapine chapines were shoes with very high soles, worn by ladies to make them look tall.

[54] humorous damp.

[55] stars i.e. candles.

[56] tread not too hard for disturbing i.e. lest you should disturb.

[57] staves-acre a kind of larkspur used to kill lice.

[58] opinion reputation.

[59] defend forbid.

[60] uncrazed unbroken.

[61] mechal adulterous.

[62] stare starling.

[63] This catch, which jokes in such a ribald fashion over Tarquin’s crime, furnishes a pointed example of the way in which the dramatists of the period pandered to the tastes of the less refined among their audiences.

[64] to my death to fall to let fall, as often to be found in Shakespeare.

[65] infinite i.e. infinite numbers.

[66] buckler defend.

[67] battle battalion.

[68] tire tear, like a beast or bird of prey.

[69] bulk body.

[70] constant resolute.

[71] snaky “snake” was often used as a term of contempt.

[72] single monomachy “single monomachy” is rather an absurd pleonasm.

[73] garboils tumults.

[74] with one scorns i.e. that scorns.

[75] rock-sampier samphire.