FOOTNOTES:
[1] Some time ago I was at the pains to transcribe from a unique MS. a long poem of Thomas Nashe. It is smoothly written, but very gross. There must be other poems of Nashe in MS.
[2] Also found in Dr. John Wilson's Cheerful Airs, 1660, and other collections.
[3] These verses are printed (with some slight alterations) in Wit's Interpreter, 1655. For "Kiss Me" (l. 15) Wit's Interpreter gives a word to rhyme with "Money" (l. 7).
[4] "There was probably a close connection here with the Song on Love, beginning, 'When I do love, I would not wish to speed,' printed in Parnassus Biceps, 1656, p. 82, and reprinted by Robert Jamieson, in Popular Ballads, ii. 311."—J. W. Ebsworth.
[5] This jocular song must have been written long before the date of publication, for a quotation from it occurs in Eastward Ho, 1605. (In Campion and Rosseter's Book of Airs, 1601, there is a song beginning, "Mistress, since you so much desire"; but Gertrude, in Eastward Ho, iii. 2—"But a little higher," &c.—was evidently quoting from the present song).
[6] In the 1671 edition of Wit's Interpreter this poem is headed "Love's Riddle Resolved." It is found in several miscellanies of the time.
["Amplified and spun out, it became a ballad printed for the assigns of Thomas Symcocke, in Roxburghe Collection, l. 242, a probably unique exemplar, entitled 'The Maid's Comfort.'"—J. W. Ebsworth.]
[7] The poem is headed "Cartwright's Song of Dalliance. Never printed before." It was printed in the same year, without the author's name, in Parnassus Biceps, where it is headed, "Love's Courtship." Unquestionably the finest of Cartwright's poems.
[8] Parnassus Biceps reads,—
"Softer lists are nowhere found,
And the strife itself's the prize."
[9] Parnassus Biceps,—
"Say thou ne'er shalt joy again."
[10] This is the reading in Parnassus Biceps—Sportive Wit, "restless."
[11] Parnassus Biceps, "when we twine."
[12] Compare Morley's song, "Thyrsis and Milla," in More Lyrics, pp. 116-7.
[13] Old ed. "brales."
[14] Old ed. "Gods."
[15] Old ed. "had had hastn'ed."
[16] There are some verses in Thomas Flatman's Songs and Poems, 1674, which suggested, or were suggested by, the present poem. They run thus:—
The Slight.
I did but crave that I might kiss,
If not her lip, at least her hand,
The coolest lover's frequent bliss;
And rude is she that will withstand
That inoffensive liberty:
She (would you think it?) in a fume
Turn'd her about and left the room:
"Not she!" she vowed, "not she!"
"Well, Charissa," then said I,
"If it must thus for ever be,
I can renounce my slavery
And, since you will not, can be free."
Many a time she made me die,
Yet (would you think it?) I loved the more:
But I'll not take 't as heretofore,
Not I, I'll vow, not I.
"The Resolution" is far the better poem.
[17] Quite in Mr. Browning's vein this expression, "Put case that."
[18] The Windsor Drollery, 1672, has a similar copy of verses:—
I'd have you, quoth he?
Would you have me? quoth she;
O where, sir?
In my chamber, quoth he.
In your chamber? quoth she;
Why there, sir?
To kiss you, quoth he.
To kiss me? quoth she;
O why, sir?
'Cause I love it, quoth he.
Do you love it? quoth she;
So do I, sir.
Compare another copy of verses, "O Amis! quoth he. Well, Thomas! quoth she," in the Academy of Compliments, 1671, p. 270.
[19] A delightful rendering of the fourth ode of Anacreon. I have found a MS. copy of it in Rawlinson MS. Poet., 214, where it is ascribed (how truly I know not) to "Mr. Tho. Head." It occurs in several later miscellanies; and in the variorum translation of Anacreon published at Oxford in 1683. Here is Stanley's rendering of the same ode: it is good, but far inferior to the version in the Drollery:—
On this verdant lotus laid,
Underneath the myrtle's shade,
Let us drink our sorrows dead,
While Love plays the Ganymed.
Life like to a wheel runs round,
And, ere long, we underground
(Ta'en by Death asunder) must
Moulder in forgotten Dust.
Why then graves should we bedew,
Why the ground with odours strew?
Better whilst alive prepare
Flowers and unguents for our hair.
Come, my fair one, come away;
All our cares behind us lay;
That these pleasures we may know
Ere we come to those below.
[20] So ed. 1671.—Ed. 1655, "factious."
[21] So ed. 1671.—Ed. 1655, "fortune."
[22] So ed. 1671.—Ed. 1655, "we."
[23] "This poem was written by James Howell. It is printed among his Poems, 1664, p. 68. Also in Poems collected by P. F. [= P. Fisher], 1663. See my Note in Choyce Drollery, reprint, 1876, p. 298."—J. W. Ebsworth.
[24] Old ed. "My thought." The first two stanzas of this poem (which becomes somewhat enigmatical towards the end) are also found in The Westminster Drollery.
[25] Old ed. "pish;" but "push" (required for the rhyme), the reading in The Westminster Drollery, is an old form of "pish."
[26] Rawlinson MS. Poet. 211, contains very many, if not all, of the poems in this collection. On the fly-leaf of the MS. is a note, "Charles Williams his booke written with Thomas."
[27] Old ed. "into."
[28] These dainty verses are by Robert Herrick.
[29] These verses are found in many later Miscellanies. [It was variously entitled "The Fearful Lover," "Pinks and Lilies; or, Phillis at a Non-plus." An answer to it begins, "Forbid me not t'enquire, Why you meet me here alone."—J. W. Ebsworth.]
[30] "This was written by Willm. Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, and sung in his 'Variety' (printed 1649), at the Black Friars Theatre."—J. W. Ebsworth.
[31] Qy. "in"?
[32] "For why" = because.
[33] An old form of "then." I restore it (old ed. reads "then") for the sake of the rhyme.
[34] This song was printed from a MS. in the Sloane Collection, by Ritson, in Antient Songs, 1790. It is in Egerton MS. 923, fol. 65, and Ashmole MS. 38, No. 272.
["Cf. Oxford Drollery (3 stanzas), ii. 89, 'Nay pish, nay fie! you venter to enter,' which is by Thomas Jordan, or before 1664. There is much closer resemblance (beyond accidental coincidence) to 'Loves Follies,' a four stanza song in Merry Drollery, 1661, 'Nay, out upon this fooling, for shame!'"—J. W. Ebsworth.]
[35] Affianced.
[36] Mr. Ebsworth kindly pointed out to me that this dialogue belongs to Jordan. I had taken it from Wit and Drollery, 1656. The earlier text is more correct. There is an MS. copy of it in Harleian MS. 3511 fol. 108.
[37] This poem is ascribed by the younger Donne to William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. It was very popular, and is found in many MS. collections. "Go, soul, the body's guest," is ascribed by Donne to Pembroke. People must have been very credulous in the second half of the seventeenth century. (See Windsor Drollery, 1672; Add. MS. 10309, &c.).
[38] There is a printed copy of this poem, widely different from the MS. version, in the second book of The Treasury of Music, 1659. After l. 6, the printed copy reads:—
"Not lady-proud nor city-coy,
But full of freedom, full of joy;
Not wise enough to rule a state,
Nor so much fool to be laugh'd at;
Nor childish young, nor beldam old;
Not fiery hot, nor icy cold;
Not richly proud, nor basely poor;
Not chaste, yet no reputed whore.
If such a one I chance to find,
I have a mistress to my mind."
Compare the song in Ben Jonson's Poetaster, ii. 1—
"If I freely may discover
What would please me in my lover," &c.
which probably suggested the present poem.
[39] This poem is also found in The Academy of Compliments and other collections.
[40] Old ed. "And."
[41] Old ed. "from."
[42] Motto.
[43] Sighed.
[44] Also in Wit's Recreations (with slightly altered text).
[45] Old form of "guest."
[46] There is an inferior version of this poem in Wit's Interpreter.
[47] This is the heading in the MS. Archdeacon Hannah, in his valuable edition of Raleigh's poems, makes no mention of this MS. poem. The last stanza, with a couple of lines tacked on, was printed in Raleigh's Remains, where it is stated to have been "found in his bible in the Gatehouse at Westminster." The whole poem is very much in Raleigh's manner; and I congratulate myself upon its discovery.
[48] MS. "discovers."
[49] This line is omitted in the MS.
[50] Both the MS. and printed copy read "pleasures."
[51] I have at present no information about "W. Munsey," whose name is attached to this (not very valuable) poem in the MS. In Rawlinson MS. 117, fol. 151, a copy of "I saw fair Chloris walk alone" (which has been attributed, without evidence, by some to Carew, and by others to Herrick) is subscribed "Munsey." The well-known poem, "In the nonage of a winter's day," usually ascribed to Carew, is signed in Rawlinson MS. Poet., 210, "W. Munsey."
[52] Immediately, without delay.
[53] MS. "ornaments."
[54] MS. "vppon downe."
[55] MS. "beds."
[56] Old form of aprons.
[57] Attributed to Thomas Carew.
[58] Old ed. "beauties."
[59] There is a somewhat similar copy of verses in Choice Drollery, 1656:—
"If at this time I am derided,
And you please to laugh at me,
Know I am not unprovided
Every way to answer thee,
Love or hate, Whate'er it be," &c.
[60] Old ed. "by."
[61] Mr. Ebsworth reminds me that this is Theocles' song, by Sir William Davenant, sung in Act iii. of "The Rivals," 1668.
[62] Old ed. "they."
[63] This poem is by Thomas Flatman, and is printed among his Songs and Poems, 1669.
["Also in Westminster Drollery, Windsor Drollery, and Pills to P. Mel., iii. 153. The music to it was composed by Roger Hill."—J. W. Ebsworth.]
[64] "Coth" = quoth.
[65] "This was written by Henry Bold; it is in his Poems Lyrique, 1664, p. 6."—J. W. Ebsworth. (I suspect Bold stole it: he was a notorious pilferer.)
[66] D'Urfey printed these verses in his Pills to Purge Melancholy, 1700, ii. 93, as "The Silly Maids."
[67] This poem is ascribed by Lawes to Henry Harrington, son to Sir Henry Harrington. It is found among the Fancies and Fantasticks appended to Wit's Recreations.
["It has also been accredited to Dr. Henry Hughes; the initials suggest the ambiguity. It is also in Playford's Select Ayres, 1659, p. 26."—J. W. Ebsworth.]
[68] Old ed. "leasure."
[69] I ought perhaps to omit this poem, for it is fairly well known. The writer was George Wither, in whose Fair Virtue, 1622, it first appeared. There are other versions in the Marrow of Compliments, 1655, and similar collections.
[70] This song is by Tom D'Urfey, and is printed in the first volume of his Pills to Purge Melancholy. In Comes Amoris the reading is "Aminta."
[71] "With music by Pelham Humphrey, in Playford's Choice Ayres, i. 34. Twice given in Windsor Drollery. Believed to be by Charles, Earl of Dorset."—J. W. Ebsworth.
[72] From the section containing Poems Collected by the Right Honourable Lady Aston (p. 136).
[73] Old ed. "enough."
[74] From the section containing Poems Collected by the Honourable Herbert Aston (pp. 307, 308).
[75] "This was a song of 1683, set to music by Captain Pack, and not improbably to his own words. It was printed in 1684 in Playford's Choice Ayres, v. 14, and parodies soon followed. Cf. Roxburghe Ballads, iv. 350."—J. W. Ebsworth.
[76] "This appeared twenty-four years earlier, being by Robert Baron, among his Poems, 1650, p. 65."—J. W. Ebsworth.
[77] Dr. Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, a prelate of rare virtue and high ability. This is the best of his poems.
[78] The author of a couple of masques. He was a friend of Carew; and is introduced into Suckling's Session of the Poets.
Transcriber's Notes
Variations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been retained except in obvious cases of typographical errors.
In "I HAVE followed thee a year at least" (p107) the first line of the last verse ends with "arc". This has been changed to "are".
A missing footnote anchor [19] has been added to "UNDERNEATH this myrtle shade" (p 26).