p. [296] Thessalian Feilds. A forced conceit. Lucius travelling through Thessaly traverses 'ardua montium et lubrica vallium et roscida cespitum et glebosa camporum'.—Apuleius, Metamorphoseon (I, ii). Again, he is 'anxius alioquin ... reputansque me media Thessaliae loca tenere, quo artis magicae nativa cantamina totius orbis consono ore celebrentur.'—(II, i.)
p. [297] Sappho. Ephelia, the authoress of Female Poems on Several Occasions. 'Written by Ephelia.' 1679. In 1682 appeared 'The Second Edition, with large Additions'. This contains a poem 'To Madam Bhen'.
p. [297] of Thirsis and of Strephon. vide note supra (on p. 166).
p. [298] Kendrick. Daniel Kenrick or Kendrick, physician and poet, was born about 1652. 31 March, 1666, he entered Christ Church, Oxon, as a servitor, and proceeded M.A. 1674. He was much esteemed in his native town of Worcester (where he practised as a doctor) as 'a man of wit and a jolly companion.' Several poems of his appear in The Grove, or a Collection of Original Poems (1721), before which date, however, he was dead. The preface to this book highly praises him, and he appears to have been on terms of intimacy with the great Purcell as well as with Mrs. Behn. Dr. Kenrick is stated 'to have taken his degrees both in divinity and physic, and being a person of vivacity and wit, entertain'd his leisure hours in poetical compositions.' He may be identical with Daniel Kenrick, D.D., who preached the assize sermon at Worcester, in 1688.
p. [313] any Sir Fopling, or Sir Courtly Nice. cf. Vol. III, p. 278, Epilogue to The Lucky Chance, 'Nice and Flutter', and note (p. 492) on that passage.
p. [313] Galliard. Lively, cf. Shadwell's The Humorists (1671), Act iii, where Briske says to Theodosia: 'Come Madam, let's be frolick, Galliard, and extraordinary Brisk, fa, la, la, la!'
p. [342] quillets. A variation of 'quip', a play upon words; or an evasive retort, cf. Love's Labour Lost, iv, 111:—
O! some authority how to proceed;
Some tricks, some quillets, how to cheat the devil.
p. [343] On the Honourable Sir Francis Fane. Sir Francis Fane (died 1690?) was the eldest son of Sir Francis Fane, K.B., F.R.S., of Fulbeck, Lincolnshire, and Aston, Yorkshire. He was created a K.B. at the coronation of Charles II. During the latter part of his life he retired to his country estate at Henbury, Glos., where he died. His will is dated 14 November, 1689, and was proved 15 September, 1691. He is the author of a comedy, a masque, and a tragedy. Love in the Dark; or The Man of Business (4to, 1675), was produced at the Theatre Royal with Lacy, Jo Haines, Mohun, Kynaston and Mrs. Boutel in the cast. The scene is laid at Venice in Carnival time, and Intrigo, a good character, was not forgotten by Mrs. Centlivre when she composed The Busy Body. The Masque was written at Rochester's request for his alteration of Valentinian. It may be found in Tate's Poems by Several Hands (8vo, 1685). The Sacrifice (4to, 1689), was never acted, and would hardly have succeeded on the stage. The scene lies in 'a Revolted Fort in China'. It concludes with numerous deaths including that of Tamerlane the Great. Irene is his daughter belov'd by Axalla 'General to Tamerlane'. Despina is the wife of the Emperor Bajazet. Ragalzan is pithily designated a Villain, and he well merits the description. There is a copy of prefatory verses 'To The Author' by Nahum Tate, but neither prologue nor epilogue. Fane's plays are not without merit, but yet do not occupy a noteworthy rank in our theatrical library.
p. [348] To Alexis in Answer. This poem was written in answer to a copy of verses (which in Lycidus, 1688, immediately precede it), entitled 'A Poem against fruition—written on the reading in Mountains Essay: By Alexis'.