Cypresse black as ere was Crow.
Palsgrave, Lesclarcissement de la Langue Françoyse, has: 'Cypres for a woman's necke—crespe'; and Cotgrave, Fr. Dict., 'Crespe: m. Cipres; also Cobweb Lawne'. The etymology of the word has given rise to much discussion. Skinner, Etymol. Angl., regards it as a corruption of the French crepes, but suggests that it may be derived from the island of Cyprus where it was first manufactured. This is almost certainly the case, cf. arras; cashmere; dimity; dornick; muslin, and many more. Wheatley in his notes on Every Man in His Humour suggests that Cyprus is derived from 'the plant Cyperus textilis, which is still used for the making of ropes and matting.' One of the English names of this plant was 'cypress'. Gerarde in his Herbal (1597) says: 'Cyperus longus is called ... in English, Cypresse and Galingale.' Mr. Wheatley's suggestion is ingenious but impossible. There is, moreover, ample evidence in favour of the derivation from the isle Cyprus.
p. [372] A Paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer. One may compare with this Paraphrase of the Pater by Mrs. Behn that by Poliziano—Προσευχὴ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν—written in 1472 when the poet was eighteen years old. Waller has sixteen lines OF the Paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer, written by Mrs. Wharton. cf. also Some Reflections of his upon the Several Petitions in the Same Prayer.
p. [378] To Mr. P. who sings finely. Perhaps Henry Purcell, whose voice was a counter-tenor, or possibly a relative of the great musician, a bass, who sang in the choir of the Abbey at the coronation of James II.
p. [379] On the Author of that Excellent Book. The Way to Health, Long Life and Happiness was published (4to, 1682), as Health's Grand Preservative; or, the Women's Best Doctor ... shewing the Ill-Consequences of drinking Distilled Spirits and smoking Tobacco ... with a Rational Discourse on the excellency of Herbs (2nd edition, 1691, 8vo, under the first-named title; 3rd edition 1697). It is the work of Thomas Tryon (1634-1703), 'Pythagorean', mystic, economist. This remarkable man, of whom a full account may be found in the Dic. Nat. Biog., was long a fervent follower of Jacob Behmen, and forms an interesting link between this enthusiast and the early quakers. In The Way to Health he advocates a vegetable diet, complete abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and indeed all luxuries. This, however, is done without fanaticism, and he has many pages of sound common sense. The manual is in the highest degree interesting, and in spite of much quaint detail his hygiene was excellent. Tryon died at Hackney, 21 August, 1703. This same poem appears prefixed to The Way to make All People Rich: or Wisdom's Call to Temperance and Frugality, by Philotheos Physiologus. [T. Tryon]. 12mo, 1685.
p. [382] Epilogue to the Jealous Lovers. The Jealous Lovers, which is by many considered Randolph's best play, was originally acted before the King and Queen at Cambridge by the students of Trinity. It was printed quarto, 1632, with nine copies of English, and seven of Latin, verses. The revival of this comedy at the Duke's house in 1682 met with extraordinary success, and is mentioned by Langbaine. Nokes, who spoke this epilogue, acted Asotus the prodigal, and Leigh, Ballio the pimp. Jo and Jack are Joseph Williams and John Bowman who sustained Tyndarus and Pamphilus.
Rebell Ward is a sharp hit at Sir Patience Ward (1629-1696), the ultra-protestant lord mayor of London, to which office he was elected on Michaelmas day, 1680, entering on to his duties 29 October following. He was a violent upholder of the city against the court, and in 1683 was tried for perjury in connection with the action brought by the Duke of York against Sir Thomas Pilkington for scandalum magnatum. On being found guilty he escaped to Holland but returned at the Revolution. He died 10 July, 1696, and is buried in the chancel of St. Mary Abchurch. This fanatic incurred much odium early in his Mayoralty by having an additional inscription engraved on the Monument to the effect that the Great Fire had been caused by the Catholics. A similar inscription was placed on the house in Pudding Lane where the fire began. Tom Ward (1652-1791), in his England's Reformation (1710, canto iv, p. 100), jeering at Titus Oates and his fictions has the following lines:—
That sniffling whig-mayor, Patience Ward,
To this damn'd lie had such regard,
That he his godly masons sent
T'engrave it round the Monument.
They did so; but let such things pass:
His men were fools, and he an ass.
Roscommon, The Ghost of the old House of Commons ... (1681), dockets 'the Bethels and the Wards' together as
Anti-Monarchic—Hereticks of State.