[185] Properly a military expression, meaning—fear no enemy.
[186] Used with a quibble: (1) reason, (2) raisin.
[187] Old eds. “Count of Arsena;” and so below “to Isabella, Gvido Count of Arsena.”—It was Guido who prepared the masque (see [p. 149]), and he ought certainly to be one of the masquers; but if we suppose that he is the masquer with whom Isabella falls in love, we are involved at once in wild confusion. Throughout this scene the prefixes are constantly wrong. The masquer who is now called Guido is frequently transformed into Rogero: see [p. 157], “The second change, Isabella fals in loue with Rogero” and what follows. Later in the scene Isabella sends her waiting-woman Anna to discover the unknown masquer’s name; and Anna returns with the announcement, “Madam, it was the worthy Count Massino.” In the third scene she sends her page to summon the stranger to her presence. When the page returns with him, the stage-direction is “Enter Count Arsena and a Page.” She flies with her paramour, and the first man to proffer his advice to Roberto is this same Guido, Count of Arsena, who—according to the old copies—is flying with the Countess to Pavia! In iii. 11 the stage-direction is “Enter Count Guido, Isabella,” &c., and presently Isabella addresses her paramour as Rogero. Isabella pretends that she is sick and Guido goes to fetch a doctor: when he returns the stage direction is “Enter Rogero, Anna, and Doctor.” So the changes are rung through several scenes. In iv. 3 Isabella speaks of—
“False Count Guido, treacherous Gniaca,
Counties of Gazia and of rich Massino.”
Gniaca is the Count of Gazia [Gaeta?], and it follows that Guido would be the name of the Count of Massino [Messina?]. But Guido is the Count of Arsena; and it will be intolerable to have another Guido. Throughout I shall give the name Massino to the paramour who elopes with the Countess, and shall prefix “Mass.” to his speeches. Count Arsena will have to be excluded from the masque. It is no fault of mine; the author (or authors) and the old printer must bear the blame.
[188] Old eds. “Claridiana, to Abigal; to Isabella, Gvido Count of Arsena; to Thais, Rogero.”
[189] Ed. 1631 “I must.”
[190] i.e., motto.
[191] Shakespeare has a more elaborate quibble:—“And then comes repentance, and with his bad legs falls into the cinque-pace faster and faster till he sink into his grave.”—Much Ado, ii. 1. Cinque-pace was the name of a lively dance.
[192] Old eds. “Thais.”
[193] Old eds. “Abig. ”