Sweet heart,
What noyse is in this house? my head is broken
In every corner, as the earth were shaken
With some strange Collick: there are stirs and motions:
What planet rules this house? Whos there?
In III. 5 the MS. supports Mason's correction "Their blue veins and blush disclose," where Dyce followed the old reading "in blush."—At the end of the play, after the Epilogue, are written the three following Epigrams:—
A freemans life is like a pilgrimage:
What's his life then that lives in mariage?
Tis Sisyphus his toyle that with a stone
Doth doe what surely for ease must be done.
His labours journey's endles; 'tis no riddle,
Since he's but halfe on's way that stands inth' middle.
Ad Janum.
Take comfort, Janus; never feare thy head
Which to the quick belongs, not to the dead.
Thy wife did lye with one; thou, being dead drunke,
Then art no Cuckold though she bee a Punke.
Tis not the state nor soveraintie of Jove
Could draw thy pure affections from my love:
Nor is there any Venus in the skyes
Could from thy lookes withdraw my greedy eyes.
Leaves 30-51 are taken up with Dick of Devonshire. Then follows an unnamed play (leaves 52-73), written in a villainous hand. If I succeed in transcribing this play I shall print it in the third volume, for it seems to be an unpublished play of Heywood's. The next piece, entitled Calisto (leaves 74-95), which is written in the same hand, consists of scenes from Heywood's Golden Age and Silver Age. There are many variations from the printed copies, showing that the most active of the old playwrights found time to revise his works. Here is a song that was omitted in the printed copy. Its proper place in Pearson's Reprint of Heywood is vol. iii. p. 67:—
Whether they be awake or sleepe,
With what greate Care ought Virgins keepe,
With what art and indevor,
The Jewell which they ought to pryse
Above the ritchest marchandise,—
And once lost lost for ever!
Virginity is a rare gem,
Rated above a diadem,
And was despised never:
'Tis that at which the most men ayme
And being gott they count their game
And once lost lost for ever.
Of the charming song "Haile beauteous Dian, Queene of Shades" the MS. gives a far inferior version:—