SSSSSS

Lud Du Guernier inv.et sculp

Every Man in his Humour.

Every Man in his Humour.

ACT I.

A

SCENE I.

Kno'well, Brain-worm, Mr. Stephen.

Kno'well.

Goodly day toward and a fresh morning!
Brain-worm,

Call up your young mafter: Bid him rife, fir'.
Tell him, I have fome bufinefs to employ him.
Brai. I will, fir, presently.

Know. But hear you, firrah,

If he be at his book, difturb him not.

Brai. Well, fir2.

Know. How happy yet, fhould I esteem my felf, Could I (by any practice) wean the boy

From

A goodly day toward! and a fresh morning! Brain-worm, Call up your young mafter: bid him rife, fir.] Thus are thefe lines printed in the common editions of this poet, without any regard to the measure or quantity of the verse. It must be owned

that the metre of the comic poets, in the age of Jonfon, was extremely loose and irregular, often requiring to be helped out by the speaker. The voice, as it was neceffary, muft either flur over, or lengthen out a syllable to preserve the numbers. An elifion in the word your, by marking it in this manner y'r, wou'd guide the pro.. nunciation in the reading. There is, however, an expletive, that might eafily be omitted, and might probably have been the player's infertion and the verse wou'd be better, if we read it thus:

Brain-worm, call your young mafter: bid him rife, fir

B 3

Mr. SEWARD.

Thefe

From one vain course of study, he affects.
He is a scholar, if a man may trust
The liberal voice of fame, in her report,
Of good account in both our universities,
Either of which hath favour'd him with graces :
But their indulgence muft not fpring in me
A fond opinion, that he cannot err.
My felf was once a ftudent, and, indeed,
Fed with the felf-fame humour he is now,
Dreaming on nought but idle poetry,
That fruitless and unprofitable art,

Good unto none, but leaft to the profeffors;
Which, then, I thought the mistress of all knowledge:
But fince, time and the truth have wak'd my judgment,
And rafon taught me better to distinguish

The vain from th' ufeful learnings. Coufin Stephen!
What news with you, that you are here so early?

Step. Nothing, but e'en come to fee how you do, uncle.

Kno. That's kindly done; you are welcome, couz. Step. I, I know that, fir, I would not ha' come else. How does my coufin Edward, uncle?

Kno. O, well couz, go in and fee: I doubt he be fcarce ftirring yet.

These observations are equally ingenious and juft; but I have fill ventured to retain the old reading, principally on the authority of the firft folio, which was printed in the poet's life-time, and under his own infpection. The defect in measure is probably in the first line; which becomes a perfect verfe by contracting the word toward into one fyllable, and which undoubtedly must be so pronounced.

2 Brain. WELL, SIR.] An elliptical expreffion; It is well, fir; probably borrowed from the Latin form of speaking usual on fuch occafions.

Rogo nunquid velit; RECTE, inquit, abeo.

TEREN. Eun. A&t. II. Sc. 3. 3 I, I know that, fir !] Ay, &c. The antient way of writing this affirmative particle was only with the vowel I, and a comma after it. This is followed in the old and last edition likewise, and I have conformed to it in the prefent.

Step.

Step. Uncle, afore I go in, can you tell me, an' he have e're a book of the fciences of hawking and hunting; I would fain borrow it.

Kno. Why, I hope you will not a hawking now, will you?

Step. No, wuffe, but I'll practice against next year, uncle I have bought me a hawk, and a hood, and bells, and all; I lack nothing but a book to keep it by4. Kno. O, moft ridiculous.

Step. Nay, look you now, you are angry, uncle; why you know an' a man have not fkill in the hawking and hunting-languages now-a-days, I'll not give a rush for him. They are more ftudied than the Greek, or the Latin. He is for no gallants company without 'em And by gads-lid I fcorn it, I, fo I do, to be a confort for every hum-drum; hang 'em, fcroyles! there's nothing in 'em i' the world. What do you talk on it? Becaufe I dwell at Hogfden, I fhall keep company with none but the archers of Finfbury, or the citizens that come a ducking to Iflington ponds? A fine jeft i' faith! Slid, a gentleman mun how himself like a gentleman: Uncle, I pray you be not angry, I know what I have to do, I trow, I

am no novice.

Kno. You are a prodigal abfurd cockfcomb, go to. Nay, never look at me, it's I that speak.

Take't as you will, fir, I'll not flatter you.

Ha' you not yet found means enow to wafte That which your friends have left you, but you muft

4 I lack nothing but a BOOK to keep it by.] Falconry was a favourite diverfion of this age. Mr. Stephen having purchased a hawk with all its furniture, is ignorant how to keep it fecundum artem. For the fervice of connoiffeurs like himself, books were then wrote upon this fubject. A treatise of this kind by one George Turberville is yet to be found, and may perhaps be of infinite fervice to the curious in this science. In the fame manner they fought duels by the book.