members of his majesty's players. Field's first drama was A Woman is a Weathercock, 4to 1612. He collaborated with Massinger on the Fatal Dowry, and these two, with Robert Daborne, once wrote a letter to Henslowe asking a loan to free them from prison (Malone's Shakespeare, by Boswell, 3. 337). Field also collaborated with John Fletcher (Fleay, Chr. 1. 171 ff.). In Bartholomew Fair (1614) 5. 3, Jonson compliments Field by comparing him as an actor with Burbage. Chapman has some lines 'To his loved Son, Nat. Field, and his Weathercock Woman.' Field died in 1633.

Sal. Pavy. Salathiel (or Salmon) Pavey died at 13, and Jonson wrote for him the touching epitaph printed by Gifford as 120 of the Epigrams. The subject of this beautiful epitaph acted in Cynthia's Revels, and in the Poetaster, 1600 and 1601, in which year he probably died. The poet speaks of him with interest and affection, and it cannot be doubted that he was a boy of extraordinary talents.' (G.) Tho. Day. Concerning this actor I have found no information. Ioh. Vnderwood. The following is drawn from Collier, Memoirs of Actors 224-232.-Underwood became a member of the king's players, Collier thinks as early as 1610. In 1611 he acted in Catiline. In his History of the Stage (3. 433) Collier says that Underwood became a sharer in the Globe, Blackfriars, and Curtain theatres. He died about October 1624, aged about 40. Collier prints his will, which left his shares in the theatres to his children.

In a note on Crites (at his entrance, 1. 1.) in Cynthia's Revels, Gifford says: 'It appears that the boy who performed this laborious part was John Underwood.'

Will. Ostler. In his Memoir of Alleyn, Collier gives a list of the King's Men dated April 1604, containing the name Hostler, which he believes Ostler, supposing the boy to have been drafted to play women's parts. In 1610 Ostler was acting in the Alchemist, and in 1611 in Catiline. Gifford (GC. 2. 464) assumes that he played the part of Julia in Poetaster. Collier (Memoirs of Actors 202-5) finds reason to conjecture that Ostler had ended his career in 1623. In the Scourge of Folly (ed. Grosart, 2. 31), John Davies of Hereford addresses Epigram 205 'To the Roscius of these times Mr. W. Ostler.' Davies calls Ostler 'sole king of actors,' and ends:

But if thou plaist thy dying part as well

As thy stage-parts thou hast no part in hell.

Tho. Marton. No information is forthcoming concerning this

actor.

Master of Revells. Edmund Tilney was appointed Master of the Revels July 24, 1579, and retired in 1608 owing to age and infirmity. He was succeeded by his deputy, Sir George Buc.

The reversion of the Mastership of the Revels was granted to Ben Jonson in 1621, but he did not live to hold the office. The following passage in Satiromastix (p. 231) has been interpreted by Malone (Shakespeare, I part I, 400 note) to prove that Jonson was seeking the reversion of the office when Dekker wrote his satire: 'Sir Vaughan Master Horace, let your wittes inhabite in your right places; if I fall sansomely vpon the Widdow, I haue some cossens Garman at Court, shall beget you the reuersion of the Master of the King's Reuels, or else be his Lord of Mis-rule nowe at Christmas.'

GLOSSARY

This Glossary is designed to include all words found in Poetaster which are obsolete, archaic, dialectal, or rare; current words used in obsolete, archaic, or exceptional senses; and, so far as practicable, archaic or peculiar phrases. Current words in current senses have been occasionally included, in order to facilitate the interpretation of obscure or otherwise difficult passages. A single reference to act, scene, and line has usually been deemed sufficient, except in the case of words rare or of doubtful meaning, where every occurrence has been recorded. When a word now in good use has been employed by Jonson in an obsolete or rare sense, and again in a modern sense, the Glossary usually cites only the unfamiliar usage. Etymologies have in general been given only for one of two objects: 1) to call attention to Jonson's habit of using words of Latin origin in their original sense; 2) to show ground for peculiar interpretation. Verbs have been distinguished as transitive or intransitive only in special cases.

A dagger preceding a word indicates that the word is obsolete; preceding a definition, that the word is obsolete in the particular sense required. Parallel lines before a word show that it has never become naturalized in English. Other signs and abbreviations are those common in the dictionaries.

The words disgorged by Crispinus-Marston in Act 5, being fully discussed in the notes, are here indicated by asterisks.

A

†A', pron. He. 3. 2. 19; 3.4. 102. †A', prep. Of. I. I. 14. Abated, pp. [a. OF. abatre, abattre to overthrow, f. a to, battre to beat.] Subdued; put an end to.

Accommodate, v. †To fit, or make acceptable, to. (An obs. and rare constr. is to accommodate a thing to a person. NED.) 3.4.303.

Accost, v. To approach, draw near to. Arch. 2. 2. 91. Cf. note. Action, n. 1) A hostile engage

E. 31.
Abiect, n. A base, degraded, or ment; fight. 3. 4. 109.
worthless thing. I. 3. 59.

Absolue, v. [ad. Lat. absolvere to loosen, free.] To clear off or discharge liabilities. 3. 4. 70. Abstracted, pp. adj. †Abstruse; difficult. A.D. 194.

Acceptiue, adj. †Willing to receive or accept. 3. 4. 95.

2) Acting of plays. 3. 4. 211. 3) (a) General conduct; (b) acting. 1. 2. 62.

†Admirable, adv. Wonderfully; remarkably. 3. 4. 260.

Admir'd, pp. adj. Wondered at. Arch. 5. 1. 138.

Admittance, n.

†Admission, in

the sense of concession. 4. 8. 29.

Ay, interj. Phr., Ay me! Alas! 2) †Phr., Approue in: to concur Ah me! Arch. 4. 9. 48; 95. (Cf. in, approve of. 2. 2. 9.

B

Back-face, n. A face looking backward: e. g., of Janus, the face thought of as turned backward or I. 2. 147.

Bastoun, n. Baston or baton, a Cf. note. cudgel or club. 5. 3. 624. Bawd, n. In general sense, a gobetween, pander. 4. 3. 117.

Be, v. pl. Are. Obs. exc. dial.

away. Nonce word?
Back-side, n. †The rear of a 4. 2. I; 5. 3. 400.
dwelling. 2. I. 13.

Baffull, v. (A form of baffle.)
To disgrace; confound. A.D. 146.
Balke, v. To disappoint. I. 2.
228.

Balsamum, n. 1) Balsam, a valued gum. 2. I. 60.

2) A term of endearment. 2. I. 72.

Band, n. A neckband, or collar. 5. 3. 197. Cf. note.

Ban-dog, n. A dog needing to be chained up; a watch-dog. Often applied, as here, to the sergeants of the Counter, or debtors' prison. 3. 4. 4. Cf. note.

Bane, n. Fatal mischief; woe. Now poet. 5. 2. 68.

||Barathrum, n. [Lat., adapted from Gr. ẞápa@pov.] A pit or gulf. 3. 4. 298. Cf. note.

Barmy, adj. Full of barm, or froth. (Phr., Barmy-froth.) 5. 3. 294, 511, 515. Cf. note.

Base, n. A plaited skirt, of cloth, velvet, or rich brocade, appended to the doublet, and reaching from the waist to the knee, common in the Tudor period. NED. 3. 1. 74.

Base, adj. 1) Low in the social scale; plebeian. Arch. 3. 4. IIO? 4. 5. 20; 4. 7. 42 (this in both senses).

Because, conj. In order that; so that. 4. 7. 29, 33. Behauiours, n. pl. Deportment. 2. I. 167.

+Beholding, adj. Under obligation, indebted. 1. 2. 162. Belike, adv. Arch. or dial.

Probably; possibly.

I. 2. 187.

†Bescumber, v. To void excre

ment upon. 5. 3. 314.
+Bespawle, v. To bespatter with
saliva. 5. 3. 297.

†Best-best, adj.
excellent. 5. 3. 473.

Superlatively

†Better cheape, adv. phr. At a lower price. This expression is built upon the obs. 1. Cheap, meaning originally 'bargaining, barter,' etc. Good cheap therefore means 'on advantageous terms, at a low price.' 1. 2. 209.

Betwixt, prep. Between. Arch. and poet. 2. 1. 59. Bin, pp. 3. 376.

Obs. form of been. 5.

Blaunch't, pp. adj. Obs. form of Blanched. 4. 8. 17.

Blaz'd, pp. Described, portrayed-as if heraldically blazoned. 5. 3. 363.

Blazond, pp. Blazoned; clearly painted or described. I. 2. 57.

Block, n. Orig. a form or mould for shaping a hat; here = kind, 2) Low in the moral scale. Pas- style. Arch. 4. 5. 158. Cf. note. Bodies, n. pl. (The 16th and

sim.

Bastinado, v. To beat, as with 17th cent. spelling of Bodice.) Fora stick. Arch. 5.'3. 400. merly. An inner garment for the