SCENE VI

_Here enters Franklin._

_Franklin._ Thus have you seen the truth of Arden’s death. As for the ruffians, Shakebag and Black Will, The one took sanctuary, and, being sent for out, Was murdered in Southwark as he passed To Greenwich, where the Lord Protector lay. Black Will was burned in Flushing on a stage; Greene was hanged at Osbridge in Kent; The painter fled and how he died we know not. But this above the rest is to be noted: Arden lay murdered in that plot of ground 10 Which he by force and violence held from Reede; And in the grass his body’s print was seen Two years and more after the deed was done. Gentlemen, we hope you’ll pardon this naked tragedy, Wherein no filèd points are foisted in To make it gracious to the ear or eye; For simple truth is gracious enough, And needs no other points of glosing stuff. [_Exit._

V. vi. 2. By the _Wardmote Book_, ‘George Loosebagg, _i.e._ Shakebag, escaped at that time.’ John Green, who like Mosbie was a tailor, was taken in July in Cornwall and brought to Faversham and hanged in chains within the liberties. Susan, in the play, combines the characters of Cecily Pounder, Mosbie’s sister, and of Elizabeth Stafford, the maid-servant. Morsby and his sister were hanged in Smithfield; Michael Saunderson was ‘drawn and hanged in chains’ in Faversham, where Elizabeth was burnt. By the _Wardmote Book_ Alice Arden did not stab her husband.

GLOSSARY

ABHORS FROM, differs entirely from; I. 54; an uncommon use. Dr. Murray quotes _Fox, A. and M._; II. 357, ‘It did nothing at all abhor from nature.’

ANGEL, the coin of that name; II. i. 89, etc.

ARMING SWORD, a large two-handed sword, V. i. 72.

BASILISK, a fabulous serpent supposed to kill by its look, a cockatrice; I. 215. Cf. ‘Would they were basilisks to strike thee dead.’--_Richard III._, III. ii. 151.

BEDEEM, forbode, ‘doom me to’; III. iii. 31; not quoted by Dr. Murray.

BEDESMAN, one who says prayers for another, ‘humble servant’; III. vi. 120.

BERAYED, befouled; IV. iii. 58. Cf. ‘Was ever man so rayed.’--_Shrew_, IV. i. 3.

BEWRAYED, betrayed; III. ii. 27.

BLAB, talk; I. 135. Used both as a noun and a verb.

BLOCK, obstacle; I. 137.

BODKIN, a tailor’s awl; I. 313.

BOLSTERED, matted with blood; III. i. 73. Cf. ‘Blood-bolstered Banquo.’--_Macbeth_, IV. i. 123.

BOTCHER, a jobbing tailor; I. 25, 316. Cf. Huloet, ‘A tailor, bodger, botcher, mender or patcher of old garments.’

BRABLE, quarrel; IV. i. 77.

BROKAGE, petty dealing; here especially dealing in old clothes; I. 26.

BUGS, hobgoblins: III. ii. 19.

CAUSELESS, adv., without cause, I. 358.

CHOPS ME IN, interrupts suddenly; III. vi. 130; ‘me’ is a dative; chop is used in the sense of doing quickly. Cf. _Richard III._, I. iv. 160, ‘Then we will chop him in the malmsey butt.’

COIL, trouble; III. vi. 5.

COISTRIL, a paltry young fellow; III. ii. 41, 58. Cf. _Twelfth Night_, I. iii. 43, ‘A coward and a coistril.’

COPESMATE, market-mate, companion; III. v. 104. Cf. _Lucrece_, 925, ‘Misshapen Time, copesmate of ugly Night.’

COLTSTAFF, a staff used by two persons for carrying ‘cowls,’ _i.e._ tubs; V. i. 22. Cf. _Merry Wives_, III. iii. 156, ‘Where’s the cowlstaff?’

COSTARD, head; V. i. 63; literally a large ribbed apple. Frequent in Shakespeare.

CROWN, crown-piece; III. vi. 132.

CURST, shrewish; IV. ii. 12.

CUTTER, bully, cutthroat; I. 522; IV. iii. 74, etc. Cf. Harrison’s _England_, II. 16, ‘Some desperate cutters we have.’

DAG, pistol; III. vi. 9, 131. The derivation is not known.

DALLYING, delaying, trifling; I. 397.

DISPOSE, disposal; I. 606. Common in Shakespeare.

DISTRESSFUL, miserable: III. v. 56; IV. iv. 51. Cf. _Henry V._, IV. i. 287, ‘Crammed with distressful bread.’

DRIFTS, plots; I. 178, 450, etc.

EAR, plough; III. v. 24.

ESCHEW, avoid; I. 347.

FLAW, gust of wind; IV. iv. 44.

FORSLOWED, delayed; III. v. 85. Cf. 3 _Henry VI._, II. iii. 56, ‘Forslow no longer.’

FOSTER, forester; III. iii. 13.

FROLIC, used as an exclamation = ‘cheer up’; I. 512. Cf. Kyd’s _Jeronimo_, I. i. 1.

GIGLOT, a wanton woman, III. v. 87; connected with ‘giggle.’

GLAIVES, swords; V. i. 348.

GLOSING, wordy; V. vi. 18.

HANDSEL, confirm, seal; II. i. 117.

HARBOROUGH, old form of harbour; V. i. 251.

HORNSBY, cuckold; IV. iii. 76.

HOUGHT, hocked or hamstrung; IV. iii. 38.

IMPETRATE, get by asking; II. ii. 16.

JETS, struts; I. 30. Cf. _Cymbeline_, III. iii. 4, ‘Giants may jet through.’

LAY IT ON, fall to work; V. i. 50. Cf. _Winter’s Tale_, IV. iii. 43, ‘My father hath made her mistress of the feast and she lays it on.’

LEAVE, cease; III. vi. 72, etc.

LORDAINE, clown, IV. i. 58.

MISEVENT, mishap; IV. iv. 49.

MISTAKING, misunderstanding; IV. i. 27.

MITHRIDATE, antidote; I. 383. Called after the famous King of Pontus, who made himself poison-proof. Greene uses the word.

MUSCADO, musket; III. vi. 20.

MUTCHADO, moustache; II. i. 54.

PANTOFLES, slippers; II. ii. 9.

PASSIONATE, sorrowful; III. v. 45. Cf. _John II._, 544, ‘She is sad and passionate.’

PLANCHERS, planks; I. 42. ‘Planched’ is found in _Measure for Measure_, IV. i. 3.

PLATFORM, scheme; II. i. 100. Cf. 1 _Henry VI._, II. i. 77.

PRECISIAN, puritan; III. ii. 18.

_Prick-eared_, III. ii. 62; cf. _Henry V._, II. i. 44, ‘Prick-eared cur of Iceland.’

QUALM, fit of nausea; III. vi. 67; V. i. 309.

QUARTERAGE, quarterly payment; II. ii. 98.

RACE, raze down; I. 47, 118.

RELIGIOUS, devout; I. 587.

SCONCE, small fort; V. i. 70.

SECURELY, without misgiving; I. 50.

SLIPSHOE, slipper; V. i. 406.

STANDINGS, place of vantage, ambush; III. vi. 38.

STOUT, proud, overbearing; V. i. 206, ii. 2. Cf. ‘I will be strange, stout, in yellow stockings.’--_Twelfth Night_, II. v. 185, and 2 _Henry VI._, I. i. 187.

SULLENS, moroseness; IV. iv. 108. Cf. _Richard II._, II. i. 139: ‘Let them die that age and sullens have.’

SURE, betrothed; I. 151. Cf. _Merry Wives_, V. v. 237.

SUSPECT, suspicion; I. i. 130. Cf. Sonnet LXX. ‘The ornament of beauty is suspect.’

TICING, enticing; I. 197.

TRUG, a drab; I. 499. Greene uses the word.

TRULL, worthless woman; I. 498.

TRUSS, tie up for hanging; III. vi. 125; here = ‘get yourself trussed.’

WATCHET, pale blue; II. i. 56.

WAGER, give a wage to; I. 523. Shakespeare uses ‘wage’ in this sense, _Coriolanus_, V. vi. 40.

WHISTLY, silently; III. iii. 9.

YEOMANRY, homespun wit; IV. ii. 37.

Printed by T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to Her Majesty at the Edinburgh University Press

* * * * *

Transcriber's Note

The following apparent printing errors have been corrected:

p. 4 "the field." changed to "the field,"

p. 6 "of men." changed to "of men,"

p. 10 "it me" changed to "it me."

p. 19 "true or no" changed to "true or no?"

p. 23 "neighhour" changed to "neighbour"

p. 30 line-number 90 changed to 93

p. 36 "heat." changed to "heat,"

p. 49 "dream" changed to "dream."

p. 69 "is death" changed to "is death."

p. 75 "my state," changed to "my state."

p. 97 "bills" changed to "bills."

p. 99 "knew now" changed to "knew not"

p. 102 "did not" changed to "did not."

p. 104 "a a letter" changed to "a letter"

p. 107 "_Merry Wives_, iII" changed to "_Merry Wives_, III"

p. 110 "adevrbially" changed to "adverbially"

p. 111 (note to II. i. 58) "‘Seam rent fellows," changed to "‘Seam rent fellows,’"

p. 111 (note to III. i. 5) "sense" changed to "sense?"

Other inconsistent punctuation has been retained as printed, as have inconsistent spellings.