Act iii. scene 1,—_Works_, by Gifford, vol. v. p. 247.

# 32:

P. xii.

# 33:

Written, we are told, by Sir William Lower, on Middleton’s _Michaelmas Term_. They are given by Chetwood in “An Account of the Author,” prefixed to a reprint of _Blurt Master Constable_, which forms part of a small volume entitled _A Select Collection of Old Plays_, Dublin, 1750. Middleton, as Chetwood previously informs us, “lived to a very great age.... We may judge of his longævity by his works; since his first play was acted in 1601, and his last in 1665[!].... That he was much esteem’d by his brother poets, we may judge by four lines of sir William Lower upon his comedy call’d _A Michaelmas Term_, 1663”! Now, _Michaelmas Term_ was certainly not produced in Middleton’s “halting age,” having been licensed the 15th May, 1607, and printed during the same year; see vol. i. p. 413; there is no edition of it bearing date 1663; and, moreover, _Sir William Lower died in_ 1662. The lines are cited indeed by Oldys, in a MS. note on Langbaine’s _Account of Engl. Dram. Poets_, p. 373 (British Museum); but he doubtless copied them from Chetwood’s volume, of which he has transcribed the title, p. 371.

# 34:

See p. xiii.

# 35:

The following extracts from the same Records shew the various persons who succeeded Middleton in the office of City Chronologer till it was finally abolished.

“Martis Secundo die Septembris 1628 Annoque RRs Caroli Angliæ &c quarto.

Hamersly Mayor. Item: this daie Beniamyn Johnson[35A] Gent Rep. No. 42. f. 271. is by this Court admitted to be the Citties, Chronologer in place of Mr. Thomas Middleton deceased, to have hold exercise and enioye the same place and to have and receive for that his service out of the Chamber of London the some of one hundred Nobles per Annum to contynue duringe the pleasure of this Court and the First quarters payment to begin att Michaelmas next.”

“Jovis decimo die Novembris 1631 Annoque Regni Regis Caroli Angliæ &c septimo.

Whitmore Mayor. Item: it is ordered by this Court that Mr. Rep. N. 46. f. 8. Chamberlen shall forbeare to pay any more fee or wages unto Beniamine Johnson the Citties Chronologer until he shall haue presented unto this Court some fruits of his labours in that his place.”

“Martis xxvijͦ die Augusti 1633 Annoque RRs Caroli Angliæ &c nono.

Raynton Mayor. Item: this day upon the humble peticion of Rep. N. 47. f. 336. Edward Hewes sometimes the Citties Chronologer this Court in consideration of his bye and good services formerly performed in his said place doth order that Mr Chamberlen shall pay unto him as of the guift of this Court the summe of xx^{ls}.”

“Jovis xviijͦ die Septembris 1634 Annoque RRs Caroli Angliæ &c decimo.

Mowlson Mayor. Item: this day Mr Recorder and Sir James Rep. N. 48. f. 433. Hamersley Knight and Alderman declared unto this Court His Majesty’s pleasure signified unto them by the right honoᵇˡᵉ the Earle of Dorsett for and in the behalfe of Beniamine Johnson the Cittyes Chronologer, Whereupon it is ordered by this Court that his yearely pencion of one hundred nobles out of the Chamber of London shalbe continued and that Mr Chamberlen shall satisfie and pay unto him his arrerages thereof.”

“Martis quarto die Februarii 1639 Annoque RRs Caroli Angliæ &c xvᵗᵒ.

Garway Mayor. Item: this day att the request of the right Rep. N. 54. f. 86.^b hoᵇˡᵉ the Earle of Dorsett signified unto this Court by his letter this Court is pleased to retaine and admitt Francis Quarles Gent to bee the Citties Chronologer to have hold and enioy the same place with a fee of one hundred Nobles per annum, for and during the pleasure of this Court and this payment to begin from Christmas last.”

“Martis primo die Octobri 1644 Annoque RRs Caroli Angliæ &c vicesimo.

Wollaston Mayor. Item: this day Gualter Frost Esquire Rep. N. 57. f. 219.^b Swordbearer of this Citty is by this Court admitted the Citties Chronologer to have hold exercise and enioy the same place with the fee thereunto appointed soe long as hee shall well demeane himselfe therein and present once a yeare yearely something of his labours in this behalfe.”

“Jovis xxviijͦ die Februarii 1660 Annoque Caroli Secundi Angliæ &c xiiiͦ.

Browne Mayor. This day John Burroughs Esq^{re}. is by Rep. N. 67. f. 208. this Court admitted the Citties Chronologer (the same place being now void and having soe beene for severall yeares past) To have hold exercise and enjoy the same place and to have and receive for his service to bee performed therein out of the Chamber of London the summe of one hundred Nobles per annum to continue during the pleasure of this Court, And the first quarters payment to bee made at Lady day next.”

“Commune Consil. tent. in Camera Guihaldi Civitatis London die Lune vicesimo tertio die Novembris Anno Domini 1668 Annoque RRs Caroli Secundi vicesimo.

Turner Mayor. At this Court the Committee appointed to Jour. No. 46. f. 251. consider the State of the Chamber did deliver their report in writeing under their hands of their proceedings hitherto in that affair the Tenor whereof followeth viz.

To the Right honorable the Lord Major and to the Right worshipfull the Aldermen and Commons of the Citty of London in Common Council assembled.

It is humbly represented by the Committee appointed by order of this Honorable Court of the xii^{th} of February last to consider the State of the Chamber &c. inter alia,

That the yearly payment of one hundred Nobles to one —— Bradshaw called the Citties Chronologer be discontinued with the place there appearing no occasion for such an Officer.”

“Comune Consil. tent in Camera Guihaldi Civitatis London die Jovis vicesimo quarto die Februarii Anno Domini 1669 Annoque Regni Regis Caroli Secundi &c xxiiͦ.

Starling Mayor. Upon the peticion of Cornewall Bradshaw Jour. N. 47. f. 26.^b Gent late the Citties Chronologer for some recompence for his Sallary of thirty three pounds six shillings and eightpence payable out of the Chamber of London which hath been taken from him by vote of the Court—It is ordered that upon resigning of his said place to the Court of Aldermen Mʳ Chamberlen shall pay him one hundred pounds in full of all Claimes for his said place.”

“Jovis xviiͦ die Martii 1669 Annoque R.R’s Caroli Secundi Angliæ &c xxiiͦ.

Starling Mayor. This day Cornewall Bradshawe who in the Rep. N. 75. f. 136^b. time of the Mayoralty of Sir Thomas Bludworth Knight and Alderman was admitted the Citties Chronologer during the pleasure of this Court here present did freely surrender upp unto this Court the said place and all his right and interest therein, of which surrender this Court did accept and allowe.”

Ibid. f. 139. “This day at the humble desire of —— Bradshaw late Chronologer of this Citty this Court doth grant unto him the nominacion and benefitt of making one person free of this Citty by redempcion paying to Mr. Chamberlen the summe of five pounds.”

# 35A:

Gifford (_Memoirs of Ben Jonson_, p. clxii.) mentions that “the city, from whom he [Jonson] had been accustomed to receive an annual sum by way of securing his services when occasion called for them, seem to have watched the moment of declining favour, and withdrawn their bounty;” but does not appear to have known either that Jonson had been officially appointed Chronologer, or that his pension (see the fourth entry) was afterwards restored.

# 36:

P. xiii.

# 37:

_Life of Shakespeare_ (1821), p. 225. Drayton made great alterations in new editions of his poems: the “commendation” of Middleton may perhaps be found in the first impression of one of his numerous pieces, which I have not seen. The _Life of Drayton_, by Robert Bell, Esq., in a recently published volume of Lardner’s _Cyclopædia_, is a tissue of the most absurd mistakes.

# 38:

P. 811.

# 39:

_Extracts from the Hawthornden Manuscripts_, &c., by Mr. D. Laing, p. 86—a very interesting series of papers, which originally appeared in the _Archæologia Scotica_, vol. iv. Parts i. and ii.

In an address “To the Readers” prefixed to the 4to of _Sejanus_, 1605, Ben Jonson says, “Lastly, I would inform you, that this book, in all numbers, is not the same with that which was acted on the public stage; wherein a second pen had good share: in place of which, I have rather chosen to put weaker, and, no doubt, less pleasing, of mine own, than to defraud so happy a genius of his right by my loathed usurpation.” On this passage Gifford remarks, “Why might not Chapman or Middleton be intended here? they, like Shakspeare [who, according to the commentators, was the person alluded to], were living in habits of kindness with the poet: they wrote in conjunction with him; they were both men of learning; and no great violation seems offered to language (at least no greater than courtesy would excuse) in terming them _happy geniuses_.” Gifford, however, concludes that Fletcher was the person actually meant. See B. Jonson’s _Works_, vol. iii. pp. 6, 7, 8.

# 40:

P. 72—_Workes_, 1630.

# 41:

P. 206.

# 42:

P. 12. reprint, 1817. There are several editions of _Wit’s Recreations_. Octavius Gilchrist (note on Dodsley’s _Old Plays_, vol. v. p. 281, last ed.) cites these lines from ed. 1641; but they are not to be found in a copy of that impression which is now before me.

# 43:

This collection included _The First Part of the Honest Whore_—not then known to be partly written by Middleton (vol. iii.), _A Mad World, my Masters_ (vol. v.), _The Widow_ (vol. vi.), _The Mayor of Queenborough_ (vol. xi.). In an unpublished letter from Bishop Warburton to Dodsley is the following passage: “But why would you give us such stuff as _Fuimus Troes_, _Grim the Collier_, and _Microcosmus_, rather than three other good comedies (if there be so many) of Middleton’s?” _Blurt Master Constable_ was reprinted in a volume edited by Chetwood, and entitled _A Select Collection of Old Plays_, Dublin, 1750. In the second edition of Dodsley’s _Old Plays_, 1780, Reed inserted _The Second Part of the Honest Whore_ (vol. iii.) and _The Roaring Girl_ (vol. vi.).

# 44:

Pearson had purchased it from the collection of Griffin the player: it is now among the books and MSS. which were bequeathed by Malone to the Bodleian Library.

# 45:

See notes, vol. iii. p. 303 and p. 328. It is entitled _Macbeth, A Tragædy. With all the Alterations, Amendments, Additions, and New Songs. As it’s now Acted at the Dukes Theatre_, 1674. 4to. Of this wretched piece (which probably few readers have seen) I subjoin a specimen.

“_An Heath._

_Enter Lady Macduff, Maid, and Servant._

_La. Macd._ Art sure this is the place my Lord appointed Us to meet him? _Serv._ This is the entrance o’ th’ Heath; and here He order’d me _to attend him with the Chariot_.”

Presently the Witches are heard singing a great deal of nonsense: part of it runs thus,—

“Ill deeds are seldom slow; Nor single: following crimes on former wait, _The worst of creatures fastest propagate_. Many more murders must this one ensue, _As if in death were propagation too_.” &c. &c.

“_Macd._ I am glad you are not affraid. _La. Macd._ I would not willingly to fear submit: None can fear ill, but those that merit it. _Macd._ Am I made bold by her? how strong a guard Is innocence! if any one would be Reputed valiant, let him learn of you; Vertue both courage is and safety too. [_A dance of witches._

_Enter two_ [_three_] _Witches_.

_Macd._ These seem foul spirits; I’ll speak to ’em. If you can any thing by more than nature know, You may in those prodigious times fore-tell Some ill we may avoid. _1 Witch._ Saving thy blond will cause it to be shed. _2 Witch._ He’ll bleed by thee, by whom thou first hast bled. _3 Witch._ Thy wife shall shunning danger, dangers find, And fatal be to whom she most is kind. [_Ex. witches._”