Microcosmography

FOOTNOTES:

[DT] I omit to particularize these characters, as many of the titles are extremely long – "of a lady of excellent conversation. Of one that is the foyle of good conversation." &c. &c.

[DU] Mr. Reed possessed a copy, dated in 1658. See his Catalogue, No. 2098.

[DV] Langbaine notices a prologue intended for a play, called The Physician against his Will, which he thinks was never published. A MS. note in my copy of the Dramatic Poets, says it was printed in 1712.

[DW] The Bodleian library contains "The Affections of a pious Soule, unto our Saviour-Christ. Expressed in a mixed treatise of verse and prose. By Richard Flecknoe." 8vo. 1640. This I can scarcely consent to give to Mac Flecknoe, as in the address "To the Town Reader," the author informs us that, "ashamed of the many idle hours he has spent, and to avoid the expence of more, he has retired from the town" – and we are certain that Mac resided there long after.

-

xxxviii. The Character of a Coffee-house, with the symptoms of a Town-witt. With Allowance. April 11, 1673. London, Printed for Jonathan Edwin, at the Three Roses in Ludgate-street, 1673.

[Folio, reprinted in the Harleian Miscellany, with an answer to it, vol. vi. 429-433.]-

xxxix. Essays of Love and Marriage: Being Letters written by two Gentlemen, one dissuading from Love, the other an Answer thereunto. With some Characters, and other Passages of Wit.

– Si quando gravabere curis,Hæc lege, pro moestæ medicamine mentis habeto.

London, Printed for H. Brome, at the Gun in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1673.

[12mo. pp. 103, title, &c. 4 more.]-

xl. The Character of a Fanatick. By a Person of Quality. London. 1675.

[4to. pp. 8. Reprinted in the Harleian Miscellany, vii. 596.]

[4to. See Sale Catalogue of George Steevens, Esq. 8vo. London, 1800, page 66, No. 1110.]-

xlii. A Whip for a Jockey: or, a Character of an Horse-courser. 1677. London, Printed for R. H. 1677.

[8vo. pp. 29.]-

xliii. Four for a Penny, or Poor Robin's Character of an unconscionable Pawnbroker, and Ear-mark of an oppressing Tally-man; with a friendly Description of a Bum-bailey, and his merciless setting cur, or follower. With Allowance. London, Printed for L. C. 1678.

[4to. reprinted in the Harleian Miscellany, vol. iv. p. 141.]-

xliv. Character of an ugly Woman: or, a Hue and Cry after Beauty, in prose, written (by the Duke of Buckingham) in 1678. See Lord Orford's Royal and Noble Authors, by Park, iii. 309.

-

xlv. Character of a disbanded Courtier. Ingenium Galbæ male habitat. 1681.

[Folio, pp. 2. Reprinted in the Harleian Miscellany, i. 356.]-

xlvi. Character of a certain ugly old P – . London, Printed in the Year 1684.

[In Oldham's Works, 8vo. London, 1684.]-

xlvii. Twelve ingenious Characters: or pleasant Descriptions of the Properties of sundry Persons and Things, viz.

An importunate dunn; a serjeant or bailiff; a paunbroker; a prison; a tavern; a scold; a bad husband; a town-fop; a bawd; a fair and happy milk-maid; the quack's directory; a young enamourist.

Licensed, June the 2d, 1681. R. P. London, printed for S. Norris, and are to be sold by most booksellers, 1686.

[12mo. pp. 48.]-xlviii. Character of a Trimmer. By Sir William Coventry. 1689[4to. See Bibliotheca Harleiana, v. 4278.]

This was written long before publication, as is proved by the following.

-

xlix. Character of a Tory in 1659, in answer to that of a Trimmer (never published) both written in King Charles's reign.

[Reprinted in the Works of George Villiers, second Duke of Buckingham. 4to. Lond. 1721.]-

l. Characters addressed to Ladies of Age. 8vo. Lond. 1689.

[Brand's Sale Catalogue, p. 66, No. 1747.]-

li. The Ceremony-monger, his Character, in six Chapters, &c. &c. By E. Hickeringill, Rector of the Rectory of All-Saints, in Colchester. London, Printed and are to be sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans, without Bishopsgate. 1689.

[4to. pp. 66.]-

lii. Character of a Jacobite. 1690.

[4to. See Bibl. Harl. v. No. 4279.]

The following are without date, but were probably printed before 1700[DX].

FOOTNOTES:

[DX] In Butler's Remains, published by Thyer, 2 vols. 8vo. 1759, are several Characters by the author of Hudibras, and consequently written previously to this date, but as they do not appear to have been printed so early, they cannot, with propriety, be included in this list.

-

liii. Character of an Ill-court-favourite, translated from the French.

[4to. reprinted in the Harleian Miscellany, ii. 50.]-

liv. Character of an honest and worthy Parliament-Man.

[Folio, reprinted in the Harleian Miscellany, ii. 336.]-

lv. Characterism, or the Modern Age displayed.

[Brand's Sale Catalogue, No. 1757.]

Character of the Presbyterian Pastors and People of Scotland.

[Bibl. Harleiana, v. No. 4280.]-

vii. Character of a compleat Physician or Naturalist[DY].

[Bibl. Harleiana, v. No. 4304.]FOOTNOTES:

[DY] In the extracts made from the foregoing series of Characters, the original orthography has been most scrupulously attended to, in order to assist in shewing the progress and variation of the English language.

ADDITIONAL NOTES AND CORRECTIONS

Page 2, line 18, for ports read sports.

Page 4, line 9, "table-book." The custom of writing in table-books, or, as it was then expressed, "in tables," is noticed, and instances given in Reed's Shakspeare, vi, 13. xii, 170. xviii, 88. Dr. Farmer adduces a passage very applicable to the text, from Hall's character of the hypocrite. "He will ever sit where he may be seene best, and in the midst of the sermon pulles out his tables in haste, as if he feared to loose that note," &c. Decker, in his Guls Hornebooke, page 8, speaking to his readers, says, "out with your tables," &c.

Page 6, note 6. – This is also mentioned in Whimzies, 8vo. 1631, p. 57. "Hee must now betake himself to prayer and devotion; remember the founder, benefactors, head, and members of that famous foundation: all which he performes with as much zeale as an actor after the end of a play, when hee prayes for his majestie, the lords of his most honourable privie councell, and all that love the king."

Page 13, note 10. – From a subsequent edition, obligingly pointed out to me by the rev. Mr. arch-deacon Nares, I find that this also is a translation: Regimen Sanitatis Salerni. This booke teachyng all people to gouerne the in health, is translated out of the Latine tongue into Englishe, by Thomas Paynell, whiche booke is amended, augmented, and diligently imprinted. 1575. Colophon. ¶ Jmprynted at London, by Wyllyam How, for Abraham Ueale. The preface says, that it was compiled for the use "of the moste noble and victorious kynge of England, and of Fraunce, by all the doctours in Phisicke of the Uniuersitie of Salerne."

Page 17, line 17, "door-posts." – It was usual for public officers to have painted or gilded posts at their doors, on which proclamations, and other documents of that description, were placed, in order to be read by the populace. See various allusions to this custom, in Reed's Shakspeare, v. 267. Old Plays, iii. 303. The reformation means that they were, in the language of our modern churchwardens, "repaired and beautified," during the reign of our alderman.

Page 45, line 11, for Gollobelgicus read Gallobelgicus.

Page 47, line 15. "post and pair" was a game at cards, of which I can give no description. The author of the Compleat Gamester notices it as "very much played in the West of England." See Dodsley's Old Plays, 1780. vii. 296.

Page 48, line 12 – "guarded with more gold lace." The word guarded is continually used by the writers of the sixteenth century for fringed or adorned. See Reed's Shakspeare, vii. 272. Old Plays, iv. 36.

Page 59, line 15, "clout." Shakspeare (Cymbeline, act iv. scene 2.) uses the expression of clouted brogues, which Mr. Steevens explains to be "shoes strengthened with clout or hob-nails."

Page 63, line 9, "dragon that pursued the woman." Evidently an allusion to Revelations, xii. 15.

Page 91, note 8, line 15, for Styla read Hyla in both instances.

Page 92, note 10, line 5, for Leiden read Leyden.

Page 117, line 3, "Their humanity is a leg to the residencer." A leg here signifies a bow. Decker says, "a jewe neuer weares his cap threedbare with putting it off; neuer bends i' th' hammes with casting away a leg, &c." Guls Hornebooke. p. 11.

Page 182, note 1, for spunge read sponge.

Page 208, line 4, for spera read spero.

ib. line 30, for conjesta read congesta.

ib. line 31, for susuperavit read superavit.

Page 231, line 11, for Jude read Inde: for ferucat read ferueat.

Page 245, line 7, for whosc read whose.

Several errors and inaccuracies of less consequence than those here pointed out, will probably be discovered. These were occasioned by the editor's distance from the press, and he requests the gentle reader to pardon and correct them.

Transcriber's note:

Despite a valiant effort to the contrary some additional transcription errors may have slipped through during the preparation of this e-text. We can't blame the distance between the editor and the press. Please forward any corrections to Project Gutenberg errata.

The Inscription, No. x. of the Appendix, should have been entirely omitted. The following extract from Guillim's Heraldry, shews that Bishop Earle could not have been connected with the Streglethorp family, since, if he had, there would have been no occasion for a new grant of armorial bearings.

"He beareth ermine, on a chief indented sable, three eastern crowns or, by the name of Earles. This coat was granted by Sir Edward Walker, garter, the 1st of August, 1660, to the Reverend Dr. John Earles, son of Thomas Earles, gent, sometime Register of the Archbishop's Court at York. He was Dean of Westminster, and Clerk of the Closet to his Majesty King Charles the Second; and in the year 1663, made Bishop of Salisbury."

Guillim's Heraldry, folio. Lond. 1724. p. 282.

It is almost unnecessary to add that I was not aware of this grant, when I compiled the short account of Earle, at page 186, and spoke of my inability to give any information relative to his parents.

SUPPLEMENTARY APPENDIX

VARIOUS READINGS AND VERSIONS FROM THE DURHAM MS.

A CHILDE

1. "His soul is yet a white page" (paper).

AN ORDINARY PHYSITIAN

4. After the words "take Physicke." "He drives away ye time if he cannot ye maladie, and is furnished with an hundred merrie tales for the purpose. He is no faithful friend for he leaves a man gasping, and his pretence is, death and he are enemies."

A SELFE-CONCEITED MAN

10 (11 in Bliss). "A parasite is a stale to him," for "a flatterer is a dunce to him."

A RESERVED MAN

26 (12 in Bliss). "Never speaks above the audit of a whisper," for "whispers you in the ear acts."

A DOUNE-RIGHT SCHOLLER

20 (21 in Bliss). After "language of a falconer." "He is frigging up and doune, and composeth not his body to a settled posture. Gallants mock him for ushering Gentlewomen and indeed he hath not squired it in their Allies."

A POTT POET

22 (28 in Bliss). After "patches," "yet their footemanshippe is not altogether shuffling." After "His other poems are but briefs." "At more leisur'd times he makes disticks on noblemen which are put under their twopenny pictures that hang in the bookbinders' shops."

A FORWARD, BOLD MAN

30 (43 in Bliss). For "like a desperate soldier," read "like our north-west merchants, will venture where he cannot goe." Also "Saint Laurence" for "St. Maries."

A PLAINE COUNTRIE FELLOWE

23 (22 in Bliss). After "sallets." "He will talk with his oxen very soberly and expostulates with his hindes, and then in the same language he guides the plow, and the plough guides his thoughts, and his bounde or landmarke is the very limitts of his cogitation."

A SERGEANT, (SERIEANT)

32 (52 in Bliss). After "Attempted and atchieved," "clubbes out of charity knocke him doune; next an hereticke he is the worst man to follow for he leads by the arme to destruction; his most dangerous place is Chancery Lane's end where he hansells now and then."

A PARTIALL MAN

33 (37 in Bliss). After "colledge." "The Puritane is most guilty of this humour, for he takes the opinion of one Dutch commentatour before a legion of fathers; and, which is worse, his own before them both."

A TRUMPETTER

34 (38 in Bliss). "In short he is a bubble and his life a blast."

A PAULES WALKE

43 (41 in Bliss). "Properest," for "perfectest motion." After "a-foot." "It hath its tempests like the sea, and as violent, and men are ship-wrack't upon pillars like great rocks." And at the end after "could not" – "ffinally it is used for a church of these two only, sharkes and cut purses, the one comes thither to fast, the other to prey."

A DUN

42 (53 in Bliss). After "shift in the world," comes "He is like a frivlous suitor, haunting, haunting (sic) those …" (in place of the sentence in Bliss beginning "some chuse," which is transposed in MS. with very slight changes so as to follow the sentence ending with "find them within.")

A PLAUSIBLE MAN

45 (29 in Bliss). "He supples all and discommends none, except where his commendations might crosse the company, and then he holds his peace," – after the words "what is civil."

A BAKER

16 in MS. (44 in Bliss). "His condition is the same with all other men, for he lives by bread which from a rude and undigested heape he putts into lumpe and forme. His kneading tub and his pavin are the two misteries of his occupation and he is a filcher by his trade, but the miller is before him. Thrive he cannot much in the world, for his cake is oft dow bak't and will never be a man of valour he is still so meall-mouth'd, he is observed for a great lyer for he is seldome true in his tale, though the score be many times on his pate for better reckoning, one vertue he hath that he is charitable, for his bread is often given to the poore. A clarke of the market he abhorres, and a pair of weight scales over-throwes him, yet he finds mercy in his offences, and his basket only is sent to prison. Many a pillery is his deadly enemie, and they never meete but they goe together by the eares."

The additional matter in the "Bright MS." is found here also.

AN HERAULD.[DZ]

(Almost identical with the version in the "Bright MS.")

40 in MS. (46 in Bliss). "He gives armes himselfe though he be no Gentleman, and therefore hath good reason to dispence with other; his trade and profession is honour, and doth that which few noble can doe, thrive by the Title. You would think he had the Indian mines, for he tells of the fesse[EA] of gold and silver, but believe him not for they are but devises to get money: he seemes only to deale with Gentry, but his chiefest purchases are on them that are none, whose bounty he conceales yet blazons: his bribes are like those of a corrupt judge, for they are the prizes[EB] of blood. His traffiques are like children's gew-gawes, pendants, and scutchions and little daggars, and his penniworths are extraordinary deare ffor he holdes three Boares heads higher than three Brawnes in the market. He was sometime the coate of Mars, but is now for more mercifull battailes in the tilt yard where whosoever is victorious the spoyles are his. His is an art in England but nature in Wales, where they are borne with Herauldry in their mouthes, and each name is a pedigree."

A YOUNG RAW PREACHER

2. "Till ye clocke stop him." "Little instructions shall you have though great store of doctrines and many uses to small purpose; he putts much zeale into his booke, and belabours his tongue exceedingly. The only thing he makes himselfe in his sermons is faces, his action is all passions, and his speach interiections. He hath an excellent faculty in crying 'ah!' and spits with a very good grace." "He will not, etc." "He cites Pastills for authors, Perkins for fathers, and some catechisme is his schoole divinity."

A GRAVE DIVINE

3. "Arts his way." "He thinks he ought to become learned to learne so high a mystery, wch like ye dye of scarlet is not set well upon a raw cloath, but requires a former tincture."[EC] "He accounts, etc." For "ballast" read "last blast" (in the first sentence).

AN ANTIQUARY

9 in MS. (7 in Bliss). "His life was in this age, his conversation long before, and his acquaintance of some thousand yeares before he was borne. He is a great enemy to the man of time, and fetches many a morsell againe out of his stomacke, when it is now all rotten and stinking. Old women should like him very well for he is much enamoured of wrinckles, and loves all things, as Dutchmen doe cheese, ye better for being mouldy and worm-eaten." "He is of our Religion, etc."

A PLAYER

19 in MS. (23 in Bliss). "Upon him." "He hath reason to be experienced in the world, for he hath passed through more shapes then Pythagoras his soule, and knows all conditions from y^e King to the Cobler, he is qualified and hath many good parts, but he is condemned for one boasting humour, that he will speake them himselfe." "He hath one, etc." "Never con'd." "A true man he can hardly be, for he pleaseth the better he counterfeits, except only when he is disguised with straw for gold lace. His comings in are tollerable, yet in small money, and like Halifax great viccaridge most of it in two pences." "The waisting woman, etc." "Gentlemen," "and may become the bench in time as well they. He neadeth not feare death, for killing is but his sport, and his chiefe practice hath beene to dye bravely."

A YOUNG GENTLEMAN IN THE UNIVERSITY

18 in MS. (25 in Bliss). "Spend next day." "If you speake to him as a Schooler, he telleth you you mistake him he is a gentleman and loath to marre his stile with that title. Sometime upon intreaty he vouchsafeth to be a Batchelour, and thinks he hath done the degree great grace in taking it." "His companion, etc." Above this, and after the word "misplacing." "He comes often to his bookes but seldome to his study, unless he be taken with Stepheus or Paris printe, which endeares the booke unto him. Yet sometimes he will…"

VICCARS (MS.)SINGING MEN

6 in MS. (47 in Bliss). "To sing catches." "In their election of a brother they are respectfull of his gifts, that is, of his bottles of sacke, and he that is most liberall to them heere makes them sure. If they get a church their faces are the richer, and they are men of more reckoning at the bush or read lattice." "Long lived, etc."

A SHOP-KEEPER

39 in MS. (48 in Bliss). "He examines the necessity of passengers, and beggs in the phrase of the giver 'with what do you lacke?'" "… abuse his brother. His prizes are like new playes, very dear at first view, but after you goe over them they still fall lower, and he is one who of all men you shoulde not take of his worde." "He is your slave, etc."

A BOWL ALLEY

38 in MS. (30 in Bliss). "Say nothing." "It is their as it is at skirmishes the first man doth much, and no victory without a good leader." "It is, etc." After the first sentence comes in MS. "fortune is never pox't louder nor the Deuill oftener sent about errands; he is the companion that goes with every bowle, and with him the bowlers."

A SHE PRECISE HYPOCRITE(The Shee Puritane in the MS.)

36 in MS. (34 in Bliss). "Owne Parish." "And if her husband be so profaine that he will not carrie her on horsebacke to heare another preach shee will goe as far on foote to heare her selfe pray." "She doubts, etc." "Scruples." "Shee dareth not give a penny to a beggar for feare he be a reprobate, but shee thinkes usury lawfull upon strangers that be not her brethren." "Shee is more fierce, etc." "Shee is discovered though shee weare a vaile," after "Geneva Print." "Reads that shee hath noted, and applauds herselfe for a noble woman of Berea," after "comes home." After "gossippings," "unlesse to exercises." After "sampler," "save that once a year she workes a black-wrought night-cap for some reverend good man to weare, because it is against the cannon, and then she thinkes him a bishop's fellow." After "weapons" (weapon), "is the Practice of Piety, or else shee is armed with the sixt to the Ephesians." For "the Brownist" read "thinks that Amsterdam is erroneous."

THE WEAK MAN

In the Bright MS. there are some important additions and variations in "The Weak Man." After the words "his brain stays behind," it goes on "He is for wit as your young travellers for languages, as much as will call for necessities and hardly that. He is not crafty enough to be a knave, nor wise enough to be honest, but the midway betwixt; a kind of harmless man. His whole vice is his indiscretion, and yet this makes him seem guilty of all." After the word "reserved" in Bliss, the MS. goes on: "He will part with anything in a humour, but in a good cause with nothing, and you may better entice him than persuade him. He is often perverse, never resolute and inexorable to nothing so much as reason. He loves wits and scholars to his cost, for he never has their company but invited. His friendships commonly are begun in a supper and lost in lending money. The way to gain his regard is to neglect him, for if he once be in good estimation, he grows proud upon it and contemns you." After the words "laid to his charge." "He puts in his verdict at all discourses, and whatsoever reason you urge, he holds his conclusion." Again, after the words "breaks forth with all." "His fear is his most violent persuader, which makes him do more upon the authority of one he hates, than the suit of his friend. He is one not to live in this world, for each man is his ambush, and his friend to abuse him. He has been long in contempt, and at last out of money, and then men cry 'alas!' and forget him."

A SCEPTICK IN RELIGION

P. 99. This Character also is so varied from the printed copies in the Bright MS. that it is given from the latter entire. "He is defined by a genus without a difference; for he is a Christian at large, and no more. He uses the land's religion because it is next him; yet he sees not why he may not take the other yet he chooses this not as better, but because there is not a pin to choose. He is wondrous loth to hazard his credulity, and whilst he fears to believe amiss, believes nothing. The opinion of an over judgment wrongs him, which makes him too wise for the truth. He finds doubts and scruples better than resolves them, and has always some argument to nonplus himself. The least religion is enough to perplex him, and the best will not satisfy him. He hammers too much in general upon our opinion's incertainty, and the possibility of erring makes him not venture on what is true. He cannot drive into his fancy the circumscription of religion into our corner, and yet, the absurdity of Popery staggers him again. He could like the Protestant better were it not for the puritan, and the papist but for the Jesuit. He thinks we are more rational, and likes the life of the other. He thinks so many wise men would not believe but on good ground, and so many honest men cannot be on the wrong side; yet he sees not their reason notwithstanding, nor assents to their honesty without it. He is taken with their miracles yet doubts an imposture; he conceives of our doctrine better, yet it seems too empty and naked. He prefers their charity, and commends our zeal, yet suspects that for blindness, and this but humour. He sees rather what to fly than to follow, and wishes there were no sides that he might take one. He will sometimes propend to us upon the reading a good writer, and at Bellarmine recoils as far back again; and the fathers justle him from one side to another. His conscience interposes itself betwixt two duellers, and whilst it would part both, is by both wounded. He hates authority as the tyrant of reason, and you cannot anger him worse than with a Luther or Calvin's dixit, yet that wise men are not persuaded with reason, shall authorize his doubt. In sum, his whole life is a question, and his salvation a greater, wherein he is so long a disputing, till death make the conclusion, and then he is resolved."