Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 12.djvu/185

 ii 8. xii. SEPT. 4,1915.1 NOTES AND QUERIES.

177

This reference to Amboyna affords decisive proof that ' The Fair Maid of the Inn ' was written after May, 1624, when the news of the massacre first reached England. Now in ' The Devil's Law Case ' there is a passage in which Dyce recognized another allusion to this same massacre of Amboyna :

Contarino. Is't possible Komelio's persuaded You are gone to the East Indies ?

First Surgeon. Most confidently.

Con. But do you mean to go ?

Second Surgeon. How ! go to the East Indies ! and so many Hollanders gone to fetch sauce for their pickled herrings ! Some have been pepper'd there too lately.

Such an allusion is, however, out of the question, seeing that ' The Devil's Law Case ' was published before the news of the massacre arrived. Possibly the reference is, as Dr. Stoll has suggested, to an affray with the Dutch in the East Indies which took place in 1619, the Dutch attacking some English vessels engaged in lading pepper at Sumatra. The important thing for the present purpose, bearing in mind the fact that Webster so frequently repeats himself, is the occurrence of the same witticism in both plays.

It will, perhaps, be thought that such a word as " instantly " can be of little use as an indication of a writer's individuality. Yet it may be remarked that it is peculiarly conspicuous in Webster's vocabulary, and in this connexion it is, perhaps, not trivial to compare Cesario's

We will instantly to bed and there be married with

Contarino. To avoid which we will instantly be married.

Waiting Woman. To avoid which, get you instantly to bed,

in ' The Devil's Law Case,' I. ii. (iii. 27) ; and

I will marry you, Instantly marry you, in ' A Cure for a Cuckold,' IV. ii. (iv. 70).

At the end of this scene a sailor enters, for no apparent purpose except to serve as a mouthpiece for an indifferent jest. He tells Cesario that he has news for him, but will only divulge it on condition that Cesario will drink with him :

We are like our sea provision, once out of pickle \\ < require abundance of drink, an adaptation of an observation found in the Character of ' A Sailor ' (Overbury's
 * Characters,' 1614) :

"He is part of his own provision, for he lives ever pickled."

H. DUGDALE SYKES. Kn field.

(To be continued.)

WORDS IN BISHOP DOUGLAS'S

'ENEADOS,' 1513.

(See ante, p. 156.)

Case, give the or put the (1400 to 1440, then 1579, &c.).

1. I geif the case, to Italy socht he Of the fatis by the autoryte.

(Lat., Italiam fatis petiit auctoribus : esto.>

x. 283.

2. I put the cace, that I may nocht optene From Latyne land tham to expell all cleyne.

(Lat., Non dabitur regnis, esto, prohibere Latinis.) vii. 102.

Case, on or upon. By chance, if by chance, in. order that.

1. " On case thar stude a mekill schyp that* tyde." x. 330.

2. [Thai] Thayr palzeonis all had plantit, apon

cace

That from the top of the hillis hycht The army all thai mycht see at a sicht.

viii. 194. Casting-dart (no example).

1. " To thraw a gevilling, or a casting dart." ix. 240.

2. " Scharp querrellis and casting darts furtii send." ix. 259.

Catch harm, fear, &c., to (13 c.).

1. Ha how grete harme and skaith for euennair That childe hes caucht. iii. 140.

2. I caucht na maner feir nor dreid Thocht thou a capytane of the Grekis be.

viii. 158.

Catch-cow. " Sum wald be court man, suiiv clerk, and sum a cachekow." viii. Prologue, p. 146.

Chaft, a jaw. " To semble wyth thair schaftie." viii. Prologue, p. 144. (Ruddiman says, "To make faces.")

Charitable, adj. (1386, 1509, &c.). "Tie cheritable archer, Apollo" (Lat., Pius Arcitemns). iii. 123.

Chisel-tail " Fyschis [With] chyssell talis."

xii. Prologue, p. 82.

Clasp, v., to enclose, as with armour. " Claepit full meit into fyne armour brycht " (Lat., Cingor fulgentibus armis.). ii. 112.

Clenge, to cleanse (1300, then 1536, &c.). " W clenge ws first, Ics lupiter war aggrevit " (Li I.,- Lustramurque Jovi). iii. 135.

Coal-black (1250, 1386, then 1590, &c.). " The pikky smok cole blak " (ed. 1553, Coil bJak). v. 264.

Coif for cove. " Ane coif, and thairin fresch wattir spryngand." i. 31.

Collateral (1653 in this sense). See Or than.

Condign, adj. (1413, then 1530, &c.). "Thou caus thy feris keip .... this vsage conding." iii. 144.

Conduit (for molten metal). "The irre and mettall throu thir condutis flowis " (Lat., Fluit a?s rivis). viii. 182.

Confeder, v. (1460, 1529, &c.). " May nocht sufferit be Latynia confidir wyth Troian:s and Ene." x. 286.

Confluence (1432 to 1450, then 1533, &c.). " By crwell Grekis hiddius confluence." vii. C6.

Contrarious (1494, then 1523, &c.). " The bitter blastis, contrarius all wayis." i. 52.