Page:The Works of Ben Jonson - Gifford - Volume 4.djvu/22

 Dol.Are you sound? Have you your senses, masters?

Face.I will have A book, but barely reckoning thy impostures, Shall prove a true philosopher's stone to printers.

Sub.Away, you trencher-rascal!

Face.Out, you dog-leech! The vomit of all prisons notorious highwayman, who always robbed in a mask, which was undoubtedly made as hideous as possible, in order to strike terror. In the title page of an old pamphlet, (which I have not seen,) containing the history of his exploits, he is said to be represented with this frightful visor. In allusion to which, I suppose, he is called by Gab. Hervey, "Gamaliel Hobgoblin." On the books of the Stationers Company, (May 1605,) is entered a work called "the lyfe and death of Gamaliel Ratsey, a famous theefe of England, executed at Bedford." There are also several "Ballats," on the subject, entered about the same time. But the achievements of Gamaliel have been sung in more than one language, a proof, at least, of their celebrity. In a small volume, belonging to Mr. Bindley, of the Stamp Office, intitled "Schediasmata Poetica, sive Epigrammatum Libellus, authore J. Johnson, in artibus Magistro Cantab. &c. Londini, 1615," are the following testimonials to the notoriety of this hero. The first has some of the quaint humour of the times: the second is a complete failure: the author should have parodied Horace instead of Virgil: Cereus in vitium flecti, tu cerite cerâ, Tu brevibus Gyaris, Ratsee, dignus eras. Præcoqua præcedens properavit funera funis, Funis funestus quæ tibi finis erat: O tu qui superes, si bacchanalia vivas, Quæ tua sunt perdas, haud aliena clepe.O Secii, (neque enim nos hi latuere dolores) O passi mala fata, dabit Deus his quoque funem. Per varios casus et tot discrimina rerum, 'Tendimus in laqueum, sedes ubi fata molestas Ostendunt, illic fas colla refringere nostra.