Volpone and Other Plays (78 page)

10
.
possessed
: possessed by a devil.

27
.
gaped
: yearned.

6
.
gave it second
: seconded it.

7
.
sear up
: stop bleeding by cauterizing with a hot iron.

9
.
kitlings
: kittens.                 16.
crotchets
: whims.

9
.
possession
: being possessed internally by a devil.

10
.
obsession
: being controlled from without by a devil.

25
.
crooked pins
, etc.: Note.

85
.
uncase
: cast off disguise.      87.
substance
: wealth.

91
.
chimera
: originally, in Greek mythology, a monster, part lion, part goat, part serpent.

115
.
bane
: destruction.      116.
Saffi
: sergeants, bailifis.

120
.
Incurabili
: incurables.

125
.
mortifying
: Note.

139
.
the Berlina
: the Venetian stocks.

8.
professors
: practitioners.

29.
copy
: copiousness.

1.
the sickness hot
: the plague (being) virulent; refers to the year 1609.

4.
punk
: prostitute.

6.
Coz'ners
: tricksters, confidence-men.

10.
figures
: horoscope.

11.
flies
: familiar spirits.

12.
Stone
: the much sought after Philosopher's Stone, which could turn everything into gold.

9.
humours
: for Jonson's physiological–psychological theories, see note to
Volpone
, II, ii, 92 (page 467), and the general introduction, p.
10
.

3–4.
Lick figs
: Note.

17.
Friars
: Blackfriars, a fashionable part of London, scene of the comedy's action.

18
.
vacations
: Note.

19
.
suburb–captain
: bawd or pander, brothels being located in
suburbs
or low quarters, outwith the City's jurisdiction.

29
.
Roman wash
: an ointment for venereal disease?

35
.
kibes
: chilblains.

36
.
felt of rug
: hat made of coarse felt.

44–5
.
stills
, etc.: see note on alchemical terms.

52–3
.
chippings, dole–beer
: Note.

54
.
vails
: tips.

55
.
post–and–pair
: a game of cards.

64–80
.
Thou vermin
, etc.: Note.

74
.
quarrelling dimensions
: Note.

79
.
projection
: Note.

96
.
erecting figures
: casting horoscopes.

97
.
taking… glass
: divining by means of a crystal globe.

110.
republic
: common–weal – i.e. our fraternity.

111.
brach
: bitch.

116.
menstrue
: menses used as a solvent.

121
.
dog–bolt
: worthless person.

139
.
term
: one of the periods when the law–courts were sitting; the London social ‘season'.

151
.
fermentation
, etc.: further alchemical processes.

152
.
Sol and Luna
: sun and moon, i.e. gold and silver.

160
.
shark
: swindle, cheat.

164
.
sort
: crowd;
precise
: Puritanical.

167
.
ride
: i.e. on a public cart (punishment for a prostitute).

168–9
.
hole
: in the pillory;
pay ear–rent
: have your ears cut off, as punishment.

173
.
crewel
: pun on ‘cruel' and ‘crewel' (worsted).

189
.
quodling
: literally a green apple; unsophisticated youth.

191
.
the Dagger
: a tavern of low repute.

192
familiar
: familiar spirit.

193
.
rifle
: gamble.

8
.
pass-time
: watch;
cunning-man
: magician, fortune-teller.

10
.
broke
: broached the subject.

26
.
chiaus
: Turkish messenger.

37
.
angel
: gold coin.

47
.
flush
: winning hand in primero, a card game.

63
.
puck-fist
: puff-ball – i.e. boaster.

79
.
crackers
: fireworks. See
Bartholomew Fair
: v, iv, 23.

81
.
set
:bet against.

100
.
ordinary
: tavern;
o'the score
: on credit.

111
–12.
put six 0' your gallants to a cloak
: ‘force five out of six gamblers to pawn their cloaks' (G. E. Bentley).

128
.
born with a caul
: a sign of good luck. Note.

130
.
I' fac
: in faith.

147
.
tonight
: last night.

173
.
nobles
: coins.

9
plot
: plan, diagram.

14
wished
: recommended.

24
.
sophisticate
: adulterate.

25
.
grains
: grains of paradise – a kind of spice.

28–31
lily-pots
, etc.: Note.

32
.
goldsmith
: usurer.

40
.
fine
: pay a forfeit rather than take office as Sheriff.

43
.
amused
: amazed.

44
metoposcopy
: the art of telling a man's fortune from his forehead or face.

69
loadstone
: magnet.

73
.
court-focus
: cosmetic used by Court ladies.

79
.
give a say
: make an assay, an attempt.

87
.
portogue
: gold coin.

102
.
cor'sive
: corrosive.

103
.
crosslets
, etc.: apparatus used by alchemists.

5
.
trunk
: speaking tube.

9
.
shift
: change your clothes.

19
.
plaguy houses
: houses stricken with the plague.

21
.
pomander
: a ball containing perfume as a protection
(preservative)
against infection.

23
.
'spital
: hospital.

8
spectatissimi
: literally, most gazed at; highly esteemed.

9
.
hollow die
: loaded dice.

11
.
livery-punk
: prostitute acting as accomplice to a confidence-trickster (ironically, unknown to Mammon, Dol Common is precisely this)

16
.
entrails
: lining.

23
punketees
: young prostitutes.

26
.
fire-drake
: dragon.

27
.
Lungs
: Mammon's nickname for Face – Subtle's ‘bellows' and laboratory-assistant.

28
.
firk
: stir.

29
.
faithful
: believing (i.e. in alchemy)

36
.
admire
: wonder

63–9
the secret
, etc.: Note.

71
the players
: Note.

81–3
Moses, Solomon
, etc.; Note.

89–104
Jason's fleece
, etc.; Note.

95
argent-vive
: quicksilver.

102
Demogorgon
: Note.

9
.
bolt's head
: flask.

14
.
auditory
: congregation.

23
.
just
: exactly.

28
.
sanguis agni
: blood of the Lamb.

48
.
succubae
: here, concubines.

74
.
hyacinth
: a precious stone.

76
.
spirit of Sol
: gold

80
.
calvered
: unknown – evidently an elaborate way of preparing fish while alive.

81
.
knots
: a kind of sandpiper,
godwits
: a kind of snipe.

82
.
barbel
: a kind of fresh-water fish.

87
.
be a knight
: Note.

89
.
taffeta-sarsnet
: very fine silk.

97
.
homo frugi
: a temperate man.

6
.
just
: exact.

42
.
canting
: rogues' slang or jargon.

48
.
covetise
: covetousness.

71
.
hay
: a net for catching rabbits; ‘coney-catching' in Jacobean times meant confidence-tricking.

75
.
liquor of Mars
: molten iron.

88
.
bolted
: driven by the ferret into the net (develops metaphor in line 71).

99
.
kemia
: vessel for distilling in.

157
.
means
: intermediate stages.

178
.
bray
: pulverize.

192
.
red man
: sulphur;
white woman
: mercury.

193
.
terms
: menses.

195
.
merds
: fæces.

224
.
I warrant thee
: ' I promise to protect you (against Subtle's anger).'

283
.
lapis mineralis
: Philosopher's Stone.

284–5
.
primero, gleek
: games of cards.

287
.
danger of the quicksilver
: refers to the standard treatment of venereal disease, as does
sulphur
: line 288.

307
.
fall
: veil or ruff;
tire
: head-dress.

323
.
jack
: a turnspit.

5
.
firks
: runs.

11
.
Sanguine
: literally ruddy (flattering term of endearment).

21
.
gold-end man
: dealer in odds and ends of gold.

30
.
exiled Saints
: group of fanatical Puritans who moved from England to Holland.

31
.
discipline
: form of church government.

57
.
professors
: believers, Puritans.

21
.
rug
: coarse cloth.

26
.
legs
: bows.

30
.
a bona roba?
: a fine gown (hence, a courtesan).

33
.
a-cop
: on the top of her head.

34
.
fucus
: a cosmetic.

54
.
dubbed
: made knights.

64
.
by line
: according to the rules.

87
.
in goods
: in property;
in tail
: pun on legal and colloquial meanings (a) limited, conditional inheritance to certain heirs – as opposed to getting something in goods, and (b)
tail
suggesting a woman sexually available.

89
.
grains
: weight.

2
.
Separation
: the dissenting sect in Amsterdam.

17
.
give somewhat to
: make allowance for.

38
.
silenced Saints
: the dissenters were not permitted to preach in England.

41
.
aurum potabile
: drinkable gold (thought to be an elixir); here it means bribery.

10
.
qualify
: change the situation.

38
.
bone-ache
: pox.

40
.
fricace
: rubbing or massage.

45
.
parcel gilt
: partly gilded articles of silver.

68
.
being toward
: being almost in possession of.

78
.
scrupulous bones
: doctrinal points of minor importance and interest.

87
.
shorten… ears
: have your ears cut off as a punishment in the pillory.

95
.
wood
: company.

113
.
botcher
: tailor.

129
.
citronize
: becomes yellow.

150
.
know
: recognize the authority of.

11
.
party-bawd
: partner-bawd or partner in bawdry.

13
.
slops
: loose-padded breeches.

14
.
hoys
: ships;
trunks
: hose.

15
.
pistolets
: Spanish gold coins.

23
.
doxy
: whore.

46.
gnat frost
: i.e. of 1608.

48.
God's gift
: ' Dorothea' in Greek means God's gift.