Complete Works of Thomas Otway
Page 4
Note I.
Note II.
Note III.
Note IV.
Note V.
Note VI.
Note VII
Note VIII.
Note IX.
Note X.
Note XI.
Note XII.
Note XIII.
Note XIV.
Note XV.
Note XVI.
Note XVII.
Note XVIII.
Note XIX.
Note XX.
Note I.
The first was he who stunk of that rank verse
In which he wrote his Sodom farce.
Stan. 8, p. 225.
This infamous piece, which is destitute even of wit to palliate it’s gross and abominable indecency, was written by —— Fishbourne, belonging to one of the inns of court. It was printed in 1680; and bore the initials E. R. the publisher being desirous it should pass for a work of lord Rochester. This was so highly resented by the noble lord, that he wrote a satire upon the author, which, in point of grossness, cannot fall far beneath the play he disclaims.
Note II.
The City-Poet too was there,
In a black satin cap and his own hair, &c.
Stan. 8, p. 225.
This was Elkanah Settle, an author whose works, though now almost forgotten, obtained, at one time, popularity sufficient to raise the spleen of Dryden. He became lauréat to the city, and in that capacity composed pageants, or dramatic exhibitions for the lord mayor; an account of which may be seen in the “Biographia Dramatica.” His various changes of party, more than his defect of poetical talent, exposed him to the contempt and ridicule of his contemporaries. He distinguished himself greatly at a pope-burning, which will be mentioned in a following note, and was afterwards reduced to be assistant at a puppet-show in Bartholomew-fair; where, having a turn for ingenious mechanism, he contrived a green case, in which he acted the part of a dragon. He died in the Charter-house in 1724. His black satin cap, which concealed a portion of his dark hair, is likewise alluded to by the correspondent in the Gentleman’s Magazine: “Master Elkanah Settle, the city-poet, I knew, with his short-cut band, and satin cap. Gent. Mag, for 1745.
Note III.
There liv’d a widow’d witch,
That us’d to mumble curses eve and morn,
Like one whom wants and care had worn, &c.
Stan, 9, p. 226.
This description is much in Spenser’s manner:
There in a gloomy hollow glen she found
A little cottage built of stickes and reedes,
In homely wize, and wald with sods around;
In which a witch did dwell in loathly weedes
And wilful want, all carelesse of her needes;
So choosing solitarie to abide,
Far from all neighbours, that her divelish deedes
And hellish arts from people she might hide,
And hurt far off unknowne whomever she envide.
Faery Queene, b. 3, c. 7.
Her face most fowle and filthy was to see,
With squinted eyes contrarie wayes intended,
And loathly mouth, unmeete a mouth to bee,
That nought but gall and venim comprehended,
And wicked wordes that God and man offended:
Her lying-tongue was in two parts divided,
And both the parts did speake, and both contended;
And as her tongue, so was her hart discided,
That never thoght one thing, but doubly stil was guided.
Note IV.
Idolatry with her was held impure,
Because, besides herself, no idol she’d endure,
Stan. 9, p. 227.
This, as well as the rest of the description, applies to the presbyterian sect, which constituted the chief strength of the party opposed to Charles I. The verse quoted calls to mind the expression of Oliver Cromwell respecting the presbyterians: “I am the only man,” he was often heard to say, “who has known how to subdue that insolent sect, which can suffer none but itself.”
The presbyterians had the reputation of being the most bitter enemies, and strenuous opposers of the kingly name and office. In a tract, printed in 1681, they are described as the first criers out against arbitrary government. “Who was it that animated the people to take up arms, for defence of liberty and property, against the king? The very same (the presbyterians). Who maintained, continued, and finished the war, and the tragedy of the king’s murder? The same men, though now they had gotten new frocks and vizards on, and called themselves independents, or congregational churchmen; a name that comprehended all sects and opinions.” — The complaint of liberty and property against arbitrary government. Somers’ Tracts.
Note V.
A destroying angel was sent down
To scourge the pride of this rebellious town, &c.
Stan. 10, p. 227.
That dire commission ended, down there came
Another angel with a sword of flame. p. 227.
The first distich refers to the plague which visited London in 1665: it’s dreadful effects are described in the succeeding verses. It is stated, that about 100,000 persons were destroyed by this calamity. The parliament was held at Oxford, and the city was deserted by all who were able to leave it: so that grass actually grew in some of the streets. The latter verse alludes to the great fire which broke out on the 2nd September in the following year; and, as the poet proceeds to mention, gave rise to new dissentions, and awakened the popular prejudice against the Catholics, who were loaded with the infamy of originating it. Otway seems to adopt the Tory doctrine, that it was a visitation from heaven, on account of the sins of the nation, especially the Londoners, and the crimes committed during the civil war and commonwealth.
Note VI.
And there for her support she found
A wight, of whom Fame’s trumpet much does sound, &c.
Stan. 11, p. 228.
Who was designed in this description, is not clear from the text. It might probably be sir William Waller, son of the famous parliamentary general. He was a justice of the peace, and rendered himself notorious for his zeal against popery, destroying popish chapels, and discovering of plots. His continual searchings after priests, obtained him the title of the priest-catcher.
Note VII
All those who use religion for a fashion,
All such as practise forms, and, take great pains
To make their godliness their gains.
Stan. 11, p. 229.
The outward semblance of religion was, at the period referred to, successfully employed to cloke the most criminal and dangerous purposes. This passage applies to the whig party, and especially to their leader, lord Shaftesbury, whose hypocrisy Dryden exposes in the “Medal:”
He cast himself into the saint-like mould;
Groan’d, sigh’d, and pray’d, while godliness was gain,
The loudest bagpipe of the squeaking train.
Note VIII.
Pamper’d their follies, and indulg’d their hopes,
With May-day routs, November squibs, and burning pasteboard popes.
Stan. 11, p. 229.
During the rage and acrimony which characterized the politics of the latter part of Charles the Second’s reign, every expedient was anxiously sought by the leaders of the whig faction, to support their influence over the populace, and inflame the nation against popery. Besides commemorating the discovery of the gunpowder-plot, by bonfires, fireworks, and other tokens of rejoicing, the ceremony of pope-burning, which took place with all possible solemnity on the 17th November, being the anniversary of queen Elizabeth’s coronation, became a powerful engine in favour of the whigs. Vast sums of money were sometimes expended on these occasions, particularly in 1679, the year after the popish plot, when the effigy of sir Edmondsbury Godfrey, and all the paraphernalia, of bloody massacre, as described in the wild tales of Titus Oates and his associates, formed part of the procession. [See an
engraved representation of this procession in Walter Scott’s Dryden, vol. 6.] It was on this occasion that Elkanah Settle, of whom mention has been made in a preceding note, distinguished himself, under the, auspices of his new patron, the earl of Shaftesbury.
Note IX.
To spite the pillory, it had no ears.
When straight the bawd cried out, ’twas surely kin
To the blest family of Pryn,
Stan. 12, p. 230.
William Prynne, a most voluminous writer, of whom Wood says, “I verily believe, if rightly computed, be wrote a sheet for every day of his life, reckoning from the time when he came to the age of reason and the state of man.” He was the author of the Histriomastix; in which, among other censures of dramatic amusements, he calls “women actors, notorious whores.” It happened, unfortunately, that Henrietta-Maria, Queen of Charles I. had, a very short time before, supported a character in a pastoral at Somerset House. Prynne was, for this insult, prosecuted in the court of Star-chamber, and sentenced “to be fined 5000l to the king, expelled the university of Oxford and Lincoln’s Inn, degraded, and disenabled from his profession in the laws, to stand in the pillory, first in the Palace-yard in Westminster, and three days after in Cheapside, in each place to lose an ear, (though this part of the censure was much moderated in the execution) to have his book called Histriomastix publicly burnt before his face by the hand of the hangman, and remain prisoner during life.” This severity did not restrain him from a similar offence. He was again convicted in the same court, and sentenced to lose the remainder of his ears in the pillory, and be branded with the letters S. L. (schismatical libeller) &c. He died 24th October, 1669. The following verses are part of what were designed for his epitaph:
Here lies the body of William Prynne,
A bencher late of Lincoln’s Inn,
Who restless ran thro’ thick, and thin.
His brains career were never stopping,
But pen with rheume of gall still dropping
Till hand o’er head brought ears to cropping, &c.
Athen. Ox vol ii col. 434.
Note X.
Yet in the outcasts of a northern factious town
A little smoky mansion of her own,
Where her familiars to her did resort,
A cell she kept, &c.
Stan. 13, p. 230.
The allegory is here so dark as to be unintelligible. By the sister-witch, may be meant the covenanters of Scotland, who in 1679, on the anniversary of the restoration, rose at Rutherglen, a small town near Glasgow, and after committing several outrages, possessed themselves of that city. They were afterwards routed at Bothwell-bridge, by the duke of Monmouth.
Note XI.
All which were imps she cherish’d with her blood,
To make her spells succeed and good:
Still at her rivell’d breasts they hung, whenever mankind she curs’d.
Stan. 13, p. 231.
“And as she lay upon the durtie ground,
Her huge long taile her den all overspred; —
Yet was in knots and many boughtes upwound,
Pointed with mortall sting: of her there bred
A thousand yong ones, which she dayly fed,
Sucking upon her poisnous dugs; each one
Of sundrie shapes, yet all ill-favored:
Soone as that uncouth light upon them shone,
Into her mouth they crept, and suddain all were gone.”
Faery Queene, b. 1, c. 1.
Note XII.
All down from godly forty-one, to horrid forty-eight.
Stan. 14, p. 232.
In 1641, the dissentions between the king and the parliament grew to their acme; and in 1648, the civil war was terminated by the dethronement and death of the monarch. Allusion was continually made to these events by the Tories, who charged their antagonists with similar designs. In 1680 (the year when this poem appeared) these bye-words were most frequently employed; the factions of eighty being compared with those o(forty-one, and the people warned of an approaching forty-eight. Dryden alludes to this custom in one of his occasional prologues:
“The style of forty-one our poets write,
And you are grown to judge like forty-eight
Note XIII.
How by a lawful means to bring
In arms against himself the king,
With a distinguishing old tricky
‘Twixt persons Natural, and Politic, &c.
Stan. 15, p. 233.
When time discovered the dangerous designs of those sectaries, who conspired to overthrow the constitution, and to establish, in it’s stead, a wild government of their own; their despicable cant, and affected phraseology, became the common topic of ridicule. It was this which chiefly contributed to the popularity of “Hudibras;” a timely satire, productive of incalculable benefit to the royal cause. It is obvious that, in this part of the poem, Otway has imitated Butler both in style and subject. [Hudibras, part i canto ii.] The parliament, however, derived great advantage from their hypocritical jargon, and those subtle distinctions by which they separated the king’s natural from his political character. By these expedients they blinded the people; and while they furiously levied war against the person of the king, they affected to treat him, in his political capacity, as joined with the parliament, with respect.
Note XIV.
For loving noisy and unsound debate,
And wearing of a mystical green ribband in his hat.
Stan. 15, p. 233.
When the nation is divided into factions, party distinctions are seldom wanting to perpetuate them. The green ribbon was the emblem of Shaftesbury’s party, as the red was of the lories. North gives the following account of the green-ribbon club: “This was the club originally called the Kind’s Heed Club. The gentlemen of that worthy society held their evening sessions continually at the King’s Head tavern, over against the Inner-Temple gate. But upon occasion of the signal of a green ribbon agreed to be worn in their hats, in the days of street-engagements, like the coats of arms of valiant knights of old, whereby all the warriors of that society might be distinguished, and not mistake friends for enemies; they were called also the Green Ribbon Club. Their seat was in a sort of car-four at Chancery-lane-end; a centre of business and company most proper for such anglers of fools. The house was double balconied in the front, as may be yet seen, for the clubsters to issue forth in fresco, with hats and no paniques; pipes in their mouths, merry faces, and diluted throats, for vocal encouragement of the canaglia below, at bonfires, on usual and unusual occasions.” — Examen,
Note XV.
And in his own hand too was writ
That worthy piece of modern wit,
The Country’s late Appeal.
Stan. 16, p. 234.
“The Appeal from the Country to the City,” was a pamphlet of the most violent kind, written by Robert Ferguson, the celebrated plotter, and one of lord Shaftesbury’s coadjutors. The object of the work, was to prejudice the nation against the duke of York, by all the common-place invectives against popery, and arbitrary government; and to urge the justice and policy of placing the duke of Monmouth nest in succession to the throne.
Note XVI.
’Tis said we may in ancient legends read
Of a huge dragon, sent by fate
To lay a sinful kingdom waste:
So thro’ it all he rang’d, devouring as he past,
And each day with a virgin broke his fast.
Stan. 16, p. 834.
The dragon slain by St. George, and the rescue of Salorn, the princess of Egypt, related in the well-known history of the “Seven Champions of England,” are here referred to by the poet.
Note XVII.
Why lives he in the world’s esteem,
Not one man’s foe? and why then are not all men friends with him?
Stan. 17, p. 235.
Otway, in this delineation of the duke of York’s character, has chosen the topics of praise with due regard to
truth, which he, like other writers who are anxious to gain or secure a patron, often disregards in his dedications. The bravery which the duke displayed in the early part of his life, the steadiness and sincerity of his friendships, and the amiableness of his domestic character, all which are allowed even by his enemies, are properly made the principal features in the portrait. In his subsequent life, steadiness and resolution deserted him, when he had most need of them.
Note XVIII.
Then did the English lion roar,
While the Belgian couchant lay, &c.
Stan. 18, p. 236.
In 1664, war was declared against the United Provinces, and the duke proceeded to the coast of Holland, with 114 ships of war, besides fire-ships. He encountered the Dutch fleet, commanded by Obdam, and fought the bloody battle, mentioned in the succeeding stanza, on the 3d of June, 1665. Obdam’s ship blew up, and nineteen others were sunk or taken. The victors returned to port with the loss of only one ship, and Admiral Lawson, who died shortly after of his wounds.
Note XIX.
But when the messengers did mandates bring
For his retreat to foreign land,
Since sent from the relenting hand
Of the most loving Brother, kindest King.
Stan. 19, p. 237.
The commotion which the popish plot excited in England, and the danger to which the king saw himself exposed from it’s astonishing influence upon men’s minds, aroused all his energies to meet a crisis so pregnant with difficulty. As a preparatory measure, he desired his brother to withdraw from the country; that it might not be supposed his measures were influenced by one whose character and religion were so tin popular. The duke, fearful that so sudden a retreat would imply a consciousness of guilt, requested an order, signed by the king; which was complied with. The king expressing his sorrow that it should be necessary for the duke’s good, and his own service; and declaring that no absence, nor any thing else, should alter his favourable sentiments. The duke retired first to Holland, thence to Brussels.