Where, "wherehe go" (JE354,d), whether.Whister, "whisterhim in the ear" (N77,d), whisper.White wine(JE361,a), an allusion, I suppose, to the rotten eggs shied at a victim in the pillory.Widge, "chad awidge" (R229,a), horse. In a recent number ofNotes and Queriesappeared the following, which seems worth quoting, as exemplifying the survival in Tudor-English dialect of an A.S. word that itself had only a limited vogue. "In South-Western dialect,widge, a horse (mare) ... from M.E.wig, A.S.wicg. The ... word is only found in poetry, and with moderate frequency; while in other Teutonic languageswigg, horse, occurs solely, to my knowledge, in O. Sax.,The Heliand, and there but once. Stratmann'sMid. Eng.Dictionary(ed. H. Bradley) gives a solitary example ofwig, horse, inEarly English Homilies(ed. R. Morris), rendering the more notable its survival to the above date. The word is not in Halliwell'sDictionary." (H. P. L.)Wit and Science, by John Redford. The text, collated anew in proof with the original manuscript in the British Museum (Add. MSS. 15,233), will be found on pages 135-175, together with a reduced facsimile of the penultimate page of the manuscript (p. 136), and the concluding lines of the same with Redford's signature (p. 175). This last facsimile has been included because nowhere in the Museum Catalogue does Redford's name occur; the play has never been catalogued as his though his name appears both in the MS. and in the Shak. Soc. reprint (Ac. 9485.33). A good deal of confusion and uncertainty has existed concerning the identity of this and two other Wit plays, a question which I discuss inAnon. Plays(E.E.D.S.),Series IV., now in the press. I refer the reader to this volume, which will reach subscribers in due course. Besides the Shakespeare Society's reprint, Prof. Manly hasincludedWit and Sciencein hisSpecimens of thePre-Shakespearean Drama. The MS. is in the shape of a memorandum book, the lines running across the short width of the page. There has been no cutting of the margins. It was purchased at the sale of the Bright MSS. in 1844, and the binding is without doubt contemporary with the MS., though it has apparently been patched here and there.Corrigenda, Amended Readings, etc.: "The better hold outhemay" (138,b),yein manuscript, which Halliwell follows: Prof. Manly hashe—"Study.Yea, hold your peace ... that way" (139,c), Halliwell in his reprint (1848) reads thus:—
Where, "wherehe go" (JE354,d), whether.
Whister, "whisterhim in the ear" (N77,d), whisper.
White wine(JE361,a), an allusion, I suppose, to the rotten eggs shied at a victim in the pillory.
Widge, "chad awidge" (R229,a), horse. In a recent number ofNotes and Queriesappeared the following, which seems worth quoting, as exemplifying the survival in Tudor-English dialect of an A.S. word that itself had only a limited vogue. "In South-Western dialect,widge, a horse (mare) ... from M.E.wig, A.S.wicg. The ... word is only found in poetry, and with moderate frequency; while in other Teutonic languageswigg, horse, occurs solely, to my knowledge, in O. Sax.,The Heliand, and there but once. Stratmann'sMid. Eng.Dictionary(ed. H. Bradley) gives a solitary example ofwig, horse, inEarly English Homilies(ed. R. Morris), rendering the more notable its survival to the above date. The word is not in Halliwell'sDictionary." (H. P. L.)
Wit and Science, by John Redford. The text, collated anew in proof with the original manuscript in the British Museum (Add. MSS. 15,233), will be found on pages 135-175, together with a reduced facsimile of the penultimate page of the manuscript (p. 136), and the concluding lines of the same with Redford's signature (p. 175). This last facsimile has been included because nowhere in the Museum Catalogue does Redford's name occur; the play has never been catalogued as his though his name appears both in the MS. and in the Shak. Soc. reprint (Ac. 9485.33). A good deal of confusion and uncertainty has existed concerning the identity of this and two other Wit plays, a question which I discuss inAnon. Plays(E.E.D.S.),Series IV., now in the press. I refer the reader to this volume, which will reach subscribers in due course. Besides the Shakespeare Society's reprint, Prof. Manly hasincludedWit and Sciencein hisSpecimens of thePre-Shakespearean Drama. The MS. is in the shape of a memorandum book, the lines running across the short width of the page. There has been no cutting of the margins. It was purchased at the sale of the Bright MSS. in 1844, and the binding is without doubt contemporary with the MS., though it has apparently been patched here and there.Corrigenda, Amended Readings, etc.: "The better hold outhemay" (138,b),yein manuscript, which Halliwell follows: Prof. Manly hashe—"Study.Yea, hold your peace ... that way" (139,c), Halliwell in his reprint (1848) reads thus:—
Yea, hold your peace, best! we here now stay,For, Instruction, I like not that way.
Yea, hold your peace, best! we here now stay,For, Instruction, I like not that way.
"Good, sir" (141,b), originalGod, sir—"Striketh him" (144,d), this stage direction, which is not in manuscript, should, of course, have been put within brackets—"Give ear tothatwe sing and say" (145,c), so in MS.;whatin transcript of song in Shakespeare Soc. Papers, II. 78: it may also be noted that in the same transcript the commencement of the fifth stanza insertsannot in the MS. which reads "After eye given"—"Here cometh inHonest Recreation," etc. (145,ato 146,b), this stage direction in MS. is continuous, and the song is given at the end of the play. I have inserted it here as more convenient—"while wehimbear" (146,b),herein MS., which is followed by Halliwell; I have accepted Prof. Manly's amendment—"Rea.I wot well that" (146,d), in MS. these words are followed in the same line by the first five words of the next line, "The more to blame ye"; the scribe finding out his mistake crossed them through, and then re-wrote them in the next line as in text—"HereComfort, Quickness,Strengthgo out" (147,a), in the margin, very small, between the speakers' names as if by an afterthought, is written, "Al go out save Honest"—"Sure call a blow or twain" (162,d), Halliwell says "the scribe here began to write the preceding speech of Science but erased it." Reference to the manuscript shows that the previous line originally ran, "By the mass,madam, ye can no good," and that the words in italics were then crossed through and the line re-written as in the present text. Thenext line, commencing "And thou shalt sure," etc., has apparently been written in after the mistake was discovered; it occurs at the end of a page. At the top of the next page of the MS. the word "Art" is written, and then crossed through, as if the writer had begun to write the lines ascribed to Science (162,d) commencing "Art a-swearing, too?"—"Welcome, mine own" (171,c), in the MS. this song appears in another part of the book quite distinct from the play, but as it is obviously intended to be sung here it is restored to its place. Therefore the stage directionssupraandinfra(171,c, 172,d) are continuous in the MS.—"life's end [end] it" (174,d), in the MS. the line reads withlife's end end it, but the secondendis crossed through, erroneously it would seem.
"Good, sir" (141,b), originalGod, sir—"Striketh him" (144,d), this stage direction, which is not in manuscript, should, of course, have been put within brackets—"Give ear tothatwe sing and say" (145,c), so in MS.;whatin transcript of song in Shakespeare Soc. Papers, II. 78: it may also be noted that in the same transcript the commencement of the fifth stanza insertsannot in the MS. which reads "After eye given"—"Here cometh inHonest Recreation," etc. (145,ato 146,b), this stage direction in MS. is continuous, and the song is given at the end of the play. I have inserted it here as more convenient—"while wehimbear" (146,b),herein MS., which is followed by Halliwell; I have accepted Prof. Manly's amendment—"Rea.I wot well that" (146,d), in MS. these words are followed in the same line by the first five words of the next line, "The more to blame ye"; the scribe finding out his mistake crossed them through, and then re-wrote them in the next line as in text—"HereComfort, Quickness,Strengthgo out" (147,a), in the margin, very small, between the speakers' names as if by an afterthought, is written, "Al go out save Honest"—"Sure call a blow or twain" (162,d), Halliwell says "the scribe here began to write the preceding speech of Science but erased it." Reference to the manuscript shows that the previous line originally ran, "By the mass,madam, ye can no good," and that the words in italics were then crossed through and the line re-written as in the present text. Thenext line, commencing "And thou shalt sure," etc., has apparently been written in after the mistake was discovered; it occurs at the end of a page. At the top of the next page of the MS. the word "Art" is written, and then crossed through, as if the writer had begun to write the lines ascribed to Science (162,d) commencing "Art a-swearing, too?"—"Welcome, mine own" (171,c), in the MS. this song appears in another part of the book quite distinct from the play, but as it is obviously intended to be sung here it is restored to its place. Therefore the stage directionssupraandinfra(171,c, 172,d) are continuous in the MS.—"life's end [end] it" (174,d), in the MS. the line reads withlife's end end it, but the secondendis crossed through, erroneously it would seem.
Wolpit, Our Lady of(IP315,d).Woolpitis about eight miles east of Bury-St.-Edmunds. Taylor in hisIndex Monasticus(p. 117) includes it in a list of shrines, images, etc., in Suffolk to which pilgrimages were made. The manor was given to the monks of Bury-St.-Edmunds prior to the Conquest. They were possessed of it in the time of EdwardI., and probably continued in possession till the dissolution of the monasteries.Wonning(JE363,d), dwelling.Worne, "the wild worm is come into his head" (N98,d); cf. "maggot in brain."Wote, "half awote" (N67,c),i.e."half I wot."Writ of Privilege(IP316,d), a writ to deliver a privileged person from custody when arrested in a civil suit.Year-day, "my father'syear-day" (M32,b), either birthday or the anniversary of death.Zee, seeA zee.Zembity(R230,a), semblity; Magnus suggests "dissemble."Zoryless(R212,d), sorryless (for sorriness).
Wolpit, Our Lady of(IP315,d).Woolpitis about eight miles east of Bury-St.-Edmunds. Taylor in hisIndex Monasticus(p. 117) includes it in a list of shrines, images, etc., in Suffolk to which pilgrimages were made. The manor was given to the monks of Bury-St.-Edmunds prior to the Conquest. They were possessed of it in the time of EdwardI., and probably continued in possession till the dissolution of the monasteries.
Wonning(JE363,d), dwelling.
Worne, "the wild worm is come into his head" (N98,d); cf. "maggot in brain."
Wote, "half awote" (N67,c),i.e."half I wot."
Writ of Privilege(IP316,d), a writ to deliver a privileged person from custody when arrested in a civil suit.
Year-day, "my father'syear-day" (M32,b), either birthday or the anniversary of death.
Zee, seeA zee.
Zembity(R230,a), semblity; Magnus suggests "dissemble."
Zoryless(R212,d), sorryless (for sorriness).
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Transcriber's Notes:Simple spelling, grammar, and typographical errors in the prose were corrected.Punctuation normalized.Anachronistic and non-standard spellings retained as printed.Egregious errors were corrected in the poetry.Prefixing right aligned stage directions with a left bracket was most common usage in original. Added left bracket where one was missing. Removed right bracket from a few right aligned stage directions due to uncommon usage in original.
Transcriber's Notes:
Simple spelling, grammar, and typographical errors in the prose were corrected.
Punctuation normalized.
Anachronistic and non-standard spellings retained as printed.
Egregious errors were corrected in the poetry.
Prefixing right aligned stage directions with a left bracket was most common usage in original. Added left bracket where one was missing. Removed right bracket from a few right aligned stage directions due to uncommon usage in original.