NOTES References to the text of Catiline are to act and line of this edition. Other references to Jonson are to the GiffordCunningham edition, by play, volume, and page. References to Shakspere are to the Globe edition, act, scene, and line. Abbreviations need no explanation beyond that furnished by the Bibliography. The material for notes signed W. is from Whalley; G., from Gifford ; C., from Cunningham. Quotationmarks have usually been omitted in signed notes, as the wording is very frequently altered. For material found in notes on 1. 143, 2. 189–190, 2. 248—265, 3. 64, and 5. 214, and for part of that found in the note on I. 247—250, I am indepted to Professor Bright, editor of Modern Language Notes, who kindly supplied me with the proof-sheets, before publication, of Professor Briggs' article, Source Material for Jonson's Plays, while my book was going through the press. TITLE-PAGE Tragoedie. Jonson preferred the Latin spellings. Sejanus has the same form in the sub-caption. Epicoene has the Latin form Comoedie' in its sub-title, and so uniformly. K. MAIESTIES SERVANTS. This was Shakspere's company. For full particulars of this company, see Fleay, Stage 82 ff., 133 ff., 188 ff.; and Collier, Stage 1. 287 ff., 334. His non plebecula gaudet, etc. Horace, Epist. 2. 1. 186 ff. William Stansby. Stansby started in business as a bookseller. He began printing in 1609, and from then until 1638 he printed 154 books. Among the important works from his press were Certayne Masques at the Court never yet printed, by Jonson, January 20, 1614-15; the 1620 quarto of Epicoene; the 1635 quarto of Hamlet; and the second quarto of Love's Labour's Lost. DEDICATION William, Earl of Pembroke. William Herbert, third earl of Pembroke, was born in 1580 and died in 1630. He was Lord Chamberlain from 1615 to 1625, Lord Steward from 1626 to 1630, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford in 1624. In the latter year Broadgates Hall was refounded in his honor as Pembroke College. By some critics he has been identified with the 'Mr. W. H.' of the Shakspere sonnets, but the evidence is doubtful. He was made a Knight of the Garter in the first year of James I. To him Jonson also dedicated his Epigrams. 5. Iig-giuen times. The jig was a common conclusion to theatrical performances, usually being performed by the clowns and fools of the play just finished, and lasting about an hour. Probably it was a ludicrous composition in rhyme, sung or recited by the clown, accompanied by dancing and music on the pipe and tabor (see Collier, Stage 3. 182 ff.). 6. Against all noise of opinion. Jonson's impatient contempt for popular judgment is expressed more than once in his works. In a passage in Timber, 'Censura de poetis', (Wks. 9. 153) q. v., he vigorously presents his views. 9. The first (of this race). That is, tragedy. Sejanus, 1605, was without dedication. W. ACT I SYLLA'S ghost. Several classic tragedies open with the appearance of a ghost as, for example, the Hecuba of Euripides with the spectre of Polydorus - but the opening here is imitated particularly from Seneca's Thyestes and Agamemmnon. In both, a spirit rises from Hades on the eve of a fearful crime, and one inspired in some measure by his own, to foreshadow the coming horrors. In Thyestes, it is the shade of Tantalus,1 whose crime, terrible as it was, is exceeded by that of Atreus. In Agamemnon, it is the shade of Thyestes, whose son by an incestuous marriage, Ægisthus, 1 See note on 4. 353. murders Agamemnon. Jonson's choice of Sylla's ghost here was probably influenced by a bit from Lucan, Phars. 1.580–81: Et medio visi consurgere Campo Tristia Sullani cecinere oracula manes. Catiline had been an ardent supporter of Sulla, and Sallust, in sections 5, II-13 of his Catiline, implies that it was largely the successes of the dictator that inspired him. Cf. 'Hunc post dominationem Lucii Sullæ lubido maxima invaserat reipublicæ capiendæ, neque id quibus modis assequeretur, dum sibi regnum pararet, quidquam pensi habebat' (Sallust, Catiline 5). Sulla was the leading character in the civil war, culminating in the terrible proscriptions of 81 B. C. Although Sulla possessed many admirable qualities, and was in some respects a thoughtful statesman, his name has always been a synonym for cruelty, because of the unbridled ferocity of his vengeance in the proscriptions. For a full account of his career, see Dio Cassius 36. 44, 37. 25; Suetonius, Caesar 9; Appian, Bell. Civ. 2. 76. 4, 5. The sense is, 'and be less portentous than an earthquake of the destruction of thee and thine.' For threaten in this sense, cf. Winter's Tale 3. 3. 4: The skies look grimly, And threaten present blusters. II. Behold I Come.1 Cf. Seneca, Thy. 87-89: Mittor ut dirus vapor Tellure rupta, vel gravem populis luem 21. GRACCHI, CINNA, MARIVS. The selection by Jonson here of the Gracchi as types of the vengeful and destructive revolutionists is rather unhappy. Although revolutionary in their methods, they were in purpose ardent reformers. Both were killed in disturbances. Cinna 1 In Anglia 35. 299, Briggs states that this passage is from Agamemnon (!). was consul in 87 B. C. While Sulla was absent from Rome, he joined Marius in his horrible vengeance on the aristocratic party. Marius was a leader of the democratic or popular party of Rome. His rivalry with Sulla caused the first civil war in 88. In that year he was driven from Rome, but returned in 87, during Sulla's absence. His capture of Rome and subsequent administration of the government were marked by horrible cruelties. 24. And HANNIBAL could not haue wish'd to see. Cf. 'Et quidquid nec Hannibal videretur optasse' (Florus, Epit. 4. I). 27. Thy former facts. In the 16th and 17th centuries the commonest sense of fact was 'an evil deed, a crime.' Cf. All's Well 3.7. 47: 'Where both not sin, and yet a sinful fact.' Cf. also the legal phrase still in use, 'accessory before (or after) the fact.' So also in 1. 41 (see Glossary). 29. Conscience of them prouoke thee on to more. Cf. 'Agitabatur magis magisque in dies animus ferox inopia rei familiaris et conscientia scelerum' (Sallust, Cat. 5). See Glossary. 31. Thy forcing first a Vestall nunne. Sallust gives us this information in Cat. 15. This priestess of Vesta was Fabia Terentia, sister to Terentia, Cicero's wife. She was accused by Clodius, but being powerfully defended by Catulus and others of influence, was acquitted. The penalty for violation of the vestal vows was death. 32. Thy parricide late on thine owne onely sonne. Sallust states it as the common belief that Catiline put his son to death because Aurelia Orestilla dreaded having a grown-up stepson (see Cat. 15). 33. To make emptie way. Cf. 'Cum morte superioris uxoris, novis nuptiis domum vacuam fecisses' (Cicero, I Cat. 6). 36. Which got thee, at once, a daughter and a wife. In a fragment of Cicero (In Toga Candida), occurs this passage: 'Cum deprehendebare in adulteriis, cum deprehendebas adulteros ipse, cum ex eodem stupro tibi et uxorem et filiam invenisti.' On this passage Asconius Pedianus thus comments: |