[433] In the county of Essex, the mother-church of Harwich.  “In the same yeare of our Lord 1582 there was an Idoll named The Roode of Dovercourt, whereunto was much and great resort of people.  For at that time there was a great rumour blown abroad amongst the ignorant sort, that the power of The Idoll of Dovercourt was so great that no man had power to shut the church doore where he stood, and therefore they let the church dore, both night and day, continually stand open, for the more credit unto the blinde rumour.”—­Fox’s “Martyrs,” ii. 302.  This is the account given by Fox of this celebrated image; who adds that four men, determining to destroy it, travelled ten miles from Dedham, where they resided, took away the Rood and burnt it, for which act three of them afterwards suffered death.

[434] Old copy, way.—­Pegge.

[435] A play on the double meaning of the word, an old game and the act of kissing.

[436] [Obtain.]

[437] [Old copy, and former edits., bear.]

[438] See note to “Gammer Gurton’s Needle” [ii. 202].

[439] In 1662, when this play was either first printed or reprinted, it would have been absurd to talk of America as new or newly discovered.—­Collier.

[440] [This passage reminds us of No. 60 in “A C. Mery Talys,” Hazlitt’s “Jest Books,” i. 87.]

[441] See note to “Damon and Pithias” [iv. 21].

[442] Old copy, work.—­Pegge.

[443] i.e., O Lord.

[444] i.e., So happen in the issue.  So in Ben Jonson’s “New Inn,” act iv. sc. 4—­

    “You knew well
    It could not sort with any reputation
    Of mine.”

And in Massinger’s “Maid of Honour,” act ii. sc. 1—­

    “All sorts to my wishes.”

[445] Old copy, for.—­Pegge.

[446] i.e., As lief they as I.  So in “Eastward Hoe:”  “I’d as live as anything I could see his farewell.”—­Collier.

[447] It is observed by Dr Warburton (note on “Romeo and Juliet,” act i. sc. 1), that to carry coals was a phrase formerly in use to signify bearing of injuries; and Dr Percy has given several instances in proof of it.  To those may be added the following from Ben Jonson’s “Every Man out of his Humour,” act v. sc. 3:  “Take heed, Sir Puntarvolo, what you do; he’ll bear no coals, I can tell you, o’ my word.”

[448] i.e., Akercock, as he is called in the preceding scenes.  See a later note to this play [p. 442 infra].—­Collier.

[449] Suppose is here used in the sense of conjecture or apprehension.  Gascoigne translated a comedy of Ariosto, and called it “The Supposes.”  The employment of the verb for the substantive in the present instance is an evidence of the antiquity of this play.  The following parallel is from Gascoigne’s Prologue:  “The verye name wherof may peraduenture driue into euerie of your heades, a sundrie Suppose, to suppose the meaning of our supposes.”—­Collier.