Shakospern
Collection

PR 2935 · W74

AND

HIS FRIENDS;

OR,

“ THE GOLDEN AGE" OF MERRY ENGLAND.

His life was gentle, and the elements
So mixed in him, that Natyre might stand up,
And say to all the world-This was a man!

Julius CÆSAR.

He was not of an age, but for all time.

BEN JONSON.

IN 'THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

NERIAL

LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER,

GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. ZE

1838.

Monet

PRINTED BY WILLIAM WILCOCK SON, ROLLS BUILDINGS, FETTER LANE.

SHAKSPEARE AND HIS FRIENDS.

CHAPTER I.

I cannot hold; good rascal, let me kiss thee :
I never knew thee in so rare a humour.

BEN JONSON.

A part to tear a cat in—to make all split.

SHAKSPEARE.
Sir Toby. Come thy ways, Signior Fabian !

Fabian. Nay, I'll come. If I lose a scruple of this sport let me be boiled to death with melancholy.-IBID.

We hope to make the circle of your eyes
Flow with distilled laughter.

BEN JONSON.

Now must I transport the courteous reader, who hath followed me along hitherto with admirable patience, and I hope with some pleasure, into the shop of a noted barber chirurgeon, alluded to in the preceding pages, as living over against the jolly mercer's in Eastcheap. He was called Martin Lather, and sometimes Master Lather by those who would seem to hold him in some respect; and he had for an apprentice one Harry Daring-a

VOL. II.

B