ho said, For wit his Mistresse
might be a Gyant."--_Notes of Ben Jonson's Conversations with Drummond_,
p. 15. (ed. Shakesp. Soc.)

IN GELLAM. XXVI.

If Gella's beauty be examined,
She hath a dull dead eye, a saddle nose,
An ill-shap'd face, with morphew overspread,
And rotten teeth, which she in laughing shows;
Briefly, she is the filthiest wench in town,
Of all that do the art of whoring use:
But when she hath put on her satin gown,
Her cut[512] lawn apron, and her velvet shoes,
Her green silk stockings, and her petticoat
Of taffeta, with golden fringe around, 10
And is withal perfum'd with civet hot,
Which doth her valiant stinking breath confound,--
Yet she with these additions is no more
Than a sweet, filthy, fine, ill-favour'd whore.

FOOTNOTES:

[512] So MS.--Old eds. "out."

IN SYLLAM. XXVII.

Sylla is often challeng'd to the field,
To answer, like a gentleman, his foes:
But then doth he this[513] only answer yield,
That he hath livings and fair lands to lose.
Sylla, if none but beggars valiant were,
The king of Spain would put us all in fear.

FOOTNOTES:

[513] So Isham copy.--Ed. A "when doth he his."

IN SYLLAM. XXVIII.

Who dares affirm that Sylla dare not fight?
When I dare swear he dares adventure more
Than the most brave and most[514] all-daring wight
That ever arms with resolution bore;
He that dare touch the most unwholesome whore
That ever was retir'd into the spittle,
And dares court wenches standing at a door
(The portion of his wit being passing little);
He that dares give his dearest friends offences,
Which other valiant fools do fear to do, 10
And, when a fever doth confound his senses,
Dare eat raw beef, and drink strong wine thereto:
He that dares take tobacco on the stage,[515]
Dares man a whore at noon-day through the street,
Dares dance in Paul's, and in this formal age
Dares say and do whatever is unmeet;
Whom fear of shame could never yet affright,
Who dares affirm that Sylla dares not fight?

FOOTNOTES:

[514] So Isham copy.--Ed. A "most brave, most all daring."--Eds. B, C
"most brave and all daring."--MS. "most valiant and all-daring."

[515] There are frequent allusions to this practice. Cf. Induction to
_Cynthia's Revels_:-