ers.
Down with the fore-sail too! we'll spoom before her.

cf. also _The Lucky Chance_, I, i: 'I am no Starter.' (Vol. III,
p. 193), and note on that passage, p. 485.

p. 302 _rubbing off._ Very common slang still in use for 'making off',
'clearing out', cf. Shadwell's _The Virtuoso_ (1676), Act V, sc. iii,
the Masquerade, where Sir Samuel Harty says: 'Who held my sword while
I danc'd? ... A curse on him! he's rubb'd off with it!'

p. 303 _Dullman and Timorous._ No entrance has been marked for these
two characters, and I have not ventured to insert one owing to the
fact that this fifth Act has been so cut (e.g. the omission of the
Indian King's ghost, as noted by Jenkins in the Dedication) and
mutilated that it would be perilous to make any insertion or
alteration here as the copy now stands. We may suppose these two
coward justices to have rushed on in one of the many melees.

+ACT V: Scene iv+

p. 304 _Hannibal._ Hannibal, when betrayed by Prusias, King of
Bithynia, at whose court he had taken refuge, poisoned himself
rather than fall into the hands of the Romans.

+Epilogue+

p. 309 _Epilogue._ This Epilogue is, it will be noted, almost
precisely the same as the Prologue to _Abdelazer_. In line 32 we have
'Basset' in place of the obsolescent game, 'Beasts' (damn'd Beasts).
Basset, which resembled Faro, was first played at Venice. cf. Evelyn's
_Diary_, 1645 (Ascension Week at Venice): 'We went to the Chetto de
San Felice, to see the noblemen and their ladies at basset, a game at
cards which is much used.' It became immensely popular in England.
Evelyn, in his famous description of 'the inexpressible luxury and
profaneness, gaming, and all dissoluteness' on the Sunday se'nnight
before the death of Charles II, specially noted that 'about twenty of
the great courtiers and other dissolute persons were at Basset round
a large table, a bank of at least 2000 in gold before them.'

* * * * *
* * * *

Cross-References from Critical Notes: _The Widow Ranter_

p. 261 _a Bob._ cf. Prologue, _The False Count_ (Vol. III, p. 100),
'dry bobs,' and note on that passage, pp. 479-80.

_False Count_ text:

--who will desert me,
Because they find no dry bobs on your Party

_False Count_ note:

_dry bobs._ A bob was a sarcastic jest or jibe. cf. _Sir Giles
Goosecappe_ (1606), A