A Looking Glasse for London and England. Made by Thomas Lodge Gentleman, and Robert Greene. In Artibus Magister. London Printed by Thamas Creede, and are to be sold by William Barley, at his shop in Gratious streete. 1594. 4to. b. 1. A Looking Glasse, for London and Englande. Made by Thomas Lodge Gentleman, and Robert Greene. In Artibus Magister. London Printed by Thomas Creede, and are to be solde by William Barley, at his shop in Gratious strcete. 1598. 4to. b. 1. This play was also printed in 1602 and 1617. The edition of 1594 is by far the most correct. Occasionally throughout the 4tos. Rasni, Cilicia, Remilia, and Alvida, are printed Rasin, Cicilia, Remilias, and Alvia. "In like manner," says Malone (in his note about anagrams,-Shakespeare by Boswell, vol. ii. p. 221), "in the Looking Glasse for London and England, written by Thomas Lodge and Robert Greene, the cruel and brutal son who treats his parents, Alcon and Samia, with neglect and contempt, and refuses them any succour in their utmost need, is called Radagon, by metathesis, from a dragon." It had, perhaps, escaped Malone's notice that a very unexceptionable personage, called Radagon, figures in the Host's Tale, in Greene's Never Too Late, Part Second. A LOOKING-GLASS FOR LONDON AND ENGLAND. Enter RASNI, with the KINGS OF CILICIA, CRETE, and PAPHLAGONIA, from the overthrow of Jeroboam, King of Jerusalem. Rasni. So pace ye on, triumphant warriors; Make Venus' leman,* arm'd in all his pomp, Bash at the brightness of your hardy looks, For you the viceroys are,† the cavaliers, That wait on Rasni's royal mightiness: Boast, petty kings, and glory in your fates, That stars have made your fortunes climb so high, To give attend on Rasni's excellence.‡ Am I not he that rules great Nineveh, Rounded with Lycus' silver-flowing streams? Whose city large diametri contains, Even three days' journey's length from wall to wall; Two hundred gates carv'd out of burnish'd brass, Great Jewry's God, that foil'd stout Benhadad, Could not rebate § the strength that Rasni brought; For be he God in heaven, yet, viceroys, know, Rasni is god on earth, and none but he. K. of Cil. If lovely shape, feature by nature's skill Passing in beauty fair Endymion's, That Luna wrapt within her snowy breasts, *leman] i.e. lover. tare] The 4tos. "and." excellence] The 4to. of 1598 "excellencie." & rebate] See note *, p. 90, sec. col. Or that sweet boy that wrought bright Venus' bane, Transform'd unto a purple hyacinth; If beauty nonpareil in excellence, May make a king match with the gods in gree,* Rasni is god on earth, and none but he. K. of Crete. If martial looks, wrapt in a cloud of wars, More fierce than Mavors + lighteneth from his eyes, Sparkling revenge and dire disparagement; If doughty deeds more haught‡ than any done, Rasni. Viceroys, enough; peace, § Paphlagon, no more. See where's my sister, fair Remilia, Enter RADAGON, with REMILIA, ALVIDA, and Ladies, + Mavors] The 4tos. "Mars": but compare, in a subsequent scene, p. 123, sec. col., "Nymphs, eunuchs, sing, for Mavors draweth nigh," &c. haught] The 4tos. "haughtie": but compare, in the preceding play, p. 106, first col., "haught Latona's son." § peace] Not in the 4to. of 1598. That waits on Venus with a golden show] "We should read, I think,— 779 That Venus wait [i. e. waited] on with a golden shower.' Walker's Crit. Exam. of the text of Shakespeare, &c., ii, 60. |