17 August 1618: Walking from London to Edinburgh, Ben Jonson drives a parson and an innkeeper into an alcoholic frenzy at Tollerton (York),
Ben Jonson. 1618. Ben Jonson’s Walk to Scotland. Online: Records of Early English Drama. The purchase link is to the published edition, which I hope to be able to afford one day. Here is the editors’ blog. Get it:
.Excerpt
But as we travelled, hearing it was out of our way, and desiring to take advantage of the fairness of the weather, we resolved to go one, and so baited at Tollerton, where Parson Rogers, hearing of our passing by, rid after us and recovered us at Tollerton, where at mine host Thornton’s, where my gossip discharged two borracho bottles upon the mine host and the parson, to the downfall of the one, and so elevating the other that Master Parson would needs bring us one the way, where to shew his love to my gossip he fell off his horse and after ran leaping and dancing before us half way to Topcliffe, where we went to Mistress Warcup’s the famous good hostess, where we stayed till Wednesday, being shut up with rain.
To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.
Abbreviations:
- ER: East Riding
- GM: Greater Manchester
- NR: North Riding
- NY: North Yorkshire
- SY: South Yorkshire
- WR: West Riding
- WY: West Yorkshire
Comment
Comment
As I’m sure you know, borracho is Spanish for “drunk,” and here it means “a great Dutch leathern bottle.”
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Original
…But as we travayled hearing it was out of our way and desiring to take advantage of the fairnesse of the weather we resolv’d to go one and so bayted at Tollerton, where Parson Rogers hearing of our passing by rydd after us and recoverd vs at Tollerton where at myne host Thorntons, where my gossip dischargd two borrachoe bottles vpon the myne host and the parson, to the down fall of the one, and soe elevating the other that Master Parson would needs bring vs one the way, where to shew his love to my gossip he fell of his horse and after ran leaping and dancing before vs half way to Topliffe, where we went to Mistres warcups the famous good Hostesse, where we stayed till wensday being shut vp with rayne.
137 words.
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