from London brought to Venice by Peregrine in II. i. Some of this does not help us much. The baboons had probably been in London as
early as 1603 at least (cf. s.v. Sir Giles Goosecap). The Tower lioness had a whelp on 5 Aug. 1604, another on 26 Feb. 1605, and two more on 27 July 1605 (Stowe, ed. 1615, 844, 857, 870). The 'another whelp' of Volpone would suggest Feb.-July 1605. On the other hand, the whale at Woolwich is recorded by Stowe, 880, a few days after the porpoise at West Ham (not 'above the bridge' as in Volpone) on 19 Jan. 1606. Holt argues from this that, as Peregrine left England seven weeks before, the play must have been produced in March 1606, but this identification of actual and dramatic time can hardly be taken for granted. There are also allusions to meteors at Berwick and a new star, both in 1604, and to the building of a raven in a royal ship and the death of Stone the fool, which have not been dated and might help. Gawdy, 146, writes on 18 June 1604 that 'Stone was knighted last weeke, I meane not Stone the foole, but Stone of Cheapsyde'. Stone the fool was whipped about March, 1605 (Winwood, ii. 52). The suggested allusion to Volpone in Day's Isle of Gulls (q.v.) of Feb. 1606 is rather dubious. The ambiguity of style must also leave us uncertain whether Q and its dedication belong to 1607 or 1608, and therefore whether 'their love and acceptance shewn to his poeme in the presentation' by the Universities was in 1606 or 1607. This epistle contains a justification of Jonson's comic method. He has had to undergo the 'imputation of sharpnesse', but has never provoked a 'nation, societie, or generall order, or state', or any 'publique person'. Nor has he been 'particular' or 'personall', except to 'a mimick, cheater, bawd, or buffon, creatures (for their insolencies) worthy to be tax'd'. But that he has not wholly forgotten the Poetomachia is clear from a reference to the 'petulant stiles' of other poets, while in the prologue he recalls the old criticism that he was a year about each play, and asserts that he wrote Volpone in five weeks. The commendatory verses suggest that the play was successful. Fleay's theory that it is referred to in the epilogue to the anonymous Mucedorus (q.v.), as having given offence, will not bear analysis. The passage in III. iv about English borrowings from Guarini and Montaigne is too general in its application to be construed as a specific attack on Daniel. But the gossip of Aubrey, ii. 246, on Thomas Sutton, the founder of the Charterhouse, relates that ''Twas from him that B. Johnson took his hint of the fox, and by Seigneur Volpone is meant Sutton'.
Epicoene. 1609
S. R. 1610, Sept. 20 (Buck). 'A booke called, Epicoene or the silent woman by Ben Johnson.' John Browne and John Busby (Arber, iii. 444).
1612, Sept. 28. Transfer from Browne to Walter Burre (Arber, iii. 498).
1609, 1612. Prints of both dates are cited, but neither is now traceable. The former, in view of the S. R. date, can hardly have existed; the latter appears to have been seen by Gifford, and for it the
