THE ALCHEMIST.
27
Dap.Read! he was an ass, And dealt, sir, with a fool.
Face.It was a clerk, sir.
Dap.A clerk!
Face.Nay, hear me, sir. You know the law
Better, I think———
Dap.I should, sir, and the danger: You know, I shewed the statute to you.
Face.You did so.
Dap.And will I tell then! By this hand of flesh, Would it might never write good court-hand more, If I discover. What do you think of me, That I am a chiaus?
Face.What's that?[1]
- ↑ That I am a chiaus?—What's that?—The Turk was here.] A chiaus was an envoy sent from the Port on special occasions; for the Turk, at that time, kept no leiger ambassadors in any part of Europe. Dapper uses the term for a cheat or swindler, in consequence of a circumstance which took place a short time before this comedy appeared. In 1609, sir Robert Shirley sent a messenger or chiaus, (as our old writers call him,) to this country, as his agent, from the Grand Signior, and the Sophy, to transact some preparatory business. Sir Robert followed him, at his leisure, as ambassador from both those princes; but before he reached England, his agent had chiaused the Turkish and Persian merchants here of 4000l. and taken his flight, unconscious, perhaps, that he had enriched the language with a word of which the etymology would mislead Upton and puzzle Dr. Johnson. This is "the Turk was here" in Dapper's time. Two other chiauses are mentioned by our annalists, as visiting us in 1618 and 1625; these, however, were more respectable characters, and are only noticed for the degree of pomp with which James and Charles I. respectively, received them. After all, chouse is not so remote from cozen (an old word, from the Dan. kosa,) but that we may easily believe something very like it had long been familiar to us. The frequent use of the word, however, at this period, is undoubtedly owing to the celebrity conferred upon it by the knavery of Sir Robert's chians. The word
St. Mary Steynings in London." This was in 1608. This Simon Read and one Roger Jenkins stood suit with the college of physicians in 1602, for practising without a license, in which they were both cast. Whal.
