Again,  Ben  Jonson's  "Every  Man  out  of  his  Humour"
introduces  Shift.  '*a  threadbare  shark,"  whose  "profession
IS  skeldring  and  odUng,  his  bank  Paul's."  Speaking  of  Shift
in  the  opening  scene  of  the  third  act,  which  the  dramatist  has
laid  in  *Mhe  middle  aisle  of  Paules,"  Cordatus  says  that
Shift  is  at  that  moment  in  Paules  '*for  the  advance-
ment of  a  siqtits  or  two,  wherein  he  hath  so  varied  himselfe,
that  if  any  one  of  them  take,  he  may  hull  up  and  doune
in  the  humorous  world  a  little  longer."  Shift's  productions
deserved  to  succeed,  as  they  were  masterpieces  of  their  kind,
and  might  even  now,  though  the  world  is  so  much  older,
and  professes  to  be  so  much  wiser,  be  studied  with  advan-
tage by  gentlemen  who  cultivate  the  literature  of  advertise-
ments in  the  interest  of  certain  firms.  Here  are  some  of
his  compositions,  which  would  certainly  shine  among  the
examples  of  the  present  day  : —

If  there  be  any  lady  or  gentlewoman  of  good  carriage  that  is  desirous
to  entertain  loher  private  uses  a  young,  straight,  and  upriEbt  gentleman,
of  the  age  of  five  or  six  and  twenty  at  the  most  ;  who  can  serve  in  die
nature  of  a  gentleman  usher,  and  hath  little  legs  of  pur]M>se,*  and  a
black  satin  suit  of  his  own  lo  go  before  her  in  ;  which  suit,  for  the  more
sweetening,  now  lies  in  lavender ;+  and  can  liide  his  face  with  her  fan
if  need  require,  or  sit  in  the  cold  at  the  stair  foot  for  her,  as  well  as
another  gentleman  ;  let  her  subscribe  her  name  and  place,  and  diligent
respect  shall  be  given.
