It is used
as early as 1582 by Stanyhurst, _Aeneis_ 2 (Arber).
as early as 1582 by Stanyhurst, _Aeneis_ 2 (Arber).
Ben Jonson - The Devil's Association
=1. 1. 49 thy dagger. = See note 1. 1. 85.
=1. 1. 50 lusty Iuuentus. = The morality-play of _Lusty Juventus_
was written by R. Wever about 1550. It 'breathes the spirit of the
dogmatic reformation of the Protector Somerset,' but 'in spite of its
abundant theology it is neither ill written, nor ill constructed'
(Ward, _Eng. Drama_ 1. 125). It seems to have been very popular,
and the expression 'a lusty Juventus' became proverbial.
It is used
as early as 1582 by Stanyhurst, _Aeneis_ 2 (Arber). 64 and as late
as Heywood's _Wise Woman of Hogsdon_ (c 1638), where a gallant is
apostrophised as Lusty Juventus (Act 4). (See Nares and _NED_. )
Portions of the play had been revived not many years before this
within the tragedy of _Thomas More_ (1590, acc. to Fleay 1596) under
the title of _The Mariage of Witt and Wisedome_. 'By dogs precyous
woundes' is one of the oaths used by Lusty Juventus in the old play,
and may be the 'Gogs-nownes' referred to here (_O. Pl. _, 4th ed. ,
2. 84). 'Gogs nowns' is used several times in _Like will to Like_
(_O. Pl. _, 4th ed. , 3. 327, 331, etc. ).
