Color in 17th Century Popular Culture

As I was listening to some music today, I noticed something pretty interesting in the lyrics. I have a CD of English stage jigs- jigs were sort of like funny musical skits that followed major play performances in 16th and 17th century England. Shakespeare's plays certainly would have had them. In one of the jigs, titled "The Cheaters Cheated" from around the time of the English Civil War (1642-1651), two con-artists are trying to figure out how to distract a country bumpkin so they can rob him. One of them happens to have purchased a glass prism for that very purpose. Here are some selected lines about the prism and what it does...

Filch: Stay, prethee who comes here?
Nim: A gaping Country Clown.
Filch: Look how the slave doth stare;
Nim: He’s newly come to town
Filch: He gazeth in the air as if
The sky was full of rockets
Let’s fleece him.
Nim: But how shall we get
His hands out of his pockets?

Filch:Let me alone for that:
I lately bought a glass,
Wherein all several colours may
Be seen that ever was,
If held up thus with both hands.
Nim: A pretty new design,
This trick will fetch his fingers out—
Filch: And hey, then in go mine!

...

Filch: The rainbow never knew
Such colours as are here
Nim: Here’s purple, green and blew—
Wat: Zooks, what have they got there?
Good morrow Master, what d’ye cal’t?
Filch: Good morrow, good man Clot!
Wat: Nay vaith, vine gallant, there y’are out—
My neame is honest Wat.

Filch: I’le shew thee such a sight that
Thou ne’re saw’st, honest Wat,
Neither by day nor night yet.
Wat: Yvaith ch’ud laugh at that!
Filch: Here, take this glass into thy hand
And hold it to thy eyes,
Thou there shalt see more colours than
A dyer can devise.

Wat: I cannot zee a colour yet,
Nim: Thou dost not hold it high,
Wat: Che hav’t, che hav’t, che’ve got it now!
Nim: (steals Wat’s purse) I’faith, and so have I!
Wat: Here’s black and blew & gray & green,
And orange-tauny, white;
And now ich ave lost all again …
Filch: (steals Wat’s other purse) In troth y’are in the right!


So it's kind of nerdy, but I'm ok with that.