and 'a would manage you his piece thus: and 'a would about, and about, and come you in, and inn, was probably an interlude, or mafque, which actually exifted, and was very popular in Shakspeare's age: and feems to have been compiled from Mallory's Morte Arthur, or the History of King Arthur, then recently published, and the favourite and most fashionable romance. That Mile-end Green was the place for public sports and exercises, we learn from Froiffart. Theobald remarks on this paffage : "The only intelligence I have gleaned of this worthy knight (Sir Dagonet) is from Beaumont and Fletcher, in their Knight of the Burning Peftle." The commentators on Beaumont and Fletcher's Knight of the Burning Peftle have not obferved that the defign of that play is founded upon a comedy called The Four Prentices of London, with the Conqueft of Jerufalem; as it hath been diverfe Times acted at the Red Bull, by the Queen's Majefty's Servants. Written by Thomas Heywood, 1613. For as in Beaumont and Fletcher's play, a grocer in the Strand turns knight-errant, making his apprentice his 'fquire, &c. fo in Heywood's play, four apprentices accoutre themselves as knights, and go to Jerufalem in queft of adventures. One of them, the most important character, is a goldsmith, another a grocer, another a mercer, and a fourth an haberdafher. But Beaumont and Fletcher's play, though founded upon it, contains many fatirical ftrokes against Heywood's comedy, the force of which are entirely loft to those who have not feen that comedy. Thus, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Prologue, or first scene, a citizen is introduced, declaring that, in the play, he "will have a grocer, and he shall do admirable things." Again, A&t I. fc. i. Rafe fays: "Amongft all the worthy books of achievements, I do not call to mind that I have yet read of a grocer-errant: I will be the faid knight. Have you heard of any that hath wandered unfurnished of his 'fquire and dwarf? My elder brother Tim shall be my trufty 'squire, and George my dwarf." In the following paffage the allufion to Heywood's comedy is demonftrably manifeft, Act IV. fc. i: "Boy. It will show ill-favouredly to have a grocer's prentice court a king's daughter. "Cit. Will it fo, fir? You are well read in histories; I pray you who was Sir Dagonet? Was he not prentice to a grocer in come you in: rah, tah, tah, would 'a fay; bounce, would 'a fay; and away again would 'a go, and again would 'a come:-I fhall never fee fuch a fellow. London? Read the play of The Four Prentices, where they tofs their pikes fo." In Heywood's comedy, Euftace, the grocer's prentice, is introduced, courting the daughter of the king of France; and in the frontispiece the four prentices are reprefented in armour, tilting with javelins. Immediately before the laft quoted fpeeches we have the following inftances of allufion : "Cit. Let the Sophy of Perfia come, and christen him a child." Boy. Believe me, fir, that will not do fo well; 'tis flat; it has been before at the Red Bull." A circumftance in Heywood's comedy, which, as has been already specified, was acted at the Red Bull. Beaumont and Fletcher's play is pure burlefque. Heywood's is a mixture of the droll and ferious, and was evidently intended to ridicule the reigning fashion of reading romances. T. WARTON. This account of the matter was fo reasonable, that I believe every reader must have been satisfied with it; but a paffage in a forgotten book, which has been obligingly communicated to me by the Reverend Mr. Bowle, induces me to think that the words before us have hitherto been misunderstood; that Arthur's Show was not an interlude, but an EXHIBITION OF ARCHERY; and that Shallow reprefented Sir Dagonet, not at Clement's Inn, but at Mile-end Green. Inftead therefore of placing the words "I was then Sir Dagonet in Arthur's fhow," in a parenthefis, (as recommended very properly by Mr. Warton on his hypothefis,) I have included in a parenthesis the words "when I lay at Clement's Inn." And thus the meaning is, I remember, when I was ftudent and refided at Clement's Inn, that on a certain exhibition-day at Mile-end Green, when I was Sir Dagonet, &c. "A fociety of men, (I now use the words of Mr. Bowle,) ftyling themselves ARTHUR'S KNIGHTS, exifted in our poet's time. Richard Mulcafter, Master of St. Paul's School, in his Pofitions concerning the training up of Children, twice printed in London, 1581 and 1587, in 4to. (my copy wants the title,) ch. xxvi. in praifing of Archerie as a principal exercise to the prefervation of health, fays, how can I but prayse them, who profeffe it thoroughly, and maintaine it nobly, the friendly and FAL. Thefe fellows will do well, mafter Shallow. frank fellowship of Prince ARThur's Knights, in and about the citie of London? which if I had facred to filence, would not my good friend in the citie, Maifter Hewgh Offly, and the fame my noble fellow in that order, SYR LAUNCELOT, at our next meeting have given me a foure nodde, being the chief furtherer of the fact which I commend, and the famouseft knight of the fellowship which I am of? Nay, would not even Prince ARTHUR himfelfe, Maifter Thomas Smith, and the whole table of those well known knights, and most active archers, have laid in their challenge againft their fellow-knight, if fpeaking of their paftime I fhould have spared their names?' This quotation (adds Mr. Bowle) rescues three of them from oblivion; and it is not to be prefumed that the whole table of thefe well known knights, moft probably pretty numerous, could escape the knowledge of Shakspeare.-Maifter Hewgh Offly was theriff of London in 1588." The paffage above quoted places Shallow's words in fo clear a light that they leave me little to add upon the subject. We fee that though he is apt enough to introduce frivolous and foreign circumstances, the mention of Sir Dagonet here, is not of that nature, Mile-end Green being probably the place where ARTHUR'S KNIGHTS difplayed their skill in archery, or, in other words, where ARTHUR'S SHOw was exhibited. Whether this fellowship exifted in the reign of Henry IV. is very unneceffary to enquire. We see in almost every one of his plays how little fcrupulous Shakspeare was in afcribing the cuftoms of his own time to preceding ages. It may perhaps be objected, that the "little quiver fellow," afterwards mentioned, is not described as an archer, but as managing a piece; but various exercises might have been practised at the fame time at Mile-end Green. If, however, this objection fhould appear to the reader of any weight, by extending the parenthesis to the words" Arthur's Show," it is obviated; for Shallow might have refided at Clement's Inn, and displayed his feats of archery in Arthur's how elsewhere, not on the day here alluded to. The meaning will then be, I remember when I refided at Clement's Inn, and in the exhibition of archery made by Arthur's knights I used to represent Sir Dagonet, that among the foldiers exercised at Mile-end Green, there was, &c. MALONE. 7 ? a little quiver fellow,] Quiver is nimble, active, &c. "There is a maner fifhe that hyght mugill, which is full quiver and fwifte." Bartholomeus, 1535, bl. I. HENDERSON. -God keep you, master Silence; I will not, use many words with you :-Fare you well, gentlemen both: I thank you: I must a dozen mile to-night.Bardolph, give the foldiers coats. SHAL. Sir John, heaven blefs you, and profper your affairs, and fend us peace! As you return, vifit my houfe; let our old acquaintance be renewed: peradventure, I will with you to the court. FAL. I would you would, mafter Shallow. SHAL. Go to; I have spoke, at a word. Fare you [Exeunt SHALLOW and SILENCE. well. FAL. Fare you well, gentle gentlemen. On, Bardolph; lead the men away. Exeunt BARDOLPH, Recruits, &c.] As I return, I will fetch off thefe juftices: I do fee the bottom of juftice Shallow. Lord, lord, how subject we old men are to this vice of lying! This fame ftarved juftice hath done nothing but prate to me of the wildness of his youth, and the feats he hath done about Turnbullftreet; and every third word a lie, duer paid to the 8 about Turnbull-ftreet ;] In an old comedy called Ram-Alley, or Merry Tricks, this ftreet is mentioned again : "You fwaggering, cheating, Turnbull-fireet rogue." Again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady: "Here has been fuch a hurry, fuch a din, such dismal drinking, fwearing, &c. we have all lived in a perpetual Turnbull-fireet." Nafh, in Pierce Pennileffe his Supplication, commends the fifters of Turnbull-ftreet to the patronage of the Devil. Again, in The Inner Temple Mafque, by Middleton, 1619: ""Tis in your charge to pull down bawdy-houses, caufe fpoil in Shoreditch, "And deface Turnbull." 66 Again, in Middleton's comedy, called Any Thing for a quiet Life, a French bawd fays: J'ay une fille qui parle un peu François; elle converfera avec vous, a la Fleur de Lys, en Turnbull-ftreet." Turnbull or Turnmill-street, is near Cow-cross, West Smithfield. hearer than the Turk's tribute. I do remember him at Clement's-inn, like a man made after fupper of a cheese-paring: when he was naked, he was, for all the world, like a forked radish, with a head fantastically carved upon it with a knife: he was fo forlorn, that his dimenfions to any thick fight, were invifible: 9 he was the very Genius of famine; yet lecherous as a monkey, and the whores called him— mandrake: he came ever in the rear-ward of the I The continuator of Stowe's Annals informs us that West Smithfield, (at present the horse-market,) was formerly called Ruffian's Hall, where turbulent fellows met to try their kill at fword and buckler. STEEVENS. See Vol. V. p. 81, n. 4. MALONE. 9 were invifible:] The old copies read, by an apparent error of the press, invincible. Mr. Rowe introduced the neceffary change. STEEVENS. —were invincible :] That is, could not be mastered by any thick fight. Mr. Rowe and the other modern editors read, I think, without neceffity, invisible. MALONE. Invincible cannot poffibly be the true reading, invincible to, not being English; for who ever wrote or faid-not be conquered to ? Invincible by is the ufual phrafe; though Shakspeare, in Much Ado about Nothing, makes Don Pedro fay, "I would have thought her spirit had been invincible against all affaults of affection;" a fufficient proof that he would not have written "invincible to a thick fight." STEEVENS. I · call'd him—-mandrake:] This appellation will be fomewhat illustrated by the following paffage in Caltha Poetarum, or the Bumble Bee, compofed by T. Cutwode, Efquyre, 1599. This book was commanded by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London to be burnt at Stationers' Hall in the 41ft year of Queen Elizabeth : Upon the place and ground where Caltha grew, "An object for faire Primula to view, Refembling man from thighs unto the fhank," &c. The reft of the defcription might prove yet further explanatory; |