If ever danger do environ thee, Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers, Val. And on a love-book pray for my success? For he was more than over shoes in love. Val. 'Tis true; for you are over boots in love, And yet you never swum the Hellespont. Pro. Over the boots? nay, give me not the boots. Val. No, I will not, for it boots thee not. Pro. What? Val. To be in love, where scorn is bought with groans; 18. A "beadsman,” as the word is here used, is one who offers up prayers for another's welfare. Thus we are told that Sir Henry Lee, upon retiring from the office of Champion to Queen Elizabeth, said, "his hands, instead of wielding the lance, should now be held up in prayer for Her Majesty's welfare; and he trusted she would allow him to be her beadsman, now that he had ceased to incur knightly perils in her service.” Bead was the Anglo-Saxon word for prayer, and so gave name to the small wooden balls which were used in numbering prayers, and a string of which was called a rosary. Such appears to have been the origin of the name, if not of the thing, a string of beads.-H. N. H. 19. "On a love-book pray for my success"; an allusion to the Roman Catholic custom of placing the beads on the prayer-book, and of counting the beads with the prayers. "The love-book” is in this case to take the place of the prayer-book; some have supposed that Shakespeare is here referring to Marlowe's Hero and Leander, which, however, though entered on the Stationers' Registers in 1593, was not printed till 1598, after which date many references occur to it in contemporary literature.-I. G. 27. A proverbial expression, now disused, signifying, "Don't make a laughing-stock of me." Perhaps deduced from a humorous punishment at harvest-home feasts in Warwickshire.-H. N. H. Coy looks with heart-sore sighs; one fading moment's mirth 30 With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights: prove. Pro. So, by your circumstance, you call me fool. Methinks, should not be chronicled for wise. Pro. Yet writers say, as in the sweetest bud The eating canker dwells, so eating love Inhabits in the finest wits of all. 40 Val. And writers say, as the most forward bud Once more adieu! my father at the road 50 Expects my coming, there to see me shipp❜d. Pro. And thither will I bring thee, Valentine. Val. Sweet Proteus, no; now let us take our leave. To Milan let me hear from thee by letters Of thy success in love, and what news else 34. "However." That is, either way; whether "haply won" or "lost."-H. N. H. Betideth here in absence of thy friend; And I likewise will visit thee with mine. Pro. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan! Val. As much to you at home! and so, farewell. 60 [Exit. Pro. He after honor hunts, I after love: Made wit with musing weak, heart sick with Enter Speed. Speed. Sir Proteus, save you! Saw you my mas ter? 70 Pro. But now he parted hence, to embark for Milan. Speed. Twenty to one, then, he is shipp'd already, Speed. You conclude that my master is a shepherd, then, and I a sheep? Pro. I do. Speed. Why then, my horns are his horns, whether I wake or sleep. 80 73. In Warwickshire, and some other counties, sheep is pronounced ship. Without this explanation the jest, such as it is, might escape the reader.-H. N. H. Pro. A silly answer, and fitting well a sheep. Pro. True; and thy master a shepherd. stance. Pro. It shall go hard but I'll prove it by another. Speed. The shepherd seeks the sheep, and not the sheep the shepherd; but I seek my master, and my master seeks not me: therefore 90 I am no sheep. Pro. The sheep for fodder follow the shepherd; the shepherd for food follows not the sheep: thou for wages followest thy master; thy master for wages follows not thee: therefore thou art a sheep. Speed. Such another proof will make me cry 'baa.' Pro. But, dost thou hear? gavest thou my letter to Julia? Speed. Aye, sir: I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her, a laced mutton, and she, a laced mutton, gave me, a lost mutton, nothing for my labor. 100 102. "Laced mutton," we are told, "was so established a term for a courtesan, that a lane in Clerkenwell, much frequented by loose women, was thence called Mutton Lane." Speed apparently understands the person he is talking with, for it is observable that he uses no such language in his speech with Valentine; and the reason of his daring to speak thus respecting Julia is to be found in the nature of Sir Proteus' passion, which, though doubtless characteristic of him, is not very honorable to him.-H. N. H. A in "laced" was nearly like that in “man"; this affected pronunciation of 8. Hence the quibble laced forced than it seems.-H. N. H. was also an lost was less Pro. Here's too small a pasture for such store of muttons. Speed. If the ground be overcharged, you were best stick her. Pro. Nay: in that you are astray, 'twere best pound you. Speed. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter. Pro. You mistake; I mean the pound,-a pinfold. 110 Speed. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and over, 'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your lover. Pro. But what said she? Speed. [First nodding] Aye. Pro. Nod-Aye-why, that 's noddy. Speed. You mistook, sir; I say, she did nod: 120 and you ask me if she did nod; and I say, 'Aye.' Pro. And that set together is noddy. Speed. Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains. Pro. No, no; you shall have it for bearing the letter. Speed. Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear with you. Pro. Why, sir, how do you bear with me? Speed. Marry, sir, the letter, very orderly; having nothing but the word 'noddy' for my pains. Pro. Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit. 130 |