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"Langley in his tranflation of Polydore Virgil) were used firft in the fiege of Capua." And in Reynard's Deliverence of certain Chrif "tians from the Turks," the English Mariners laid about them "with brown bills, halberts, and morrice-pikes."

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

(P. 227. n. 6.) "He challenged Cupid at the fight, and my "uncle's fool challenged him at the bird-bolt." The flight was an arrow of a particular kind: - in the Harleian Catalogue of MSS. vol. I. n. 69. is" a challenge of the lady Maiee's fervants "to all comers, to be performed at Greenwicbe-to shoot standart arrow, or flight." I find the title-page of an old pamphlet ftill more explicit. A new post-a marke exceeding neceffary "for all mens arrows: whether the great man's flight, the gal"lant's rover, the wifeman's pricke-fhaft, the poor man's but-fhaft, or the fool's bird-bolt.".

(P. 228.) He is no less than a stuff'd man: but for the stuffing -well, we are all mortal.

Mr. Theobald plumed himself much on the pointing of this paffage; which by the way, he might learn from Davenant: but he fays not a word, nor any one else that I know of, about the reafon of this abruption. The truth is, Beatrice starts an idea at the words fluff'd man; and prudently checks herself in the purfuit of it. A ftuff'd man was one of the many cant phrases for a cuckold. In Lilly's Midas, we have an inventory of Motto's moveables. Item, fays Petulus, one paire of hornes in the bride"chamber en the beds head.-The beast's head, obferves Licio; " for motto is stuffed in the head, and these are among unmoveable "goods."

(P. 229. n. 4.) “The gentleman is not in your books." This phrafe has not been exactly interpreted. To be in a man's books, originally meant to be in the lift of his retainers. Sir John Mandevile tells us, alle the mynitrelles that comen before the great "Chan ben witholden with him, as of his houfhold, and entred in "his bookes, as for his owne men." The tables alluded to in your quotations from Middleton and Shirley are back-gammon tables, and nothing to the prefent purpose.

(P. 298. n. 9.) This fenfe of the word liberal is not peculiar to Shakespeare. John Taylor in his Suite concerting Players, complains of the many afperficns very liberally, unmannerly, and ingratefully bestowed upon him."

"

LOVE'S LABOUR LOST.

(P. 359. n. 6.) I have always read irrational hind: if hind be taken in it's beftial sense, Armado makes Coftard a female.

(P. 374.) Sir T. Hanmer reads, " by my penny of obfervation;" and this is certainly right. The allufion is to the famous old piece, called a Penniworth of Wit.

(P. 375. n. 9.) Swift is here ufed, as in other places, fynonymoufly with witty. I fuppofe, the meaning of Atalanta's better part, in As you like it, is her wit-the fwiftnefs of her mind.

(P. 376.) I can scarcely think that Shakespeare had fo far forgotten his little fchool learning, as to fuppofe that the Latin verb falve, and the English fubftantive, falve, had the fame pronunciation; and yet without this, the quibble cannot be preferved.

(P. 381.) Giles Clayton in his Martial Difcipline, 1591, has a chapter on the office and duty of a corporal of the field. In one of Drake's Voyages, it appears, that the Captains Morgan and Sampfen by this name, "had commandement over the rest of the "land captaines." Brokeby tells us, that "Mr. Dodwell's fa"ther was in an office then known by the name of Corporal of "the Field, which he faid was equal to that of a captain of "horfe.'

(P. 384. n. 6.) Whatever be the interpretation of this paffage, Dr. Johnson is right in the hittorical fact. Stubbs in his Anatomie of Abufes, is very indignant at the ladies for it. "They muft "have their looking-glaffes carried with them, wherefoever they "go; and good reafon, for how elfe could they fee the devil in "them?" And in Maffinger's City Madam, several women are introduced with looking-glasses at their girdles.

(P. 387. n. 2.) Henry IV. confulting with Sully about his marriage, fays, "my niece of Guife would pleafe me beft, notwithftanding the malicious reports, that the loves Poulets in paper, "better than in a fricafee. "-A meffage is called a cold pigeon, in the latter concerning the entertainments at Killingworth Castle.

(P. 390.) Who is the booter ?-It fhould be who is the fuitor? and this occafions the quibble. "Finely put on, &c. feem only marginal obfervations.

(P. 392. n. 2.) Dr. Warburton is certainly right in his fuppofition, that Florio is meant by the character of Holofernes. Florio had given the firft affront." The plaies, fays he, that they plaie " in England, are neither right comedies, nor right tragedies; but "reprefentations of hiftories without any decorum.". The fcraps of Latin and Italian are tranfcribed from his works, parti

cularly

cularly the proverb about Venice, which has been corrupted fo much. The affectation of the letter, which argues facilitie, is likewife a copy of his manner. We meet with much of it in the fonnets to his patrons.

"In Italie your lordship well hath seene

"Their manners, monuments, magnificence,
"Their language learnt, in found, in ttile, in fenfe,
"Prooving by profiting, where you have beene.
"To adde to fore-learn'd facultie, facilitie."

We fee then, the character of the schoolmaster might be written with lefs learning, than Mr. Colman conjectured: nor is the ufe of the word thrafonical, any argument that the author had read Terence. It was introduced to our language long before Shakespeare's time. Stanyburft writes, in a tranflation of one of Sir Tho. More's epigrams,

"Lynckt was in wedlocke a loftye thrafonical hufsnuffe."

It can scarcely be neceffary to animadvert any further upon what Mr. Colman has advanced in the Appendix to his Terence. If this Gentleman, at his leifure from modern plays, will condescend to open a few old ones, he will foon be fatisfied, that Shakespeare was obliged to learn and repeat in the courfe of his profeffion, fuch Latin fragments, as are met with in his works. The formidable one, ira furor brevis eft, which is quoted from Timon, may be found, not in plays only, but in every tritical effay from that of King James to that of Dean Swift inclufive. I will only add, that if Mr. Colman had previcufly looked at the panegyrick on Cartwright, he could not fo ftrangely have mifreprefented my argument from it: but thus it muft ever be with the most ingenious men, when they talk without-book. Let me however take this opportunity of acknowledging the very genteel language which he has been pleased to ufe on this occafion.

Mr. Warton informs us in his Life of Sir Tho. Pope, that there was an old Play of Holophernes acted before the Princess Elizabeth in the year 1556.

(P. 402. n. 5.) The tired horfe was the horfe adorned with ribands,-The famous Banke's horfe so often alluded to. Lilly in his Mother Bombie brings in a Hackneyman and Mr. Halfpenny at cross purposes with this word. Why didft thou boare the horse. thro' the eares?"" It was for tiring."

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"He would never tire," replies the other.

(P. 406. n. 1.) I fuppofe, this alludes to the ufual taudry drefs of Cupid, when he appeared on the flage. In an old translation of Cafa's Galateo is this precept. "Thou must weare no gar"ments, that be over much daubde with garding that men may "not fay, thou haft Ganimedes hofen, or Cupides doublet."

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(P. 419. n. 4.) The fufpicious head of theft is the head fulfi cious of theft."" He watches like one that fears robbing," fays Speed in the Two Gentleman of Verona. This tranfpofition of the

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adjective

adjective is sometimes met with. Grimme tells us in Damon and Pythias,

A heavy pouch with golde makes a light hart.

(P. 420. n. 7.) Perhaps here is an accidental tranfpofition. We may read, as, I think, fome one has propcfed before, "The voice makes all the gods

"Of heaven drowfy with the harmony."

(P. 422. n. 9.) There will be no difficulty, if we correct it to "mens fakes, the authors of these words."

P. 425.) I fhould rather read, "it infinuateth men of infanie.” (P. 432.) "Pox of that jest " Mr. Theobald is fcandalized at the this language from a princefs. But there needs no alarm Small pox only is alluded to; with which, it feems, Catharine was pitted; or, as it is quaintly expreffed," her face was full of "O's." Davifon has a canzonet on his lady's fickneife of the : and Dr. Donne writes to his fifter, "at my return from poxe: "Kent, I found Pegge had the poxe-I humbly thank God, it "hath not much disfigured her."

(P. 452. n. 1.) Webster in his Dutcheffe of Malfy makes Ca"She cannot endure merry company, Aruchio declare of his lady, "for fhe fays much laughing fills her too full of the wrinckle.”

(P. 461. n. 6.) In Lodge's Incarnate Devils, 1596, we have the character of a Srvashbuckler: "His common courfe is to go "always untruft; except when his firt is a washing, and then "he goes wool-ward."

(P. 470. n. 4.) Cuckow-buds must be wrong. I believe corflipbuds, the true reading.

(P. 471. n. 6.) To keel the pot is certainly to cool it, but in a particular manner: it is to ftir the pottage with the ladle to prevent the boiling over. Your quotation is not from the Dumb Knight (a play by a different author, Machin) but from the What you will of Marflon.

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

(VOL. III.) There is an old black-letter'd pamphlet by W Bettie, call'd Titana and Thefeus: I have not feen it; but one might imagine from the coincidence of names that Shakespeare took a part of his plot from it.

(P. 17.) "To make all Split," is to be connected with the previous part of the fpeech; not with the fubfequent rhymes. It was the defcription of a bully. In the fecond Act of the Scornfull Lady, we meet with "two roaring boys of Rome, that made "all Split.".

(P. 32. n. 6.) Perhaps the parenthefis fhould begin fooner; as I think Mr. Kenrick obferves.

(Following her womb, then rich with my young fquire.)

So

So in Trulla's combat with Hudibras,

"She prefs'd fo home,

"That he retired, and follow'd's bum."

And Dryden fays of his Spanish Friar, "his great belly walks in "ftate before him, and his gouty legs come limping after it."

(P. 41.) Our quaint fpirits." Dr. Jobnfon is right in the word, and Dr. Warburton in the interpretation. A pirit was fometimes ufed for a sport. In Dekkar's play, "If it be not good, the "Devil is in it," the King of Naples fays to the Devil Ruffman, disguised in the character of Shaican,

Now Shalcan, fome new spirit? Ruff. A thoufand wenches ftark-naked to play at leap frog. Omnes. O rare fight!

(P. 55.8.) Parentage was not easily corrupted to patience. I fancy, the true word is paffions, futterings.

(P. 59.) "Noon-tide with the Antipodes." Dr. Warburton would read, i th' antipodes, which Mr. Edwards ridicules without mercy. The alteration is certainly not neceffary, but it is not fo unlucky, as he imagined. Shirley has the fame expreffion in his Andromana,

"To be a whore is more unknown to her,

"Then what is done in the Antipodes."

In for among is frequent in old language.

(P. 62. 8.) We meet with this phrafe in an old poem by Robert Dabourne,

"Men fhift their fashions

They are in fouls the fame."

(P. 77. n. 2.) This paffage has given rife to various conjectures. It is certain, that the wood-bine, and the boney-fuckle were fometimes confidered as different plants. In one of Taylor's poems, we have

"The woodbine, primrofe, and the cowflip fine,
"The bonifuckle, and the daffadill."

But I think your interpretation the true one. The old writers did not always carry the auxiliary verb forward, as the late editor feems to fuppofe by his alteration of enrings to enring. So Bp. Lowth in his excellent Introduction to Grammar, p. 126. has without reafon corrected a fimilar paffage in our tranflation of St. Matthews.

(P. 81. n. 9.) The title of this play feems no more intended to denote the precife time of the action, than that of the Winter's Tale; which we find, was at the season of sheep-fhearing.

(P. 84. n. 6.) Dr. Warburton has been accufed of coining the word, Gemell: but Drayton has it in the preface to his Baron's Wars." The quadrin doth never double; or to use a word of he"raldrie, never bringeth forth gemels."

(P. 96.)" It is the wittiest partition, that ever I heard dif"courfe, my lord." Demetrius is reprefented as a puniter: I be lieve, the paffage fhould be read, "This is the wittiest partition, "that ever I heard IN difcourfe." Alluding to the many ftupid

partition