from the waist downward, all slops; and a Spaniard. from the hip upward, no doublet: 5 Unless he have a fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it appear he is.

Claud. If he be not in love with some woman, there is no believing old signs: he brushes his hat o' mornings; What should that bode?

D. Pedro. Hath any man seen him at the barber's?

Claud. No, but the barber's man hath been seen with him; and the old ornament of his cheek hath already stuffed tennis-balls."

sloppes speaks Spanish: Polonia gives him the bootes, &c.—and thus we mocke euerie nation, for keeping one fashion, yet steale patches from euerie one of them, to peece out our pride; and are now laughing-stocks to them, because their cut so scurvily becomes us." Steevens.

all slops;] Slops are large loose breeches, or trowsers, worn only by sailors at present. They are mentioned by Jonson, in his Alchymist:

66

six great slops

"Bigger than three Dutch hoys."

Again, in Ram Alley, or Merry Tricks, 1611:

66

three pounds in gold

"These slops contain." Steevens.

Hence evidently the term slop-seller, for the venders of ready made clothes. Nichols.

5 -a Spaniard from the hip upward, no doublet:] There can be no doubt but we should read, all doublet, which corresponds with the actual dress of the old Spaniards. As the passage now stands, it is a negative description, which is in truth no description at all. M. Mason.

no doublet:] or, in other words, all cloak. The words"Or in the shape of two countries," &c. to "no doublet," were omitted in the folio, probably to avoid giving any offence to the Spaniards, with whom James became a friend in 1604. Malone.

6 have it appear he is.] Thus the quarto, 1600. The folio, 1623, reads "have it to appear, &c. Steevens.

7 and the old ornament of his cheek hath already stuffed tennis-balls.] So, in A wonderful, strange, and miraculous astrological Prognostication for this Year of our Lord 1591; written by Nashe, in ridicule of Richard Harvey: c6 they may sell their haire by the pound, to stuffe tennice balles." Steevens. Again, in Ram Alley, or Merry Tricks, 1611:

"Thy beard shall serve to stuff those balls by which I get me heat at tenice."

Again, in The Gentle Craft, 1600:

"He'll shave it off, and stuffe tenice balls with it." Henderson.

Leon. Indeed, he looks younger than he did, by the loss of a beard.

D. Pedro. Nay, he rubs himself with civet: Can you smell him out by that?

Claud. That's as much as to say, The sweet youth's in love.

D. Pedro. The greatest note of it is his melancholy. Claud. And when was he wont to wash his face?

D. Pedro. Yea, or to paint himself? for the which, I hear what they say of him.

Claud. Nay, but his jesting spirit; which is now crept into a lutestring, and now governed by stops.

8

D. Pedro. Indeed, that tells a heavy tale for him: Conclude, conclude, he is in love.

Claud. Nay, but I know who loves him.

D. Pedro. That would I know too; I warrant, one that knows him not.

Claud. Yes, and his ill conditions; and, in despite of all, dies for him.

D. Pedro. She shall be buried with her face upwards."

8 - crept into a lutestring,] Love-songs in our author's time were generally sung to the musick of the lute. So, in K. Henry IV, P. I: ". as melancholy as an old lion, or a lover's lute."

Malone.

9 She shall be buried with her face upwards.] Thus the whole set of editions: but what is there any way particular in this? Are not all men and women buried so? Sure, the poet means, in opposition to the general rule, and by way of distinction, with her heels upwards, or face downwards. I have chosen the first reading, because I find it the expression in vogue in our author's time.

Theobald.

This emendation, which appears to me very specious, is rejected by Dr. Warburton. The meaning seems to be, that she who acted upon principles contrary to others, should be buried with the same contrariety. Johnson.

Mr. Theobald quite mistakes the scope of the poet, who prepares the reader to expect somewhat uncommon or extraordinary; and the humour consists in the disappointment of that expectation, as at the end of Iago's poetry in Othello:

Heath.

"She was a wight, (if ever such wight were)— "To suckle fools, and chronicle small beer." Theobald's conjecture may, however, be supported by a passage in The Wild Goose Chase of Beaumont and Fletcher:

66 - love cannot starve me;

"For if I die o' th' first fit, I am unhappy,

"And worthy to be buried with my heels upwards."

Bene. Yet is this no charm for the tooth-ach.-Old signior, walk aside with me; I have studied eight or nine wise words to speak to you, which these hobby-horses must not hear. [Exeunt BENE. and LEON.

Dr. Johnson's explanation may likewise be countenanced by a passage in an old black-letter book, without date, intitled, A merye Fest of a man that was called HowLEGLAS, &c. "How Howleglas was buried."-" Thus as Howleglas was deade, than they brought him to be buryed. And as they would have put the coffyn into the pytte with 11 cordes, the corde at the fete brake, so that the fote of the coffyn fell into the botome of the pyt, and the coffyn stood bolt upryght in the middes of the grave. Then desired the people that stode about the grave that tyme, to let the coffyn to stand bolt upryght. For in his lyfe tyme he was a very marvelous man, &c. and shall be buryed as marvailously; and in this maner they left Howleglas," &c.

That this book was once popular, may be inferred from Ben Jonson's frequent allusions to it in his Poetaster:

"What do you laugh, Owleglas ?"

Again, in The Fortunate Isles, a Masque:

What do you think of Owlglas,

"Instead of him?"

And again, in The Sad Shepherd. This history was originally written in Dutch. The hero is there called Uyle-spegel. Under this title he is likewise introduced by Ben Jonson in his Alchymist, and the Masque and Pastoral already quoted. Menage speaks of Ulespeigle as a man famous for tromperies ingenieuses, adds that his Life was translated into French, and quotes the title-page of it. I have another copy published A Troyes, in 1714, the title of which differs from that set down by Menage.

The passage indeed, may mean only-She shall be buried in her lover's arms. So, in The Winter's Tale:

"Flo. What? like a corse?

"Per. No, like a bank for love to lie and play on;
"Not like a corse:or if,-not to be buried,
"But quick and in my arms."

On the whole, however, I prefer Mr. Theobald's conjecture to my own explanation. Steevens.

This last is, I believe, the true interpretation. Our author of ten quotes Lilly's Grammar; and here perhaps he remembered a phrase that occurs in that book, p. 59, and is thus interpreted: Tu cubas supinus, thou liest in bed with thy face upwards." Heels and face never could have been confounded by either the eye or the ear.

Besides; Don Pedro is evidently playing on the word dies in Claudio's speech, which Claudio uses metaphorically, and of which Don Pedro avails himself to introduce an allusion to that consummation which he supposes Beatrice was dying for.

Malone.

D. Pedro. For my life, to break with him about Beatrice.

Claud. 'Tis even so: Hero and Margaret have by this play'd their parts with Beatrice; and then the two bears will not bite one another, when they meet.

Enier Don JOHN.

D. John. My lord and brother, God save you.

D. Pedro. Good den, brother.

D. John. If your leisure serv'd, I would speak with you. D. Pedro. In private?

D. John. If it please you;-yet count Claudio may hear; for what I would speak of, concerns him. D. Pedro. What's the matter?

D. John. Means your lordship to be married to-morrow? [To CLAUD.

D. Pedro. You know, he does. D. John. I know not that, when he knows what I know. Claud. If there be any impediment, I pray you discover it.

D. John. You may think, I love you not; let that appear hereafter, and aim better at me by that I now will manifest: For my brother, I think, he holds you well; and in dearness of heart hath holp to effect your ensuing marriage: surely, suit ill spent, and labour ill bestowed!

D. Pedro. Why, what's the matter?

D. John. I came hither to tell you; and, circumstances shorten'd, (for she hath been too long a talking of) the lady is disloyal.

Claud. Who? Hero?

D. John. Even she; Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero.1

Claud. Disloyal?

D. John. The word is too good to paint out her wickedness; I could say, she were worse; think you of a worse title, and I will fit her to it. Wonder not till further warrant: go but with me to-night, you shall see her chamber-window enter'd; even the night before her wedding

1

-

Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero.] Dryden has transplanted this sarcasm into his All for Love:

"Your Cleopatra; Dolabella's Cleopatra; every man's Cleopatra." Steevens.

day: if you love her then, to-morrow wed her; but it would better fit your honour to change your mind.

Claud. May this be so?

D. Pedro. I will not think it.

D. John. If you dare not trust that you see, confess not that you know: if you will follow me, I will show you enough; and when you have seen more, and heard more, proceed accordingly.

Claud. If I see any thing to-night why I should not marry her to-morrow; in the congregation, where I should wed, there will I shame her.

D. Pedro. And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to disgrace her.

D. John. I will disparage her no farther, till you are my witnesses: bear it coldly but till midnight, and let the issue show itself.

D. Pedro. O day untowardly turned!
Claud. O mischief strangely thwarting!
D. John. O plague right well prevented!

So will you say, when you have seen the sequel.

SCENE III.
A Street.

[Exeunt.

Enter DOGBERRY and VERGES,2 with the Watch.

Dogb. Are you good men and true?

Verg. Yea, or else it were pity but they should suffer salvation, body and soul.

Dogb. Nay that were a punishment too good for them, if they should have any allegiance in them, being chosen for the prince's watch.

Verg. Well, give them their charge, 3 neighbour Dogberry.

2

Dogberry and Verges,] The first of these worthies had his name from the Dog-berry, i. e. the female cornel, a shrub that grows in the hedges in every county of England.

Verges is only the provincial pronunciation of Verjuice. Steevens. 3 Well, give them their charge,] To charge his fellows, seems to have been a regular part of the duty of the constable of the Watch. So, in A New Trick to cheat the Devil, 1639: "My watch is set-charge given—and all at peace." Again, in The Insatiate Countess, by Marston, 1603: "Come on, iny hearts; we are the city's security-I'll give you your charge." Malone.