You'll not bear a letter for me, you rogue!-you stand upon your honour!-Why, thou unconfinable baseness, it is as much as I can do, to keep the terms of my honour precife. I, I, I myfelf fometimes, leaving the fear of heaven on the left hand, and hiding mine honour in my neceffity, am fain to fhuffle, to hedge, and to lurch; and yet you, rogue, will enfconce your rags, your cata-mountain looks, your red-lattice phrafes, and your bold-beating oaths, under the fhelter of your honour! You will not do it, you? Pift. I do relent; What would't thou more of man? ̧ Rob. Sir, here's a woman would speak with you. The derivation of the word may perhaps be difcovered from the following paflage in Cupid's Whirligig: "Set fome pickes upon your batch, and I pray, profefs to keep a bawdy houfe." Perhaps the unfeasonable and obftreperous irruptions of the gallants of that age might render fuch a precaution neceflary. STEEVENS. This was a cant name of fome part of the town noted for bawdy. houfes. Sir T. Hanmer fays, that this was a noted harbour for thieves and pickpockets," who certainly were proper companions for a man of Piftol's profeffion. But Falstaff here more immediately means to ridicule another of his friend's vices; and there is fome humour in calling Piftol's favourite brothel, his manor of Pickt-batch. 1 T. WARTON. enfconce your rags, &c.] A Sconce is a petty fortification. To enfcence, therefore, is to protect as with a fort. The word occurs again in K. Henry IV. Part I. STEEVENS. 2 — red-lattice phrases,] Your ale-house conversation. JOHNSON. Red lattice at the doors and windows were formerly the external denotements of an ale-houfe. Hence the prefent chequers. Perhaps the reader will exprefs some surprize, when he is told that shops, with the fign of the chequers, were common among the Romans. See a view of the left-hand ftrect of Pompeii, (No. 9) prefented by Sir William Hamilton (together with feveral others, equally curious,) to the Antiquary Society. STEEVENS. The following paffage in Braithwaite's Strapado for the Divell, 1615, confirms Mr. Steevens's obfervation.-" To the true discoverer of fecrets, Monfieur Bacchus,-Mafter-gunner of the pottle-pot ordnance, -prime-founder of red lattices &c." In King Henry IV. P. II. Falftaff's page, fpeaking of Bardolph, fays, "he called me even now, my Lord, through a red lattice, and I could fee no part of his face from the window." MALONE. Enter Enter Miftrefs QUICKLY. Quick. Give your worship good-morrow. Quick. Not fo, an't please your worship. Quick. I'll be fworn; as my mother was, the first hour I was born. Fal. I do believe the fwearer: What with me? Quick. Shall I vouchfafe your worship a word or two? Fal. Two thousand, fair woman; and I'll vouchfafe thee the hearing. Quick. There is one miftrefs Ford, fir;-I pray, come a little nearer this ways:-I myself dwell with master doctor Caius. Fal. Well, on: Mistress Ford, you say,— Quick. Your worship fays very true: I pray your worfhip, come a little nearer this ways. Fal. I warrant thee, nobody hears ;-mine own people, mine own people. Quick. Are they fo? Heaven blefs them, and make them his fervants! Fal. Well: miftrefs Ford ;-what of her? Quick. Why, fir, fhe's a good creature. Lord, lord! your worship's a wanton: Well, heaven forgive you, and all of us, I pray! Fal. Miftrefs Ford;-come, mistress Ford,— Quick. Marry, this is the fhort and the long of it; you have brought her into fuch a canaries 3, as 'tis wonderful. The best courtier of them all, when the court lay at Windfor 4, could never have brought her to fuch a canary. Yet there has been knights, and lords, and gentlemen, with their coaches; I warrant you, coach after coach, 3-canaries,] This is the name of a brisk light dance, and is therefore properly enough used in low language for any hurry or perturbation. JOHNSON. It is highly probable, however, that canaries is only a mistake of Mrs. Quickly's for quandaries; and yet the Clown, in As you like it, fays, "we that are true lovers run into ftrange capers." STEEVENS. lay at Windfor,] i. e. refided there. MALONE. letter letter after letter, gift after gift; fmelling fo fweetly, (all mufk,) and fo rufhling, I warrant you, in filk and gold; and in fuch alligant terms; and in fuch wine and fugar of the belt, and the faireft, that would have won any woman's heart; and, I warrant you, they could never get an eye-wink of her.-I had myfelf twenty angels given me this morning: but I defy all angels, (in any fuch fort, as they fay,) but in the way of honefty:-and, I warrant you, they could never get her fo much as fip on a cup with the proudeft of them all and yet there has been earls, nay, which is more, penfioners 5; but, I warrant you, all is one with her. Fal. But what fays fhe to me? be brief, my good she Mercury. Quick. Marry, fhe hath receiv'd your letter; for the which he thanks you a thousand times: and the gives you to notify, that her husband will be abfence from his house between ten and eleven. Fal. Ten and eleven. Quick. Ay, forfooth; and then you may come and see the picture, the fays, that you wot of;-mafter Ford, her husband, will be from home. Alas! the fweet wo 5-earls, nay, which is more, penfioners;] i. e. Gentlemen of the band of Penfioners." In the month of December," [1539] fays Stowe, Annals, p. 973, edit. 1605, "were appointed to waite on the king's perfon fifty Gentlemen, called Penfioners, or Speares, like as they were in the first yeare of the king; unto whom was affigned the fumme of fiftie pounds, yerely, for the maintenance of themfelves, and everie man two horfes, or one horse and a gelding of fervice." Their drefs was remarkably fplendid, and therefore likely to attract the notice of Mrs. Quickly. Hence, in A Midfummer Night's Dream, our author has felected from all the tribes of flowers the golden-coated cowflips to be penfioners to the Fairy Queen: The cowflips tall her penfioners be, "In their gold coats fpots you fee; &c." MALONE. -earls, nay, which is more, penfioners;] This may be illuftrated by a paffage in Gervafe Holles's Life of the First Earl of Clare. Bisg Brit. Art. HoLLES. "I have heard the earl of Clare fay, that when he was penfioner to the queen, he did not know a worfe man of the whole band than himself; and that all the world knew he had then an inheritance of 4000l. a year." TYR WHITT. you wot of ;] To wot is to know. Obfolete. STEEVENS. man man leads an ill life with him; he's a very jealousy man; fhe leads a very frampold life with him, good heart. Fal. Ten and eleven: woman, commend me to her; I will not fail her. Quick. Why you fay well: But I have another meffenger to your worship: Miftrefs Page hath her hearty commendations to you too;-and let me tell you in your ear, she's as fartuous a civil modeft wife, and one (I tell you) that will not mifs you morning or evening prayer, as any is in Windfor, whoe'er be the other: and the bade me tell your worship, that her husband is feldom from home; but, the hopes, there will come a time. I never knew a woman fo dote upon a man; furely, I think you have charms, la; yes, in truth. Fal. Not I, I affure thee; fetting the attraction of my good parts afide, I have no other charms. Quick. Bleffing on your heart for't! Fal. But, I pray thee, tell me this; has Ford's wife, and Page's wife, acquainted each other how they love me? Quick. That were a jeft, indeed; they have not fo little grace, I hope:-that were a trick, indeed! But miftrefs Page would defire you to fend her your little page, of all loves; her husband has a marvellous infection to the little page: and, truly, mafter Page is an honest man. Never a wife in Windfor leads a better life than she does; do what fhe will, fay what fhe will, take all, pay all, go to bed when the lift, rife when fhe lift, all is as the will; and, truly, the deferves it; for if there be a kind woman in Windfor, fhe is one. You must send her your page; no remedy. 7 — frampold—] This word I have never feen elsewhere, except in Dr. Hacket's Life of Archbishop Williams, where a frampul man fignifies a peevish troublefome fellow. JOHNSON. Ray, among his South and Eaft country words, fays, that frampald, or frampard, fignifies fretful, peevish, cross, froward. As froward (he adds) comes from frem, so may frampard. STEVENS. 8 to send ber your little page, of all loves :] Of all loves, is an adjuration only, and fignifies no more, than if he had faid, defires you to fend him by all means. It is ufed in Decker's Honeft Wbore, Part I. 1635" conjuring his wife, of all loves, to prepare cheer fitting," &c. Again, in Holinfhed's Chronicle, p. 1164. STEEVENS. Fal. Fal. Why, I will. Quick. Nay, but do fo then: and, look you, he may come and go between you both; and, in any cafe, have a nay-word, that you may know one another's mind, and the boy never need to understand any thing; for 'tis not good that children should know any wickedness: old folks, you know, have difcretion, as they fay, and know the world. Fal. Fare thee well: commend me to them both: there's my purse; I am yet thy debtor.-Boy, go along with this woman. This news diftracts me! [Exeunt QUICKLY and ROBIN, Pift. This punk is one of Cupid's carriers1:Clap on more fails; purfue, up with your fights; Give fire; the is my prize, or ocean whelm them all! [Exit PISTOL. Fal. Say'ft thou fo, old Jack? go thy ways, I'll make more of thy old body than I have done. Will they yet look after thee? Wilt thou, after the expence of fo much money, be now a gainer? Good body, I thank thee: Let them fay, 'tis grofsly done; fo it be fairly done, no matter. Enter BARDOLPH. Bard. Sir John, there's one mafter Brook below would fain fpeak with you, and be acquainted with you; and 9- A nay-word,] i. e. a watch-word. So, in a fubfequent scene: "We have a nay-word to know one another, &c." STEEVENS. This punk is one of Cupid's carriers:] Dr. Warburton's emendation, "This pink &c." is plaufible. A pink is a veflel whofe form may be fuppofed to bear fome resemblance to that of Mrs. Quickly; the bends and ribs compaffing fo that its fides bulge out very much, by which means it is enabled to carry greater burdens. They are often used (according to Chambers) as flore-fips. But there is no need of alteration. It is always dangerous to meddle with Pistol's language. The allufion to the marine is fufficiently preferved by the word carrier, which is technical. This punk is one of thofe veffels which Cupid employs in the carrying trade. Clap an more fails, &c. MALONE. 2-up with your fights;] Fights, are cloaths hung round the ship to conceal the men from the enemy; and clofe-fights are bulk-beads, or any other shelter that the fabrick of a ship affords. JOHNSON. hath |