was as sharp as a pen upon a table of green fells,”— i. e. as a sharp silver pen, used to write upon a tablebook of shagreen. Other comments and conjectures are no better. Theobald's emendation is now universally adopted.

"—and all was as cold as any stone"-" Such is the end of Falstaff, from whom Shakespeare had promised us, in his epilogue to KING HENRY IV., that we should receive more entertainment. It happened to Shakespeare, as to other writers, to have his imagination crowded with a tumultuary confusion of images, which, while they were yet unsorted and unexamined, seemed sufficient to furnish a long train of incidents, and a new variety of merriment; but which, when he was to produce them to view, shrunk suddenly from him, or could not be accommodated to his general design. That he once designed to have brought Falstaff on the scene again, we know from himself; but whether he could contrive no train of adventures suitable to his character, or could match him with no companions likely to quicken his humour, or could open no new vein of pleasantry, and was afraid to continue the same strain, lest it should not find the same reception, he has here for ever dis carded him, and made haste to dispatch him, perhaps for the same reason for which Addison killed Sir Roger, that no other hand might attempt to exhibit him. Let meaner authors learn, from this example, that it is dangerous to sell the bear which is yet not hunted; to promise to the public what they have not written. This disappointment probably inclined Queen Elizabeth to command the Poet to produce him once again, and to show him in love or courtship. This was, indeed, a new source of humour, and produced a new play from the former characters."-JOHNSON.

SCENE IV.

"Which, of a weak and niggardly projection," etc. The construction of this passage is perplexed, and the grammatical concord not according to our present notions; but its meaning appears to be, "So the proportions of defence are filled; which, to make of a weak and niggardly projection, (i. e. contrivance,) is to do like a miser who spoils his coat with scanting a little cloth."

- his mountain sire"-The Poet goes back to Hollingshed for this incident. "Mountain sire" may refer

to the Welsh descent of Edward III.

"-second accent of his ORDINANCE"-So spelled in the original, and the orthography is here preserved on account of the verse. In the Chorus of the third act, in the line, "Behold the ordnance on their carriages," it is only wanted as a dissyllable; but it is nevertheless spelled as a trisyllable in the folio, as common in the author's time.

ACT III.-CHORUS.

"Embark his royalty; and his brave fleet,

With silken streamers the young Phabus fanning," etc. "It was not in Hollingshed that Shakespeare found a hint of the splendour of Henry's fleet. That.chronicler simply says, 'When the wind came about prosperous to his purpose, he caused the mariners to weigh up anchors, and hoyse up sails.' Speed, whose history of Great Britain was not published till 1611, speaking of Henry's second expedition into France, in 1417, describes the king as embarking in a ship whose sails were of purple silk, most richly embroidered with gold. Neither Hollingshed nor Hall, in their accounts of the second expedition, mention this circumstance.

But our

Poet might have found the narrative of a somewhat similar pageantry in Froissart, where the French ships destined for the invasion of England, in 1387, are described as painted with the arms of the commanders and gilt, with banners, pennons, and standards of silk. The invading fleet of Henry V. consisted of between

twelve and fourteen hundred vessels, of various sizes, from twenty to three hundred tons. On the 10th of August, 1415, the king embarked on board his ship, the Trinity,' between Portsmouth and Southampton, and the whole fleet was under weigh on the 11th. By a curious error in the folio of 1623, the king 'at Dover pier' embarks his royalty. Of course this was an error of the printer or transcriber, for the passage is incon sistent with the Chorus of the second act. Warton tells us that, among the records of the town of Southampton, there is a minute and authentic account of the encampment before the embarkation, and that the low plain where the army lay, ready to go on board, is now en tirely covered with sea, and called West Port."-KNIGHT. As no one of the historical authorities, used by Shakespeare, has noticed this splendour of equipment, it seems to me likely to have been one of those traditional cir cumstances handed down in a story so familiar to Eng lishmen of the Poet's age.

"the RIVAGE"-i. e. The bank, or shore. (Rivage, French.) The old historians, Hall and Hollingshed, often use it.

"the devilish cannon"-Shakespeare found the epithet thus applied in Spenser's "Fairy Queen," (book i canto 7:)

As when that devilish iron engine, wrought
In deepest hell, and fram'd by furies' skill,
With windy nitre, and quick sulphur fraught

And ramm'd with bullet round, ordain'd to kill,
Conceiveth fire, etc.

"CHAMBERS go off"-" Chambers" were small pieces of ordnance. They were used in theatres, and the 66 Globe" was burnt by a discharge of them, in 1613.

SCENE I.

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends”—This speech, and the previous Chorus, are among the high poetical additions of the Poet to his original sketch, no fragment being found in the quarto editions.

- the PORTAGE of the head"-The eyes are compared to cannon prying through port-holes.

"O'erhang and JUTTY his CONFOUNDED base,
SWILL'D with the wild and wasteful ocean.'

To "jutty" is to project-"jutties," or jellies, are projecting moles, to break the force of the waves. "Confounded" is neither worn or wasted, as Johnson tells us, nor destroyed, as Malone infers; but rexed, or troubled. "Swill'd" anciently was used for "washed much, or long, drowned, surrounded by water: Prolutus.”

I

On, on, you NOBLES English"-The original has noblish, which, being clearly a misprint, has been variously corrected. The second folio, and Collier, read "noblest English," others "noble English," and Knight nobless English,"-i. e. "ye English nobility.' doubt nobless ever being anciently used in the sense of noblesse, for the body of nobility. Nobless is used, by Chaucer, for rank, high state, and by Ben Jonson for nobility of mind. I am not aware of its ever being used in the French sense, until modern times. This edition, therefore, varies from any preceding one, in correcting the misprint to "nobles English," as put in opposition to "and you, good yeomen." The conjecture is confirmed by two similar transpositions in act v., where we find, "princes French," and "you princes English.”

"Whose blood is FET"-Thus in the old edition. This form of the participle is common in the writers of Shakespeare's time. Pope here needlessly altered it to fetch'd, as modern printers or editors have generally done, in our English Bible, in the older editions of which "fet" is often found.

"Be COPY now to men of grosser blood," etc. "Copy," for that which is to be copied, is an old use of the word, now retained only in the writing-school and printing-office.

SCENE II.

"Pray thee, corporal"-Malone says that the variations in Bardolph's title proceeded from Shakespeare's inattention. Knight asks, Is it not that Nym, in his fright, forgets his own rank and Bardolph's also ?”

"I have not a CASE of lives"-Meaning, "I have not two lives." A "case" of poignards meant a couple of them; and in a passage referred to by Whalley, Ben Jonson speaks of two masques as "a case of masques."

the men would CARRY COALS"-The editors refer to passages to show, that "carrying coals" was synonymous with what the boy calls " pocketing up of wrongs." It is so used by Shakespeare, in ROMEO AND JULIET, (act i. scene 1,) and by Greene, Nash, Decker, Chapman, Day, and many other contemporaries of Shakespeare. It seems that some humble class of society (as still in Paris) was, of old, in London, employed in carrying coals; so that it was regarded as the lowest of menial offices.

"I sall QUIT you"-i. e. I shall requite you.

"

SCENE III.

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HEADY murder"-So the folio of 1632; that of 1623 has headly. The ordinary editions follow Malone, in changing it to the feeble epithet, deadly. Heady' is authorised by the next best authority to the folio of 1623, and is a word Shakespeare has before employed in HENRY IV., (Part I., act ii:)" All the currents of a heady fight." Knight retains headly, as meaning headstrong, rash; but I cannot find that word to have ever been in use; while "heady," in that sense, was familiar to the old English writers.

SCENE IV.

"et tu parles bien le langage"-" Gildon very reasonably asked, why the princess and Alice should be made to speak French, when other French characters talk English? and Farmer supposed that these French scenes came from a different hand.' Of this we have not the slightest evidence; but it was certainly opposed to the ordinary practice of the stage to make foreign characters speak a foreign language, though not unusual to represent them using broken English. Such is the case in the old Famous Victories of Henry V.,' where, towards the close, the French soldiers throw dice for the English and their brave apparel.' We have printed the old French nearly as it stands in the folio of 1623, with a few changes, made by Theobald, in the persons of the speakers, as the prefixes in the original copies are confused."-COLLIER.

SCENE V.

"that NOOK-SHOTTEN isle of Albion"-I believe that Warburton and Stevens are right in their understanding of this obscure phrase:-"Shotten signifies any thing projected; so 'nook-shotten isle' is an isle that shoots out into capes, promontories, and necks of landthe very figure of Great Britain. Randle Holme, in his Accedence of Armory,' has Querke, a nook-shotten pane' [of glass."] But Knight thus maintains a different sense:-"What has the form of the isle to do with the contemptuous expressions of Bourbon? Stevens supports Warburton's explanation by informing us, from Randle Holme, that a 'querke is a nook-shotten pane of glass.' This, we take it, is not a pane of glass shooting out into angles-capes, promontories, and necks' but an irregular piece of glass, adapted to the nooks of the old Gothic casements. The 'nook-shotten isle of Albion' is the isle thrust into a corner, apart from the rest of the world—the ' penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos' of Virgil."

4

feverish, ground malt and hot water mixed, which is called a mash. To this the constable alludes.

"FOR achievement offer us his ransom"-i. e. Instead of achieving a victory over us, make a proposal to pay us a certain sum, as a ransom. So, in HENRY VI., (Part III. :)

For chair and dukedom, throne and kingdom say. "-in ROUEN"-Of old pronounced, as here, Roan; and so spelled in the old copies.

SCENE VI.

"he hath stolen a PAX"-The "pax" was a small image of the Saviour, on which the kiss of peace was bestowed by the congregation. This is the word of the old copies, which has been altered, by modern editors, into pix-the vessel containing the consecrated wafer of the mass. Mr. Nares, in his excellent Glossary, has shown that the old word was the true one-" A pixthe casket which contains a sacred wafer-is not such an article as Bardolph could readily have stolen. The 'pax of little price' is a small plate of wood or metal, with some sacred representation engraved upon it, tendered to the people to kiss at the conclusion of the mass. It was a subititute for the kiss of peace, of the primitive church. The custom of kissing the pax is now disused; but such a relic of the Romish church was exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries, in 1821."

"such a SCONCE"-Blount, in his " Glossographia," (1656,) interprets this as "a block-house, or fortification in war; also taken for the head, because a sconce, or block-house, is made for the most part round, in fashion of a head."

"a beard of the general's cut"-" It appears, from an old ballad, Le Prince d'Amour,' (1660,) that our ancestors were very curious in the fashion of their beards, and that a certain cut, or form, was appropriated to the soldier, the bishop, the judge, the clown, etc. The spade-beard, and perhaps the stiletto-beard, also, was appropriated to the first of these characters. It is observable that our author's patron, Henry, Earl of Southampton, who spent much of his time in camps, is drawn with the latter of these beards; and his unfortunate friend, Lord Essex, is constantly represented with the former. In the ballad above mentioned, the various forms of this fantastic ornament are described."-MALONE.

"Enter King HENRY, GLOSTER, and Soldiers."

The stage-direction in the folio shows what appear ance the sick and enfeebled soldiers of Henry V. were intended to bear upon the stage-" Drums and colours. Enter the King and his poor soldiers."

"You know me by my HABIT"-The herald, in days of chivalry, always wore a surcoat, ornamented with armorial bearings, designating his nation, etc. It is still used on occasions of European pageantry, as coronations, etc.

"—God before"-i. e. God being my guide. The same expression, when used to a parting friend, implied, God be thy guide. The "prevent us, O Lord!" of the Liturgy, is go before us.

"all other JADES you may call beasts"-The precise meaning of the word "jade" has led to much discussion upon this Warburton boldly says, "It passage. is plain that jades and beasts should change places,

it

over-reined, over-ridden, or over-strained. Stevens observes, that it is common to give horses over-ridden or

term of reproach." But "jade" was not always a term of reproach; whereas "beast," as applied to a horse or a dog, still is so. It is probable that "jade" originally

like a kern of Ireland, your French hose off, and in your strait TROSSERS"-This expression is here merely figurative, as Theobald long since observed, for femoribus denudatis. But it is certain that the Irish "trossers," or trowsers, were anciently the direct contrary to the modern garments of that name. "Their trowses, commonly spelled trossers, were long pantaloons exactly fitted to the shape." Bulwer, in his "Pedigree of the English Gallant," (1653,) says, "Now our hose are made so close to our breeches that, like the Irish trossers, they too manifestly discover the dimensions of every part."-SINGER.

my mistress wears His own hair"-" The mistress of the Dauphin is his horse, and therefore he properly says, my mistress wears his own hair;' but modern editors, not understanding how 'his' could apply to a 'mistress,' altered it to her, without stating that they varied from the old copies." "-COLLIER.

"Le chien est retourné à son propre vomissement”It is curious that this scriptural proverbial expression is quoted in the words of Calvin's old version, or the first Geneva Bible, (1588.)

Fills the wide vessel of the universe." The "poring dark" is a singular phrase-it would seem to mean that darkness in which one must look closely, and pore over whatever is wished to be seen. The idea of darkness being universal over the globe, alarms Warburton for the honour of the author's knowledge. But he has elsewhere shown that he knew well enough that darkness reigned but "o'er the one-half world" at a time. Johnson has well remarked :"There is a better proof that Shakespeare knew the order of night and day, in MACBETH:

Now o'er the one-half world
Nature seems dead.

But there was no need of any justification. The universe, in its original sense, no more means this globe singly than the circuit of the horizon; but, however large in its philosophical sense, it may be poetically used for as much of the world as falls under observation. Let me remark further, that ignorance cannot be certainly inferred from inaccuracy. Knowledge is not always present."

"The hum of either army STILLY sounds," etc. This expression, applied to sound, is not peculiar to Shakespeare: we have "a still small voice" in the sacred writings; and Florio's Dictionary, in the word sussura, has a buzzing, a murmuring, a charming, a humming, a soft, gentle, still noise, as of running water alling with a gentle stream, or as trees make with the wind," etc. It is the "murmure tacito" of Ovid.

111

the other's UMBER'D face"-It has been said that the distant visages of the soldiers would appear of an "umber" colour, when beheld through the light of midnight fires. Singer thinks, that nothing more is meant than "shadow'd face." The epithet paly flames" is against the other interpretation. "Umbre," for shadow, is common in our older writers. Thus Cavendish, in his "Metrical Visions," (Prologue, p. 2:)—

Under the umber of an oke with bowes pendant.

With busy hammers closing rivets up,” etc. This does not solely refer to the riveting of the platearmour, before it was put on, but as to part when it was on. The top of the cuirass had a little projecting bit of iron, that passed through a hole, pierced through the bottom of the casque. When both were put on, the smith or armourer presented himself, with his riveting hammer, to close the rivet up; so that the party's head should remain steady, notwithstanding the force of any blow that might be given on the cuirass, or helmet. This custom prevailed more particularly in tournaments. (See "Variétés Historiques," 1752.)

"The confident and OVER-LUSTY French

Do the low-rated English play at dice," etc. "Over-lusty" is over-saucy. Thus, in North's "Plutarch:"-" Cassius's soldiers did shewe themselves verie

stubborn and lustie in the camp." This is Stevens's explanation; the word "lusty," however, was synony mous with lively. "To be lively or lustie, to be in force or strength; Vigeo." It also meant "in good plight, jolly." By "Do the low-rated English play at dice," is meant, "do play them away, or play for them at dice." The circumstance is from Hollingshed.

"that, Mean and Gentle all Behold, as may unworthiness define, A little touch of Harry in the night,And so our scene must to the battle fly," etc. We retain the original words and punctuation, which has been commonly altered, in the modern editions, to— Then, mean and gentle all

Behold, (as may unworthiness detine,) A little touch of Harry in the night, etc. The Chorus, throughout, addresses the audience, inviting them to "entertain conjecture," etc. As the old reading has it, the Chorus calls upon all, whether mean or gentle, to behold that, which the Poet has just described of the King's deportment. He then says, briefly, "A little touch of Harry in the night" shall be shown; and then the scene hurries to the battle. Thus the oldest text gives us, I think, the plainest sense.

"MINDING true things"-i. e. Remembering—a frequent old English, and still used Scottish phrase.

"That's a perilous shot out of an elder gun"—In the old play, (the quarto, 1600,) the thought is more opened. "It is a great displeasure that an elder gun can do against a cannon, or a subject against a monarch."-JOHNSON.

"—something too ROUND"-i. e. Too plain or unceremonious; as in HAMLET, "Pray you be round with him."

"Upon the king! let us our lives, our souls,

Our debts, our careful wives, our children,” etc. This beautiful speech was added after the first edition. "There is something very striking and solemn in this soliloquy, in which the King breaks immediately, as soon as he left alone. Something like this, on less occasions, every breast has felt. Reflection and seriousness rush upon the mind, upon the separation of a gay company, and especially after forced and unwilling merriment."-JOHNSON.

"What is THY soul of adoration?"

We print this as in the original-"What is thy soul," etc. This, according to the commentators, is 66 incorrect," "a mistake." Johnson would read, "What is thy soul, O adoration!" Malone reads, "What is the soul of adoration?" These appear to us weak "amendments." "Ceremony" is apostrophized throughout this magnificent address. To read "O adoration," or "the soul of adoration," is to introduce a new impersonation, breaking the continuity which runs through fifty lines. "Thy soul of adoration, O ceremony," is, thy inmost spirit of adoration. Is thy worth, thy very soul of homage, any thing but "place, degree, and form?"KNIGHT.

"The FARCED title running 'fore the king." etc. That is, The stuffed, tumid, or inflated title, with which the King's name is introduced. The use of farced, for stuffed, was common. It has been suggested, by Mr. Knight, that the farced title running 'fore the king," refers to the gorgeous herald who preceded the king, on state occasions, to proclaim his title. But the notion of the herald makes the thought more literal than the Poet meant; it is the pompous string of titles that is personified.

"O, God of battles! steel my soldiers' hearts:

Possess them not with fear: take from them now The sense of reckoning of th' opposed numbers: Pluck their hearts from them not to-day, O Lord!" etc. In the text, as here printed, that of the folio is preserved, as to the words, making only a change in punctuation. The folio has it thus:

-take from them now

The sense of reckoning of th' opposed numbers:
Pluck their hearts from them. Not to-day, O Lord!
O not to-day think not upon the fault, etc.

On the other hand, the previous quartos have these lines:

O God of battles! steel my soldiers' hearts.

Take from them now the sense of reckoning,

That the opposed multitudes which stand before them

May not appal their courage.

O not to-day, not to-day, O God,

Think on the fault my father made

In compassing the crown.

Stevens, Malone, Collier, and others, have preferred

altering the folio text thus:

O God of battles! steel my soldiers' hearts!

Possess them not with fear; take from them now

The sense of reckoning, if the opposed numbers

Pluck their hearts from them.-Not to-day, O Lord,
O not to-day, think not upon the fault
My father made in compassing the crown.

The lines of the folio contain the author's intended correction of the previous words, and should be preferred; but there is clearly some misprint. The reading of this edition, which is that first given in the judicious edition of Singer, has the advantage of making the least change, and also avoids the double negative of the other altera

tion

O not to-day think not upon the fault.

SCENE II.

"Via!-les eaux et la terre"-" Via!" is an exclamation, signifying away! often met with. The Dauphiu evidently means, by "les eaux et la terre," and his cousin by "l'air et le feu," a reference to the four elements, which, in act iii. scene 7, the Dauphin had spoken of in connection with his horse.

"DOUBT them with superfluous courage"-This is the old reading, and taking doubt them" in the sense of making thein doubt, or alarming them for the issue, is quite as intelligible as dout, or do out, (extinguish,) which Stevens and Malone would substitute. Pope read daunt.

the SHALES and husks"-"Shale" was the old form of shell; from the Saxon schale.

"let the trumpets sound

The TUCKET SONNANCE, and the note to mount," etc The "tucket-sonnance" is the sounding of the tucket. A "tucket" was properly not a trumpet, but the sound produced by a trumpet. This is what the constable of France calls the " tucket-sonnance." This, as well as the "note to mount," and "dare the field," were both in their day familiar terms of sporting, which the Constable uses in gay contempt. Johnson well remarks:"He uses terms of the field as if they were going out only to the chase, for sport. To dare the field is a phrase in falconry. Birds are dared when, by the falcon in the air, they are terrified from rising, so that they will be sometimes taken by the hand."

"The horsemen sit like fixed candlesticks,

With torch-staves in their hand," etc.

Ancient candlesticks were often in the form of human figures, holding the sockets for the lights, in their extended hands. Mr. Douce had one of those interesting relics in his possession. They are mentioned in "Vittoria Corombana," (1612:)" He shewed like a pewter candlestick, fashioned like a man in armour, holding a' tilting-staff in his hand, little bigger than a candle."

The woodcuts of it, in the Variorum and other editions, give a vivid idea of the propriety of the comparison.

"I stay but for my GUARD"-Johnson and Stevens were of opinion that "guard" here means rather something of ornament, than an attendant, or attendants. Malone has successfully combated their opinion. Hollingshed, speaking of the French, says:-"They thought themselves so sure of victory, that diverse of the noblemen made such haste toward the battle, that they left many of their servants and men of war behind them, and some of them would not once stay for their standards; as amongst other the Duke of Brabant, when his standard was not come, caused a banner to be taken from a trumpet, and fastened to a speare, the which he commanded to be borne before him, instead of a standard." Every prince, commander, and chief officer had his attendant "guard," or squire of the body, as he was sometimes called, (in French garde-du-corps.) Even every gen-d'arme, or complete man at arms, had his attendant archer; and they were both persons of distinction.

SCENE III.

"He, that shall SEE this day, and LIVE old age," etc. Thus the old copies, giving the clear sense, that "he that shall see the approaching day of battle, and live to old age," shall "yearly," etc. There seems no reason for the transposition made in all the modern editions,' except those of Knight, without any authority

He, that shall live this day, and see old age. "Then will he strip his sleeve, and show his scars. To this line Malone added another, found in the quartos

And say, these wounds I had on Crispin's day. But, in the first edition, this line was inserted in another

place, after "gentle his condition," whence the author expunged it, in his revision, without transposing it to this place.

"in HIS MOUTH"-" When Shakespeare altered friends to neighbours,' he altered their mouths, of the quarto, to his mouth.' How beautifully he preserves the continuity of the picture of the one old man remembering his feats, and his great companions in arms, by this slight change. His mouth names Harry the king' as a household word; though in their cups the name shall be freshly remembered."-KNIGHT.

11

CRISPIN CRISPIAN shall ne'er go by"-The battle of Agincourt was fought upon the 25th of October, St. Crispin's day. The legend upon which this is founded, is as follows:-"Crispinus and Crispianus were brethren, born at Rome; from whence they travelled to Soissons, in France, about the year 303, to propagate the Christian religion; but because they would not be chargeable to others for their maintenance, they exercised the trade of shoemakers. But the governor of the town, discovering them to be Christians, ordered them to be beheaded, about the year 303; from which time, the shoemakers made choice of them for their tutelar saints."-WHEATLEY.

"This day shall GENTLE his condition"-i. e. This day shall advance him to the rank of a gentleman. Tollet informs us, that King Henry V. inhibited any person, but such as had a right by inheritance or grant, to assume coats of arms, except those who fought with him at the battle of Agincourt.

"COULD fight this royal battle"-So the folio. The quarto, which is followed by most editors, has "might fight this battle out."

“Mark, then, ABOUNDING valour in our English;

That, being dead, like to the bullet's grazing," etc. Singer has thus abridged some pages of contentious commentary on this passage:-"Theobald, with overbusy zeal for emendation, changed 'abounding' into a bounding, and found the allusion exceedingly beautiful, comparing the revival of the English valour to the rebounding of a cannon-ball. There is, as usual, an idle controversy between Malone and Stevens; the one preferring the old reading, and the other, from a spirit of opposition to his rival, which ever guided him, supporting Theobald's alteration. Malone grounded his opinion upon the reading of the quarto, 'abundant valour,'-a phrase used again by Shakespeare, in KING RICHARD III. But neither of them saw that the very construction shows Theobald's alteration to be wrong. It is plain that none of the commentators understood the passage; for Johnson acknowledges that he does not know what to make of killing in relapse of mortality, of the meaning of which Stevens also displays his ignorance, in attempting to explain it. The sense of the passage is clearly this:-Mark then how valour abounds in our English; that (who) being dead, like an almost spent bullet glancing upon some object, break out into a second course of mischief, killing even in their mortal relapse to mother earth.' This putrid valour, as Johnson pleasantly calls it, is common to the descriptions of other poets. Stevens refers to Lucan, (lib. vii. ver. 321,) and to Corneille, who has imitated Lucan, in the first speech of his Pompée;" where we find

Et dont les troncs pourris exhalent dans les vents, De quoi faire la guerre au reste des vivants. "-leading of the VAWARD"-i. e. The vanward, or advanced body of the army.

SCENE IV.

Callino, castore me"-This is an old tune, to which a song was sung, printed in Clement Robinson's "Handful of Pleasant Delights," (1584.) The notes are preserved in Playford's Musical Companion,” (1673.) There can be no doubt that this is what is meant, though the words put into Pistol's mouth, in the old copy, are

"Calmie custure me." He hears the French soldier speak a foreign jargon, and replies by the first foreign words that occurred to him, being the Irish burden of an old ballad. Boswell pointed out the air, and the true reading; and thus put an end to the doubt as to an expression which had puzzled the commentators.

-thou diest on point of Fox"-"Fox" was a slang word for a sword, in the time of Shakespeare, and afterwards. Webster, in his "White Devil," (1612,) makes one of his characters ask, “O, what blade is it a Toledo, or an English fox?"

"O, prenez misericorde"-I suspect that Shakespeare had a lurking design, in this scene, to remind us how much the honours of courage depend upon accident, and the character of the adversary. The French soldier, broken down by the defeat of his friends, begs mercy from the empty braggart, Pistol. Pistol is not only beaten by the brave Welshman, but is kicked down stairs by Falstaff; while the knight, before other adversaries, finds the "better part of valour" in "discretion."

"I will fetch thy RIM out at thy throat"-We find in Coles's Dictionary, (1677,) that "rim" is "the caul in which the bowels are wrapped." Pistol means, that he will drag the Frenchman's vitals out through his throat. "Rim" is used in this sense by Chapman, Ph. Holland, and others.

"BRASS, cur"-"The critics have decided that, because Pistol mistakes bras for brass,' and subsequently thinks moi (then spelled 'moy') is pronounced moy, Shakespeare had very little knowledge in the French editions, to prove this. But the critics have not proved language.' We have two pages of notes, in the Variorum what was the pronunciation of the French language, in Shakespeare's time, especially with regard to the now silent s."-KNIGHT.

Knight is quite right in his conjecture, that this was the old French sound of the word The dropping of the sound of final letters, or sounding them indistinctly. was one of the alterations which gradually gained ground between the reigns of Henry IV. of France, and Louis XV. The French and English languages were much nearer, both in idiom and in pronunciation, in the age of Shakespeare, than they now are.

"—is that a TON OF MOYS"-" Par-tonnez-moy" (perhaps the then received mode of pronunciation) suggests the "ton of moys." But what is a "moy?" Johnson says moi is a piece of money-whence moi-dore. Douce is hard upon the derivation of moidore, and says that "moy" meant a measure of corn. Without defending Pistol's or Dr. Johnson's etymology, we believe Douce is mistaken. Pistol clearly takes "moy" for money of

some sort.