COUNT. Will your answer serve fit to all questions? CLO. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French crown for your taffata punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's fore-finger,3 as a 3 Tib's rush for Tom's fore-finger,] Tom is the man, and by Tib we are to understand the woman, and therefore, more properly, we might read-Tom's rush for, &c. The allusion is to an ancient practice of marrying with a rush ring, as well in other countries as in England. Breval, in his Antiquities of Paris, mentions it as a kind of espousal used in France, by such persons as meant to live together in a state of concubinage: but in England it was scarce ever practised except by designing men, for the purpose of corrupting those young women to whom they pretended love. Richard Poore, bishop of Salisbury, in his Constitutions, anni, 1217, forbids the putting of rush rings, or any the like matter, on women's fingers, in order to the debauching them more readily: and he insinuates, as the reason for the prohibition, that there were some people weak enough to believe, that what was thus done in jest, was a real marriage. But, notwithstanding this censure on it, the practice was not abolished; for it is alluded to in a song in a play written by Sir William D'Avenant, called The Rivals: "I'll crown thee with a garland of straw then, "And I'll marry thee with a rush ring.' which song, by the way, was first sung by Miss Davis; she acted the part of Celania in the play; and King Charles II. upon hearing it, was so pleased with her voice and action, that he took her from the stage, and made her his mistress. Again, in the song called The Winchester Wedding, in D'Urfey's Pills to purge Melancholy, Vol. I. p. 276: "Pert Strephon was kind to Betty, "And blithe as a bird in the spring; "And Tommy was so to Katy, "And wedded her with a rush ring." SIR J. HAWKINS. Tib and Tom, in plain English, I believe, stand for wanton and rogue. So, in Churchyard's Choise: 66 Tushe, that's a toye; let Tomkin talke of Tibb.” Again, in the Queenes Majesties Entertainment in Suffolk and Norfolk, &c. by Tho. Churchyard, 4to. no date: pancake for Shrove-tuesday, a morris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a scolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth; nay, as the pudding to his skin. Cupid. "And doth not Jove and Mars bear sway? Tush, that is true." Philosopher. "Then put in Tom and Tibbe, and all bears sway as much as you." STEEVENS. An anonymous writer, [Mr. Ritson,] with some probability, supposes that this is one of those covert allusions in which Shakspeare frequently indulges himself. The following lines of Cleiveland on an Hermaphrodite seem to countenance the supposition: "Nay, those which modesty can mean, "That gamester needs must overcome, "That can play both with Tib and Tom.” Sir John Hawkins would read-" as Tom's rush for Tib's fore-finger." But if this were the author's meaning, it would be necessary to alter still farther, and to read-As Tom's rush for Tib's fourth finger. MALONE. At the game of Gleek, the ace was called Tib, and the knave Tom; and this is the proper explanation of the lines cited from Cleiveland. The practice of marrying with a rush ring, mentioned by Sir John Hawkins, is very questionable, and it might be difficult to find any authority in support of this opinion. DOUCE. Sir John Hawkins's alteration is unnecessary. It was the practice, in former times, for the woman to give the man a ring, as well as for the man to give her one. So, in the last scene of Twelfth Night, the priest, giving an account of Olivia's marriage, says, it was "Attested by the holy close of lips, 66 Strengthen❜d by enterchangement of your rings." I believe what some of us have asserted respecting the exchange of rings in the marriage ceremony, is only true of the marriage contract, in which such a practice undoubtedly prevailed. STEevens. VOL. VIII. T COUNT. Have you, I say, an answer of such fitness for all questions? CLO. From below your duke, to beneath your constable, it will fit any question. COUNT. It must be an answer of most monstrous size, that must fit all demands. CLO. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned should speak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to't: Ask me, if I am a courtier; it shall do you no harm to learn. COUNT. To be young again,3 if we could: I will be a fool in question, hoping to be the wiser by your answer. I pray you, sir, are you a courtier? CLO. O Lord, sir,There's a simple putting off;-more, more, a hundred of them. COUNT. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you. CLO. O Lord, sir,-Thick, thick, spare not me. COUNT. I think, sir, you can eat none of this homely meat. CLO. O Lord, sir,-Nay, put me to't, I warrant you. COUNT. You were lately whipped, sir, as I think. To be young again,] The lady censures her own levity in trifling with her jester, as a ridiculous attempt to return back to youth. JOHNSON. O Lord, sir,] A ridicule on that foolish expletive of speech then in vogue at court. WARBurton. Thus Clove and Orange, in Every Man out of his Humour : "You conceive me, sir? O Lord, sir!" Cleiveland, in one of his songs, makes his Gentleman "Answer, O Lord, sir! and talk play-book oaths.” FARMER. CLO. O Lord, sir,-Spare not me. COUNT. Do you cry, O Lord, sir, at your whipping, and spare not me? Indeed, your O Lord, sir, 0 is very sequent to your whipping; you would answer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't. CLO. I ne'er had worse luck in my life, in myO Lord, sir: I see, things may serve long, but not serve ever. COUNT. I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it so merrily with a fool. CLO. O Lord, sir,-Why, there't serves well again. COUNT. An end, sir, to your business: Give And urge her to a present answer back: CLO. Not much commendation to them. COUNT. Not much employment for you: You understand me? CLO. Most fruitfully; I am there before my legs. COUNT. Haste you again. [Exeunt severally. SCENE III. Paris. A Room in the King's Palace. Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and PAROLLES. 5 LAF. They say, miracles are past; and we have our philosophical persons, to make modern and familiar things, supernatural and causeless. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; ensconcing ourselves into seeming knowledge," when we should submit ourselves to an unknown fear." PAR. Why, 'tis the rarest argument of wonder, that hath shot out in our latter times. BER. And so 'tis. LAF. To be relinquished of the artists, PAR. So I say; both of Galen and Paracelsus. LAF. Of all the learned and authentick fellows,8 like it: modern] i. e. common, ordinary. So, in As you "Full of wise saws, and modern instances." Again, in another play: [All's well that ends well, Act V. sc. iii.] "with her modern grace-." MALONE. 6 To ensconcing ourselves into seeming knowledge,] ensconce literally signifies to secure as in a fort. So, in The Merry Wives of Windsor: "I will ensconce me behind the arras. Into (a frequent practice with old writers) is used for in. STEEVENS. 7 unknown fear.] Fear is here an object of fear. JOHNSON. Par. So I say; both of Galen and Paracelsus. Laf. Of all the learned and authentick fellows,] Shakspeare, as I have often observed, never throws out his words at random. Paracelsus, though no better than an ignorant and knavish enthusiast, was at this time in such vogue, even amongst |