hindeling, is a low wretch: it is applied to Katharine for the coarseness of her behaviour. JOHNSON.

P. 307, 1, 64. And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell.] "To lead apes," was in our author's time as at present, one of the employments of a bearherd, who often carries about one of those animals along with his bear: but I know not how this phrase came to be applied to old maids. MALONE.

That women who refused to bear children, should, after death,'be condemned to the care of apes in leading-strings, might have been considered as an act of posthumous retribution.

STEEVENS.

Id. l. 53. And-twangling Jack:] To twangle is a provincial expression, and signifies to flourish capriciously on an instrument, as performers often do after having tuned it, previous to their beginning a regular composition.

Id. c. 2, l. 22 A joint-stool] This is a proverbial expression;

"Cry you mercy, I took you for a join'd stool." See Ray's Collection. Id 1.57.- -a craven.] A craven is a degenerate, dispirited cock. Craven was a term also applied to those who in appeals of battle became recreant, and by pronouncing this word called for quarter from their opponents; the consequence of which was they were for ever after deemed infamous.

P. 309, c. 1, 7. 32. "a wild Kate to a Kate"
MALONE.

Id. 1.71. She vied so fast.] Vye and revye were terms at cards, now superseded by the more modern word, brag.

Id 1 73- -'tis a world to see,] i. e. it is wonderful to see. This expression is often met with in old historians as well as dramatic writers. Id. 1. 75 A meacock wretch-] i. e. a timorous, dastardly creature.

Id c. 2. l. 40. counterpoints,] These coverings for beds are at present called counterpanes; but either mode of spelling is proper. Counterpoint is the monkish term for a particular species of music, in which notes of different harmony are set in opposition to each other. In like manner counterpanes were anciently composed of patch-work, and so contrived that every pane or partition in them, was contrasted with one of a different colour, though of the same dimensions. STEE

VENS.

ld. 1.67 two galliasses.] A galeas or galliass, is a heavy low-buit vessel of burthen, with both sails and oars, partaking at once of the nature of a ship and a galley. STEEVENS. Id. 1 75 — out-vied.] This is a term at the old game of gleek. When one man was vied upon another, he was said to be out-vied.

P. 310, c. 1, l. 11. Sirrah, young gamester,] Gamester, in the present instance, has no reference to gaming, and only siguifies—a wag, a frolicsome character. Id 1. 16. Yet I have faced it with a card of ten.]

Id. l. 64.

SCENE II.

full of spleen] that is, full of humour, caprice, and inconstancy. JOHNSON. Id. l. 70. Mr. Malone reads, "invite them and," &c.

P. 311, c. 1, l. 6. "vex a very saint,"-MALONE. Id. 1 25. two broken po.nts:] i. e. two broken tags to the laces.

Id. l. 29. infected with the fashions,

past cure of the fives,] Fashions. So called in the West of England, but by the best writers on farriery, farcens or farcy. Fives. So called in the West: vives elsewhere, and avives by the French; a distemper in horses, little differing from the strangles. GREY. Id. 1. 33. - ne'er legged before.] i. e. founder'd in his fore-feet.

Id l. 37. crupper of velure,] Velure is velvet. Velours, Fr.

Id. l. 43. stock-] i. e. stocking. Id. 1. 46 --an old hat, and The humour of forty fancies prickd in't for a feather:] This was some ballad or drollery at that time, which the poet here ridicules, by making Petruchio prick it up in his foot-boy's hat for a feather. His speakers are perpetually quoting scraps and stanzas of old ballads, and often very obscurely; for, so well are they adapted to the occasion, that they seem of a piece with the rest. WARBURTON. c. 2, l. 10. my promise. 312, c. 1, 1. 2. - · Quaff'd off the muscadel,] The fashion of introducing a bowl of wine into the church at a wedding, to be drank by the bride and bridegroom, and persons present, was very anciently a constant ceremony; and, as appears from this passage, not abolished in our author's age.

Id

P.

to digress;] To deviate from

Id. l. 30. their blue coats brushed,] The dress of servants at the time.

Id. 1. 31.

garters of an indifferent knit:] Perhaps by garters of an indifferent knit," the author meant parti-colour'd garters; garters of a different knit. In Shakspeare's time indifferent was sometimes used for different. Id. l. 76. no link to colour Peter's hat,] A

link is a torch of pitch. Id. c. 2, 1.7. Where, &c.] A scrap of some old ballad. Ancient Pistol elsewhere quotes the same line. In an old black letter book intituled, A gorgious Gallery of gallant Inventions, London, 1578, 4to. is a song to the tune of Where is the life that late I led.

Id. 1. 9. Soud, soud, &c.] This, I believe, is a word coined by our poet, to express the noise made by a person heated and fatigued. MA

LONE.

Id. 1. 14. It was the friar of orders grey,] Dispersed through Shakspeare's plays are many little fragments of ancient ballads, the entire copies of which cannot now be recovered. Many of these being of the most beautiful and pathetic simplicity, Dr. Percy has selected some of them, and connected them together with a few supplemental stanzas; a work, which at once demonstrates his own poetical abilities, as well as his respect to the truly venerable remains of our most ancient bards. STEEVENS, Id. 1. 27. Come, Kate, and wash,] It was the custom in our author's time (and long before), to wash the hands immediately before dinner and supper, as well as afterwards.

As our

ancestors eat with their fingers, which might aot be over-clean before meals, and after them must be greasy, we cannot wonder at such repeated ablutions. STEEVENS. Id. l. 76. --full gorg'd, &c.] A hawk too much fed was never tractable. The lure was only a thing stuffed like that kind of bird which the hawk was designed to pursue. The use of the lure was to tempt him back after he had flown.

Id. l. 77. to man my haggard,] A haggard is a wild-hawk; to man a hawk is to tame her.

P. 314, c. 1, l. 3. That bate,] To bate is to flutter as a hawk does when it swoops upon its prey. Id. l. 10. amid this hurly, I intend,] Intend is sometimes used by our author for pretend.

SCENE II.

Id. 1. 22. " that mistress Bianca"-MALONE,
Id. l. 46.

cullion:] A term of degradation, with no very decided meaning: a despicable fellow, a fool, &c.

Id. c. 2, l. 17. An ancient angel-] For angel Mr. Theobald, and after him Sir T. Hanmer and Dr. Warburton, read engle, or a gull, but angel may mean messenger.

Id. 1. 20. Master, a mercatante,] The old editions read marcantant. The Italian word mercatante is frequently used in the old plays

P.

for a merchant, and therefore I have made no scruple of placing it here. STEEVENS. 315, c. 1, 1. 2. To pass assurance-] To pass assurance means to make a conveyance or deed. Deeds are by law-writers called, "The common assurances of the realm," because thereby each man's property is assured to him.

Id. 1.5. Go with me, &c.] There is an old comedy called Supposes, translated from Ariosto, by George Gascoigne. Thence Shakspeare bor rowed this part of the plot (as well as some of the phraseology), though Theobald pronounces it his own invention. There, likewise, he found the names of Petruchio and Licio. My young master and his man exchange habits, and per suade a Scenæse, as he is called, to personate the father, exactly as in this play, by the pretended danger of his coming from Sienna to Ferrara, contrary to the order of the go

Id.

vernment.

SCENE III.

l. 49. What, sweeting, all amort?] This gallicism is common to many of the old plays. That is, all sunk and dispirited.

1d. l. 58. And all my pains is sorted to no proof And all my labour has ended in nothing, of proved nothing.

Id. 1. 77.

rustling.

with his ruffling treasure.] i. e.

Id. c. 2, 1. 2. Come, tailor, let us see these or naments;] In our poet's time, women's gowns were usually made by men.

Id. 1. 26. A custard-coffin,] A coffin was the a

cient culinary term for the raised crust of a pie or custard.

Id. 1. 36. censer-] We learn from an ancient

print, that these censers resembled in shape our modern brasières. They had pierced co vex covers, and stood on feet. They not only served to sweeten a barber's shop, but to keep his water warm, and dry his cloths on. Id. l. 55. -thou thread,

Thou thimble,] The tailor's trade, having an appearance of effeminacy, has always bee among the rugged English, liable to sarcasms and contempt. JOHNSON.

Id. l. 60. Id. l. 70.

be-mete-] i. e. be-measure thee. faced many things] i. e. turned up many gowns, &c. with facings, &c. Id. 1. 72. braved many men; i. e. made many men fine. Bravery was the ancient term for elegance of dress.

P. 316, c. 1, l. 6. · -a small compassed cape:" A compassed cape is a round cape. To com ass is to come round. JOHNSON.

thy mete-yard,] i. e. thy measuring

yard. Id. [ 74 but I be deceived,] But, i e. unless 1d. c. 2, 1. 32. "ready and willing."-MALONE Id. l. 34. For curious I cannot be with you,] Carious is scrupulous.

Id. 1. 43. And pass my daughter a sufficient dower,] To pass is, in this place, synonymous to assure or convey; as it sometimes occurs in the covenant of a purchase deed, that the granter has power to bargain, sell, &c. "and thereby to pass and convey" the premises to the grantee. Id. l. 44. " fully made,"-MALONE. Id. 47. We be aflied;] i. e. betrothed. Id. l. 52. And, happily Happily, in Shakspeare's time, signified accidentally, as well as fortu nately. Id. l. 77.

pose.

--or moral-] i. e. the secret pur

i. e. wait the event.

ld. l. 12.

cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum:] It is scarce necessary to observe, that these are the words which commonly were put on books where an exclusive right had been granted to particular persons for printing them. REED.

Id. 1. 13. church, &c.

to the church;] i. e. go to the

contrivance.

Id. 1. 47. My cake is dough:] A phrase generally used when any project miscarried, or rather when any disappoinment was sustained, contrary to every appearance or expectation.

SCENE II.

11

Id. l. 76. My banquet-] A banquet, or (as it is called in some of our old books), an afterpast, was a slight refection, like our modern desert, consisting of cakes, sweetmeats, and fruit. P. 319, c. 1, 7. 8. -- fears his widow.] To fear, as has been already observed, meant in our author's time both to dread, and to intimidate. The widow understands the word in the latter sense; and Petruchio tells her, he used it in the former. MALONE.

Id. 1. 10. "You are very sensible, &c. MALONE. Id. 1. 58. - that gird,] A gird is a sarcasm,

a gibe. Id. c. 2, l. 30. Mr. Malone omits the word come. P. 318, c. 1, 5. "As frosts do bite," &c. MALONE. Id. c. 2, l. 2. -- our soft conditions,] The gentle

qualities of our minds.

Id. 1. 10. "we indeed least are." MALONE. Id. l. 11. Then vail your stomachs,] i. e. abate your pride, your spirit.

Id. 1. 23.

-you two are sped.] i e. the fate of you both is decided; for you have wives to exhibit early proofs of disobedience.

Id. 1. 24.

though you hit the white ;] To hit the white is a phrase borrowed from archery: the mark was commonly white. Here it alludes to the name, Bianca, or white.

THIS play, throughout, is written in the very spirit of its author. And in telling this homely and simple, though agreeable, country tale,

Our sweetest Shakspeare, fancy's child,
Warbles his native wood-notes wild.

This was necessary to observe in mere justice o the play; as the meanness of the fable, and he extravagant conduct of it, had misled some of great name into a wrong judgment of its meit; which, as far as it regards sentiment and haracter, is scarce inferior to any in the whole ollection. WARBURTON.

At Stationers' Hall, May 22, 1594, Edward White entered "A book entitled A Wynter Vyght's Pastime." STEEVENS.

The story of this play is taken from the Pleasant History of Dorastus and Fawnia, vritten by Robert Greene. JOHNSON.

In this novel, the King of Sicilia, whom Shakspeare names

Leontes, is called............... Egistus.
Polixenes, K. of Bohemia..... Pandosto.
Mamillius, P. of Sicilia....... Garinter.
Florizel, P. of Bohemia....... Dorastus.
Camillo

Franion. Porrus. Bellaria.

Faunia.

Mopsa.

The parts of Antigonus, Paulina, and Autoycus, are of the poet's own invention; but many circumstances of the novel are omitted in the play. STEEVENS.

Dr. Warburton, by "some of great name," means Dryden and Pope. See the Essay at the end of the Second Part of The Conquest of Greada: "Witness the lameness of their plots the plots of Shakspeare and Fletcher); many

of which especially those which they wrote first (for even that age refined itself in some measure), were made up of some ridiculous incoherent story, which in one play many times took up the business of an age. I suppose I need not name Pericles, Prince of Tyre (and here, by the by, Dryden expressly names Pericles as our author's production), nor the historical plays of Shakspeare; besides many of the rest, as the Winter's Tale, Love's Labour's Lost, Measure for Measure, which were either grounded on impossibilities, or at least so meanly written, that the comedy neither caused your mirth, nor the serious part your concernment." Mr. Pope, in the Preface to his edition of our author's plays, pronounced the same illconsidered judgment on the play before us: "I should conjecture (says he) of some of the others, particularly Love's Labour's Lost, THE WINTER'S TALE, Comedy of Errors, and Titus Andronicus, that only some characters, single scenes, or perhaps a few particular passages, were of his hand."

None of our author's plays has been more censured for the breach of dramatic rules than The Winter's Tale. In confirmation of what Mr. Steevens has remarked in another place"that Shakspeare was not ignorant of these rules, but disregarded them,"-it may be observed, that the laws of the drama are clearly laid down by a writer once universally read and admired, Sir Philip Sidney, who, in his Defence of Poesie, 1595, has pointed out the very improprieties into which our author has fallen in this play. After mentioning the defects of the tragedy of Gorboduc, he adds: "But if it be so in Gorboducke, how much more in all the rest, where you shall have Asia of the one side, and Affricke of the other, and so manie under king