withstanding the malicious reports, that she loves poulets in paper, better than in a fricasée."-A message is called a cold pigeon, in the letter concerning the entertainments at Killingworth-Castle..

FARMER.

One of Lord Chesterfield's Letters, 8vo. Vol. III. p. 114, gives us the reason why poulet meant amatoria litera. TOLLET.

To break up was a peculiar phrase in carving.

PERCY.

So, in Westward-Hoe, by Decker and Webster, 1607: at "the skirt of that sheet, in black-work is wrought his name: break not up the wild-fowl till

anon."

Again, in Ben Johnson's Masque of Gipsies Metamorphosed:

"A London cuckold hot from the spit,

"And when the carver up had broke him," &c.

STEEVENS. 62. Break the neck of the wax,- -] Still alluding to the capon. JOHNSON. So, in the True Tragedie of Marius and Scilla, 1594 : "Lectorius read, and break these letters up."

STEEVENS.

65. -More fairer than fair, beautiful than beauteous, truer, &c.] I would read, fairer that fair, more beautiful, &c. TYRWHITT.

67. -illustrate-] For illustrious. It is often used by Chapman in his translation of Homer. STEEVENS. 68. king Cophetua.-] The ballad of King Cophetua

D

and

and the Beggar Maid, may be seen in the Reliques of Ancient Poetry, Vol. I. The beggar's name was Penelophon, here corrupted.

The poet alludes to this song in Henry IV. Part II. and Richard II.

72.

saw, two;] The old

Mr. Rowe corrected it.

PERCY.

Romeo and Juliet,
STEEVENS.

90. Thus dost thou hear, &c.] These six lines appear to be a quotation from some ridiculous poem of that WARBURTON.

time.

99. stile.

So Raleigh:

-going o'er it- -] A pun upon the word

MUSGRAVE.

ere while.] Just now; a little while ago.

"Here lies Hobbinol, our shepherd while e'er."

JOHNSON.

101. A phantasm, -] On the books of the Stationers-Company, Feb. 6, 1608, is entered, book called Phantasm, the Italian Taylor and his Boy; made by Mr. Armin, servant to his majesty." - It probably contains the history of Monarcho, of whom Dr. Farmer speaks in the following note, to which I have subjoined an additional instance. STEEVENS. -a Monarcho;· -] The allusion is to a fantastical character of the time." Popular applause (says Meres) dooth nourish some, neither do they gape after any other thing, but vaine praise and glorie, as in our age Peter Shakerlye of Paulis, and Monarcho that lived about the court." p. 178.

FARMER.

In Nash's Have with you to Saffron-Walden, &c. 1595, I meet with the same allusion:" but now he was an insulting monarch above Monarcho the Italian, that ware crownes in his shoes, and quite renounced his natural English accents and gestures, and wrested himself wholly to the Italian puntilios," &c.

STEEVENS.

The following extracts will afford some further information concerning this fantastick being. "I could use an instance for this, which though it may seeme of small weight, yet may it have his misterie with his act, who, being of base condition, placed himself (without any perturbation of minde) in the royall seat of Alexander, which the Caldeans prognosticated to portend the death of Alexander.

"The actors were, that Bergamasco (for his phantastick homours) named Monarcho, and two of the Spanish embassadors retinue, who being about foure and twentie yeares past, in Paules Church in Lon don, contended who was soveraigne of the world: the Monarcho maintained himself to be he, and named their king to be but his viceroy for Spain; the other two with great fury denying it. At which myself and some of good account, now dead, wondred in respect of the subject they handled, and that want of judgment we looked not for in the Spaniards. Yet this, moreover, we noted, that notwithstanding the weight of their controversie they kept in their walke the Spanish turne, which is that which goeth at the right hand shall at every end of the walke turne in the midst,

Dij

midst, the which place the Monarcho was loth to yeald (but as they compelled him, though they gave him sometimes that romthe) in respect of his supposed majestie; but I would this were the worst of their ceremonies; the same keeping some decorum concerning equaltie." A briefe Discourse of the Spanish State, with a Dialogue annexed, intituled Philobasilis, 4to. 1590. p. 39.

Mr. Reed adds one further notice:

-heere comes a souldier, for my life it is captaine Swag: 'tis even he indeede, I do knowe him by his plume and his scarffe; he looks like a Monarcho of a very cholericke complexion, and as teasty as a goose that hath young goslings," &c. Riche's Faults and Nothing but Faults, p. 12.

A local allusion employed by a poet like Shakspere, resembles the mortal steed that drew in the chariot of Achilles. But short services could be expected from either. STEEVENS.. 111. -Come, lords, away.] Perhaps the Princess said rather :

-Come, ladies, away.

The rest of the scene deserves no care.

--

JOHNSON.

113. Who is the shooter ?— -] It should be who is the suitor? and this occasions the quibble. " Finely put on," &c. seem only marginal observations. FARMER.

It appears that suitor was anciently pronounced shooter. So, in The Puritan Widow, 1605: the maid informs her mistress that some archers are come to

wait on her. She supposes them to be fletchers, or arrow-smiths.

Enter the suters, &c.

"Why do you not see them before you? are not these archers, what do you call them, shooters ? Shooters and archers are all one, I hope."

STEEVENS.

So, in Essays and Characters of a Prison and Prisoners, by G. M. 1618: "The king's guard are counted: the strongest archers, but here are better suitors." So, in Antony and Cleopatra, we meet in the old copy:: (owing probably to the transcriber's ear having dest ceived him)

-A grief that suits

"My very heart at root."

instead of a grief that shoots.

Again, in The Rape of Lucrece, 1594, we find shoot instead of suit:

"End thy ill aim before thy shoot be ended."

Here clearly the author meant suit.

In Ireland, where there is reason to believe that much of the pronunciation of queen Elizabeth's timeis yet retained, the word suitor is at this day pronounced by the vulgar as if it were written shooter. The word in the text ought, I think, to be written suitor, as in the instance above quoted from Essays, &c. by G, M.

The mistake arose from the similarity of the sounds; and this is one of many proofs, that when these plays Diij

were