To mingle friendship far, is mingling bloods. Mam. Leon. Ay, my good lord. I'fecks? Why, that's my bawcock." What, hast smutch'd thy nose? They say, it's a copy out of mine. Come, captain, [Observing POLIXENES and HERmione. Upon his palm?-How now, you wanton calf? Art thou my calf? Mam. Leon. Thou want'st a rough pash, and the shoots that I have," Yes, if you will, my lord. "The mort o' the deer;] A lesson upon the horn at the death of the deer. 6 Ifecks?] A supposed corruption of-in faith. Our present vulgar pronounce it-fegs. 7 Why, that's my bawcock.] Perhaps from beau and coq. It is still said in vulgar language that such a one is a jolly cock, a cock of the game. 8 Still virginalling-] Still playing with her fingers, as a girl playing on the virginals. A virginal is a very small kind of spinnet. Queen Elizabeth's virginal-book is yet in being, and many of the lessons in it have proved so difficult, as to baffle our most expert players on the harpsichord. STEEVENS. 9 Thou want'st a rough pash, and the shoots that I have,] I To be full like me:-yet, they say, we are be? Affection! thy intention stabs the center:' And fellow'st nothing: Then, 'tis very credent, And hardening of my brows. Pol. What means Sicilia? Her. He something seems unsettled. Pol. How, my lord? What cheer? how is't with you, best brother? have lately learned that pash in Scotland signifies a head. The meaning, therefore, I suppose, is this: You tell me, (says Leontes to his son,) that you are like me; that you are my calf. I am the horned bull: thou wantest the rough head and the horns of that animal, completely to resemble your father. MALONE. 'As o'er-died blacks,] Sir T. Hanmer understands blacks died too much, and therefore rotten. JOHNSON. 2 No bourn-] Bourn is boundary. welkin eye:] Blue eye; an eye of the same colour with the welkin, or sky. my collop!] So, in The First Part of King Henry VI: "God knows, thou art a collop of my flesh." Affection! thy intention stabs the center:] Affection means here imagination, or perhaps more accurately" the disposition of the mind when strongly affected or possessed by a particular idea." credent,] i. e. credible. 6 Her. As if you held a brow of much distraction: Are you mov'd, my lord? You look, Leon. No, in good earnest.— How sometimes nature will betray its folly, Its tenderness, and make itself a pastime To harder bosoms! Looking on the lines Of my boy's face, methought, I did recoil Twenty-three years; and saw myself unbreech'd, In my green velvet coat; my dagger muzzled, Lest it should bite its master, and so prove, As ornaments oft do, too dangerous. How like, methought, I then was to this kernel, This squash,' this gentleman:-Mine honest friend, Will you take eggs for money?8 Mam. No, my lord, I'll fight. Leon. You will? why, happy man be his dole!9— Are you so fond of your young prince, as we Pol. 7 This squash,] A squash is a pea-pod, in that state when the young peas begin to swell in it. 8 Will you take eggs for money?] The meaning of this is, will you put up affronts? The French have a proverbial saying, A qui vendez vous coquilles? i. e. whom do you design to affront? Mamillius's answer plainly proves it. Mam. No, my Lord, I'll fight. SMITH. 9 — happy man be his dole!] May his dole or share in life be to be a happy man. The expression is proverbial. Dole was the term for the allowance of provision given to the poor, in great families. The alms immemorially given to the poor by the Archbishops of Canterbury, is still called the dole. See The History of Lambeth Palace, p. 31, in Bibl. Top. Brit. NICHOLS. And, with his varying childness, cures in me blood. Leon. So stands this squire Offic'd with me: We two will walk, my lord, And leave you to your graver steps.-Hermione, How thou lov'st us, show in our brother's welcome; Let what is dear in Sicily, be cheap: Next to thyself, and my young rover, he's 1 Apparent to my heart. Her. If you would seek us, We are yours i'the garden: Shall's attend you there: Leon. To your own bents dispose you: you'll be found, Be you beneath the sky:-I am angling now, [Aside. Observing POLIXENES and HERMIONE. How she holds up the neb,2 the bill to him! And arms her with the boldness of a wife To her allowing husband!' Gone already; Inch-thick, knee-deep; o'er head and ears a fork'd one.4 [Exeunt POLIXENES, HERMIONE, and At- Go, play, boy, play;-thy mother plays, and I Or I am much deceiv'd, cuckolds ere now; And many a man there is, even at this present, 1 2 Apparent-] That is, heir apparent, or the next claimant. the neb,] The word is commonly pronounced and written nib. It signifies here the mouth. To her allowing husband!] Allowing in old language is approving. MALONE. a fork'd one.] That is, a horned one; a cuckold. Now, while I speak this, holds his wife by the arm, That little thinks she has been sluic'd in his absence, And his pond fish'd by his next neighbour, by Sir Smile, his neighbour: nay, there's comfort in't, Whiles other men have gates; and those gates open'd, As mine, against their will: Should all despair, none; It is a bawdy planet, that will strike Where 'tis predominant; and 'tis powerful, think it, From east, west, north, and south: Be it concluded, No barricado for a belly; know it; It will let in and out the enemy, With bag and baggage: many a thousand of us Have the disease, and feel't not.-How now, boy? Mam. I am like you, they say. Leon. What! Camillo there? Why, that's some comfort. Cam. Ay, my good lord. Leon. Go play, Mamillius; thou'rt an honest [Exit MAMILLIUS. man. Camillo, this great sir will yet stay longer. Cam. You had much ado to make his anchor hold: When you cast out, it still came home." Leon. Didst note it? Cam. He would not stay at your petitions; made His business more material." Leon. Didst perceive it? 5 it still came home.] This is a sea-faring expression, meaning, the anchor would not take hold. made His business more material.] i. e. the more you requested him to stay, the more urgent he represented that business to be which summoned him away. |