tended more, than can be thought to begin from such a cottage.

Pol. That's likewise part of my intelligence. But, I fear the angle that plucks our son thither. Thou shalt accompany us to the place: where we will, not appearing what we are, have some question' with the shepherd; from whose simplicity, I think it not uneasy to get the cause of my son's resort thither. Pr'ythee, be my present partner in this business, and lay aside the thoughts of Sicilia

Cam. I willingly obey your command.
Pol. My best Camillo !

selves.

-

We must disguise our

[Exeunt.

7

The same.

SCENE II.

A Road near the Shepherd's Cottage.

Enter AUTOLYCUs, singing.

When daffodils begin to peer*

With, heigh! the doxy over the dale,

Why, then comes in the sweet o'the year;

For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale '.

some question] i. e. some talk.

8 When daffodils begin to peer,

And

Jog on, jog on, the foot-path way,] Two nonsensical songs, by the rogue Autolycus," says Dr. Burney: who subsequently observes, that "This Autolycus is the true ancient Minstrel, as described in the old Fabliaux." I believe, that many of our readers will push the comparison a little further, and concur with me in thinking that our modern minstrels of the opera, like their predecessor Autolycus, are pickpockets as well as singers of nonsensical ballads. STEEVENS.

9 For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale.] The meaning is the red, the spring blood now reigns o'er the parts lately under the dominion of winter. The English pale, the Irish pale, were frequent expressions in Shakspeare's time; and the words red and pale were chosen for the sake of the antithesis. FARMER.

VOL. III.

H h

The white sheet bleaching on the hedge,—

With, hey! the sweet birds, O, how they sing !— Doth set my pugging tooth' on edge;

For a quart of ale is a dish for a king.

The lark, that tirra-lirra chants,

With, hey! with, hey! the thrush and the jay :Are summer songs for me and my aunts',

While we lie tumbling in the hay.

I have served prince Florizel, and, in my time, wore three-pile'; but now I am out of service:

But shall I go mourn for that, my dear?
The pale moon shines by night :
And when I wander here and there,
I then do most go right.

If tinkers may have leave to live,
And bear the sow-skin budget;
Then my account I well may give,
And in the stocks avouch it.

My traffic is sheets; when the kite builds, look to lesser linen. My father named me Autolycus; who, being, as I am, littered under Mercury, was likewise a snapperup of unconsidered trifles: With die, and drab', I purchased this caparison; and my revenue is the silly cheat': Gallows, and knock, are too powerful on the highway: beating, and hanging, are terrors to me; for the life to come, I sleep out the thought of it.-A prize! a prize!

2

pugging tooth-] perhaps progging, i. e. thievish.

my aunts,] Aunt appears to have been at this time a cant word for a bawd.

3 wore three-pile ;] i. e. rich velvet.

With die, and drab,] i. e. with gaming and whoring.

the silly cheat:] Cant term for picking pockets.

every tod yields-pound and odd shilling: fifteen hundred shorn,-What comes the wool to?

[A side.

Aut. If the springe hold, the cock's mine. Clo. I cannot do't without counters.-Let me see; what am I to buy for our sheep-shearing feast? Three pound of sugar; five pound of currants; rice-What will this sister of mine do with rice? But my father hath made her mistress of the feast, and she lays it on. She hath made me four-and-twenty nosegays for the shearers three-man song-men all', and very good ones; but they are most of them means and bases: but one Puritan amongst them, and he sings psalms to hornpipes. I must have saffron, to colour the warden pies'; mace,—dates,—none; that's out of my note: nutmegs, seven; a race, or two, of ginger; but that I may beg;— four pound of prunes, and as many of raisins o'the sun. Aut. O, that ever I was born!

Clo. I'the name of me,

8

[Grovelling on the ground.

Aut. O, help me, help me! pluck but off these rags ; and then, death, death!

Clo. Alack, poor soul! thou hast need of more rags to lay on thee, rather than have these off.

6

Aut. O, sir, the loathsomeness of them offends me

tods ;]

Every eleven wether tods; i. e. will produce a tod, or twenty-eight pounds of wool: every tod yields a pound and some odd shillings; what then will the wool of fifteen hundred yield?" Mr. Malone considers tods as a verb.

parts.

8

three-man song-men all,] i. e. singers of catches in three

9 warden pies;] Wardens are a species of large pears.

more than the stripes I have received; which are mighty ones, and millions.

Clo. Alas, poor man! a million of beating may come to a great matter.

Aut. I am robbed, sir, and beaten; my money and apparel ta'en from me, and these detestable things put upon me.

Clo. What, by a horse-man, or a foot-man?

Aut. A foot-man, sweet sir, a foot-man.

Clo. Indeed, he should be a foot-man, by the garments he hath left with thee; if this be a horse-man's coat, it hath seen very hot service. Lend me thy hand, I'll help thee: come, lend me thy hand.

Aut. O! good sir, tenderly, oh!

Clo. Alas, poor soul.

[Helping him up.

Aut. O, good sir, softly, good sir: I fear, sir, my shoulder-blade is out.

Clo. How now? canst stand?

Aut. Softly, dear sir; [picks his pocket;] good sir, softly; you ha' done me a charitable office.

Clo. Dost lack any money? I have a little money for thee.

Aut. No, good sweet sir; no, I beseech you, sir: I have a kinsman not past three quarters of a mile hence, unto whom I was going; I shall there have money, or any thing I want; offer me no money, I pray you; that kills my heart.

Clo. What manner of fellow was he that robbed you? Aut. A fellow, sir, that I have known to go about with trol-my dames': I knew him once a servant of the prince; I cannot tell, good sir, for which of his virtues it was, but he was certainly whipped out of the court.

1 with trol-my dames:] Trou-madame, French. The old English title of this game was pigeon-holes; as the arches in the machine through which the balls are rolled resemble the cavities made for pigeons in a dove-house.

Clo. His vices, you would say; there's no virtue whipped out of the court: they cherish it, to make it stay there; and yet it will no more but abide.

Aut. Vices I would say, sir. I know this man well : he hath been since an ape-bearer; then a process-server, a bailiff; then he compassed a motion of the prodigal son, and married a tinker's wife within a mile where my land and living lies; and, having flown over many knavish professions, he settled only in rogue: some call him Autolycus.

Clo. Out upon him! Prig, for my life, prig3: he haunts wakes, fairs, and bear-baitings.

Aut. Very true, sir; he, sir, he; that's the rogue, that put me into this apparel.

Clo. Not a more cowardly rogue in all Bohemia ; if you had but looked big, and spit at him, he'd have

run.

Aut. I must confess to you, sir, I am no fighter; I am false of heart that way; and that he knew, I warrant him.

Clo. How do you now?

Aut. Sweet sir, much better than I was; I can stand, and walk; I will even take my leave of you, and pace softly towards my kinsman's.

Clo. Shall I bring thee on the way?

Aut. No, good-faced sir; no, sweet sir.

Clo. Then fare thee well; I must go buy spices for our sheep-shearing.

Aut. Prosper you, sweet sir!-[Exit Clown.] Your purse is not hot enough to purchase your spice. I'll be with you at your sheep-shearing too: If I make not this cheat bring out another, and the shearers prove sheep, let me be unrolled, and my name put in the book of virtue!

2

motion of the prodigal son,] i. e. the puppet-shew, then called motions. A term frequently occurring in our author. 3 Prig, for my life, prig:] To prig is to filch.