you go to prayers? Why faid the other, only in case of a storm, or any great danger. Ay, faid the first, there's some sense in that; "but my mafter makes us pray, when there is "no more reason for it, than for my leaping "over-board.

Sc. 9. p. 266.

Simple. He bath but a little wee face.] Wee in the Northern dialet, fignifies very little. "The quene aftonyst ane little we "At the first ficht, behalding his bewte. Gawin Douglass's Virgil, p. 32. edit. 1710. Sc. 10. p. 267.

Caius. Go and vetch me in my closet un boitier verd.] Unboyteene verd, Folio 1632. but wrong. For boitier in French, fignifies a cafe of furgeon's inftruments.

Caius. Bugby Baillez me fome paper.] Mr. Theobald's emendation, Ballow me fome paper. edit. 1632. But I fhould rather imagine he wrote allez, or aller, the fame with Querir. Fetch me my hat. Allez. See Fetch Boyer's Dictionaire, Tome Second.

Id. ib. p. 269.

Caius. Begar I will kill the jack priest, and I have appointed myne hoft of the jarlterre to measure our weapons.] Alluding to the custom in trials allow'd by law, where fearch used to be made by the attending knights, before the combat, of the equality of their weapons; which were at the defendant's election, provided he confin'd

his choice, between antient, ufual and military. [Selden's Duello. chap. 11.]

And Segar fays, [See his book intitled. Of Honour Military and Civil, lib. 3. chap. 17.] "That the conftable and marshall did furvey the "lances and weapons, wherewith the combat was perform'd, making them equal, and of even measure.

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Tho' these rules were laid down in ancient times, yet notwithstanding, treachery was fometimes used, as in the difpute betwixt the Mytelenians and Athenians about Sigeum, a promontory near Troy, called now Janizari. (a) Pittacus the Mytelenian general killed Phryno the general of the Athenians: For the matter being referr'd to their fingle combat, and it being agreed, that they should ufe the like weapons, which were viewed before they engaged, Pittacus carried a net fecretly with his buckler, which he threw over the other, and by that means in tangled him, so that he eafily overcame him. Act 2. fc. 2. p. 273.

Mrs. Page. What, thou Heft Sir Alice Ford, these knights will back, and fo thou should'st not alter the article of thy gentry.] i. e. Thefe fhe knights will back, (i. e. proftitute themselves for hire) and so (fo is an illative particle here fignifying therefore, or for that reafon) thou should't not alter the article of thy gentry. (i e. Thou

Dr. Cockburn's Hiftory of Duels, p. 55. (from Diogenes Laertius, lib. 1. vit. Pittaci) where more inftances are to be met with.

fhould'ft continue plain Mrs Ford still, and not accept the knighthood, becaufe of the fcandal attending it, or the infamy fuch knights, will be under. Touching which, fee the 2d. part of Henry the IVth. act 5. fc. 6. p. 308. P. 308. Beadle to Dol Tear Sheet. "Come come, you she knight 66 errant, come. Mr. Smith.

Theag. "I look my wife within thefe three"days fhall be knighted.

Meleag. "And I that mine may be made a "colonel.

See Amorous war, a Tragi-Comedy. By Jaf per Mayne. A&t 1. fc. 4.

And Lady-Errant, aTragi-Comedy. Published amongst his works, 1651. by Mr. W. Cartwright.

There was an order of feminine cavaliers [or knights] of the Torch in Tortosa, which was occafioned by the following incident.

"Don Raymond laft Earl of Barcelona, (who "by a marriage with Petronilla, only daughter, " and heir of King Ramiro the monk, united "that principality to the kingdom of Aragon) "having in the year 1149, gained the city of "Tortofa from the Moors, they on the 31ft. of "December following, laid a new fiege to that

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place, for the recovery of it out of the Earl's "hands. The inhabitants being at length re"duced to great ftreights, defired relief of the "Earl, but he not being in a condition to give "them any, they entertain'd fome thoughts of "making a furrender: which the women hearing

cf, to prevent the difafter threatning their

"city, themselves and children put on men's “cloaths, and by a refolute fally, forced the "Moors to quit the fiege.

"The Earl finding himself obliged by the "gallantry of the action, thought fit to make "his acknowledgments thereof, by granting "them several privileges and immunities: and "to perpetuate the memory thereof, inftituted an order, fomewhat like a military order, into "which were admitted only these brave women, "deriving the honour to their difcendants, and affigned them for a badge, a thing like a friar's

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capouche, sharp at the top, after the form of a torch, and of a crimson colour, to be worn

upon their head cloaths. He alfo ordained, "that at all publick meetings, the women "should have the precedence of the men; that "they should be exempted from all taxes; and "that all the apparel and jewels, though of

never fo great value, left by their dead huf"bands, fhould be their own.

"These women having thus acquired this "honour by their perfonal valour, carried themselves after the manner of military 66 knights of those days."

Afbmole's Hiftory of the order of the Garter, chap. 3. Sect. 3.

The heroines amongst the Romans, or she gladiators, tho' many of noble rank, were far from deferving any fuch honour.

See a Description of them in the Sixth Satire of Juvenal.

H 4

Act 2.

Act 2. fc. 3. p. 275.

Pift. He wooes both high and low, both rich and poor. &c.] See Pfalm, 49. 2.

Sc. 6. p. 279.

My name is Brook; only for a jest.]

Tell him "Tell

"him my name is Broome. Folio 1632; and quite through the play.

Id. ib.

Will you on, beris?]

Will you go myn-beers? Sir J. Hanmer. Will you go? an Heires. Folio 1632. Will you go to fee the duel between Sir Hugh and Dr. Caius? an heirefs is the occafion of their quarrel: I have taken the liberty of pointing it in a different manner; which I hope clears up the paffage.

Sc. 7. p. 280.

Pift. Why then the world's mine oyster; which I with fword will open.] Alluding probably to the Northamptonshire Proverb.

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"The Mayor of Northampton opens oysters with his dagger." "To keep them (fays Dr. Fuller) at a fufficient distance from his nose. "For this town being eighty miles from the "fca, fifh may be prefumed to be very stale "therein." See Ray's Proverbs, 2d edition P. 328.

Id. ib. Felft. Your red lettice phrafes.] Qu. red-lattice? or ale houfe phrases. There they had lattice windows painted red, as appears from the fecond part of King Henry the Fourth, A&t 2. fc. 5. p. 233.

Page." He call'd me even now, my lord,