it was enacted, Vicefimo fecundo Henrici Octavi, chap. 9. "That wilfull poisoning fhould “be adjudged high treason, and the offender "therein be boil'd to death."

I think there was but one inftance more in this reign, wherein this statute was put in execution, and that was in the cafe of Margaret Davy, who was boil'd in Smithfield, for poifoning three perfons in the houfe where the had dwelt. Stow ib. p. 583.

This ftatute was repealed, by the first of King Edward the Sixth, chap. 12. Whereby 'tis enacted, "That all wilful killing by poy"foning of any perfon, or perfons, that at «Ε any time hereaftet fhall be done, perpetrated, " or committed, shall be adjudg'd, taken, and "deem'd wilful murder, of malice prepenfed; "and that the offenders therein, their aiders " and abetters, procurers, and counsellers, fhall "fuffer death, and forfeit in every behalf, as " in other cafes of wilful murder, of malice prepenfed." See act Maria 1. chap. 1.

Act 2. fc. 8. p. 156.

The Lady of the ftrachy married the yeoman of the wardrobe.] Stracchio [See Torriano's, and Altieri's Italian Dictionaries, under the letters STRA,] fignifies rags, clouts and tatters. And Torriano in the grammar at the end of his dictionary, fays, That fraccio was pronounced ftratchy. So that it is probable, that Shakespeare's meaning was this, that the chief Lady of the Queen's wardrobe, had married a yeoman of

the

the King's, who was vaftly inferior to her. Mr. Smith.

Id. ib. p. 160. I will be point devife.] Point devife; fignifies the utmost exactnefs. French. A points devisez, i. e. Secundum puncta multo cum ftudio defignata. Skinner.

So Chaucer ufes the word, Romaunt of the Rofe, 1211, &c.

"And next him dauncid dame Franchise
Arayid in ful noble gife,

"She n'as not broune ne dunne of hewe
"But white as fnowe if all in newe,
"Her nose was wrought at point devife,
"For it was gentill and treatise.

A&t 3. fc. 1. p. 162. Viola to the Clown. Viola. Art not thou the Lady Olivia's fool? Clown. I am indeed not her fool, but her corrupter of words.] As humorous was the answer of a fool, to a great Man who ask'd him whose fool he was? "I am Mr. Grantham's "fool, (fays he) pray, whose fool are you? Sir William Temple's Mifcellanies, part 3. Works in folio, vol. 1. p. 311.

And in what esteem fools were in those days, we learn from Stow's Annals, p. 547•

When Mr. Norris was commiffion'd by Cardinal Wolfey, to carry Patch his fool, as a prefent to King Henry the Eighth; Norris observed, that for a Nobleman's pleasure, he was worth 1000 l.

Sc. 2. p. 165.

Olivia. O world, bow apt the poor are to be proud.]

Q4

proud.] The proverb, "Poor and proud, fy, "fy, the devilwipes his tail with the poor man's pride." Ray's Proverbial Sentences, p. 191. Sc. 4. p. 168.

Sir Andr. I had as lief be a Brownist as a politician.] The Brownifts were fo call'd from Mr. Robert Browne, a noted feparatift in Queen Elizabeth's reign. [See Strype's Annals of Queen Elizabeth, vol. 3. p. 15, 16, &c.] In his life of Whitgift, p. 323, he informs us, that Browne in the year 1589. "went off from the fepara"tion and came into the communion of the "church."

This Browne was defcended from an antient, and honourable family, in Rutlandshire, his grandfather Francis, had a charter granted him by King Henry the Eighth, and confirm'd by act of parliament; giving him leave to put on his cap in the presence of the King, or his heirs, or any Lord fpiritual, or temporal in the land, and not to put it off, but for his own eafe and pleasure. Neal's Hiftory of New England, vol. 1. p. 58.

Id. ib. p. 168. Sir Toby, Go write in a martial

band, be curft and brief.] Qu. Be curt.

with as many lyes, as will lie in thy sheet of paper, although the sheet were big enough for the bed of Ware in England.] A bed remarkably large to this day, and often mentioned proverbially.

Mr. Farquhar speaking of the bed of honour, in the way of comparison fays, "That it is bigger

bigger than the great bed of Ware, and that "ten thousand perfons may lie together in it, "and never touch one another." Recruiting Officer.

Sc. 6. p. 170.

Seb. My kind Antonio,

I can no other anfwer make but thanks,

And thanks, and ever thanks, and oft good turns, Are fouffled off with fuch uncurrent pay.] The two laft lines wanting in folio 1632.

Sc. 8. p. 175.

Sir Toby.

What man,

'Tis not for gravity to play at cherry pit with Satan; hang him foul collier.] Alluding to the proverbial sentence. "Like will to like, as "the devil faid to the collier." Ray's Proverbs, P. 168.

Sc. 10. p. 177.

Sir To. Go Sir Andrew, fcout me for bim at the corner of the orchard, like a bum bailiff, fo foon as thou feeft him draw, and as thou draw'st fwear horribly, for it comes to pass oft that a terrible oath with a fwaggering accent, sharply twang'd off, gives manhood more approbation, than ever proof itself would have earn'd him.]

The threats of the cavalier officer at the relief of Pontefract, had fuch an effect upon fome common foldiers; "He having his horse shot "under him, faw two or three common foldiers "with their muskets over him, as he lay flat upon the ground, to beat out his brains. "The gentleman defying them at the fame "instant

"inftant to strike at their peril: for if they

did; by the Lord be fwore, that he would not 66 give quarter to a man of them. This freak "was fo furprizing, that it put them to a little "ftand and in the interim, the cavalier had "time to get up, and make his escape."

:

L'Eftrange's Fables, part 2. fab. 267.

Sc. 11. p. 178.

Olt. Will, come again to morrow, fare thee well,

A friend like thee might bear my foul to hell.]

Mr. James Shirley, in his tragi-comedy, intit'led, The Impofture, p. 66, has a thought not much unlike this.

"She has a tongue would almost tempt Ia faint to unbelieve divinity: fhe learn'd "fome accents from that firft apoftate angel, "that mutinied in heaven.”

Sc. 12. p. 180.

Sir To. Why man, he's a very devil, I have not feen fuch a virago.] "Such a firago. Folio. 1632.

A&t 4. fc. 1. p. 184. Clown to Sebaftian.
Clown.

Vent my folly! I am afraid, this great lubber the world will prove a cockney.

Cockney (fays the author of the Gloffary to Chaucer) the French coquin from whence "this "Word feems to be deriv'd, fignifys a rogue, દેદ a knave, a lazy beggar, a flothful fellow, "and it is probable that citizens are call'd cockneys, becaufe they lead a lefs active life,

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