Act 4, fc. 6. Servant fpeaking of Autolicus the pedlar. Serv. He hath ribbons of all the colours of the rainbow, &c.] Mr. Tho. Randolph, in his Pedlar, annex'd to Ariftippus, or the Jovial Philofopher, p. 31. thus describes his pedlar. "He is the individuum vagum, or primum mobile of a tradefman, a walking burfe, or "moveable exchange, a Socratical citizen of the vast universe, or a peripatetick journeyman, like another Atlas, carries his heavenly shop upon his fhoulders." 86 Act 4. fc. 6. p. 345. A& Autol. Here's another ballad of a fish that appear'd upon the coast on Wednesday the fourfcore of April, and fung this ballad against the hard bearts of maids. It was thought she was a woman, and was turn'd into a cold fish, for she would not exchange flesh with one that loved her.] "By the cold fifb is either meant the torpedo, "which no man can take into his hand whilft "alive; for it filleth the hand and arm with 66 pain, as if every joint would go afunder." (Purchas, his Pilgrims, last vol. p. 1546.) The numbness occafioned by touching this fish is differently accounted for. The ancients were contented with afcribing in general a torpific quality in this fish; but later ages, not so easily fatisfied, have endeavour'd to fearch out the true cause. The first opinion is, that the effect depends upon an infinite number of corpuscles, iffuing continually out of the fish; but but more plentifully under fome circumftances than others: This had, and ftill hath its patrons, being receiv'd by that ingenious naturalift Redi. But Monfieur Reaumur's folution may be better: Who informs us, that it is occafioned by the make of the fish, the back of which is generally convex ; but this convexity it can diminish at pleasure, and even make it concave. This is always the case when any one is about touching it; fo that by inftantanedufly becoming convex again, a very smart blow is given to the perfon who touches it. Vide Reaumur. Or he may mean the cold eel at Surinam, of which the late Reverend Mr. Smith (in his Natural Hiftory of Nevis, publish'd 1745, p. 100.) gives the following remarkable ac"Captain Dagget affur'd me" (as other perfons of known veracity have done) "that a count. cold eel being drawn out of the river, and "fhook out of the net upon a plot of grass, "the natives, and other perfons present, re" fufed to touch it, till at laft a fool-hardy * European failor (who it feems was an infidel "in that refpect) refolv'd to venture the tak"ing of it up, in defiance of all perfua"fions to the contrary. But alas! he paid dear for his want of faith: For no fooner "had he grafp'd it in his hand, than he instantly dropp'd down in a fwooning fit, his 46 eyes were fix'd in his head, his face turn'd 66 pale, and even livid, and it was with diffi culty enough that they brought him to his "fenfes again. The best account that he "could give of the matter, was, that the very "moment he grafp'd hold of it, the cold from "it ran swiftly up his arm into his body, " and pierc'd him to the heart, fo as to de"prive him of all fenfe." Sc. 7. P. 348. Florizel. I take thy band, this band As foft as dove's down, and as white as it, Or Ethiopian's tooth, or the fann'd fnow, That's bolted with the northern blaft twice o'er.] He has an image not much unlike this, in the Midfummer Night's Dream, A& 3. Demetrius (awaking). "O Helen, goddefs, "nymph perfect divine, "To what mine love fhall I compare thine 66 eyne ? Crystal is muddy; O how ripe in fhow, Thy lips thofe kiffing cherrys, tempting (c grow! "That pure congealed white, high Taurus * fnow, "Fann'd by the Eaftern wind, turns to a crow, "When thou hold'ft up thy hand." See Spenfer's Prothalamion, p. 1254. Shepherd to Prince Florizel. Shep. You have undone a man of four score three, That thought to fill his grave with quiet; yea, To die upon the bed my father dy'd, To lye clofe by his honeft bones; but now Same Some hangman must put on my shroud, and lay me Where no priest shovels in the dust. O curfed wretch.] Meaning, that he should be buried under the gallows, without the burial service. In the Greek church, the putting earth upon the body was thought abfolutely neceffary, and the (a) priest enjoyn'd to do it in the form of a cross; and in the Popish office, before the Reformation, (b) the priest, or perfon officiating, was order'd to put earth upon the body of the deceased in the form of a crofs, with other ceremonies. And by the Rubrick in the firft Liturgy of King Edward the Sixth, 1549, (to which Shakespeare probably alludes) there was the following direction. "And then the priest casting earth upon the corps, shall say, "I commend thy foul to God the Father Almighty, "and thy body to the ground, earth to earth, &c.' In the Review of the Liturgy in 1552, it was alter'd, and order'd by the Rubrick, "That "the earth fhould be caft upon the body, by "fome standing by, &." and has fo continued in all our Common Prayer Books, to this time. (a) Goar's Eucholog. Offic. Exequ. p. 538. (b) Finitis Orationibus Executor Officii Terram fuper corpus in Modum Crucis ponat ; & corpus Thurificet, & Aquâ Benedi&â afpergat; et dum fequens Pfalmus. Canitur corpus omnino cooperiatur, cantore incipiente &c. Inhumatio Defuncti. Manual. ad ufum Ecclefiæ Sarifburiens, 1530. fol. 139. A&t Act 4. fc. 10. p. 357. Autolicus, I have Sold all my trumpery, not a counterfeit stone, Not a ribbon, glass, pomander.] A pomander was a little round ball made of perfumes, and worn in the pocket, or about the neck, to prevent infection in times of plague. In a tract, intitled, Certain neceffary Directions, as well for the curing the plague, as for preventing infection, printed 1636, there are directions for making two forts of pomanders, one for the rich, and another for the poor. That for the rich, as follows: "Take citron pills, angelica feeds, zedoary, red rose leaves, "of each half a drachm; yellow fanders, lig"num aloes, of each one fcruple; Gallia "mofchate four fcruples; ftorax, calamint, "benzoni, of each one drachm; camphire fix grains, labdanum three drachms, gum tragacanth, diffolved in rofe water, enough to "make it up into a pomander; put thereto fix "drops of fpirit of rofes, inclofe it in an ivory box, or wear it about your neck." The very fame direction in a tract, intitled, The Advice of the Phyficians, as well for the cure of the plague, as for preventing infection. 1665. See Directions II, 12. Act 4. fc. 11. p. 363. Autolicus to the Clown. Aut. Not be alone fall fuffer what wit can make heavy, and vengeance bitter; but those that are Germane to him, tho' remov'd fifty times, Shall |