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Alluding to the aurum potablle, with which fome quacks in former ages, pretended to work wonderful cures. Van Helmont in (a) one place defcribes it. And in another place he banters the use of (b) leaf-gold, and jewels in medicine, as not being capable of digestion by the ftomach and feems to be concern'd at the fimplicity and folly of fuch, as make ufe of them, on a physical account,

To the potable gold, Chaucer alludes, Dr. of Phyfick's Tale, 44. 45.

"For golde in phyficke is a cordial "therefore he loved gold in fpecial." A& 5. fc. 1. p. 295.

Shallow. By cock and pye Sir, you shall not away to night.] An uncommon expreffion, which E

(a) Contunde aurum in laminas, dein in tenuiffimas bracteas, inde vero in aurum pictorum, mox iterum in marmore leviga. Deinde cum cinnabari, et fale, in Alcool impalpabile fingas, fepara Cinnabarim per ignem, et aquâ falem ablue, idque pro lubitû fæpius repete. Tandem cum fale Armeniaco, ftibio et mercurio fublimato, et per retortam pelle. Idque fepties pete ut totum aurum in formam olei punicei volatilis, redigatur. Eft enim fum-mè levigatum, imo et durum, folidum, maleabile, et fixiffimum: corpus, quod jam olei in naturam verfum videtur, at fane mentitus ille liquor, in priftinum auri pondus, et corpus facile redigitur. Quid fi ergo aurum pristinam naturam per tot lanienas, non variet, nec femen fuum ullatenus perdat; multo minus aqua in fimplex elementum, a rerum Domino ad conftantiam univerfi deftinatum. Progymnasma Meteori. oper. p. 42. 6.

(b) Pharmacopol. ac Difpenfat. modern, oper. P. 299. 55.

have not met with any where, but in a comedy, intit'led, Wily beguil'd, publifh'd 1608. Sign

I.

3. "Now by cock and pie. By cockis bones, is an oath often used in Chaucer. See Sompnour's Tale, 2235. Manciple's Prologue, 1586. Third part of Plowman's Tale, 3201, and elsewhere. Id. ib.

Davy. Doth the man of war ftay all night, Sir? Shall. Yes Davy, I will use him well, A friend i'th court, is better than a penny in purse.] Mr. Ray, together with this proverb, mentions the French Proverb.

"Bon fair avoir amy en cour, car le proces, en eft plus court. Gall. A friend in court makes the procefs fhort." Proverbial Sentences, p. 117.

So Chaucer Romaunt of the Rofe, 5540, &c. -"Frendship is more than is cattell, "For frende in courte aie better is, "Then peny is in purse, certis."

Sc. ibid.
Falft.

Their fpirits are fo married in conjunction, with the participation of fociety, that they flock together in confent, like fo many wild geefe.] Alluding to the proverb, "Birds "of a feather flock together." Explain'd in Mr. Ray's Proverbs, that are Entire Sentences, "Like will to like. The Greeks p. 101. and Latins have many proverbs to this purpofe as 'Αιεί Κολοιὸς πρὸς Κολοιὸν ιζάνει. "Semper Graculus affidet Graculo."

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Cicada cicada cara, formicæ formica.
Simile gaudet fimili, fimile appetit fimile.
Equalis æqualem delectat. Pares cum
Paribus (ut eft in vetere proverbio, facillime
congregantur) with many more.

Sc. 2. p. 298.

Lanc. Good morrow coufin Warwick.] "Good morrow coufin Warwicke good morrow. Folios 1623, 1632.

Sc. 2. p. 299.

Ch. Juft. And never fhall you fee, that I will beg a rated, and forestall'd remiffion.] "A ragged, " and foreftall'd remiffion. Folios 1623, 1632, Sir Thomas Hanmer, and Mr. Theobald. Mr. Warburton fays ragged has no fenfe, for which reason he made the alteration.

Sc. 4. p. 303.

Falft. This Davy ferves you for good ufes, he is your fervingman, and your busbandman.]

As Shallow was a Juftice of the Peace, Shakefpeare might have affign'd to Davy as many offices, as Farquhar (in his Beaux Stratagem, act 3.) to Scrub, Squire Surly's clerk.

"Of a Monday (says Scrub) I drive the coach, "of a Tuesday I drive the plow, on Wednesday "I follow the hounds, a Thursday I dun the tenants, on Friday I go to market, on Saturday I draw warrants, and on Sunday I draw "beer."

Sc. 4. P. 304. Shallow fings.

Shallow. 'Tis merry in ball, when beards wag all.] This line is used by Ben Johnson, in his second

volume

volume of Mafques. And in his Tale of a Tub, act 5. fc. 7.

" 'Tis merry in Tottenham Hall, when beards 66 wag all."

And Mr. Ray, in his Proverbs, that are entire fentences, obferves upon it;

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"That, when all are eating, or making good chear. By the way, note (fays he) that "this word chear, which is particularly with 66 us applied to meats and drinks; feems to be "derived from the Greek word xapa, fignify་ ing joy, as it doth also with us in those words, chearly, and chearful."

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Id. ib.

Silence.-1 have been merry twice and once ere now.] This expreffion used by our author, Love's Labour's loft, act 1. fc. 3. p. 201.

Math." Then I am fure you know, how "much the grofs fum of the deuce-ace amounts " to?

Armado "It doth amount to more than two, Moth. "Which the vulgar call three." And again, Macbeth, act 4. fc. 1. p. 391. "Twice and once the hedge pig whin'd. Butler ufes the expreffion, Hudibras, part 1. canto 2. 944, 945.

"Which e'er he cou'd atchieve, his fconce, "The leg encounter'd twice and once."

Id, ib.

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Silence. Fill the cup, and let it come, I'll

pledge you were't a mile to the bottom.]

Rabelais

Rabelais has the like thought, [Garagantua, book 1. chap. 5.]

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"Fill me here fome, and crown the cup I prethee, a la cordinale; natura abhorret va

сиит.

Sc. 5. p. 306.

Pift. Sir John, I am thy pistol, and thy friend; and belter skelter have I rode to thee.] Qu, whether belter Skelter, might not be a corruption of bilariter, and celeriter?

Id. ib. Let King Cophetua know the truth thereof.] "Let King Covitha. Folio 1632. King Gophetua is mention'd by Ben Johnson, Every Man in his Humour, act 3. fc. 4.

Cob. "I have not the heart to devour you "an I might be made as rich as King Cophetua.Id. ib. p. 306.

Pift. When Pistol lies, do this, and fig me like the bragging Spaniard.] That is poifon me, poison having been frequently convey'd in a fig. To this, Mr. James Shirley alludes, in his tragicomedy, intitled, A Court Secret, act 1. p. 7. Mendoza. "I would foon purge him with a "fig, but that's not honeft."

And in his comedy, intit'led, The Brothers, act 3. p. 37.

Albert. "There, there's the mischief, I must "poyfon him, one fig fends him to Erebus." And Ben Johnson, Every man in bis humour, act 2. fc. 4.

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Brainworth. "It is as ominous a fruit as the fico."

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