"Now thou may'ft cough all day, and fafely <6 too;

"There's nothing left for the third cough to do. Id. ib.

Speed. Item, he hath more bair than wit.]

An English proverb.

"hair than wit.

"Bufh natural, more

Rays proverbial phrafes. B.

A&t 4. fc. 1. p. 225.

3 Outlaw. By the bare fcalp of Robin Hood's fat fryar,

This fellow were a king for our wild faction.] Alluding to the fryar's fhaven crown. His name was Tuck. See note upon Merry Wives of Windfor. Act. 1. Sc. 3.

Id. ib.

Bishop Latimer in his fixth fermon before King Edward the Sixth, makes mention of Robin Hood's day, a day kept by country people in memory of him.

66

"I came once myself (fays he) to a place,

riding a journey homeward from London, and "fent word over night into the town, that I "would preach there in the morning, because "it was a holyday, and I took my horse and

my company and went thither, (I thought I "fhould have found a great company in the "church) when I came there the church door 66 was faft lock'd. I tarried there half an hour " and more, at last the key was found, and "one of the parish comes to me and fays, This "is a bufy day with us, we cannot heare " you, this is Robin Hoode's daye. The parish

are gone abroad to gather for Robin Hoade, "I pray you let them not. I was fayne "there to give place to Robin Hoode, I thought

my Rochet fhould have been regarded, though "I were not: but it would not ferve; but was fayne to give place to Robin Hoode's men.” Id. ib. p. 226.

Val. I take your offer, and will live with you, Provided that you do no outrages

On filly women, or poor passengers.] The oath of a knight was, "Ye fhall defende the just "action and quaruelles of all ladies of honour, "of all true and friendless widowes, orphalins, "and maidens of good fame..

Selden's Titles of honour, 2d. part chap. 7. fixth article.

Sc. 2. p. 2. 227.

Pro. Ay, gentle Thurio; for you know that love will creep in fervice, where it cannot go.] A proverbial faying.

Chi ha amor nel petto ha le fprone ne i fianchi. Ital.

See Ray's Proverbial Observations relat

ing to love.

Sc. 4. p. 231.

Hoft. By my ballidom, I was fast asleep.] Holy dame. fwearing by the Virgin Mary. So Spenfer in Mother Hubbard's Tale, vol. 5. p. 1187. "Now fure and by my Hallidom ( quoth he) "Ye a great master are in your degree."

A& 4. fc. 5. P. 232.

Egl. Recking as little what betideth me.] Recking, for reckoning. Thus in Chaucer.

"That

That of his worship 'recketh he to lete. The Chanon's Teman's Prologue, 643. "What though thy horfes be both foule and "lene,

"If he wol ferven the, recke not a bene.

Prologue of the Nonnes Priest, 926, &c. Thei recke not though the foule be brende. Plowman's Tale, 2614.

I recke not of these poor men.

Romaunt of the Rofe, 1685.

Spencer frequently ufes the word in the fame fense.

Sc. 8. p. 197.

Julia.

Alas, poor Protheus thou hast entertain'd

A fox to be the fhepherd of thy lambs.] An allufion probably, to the fable of the Ape and the Fox, (tho' the fox there is the fhepherd's dog. See Mother Hubbard's Tale in Spenfer, p. 1181.) who appeared under various characters; and among the rest of that of a Shepherd and Dog, and as fuch were hired by a country farmer.

"Thus is this ape become a fhepherd's swain "And the falfe fox his dog (God give them pain)

"For ere the year had half his course out-run "And do return from whence he first begun, "They fhall him make an ill account of thrift. "Now when as time flying with winges fwift Expired had the term that these two javels Should render up a reck'ning of their travels

2

" Unto

"Unto their mafter, which it of them fought, Exceedingly they troubled were in thought; "Ne with what answer unto him to frame, "Ne how to fcape great punishment or shame, "For their false treason, and vile thievery : "For not a lamb of all their flock's fupply "Had they to fhew, but ever as they bred, "They flew them, and upon their fleshes fed; "For that disguised dog lov'd blood to spill, "And drew the wicked fhepherd to his will, "So 'twixt them both they not a lamkin left "And when lambs fail'd, the old fheeps lives σε they reft.

"That how t'acquit themselves unto their lord "They were in doubt, and flatly fet abord. "The fox then counsell'd the ape for to re

"quire

"Refpite till morrow t'anfwer his defire; "For times delay new hopes of help ftill breeds, "The good man granted, doubting nought "their deeds:

"And bade next day, that all should ready be,' "But they more fubtil meaning had than he ; "For the next morrow's meed they closely «ment,

"But fear of afterclaps for to prevent, "And that fame evening when all shrouded were "In careless fleep, they without care, or fear, Cruelly fell upon the flock in fold,

"And of them flew at pleasure what they wold. "Of which when as they feafted had their fill, "For a full complement of all their ill,

"They

"They ftole away, and took their hafty flights "Carried in clouds of all-concealing night. "So was the husband-man left to his lofs,

And they unto their fortune's change to tofs. A& 5. fc. 2. p. 240.

Prot. But pearls are fair, and the old faying is, Black men are pearls, in beauteous ladies eyes. "A black man is a jewel in a fair woman's eye." Ray's Proverbial Obfervations, referring to love, p. 61. 2d. edit.

The Merry Wives of Windfor.

SH

ACTI. SCENE. I. P. 251.

HALLOW. Sir Hugh perfuade me not, I will make a star-chamber matter of it.] Ben Johnson intimates likewife, that the star-chamber had a right to take cognifance of fuch matters. Sir you 'do' forget,

"There is a court above, of the ftar-chamber "To punish routs and riots.

The Magnetick Lady. Act 3. fc. 2.

Id. ib. Slender fpeaking of Shallow.

Slender. In the county of Gloucefter, Justice of Peace, and Coram.] Mafter Slender should have faid Quorum, had not Shakespeare put other blunders into his mouth, as grofs as this. Juftices of the Quorum, fo called, from their commiffion. Quorum AB. CD. EF. unum esse volumus. Because fome bufinefs of importance shall not be dispatched without the prefence of

them,