Critical, Historical, and Explanatory Notes on Shakespeare

Bion. Mafter, mafter; old news, and fuch news as you never heard of.]"Mafter, mafter, newes, "and fuch newes as you never heard of. Folio

1632.

So call'd in the WefVives elsewhere, and A diftemper in horses,

Act 3. fc. 3. P. 437. Paft cure of the fives.] tern parts of England. avives by the French. little differing from the ftranglès.

See Bracken, vol. 2.

Id. ib. Infected with the (a) fashions.] So call'd in the Weft of England, but by the best writers in farriery farcins, or farcy. See de Gray, and Bracken.

Sc. 4. p. 438.

Nor fo well 'parell'd as I wish ye were.] "Nor fo well apparell'd." Folio 1632. Petruchio. Gentles, methinks, you frown; And wherefore gaze this goodly company, As if they faw fome wondrous monument, Some comet, or unusual prodigy?]

Spenfer defcribes the fears of the vulgar upon the appearance of a comet, or blazing ftar, in the following manner.

"Thus as he fled her eyes fhe backward

"threw,

"As fearing evil that purfu'd her faft; "And her fair yellow locks behind her flew, "Loosely difpers'd with puff of every blast;

(a) Mr. Richard Brome, on his Damoiselle or New Ordinary, act 3. sc. 2.

Bumpy. "My old beaft is infected with the fashions, fashion-fick."

"All as a blazing flar doth far outcaft "His hairy beams, and flaming locks dispread; "At fight whereof the people ftand agaft! "But the fage wizard tells as he has read, "That it importunes death, and doleful drerihed. Fairy Queen, book 3. canto 1. 16.

Act 4. fc. 2. p. 448. Petruchio to Grumio. Pet. You peafant fwain, you whorefon.] You borfon. Folio 1632. And 'twas probably the way of writing in Shakespeare's time.

Chaucer ufes bore for whore, Marchaunt's Tale, 1895.

"Oftrongè lady bore, what doift thou ?" Id. ib. p. 449.

Pet.

What's this, mutton?

1. Serv. Yes.

Pet. Who brought it?

Serv. 1.

Pet. 'Tis burnt, and fo is all the meat. What dogs are these? where is the rafcal cook? How durft you villains, bring it from the dreffer? And ferve it thus to me that love it not? There take it to you, trenchers, cups and all;

Throws the meat, &c. about the stage.] Dr. King seems to have borrow'd fome things from hence, in his poem, intitled, The Old Cheefe, tho' the iffue was different, Petruchio got the better of his brew by this management, but Slouch did not of his Sukey.

"He

"He faid that the next Tuesday noon would

"fhew

"Whether he were the Lord at home, or no; "When their good company he would intreat "To well brew'd ale, and clean, but homely

66 meat..

"With aking heart home to his wife he goes, "And on his knees does his rafh act disclose, 66 And prays dear Sukey, that one day at least "He might appear as mafter of the feaft. I'll grant your wish, cries fhe, that

you may

66 fee, "Twere wisdom to be govern'd still by me. "The guests upon the day appointed came, "Each boufy farmer with his fimp'ring dame. "Hoe! Sue! crys Slouch, why doft not thou "appear?

"Are these thy manners, when aunt Snap is "here?

"I pardon afk, fays Sue; I'd not offend

Any my dear invites, much less his friend. "Stouch by his kinfman Gruffy had been taught, "To entertain his friends with finding fault, "And make the main ingredient of his treat "His faying, there was nothing fit to eat : "The boil'd pork ftinks, the roast beef's not "enough,

"The bacon's rufty, and the hens are tough; "The yeal's all rags, the butter's turn'd to oil; "And thus I buy good meat for fluts to fpoil.

"'Tis we are the first Slouches ever fat,

Down to a pudding without plums or fat. "What teeth or ftomach's strong enough to feed "Upon a goofe my grannum kept to breed? "Why muft old pigeons, and they stale be dreft;

"When there's fo many fquab ones in the nest? "This beere is fowre, this mufty, thick and "ftale,

"And worfe than any thing except the ale
"Sue all this while many excufes made,
"Some things fhe own'd, at other times fhe
"laid

"The fault on chance, but oftner on the maid.. "Then cheese was brought, fays Slouch, this "e'en fhall roll,

"I'm fure 'tis hard enough to be a bowl : "This is fkim-milk, and therefore it fhall go, "And this becaufe 'tis Suffolk, follow too. "But now Sue's patience did begin to wast, "Nor longer could diffimulation laft.

Pray let me rife, fays Sue, my dear, I'll find "A cheese perhaps may be to lovy's mind. "Then in an entry standing close, where he "Alone, and none of all his friends might fee; "And brandishing a cudgel he had felt, "And far enough on this occafion smelt; "I'll try, my joy, fhe cry'd, if I can please

My dearest with a taste of his old cheese. "Slouch turn'd his head, faw his wife's vig'rous

"hand

"Weilding her oaken fappling of command; "Knew

"Knew well the twang is't the old cheese, 3 my deart?onit

"No need, no need of cheefe, cries Slouch, I'll Afwear LEREN

“ I think I've din'd as well as my Lord Mayor.

Sc. 3. p. 450.

Petr. Thus bave I politickly begun my reign, And 'tis my hope to end fuccefsfully,

My fauleon now is sharp, and paffing empty
And till fhe froop, she must not be full-gorg❜d.
Another way I have to man my baggard
To make her come, and know her keeper's call;
That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites,
That bait, and will not be obedient:]

Shakespeare feems to have been skill'd in the management of hawks.

Mr. William Cartwright in his Lady Errant, a tragi-comedy, act 2. fc. 2. p. 19.

Pan. We'll keep you as they do hawkes.