it was enacted, Vicefimo fecundo Henrici Octavi, chap. 9." That wilfull poisoning fhould "be adjudged high treafon, and the offender "therein be, boil'd to death." 15

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

..

''

any

This ftatute was repealed, by the first of King Edward the Sixth, chap. 12. Whereby 'tis enacted, "That all wilful killing by poyfoning of any perfon, or perfons, that at 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 counfellers, fhall "fuffer death, and forfeit in every behalf, as "in other cafes of wilful murder, of malice pre"pensed." See act Maria 1. chap. 1.

Act 2. fc. 8. p. 156.

1

The Lady of the trachy married the yeoman of the wardrobe.] Stracchio [See Torriano's, and Altieri's Italian Dictionaries, under the letters STRA, fignifics rags, clouts and tatters. And Terriano in the grammar at the end of his ditionary, fays, That fraccio was pronounced Stratchy. 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 vastly inferior to her. Mr. Smith.

1

Id. ib. p. 160. I will be point devife.] Point devife; fignifies the utmost exactnefs. French. A points devifez, 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 Franchife "Arayid in ful noble gife,

"She n'as not broune ne dunne of hewe
<c But white as fnowe if all in newe,
"Her nofe was wrought at point devise,
"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 afk'd him whofe fool he was? "I am Mr. Grantham's

66

fool, (fays he) pray, whofe 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 obferved, that for a Nobleman's pleasure, he was worth 1000 l.

'Sc. 2. p. 165.

Olivia, Q world, how apt the poor are to be Q4 proud.]

proud.

,

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

Sir Andr. I had as lief be a Brownift as a politician.] The Brownists were fo call'd from Mr. Robert, Browne, a noted feparatift in Queen Elizabeth's reign. [See Strype's Annals of Queen Elizabeth, vol3up. 15, 16, &c.] In his life. of Whitgift, p. 323, he informs us, that Brownel in the year 1589. "went off from the fepara"tion and came into the communion of the "church." zovite the

This Browne was defcended from an antient,} and honourable family, in Rutland birey 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 prefence of the King, or his heirs, or any Lord Spiritual, or temporal in the land, and một to put it off, but for his own ease 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. Id. ib. p.168. *Taunt bin

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. enMr. Farquhar speaking of the bed of honour, omthe way of comparifon fays, "That it is Jnefini

"bigger

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

Sc. 6. p. 170. 7şul an Anu I
Seb. My kind Antonio,

I can no other answer make but thanks, A ÎM And thanks, and ever thanks, and oft good turns, Are fouffled off with fuch uncurrent pay.] The two laft lines wanting in folio 1632 qat Win Sc. 8. p. 175l fio new ai tu orSir Toby. 10 — 'Tis not for gravity to play at tan; bang him foul collier.] proverbial fentence. "Like "the devil faid to the collier."

Sc. 10. p. 177.51 m

Im So What man, cherry pit with Sa-` Alluding to the will to like, as Ray's Proverbs,

Sir To. Go Sir Andrew, scout me for him at the corner of the orchard, like a bum bailiff, so foon as thou feeft him draw, and as thou draw'ft fwear horribly, for it comes to pafs 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 fhot

under him, faw two or three common foldiers "with their mufkets over him, as he lay flat upon the ground, to beat out his brains. The gentleman defying them at the fame

"inftant

inftant to strike at their peril: for if they "did; by the Lord he fwore, that he would not give quarter to a man of them. This freak

was fo furprizing, that it put them to a little "stand: and in the interim, the cavalier had "time to get up, and make his escape."

.Sc. 11. p. 178..

Oli. 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, intitled, The Imposture, p. 66, has a thought not much unlike this.

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

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

Vent my

1 Act 4. fc. 1. p. 184. Clown to Sebaftian. Clown. 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, "a knave, a lazy beggar, a flothful fellows "and it is probable that citizens are call'd cockneys, becaufe they lead a lefs active life,