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Sc. x. p. 208.

Jul. To furnish me upon my longing journey.] Longing a participle active, with a paffive fignification for longed, wifhed or defired.

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Anon.

Were rich and bonourable, befides the gentleman.] Befides feems here to be ftuffed into the verfe, to the spoiling of both the fenfe and measure: for the two next verses give the reason why the match is honourable. Anon.

Id. ib.

Duke. And may I fay to thee, this pride of hers upon advice, bath drawn my love from her.] Upon advice, feems to be wrong placed, I think, the two verfes fhould ftand thus.

"And may I fay to thee upon advice,

"This pride of hers hath drawn my love from "her. Anon.

Sc. 4. p. 219. Speed of his mistress.

Speed. Item fhe hath no teeth.] The want of teeth is humourously bantered by Martial. i lib. ep. xi.

Si memini fuerant tibi quatuor Elia dentes; Expuit una duos tuffis, et una duos. Jam fecura potes totis tuffire diebus ; Nil iftic quod agat, Tertia tuffis habet. Tranflated by Mr. William Cartwright in the following manner. Works p. 258.

"Thou had'ft four teeth good Elia hereto

"fore;

"But one cough fpit out two, and one two

more:

"But

1

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

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

Speed. Item, fhe bath more hair than wit.] An English proverb.

"hair than wit.

A&

"Bush natural, more

Rays proverbial phrases. B.

Act 4. fc. 1. p. 225.

3 Outlaw. By the bare scalp 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.

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Id. ib.

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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.

"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, becaufe "it was a holyday, and I took my horse and

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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 laft 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

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are gone abroad to gather for Robin Hoode, "I pray you let them not. I was fayne "there to give place to Robin Hoode, I thought (6 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 juft "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 Obfervations relating to love.

Sc. 4. p. 231.

Hoft. By my ballidom, I was faft afleep.]·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 mafter are in your degree."

·A& 4. fc. 5. p. 232.

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

Tha

"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 Prieft, 926, &c. Thei recke not though the foule be brende. Plowman's Tale, 2614.

I recke not of thefe 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 haft 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 Spenser, 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 fwain "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,

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They shall 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

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"Unto

"Unto their master, which it of them fought, Exceedingly they troubled were in thought; "Ne wifh what anfwer unto him to frame,

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"Ne how to fcape great punishment or fhame, "For their falfe treason, and vile thievery :: "For not a lamb of all their flock's fupply "Had they to fhew, but ever as they bred, ແ They flew them, and upon their fleshes fed; "For that difguifed dog lov'd blood to fpill, "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 they reft.

"That how t'acquit themselves unto their lord They were in doubt, and flatly fet abord.

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"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 clofely 66 ment,

"But fear of afterclaps for to prevent,

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"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

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