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play. Several of the first German emperors held their courts there occasionally, it being, at that time, their immediate property, and the chief town of their Italian dominions. Some of them were crowned kings of Italy at Milan, before they received the imperial crown at Rome. Nor has the poet fallen into any contradiction by giving a duke to Milan at the same time that the emperor held his court there. The first dukes of that, and all the other great cities in Italy, were not sovereign princes, as they afterwards became; but were merely governors, or viceroys, under the emperors, and removable at their pleasure. Such was the Duke of Milan mentioned in this play. Mr. M. Mason adds, that "during the wars in Italy between Francis I and Charles V. the latter frequently resided at Milan." STEE

VENS.

P. 33, c. 2, l. 17. -—in good time,] In good time was the old expression when something happened that suited the thing in hand. Id. 1. 17. -- now will we break with him.] That is, break the matter to him.

Id. 1. 43. Like exhibition - i. e. allowance. Id. l. 59. resembleth | is here used as a quadrisyllable, as if it was written resembeleth. Shakspeare takes the same liberty with many other words, in which 7, or r, is subjoined to another consonant

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merry.

Id. l. 31. -none else would:] None else would be so simple.

1d. l. 66. - for going ungartered!] This is enumerated by Rosalind in As you like it, Act. iii. sc. ii. as one of the undoubted marks of love: "Then your hose should be ungartered, your bonnet unbanded," &c. MALONE. Id. l. 78. I would you were set;] set for seated, in opposition to stand.

Id. c. 2, 1. 8. O excellent motion! &c.] Motion,

in Shakspeare's time, signified puppet, or rather perhaps a puppet-show; the master whereof may properly be said to be an interpreter, as being the explainer of the inarticulate language of the actors

Id. 1. 12. Sir Valentine and servant,] Here Silvia

calls her lover servant, and again below, her gentle servant. This was the language of ladies to their lovers at the time when Shakspeare wrote.

Id. l. 19. scholar.

Id. l. 75.

'tis very clerkly done.] i. e. like a

and there an end.] i. e. there's the conclusion of the matter. P. 35, c. 1, l. 5. All this I speak in print;] In print means with exactness.

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Id.

P.

Id.

SCENE IV

how quote you my folly?] To l. 44. quote is to observe. Valentine in his answer plays upon the word, which was pronounced as if written coat. 36, c. 1, 1. 3. Know you Don Antonio, your

countryman?] The word Don should be omitted; the characters are Italians, not Spaniards. Yet Don Alphonso occurs in a preceding scene.

not without desert-] And not l. 6. dignified with so much reputation without proportionate merit. JOHNSON. Id. 1. 34. I need not cite him to it:] i. e. incite

him to it.

Id. 1. 68. No; that you are worthless.] I have inserted the particle no, to fill up the measure. JOHNSON.

Id. l. 70. Ser. Madam, my lord your father—

This speech in all the editions is assigned inproperly to Thurio; but he has been all along upon the stage, and could not know that the duke wanted his daughter. Besides, the first line and half of Sylvia's answer is evidently addressed to two persons. A servant, therefore, must come in and deliver the message · and then Silvia goes out with Thurio. THEO

BALD.

Id. c. 2, 1. 12. Whose high imperious-] Imperious is an epithet very frequently applied to love by Shakspeare and his contemporaries.

Id. 1. 20.

Id.

Id.

no woe to his correction,] No misery that can be compared to the punish ment inflicted by love. 1. 35.

a principality,] The first or prin cipal of women. So the old writers use state. "She is a lady, a great state.”

l. 46. summer-swelling flower,] i. e. the flower which swells in summer, till it expands itself into bloom.

Id. 1. 51. She is alone,] She stands by herself; is incomparable.

Id. 1. 73. the road.] The haven, where ships ride at anchor.

P 37, c. 1, 1. 2. her mien,”—MALONE.
Id. l. 7.

—a waxen image 'gainst a fire,] Alluding to the figures made by witches, as re presentatives of those whom they designed to torment or destroy.

Id. l. 13. — with more advice,] With more advice, is on further knowledge, on better consideration. The word, as Mr. Malone ob serves, is still current among mercantile people, whose constant language is, we are advised by letters from abroad," meaning informed. So, in bills of exchange, the conclusion alway is" without further advice."

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Id. 1. 15. 'Tis but her picture-] Proteus means, that, as yet, he had seen only her outward form, without having known her long enough to have any acquaintance with her mind. Id. 1. 24. And that hath dazzled-] dazzled is here a trisyllable.

SCENE V.

P. 27. c. 1, 7. 24 --to Milan.] It is Padua in the former editions.

11. 1.63. hoto say'st thou, that my master is become a notable lover?] i. e. What say'st thou to this circumstance, - namely, that my master is become a notable lover?

Id. c. 2, 1. 1. the ale--] Ales were merry meetings instituted in country places.

SCENE VI.

1.1.4. It is to be observed, that, in the folio edition, there are no directions concerning the scenes; they have been added by the later editors, and may therefore be changed by any reader that can give more consisteney or regularity to the drama by such alterations. I make this remark in this place, because I know not whether the following soliloquy of Proteus is so proper in the street. JOHNSON.

The reader will perceive that the scenery has been changed, though Dr. Johnson's observation is continued. STEEVENS.

1.1. 12. O sweet-suggesting love,] To suggest is to lempt, in our author's language.

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Id 1 29. most "-MALONE.

1 1 40 -- in counsel, his competitor : ] Competitor is confederate, assistant, partner. id 1.42 pretended flight:] Pretended fight is proposed or intended flight : the verb pretendre in French, has the same signification.

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- jealous aim -] Aim is guess,

be not aimed at;] Be not guessed. of this pretence.] Pretence is de

d. 67. And, where-] Where, the same here as whereas.

d 1.74. — sir, in Milan, here.] It ought to be thus, instead of . in Verona, here - for the scene apparently is in Milan, as is clear from several passages in the first act, and in the bearing of the first scene of the fourth act. 1479 the fashion of the time-] The

des of courtship, the acts by which men recommended themselves to ladies. Pe 1, Z. 26 What lets,] i. e. what hinders. 160. i. e. the thoughts contained in my letter. for they are sent by me,] For, is

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the same as for that, since. 14.69 Merops' son. Thou art Phaeton in thy rashness, but without his pretensions; thou art not the son of a divinity, but a terra fiLas, a low-born wretch: Merops is thy true father, with whom Phaeton was falsely reproached. JOHNSON.

Id c. 2, 1. 22. I fly not death, to fly his deadly

doom: To fly his doom, used for by flying, or in flying, is a Gallicism. The sense is, by avoiding the execution of his sentence I shall not escape death. If I stay here, I suffer myself to be destroyed; if I go away, I destroy myself. JOHNSON.

P. 30, c. 1, 1. 11. Even in the milk-white bosom of thy love.] Trifling as the remark may ap pear before the meaning of this address of letters to the bosom of a mistress can be understood, it should be known that women anciently had a pocket in the fore part of their stays, in which they not only carried loveletters and love-tokens, but even their money and materials for needle-work. In many parts of England the rustic damsels still observe the same practice; and a very old lady informs me that she remembers, when it was the fashion to wear prominent stays, it was no less the custom for stratagem and gallantry to drop its literary favours within the front of them." STEEVENS. Id. 1. 23. Laun. I am but a fool, look you; and yet I have the wit to think, my master is a kiad of knave: but that's all one, if he be but one KNAVE.] In Shakspeare's language, one knave may signify a knave on only one occasion, a single knave. We still use a double villain, for a villain beyond the common rate of guilt. JOHNSON.

Id. l. 31. for she hath had gossips :] Gossips not only signify those who answer for a child in baptism, but the tattling women who attend lyings-in.

Id. 1. 34.

bling on. naked.

Id 1.35.
Id. 1.55.

a bare christian.] Launce is quibBare has two senses; mere and This is used here in both.

her conditions.] i. e. qualities.

the son of thy grandmother:] It is undoubtedly true that the mother only knows the legitimacy of the child. I suppose Launce infers, that if he could read, he must have read this well-known observation. STEEVENS. Id. 1. 58. saint Nicholas be thy speed! St. Nicholas presided over scholars, who were therefore called St. Nicholas' clerks. That this saint presided over young scholars, may be gathered from Knight's Life of Dean Colet, p. 362, for by the statutes of Paul's school there inserted, the children are required to attend divine service at the cathedral on his anniversary. The legend of this saint makes him to have been a bishop, while he was a boy.

Id. l. 68. . knit him a stock.] 1. e. stocking.
Id. c. 2, l. 11. "villainy,"-MALONE.
Id. 1. 22.

- praise her liquor.] i. e. often show how well she likes it.

Id. 1. 25. She is too liberal] Liberal is licentious and gross in language.

Id. 1. 36. She hath more hair than wit,] An old English proverb.

Id. l. 45.

makes the faults gracious: Gracious, in old language, means graceful

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50

P. 31, c. 1, l. 49.

you may temper her,] Mould ! Id. 1. 33. Upon whose garve thou vow'ds!

her like wax, to whatever shape you please.
Id. l. 53. lime,] That is, birdlime.
Id. l. 56. "much is the "-MALONE.
Id. l. 61. such integrity:] Such integrity may
mean such ardour and sincerity as would be
manifested by practising the directions given
in the four preceding lines. STEEVENS. But
Mr. Malone thinks that such integrity refers
only to some feeling line.

Id. l. 69. Tune a deploring dump ;] A dump was
the ancient term for a mournful elegy.
Id. 1.70. - will inherit her.] To inherit,

is, by
our author, sometimes used, as in this in-
stance, for to obtain possession of, without
any idea of acquiring by inheritance.
Id. 1. 75. To sort-] i. e. to choose out.
Id. c 2, l. 2. I will pardon you.] I will excuse
you from waiting.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

ld. l. 20. a proper man. i. e. a well-looking man; he has the appearance of a gentleman. Id. 1. 46. Robin Hood's fat friar, Robin Hood was a captain of a band of robbers, and was much inclined to rob churchmen. But by! Robin Hood's fat friar, Shakspeare means Friar Tuck, who was confessor and companion to this noted out-law.

Id. l. 56. ———— awful men :] Reverend, worshipful, such as magistrates, and other principal members of civil communities. JOHNSON.

Dr. Farmer would read-lawful men-i. e. legales homines.

Id. l. 61. Whom, in my mood,] Mood is anger or

resentment.

Id. l. 68. -in our quality-] Our quality means
our profession, calling, or condition of life.
Id. 1. 74. Our company.

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Id. l. 34.

you know that love

Will creep in service where it cannot go.] Kindness will creep where it cannot gang, is a Scottish proverb.

Id. 1. 37. "Who?" MALONE.

Id. c. 2, l. 16. out of all nick.] Beyond all
reckoning or count. Reckonings are kept upon
nicked or notched sticks or tallies.

Id. 1. 74. But, since your falshood shall become
you well- Mr. Malone thinks that our author
means, however licentious the expression,
But, since your falshood well becomes, or is
well suited to, the worshipping of shadows,
and the adoring of false shapes, send to me in
the morning for my picture, &c. Or, in other
words, But, since, the worshipping of shadows
and the adoring of false shapes shall well be-
come you, false as you are, send, &e.
P. 33, c. 1, 1. 7. - most heaviest.] This use
of the double superlative is frequent in our
author.

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pure chastity.] it was common in former ages for widowers and widows to make vows of chastity in honour of their deceased wives or husbands. In Dugdale's Antiquities of Warwickshire, page 1013, there is the form of a commission by the bishop of the diocese for taking a vow of chastity made by a widow. It seems, that besides observing the vow, the widow was, for life, to wear a veil and a mourning habit. Some such distinction we may suppose to have been made in respect of male votarists; and, therefore, this circumstance might inform the players how sir Eglamour should be drest; and will account for Silvia's having chosen him as a person in whom she could confide without injury to her own character. STEEVENS.

Id. l. 49. grievances;] Sorrows, sorrowful affections.

Id. l. 52. Recking as little-] To reck, is to care for. Chaucer and Spenser use this word with the same signification.

Id. l. 74.
self.
Id. c. 2, l. 5.
expression.

SCENE IV.

keep himself—] i. e. restrain him

- a pissing while; A proverbia

Id. l. 11. The fellow that whips the dogs:] This
appears to have been part of the office of an
usher of the table.

Id. l. 16. “his servant?”—MALONE.
Id. l. 43.

the other squirrel, &c.] Laure
speaks of his master's present as a diminutive
animal, more resembling a squirrel in size than
a dog.
Id. l. 50.

an end,] Still an and, and most on end, are vulgar expressions, and mean com monly, generally.

Id. l. 59. "know thee,"-MALONE.

Id. 1. 62. She loved me well, deliver'd it to m
i. e. She who delivered it to me, loved me well
MALONE.

Id. 1. 63. It seems, you loved her not, to leave he
token:] Johnson, not recollecting the force
the word leave, proposes an amendment of the
passage, which is unnecessary; for, in the la
guage of the time, to leave, means to per
with, or give away.

P.

34, c. 1, 1. 14. To carry that, which I wok
have refus'd;] The sense is, to go and pe
sent that which I wish not to be accepted.
praise him whom I wish to be dispraised
JOHNSON.

Id. l. 50. "have "-MALONE.
Id. l. 71. How tall was she?] We should read-
"How tall is she?"

Id.

Id. l. 79.
weep a-good,] i. e. in good earnest
Tout de bon, Fr.
c. 2. l. 2. 'twas Ariadne, passioun
To passion is used as a verb, by writers co
temporary with Shakspeare.

'twas Ariadne, passioning-] On he being deserted by Theseus in the night, left on the island of Naxos.

Id. l. 18. my mistress' love so much ] She ha
in her preceding speech called Julia her
tress but it is odd enough that she sho
thus describe herself, when she is alone
T. Hanmer reads-"his mistress;" but withou
necessity. Our author knew that his a
ence considered the disguised Julia in the pre
sent scene as a page to Proteus, and this,
believe, and the love of antithesis, produce
the expression. MALONE.

Id. l. 27. I'll get me such a colour'd periwig.
should be remembered, that false hair wa

worn by the ladies, long before wigs were in fashion. These false coverings, however, were called periwigs.

P. 34. c. 2, 1. 28. Her eyes are grey as glass:] So Chaucer, in the character of his Prioress: Ful semely hire wimple y-pinched was; Hire nose tretis; hire eyen grey as glass" THEOBALD.

Id 1 29 her forehead's low,] A high forehead was in our author's time accounted a feature eminently beautiful. 14.1 31. respective-] i. e. respectable. d. 37. My substance should be statue in thy stead] It appears from hence, and a passage in Massinger, that the word statue was formerly used to express a portrait.

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72 Black men are pearls, &c.] "A black man is a jewel in a fair woman's eye," is one of Ray's proverbial sentences. P 35, c. 1, . 14. That they are out by lease.] Because Thurio's folly has let them on disadvantageous terms; or, because they are let to others, and are not in his own dear hands; or, by Thurio's possessions, he himself understands his lands and estate. But Proteus chooses to take the word likewise in a figurative sense, as signifying his mental endowments: and when he says they are out by lease, he means they are no longer enjoyed by their master (who is a fool), but are leased out to another. 11. 37.

-a peevish girl,] i. e. in ancient language, foolish.

4.1.40. jess

reckless Silvia.] i. e. careless, heed

SCENE IV.

11. 69. record my woes.] To record anciently signified to sing. To record is a term still used by bird-fanciers, to express the first essays of a bird in singing.

11.73.0 thou that dost, &c.] It is hardly possible to point out four lines in any of the plays of Shakspeare, more remarkable for ease and elegance. STEEVENS. my meed,] i. e. reward.

Le 2. l. 11. L1.35. - and still approv'd,] Approv'd, is felt, experienced L160. Who should be trusted, when one's own right hand "MALONE.

164. The private wound, &c.] Deepest, highest, and other similar words, were someumes used by the poets of Shakspeare's age as monosyllables. Mr. Malone reads most accw st

Id. l. 77. All that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.] This passage either hath been much sophisticated, or is one great proof that the main parts of this play did not proceed from Shakspeare; for it is impossible he could make Valentine act and speak so much out of character, or give to Silvia so unnatural a behaviour, as to take no notice of this strange concession, if it had been made. HANMER.

P.

Id.

Id.

Valentine, from seeing Silvia in the company of Proteus, might conceive she had escaped with him from her father's court, for purposes of love, though she could not foresee the violence which his villainy might offer, after he had seduced her under the pretence of an honest passion. If Valentine, however, be supposed to hear all that passed between them in this scene, I am afraid I have only to subscribe to the opinions of my predecessors STEEVENS.

I give thee.] Transfer these two lines to the end of Thurio's speech; and all is right. Why then should Julia faint? It is only an artifice, seeing Silvia given up to Valentine, to discover herself to Proteus, by a pretended mistake of the rings. One great fault of this play is the hastening too abruptly, and without due preparation to the denouement, which shews that, if it be Shakspeare's (which I cannot doubt), it was one of his very early performances. BLACKSTONE.

36, c. 1, l. 4. To deliver a ring to madam Silvia:] Surely our author wrote-" Deliver a ring, &c. A verse so rugged as that in the text must be corrupted by the players, or transcriber. Mr. Malone arranges the speech as Prose.

Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths.] Gave encouragement, a phrase in l. 20. How oft hast thou with perjury cleft archery. the root?] i. e. of her heart. An allusion to cleaving the pin in archery.

Id. l. 23. if shame live- that is, if it be any shame to wear a disguise for the purposes of love.

Id. 1. 38. "And I nine."-MALONE.
Id. l. 47.

anger.

the measure-] The reach of my

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