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Word of denial in thy Labra's here.

Word of denial; froth and scum, thou ly'st.

fignifies-latten bilbo? Why, Piftol feeing Slender fuch a flim, puny, wight; would intimate, that he is as thin as a plate of that compound metal, which is call'd latten: and which was, as we are told, the old orichalc. Monfieur Dacier, upon this verse in Horace's

Epifle de Arte Poetica,

Tibia non ut nunc orichalco vinēta, &c.

says, Eft une espece de cuivre de montagne, comme fon nom mefme le temoigne ; c'est ce que nous appellons aujourd'huy du leton. "It is a fort of "mountain-copper, as it's very name imports, and which we at this "time of day call latten." Scaliger upon Feftus had faid the same thing. The Metalifts tell us, it is copper mingled with lapis calaminaris. The learned part of my readers will forgive me, if I attempt the correction of a paflage in Hefychius, upon the fubject of orichalc, which has been tamper'd with, but not cur'd, I think, to fatisfaction. Ορείχαλο, χαλκός, χρυση ευικός Η κοινη ἀρχέ, αλκα. (In the fri place, the feries and order of Hefychius fhew he meant to write his theme, Oxxos, without the diphthong.) Sopingius has conjectured, the laft word fhould be autiyanno. But what then has p to do here? Orichalcum does not fignify a fountain; nor does Vibius Sequefter, or any body elfe to my knowledge, tell us of any fountain, lake, crfpring, that bore fuch a name. Perhaps, the whole fhould be thus pointed and reform'd: Ορίχαλκος, χαλκός χρυσῷ έσικας ή κράμα τι aрx xaxxis. Orichalcum, as auri amulum: vel compofitum quoddam principium cujus, æs. Orichalc, a fort of brafs like gold; or a compound metal, the foundation of which was brass. Stephanus, de urbibus, tells us of a ftone produc'd at Andeira, which, mingled with brafs, became orichalc. ΚΡΑΘΕῚΣ χαλκώ, Ορείχαλ sigura Strabo, is the foundation for what Stephanus fays; who, fpeaking of this ftone, adds, If it be burnt with a certain earth, it melts to a counterfeit filver: which earth, having brass mingled with it, comes to that compounded metal which fome call orichalc. #pos λαθῖσα χαλκὶν τὸ κελόυσον γίνεται ΚΡΑΜΑ ὅτινες ορείχαλκον x. The old gloffaries likewife have, aurichalca, xpaμativ which Junius in his book de pictura veterum, corrects to KPA MAΤί: But Martinius, I find, difapproves of the correction. These quotations, I think, are fomewhat in fupport of the conjecturel have offer'd. A word to the paffage quoted from Strabo, and I fhall difmifs this criticifm. Cafaubon very justly objects to the tautology of Tà Larâpevov, & drivs xan871. He thinks, either fomething is wanting after x or that it fhould be expung'd. If I am not mistaken, Strabo might have wrote, 'with the change only of one letter, to nanov mèr öv zivotas xpápe, perpulcbra quidem fit mixtura : i. e. a moft beautiful compound is produced. The orichalc, we know, was fo bright a metal, that, as Ifidore fays, it had the fplendor of gold, and the hardness of brafs: and Pliny tells us, it was put under fome chryfolies, as a foil, to affift their lustre.

Slen.

Slen. By thefe gloves, then 'twas he.

Nym. Be advis'd, Sir, and pafs good humours: I will fay marry trap, with you, if you run the base humour on me; that is the very note of it.

Shen. By this hat, then he in the red face had it; for tho' I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an afs.

Fal. What fay you, Scarlet and John?

Bard. Why, Sir, for my part, Ifay, the Gentleman had drunk himself out of his five fentences.

Eva. It is his five fenfes: fy, what the ignorance is! Bard. And being fap, Sir, was as they fay, cashier'd; and fo conclufions paft the car-eires.

Slen. Ay, you fpake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter; I'll never be drunk whilst I live again, but in honeft, civil, godly company, for this trick; if I be drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have the fear of God, and not with drunken knaves.

Eva. So Got udg me, that is a virtuous mind.

Fal. You hear all thefe matters deny'd, gentlemen; you hear it.

Enter Mistress Ann Page, with wine.

Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll drink within. [Exit. Ann Page.

Slen. O heav'n! this is miftrefs Ann Page.

Enter Mistress Ford and Miftrefs Page.

Page. How now, mistress Ford?

Fal. Miftrefs Ford, by my troth, you are very well

met; by your leave, good mistress.

[Kiffing her. Page. Wife, bid thefe gentlemen welcome: come, we have a hot venifon pafty to dinner; come, gentlemen; I hope, we shall drink down all unkindness.

[Exe. Fal. Page, Sr.

Manent Shallow, Evans, and Slender.

Slen. I had rather than forty fhillings, I had my book of fongs and fonnets here.

L 5

Enter

Enter Simple.

How now, Simple, where have you been? I must wait on myself, muft I? you have not the book of riddles about you,' have you?

Simp. Book of riddles ? why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake (4) upon All-hallowmas last, a fortnight afore Martlemas?

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Shal. Come, coz; come, coz; we ftay for you: a word with you, coz; marry this, coz; there is, as 'twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh here; do you understand me?

Slen. Ay, Sir, you fhall find me reasonable: if it be fo, I fhall do that that is reafon.

Shal. Nay, but understand me.

Slen. So I do, Sir..

Eva. Give ear to his motions, Mr. Slender: I will defcription the matter to you, if you be capacity of it.

Slen. Nay, I will do, as my coufin Shallow fays: I pray you, pardon me; he's a justice of peace in his country, fimple tho' I ftand here.

Eva. But that is not the question: the queftion is concerning your marriage.

Shal. Ay, there's the point, Sir.

Eva. Marry, is it? the very point of it, to Mrs. Ann. Page,

Slen. Why, if it be fo, I will marry her upon any. reasonable demands..

Eva. But can you affection the 'oman? let us command to know that of your mouth, or of your lips; for divers philofophers hold, that the lips is parcel of the

(4) Upon Allhallowmas laft, a fortnight afore Michaelmas.] Sure, Simple's a little out in his reckoning. Allballowmas is almoft five weeks after Michaelmas. But may it not be urg'd, it is defign'd, Simple should appear thus ignorant, to keep up character? I think,

not.

The fimpleft creatures, (nay, even naturals) generally are very precife in the knowledge of feftivals, and. marking how the seasons And therefore I have ventur'd to fufpect, our Poet wrote Martlemas, as the vulgar call it; which is near a fortnight after AllSaints day, i. e. eleven days, both inclufive.

run:

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mind: therefore precifely, can you carry your good will to the maid?

Shal. Coufin Abraham Slender, can you love her?

Slend. I hope, Sir; I will do, as it shall become one that would do reason.

Eva. Nay, Got's Lord and his Ladies, you must fpeak poffitable, if you can carry her your defires towards her.

Shal. That you must: will you, upon good dowry, marry her?

Slen. I will do a greater thing than that upon your request, confin, in any reason.

Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, fweet coz; what I do, is to pleasure you, coz: can you love the maid?

Slen. I will marry her, Sir, at your request: but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet heav'n may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are marry'd, and have more occafion to know one another: (5) I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt; but if you fay, marry her, I will marry her, that I am freely diffolved, and diffolutely.

Eva. It is a ferry discretion answer; fave, the fall is in th' ort diffolutely: the ort is, according to our meaning, refolutely; his meaning is good.

Shal. Ay, I think, my coufin meant well.

Slen. Ay, or elfe I would I might be hang'd, la.

Enter Miftrefs Ann Page.

Shal. Here comes fair miftrefs Ann: would I were young for your fake, mistress Ann.

Ann. The dinner is on the table; my father defires your worship's company.

(5) I hope, upon familiarity will grow more content.] Certainly the Editors in their fagacity have murder'd a jeft here. It is defign'd, no doubt, that Slender fhould fay decreafe, instead of increase; and diffolved and diffolutely, inftead of refolved and refolutely; but to make him fay, on the prefent occafion, that upon familiarity will grow more content, inftead of contempt, is difarming the fentiment of all its falt and bumour, and disappointing the audience of a reasonable cause for laughter.

Shal,

Shal. I will wait on him, fair mistress Ann. Eva. Od's pleffed will, I will not be abfence at the grace. [Exe. Shallow and Evans. Ann. Will't please your worship to come in, Sir? Slen. No, I thank you, forfooth heartily; I am very

well.

Ann. The dinner attends you, Sir.

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Slen. I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forfooth. Go, firrah, for all you are my man, go wait upon my coufin Shallow [Exit Simple.] a juftice of peace fometime be beholden to his friend for a man. I keep but three men and a boy yet, 'till my mother be dead; but what though, yet I live like a poor gentleman born.

may

Ann. I may not go in without your worship; they will not fit, 'till you come.

Slen. I'faith, I'll eat nothing; I thank you as much as though I did.

Ann. I pray you, Sir, walk in.

Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you: I bruis'd my fhin th' other day with playing at fword and dagger with a master of fence, three veneys for a difh of stew'd prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat fince. Why do your dogs bark fo? be there bears i' th' town?

Ann. I think, there are, Sir; I heard them talk'd of. Slen. I love the fport well, but I fhall as foon quarrel at it as any man in England. You are afraid, if you fee the bear loofe, are you not? Ann. Ay, indeed, Sir.

Slen. That's meat and drink, to me now; I have seen Sackerfon loofe twenty times, and have taken him by the chain; but, I warrant you, the women have fo cry'd and fhrick'd at it, that it paft: but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em, they are very ill-favour'd rough things.

Enter Mr. Page.

Pag. Come, gentle Mr. Slender, come; we stay for you. Slen. I'll eat nothing, I thank you, Sir.

Page. By cock and pye, you fhall not chufe, Sir;

come; come.

Slen.

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