clearly manifested by his various use, in many instances, of the self-same words.

THE CLOWNS.

The character of Speed is that of a shrewd witty servant. Launce is something different, exhibiting a mixture of archness and rustic simplicity. There is no allusion to dress, nor any other circumstance, that marks either of them as the domestic fool or jester.

MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

ACT I.

Scene 1. Page 309.

SLEN. She has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman.

T may

IT this speech has been pointed out. Does it not consist in Slender's characterizing Ann Page by a property belonging to himself, and which renders him ridiculous? The audience would naturally smile at hearing him deliver the speech in an effeminate tone of voice.

be doubted whether the real humour of

Sc. 1. p. 314.

FAL. But not kiss'd your keeper's daughter.

This has the appearance of a fragment of some

old ballad.

Sc. 1. p. 317.

PIST. He hears with ears.

EVA. The tevil and his tam! what phrase is this, he hears with ear? Why it is affectations.

If, according to Mr. Henderson, Sir Hugh be justified in his censure of this phrase as a pleonasm, we must also censure the parson in his turn for having forgot that the common prayer would have furnished an example of Pistol's language. See also Jerem. xxvi. 11,

Sc. 1. p. 317.

SLEN. Seven groats in mill-sixpences, and two Edward shovel-boards that cost me two shillings and two pence apiece.

These sixpences were coined in 1561, and are the first milled money used in this kingdom. The invention is due to the French, and was introduced here by a native of France, who misapplied his talents by private coining, and suffered the penalty of the law. That seven groats could be lost in sixpences must be placed to the account of Master Slender's simplicity of wit.

With respect to the Edward shovel-boards :Mr. Malone's inference from the reading in the old quarto that "Slender means the broad shilling of one of our hings," is sufficiently maintained by the other notes; but that it was the shilling of Edward the Sixth there is no doubt, no other

Edward having coined such a piece of money. It still remains to explain how these shillings could have cost Master Slender two and twopence apiece; because, if Dr. Farmer's quotation from Folkes had gone far enough, it would have appeared that the thick shillings mentioned by that writer were pattern-pieces, even originally of great rarity, and never in circulation. Folkes could have seen very few of such pieces, and it would be extremely difficult at present to find a single one; whereas the common shillings of Edward the Sixth remain in great numbers. We must suppose then that the shillings purchased of the miller had been hoarded by him and were in high preservation, and heavier than those which had been worn in circulation. These would consequently be of greater importance to a nice player at the game of shovel-board, and induce him, especially if an opulent man, to procure them at a price far beyond their original value.

BARD.

-

Sc. 1. p. 321.

And so conclusions pass'd the careires.

We are told that this is a technical term in the manege; but no explanation is given. It was

the same as running a career, or galloping a horse violently backwards and forwards, stopping him suddenly at the end of the career; "which career the more seldom it be used and with the lesse fury, the better mouth shall your horse have," says Master Blundeville in his Arte of ryding, b. l. 4to, where there is a whole chapter on the subject, as well as in " The art of riding" translated by Thomas Bedingfield from the Italian of Claudio Corte, 1584, 4to.

Sc. 1. p. 325.

SLEN. I hope upon familiarity will grow more contempt. This is no more than a perversion of the com

mon

proverb, Familiarity breeds contempt. Slender's school learning had furnished him on the occasion. The phrase is still used in copybooks for children.

Sc. 1. p. 327.

SLEN. I bruis'd my shin the other day with playing at

sword and dagger with a master of fence.

“Master of defence, on the present occasion, does

not simply

but

mean a professor of the art of fencing,

a person

who had taken his master's degree