ACT III.

SCENE III.-page 138.

MRS. FORD. Shall we send that foolish carrion, mistress Quickley, to him?

The old copy reads-foolishion carrion.

Mrs. Quickley is one of those gossipers with which every village is infested, those who have an eye on every person, and carry on any intrigue or plot in which they are made privy by the party: to this may be added their artful manner of making scandal current. In Dame Quickley, we cannot say this malevolent trait prevails; but being loquacious and fond of gossipping; communicative, and desirous of being made a sort of confidant, she has obtained the nickname of eye on-carry on; perhaps from often saying-I have an eye on him, or her; or, an eye on it; as also carry on, in a similar manner. By the frequent repetition of such phrases many persons obtain nicknames; and, no doubt, our intriguing dame was better known in Windsor as Mrs. Eye on-carry on, than Mrs. Quickley.

The transcriber being ignorant of the sense, followed sound; and, for foolish eye on-carry on, wrote foolishion carrion: thus giving the vowel i for eye (to observe or look after,) and carrion (coarse meat) for carry on (to proceed actively in an undertaking). Thus it will be perceived, that the correction is simple by which the Author's sense is obtained.

FALSTAFF.

SCENE V.-page 153.

next, to be compassed, like a good bilbo, in the circumference of a peck, hilt to point, heel to head:

Falstaff does not say, that he was compassed either within the circumference of a pack, or peck, as Mr. Malone supposes; but "like a good bilbo," that would bend from

"hilt to point," so was he bent from "heel to head." By the description he gives of his situation, he must have been placed on his belly, in the buck-basket; and so compassed, that his heels touched his head. The inference, therefore, to be drawn is-that a good bilbo was of such flexibility, that it could be incurvated within the small. circle of a peck-measure.

Tumblers may have that surprising flexibility of body which Falstaff describes; but, in himself, it is hyperbolical to an extreme, and received, not literally, but wittily.

MRS. QUICKLEY.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-page 158.

and to call horum:-fie upon you!"

Mrs. Quickley seems too perfect in the Latin word, horum. She has already perverted genitive case, to— "Jenny's case:" surely, then, in the present instance, she should say, "whoreum:-fie upon you!"

SCENE II.-page 162.

MRS. PAGE. Alas, three of master Ford's brothers watch the door with pistols, that none shall issue out.

This anachronism is not Shakspeare's, but the Printer's. We must call to remembrance, that Pistol having quarrelled with Falstaff, disclosed the Knight's intentions to Ford: and we also find Pistol employed as the Crier Hobgoblin in Windsor forest. If then, that Ford really employed three of his brothers to watch the door, is it not highly probable, that the treacherous Pistol was also employed to identify Falstaff? Under these considerations, I believe our Author wrote:

Three of master Ford's brothers watch the door, with Pistol, &c.

ACT V.

SCENE IV.-page 197.

MRS. PAGE. They are all couched in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obscured lights; which, at the very instant of Fal

staff's and our meeting, they will at once display to

the night.

The troop of supposed fairies, with obscured lights, are to display their lights, not "to the night," (darkness) but, to Sir John Falstaff, knight; and which, as Mrs. Ford observes, "cannot choose but amaze him."-We should read: they will at once display to the knight.

This error has kept the true sense of the passage long enough in darkness; the light now thrown on it, will, I hope, have its effect.

SCENE V.-page 211.

MRS. PAGE. Now, good sir John, how like you Windsor wives?
See you these, husband? do not these fair yokes
Become the forest better than the town?

Before Falstaff rises from the ground, he divests himself of the buck's-head; and we see no stage direction to warrant Mr. Theobald's observation, that,—the types of cuckoldom remain in Falstaff's hands.

After the first verse of this speech, (according to the present reading,) Mrs. Page is made to address her husband: How then could Ford, with propriety, become the next speaker? In short, the text is corrupt; and the forced elucidations of it, possess more horn than marrow. Our Author wrote:

Now, good sir John, how like you Windsor wives?
See you these husbands? do not these fairy jokes
Become the forest better than the town?

Thus the entire of Mrs. Ford's speech is addressed to Falstaff, and conveys such cutting words, that, if Falstaff has sensibility to feel a wound,-"See you these hus

bands?" sends an arrow to his very soul.—“ See you these husbands?" pointing at the same time to the very men, whose domestic peace-whose earthly happiness, his lust and avarice intended to destroy.

Thus, neither horns, yokes, nor oaks, have any concern with the text; and this long controverted point, ultimately ends in-fairy jokes.

Why "fairy jokes become the forest better than the town," is easily explained. The town could not yield effect to the scene planned by the merry wives; and, that Falstaff may know who played the former jokes on his credulity, she makes the observation.

In the folio of 1623, there is no comma after the words, "See you these"-a convincing proof that Shakspeare wrote "See you these husbands ?" and not only to convey the rebuke, but also to make the plural-husbands, correspond with wives, as in the preceding verse: the s was lost in the turn of the note of interrogation. The y which makes the corrupt word-yokes, belonged to the word fairy: and the j which should have made jokes, was omitted by the transcriber, the down-stroke and turn of the y being precisely a j, which made him think he had already formed that letter.

FALSTAFF.

SCENE V.-page 215.

ignorance itself is a plummet o'er me:

Very few words show Falstaff's meaning:-I act with so little caution, that ignorance can sound, or fathom my

intentions.

Twelfth Night.

ACT I.

SCENE II.-page 243.

CAPTAIN. Assure yourself, after our ship did split,

When you, and that poor number saved with you, &c.

When the Captain, and those who were saved from the wreck, got on shore, he enumerated them, thereby ascertaining the number that perished; and as Viola was present at the muster, and knew the number saved, the Captain alludes to that poor number; part of whom may have been sent to seek provisions, and others left to guard whatever effects were saved from the wreck.

VIOLA.

SCENE II.-page 244.

O, that I served that lady:

And might not be delivered to the world,
Till I had made mine own occasion mellow,
What my estate is, &c.

I cannot read Dr. Johnson's observations on the present intentions of Viola, without some degree of astonishment! he says, "Viola seems to have formed a very deep design with very little premeditation: she is thrown by shipwreck on an unknown coast, hears that the prince is a bachelor, and resolves to supplant the lady whom he courts.” Thus, the poet is arraigned for incongruity, and Viola's character unmeritedly tarnished. Again, the Doctor observes,-"Viola is an excellent schemer, never at a loss; if she cannot serve the lady, she will serve the duke.' Now, let us see whether the Author or Critic be correct: whether the Critic or Character be reprehensible.