"Ushers her to her couch, lies at her feet "At solemn masques, applauding what she laughs at." "To lie along in ladies lappes." Gascoigne's Green Knight's &c. STEEVENS. (38) Nay, then let the devil wear black, for I'll have a suit of sables. Nay then, if dead so long, after so distant a period, let the devil (let my uncle, he perhaps would have it understood) wear mourning, for I'll have (for I am not of their colour and fashion) a rich and superb suit; and such sables were:" though this, as Dr. Farmer observes, is said under an equivoque: for sables are a dress of a denomination and cast that conveys the idea of gloom and mourning, and in IV. 7. King, it is coupled with "weeds," and is said to " import graveness. It was spoken, to the ear at least, wildly, and was so far meant to be confused: as very many equivoques neither are, or are meant to be understood by the many. "A knavish speech sleeps in a fool's ear." 'Twas masquing, 'twas disguise in part: but there was method in it:" and that it could not be called strictly and properly incoherent, the very next passage, and its plain connexion with it, abundantly shews. Dr. Farmer quotes Massinger's Old Law: "A cunning grief, "That's only faced with sables for a show, That they were the appendages of splendor and magnificence Mr. Malone proves by the statute of apparel, 24 Henry VIII. c. 13, (article furres,) in which it is ordained, that none under the degree of an earl may use sables. Bishop says in his Blossoms, 1577, speaking of the extravagance of those times, that a thousand ducates were sometimes given for "a face of sables." "Would you not laugh to meet a great counsellor of state, in a flat cap, with his trunk-hose, and a hobby-horse cloak, and yond haberdasher in a velvet gown trimm'd with sables?" Jonson's Discoveries. Florio, in his Italian Dictionary, 1598, thus explains zibilini: "The rich furre called sables."-Sables is the skin of the sable martin. See Cotgrave's French Dict. 1611: "Sebilline martre sebel. The sable martin; the beast whose skinne we call sables." MALONE. (39) The hobby horse] This character, that figured as a principal one in the May-games and Morris-dances, the rustic sports of our earlier ancestors, was, after the reformation, banished from the stage and the village green by our purer and sourer reformers. See L. L. L. III. 1. Moth. (40) The dumb shew enters] It has been insisted, that this dumb shew ought at all times to have been omitted in repre sentation; or that the interlude itself might have been spared; as the shew, containing every circumstance of the murder, must have operated upon the King's feelings with full as much effect as the dialogue. But, since the usage of the time warranted, and, as it should seem, even demanded it, should we not rather say, how could it have been omitted? Hamlet, it should at the same time be observed, intent upon "catching the conscience of the king," would naturally wish that his "mouse-trap" should be doubly set; and could never be supposed willing to relinquish any one of those engines, the use of which custom had authorised. For the one, the dumb shew, "the groundlings" would be sure to clamour: and under the impression that dialogue might be more poignant and strike deeper, our author, calling in the aid of the interlude, has made the king take alarm at the subject being brought forward in plain terms, and express his apprehension of" offence in that argument," of which he was already in possession: and at this in fact he "blenches." Instead of enters, the modern editors read with the quartos follows. (41) Miching mallecho] A skulking, roguish, aim at mischief. Mychen or stelen pryvely. Promp. parv. See I. H. IV. Falst. II. 4. In Minshieu's Spanish Dict. 1617, malhecho is rendered malefactum: and we are informed, that malhecho is compounded of mal, bad, and hecho, the past participle of hacer, to do; and may be literally rendered misdeed. (42) Belike] Perchance, peradventure. "Lykke in Danish, and lycka in Swedish, chance, hazard, hap, fortune, adventure." I. 484. Mr. Tooke says, mean luck, i. e. Divers. of Purley. (43) Posy of a ring.] When this word in this sense, that of a small extract or bunch, was first so spelt, we are at a loss to say. We so find it again in M. of V. Grat. V. 1. and, such was the use of earlier times. In Sir Thos. Hoby's Courtyer, &c. amongst his chief qualities is enumerated "to have in triumphes comelie armour, liveries of sightlie and meerie colours wyth wittie poesies and pleasant divises." 4to. 1561. ad finem. The words are certainly the same. (44) Phoebus' cart] Car. "A cart or a charret. Currus. Plaustrum." Whittintoni Lucubrationes, 4to. 1527. Mr. Steevens cites Ch. Knight's Tale, Tyrwhitt, v. 2024. "The blissful Phoebus bricht, "The lamp of joy, the heavens gemme of licht, K. James's Reules and Cautelis of Scottis Poesic, 1584. See" Carr." Tw. N. II. 5. Fabian; and Tyrwhitt's Chauc. v. 2024. (45) orbed ground] The globe of the earth. "Sometimes diverted, their poor balls are tied (46) borrow'd sheen] Sheen is shine or lustre. Mr. Todd refers to the Comicall Historie of Alphonsus, by R. G. 1599: "Thrise ten times Phoebus with his golden beames "Hath compassed the circle of the skie, "Thrise ten times Ceres hath her workemen hir'd, (47) nothing must] After must we here find in the quartos, "For women fear too much, even as they love," without any corresponding line in rhyme: and the next line runs: "And women's fear and love hold quantity." (48) And as my love is siz'd my fear is so] Cleopatra expresses herself much in the same manner, with regard to her grief for the loss of Antony : (49) My operant powers their functions leave to do] My active energies, or faculty of exertion, cease to perform their offices. Instead of their, the reading of the quartos, the folios have my. Mr. Steevens says, operant is used in Timon of Athens as an epithet to poison: and quotes Heywood's Royal King and Loyal Subject, 1637: (50) The instances] The inducements, importunities. The verb seems to be used much in this sense in W. T.'s Discourse of Eternitie, 4to. Oxford, 1633, p. 33. Nay oftentimes wee instance God for such graces as we are loath to obtaine: like Saint Augustine, who prayed for continency, but not yet." (51) Purpose is but the slave to memory; Of violent birth, but poor validity] The resolutions we form are dependant upon the feeling and impression of an hour that is gone, and a thing past. Their conception and origin is violent and passionate; but their progress and close of little vigour or efficiency. With something of a similar thought we have a similar phraseology, in I. H. ÏV. V. 4. as Mr. Steevens points out. "But thought's the slave of life." (52) The violence of either grief or joy Their own enactures with themselves destroy] Either, and other, the reading of the folios, were the same words: and we conceive it to be the accuracy of modern times that discovers the difference between enactors and enactures: it would not have been discernible by a reader of Shakespeare's day. (53) An anchor's cheer in prison be my scope] May an anchoret or hermit's fare or lot be the point or goal of my utmost expectations! We have followed the modern editors; but for an the quartos read and. Mr. Steevens observes, this abbreviation of the word anchoret is very ancient. I find it in the Romance of Robert the Devil, printed by Wynken de Worde: " We haue robbed and killed nonnes, holy aunkers, preestes, clerkes," &c. Again: "the foxe will be an aunker, for he begynneth to preche." And it occurs in Hall's Satires, 1602, P. 18. (54) Tropically] Figuratively, by a turn we give things. "We use the word mouton, that is, sheepe, tropically, not so much to signifie a sot, as a simple soule, who suffers himself to be led by the nose, as we say." R. C.'s Stephens's Apology for Herodotus, fo. 1608, p. 26. (55) The image of a murder] The lively pourtraiture, or representation, as well in picture as in sculpture. "No counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life indeed." I. H. IV. Falst. V. 4. 66 Image of that horror." Lear, last sc. and V. 2. Haml. (56) Baptista] I believe Battista is never used singly by the Italians, being uniformly compounded with Giam (for Giovanni,) and meaning of course, John the Baptist. Ritson. Signior Baptista is a character in the Taming of the Shrew. (57) I could interpret, &c.] In Tim. the Poet says, "To the dumbness of the gesture One might interpret." I. 1. Mr. Steevens adds, "this refers to the interpreter, who formerly sat on the stage at all motions or puppet-shows, and interpreted to the audience. "O excellent motion! O exceeding puppet! Again, in Greene's Groatsworth of Wit, 1621: "—It was I that penned the moral of Man's wit, the dialogue of Dives, and for seven years' space was absolute interpreter of the puppets." (58) So you mistake [your] husbands] modern editors add "your husbands." false principle, you neither rightly or From the quartos the Acting upon an ill or wisely take them. Dr. G Farmer instances Bartholomew Fair: "Your true trick, rascal, must be to be ever busie, and mistake away the bottles and cans, before they be half drunk off." Ursula. And Mr. Steevens, "To mistake six torches from the chandry, and give them one." Jonson's Masque of Augurs. Again, in Questions of Profitable and Pleasant Concernings, &c. 1594: "Better I were now and then to suffer his remisse mother to mistake a quarter or two of corne, to buy the knave a coat with," &c. (59) and a forest of feathers, if the rest of my fortunes turn Turk] Turn Turk is turn topsey-turvey, undergo a total and ruinous change. We have the phrase in Much ado, &c. III. 4. Marg. Mr. Steevens cites Greene's Tu Quoque, 1614. "This it is to "turn Turk," from an absolute and most complete gentleman, to a most absurd, ridiculous, and fond lover." "Forest of feathers" is a numberless supply of that indispensable article of stage dress. (60) Provincial roses] Provencial, provençal, provincial, are the same words. Mr. Warton thinks roses of Provence, formerly much cultivated, are here meant; but Mr. Douce says, "there is no evidence to shew that Provence was ever remarkable for its roses; but it is well known, that Provins, in La Basse Brie, about forty miles from Paris, was very celebrated for their growth of which the best cataplasms are said to have been made. According to tradition, it was imported from Syria. It is probably this kind, which, in our old herbals, is called the Great Holland or Province rose." Illustrat. II. 247. Johnson observes, when shoe-strings were worn, they were covered, where they met in the middle, by a ribband, gathered in the form of a rose. So, in an old song : "Gil-de-Roy was a bonny boy, "Had roses tull his shoon." (61) Razed shoes] Race, rase, and raze, are the same word, as raye nearly is: and signify, as may be seen in Cotgrave and Minshieu, to streak or stripe, to dash, or obliterate. It means here slashed, i. e. with cuts and openings, says Mr. Steevens, who quotes Stubbs's Anatomy of Abuses, 1595. "Razed, carved, cut, and stitched." He adds, that Bulwer, in his Artificial Changeling, speaks of gallants who pink and raze their satten, damask, and Duretto skins. The word, though differently spelt, is used in nearly the same signification in Markham's Country Farm, p. 585"-baking all (i. e. wafer cakes) together between two irons, having within them many raced and checkered draughts after the manner of small squares." (62) a cry of players] A chorus, a set, company; and it is used in other occupations. Of hounds we have a cry in M. N. Dr. IV. 1. Thes. and of hell-hounds in Par. Lost, II. 654. We |
