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but the Tribulation of Tower-hill, or the limbs of Limehouse, their dear brothers, are able to endure.

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I have

"And who extoll'd you in the half crown boxes, "Where you might fit and muster all the beauties." And lastly, it appears from the induction to Bartholomew Fair, by Ben Jonfon, that tobacco was smoked in the same place:

"He looks like a fellow that I have seen accommodate gentlemen with tobacco at our theatres."

And from Beaumont and Fletcher's Woman-Hater, 1607, it should feem that beer was fold there: "There is no poet acquainted with more thakings and quakings towards the latter end of his new play, when he's in that cafe that he stands peeping between the curtains so fearfully, that a bottle of ale cannot be opened, but he thinks somebody hisses." STEEVENS.

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-the Tribulation of Tower-hill, or the limbs of Limehouse,] I suspect the Tribulation to have been a puritanical meeting-house. The limbs of Limehouse, I do not understand. JOHNSON.

Dr. Johnson's conjecture may be countenanced by the following passage in "Magnificence, a goodly interlude and a mery, devised and made by mayfter Skelton, poete laureate, lately deceasyd." Printed by John Raftell, fol. no date:

STEEVENS.

"Some fall to foly them selfe for to spy!!, " And fome fall prechynge on toure byll." Alliteration has given rife to many cant expreffions, confifting of words paired together. Here we have cant names for the inhabitants of these places, who were notorious puritans, coined for the humour of the alliteration. In the mean time it must not be forgotten, that "precious limbs" was a common phrase of contempt for the puritans. WARTON.

Limehouse was before the time of Shakspeare, and has con tinued to be ever fince, the residence of those who furnish stores, fails, &c. for shipping. A great number of foreigners having been constantly employed in these manufactures (many of which were introduced from other countries) they assembled themselves under their several pastors, and a number of places of different worship were built in consequence of their respective associations. As they clashed in principles, they had frequent quarrels, and the place has ever since been famous for the variety of its fects, and the turbulence of its inhabitants. It is not improbable that Shakspeare wrote the lambs of Limehouse.

A limb of the devil, is, however, a common vulgarism; and in A New Trick to cheat the Devil, 1636, the same kind of expreffion occurs:

" I am a puritan; one that will eat no pork,
"Doth use to shut his shop on Saturdays,

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" And

I have fome of 'em in Limbo Patrum, and there they are like to dance these three days; besides the run-ning banquet of two beadles, that is to come.

"And open them on Sundays: a familist,
"And one of the arch limbs of Belzebub."

Again, in Every Man out of his Humour :

"I cannot abide these limbs of sattin, or rather Satan, &c." STEEVENS.

I doubt much whether Shakspeare intended in this passage to describe any part of the spectators at the theatre. He seems to me rather to point at some apprentices and inferior citizens, who ufed occafionally to appear on the stage, in his time, for their amusement. The Palsgrave or Hector of Germany, was acted in 1615, by a company of citizens at the Red Bull: and, The Hog bath lost his Pearle, a comedy, 1614, is faid, in the title-page, to have been publickly acted by certain London.. 'prentices.

The fighting for bitten apples, which were then, as at present, thrown on the stage, [See the Induction to Bartholomew Fair: "Your judgment, rascal; for what?-Sweeping the stage! or gathering up the broken apples?") and the words " which no audience can endure," shew, I think, that these thunderers at the play-house, were actors, and not spectators.

The limbs of Limehouse, their dear brothers were, I suppose, young citizens, who went to see their friends wear the buskin. A passage in The Staple of News, by Ben Jonson, Act III. fc. last, may throw some light on that now before us: "Why, I had it from my maid, Joan Hearsay, and the had it from a limb of the school, she says, a little limb of nine years old. An there were no wiser than I, I would have ne'er a cunning school mafter in England. They make all their scholars play-boys. Is't not a fine fight, to fee all our children made interluders? Do we pay our money for this? We send them to learn their grammar and their Terence, and they learn their play-books. School-boys, apprentices, the students in the inns of court, and the members of the universities, all, at this time, wore occasionally the fock or the bufkin. MALONE.

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running banquet of two beadles,] A publick whipping. JOHNSON.

This phrafe has already occurred in Act I. sc. iv.

fome of these

Should find a running banquet ere they rested. A banquet in ancient language did not fignify either dinner or supper, but the defert after each of them. Sostin Tho. Newton's Herbal to the Bible, 8vo. 1587: "-and are used to be served at the end of meales for a junket or banquetting dish, as sucket and other daintie conciets likewise are." STEEVENS.

Enter

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Enter the Lord Chamberlain.

Cham. Mercy o' me, what a multitude are here!
They grow still too, from all parts they are coming,
As if we kept a fair! Where are these porters,
These lazy knaves?-Ye have made a fine hand,

fellows.

There's a trim rabble let in: Are all these

Your faithful friends o' the fuburbs? We shall have
Great store of room, no doubt, left for the ladies,
When they pass back from the chriftening.

Port. Please your honour,

We are but men; and what so many may do,
Not being torn a pieces, we have done:
An army cannot rule 'em.

Cham. As I live,

If the king blame me for't, I'll lay ye all
By the heels, and suddenly, and on your heads
Clap round fines, for neglect: You are lazy knaves;
And here ye lie baiting of bumbards, when
Ye should do service. Hark, the trumpets found;
They are come already from the chriftening:
Go, break among the press, and find a way out
To let the troop pafs fairly; or I'll find
A Marshalfea, shall hold you play these two months.
Port. Make way there for the princess.

Man. You great fellow, stand close up, or I'll make your head ake.

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3-here ye lie baiting of bumbards,] A bumbard is an alebarrel; to bait bumbards is to tipple, to lie at the spigot.

JOHNSON.

It appears from a passage already quoted in a note on the Tempest, act II. fc. ii. out of Shirley's Martyr'd Soldier, 1638, that bumbards were the large vessels in which the beer was carried to foldiers upon duty. They resembled black jacks of leather. So, in Woman's a Weathercock, 1612: "She looks like a black bombard with a pint pot waiting upon it." STEEVENS. Port.

Port. You i' the camblet, get up o' the rail; * I'll peck you o'er the pales else.

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[Exeunt.

LAVO

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Enter Trumpets, founding; then two Aldermen, Lord Mayor, Garter, Cranmer, Duke of Norfolk with bis Marshal's staff, Duke of Suffolk, two Noblemen bearing great standing bowls for the christening gifts, then four Noblemen bearing a canopy, under which the Dutchess of Norfolk, godmother, bearing the child richly habited in a mantle, &c. Train borne by a Lady : then follows the Marchioness of Dorset, the other godmother, and ladies. The troop pass once about the stage, and Garter Speaks.

Gart. Heaven, from thy endless goodness, send profperous life, long, and ever happy, to the high and mighty princess of England, Elizabeth!

Flourish. Enter King, and Train.

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Cran. [Kneeling.] And to your royal grace, and

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the good queen,

My noble partners, and myself, thus pray;

All comfort, joy, in this most gracious lady,

Heaven ever laid up to make parents happy,

May hourly fall upon ye!

What is her name?

King. Thank you, good lord archbishop:

Cran. Elizabeth.

King. Stand up, lord.- [The King kisses the child. With this kiss take my blessing: God protect thee!

+ I'll peck you o'er the pales elfe] To peck is used again in Coriolanus, in the sense of to pitch. MALONE.

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King. My noble gossips, ye have been too prodigal:

I thank ye heartily; so shall this lady,
When she has fo much English.

Cran. Let me speak, fir,

For Heaven now bids me; and the words I utter
Let none think flattery, for they'll find 'em truth.
This royal infant, (heaven still move about her!)
Though in her cradle, yet now promifes
Upon this land a thousand thousand bleffings,
Which time shall bring to ripeness: She shall be
(But few now living can behold that goodness)
A pattern to all princes living with her,
And all that shall fucceed: Sheba was never
More covetous of wisdom, and fair virtue,
Than this pure foul shall be all princely graces,
That mould up fuch a mighty piece as this is,
With all the virtues that attend the good,
Shall still be doubled on her: truth shall nurse her,
Holy and heavenly thoughts still counsel her:

She shall be lov'd, and fear'd: Her own shall blefs

her;

Her foes shake like a field of beaten corn,

And hang their heads with forrow: Good grows

with her:

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In her days, every man shall eat in safety 5,
Under his own vine, what he plants; and fing
The merry fongs of peace to all his neighbours :

God fhall be truly known; and those about her

severy man shall eat in fafety,] This part of the prophecy seems to have been burlesqued by Beaumont and Fletcher in the Beggar's Bush, where orator Higgin is making his congratulatory speech to the new king of the beggars :

Each man shall eat his own stolen eggs, and butter,

"In his own shade, or funshine, &c."

The original thought, however, is borrowed from the 4th chapter of the first book of Kings: "Every man dwelt safely under his vine." STEEVENS,

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