emendation is doubtful; but assuredly no other living creature (serpent or not) could by any possibility effect it.

G. 116. W.215.-Content.

"Content was often used, in our author's age, for contentment.” G. 117. W.216.-A wife for him.

This does not give the author's meaning, any more than his words.

Read: A wife fit for him.

"TIS PITY SHE'S A WHORE.

G. 126. W.3.-Your noble allowance of these first fruits of my leisure, in the action.

Mr. Weber raises a string of notable arguments on this passage. As it was the first piece, he says, that Ford brought out, it must have been written before the Sun's Darling, acted in 1623-4!—and why not before An ill Beginning has a good End, played in 1613? All this contradictory nonsense arises from inadvertence, and blindly blundering after Reed and Dodsley: the words, in the action, refer to Lord Peterborough, who had been present at the first representation of the tragedy, and applauded it. It does not follow that " the first fruits of the author's leisure" should necessarily be the first of his studies. The writer's drift (and he refers to it somewhat too ostentatiously) is to insinuate to his patron that he neglected no serious employ for "this idle trade!"

G. 131. W. 11.-Government. i. e. decency of manners, evenness of temper. "So in Henry IV.-Let men say we be men of good government."

This quotation equals in happiness that which proved Meleander to be a thief, (p. xci.) and evinces the peculiar advantage of quoting illustrative passages from an Index. These men of decent manners and evenness of temper, are Gadshill, Peto, &c. "governed (as Falstaff says) by their chaste mistress the moon, under whom they-steal.”

G. 132. W.11.—Flows. The 4to reads floats.

And why should it not? The word occurs three times, if not oftener, in this very volume; and is quite as much to the purpose as that which the editor has wantonly put in its place.

G. 133. W. 14.-Scold like a cot-quean.

The meaning of this word is obvious. The first syllable cot, is an abbreviation of waistcoat, which was a dress peculiarly appropriated to prostitutes. Thus Hall,

Fond Cœnis

Who like a cot-quean freezeth at the rock,

While his breecht dame doth man the foreign stock."

So that Cœnis (of whose story poor Mr. Weber suspects nothing) was a strumpet, a kind of people who, with his leave, seldom freeze at the rock or wheel either. Cotquean, in Hall, is an uxorious husband; in Ford, a man with the habits of a brawling housewife.

G. 134. W. 15.-Brave, my lord.

This is wrong; the address is not to the speaker's lord, (who is absent,) but to his antagonist, then before him.

Read: Brave my lord! i. e. such a dastard as you, defy my patron!

The allusion is to a former speech.

G. 139. W.20.-Partage. i. e. partition; so explained by Cotgrave! This, however, is by the bye, for Mr. Weber subsequently explains it himself, " Partage, i. e. partnership.”

G.140. W.20.-Mr. Weber continues the scene in the street, and attributes the impropriety of it to a "strange inadvertence, or the fault of the scantiness of theatrical furniture," what particular furniture was wanted here, is not apparent:-the fact, however, is, (though he is pleased to say that no change could have taken place,) that the conversation in Ford's mind was transferred to Florio's house. I have therefore called it Scene III.

G. 145. W.26.-Scene III. An apartment in Florio's house.
Every line shows that this is impossible.

Read: Scene IV. The Street.

G. 147. W.27.-Look ye, uncle, my brother told me, just now. Read: My barber told me just now. A far more likely

person.

G. 147. W.27.-Is't not true?

Read: Is't not true, Poggio?

G. 147. W.28.-And you are running hither? Nonsense.
Read: And you are running thither.

G. 147. W.28.-Should I not go abroad like other gallants?
Read : Should I not go abroad to see fashions like other
gallants?

G. 148. W.29.-He hath no other will.

Read: He hath no other wit.

G. 150. W.31.-Oh, your wanton :

Read: Oh, you are wanton !

G. 158. W.33.-Cunning.

"The word cunning, at the time the play was written, had not acquired its present bad signification."

Had the critic, instead of turning to his index, opened so common a book as Johnson's Dictionary, he would have seen that it meant in Ford's time precisely what it means now. As applied to the arts, and particularly music, practical skill; as applied to the senses, subtilty, craft, deceit.

G. 154. W.34.-His pleasure is life. This is very poor.
Read: His pleasures life-and for i' truth, troth.

G. 157. W.38.-Ere I be servile.

G. 163. W.42.-When he and she doth meet.

Read:

G. 163. W.43.

Do meet.

In several places our sagacious editor makes himself merry with the oscitancy of his predecessors, Reed and Dodsley, in the due arrangement of the scenery; with the importance of which he is so deeply impressed, that he places it first in merit," the writing of notes" (it seems) not being to be compared with it;" and he plumes himself accordingly on his success in this respect Yet the blundering absurdity of his own disposition of the scene, whenever he attempts a reform, is beyond all credibility. "Donado's House" is prefixed to this short dialogue, which evidently passes in the street, and in the course of which Donado twice orders his nephew to repair home, and keep within doors! Not to add, that the speakers in the preceding scene are still retained on the stage.

G. 166. W.46.-To taste of mischief.

Read: To taste a mischief.

G. 168. W.47.-For coral, lips.

Read: For colour, lips-and for form, r. throne.

G. 172. W.50.-I told I had more wit.

Read: I told him I had more wit.

G. 173. W.51.-This house. This subverts the sense.
Read: His house, i. e. Richardetto's.

G. 174. W.52.-Well, sir, now you are free, you need not care for sending letters: now you are dismiss'd you mistress here will none of you.

Read: Well, sir, now you are free! you need not care for sending letters now; you are dismiss'd, your mistress here will none of you.

G. 175. W.53.-" The Street."

Read: A room in Donado's house.

G. 180. W.58.-'Tis but the maid's sickness, and over-flux of youth.

Read: 'Tis but the maids-sickness, an over-flux of youth. G. 184. W.61.—" Richardetto's apartment in Florio's house." This is a well-meant attempt to save Richardetto the charge of house-rent; but unluckily to no end-seriously, there is not a line in the whole scene that does not prove it to have taken place at his own house. This repeated blundering is pitiable.

G. 185. W.61.—If you miss now! To-morrow I'll know all.
Mr. Weber greatly mistakes the meaning.

Read: If you miss now, to-morrow I shall know all. i, e. It is but a night lost; for if you miss now, I shall have the whole to-morrow, and shall then be enabled to give you fresh instructions.

G. 187. IV.63.-Scene VI. The Friar's cell.

"The old ridiculous stage direction was neither altered by Mr. Dodsley nor by Mr. Reed in their republications."

Will it be credited, that the scene, after all Mr. Weber's self-congratulation, does not lie in the "Friar's Cell," but

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