antick the law? Do not thou, when thou ar hang a thief. P. HEN. No; thou shalt. FAL. Shall I? O rare! By the Lord, brave judge.+ P. HEN. Thou judgeft falfe already; thou shalt have the hanging of the thieve become a rare hangman. FAL. Well, Hal, well; and in fome for with my humour, as well as waiting in I can tell you. P. HEN. For obtaining of fuits?" FAL. Yea, for obtaining of fuits: hangman hath no lean wardrobe. as melancholy as a gib cat," or a lug 4- I'll be a brave judge.] This though is taken from the old play of Henry V: "Hen. V. Ned, fo foon as I am king, t fhall be to put my lord chief juftice out of of my lord chief juftice of England. "Ned. Shall I be lord chief justice?! the bravest lord chief justice that ever was 5 For obtaining of fuits?] Suit, fpok court, means a petition; ufed with refpe the clothes of the offender. JOHNSON So, in an ancient Medley, bl. 1: "The broker hath gay cloat "Which from the hangman' See Vol. IV. p. 325, n. 5. The man's Tragedy, 1631: "A poor m and 'tis a good fuit,—very good aj 6 a gib cat,] A gib cat cat. JOHNSON. A gib cat is the comme jacent counties, to expr "As melancholy among others in Ray FAL. Thou haft the most unfavoury fimiles; and art, indeed, the moft comparative,+ rafcallieft,— fweet young prince,-But, Hal, I pry'thee, trouble me no more with vanity. I would to God, The Egyptians in their Hieroglyphics expreffed a melancholy man by a bare fitting in her form. See Pierii Hieroglyph. Lib. XII. STEEVENS. 2 the melancholy of Moor-ditch?] It appears from Stowe's Survey, that a broad ditch, called Deep-ditch, formerly parted the hofpital from Moor-fields; and what has a more melancholy appearance than ftagnant water? This ditch is alfo mentioned in The Gul's Hornbook, by Decker, 1609: it will be a forer labour than the cleanfing of Augeas' ftable, or the fcowring of Moor-ditch." Again, in Newes from Hell, brought by the Divel's Carrier, by Thomas Decker, 1606: "As touching the river, looke how Moor-ditch fhews when the water is three quarters dreyn'd out, and by reafon the ftomacke of it is overladen, is ready to fall to cafting. So does that; it ftinks almoft worse, is almost as poyfonous, altogether fo muddy, altogether fo black." STEEVENS. So, in Taylor's Pennyleffe Pilgrimage, quarto, 1618: "—my body being tired with travel, and my mind attired with moody, muddy, Moore-ditch melancholy." MALONE. Moor-ditch, a part of the ditch furrounding the city of London, between Bishopfgate and Cripplegate, opened to an unwholesome and impaffable morafs, and confequently not frequented by the citizens, like other fuburbial fields which were remarkably pleasant, and the fashionable places of refort. T. WARTON. 3 fimiles;] Old copies-fmiles. Corrected by the editor of the fecond folio. MALONE. 4 the moft comparative,] Sir T. Hanmer and Dr. Warburton after him, read-incomparative, I fuppofe for incomparable, or peerless; but comparative here means quick at comparisons, or fruitful in fimiles, and is properly introduced. JOHNSON. This epithet is ufed again, in Act III. fc. ii. of this play, and apparently in the fame fenfe: -ftand the push "Of every beardlefs vain comparative." And in Love's Labour's Loft, A& V. fc. ult. Rosaline tells Biron that he is a man " Full of comparisons and wounding flouts." STEEVENS. thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought: An old lord of the council rated me the other day in the street about you, fir; but I mark'd him not: and yet he talk'd very wifely; but I regarded him not: and yet he talk'd wifely, and in the street too. P. HEN. Thou did'ft well; for wifdom cries out in the streets, and no man regards it." FAL. O, thou haft damnable iteration; and art, indeed, able to corrupt a faint. Thou haft done much harm upon me, Hal,-God forgive thee for it! Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now am I, if a man should speak truly, little better than one of the wicked. I must give over this life, and I will give it over; by the Lord, an I do 5 I would to God, thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought:] So, in The Discoverie of the Knights of the Pofte, 1597, fign. C: "In troth they live fo fo, and it were well if they knew where a commoditie of names were to be fould, and yet I thinke all the money in their purfes could not buy it." REED. 6 — wisdom cries out in the streets, and no man regards it.] This is a fcriptural expreflion: "Wijdom crieth without; The uttereth her voice in the streets.-I have ftretched out my hand, and no man regarded." Proverus, i. 20, and 24. HOLT WHITE. 10, thou haft damnable iteration;] For iteration Sir T. Hanmer and Dr. Warburton read attraction, of which the meaning is certainly more apparent; but an editor is not always to change what he does not understand. In the laft fpeech a text is very indecently and abufively applied, to which Falftaff anfwers, thou haft damnable iteration, or a wicked trick of repeating and applying holy texts. This I think is the meaning. JOHNSON. Iteration is right, for it alfo fignified fimply citation or recitation. So, in Marlow's Doctor Fauftus, 1631: "Here take this book, and perufe it well, "The iterating of thefe lines brings gold.' From the context, iterating here appears to mean pronouncing, reciting. Again, in Camden's Remaines, 1614: "King Edward I. difliking the iteration of FITZ," &c. MALONE. not, I am a villain; I'll be damn'd for never a P. HEN. Where fhall we take a purse to-morrow, FAL. Where thou wilt, lad, I'll make one; an I P. HEN. I fee a good amendment of life in thee; from praying, to purse-taking. Enter POINS, at a distance. FAL. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal; 'tis no fin for a man to labour in his vocation.8 Poins!Now fhall we know if Gadshill have fet a match.' ↑ —— and baffle me.] See Mr. Tollet's note on K. Richard II. p. 198. STEEVENS. 8 —no fin for a man to labour in his vocation.] This (as Dr. Farmer obferves to me) is undoubtedly a fneer on Agremont Radcliffe's Politique Difcourfes, 1578. From the beginning to the end of this work, the word vocation occurs in almoft every paragraph. Thus chapter i: "That the vocation of men hath been a thing unknown unto philofophers, and other that have treated of Politique Government; of the commoditie that cometh by the knowledge thereof; and the etymology and definition of this worde vocation." Again, chap. xxv: "Whether a man being diforderly and unduely entered into any vocation, may lawfully brooke and abide in the fame; and whether the administration in the meane while done by him that is unduely entered, ought to holde, or be of force." STEEVENS. 9 have fet a match.] Thus the quarto. So, in Ben Jonfon's Bartholomew Fair, 1614: " Peace, fir, they'll be angry if they hear you eves-dropping, now they are fetting their match. it seems to mean making an appointment.-The folio reads-set a watch. MALONE. There As no watch is afterwards fet, I fuppose match to be the true reading. STEEVENS, So, as Dr Farmer observed, in Ratfie's (hamalid"), Ghost, bl. l. 4° (no date) about 1605. " I have, says he times beholding to Tapsters & Chamberin been many r directions & setting off matches." |