Harry, I fee virtue in his looks. If then the tree" may be known by the fruit, as the fruit by the tree, then, peremptorily I fpeak it, there is virtue in that Falstaff: him keep with, the reft banish. And tell me now, thou naughty varlet, tell me, where haft thou been this month?

P. HEN. Doft thou speak like a king? Do thou stand for me, and I'll play my father.

FAL. Depose me? if thou doft it half so gravely, fo majestically, both in word and matter, hang me up by the heels for a rabbet-fucker, or a poulter's hare.

P. HEN. Well, here I am fet.

FAL. And here I ftand:-judge, my masters.
P. HEN. Now, Harry? whence come you?
FAL. My noble lord, from Eaftcheap.

6 -If then the tree &c.] Sir T. Hanmer reads-If then the fruit may be known by the tree, as the tree by the fruit, &c. and his emendation has been adopted in the late editions. The old reading is, I think, well fupported by Mr. Heath, who obferves, that "Virtue is confidered as the fruit, the man as the tree; confequently the old reading muft be right. If then the tree may be known by the fruit, as the fruit by the tree, that is, If I can judge of the man by the virtue I fee in his looks, he must be a virtuous man." MALONE.

I am afraid here is a profane allufion to the 33'd verse of the 12th chapter of St. Matthew. STEEVENS.

7rabbet-fucker, &c.] Is, I fuppofe, a fucking rabbet. The jeft is in comparing himfelf to fomething thin and little. So a poulterer's hare; a hare hung up by the hind legs without a skin, is long and flender. JOHNSON.

Dr. Johnfon is right: for in the account of the ferjeant's feaft, by Dugdale, in his Orig. Juridiciales, one article is a dozen of rabbet-fuckers.

Again, in Lyly's Endymion, 1591: "I prefer an old coney before a rabbet-fucker," Again, in The Tryal of Chivalry, 1599: a bountiful benefactor for fending thither fuch rabbet

fuckers."

P. HEN. The complaints I hear of thee are grievous.

FAL. 'Sblood, my lord, they are falfe:-nay, I'll tickle ye for a young prince, i'faith.

P. HEN. Sweareft thou, ungracious boy? henceforth ne'er look on me. Thou art violently carried away from grace: there is a devil haûnts thee, in the likeness of a fat old man: a tun of man is thy companion. Why doft thou converfe with that trunk of humours, that bolting-hutch' of beaftlinefs, that fwoln parcel of dropfies, that huge bombard of fack, that stuff'd cloak-bag of guts, that roafted Manningtree ox' with the pudding in his

A poulterer was formerly written-a poulter, and fo the old copies of this play. Thus, in Pierce Pennilesse his Supplication to the Devil, 1595: "We must have our tables furnisht like poulters' ftalles." STEEVENS.

8

—a tun of man-] Dryden has tranfplanted this image

into his Mac Flecknoe:

9

"A tun of man in thy large bulk is writ,

"Yet fure thou'rt but a kilderkin of wit." STEEVENS.

bolting-hutch-] Is the wooden receptacle into which the meal is bolted. STEEVENS.

2

66

that huge bombard of fack,] A bombard is a barrel, So, in The Tempest: "— like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor." STEEVENS.

3-Manningtree ox-] Manningtree in Effex, and the neighbourhood of it, are famous for richness of pasture. The farms thereabouts are chiefly tenanted by graziers. Some ox of an unusual fize was, I fuppofe, roafted there on an occafion of public feftivity, or expofed for money to publick show.

This place likewife appears to have been noted for the intemperance of its inhabitants. So, in Newes from Hell, brought by the Devil's Carrier, by Tho. Decker, 1606: " -you fhall have

a flave eat more at a meale than ten of the guard; and drink more in two days, than all Manningtree does at a Whitfun-ale."

STEEVENS.

It appears from Heywood's Apology for Actors, 1612, that Manningtree formerly enjoyed the privilege of fairs, by exhibiting a

belly, that reverend vice, that grey iniquity, that father ruffian, that vanity in years? Wherein is he good, but to tafte fack and drink it? wherein neat and cleanly, but to carve a capon and eat it? wherein cunning,' but in craft? wherein crafty, but in villainy? wherein villainous, but in all things? wherein worthy, but in nothing?

FAL. I would, your grace would take me with you; Whom means your grace?

P. HEN. That villainous abominable misleader of youth, Falstaff, that old white-bearded Satan. FAL. My lord, the man I know.

P. HEN. I know, thou doft.

certain number of ftage-plays yearly. See alfo The choofing of Valentines, a poem by Thomas Nathe, MS. in the Library of the Inner Temple, No. 538, Vol. XLIII:

"or fee a play of ftrange moralitie,
"Shewen by bachelrie of Manning-tree,

"Whereto the countrie franklins flock-meale fwarme." Again, in Decker's Seven deadly Sinnes of London, 1607: “Cruelty has got another part to play; it is acted like the old morals at Manning-tree." In this feafon of feftivity, we may prefume it was cuftomary to roast an ox whole. "Huge volumes, (fays Ofborne in his Advice to his Son,) like the ox roafted whole at Bartholomew Fair, may proclaim plenty of labour and invention, but afford less of what is delicate, favoury, and well concocted, than fmaller pieces." MALONE.

2

that reverend vice, that grey iniquity,—that vanity in years?] The Vice, Iniquity, and Vanity, were perfonages exhibited in the old moralities. MALONE.

3 cunning,] Cunning was not yet debased to a bad meaning; it fignified knowing, or skilful. JOHNSON.

4

take me with you;] That is, go no fafter than I can follow you. Let me know your meaning. JOHNSON.

Lyly, in his Endymion, fays: "Tufh, tufh, neighbours, take me with you." FARMER.

The expreffion is so common in the old plays, that it is unneceffary to introduce any more quotations in fupport of it.

STEEVENS

FAL. But to fay, I know more harm of him than in myself, were to fay more than I know. That he is old, (the more the pity,) his white hairs do witness it: but that he is (faving your reverence,) a whoremaster, that I utterly deny. If fack and sugar be a fault,' God help the wicked! If to be old and merry be a fin, then many an old hoft that I know, is damn'd: if to be fat be to be hated, then Pharaoh's lean kine are to be loved. No, my good lord; banish Peto, banish Bardolph, banish Poins: but for sweet Jack Falftaff, kind Jack Falstaff, true Jack Falstaff, valiant Jack Falstaff, and therefore more valiant, being as he is, old Jack Falstaff, ba

5 If fack and fugar be a fault,] Sack with fugar was a favourite liquor in Shakspeare's time. In a letter describing Queen Elizabeth's entertainment at Killingworth caftle, 1575, by R. L. [Langham] bl. 1. 12mo. the writer fays, (p. 86,)" fipt I no more Jack and fugar than I do malmzey, I fhould not blufh fo much a dayz az I doo." And in another place, defcribing a minstrel, who, being fomewhat irafcible, had been offended at the company, he adds: "at laft, by fum entreaty, and many fair woords, with fack and fugar, we fweeten him again." P. 52.

In an old MS. book of the chamberlain's account belonging to the city of Worcester, I alfo find the following article, which points out the origin of our word fack, [Fr. fec.] viz. "— Anno Eliz. xxxiiij. [1592] Item, For a gallon of clarett wyne, and feck, and a pound of fugar, geven to fir John Ruffell, iiij.s."

This Sir John Ruffell, I believe, was their reprefentative in parliament, or at leaft had profecuted fome fuit for them at the court. In the fame book is another article, which illuftrates the history of the ftage at that time, viz. " A. Eliz. xxxiiij. Item, Bestowed upon the queen's trumpeters and players, iiij. lb."

PERCY.

This liquor is likewife mentioned in Monfieur Thomas, by Beaumont and Fletcher, 1639, and in The Wild Goofe Chafe of the fame authors:

"You fhall find us at the tavern,

"Lamenting in fack and fugar for your loffes."

Again, in Northward Hoe, 1607:

"I ufe not to be drunk with sack and fugar." STEEVENS.

in/

nish not him thy Harry's company, banish not him thy Harry's company; banish plump Jack, and banish all the world.

P. HEN. I do, I will.

[A knocking beard. [Exeunt Hoftefs, Francis, and Bardolph.

Re-enter BARDOLPH, running.

BARD. O, my lord, my lord; the fheriff, with a most monstrous watch, is at the door.

FAL. Out, you rogue! play out the play: I have much to say in the behalf of that Falstaff.

Re-enter Hoftefs, haftily.

Hosr. O Jefu, my lord, my lord!

FAL. Heigh, heigh! the devil rides upon a fiddleftick: What's the matter?

HOST. The fheriff and all the watch are at the door: they are come to fearch the house; Shall I let them in?

FAL. Doft thou hear, Hal? never call a true piece of gold, a counterfeit: thou art effentially mad, without seeming fo.

6 —a fiddle-flick:] I fuppofe this phrafe is proverbial. It occurs in The Humorous Lieutenant of Beaumont and Fletcher:

"The fiend rides on a fiddle-flick." STEEVENS.

7 - mad,] Old copies-made. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. I am not fure that I understand this fpeech. Perhaps Falstaff means to fay, We must now look to ourselves; never call that which is real danger, fictitious or imaginary. If you do, you are a madman, though you are not reckoned one. Should you admit the fheriff to enter here, you will deferve that appellation.-The firft words, however, "Never call," &c. may allude, not to real and imaginary danger, but to the fubfequent words only, essential and feeming madness. MALONE.