ACT II. SCENE I.

70." A drawling, affecting rogue."

We now say affected; perhaps less properly.

SCENE II.

97. Mechanical salt-butter rogue.”

! I cannot discover the signification of this latter epithet, unles it mean one who, pursuing a sordid economy, used salt butter instead of fresh.

"I will aggravate his style."

i. e. I will load his addition, extend his titles.

SCENE III.

104. "Monsieur Muck-water."

Mock-water, the old reading, appears sufficiently intelligible; and preferable to Dr. Farmer's emendation, muck-water: the host seems to be sneering at the affected mystery or mockery in use with medical men, of inspecting the urine of their patients.

"Monsieur Mock-water.”

I have sometimes thought, that, by mock-water, the host, availing himself, as Mr. Malone says, of the doctor's ignorance of English, means to call Doctor Caius a counterfeit, that is to insinuate

that he is an empiric, and not a regular physician: the colour or complexion of a diamond is called its water, and a counterfeit stone may very well be said to have a mock-water, i. e. a false lustre; or the host may mean that, notwithstanding all Doctor Caius's vapouring, his courage is counterfeited: in the scene where Prince Henry acquaints Falstaff with the detection of his cowardice, Falstaff says, "Dost thou hear, Hal, never call a true piece of gold a counterfeit." The host's reply to the doctor's enquiring after the meaning of mock-water seems to countenance the latter explanation: I am not pleased with the emendation proposed by Dr. Farmermuck-water; still less do I like Mr. Malone's make water. LORD CHEDWORTH.

ACT III. SCENE III.

128. "I see how thine eye would emulate the diamond."

Mr. Mason has used this expression in his Elfrida.

Whose brightest eye

"But emulates the diamond's blaze."

127. Why now let me die, for I have liv'd long enough.",

I see no profaneness nor indecency in this passage, and do not believe that Shakspeare in

tended the allusion Mr. Steevens supposes: it seems a natural and common expression of extravagant joy-A similar sentiment occurs in Terence; Eunuch, Act 3, Scene 5.

Proh Jupiter!

"Nunc tempus profecto est cum perpeti me possum interfici

"Ne hoc gaudium contaminet vita ægritudine LORD CHEDWORTH.

aliqua."

Lord Chedworth might have added, from our immediate poet, other instances in favour of his argument; as in Othello

"Twere now to be most happy; for I fear

My soul hath her content so absolute, "That not another comfort like to this "Succeeds in unknown fate."

And in Macbeth

"Had I but died an hour before this chance, "I had liv'd a blessed time."

And again

"I have liv'd long enough."

SCENE V.

152. "Ford's wife's distraction."

Mr. M. Mason would read direction, but surely without advantage: the device was Mrs. Page's, while Mrs. Ford's apparent confusion could suggest no better means of escape.

159.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

"He is a good sprag memory."

I have often heard in Wiltshire, "He has a good sprack wit." Sprag is Sir Hugh's corrupt Welch pronunciation of this word.

LORD CHEDWORTH.

SCENE II.

165. "Пe cannot misuse him enough."

Misuse has here an unusual signification; it is not to treat improperly, but with severity.

66

Pray Heaven, it be not full of the knight again."

I am inclined to adopt the reading of the first folio" full of knight:"-there seems to me to be a degree of humour in the suppression of the article, which perhaps can be more casily conceived than explained; had the basket been made heavy with an inanimate substance, as lead, the article would of course have been omitted in this wish; and by the omission of the article, the knight appears to be considered merely as a ponderous body. There is an instance of the contemptuous suppression of the article in Otway, where Pierre, who was displeased at Aqualina's admission of Antonio's visits, says to her,

SCENE III.

173. They must come off."

This phrase, which seems to be well explained by Mr. Steevens, is exactly equivalent to the modern one-they must come down; i. e. must lay down their money.

SCENE IV.

176. "

Idle-headed eld."

Weak-minded old people.

178.

"Then let them all encircle him about, And, fairy-like, to-pinch the unclean knight."

Mr. Tyrwhit and Mr. Steevens consider "to pinch" as one word; a compound verb, to-pinch: but I believe, in all their curious and laborious researches, they will be unable to find any verb so constructed in the instances produced, all to tore is myn araie; (i. e. altogether tor'n ;) mouth and nose all to broke; (i. e. altogether broke ;) all to rent and scratched; (i. e. altogether rent and scratched;) all to worne and ragged; (i. e. altogether worn and ragged:) besides the other words following alto, (the abridgment still of altogether) are participles, and not in point. The difficulty, I believe, lies merely in an ellipsis not strictly warranted, and may thus be removed.

"We two in great amazedness will fly; "Then let them all encircle him about."