[1] It is one of the six additional dramas which the Editor of the present volume caused to be [first] inserted in the impression which came out between the years 1825 and 1827. It may be here stated that his duties, from various circumstances, were almost solely confined to these six dramas, four of them by Robert Greene, by George Peele, by Thomas Lodge, and by Thomas Nash, no specimens of whose works had been previously included: the two other plays, then new to the collection, were "The World and the Child," and "Appius and Virginia."

[2] See "Extracts from the Registers of the Stationers' Company" (printed for the Shakespeare Society), vol. ii. p. 230.

[3] [The orthography has now been modernised in conformity with the principle adopted with regard to the rest of the collection.]

[4] "Extracts from the Accounts of the Revels at Court." by Peter Cunningham, Esq. (printed for the Shakespeare Society), p. 176.

[5] Ibid. p. 36.

[6] Printed for the Shakespeare Society, in 1845, from the original most valuable MS. preserved in Dulwich College.

[7] Hardly so, perhaps, as scarcely any drama of this date occurs without such a prayer. The earliest in which we have seen the prayer for Elizabeth is the interlude of "Nice Wanton," 1560.

[8] It seems more than probable that "Tarlton's Jig of the Horse-load of Fools" (inserted in the introduction to the reprint of his "Jests" by the Shakespeare Society, from a MS. belonging to the Editor of this volume), was written for his humorous recitation by some popular author.

[9] "Palladis Tamia. Wits Treasury, &c., by Francis Meres, Maister of Artes of both Universities." 8vo. 1598, fol. 286.

[10] "Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poetry and the Stage," i. 255.

[11] See "Memoirs of the Principal Actors in the Plays of Shakespeare" (printed for the Shakespeare Society), p. 131. If Bucke were a young actor in 1584, he had a natural son buried in 1599, but it is not stated how old that son then was.

[12] See the entry of it by Henry Kirkham in the "Extracts from the Registers of the Stationers' Company" (printed for the Shakespeare Society), vol. ii. p. 61.

[13] We quote from Mr Utterson's, on all accounts, valuable reprint of Guilpin's collection of Epigrams and Satires, which was limited to sixteen copies. The same gentleman has conferred many other disinterested favours of the same kind on the lovers of our ancient literature.

[14] Percy's Reliques, i. 226, edit. 1812. There are copies in the Roxburghe, Pepys, and Ashmole collections.

[15] In his "Jew of Malta" reprinted in the Rev. A. Dyce's edit. of "The Works of Christopher Marlowe," i. 227.

[16] This quotation will appear in the next, the third, volume of "Extracts from the Registers of the Stationers' Company," which is now in the press of the Shakespeare Society. [This third volume never appeared.]

[17] The question when blank verse was first employed in our public theatres is considered and discussed in the "History of English Dramatic Poetry and the Stage," iii. 107, and the whole of Marlowe's Prologue, in which he may be said to claim the credit of its introduction, is quoted on p. 116.

[18] This practice of addressing the audience was continued to a comparatively late date, and Thomas Heywood's Plays, as reprinted by the Shakespeare Society, afford various instances of it.

[19] Besides "1 day," in the body of the entry ("Henslowe's Diary," p. 28), the letters ne are inserted in the margin, by which also the manager indicated that the piece performed was a new play. Both these circumstances were unnoticed by, because unknown to, Malone when he had the original MS. from Dulwich College for some years in his hands.

[20] See "Memoirs of Edward Alleyn," founder of Dulwich College (printed for the Shakespeare Society), p. 29, &c.

[21] This memorandum, securing the right of publication to Richard
Jones, is also contained in the forthcoming volume of "Extracts from the
Registers of the Stationers' Company," to be issued by the
Shakespeare Society.

[22] See his "Diary," pp. 43-48, 50, 51, 54, 55, 57, 62, and 82.

[23] "Elfrid," afterwards remodelled under the title of "Athelwold," by Aaron Hill; and "Elfrida," by William Mason. At an earlier date the story, more or less altered, furnished a subject to Rymer and Ravenscroft.

[24] See vol. viii. of the former edition of Dodsley's "Old Plays," p. 165; and Rev. A. Dyce's edition of Robert Greene's Works, i. 14.

[25] Commune.

[26] [The Pope.]

[27] [Nimrod.]

[28] [Because.]

[29] This and the other marginalia are Hypocrisy's asides. By Ambo he seems to signify, You knaves, the two of you!

[30] [Until.]

[31] [Fellow.]

[32] [Query, logic.]

[33] [Thus.]

[34] [Good.]

[35] [Old copy, wynde.]

[36] [See Hazlitt's "Proverbs," 1869, p. 103. The origin of the term there suggested seems to be supported by the words put into the mouth of Hypocrisy here.]

[37] [Old copy, myne.]

[38] [There is a proverb: "The devil is good when he is pleased."]

[39] [Tenor.]

[40] The priest is made to speak what the author seems to have taken for the Scotish dialect.

[41] [The writer should have written requhair, if anything of the kind; but his Scotish is deplorably imperfect.]

[42] The usual style in which priests and clergymen were anciently addressed. Instances are too numerous to require citation.

[43] [St. Rock.]

[44] [This passage was unknown to Brand and his editors.]

[45] Quiet.

[46] [Fagot.]

[47] [i.e., Tyranny, who disguises his identity, and goes under the name of Zeal.]

[48] [This word, to complete the metre, was suggested by Mr Collier.]

[49] Tyranny had made his exit, in order to bring back with him Sensual Suggestion: here he returns, but his re-entrance is not noted. Sensual Suggestion follows him, but not immediately, and what he first says was perhaps off the stage, and out of sight of the audience; for Hypocrisy, five speeches afterwards, informs the Cardinal that Sensual Suggestion is coming.

[50] i.e., Convicted of heresy. This use of the verb "to convince" was not unusual at a considerably later date: thus in Beaumont and Fletcher's "Lover's Progress," act v. sc. 3, edit. Dyce—

"You bring no witness here that may convince you," &c.

It was also often employed as synonymous with "to overcome." See
Shakespeare, ii. 377; vi. 49, &e., edit. Collier.

[51] [Old copy, former.]

[52] [Old copy, demeanour.]

[53] [Old copy, myne.]

[54] [Old copy, line.]

[55] [3, in the old copy.]

[56] [This and the next line but one have occurred before at the close of the speech of Spirit.]

[57] [Old copy, me.]

[58] [Assure.]

[59] [Old copy, his.]

[60] [Old copy, that that.]

[61] [Old copy, prayers.]

[62] [Makes all the world believe.]

[63] [Old copy, anchors.]

[64] [Old copy, impire.]

[65] [For Whilome a goe, possibly we ought to read "Whilome again," but this would not remove the whole difficulty.]

[66] [In harmony.]

[67] [Mr Collier remarks that this word seems wrong, "but it is difficult to find a substitute; essays would not answer the purpose."]

[68] [Old copy, thy.]

[69] [Mr Collier printed that.]

[70] [Old copy, supporteth.]

[71] [Old copy, to.]

[72] [Old copy, thou shalt.]

[73] [Old copy, as.]

[74] [Old copy, handy.]

[75] Here Armenio comes forward and discovers himself.

[76] [Old copy, none.]

[77] Hermione here seems to turn to Fidelia, and to tell her that possibly he may be as well born as Prince Armenio—"And let me tell you this, lady," &c.

[78] Her meaning is that the king her father should pardon the offence of Hermione, whose grief of mind is more severe than the wound he has just inflicted on Armenio. The two last lines of this speech appear to belong to Hermione.

[79] [Old copy, give.]

[80] [Old copy, your.]

[81] [Old copy, entertaine.]

[82] [i.e., Award. Old copy, Holde my rewarde.]

[83] [Old copy, to wander.]

[84] [Mr Collier printed honor.]

[85] [Old copy, some.]

[86] We must suppose that Fidelia makes her exit here, her father having gone out at the end of his last speech.

[87] [Old copy, restor'de. The alteration is suggested by Mr Collier.]

[88] [Unknown, hidden.]

[89] [Old copy, one.]

[90] [Old copy, turned.]

[91] [Old copy, friends.]

[92] [i.e., Constantly renewed.]

[93] Companion was often used derogatorily by our old writers. See Shakespeare's "Coriolanus," edit. Collier, vol. vi. p. 230.

[94] Franion was often used for an idle fellow (see Peele's "Old Wives' Tale," edit. Dyce, vol. i. p. 207), but here it is rather to be taken as meaning a gentleman who has nothing to do but to amuse himself. In Heywood's "Edward IV." part I., Hobbs tells the king that he is "a frank franion, a merry companion, and loves a wench well." See Shakespeare Society's edit., p. 45. The word occurs several times in Spenser; and the following lines are from "The Contention between Liberality and Prodigality," 1602, sig. F.—

"This gallant, I tell you, with other lewd franions
Such as himself unthrifty companions.
In most cruel sort, by the highway-side,
Assaulted a countryman."

[95] [Old copy, knew.]

[96] [See Hazlitt's "Proverbs," 1869, p. 478.]

[97] [Mr Collier printed not.]

[98] [Mr Collier printed only man alive.]

[99] [This and the next line of the dialogue are given in the old copy to Hermione.]

[100] [By.]

[101] [Old copy, pit_.]

[102] With a wanion seems to have been equivalent to "with a witness," or sometimes to "with a curse," but the origin of it is uncertain. It was usually put into the mouths of persons in the lower orders, and it is used by one of the fishermen in act ii. sc. I of Shakespeare's "Pericles," edit. Collier, vol. viii. p. 292.

[103] [Taking.]

[104] [This appears to be imitated from some old ballad of the time. See "Ancient Ballads and Broadsides," 1867, p. 43-6, and the Editor's note at p. 410.]

[105] [Dapper.]

[106] [Old copy, turn.]

[107] Middleton uses squall for a wench in his "Michaelmas Term" and in "The Honest Whore," edit. Dyce, i. 431, and iii. 55. Here it evidently means a person of the male sex. [When used of men, a little insignificant fellow, a whipper-snapper. Presently we see that Lentulo was referring to the Duke's son.]

[108] [Cuckoldy. A loose form of expression.]

[109] [Bomelio, in his disguise, is made to talk bad French and Italian, as well as English; this had been done in the ease of Dr Caius who, however, only spoke broken English. The nationality of Bomelio is therefore doubtful; but these minutiae did not trouble the dramatists of those days much.]

[110] [Old copy, Vedice—an unlikely blunder.]

[111] Pedlar's French, often mentioned in our old writers, was the cant language of thieves and vagabonds.

"When every peasant, each plebeian,
Sits in the throne of undeserv'd repute:
When every pedlar's French Is term'd Monsigneur."

—"Histriomastix," 1610, sig. E2.

[112] [i.e., Tarry for me. So in the title of Wapull's play, "The Tide tarrieth no Man."]

[113] Beat. See Nares, 1859, in v. Lambeake. Mr Collier refers us to the "Supplement to Dodsley's Old Plays," 1833, p. 80, Gabriel Harvey's "Pierces' Supererogation," 1593, and to "Vox Graculi," 1623.

[114] Come to be hanged.

[115] Old copy, slave.

[116] The following scene reminds us of the ancient story of the "Physician of Brai."

[117] Sure.

[118] Old copy, flight. Mr Collier suggested sight.

[119] He bites like the pestilence.

[120] Penulo makes his exit (though not marked in the old copy), and the stage then represents some place near the cave of Bomelio, who enters with Fidelia.

[121] Old copy, then.

[122] Mr Collier printed come of.

[123] Old copy, oft been.

[124] Old copy, O.

[125] Old copy, my favour.

[126] Old copy, for.

[127] Old copy, her.

[128] Above this line Mercury's name is inserted as the speaker: as it seems, unnecessarily.

[129] Old copy, Venus.

[130] Old copy, Fortune. It is Mercury who afterwards cures Bomelio.

[131] Old copy, replaies.

[132] Old copy, Hot's.

[133] Old copy, my.

[134] Old copy, But, which would seem to convey the exact reverse of what Phizanties intends—that he did not know Hermione's birth, but, presuming him to be of obscure birth, did not wish him to marry Fidelia.

[135] Old copy, But.

[136] Old copy, end.

[137] [Evidently a proverbial expression, of which the import can only be obscurely gathered from the context. Nock is the same, of course, as hock.]

[138] [There was a second edition, presenting considerable variations, generally for the better, in 1592. See Hazlitt's "Handbook," 1867, p. 466.]

[139] [For stuff the edit, of 1592 substitutes wares.]

[140] This division is omitted in the edition of 1592, and it seems unnecessary.

[141] [Old copy, his.]

[142] [Sweetheart, mistress.]

[143] [Old copy, often.]

[144] [We should now say, "as fast as;" but the form in the text is not uncommon in early literature.]

[145] An intentional corruption, perhaps for importance.

[146] Adventures.

[147] Swaggerer, hence the well-known term, swash-buckler, for a roaring blade.

[148] In the snare: What care I who gets caught?

[149] "What care I to serve the Deuill," &c., edit. 1592.

[150] Edit. 1584 has boniacion.

[151] [Old copies, but.]

[152] [A simpleton or bumpkin.]

[153] [A term of contempt, of which the meaning is not obvious. It might seem to indicate a person employed in attending to a house of office.]

[154] A bully.

[155] i e, pox.

[156] Old copies, alone.

[157] Vile.

[158] Your lives so farre amisse, edit. 1592.

[159] [Scrupulous.]

[160] [Old copies, Fraud.]

[161] [Dissimulation.]

[162] [Edit. 1592, Iwis.]

[163] Edit. 1584, shift it.

[164] This speech stands as follows in edit. 1592—"Gramercie, Usury; and doubt not but to live here as pleasantly, And pleasanter too: but whence came you, Symonie, tell me?"

[165] Doubt not, fairs ladie, edit. 1592. In the next line but two, edit. 1592 has certainly for "I perceaue," and the last two lines of the speech run as follows—

"And seeing we are so well setted in this countrey,
Rich and poore shall be pincht, whosoever come to me."

[166] When this drama was reprinted in 1592, the interval between 1584 and that date made it necessary to read 33 years for "26 yeares" in this line. It is a curious note of time.

[167] [This is given in the old copies, sarua voulra boungrace, but surely Mercatore was not intended to blunder in his own language.]

[168] [Scald.]

[169] Omitted in edit. 1584.

[170] I think so is omitted in the second 4to.

[171] [Signed.]

[172] Studied late is omitted in first 4to.

[173] At all is not in second 4to.

[174] [Old copies, kettels.]

[175] Possibly a personal allusion to somebody sitting "in the corner" of the theatre; or it may have been to some well-known character of the time. Farther on, Simplicity alludes to some boy among the audience.

[176] [Not in edit. 1581]

[177] [I think youle make me serve, edit. 1592.]

[178] [And prosperous be they to thee, edit. 1592.]

[179] [And dine with me, edit. 1592.]

[180] [Thankes, edit. 1592, omitting I give you.]

[181] [Old copies, am.]

[182] [Testy. Halliwell spells it testorn. Old copies, testren.]

[183] [Clarke, in his "Paroemiologia," 1639, has the proverb "He blushes like a black dog."]

[184] [Old copies, you.]

[185] [Edit. 1584 has very, and second 4° well, the true reading, as Mr Collier suggests, being that now given in the text.]

[186] [Priest, edit. 1592.]

[187] [Neuter.]

[188] [Miracle.]

[189] [i.e., in good style.]

[190] [Edit. 1584 has must.]

[191] This line is omitted in edit. 1592.

[192] [Will.]

[193] For parliament we are to understand parament, i.e., apparel, referring to the gowns he carries. Beaumont and Fletcher use the word paramentos—

"There were cloaks, gowns, cassocks,
And other paramentos,"

—"Love's Pilgrimage," edit. Dyce, xi. 226. Paramento is Spanish, and means ornament, embellishment, or sometimes any kind of covering.

[194] [In the old copies this direction is inserted wrongly six lines higher up.]

[195] [Old copies, hastily, the compositor's eye having perhaps caught the word from the stage-direction just above.]

[196] [These three words are not in second 4°.]

[197] [A proverbial expression. See Hazlitt's "Proverbs," 1869, p. 210. So, in the "Spanish Tragedy," vol. v. p. 84: "I am in a sort sorry for thee; but if I should be hang'd with thee, I cannot weep."]

[198] [Old copies, thy.]

[199] Mr Collier's suggestion; both the old copies, gracious.

[200] [The first 4° has can for should, and say for 'ssay or essay. The second 4° reads lying for living.]

[201] [Old copy, drudge.]

[202] Edit. 1592 has availeth. See St Matthew xvi. 26.

[203] [A synonym for a drubbing.] See "All's Well that Ends Well," act iii. sc. 6, when this passage is quoted in illustration of "John Drum's entertainment," as it is called by Shakespeare. The expression was equivalent to drumming out.

[204] Second 4° has array. Mr Collier thinks beray was intended by the writer as a blunder on the part of the clown.

[205] First 4°, seeke.

[206] [The clown is addressing one of the audience.]

[207] [Edit. 1584, the.]

[208] [This word is omitted in first 4°.]

[209] [I tell ye, not in edit. 1592.]

[210] Tell me what good ware for England you do lacke, edit. 1592.

[211] According to "Extracts from the Stationers' Registers," i. 88, William Griffith was licensed in 1563-4 to print a ballad entitled "Buy, Broomes, buye." This maybe the song here sung by Conscience. A song to the tune is inserted in the tract of "Robin Goodfellow," 1628, 4°, but no doubt first published many years earlier.

[212] [So both the 4°s, but Mr Collier suggests soften.]

[213] Play, and are not in the second 4to.

[214] [The writer seems here to have intended an allusion to Scogin, whose "Jests" were well-known at that time as a popular book.]

[215] [I think, omitted in second 4to.]

[216] A strong kind of cloth so called, and several times mentioned in Shakespeare. See "Henry IV." Part I., act i. sc. 2; "Comedy of Errors," act iv. se. 3, &c.—Collier.

[217] The Venetians came nothing near the knee. Venetians were a kind of hose, or breeches, adopted from the fashions of Venice.

[218] [First 4to reads, not agree.]

[219] [A pun, probably, upon alms and arms.]

[220] [Old copy, tables.]

[221] [So old copies; but the period named before was three months.]

[222] [Old copies, seeme.]

[223] See Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost," edit. Collier, ii. 306 and 360; Beaumont and Fletcher's "Monsieur Thomas," edit. Dyce, vii. 364. Thomas Nash, in his "Strange Newes," 1592, sig. D 3, uses no point just in the same way, as a sort of emphatic double negative.—"No point; ergo, it were wisely done of goodman Boores son, if he should go to the warres," &c.

[224] [The worst wonder is.]

[225] [Compassionate.]

[226] [Not in first 4to.]

[227] The learned Constable refers, of course, to Love, who has already been on the stage in a vizard at the back of her head: see earlier; Enter LUCRE, and LOVE with a vizard, behind.

[228] [Old copies, sacred. This was Mr Collier's suggestion.]

[229] [Old copies, ye.]

[230] [Alluding to the "Three Ladies of London," 1584.]

[231] [Old copy, Pompe hath.]

[232] [Old copy, place.]

[233] [The bells attached to the falcon, the impress of Pleasure.]

[234] Referring to the chains of gold formerly worn by persons of rank and property.

[235] Alluding to the manner in which ballad-sellers of that day used to expose their goods, by hanging them up in the same way that the three lords had hung up their shields.

[236] [Foolish, maudlin.]

[237] [Except.]

[238] [See Hazlitt's "Proverbs," 1869, p. 265-6.]

[239] The best, and indeed what may be considered the only, account of Tarlton the actor precedes the edition of his Jests, reprinted for the Shakespeare Society in 1844.

[240] [Videlicet.]

[241] [Ignorant.]

[242] [Alluding to some wood engraving of Tarlton, which Simplicity had in his basket. To the reprint of "Tarlton's Jests," by the Shakespeare Society, are prefixed two wood-cuts, made from a drawing of the time of Elizabeth, and no doubt soon after the death of Tarlton of the plague in 1588.]

[243] [Preferment.]

[244] An ejaculation, apparently equivalent to God.

[245] The first purchase made in the day—the ballad which Wit had bought of Simplicity.

[246] Espial. The word occurs again further on.

[247] [Probably a reference is intended to the proverbial expression about Mahomet and the mountain.]

[248] An ambry or aumbry is a pantry or closet. The next line explains the word.

[249] [Old copy, lent.]

[250] [Old copy, might.]

[251] [Old copy, might.]

[252] Old copy, tormented.

[253] [Old copy, unmask'd.]

[254] Old copy, our.

[255] i.e., A pack of cards; the expression was very common; deck, five lines lower, was often used for pack.

[256] [Old copy, from.]

[257] The wimple is generally explained as a covering for the neck, or for the neck and shoulders; but Shakespeare ("Love's Labour's Lost," act iii. se. 1) seems to use it as a covering for the eyes also, when he calls Cupid "This wimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy." Steevens in his note states that "the wimple was a hood or veil, which fell over the face." The passage in our text, and what follows it, supports this description of the wimple.

[258] This is the only part of female dress mentioned in this speech that seems to require a note. The "vardingale (or farthingale) of vain boast" is peculiarly appropriate, since a farthingale consisted of a very wide, expanded skirt, puffed out to show off the attire, and distort the figure of a lady. In modern times it bears a different name.

[259] [Good-bye.]

[260] [Old copy, house; but Simplicity is enumerating the new articles of attire he proposed to purchase.]

[261] [He addresses the audience.]

[262] [Old copy, auditorie.]

[263] [Old copy, proofe it fits of.]

[264] [Old copy, a.]

[265] [Old copy, in the preceding line, ever.] This and the following lines afford a note of time, and show that the drama was written and acted during the preparation of the great Armada, and perhaps before its total defeat.

[266] [The old copy reads, peerlesse, of the rarest price, which destroys the metre. The writer probably wrote peerless, and then, finding it inconvenient as regarded the measure, substituted the other phrase, without striking out the first word, so that the printer inserted both.]

[267] [Old copy, when.]

[268] See "Henry IV.," Part I., act ii. sc 1, respecting "burning cressets." In a note, Steevens quotes the above line in explanation of Shakespeare.

[269] [The concluding portion of the speech is supposed to be overheard by Fraud and the others.]

[270] The ordinary cry of the apprentices of London, when they wished to raise their fellows to take their part in any commotion. It is mentioned in many old writers.

[271] A trouchman was an interpreter [literally, a truceman]: "For he that is the Trouchman of a Straungers tongue may well declare his meaning, but yet shall marre the grace of his Tale" (G. Whetstone's "Heptameron," 1582).

[272] [Old copy, trunke.]

[273] [This is to be pronounced as a trisyllable.]

[274] [In the old copy this line is printed thus—

"Quid tibi cum domini mox servient miseri nobis; discede."]

[275] [In the old copy this line is divided between Policy and Pomp improperly.]

[276] [Might my advice be heard.]

[277] [Old copy, wished.]

[278] [Old copy, we.]

[279] [Old copy, Ne. Fra., Nemo being retained by error.]

[280] [The entrance of Diligence is marked here in old copy; but he was already on the stage.]

[281] [Simplicity seems to intend the public-wealth.]

[282] [An intentional (?) error for buckram.]

[283] They "slipped aside" on p. 483, and now re-enter. The preceding stage direction ought to be Exeunt, because the lords go out as well as Simplicity.

[284] [Committal, prior to trial.]

[285] That is, under the protection of their husbands—a legal phrase, not yet strictly applicable, as the ladies are not to be married to the lords until the next day—

"And even to-morrow is the marriage-day."

[286] [Old copy, a.]

[287] [Old copy, noble; the emendation was suggested by Mr Collier.]

[288] Old copy, vetuous.

[289] There must be some corruption here, or the author was not very anxious to be correct in his classical allusions.

[290] Lies to the king. The word lese is more generally used as a substantive.

[291] [Jug is a leman or mistress. Mr Collier remarks that this passage clears up] the hitherto unexplained exclamation in "King Lear," act. i. sc. 4: "Whoop, Jug, I love thee."—The Tinker's mail, mentioned in the preceding line, is his wallet. Trug, in the following line, is equivalent to trull, and, possibly, is only another form of the same word: Middleton (edit. Dyce ii. 222) has the expression, "a pretty, middlesized trug." See also the note, where R. Greene's tract is quoted.

[292] In one copy the text is as we give it, and in another the word is printed Ideal, the alteration having been made in the press. Possibly the author had some confused notion about Ida; but, if he cared about being correct, the Queen of Love did not "dally with Endymion."

[293] [Thalia.]

[294] [Old copy, Idea; a trissyllable is required for the rhythm.]

[295] [Old copy, kept.]

[296] [Bond.]

[297] [Old copy, Abstrauogant.]

[298] [Old copy, peely.]

[299] [Cakes. Old copy, cats.]

[300] [A Knight of the Post was a person hired to swear anything—a character often mentioned in old writers.]

[301] Some persons, not merely without reason, but directly against it, treat vild and vile, and consequently vildly and vilely, as distinct words. Vild and vildly are blunders in old spelling, only to be retained when, as now, we give the words of an author in the very orthography of that date. We profess here to follow the antiquated spelling exactly, that it may be seen how the productions in our volume came originally from the press: but when spelling is modernised, as it is in the ordinary republications of our ancient dramatists, &c., it is just as absurd to print "vile" vild, as to print "friend" frend or "enemy" ennimy.—Mr Collier's note in the edition of 1851.

[302] Shakespeare has the word "exigent" for extremity, and such seems to be its meaning here, and not the legal sense; the Knight says that the good name of his predecessors for housekeeping shall never be brought into extremity by him.

[303] [Wary, aware.]

[304] [Old copy, Squire.]

[305] [Old copy, for fourtie.]

[306] An early instance of the use of an expression, of frequent occurrence afterwards and down to our own day, equivalent to going without dinner. See Steevens's note to "Richard III." act iv. sc. 4, where many passages are quoted on the point.

[307] [Old copy, ope.]

[308] The copy of this play in the British Museum has here "Scinthin maide;" but another, belonging to the Rev. A. Dyce, "Scythia maide," a reading we have followed, and, no doubt, introduced by the old printer as the sheets went through the press.

[309] "Counterfeit" was a very common term for the resemblance of a person: in "Hamlet," act iii. sc. 4, we have "counterfeit presentment;" and in the "Merchant of Venice," act iii. sc. 2, "Fair Portia's counterfeit." In Beaumont and Fletcher's "Wife for a Month," act iv. sc. 5, we meet-with "counterfeits in Arras" for portraits, or figures in tapestry.

[310] [i.e., from or after.]

[311] [i.e., The shoemaker. There is a jest turning upon this in one of the early collections of facetiae.]

[312] [Vulcan.]

[313] By "carminger" the cobbler means harbinger, an officer; who preceded the monarch during progresses, to give notice and make preparation.

[314] We print it precisely as in the old copy, but we may presume that here a couplet was intended, as the cobbler's speech begins in rhyme:—

"And we are come to you alone
To deliver our petition,"

[315] Roquefort in his "Glossary," i. 196, states that bysse is a sort d'Étoffe de soie, and the Rev. A. Dyce, "Middleton's Works," v. 558, says that it means "fine linen," while others contend that it is "a delicate blue colour," but sometimes "black or dark grey." The truth may be that it was fine silk of a blue colour, and we now and then meet it coupled with purple—"purple and bis."

[316] [Old copy, Indian.]

[317] [Old copy, calamon.]

[318] [i.e., he withdraws to the back of the stage, to allow the king to confer first with Osrick, and then comes forward again.]

[319] [Old copy, Asmoroth.]

[320] [Old copy, Asmoroth.]

[321] [Old copy, bid.] Bid may be taken in the sense of invite, a meaning it often bears in old writers; but we are most likely to understand it bide or abide, the final e having been omitted, or dropped out in the press. In the next line we have quit again used for acquit.

[322] [We must suppose here that Honesty sends out some of the attendants to bring in the Coneycatcher and Farmer, who soon make their re-appearance on the stage.]

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