OF

ALLUSIONS, USAGES, WORDS, AND PHRASES.

A (printed 'a or a') is used instead of 'e for he when h is suppressed. Introd. p. 53.

Able (Lear, iv. 6), enable, back, maintain, support. "Admitted! aye into her heart. I'll able 'em" (Chapman, Widow's Tears, ii); "You might sit and sigh first till your heart-strings broke. I'll able it" (ib. iv.).

Absey (K. John i. 1), the a b c or alphabet. The a was perhaps pronounced as in continental languages.

Accommodate (2 H. IV. iii. 2), to be provided, to be off, like accommoder, Fr. "J'ai dÉcouvert qu'elles ne sont pas fort accommodÉes" (i.e. not in very good circumstances) (MoliÈre, Avare, i. 2).Affection (Mer. of Ven. iv. 1, v. 1, W. Tale, i. 2), conceit, imagination. "Lo, which a great thing is affectioun! A man may dye for ymaginacioun" (Chauc. Miller's Tale).

Aiery, or eiry, the nest of a bird of prey; and hence (Rich. III. i. 3), the contents of the nest, the young birds. It is the French aire, which has the same signification, and which, being flat and unformed, comes from area. See Notes and Queries, 3rd S. vi. 43.

Aim, in archery. There was a distinction between 'Cry aim' and 'Give aim.' The former was merely to call on the archer to shoot; the latter to tell him how his arrow had gone with respect to the aim or mark.

Amaimon and Barbason (M. W. ii. 2, 1 II. IV. ii. 4, II. V. ii. 1), names of fiends of which little is known. The dominion of the former was said to be on the north part of the infernal gulf. Ancient, ensign, ensign-bearer. It is the French enseigne with the usual paragogic t.

And if, an if, an. These are all used for if. The first is the original form, framed perhaps after etsi.

Anon. Probably a corruption of in one, sc. minute.

Aroint. This unusual word is generally regarded as an interjection equivalent to avaunt! but it may be an indicative, with an ellipsis of I, and so be a corruption of averrunco.

Arras (so called from the town of that name), tapestry for covering the walls of rooms. It was fixed on wooden frames a little distance from the wall; hence people could go behind it. (Much Ado, i. 3, M. Wives, iii. 3, 1 H. IV. ii. 4, et alib.)

Arthur's Show (2 H. IV. iii. 2), an exhibition of archery by a toxophile society, whose members, fifty-eight in number, appeared in the characters of the Knights of the Round Table. In it Sir Dagonet was the King's Fool.

Away i.e. on way. "She never could away with me" (2 Hen. IV. iii. 2) is, she could not go on the way (i.e. agree) with me.

BackarÈ (Tam. of Shr. ii. 1). The phrase to which it seems to belong is "BackarÈ, quoth Mortimer to his sow."

Ralph Roist. Doist, i. 2.

Heywood, Epig.

Id. ib.

"The masculine gender is more worthy than the feminine; therefore, Licio, backarÈ." (Lyly, Mydas, i. 2).

In all these places it is evidently assumed that the derivation is from back; but it may be that BigarrÉe, Brindle, was the name Mortimer had given his sow.

Baffle (baffoler, bafouer, Fr.), a part of the ceremony of degrading a knight. It is described by Spenser, F. Q. vi. 7.27.

Banquet or Banket. This in general answered to the present dessert, and it was usually served in another room, or in an arbour (2 H. IV. v. 3). It consisted of fruits, sweetmeats, etc. It also answered to our supper after a ball (H. VIII. i. 4, R. and J. i. 5), and was used sometimes for a feast in general. By a "running banquet" (H. VIII. i. 4, v. 3) seems to have been meant a hasty meal, a snatch, as it were, of food.

Basilisco (K. John, i. 1), a character in the old play of Soliman and Persida.

Baked meat (Rom. and Jul. iv. 4), meat-pie. In Webster's White Devil we have

In Cotgrave's Dict. it is rendered by pÂtisserie, Fr.

Bate (T. Sh. iv. 1, R. and J. iii. 2), in falconry, flapping the wings, apparently from battre, Fr. It is not easy to see the difference between it and beat, with which it is joined in the first of these passages. Beat, however, may be only a misprint for bate repeated.

Bat-fowling (Temp. ii. 1), taking birds by night with a light and a net. It is fully described in Joseph Andrews, ii. 10.

Bear in hand, amuse with false hopes, and so keep in one's power. The phrase seems taken from the manÉge.

Benedicite, the first word of the Canticle called The Song of the Three Children, in the Liturgy. It was generally used merely as an interjection.

Bias, a weight inserted in one side of a bowl, which of course would sway it on one side, and prevent its going straight to the mistress, or jack, at bowls.

Bill on neck (As Y. L. i. 2), "With his sword by his side, a forest bill on his neck, and a chopping-knife under his girdle" (Arcadia, i.).

Bird-bolt (M. Ado, i. 1), a short thick arrow with an obtuse head used for shooting at birds.

Bite the thumb (Rom. and Jul. i. 1) seems to have been making the figo or fig, by putting the thumb between the first and second fingers, and then biting it. It was an expression of contempt or defiance.

Black Monday (M. of Ven. ii. 5), said to be Easter Monday, from the severity of that day, April 4, 1360, by which Edw. III. lost numbers of his men in France.

Block, the mould on which the crown of a hat was formed, hence the hat itself (Lear, iv. 6, M. Ado, i. 1). Bob, a sudden tap on the face; hence a stroke of satire (As. Y. L. ii. 7). As a verb, to cheat, do out of (Othel. v. 1).

Bolting-hutch (in a mill), the machine by which the flour is bolted or separated from the bran.

Bombast, wadding, padding, from bombax cotton, the usual material.

Books. To be in one's books (M. Ado, i. 1), to be in favour with. It seems to be taken from the giving credit of tradesmen.

Boots. Give the boots (Two Gent. i. 1) seems to be equivalent to the present give the sack, i.e. turn away.Brach. "A mannerly name for all hound-bitches" (Gentleman's Recreation, p. 27). "A brache or biche, canicula, petite chienne," Baret, Dict. This seems to be its meaning everywhere in Shakespeare, except perhaps Lear, iii. 6, and everywhere else that it occurs. Jonson and Massinger use it, as bitch is still used by the vulgar, of a low common woman. Its substitution for that term may have been caused by the similarity of sound. Braque, Fr. (bracco It.), is a setting-dog; and in the work just quoted we are told the Scotch called a dog that ran by scent rache, "the female thereof in England is called a brache." The Icelandic name of this dog at the present day is rakkr. "Here is a leysche of ratches for to run a hare" (Skelton, Interl. of Mag.). Golding (Ov. Met. p. 33) uses brach and bitch as synonymous and of hounds. A lady-brach (Lear, i. 4, 1 Hen. IV. iii. 1?) seems to have been what we now call a parlour-dog; females being preferred, probably on account of their greater gentleness. The above derivation of brach is, however, not quite satisfactory.

Break across (As Y. L. iii. 4), used of a spear, in tilting, when in the charge its handle was broken by the awkwardness of the tilter. The mode of doing it, however, is not easy to conceive. Perhaps break was not used in its usual sense.

Break up, carve. It is used (L. L. L. iv. 1) of a love-letter, called in French poulet.

Breast (Tw. N. ii. 3), voice—containing for contained.

Bribed buck (M. W. v. 5), "a buck cut up to be given away in portions. In O. Fr. bribes were portions of meat which were given away." So Singer explains it; but I rather suspect it may be a stolen buck. See Richardson, v. Bribe. Breathe in watering (1 H. IV. ii. 4), to take breath while drinking. It seems to be taken from horses.

Old Play of Timon, ii. 5.

Brief, letter, short writing of any kind, even a verbal promise, contract, or agreement (All's Well, ii. 3). It may be an adj., with an ellipsis of the subst.

Brown paper (M. for M. iv. 3). This was one of the useless commodities which usurers compelled unlucky borrowers to take in lieu of ready money. Rosini, in his Monaca di Monza, notices it in Italy in the 16th century; MoliÈre, in L'Avare, in France; and it has continued in England down to present times.

Bucklers. "Give the bucklers" (M. Ado, v. 2) seems to be a term taken from prize-fighting, signifying to yield, give up. It is supposed that the bucklers were the prize; but that is not likely. There may be a use of the plur. for the sing., and the phrase may merely mean lay the buckler down or aside in token of defeat.

Budge (bouger, Fr). In Cor. i. 6 and elsewhere it means to give back, retire.

Bulk, breast, chest, not body, as is usually given. In Spanish bulto, a kindred term, is used in the same sense.But (A.S. buton, i.e. be out), without, unless, save, except. It also (it is not easy to say how) took the place of A.S. ac, yet, however; and it became a mere inceptive particle like now and why. When, as it often does, it signifies that ... not, as in "Not a man but was slain," there seems to be merely an ellipsis of the personal pronoun. So when it signifies only there is an ellipsis of the negative; for "We have but five loaves" (Matt. xiv. 17) is in A.S. "We nabbÐ her buton fif hlafas;" and at the present day a peasant would say "We haven't but five loaves." I therefore, in 1 H. IV. v. 3, read in my Edition for "There is not" "There is not but." To my great surprise I have not been able to meet an exact parallel in any play or other work. We say "There is not a man but one," etc., and "I cannot but say," etc.; but these are not precisely parallel.

Buttons. "It is in his buttons" (M. W. ii. 2), seems to mean it is in his doublet which is buttoned on him; i.e. it is in him, he is able to accomplish it. By. This prep. sometimes occurs (like bei, Germ.) in the sense of beside, near, in contact with, a sense it still retains, chiefly in poetry. But by the position given it in our poet it often causes ambiguity. See Two Gent. ii. 4, As Y. L. iii. 5, and

2 H. VI. iii. 2.

Ib.

Cade of herrings (2 H. VI. iv. 3), a barrel of red herrings containing 600, i.e. five hundreds of six score to the hundred. See Notes and Queries, 3 S. ix. 324.

Calipolis (2 Hen. IV. ii. 4), one of the characters in Peele's Battle of Alcazar.

Callat, a term of reproach for a woman. Perhaps it is merely a corruption of the Irish cailleach, old woman, learned from the Irish costermongers in London.CallinÓ castorÈ me (Hen. V. iv. 4) misprinted calmie custore me; but restored by Boswell from the Handful of Pleasant Delights, 1584, where it forms the burden of a song beginning with

of which the last line seems to be unmeaning, and the second to be the Irish A colleen Óg, astore mo chree (A cailÍn Ó? an?tÓ? mo c?oiÐe) 'Young girl, the treasure of my heart.' The last two words, it will be seen, are conjectural; and were it good Irish we might read, An mÍn 'the gentle one.'

Camelot (Lear, ii. 2), a town in Somerset, where King Arthur was said to have kept his court. Its site was on a hill, near South Cadbury.

Candles' ends, buts of candles. It was rather a disgusting feat of gallants to swallow them for flap-dragons in honour of their mistresses. 2 Hen. IV. ii. 4.

Canvas (2 H. IV. ii. 4, 1 H. VI. i. 3), to shake and toss in a sieve, of which the bottom was then as now made of canvas. The use of it in those places is figurative.

Card (1 H. IV. iii. 2), to debase by mixture, as when fine and coarse wool were carded together, and so mingled in the cloth thence woven. "You card your beer—if you see your guests begin to get drunk—half small, half strong," etc. (Green's Quip, etc.). Card of ten, the ten of the suits in a pack of cards. To "face with a card of ten" (T. Sh. ii. 1) seems to mean simply to turn up, play, a ten, the highest except the coat-cards and aces.

Careires. "Pass the careires" (M. W. i. 1), a term of the manÉge, signifying to go at full speed.Carouse, a drinking-bout, a large draught. It is usually derived from Germ. gar aus, 'all out,' which seems to be confirmed by "boire caraus et alluz" (Rabelais, iii. Prol.). In German Rausch is intoxication; and this may be the origin of carouse.

Carpet-knight (Tw. N. iii. 4), civilian knight, as opposed to the military knight; so named probably from the carpet which covered the table—not the floor—in the room in which the ceremony of conferring knighthood took place.

Carraways (2 Hen. IV. v. 3) in the form of comfits, with apples, were used at the dessert.

Carry coals, a term of reproach, because fetching charcoal, firewood, etc., was the office of the lowest servants in a household.

Carve. This verb, beside its ordinary sense, seems to have that of talking agreeably, jesting, etc. (L. L. L. v. 2, Mer. W. i. 3). In Herbert's Prophecy of Cadwallader, 1604, we have

It may be only a form of the old carpe:—

Cant. Tales, Prol.

Gower, Conf. Am. vii.

It is of constant occurrence in Piers Ploughman.

Castle (Tr. and Cr. v. 2), a kind of strong helmet, "and break the strongest castle that thou hast upon thy head" (Hist. of Prince Arthur, ch. clviii.).

Cataian (M. W. ii. 1), a Chinese. It seems, however, to be used here without any particular meaning.

Ceremony. Besides its ordinary sense of state, pomp, parade, this word is used for a sacred pledge (Mer. of Ven. v. 1), ornament of state (Jul. CÆs. i. 1), prodigy (ib. ii. 2).

Chamber (2 H. IV. ii. 4), a kind of cannon. It was properly a small mortar, hence its name; for it stood almost erect.

Charact (M. for M. v. 1), an abbreviation of character. We meet it in Piers Ploughman, v. 7600 et alibi.

Chase. See Tennis.

Cherry-pit (Tw. N. iii. 4), a game played by children. It consisted in throwing cherry-stones into a small hole.

Christendom (K. John, iv. 1), baptism, (All's Well, i. 1) name given in baptism. It answers to halidom, and to the Spanish santiguada.

Christom-child (H. V. ii. 3). The proper word is chrisom; for it was, says Blount, "the white cloth which is set by the minister of baptism upon the head of a child newly anointed with chrism after his baptism." When the use of the chrism was abolished, it came to signify "the white cloth put about or upon a child newly christened, wherewith the women used to shroud the child if dying within the month," and such was called a chrisom-child.

Cinque pace. See Galliard.

Circumvention (Cor. i. 2). The only meaning this word can have in this place is, apparently, secret information obtained by stratagem, the enemy being, as it were, circumvented. A curious instance of the liberties the poet took with language!

Cling (Macb. v. 5), from clingan A.S., to shrink, pine, wither. "Or clyngest for-drye" (Vis. of P. P. 9011). In this place of Macbeth it is used in a causative sense, as in "Clings not his guts with niggish fare, to heap his chest withal" (Surrey, Eccles. ch. v.).

Clock. "A German clock" (L. L. L. iv. 1). Clocks, it appears, were then, as now, imported from Germany, and were of a very inferior order.

Cloud in his face (Ant. and Cl. iii. 2). This, we are told, was said of a horse when he had a dark spot between his eyes.

Clown. This term for a licensed jester, and as such nearly synonymous with Fool, is peculiar to Shakespeare. The Fool in Lear hardly differs from the Clowns of the other plays. It probably comes from colonus.

Clubs (H. VIII. v. 3, As Y. L. v. 2), the cry to the London apprentices to come forth with the clubs or bludgeons which they always kept by them to keep, or as often to break the peace.

Coast (H. VIII. iii. 2), to proceed cautiously, keeping, as it were, along the shore, a figure taken from navigation. The Italian piaggiare is used in the same manner. So hedge in this same passage is figurative—keeping, as it were, inside of the hedge.

Cock-a-hoop. "You will set cock-a-hoop!" (R. and J. i. 5). By this some understand taking the cock out of the barrel, and letting the liquor run to waste. Nares quotes

But perhaps the original expression may have been Cock on heap, i.e. on his dunghill, boastful and triumphant.

Cock-shut (R. III. v. 3), a large net stretched across a glade in a wood, in order to catch woodcocks when flying in the twilight, thence called "cock-shut time."

Codpiece, a cod (i.e. pouch or pocket) set in the front of the hose. It seems to have answered to the present breeches-pockets.

Colours. "Fear no colours" (Tw. N. i. 5) would seem to have been a military expression, denoting no fear of any banners, i.e. troops or enemies.

Concolinel (L. L. L. iii. 1), the commencement of a song, usually supposed to be Italian. But there is nothing like it in that language. It was mooted in Notes and Queries if it were not rather Irish, like so many other airs at that time; and among the conjectures given, the best was by "Eirionnach" that it may have been Can colleen yal (CÁn cailÍn ?eal). 'Sing, fair girl.' But no such song is known.

Condition (Tim. i. 1), art, profession, as in French.

Control (Temp. i. 2), confute, bring to order.

Dam. and Pith.

Span. Tragedy.

As a subst. determination, decision.

Cony-catch, one of the terms for cheating or taking in. It was evidently derived from the practice of catching rabbits by setting nets before their holes, into which they were driven by ferrets.

Cooling-card (1 H. VI. v. 4), a card so high as to cool the courage of the opponent.

True Trag. of Rich. III. 1594.

Copetain, T. of Sh. v. 1 (from cop, i.e. top), high-crowned, coned, or sugar-loaf. It seems to be a corruption of coppletankt, coppintank, or coptankt, all signifying the same—"Galerus acuminatus," Junius: "Upon their heads they wore felt hats copple-tanked, a quarter of an ell high or more" (Comines, by Danet).

Cophetua (L. L. L. iv. 1, 2 Hen. IV. v. 3), the name of an African King, in the ballad, who married a beggar-girl.

Coranto (H. V. iii. 5), a lively, gliding kind of dance, in which the dancer had, as Davies says, "with best order all order to shun," and "wantonly range everywhere."Corporal of his field (L. L. L. iv. 1). Singer remarks, from Lord Strafford's Letters (ii. 199), that this was a kind of aide-de-camp employed "in taking and carrying to and fro the directions of the general or other higher officers of the field." The ordinary corporal was, as now, the lowest officer. See Nares, v. Gentlemen of the Round.

Cotsall (M. W. i. 1), Cotswold-downs in Gloucestershire, where there used to be various sports at Whitsuntide. They were instituted by Mr. Robert Dover, an attorney in the reign of James I., and continued till after the Revolution. "The sports were football, skittles, quoits, shovel-board, cudgel, and single-stick; bull-baiting, cock-fighting, bowling, wrestling, leaping, dancing, pitching the bar, horse-racing, ringing of bells, jumping in sacks," etc. See Notes and Queries, 3 S. ix. 80, 100, 353.

Counter (C. of Err. iv. 2). Hounds were said to run counter (contra) when they ran back, instead of forward, on the scent.Counterfeit, likeness, portrait; also same as slip, false coin: R. and J. ii. 4, Tr. and Cr. ii. 3.

Court-cupboard (R. and J. i. 5), a moveable state cupboard, on the receding shelves of which the family-plate was arranged and displayed on festive occasions, as on our side-boards.

Court-holy-water (Lear, iii. 2), eau bÉnite de la cour, flattery, or rather words without deeds, as plentiful and as lavishly used in courts as holy water in churches.

Cousin. This word was used, in its primitive sense of consanguineus, of any one that was akin.

Creep. Creeping to the Cross was an act of devotion in Popish times. It is alluded to in Tr. and Cr. iii. 3. Cross-row (R. III. i. 1), i.e. Christ-cross-row, the alphabet, because the sign of the Cross was placed at the head of it.

Cuckoo-bud (L. L. L. v. 2), probably the cowslip, which Singer tells us, from Lyte's Herbal (1578), was called in French coquu primevÈre, brayes de coquu, and Herbe À coquu.

Cue. "Q., a note of entrance for actors; because it is the first letter of quando, when, showing when to enter and speak" (Buller, the English Grammar, 1634). This, however, seems a very forced and pedantic derivation, and the ordinary one, from queue, Fr., seems preferable. Florio, however, says, "a prompter, one who keeps the books for the players and teacheth them, or scholars their kue."

Cupid's flower (M. N. D. iv. 1). See Love in Idleness.

Curate (curÉ, Fr.), the incumbent of a parish; not what is now so termed.

Curiosity (Lear, i. 2), scrupulousness, affected delicacy, or niceness. Curious (T. of Sh. iv. 4) has the same sense.

Curst (T. of Sh. i. 1), shrewish, snappish, ill-tempered. It is usually supposed to be cursed; and it may be so, taking this part actively. But I rather think it is a metathesis of cross with a paragogic t, or of crossed.

Curtal-axe (As Y. L. i. 3), a corruption of cutlass (coutelas Fr., coltellaccio It.), a short strong sword: "His curtlax by his thigh, short, hooked, fine" (Fairf. G. of B. ix. 82), whence it might be inferred that it was curved.

Cut. "Draw cuts" (Com. of Err. v. 1), to draw lots of paper or straws cut in different lengths. He who drew the longest was the winner.

Cut bowstrings (M. N. D. i. 2). When a match was made to shoot at butts, each said that if he did not hold his promise they might cut his bowstring and exclude him from their society.

Damn. This word had not its present restricted sense; like damno, it meant simply to condemn, or even merely disapprove of. So damned and damnable often signified merely reprehensible.

Dancing-horse (L. L. L. i. 2), a celebrated horse belonging to one Bankes, who had taught him to dance, to count, and perform various other feats. He travelled over the Continent exhibiting him; and it is said, but probably with little truth, that both master and horse were burnt at Rome for witchcraft.

Dare (H. VIII. iii. 2) had the sense of terrify—whence derived it is hard to say—when used of taking larks in a net, by means of a hawk, or mirrors on a piece of scarlet cloth.

Day-bed (Tw. N. ii. 5, R. III. iii. 7), a couch or sofa; for it was not confined to bed-chambers.

Day-woman (L. L. L. i. 2) is generally said to be a dairy-maid; for a day-house, in the old dictionaries, is where cheeses are made. As, however, day-woman occurs only in this place, and day's-man has quite a different sense, it may be only a printer's error for 'dairy-woman.'

Defy (K. John, iii. 4, 1 H. IV. i. 3), renounce, reject, cast off—as dÉfier, Fr., is distrust, put no trust in.

Devil rides on a fiddle-stick (1 H. IV. ii. 4), a proverbial expression denoting something strange, unexpected. Its origin is not known.

Dian's-bud (M. N. D. iii. 1), the flower of the Agnus castus. "The virtue of this herb is that it will keep man and woman chaste" (Maur, by Lynacre).

Diffused (M. W. iv. 4), obscure, strange, as it were confused and jumbled. "Speak Welsh to him. I doubt not but thy speech will be more diffuse to him than his French shall be to thee" (Cav. Life of Wolsey).

Dole, share, part (Theil, Germ). "Happy man be his dole" (W. T. i. 2, 1 H. IV. ii. 2) is, Be it his part to be called Happy man.

Dough. "My cake is dough" (T. Sh. v. 1) means things are not going well with me. It is a figure taken from bread baked on a girdle, still in use in America.

Drum. "John Drum's Entertainment" (All's Well, v. 1). There was a dramatic piece so named (1601), in which Jack Drum, a servant, was continually foiled in his intrigues.

DucdamÈ (As Y. L. ii. 6) would appear to be meant for Italian (duc da me, 'bring to me?').

Dudgeon (Macb. ii. 1), the handle of a dagger, properly a handle made of the wood of the box-root, of which this is the name, as given by Bp. Wilkins, Gerard, and others.

Dun. "To draw Dun out of the mire" (R. and J. i. 4). Gifford, who says he had often played at this game, thus describes it:—"A log of wood is brought into the midst of the room; this is Dun (the cart-horse), and a cry is raised that he is stuck in the mire. Two of the company advance, either with or without ropes, to draw him out. After repeated efforts they find themselves unable to do it, and call for more assistance. The game continues till all the company take part in it, when Dun is extricated of course; and the merriment arises from the awkward and affected efforts of the rustics to lift the log, and sundry arch contrivances to let the ends of it fall on one another's toes."

Dun's the mouse (R. and J. i. 4), an apparent allusion to the colour of the mouse, which, however, is not dun. The phrase was probably made for the sake of a play on done. It is similar to "The cat is gray" (Lear, iii. 6).

Durance. "Robe of durance" (1 H. IV. i. 2). "The jerkin-man is come, but your robe of durance is yet not finished" (Letter of Thomas Winter, of the Gunpowder Plot, in Notes and Queries, 3 S. i. 342). "Let me live, but I will give thee a good suit of durance" (Westward Ho!). "I refuse to wear buff for the lasting, and shall be content to apparel my brain in durance" (Cornwalleys, Essays). It thus appears that durance was a strong kind of cloth.

Each. "At each" (Lear, iv. 6), i.e. the end of one being joined to that of the other. The text seems to be right.

Eggs for money (W. T. i. 2) seems to mean cheating, bullying, giving little or no value for money.

Element, par excellence the air, as that by which we breathe and exist (Tw. N. i. 1, J. C. i. 3, Temp. v. ad fin.). It was believed that man was composed of the four elements (Tw. N. ii. 3, Ant. and Cl. v. 2).

'Em. This is not them by aphÆresis; it is the old hem of Chaucer, etc. In Marston's plays it is printed 'hem.

End. This word was used in a variety of ways in conjunction with others. Thus we have "there an end" (Two Gent. ii. 1, T. Sh. v. 2); "still an end" (ib. iv. 4); "for an end," in fine (Cor. ii. 1); also "word and end" (Chauc. Monk's Tale, Tr. and Cr. iii.); "tale and end" (Gower, C. Am. v). "Most an end," perpetually (Mass. Very Woman, iii. 1), used also by Milton, and even by Warburton. See Gifford on Mass, ut sup. In most of these cases an is and.Enew (M. for M. iii. 1). "How presently upon the landing of the fowl she [the falcon] came down like a stone and enew'd it, and suddenly got up again, and suddenly upon a second landing came down again, and, missing of it in the downcome, recovered it beyond expectation, to the admiration of the beholder, at a long flight" (Nash, Quaternio, etc., 1633). Enew is therefore to teaze, worry, terrify, and probably comes from ennuyer, Fr.

Entrance. In 1 H. IV. i. 1, this word is most abusively employed for mouth. A most remarkable instance of the liberties the poet took with the Queen's English.

Ephesian (M. W. iv. 5, 2 H. IV. ii. 2) apparently means jovial companion, toper; but why, it is hard to say.

Extent (As Y. L. iii. 1) "An extent or extendi facias is so called because the sheriff is to cause the land, etc., to be appraised to their full extended value before he delivers them to the plaintiff" (Blackstone).

Eye (Temp. ii. 1), what we now call a shade of colour. "Red with an eye of blue makes a purple" (Boyle). As it elsewhere (R. and J. v. 1) signifies glance, look, that may be a general sense of it.

Fading (W. T. iv. 3), the name of an Irish dance, perhaps the Rinka fadha (?in?ce FaÐa), long dance. It was also used as the burden of a song.

Fan (M. W. ii. 2, R. and J. ii. 4). The fan of those times was quite different from the present one. It was composed of feathers set in a round handle of ivory, and even of silver or gold, so as to be sometimes of the value of £40.

Fancy, love, as being frequently the creation of imagination. The term fancy-man seems to be a relic of this sense. It was also (2 H. IV. iii. 2) the name of an air or tune, as Such a one's Fancy, i.e. favourite.

Fashions (T. Sh. iii. 2), from farcins, Fr., the farcy in horses.

Fast and loose (Ant. and Cl. iv. 11. L. L. L. iii. 1, K. John, iii. 1), the trick still played at fairs, and called Prick in the garter, the belt, the loop. It was well known to the ancients, by whom it was named ?a?te?????, under which name it is accurately described by Julius Pollux (ix. 7); and that it was known in the Middle Ages is proved by this line in the Roman de la Rose—which, by the way, none of the critics have understood—"C'est li gieu de boute-en-corroie," 6882.Feature, form, person, make, faiture, O. Fr. It was very rarely, if at all, restricted to the countenance as now, or used in the plural. In As Y. L. iii. 3 there is perhaps a printer's error. Fern-seed (1 H. IV. ii. 1). As the seed of the fern is nearly invisible, it was believed to render so those who carried it. As Brown (Brit. Past. ii. 2) terms it one-night-seeding, it would appear that there was a mystery and a difficulty about obtaining it.

Fig (2 H. IV. v. 3, H. V. iii. 6). It was a mode of insulting to put the thumb between two of the fingers, and hold it out to a person. It was chiefly practised in Spain and Italy.

Fights (M. W. ii. 2), "the waist-cloths which hang round about the ship to hinder men from being seen in fight" (Phillips, World of Words).

First. "Two of the first, like coats in heraldry" (M. N. D. iii. 2). The shield was divided in nine different forms; of which the first was an equal division from top to bottom, as when the arms of a man and his wife were united. In this case there was only one crest, that of the husband.

First-born of Egypt (As Y. L. ii. 5). This is supposed to mean high-born persons. But as it only occurs in this place, it may be nothing more than a humorous expression without any definite meaning.

Fives (T. Sh. iii. 2), avives Fr., the strangles in horses; "an inflammation of the kernels, between the chap and the neck of the horse" (Markham, Way to get W. i. 39).

Flap-dragon (L. L. L. v. 1), "a small combustible body set on fire, and put afloat in a glass of liquor" (Nares). "Raisins in hot brandy were the commonest flap-dragons" (Id.). As raisins are not combustible, I rather think it was the liquor that was set on fire, and the feat was getting the flap-dragon out of the flame that enveloped it.

Flaw (2 H. IV. iv. 4, 2 H. VI. iii. 1), a sudden blast of wind. Warburton, who appears to be right, says it was the idea of some philosophers that it was vapour condensed by the cold of night, which, being liberated by the heat of the sun in the morning, caused the flaw or sudden burst of wind.

Flibbertigibbet (Lear, iii. 4). This, and all the succeeding names of fiends in this play, was taken by the poet from Harsnet's Declaration, etc., 1603.

Flights (M. Ado, i. 1), long light-feathered arrows for shooting at a mark.

Flirt-gill (R. and J. ii. 4), also gill-flirt. It is a compound of Gillian, a very common woman's name at the time, and flirt, which was perhaps a corruption of fleer it or fleer at.

Florentius (T. Sh. i. 2), the hero of a tale in Gower's Confessio Amantis, similar to The Wife of Bath's Tale in Chaucer.

Fool's Paradise (R. and J. ii. 4), a state of deceptive happiness. The exact origin of the phrase is not known.

Foot-cloth (2 H. VI. iv. 7), a cloth or housing covering a saddle-horse, and reaching nearly to the ground at each side. Its object was to protect the feet and legs from dirt and mire.

For (Oth. i. 3, Cymb. iv. 2), with an ellipsis of that, because. It was also used with an ellipsis of fear of.

Forfeits in a barber's shop (M. for M. ii. 2). As barbers' shops were places of common resort, to keep order in them rules were made and hung up declaring the forfeit or penalty for each transgression, which, however, could only be enforced by public opinion.

Formal (C. of Err. v. 1, Tw. N. ii. 5, R. III. iii. 1), in form, regular, ordinary, (T. of Sh. iv. 2, A. Y. L. ii. 7) precise.

Fox (H. V. iv. 4), a name for a sword; possibly so called from the maker's name, like Andrew Ferrara.

French crown (M. for M. i. 2), the crown of a Frenchman's head; a French coin; a bald head caused by the French disease. Hence, as in this place, it is frequently played on.

Galliard (Tw. N. i. 3, H. V. i. 2), a lively springing kind of dance. Davies styles it "swift and wandering," with "passages uncertain to and fro," and "with lofty turns and caprioles in the air." As it had "five paces," it is said to have been the same with the Cinque Pace; but that hardly accords with the mentions we have of the latter, also corruptly called Sink apace (M. Ado, ii. 1, Tw. N. i. 3).

Gallimaufry (W. T. iv. 3, M. W. ii. 1), galimafrÉe, Fr., a kind of hash or ragout. In these places it is used abusively as applied to persons, meaning mixture or jumble. Its origin is not known.

Gallowglas. See Kerne.

Gaskins (Tw. N. i. 5), same as gallygaskins, loose breeches or trousers. The derivation is uncertain.

Generous (M. for M. iv. 6, Oth. iii. 3), noble-minded, generosus.

Gentle, noble, of good birth (gentilis); thence, brave, gallant, worthy; and finally, courteous, kind, mild, sweet-tempered,—such qualities being most usually found among the well-born. This last sense is the least usual in the dramatists.

Gentry (Ham. ii. 2), courtesy, good manners.

Gig (L. L. L. iv. 3), a whipping-top.

Giglot (M. for M. v. 1, 1 H. VI. v. 1, Cymb. iii. 1), a female wanton. It is perhaps connected with giggle.

Gillian, the English form of Juliana, a name so common in former times that Jack and Jill was a usual phrase to denote two persons of the opposite sexes. St. Juliana was a Florentine, who was not canonized till 1729, so that the name could hardly have come from her. In Ireland Julia (in Irish Sheelah—Sila) is a common name among the peasantry. There was a Saint Julia, virgin martyr, who was put to death in the fifth century.

Gillyvor (W. T. iv. 3), of which gillyflower is a corruption, is the flower named caryophyllum, whence is formed the French giroflÉe.

Gongorian (M. W. i. 3), supposed to be a corruption of Hungarian; but that is uncertain.

Good-night (2 H. IV. iii. 2), like Fancy, a kind of song or ballad. Thus there was Johnny Armstrong's Good Night.

Good year (Much Ado, i. 3, 2 H. IV. ii. 4), a more delicate form of gougÈre, the French disease.

Gourd and fullam (M. W. i. 3), names of uncertain origin for false dice; called in the same place high and low, sc. men. They were of course hollowed and leaded internally so as to turn up the numbers required.

Greek. "Merry Greek" (Tr. and Cr. i. 2, iv. 4). In the Latin Classics the Greeks were always represented as lively and cheerful (see Merry), as compared with the more sombre Romans; and hence the phrase "Merry as a Greek" may have come into use in England. Still the original may have been "as merry as a grig," the grig or young eel being so lively and vivacious.

Green-sleeves (M. W. ii. 1, v. 5), a celebrated air. The song of "Since laws were made for every degree" in the Beggar's Opera is to this air.

Groundling (Ham. iii. 2), one who stood on the ground in the pit of the theatre, where there were no seats, and the price of admittance was only a penny.

Guard (M. Ado, iii. 4, L. L. L. iv. 3), an edging or binding on clothes, so named, probably, as securing them from tearing. It then came to signify any trimming etc. on dress.

Guinever (L. L. L. iv. 1), the queen of King Arthur in the romances.

Gull (1 H. IV. v. 1, Tim. ii. 1), an unfledged bird; still used of goslings. It then came to signify a dupe, one imposed on (Tw. N. iii. 2, v. 1), also a trick, imposition (M. Ado, ii. 3).

Gumm'd velvet (1 H. IV. ii. 2), velvet stiffened with gum, whence it was apt to fret or fray.

Halcyon (Lear, ii. 2). "A little bird, called the king's-fisher, being hanged up in the air by the neck, his neb or bill will be always direct or straight against the wind."—Book of Notable Things.

Half-face (K. John, i. 1, 2 H. iv. iii. 1), in profile, as showing but half the face.

Halidom (Two Gent. iv. 2), and corruptly holy dame (H. VIII. v. 1, R. and J. i. 3), same as christendom, christening, consecrating by the rite of baptism.

Hall. "A hall, a hall!" (R. and J. i. 5), a cry to clear the room, and make a space for the dancers. Ring is still used in a somewhat similar sense.

Hangers (Ham. v. 2), the short straps by which a sword was hung from the belt.

Hatch (Tr. and Cr. i. 3), adorn, ornament. It is properly to engrave or work with lines—hacher, Fr.

Have, take. This sense is frequent in the Pilgrim's Progress, and we still speak of having a person before a magistrate. The expressions have at you and have with you are elliptical; and have is there, I take me.

Hazard. See Tennis.

Head (1 H. IV. iv. 3, v. 1, 2 H. IV. i. 3, ii. 2), army, forces. "To make head," to raise an army.

Hell (C. of Er. iv. 2), the worst part of a prison. Marot has a poem on a prison, called L'enfer.

Hermit. In "We rest your hermits" (Macb. i. 6) the proper word would be beadsmen; but as the speaker is a woman, the poet ventured to use 'hermit' in a sense it never has had before or since. See Entrance.

Hide fox, and all after (Ham. iv. 2, M. Ado, ii. 3), a play of children. It was probably what is now called Hide-and-Seek. Hip. "Have on the hip" (M. of V. i. 3, Oth. ii. 1) seems to be taken from wrestling, and to signify getting the opponent across one's hip, and thus being able to give him a severe fall.

Harr. Or. Fur. xlvi. 117.

Hiren. "Have we not Hiren here?" (2 H. IV. ii. 4). It is a corruption of the Greek proper name of Irene, made by Peele in his play of The Turkish Mahomet and the fair Greek Hiren.

Hob. This, like Bob, Dob, was merely a short form of Robert. It and Dob are still preserved in proper names, as in Hobbs, Hobson. Hob-goblin answers to the German Knecht-Ruprecht.

Hob-nob (Tw. N. iii. 4), is hab-nab, i.e. 'have or no have,' hit or miss.

Hobby-horse (L. L. L. iii. 1, Ham. iii. 2). This was an essential character in the morris-dance. It was the figure of a horse fastened round the waist of a man, whose legs were concealed by the horse's long footcloth, outside of which hung a pair of artificial legs and thighs. The man, of course, gave motion to the horse, prancing about, neighing, etc. It may still be seen at the booths in fairs and at minor theatres. The Puritans were bitter enemies to the Hobby-horse, which was therefore frequently left out, whence the cry of

Hoodman-blind (Ham. iii. 4). The game now called Blindman's-buff.

Holla (As Y. L. iii. 2). See Soft.

Hope. This word is frequently used in the sense of mere expectation of either good or evil, a sense it still retains in America. The corresponding verbs in Greek, Latin, and some modern languages have the same sense.

Hot-house (M. for M. ii. 1), a bagnio, so named from the hot baths which it contained.

Humour. This word, signifying moisture (humor), came by the physiology of the time to mean character, idiosyncrasy. See Jonson's Every Man out of his Humour, The Stage. In the character of Nym, Shakespeare shows us how it was abused. It frequently occurs in the sense of state of mind, inclination, but never in its present sense; we still say good and ill humour. The adj. humorous occurs once (R. and J. ii. 1) in the primitive sense moist; but its usual meaning is, capricious. See Wit.

Humour of Forty Fancies (T. of Sh. iii. 2), supposed to be a collection of poems or tales. There is no copy of it remaining.

'Hundred Merry Tales' (M. Ado, ii. 1), name of a common jest-book at that time.

Hunts-up (R. and J. iii. 5), the name of an air used to rouse up sportsmen in the morning. It began with "The hunt is up, the hunt is up." Puttenham says it was composed by one Gray in the time of Henry VIII., with whom it was a favourite.

Hurricano (Lear, iii. 2, Tr. and Cr. v. 2), what is now called a water-spout.

I. So they wrote what we now write Aye. As it was the same as the first personal pronoun, there was often a play on it, as in Two Gent. i. 1, R. and J. iii. 2.

Iceland-dog (H. V. ii. 1), a shaggy kind of dog imported from Iceland, a great favourite in England at that time.

Idle (M. for M. iii. 2, Oth. i. 3), empty, void, of no force, idel, A.S., eitel, Germ.: "And the earth was idel and void" (Wicklif).

Imp, graft, hence child, young devil, by ellipsis of the devil. As a verb it was a term of falconry, meaning to splice a broken feather of the wing (R. II. ii. 1), which was effected by running a needle up the broken feather, the other end of which was run up the feather that was to be added.

Incense, properly Insense (M. Ado, v. 1, R. III. iii. 2, H. VIII. v. 1), inform, put sense, as it were, into.

Incony (L. L. L. iii. 1, iv. 1). This is usually understood to mean fine, delicate, pretty; but the following passage of the old play The Shoemaker's Holiday gives the true sense and origin of it: "There they shall be knit, like a pair of stockings, in matrimony; there they'll be in conie." Cony, like lamb, mouse, etc., was in fact one of the endearing terms then in use between married couples; so that to be in cony was to be in a state of matrimonial endearment. Thence in cony or incony gradually came into use as an adj. of endearment in general—just as in life became alive and live (as an adjective).

Index (R. III. ii. 2, Tr. and Cr. i. 3), what we now call the table of contents in a book. It also (R. III. iv. 4, Ham. iii. 4, Oth. ii. 1) seems to mean the dumb show before the acts of a play.

Inherit (Two Gent. iii. 2, R. II. i. 1), possess, cause to possess.

Iniquity (R. II. iii. 1, 1 H. IV. ii. 4), a name of the Vice, or buffoon, of the old moralities. He had asses' ears, a long coat, and a dagger of lath, with which, leaping on the Devil's back, he used to belabour him; but he was always carried off by him in the end.

Inkle (L. L. L. iii. 1, W. T. iv. 3), a kind of tape. It came perhaps by aphÆresis from A.S. rÁpincle, cord.

Instance (R. III. iii. 2, Ham. iii. 2), motive, cause, (Tr. and Cr. v. 2) proof.

Intrenchant (Macb. v. 7) seems to mean which cannot be cut so as to remain divided. It is only found in this place.

Jack. From the universality of this familiar form of John, it became the usual appellation of servants and others of the lower orders, something like the Jacques of the French. Jack and Jill (L. L. L. v. 2, M. N. D. iii. 2, T. Sh. iv. 1), therefore, represented the two sexes in humble life.

Jack-a-Lent (M. W. iii. 3, v. 5), a stuffed figure set up to be thrown at in Lent, as cocks were on Shrove Tuesday.

Jack-o'-the-clock (R. II. v. 5, R. III. iv. 2), figures of men that used to strike the hours on clocks.

Jade (possibly akin to Germ. Gaul), a name for a horse, indicating sometimes a vicious ("Jade, a naughty horse," Baret), sometimes a contemptible one, at other times expressing pity. It sometimes, however, was equivalent to horse, steed, as in

Fuimus Troes.

Jesses (Oth. iii. 3), short straps of leather or silk fastened to the legs of a hawk, with rings on them, through which passed a leash or strap, which the falconer twisted round his hand. When the hawk was let go, the leash was drawn out of the rings.

Jewel. "Wear this jewel for me; 'tis my picture" (Tw. N. iii. 4). We may hence see that jewel was any ornament in gold, enamel, etc.

Jig (Ham. ii. 2), a lively poem or ballad, as well as a dance, its only meaning at present.

John-a'-dreams (Ham. ii. 2). This means evidently a stupid dreamy person; but the origin of the phrase is unknown.

Judas' hair (As Y. L. iii. 4). It was the popular belief that Judas Iscariot's hair was red. It owed its origin probably to the dislike of red hair, which still prevails.

Kam (Cor. iii. 1), crooked, awry. This is one of the very few English words borrowed from the Welsh or Irish language.

Keech (1 H. IV. ii. 4, 2 H. IV. ii. 1, H. VIII. i. 1), the inside fat of an ox rolled up in a lump.

Keel the pot (L. L. L. v. 2), cool the pot, probably by adding cold water to keep it from boiling over.

Keep (M. for M. iii. 1, 1 H. IV. i. 3), dwell, reside. Hence the provincial and American keeping-(i.e. sitting-) room.Kerne (R. II. ii. 1, 2 H. VI. iii. 1, Macb. i. 2), sometimes joined with Gallowglas—the former denoting the light-, the latter the heavy-armed soldier of the native Irish. Barnabie Riche terms the kernes "the very dross and scum of the country, a generation of villains not worthy to live." "The Gallowglas," says Stanyhurst, "useth a kind of pollax for his weapon. These men are grim of countenance, tall of stature, big of limb, lusty of body, and strongly timbered. The kerne is an ordinary foot-soldier, using for weapon his sword and target, and sometimes his piece, being commonly good marksmen."

Kiln-hole (M. W. iv. 2, W. T. iv. 4). This is apparently the lower part of the malt-kiln, where the fire was. It would seem from these places that it was usual in those times to have private malt-kilns.

Knave, boy, lad, fellow, cnÂfa A.S., Knabe Germ.

Knife (2 H. IV. ii. 4, R. and J. iii. 1, Macb. i. 5). It appears to have been the custom in those times for women to carry a straight-handled knife in a sheath at their girdle, like a dagger. As we meet the term wedding-knives, it would seem to have formed part of the bridal array.

Knot, body, gang, party; a wavy bed in a garden.

Lantern (R. and J. v. 3), a louvre, or turret full of windows for admitting or transmitting light.

Lavolta (H. V. iii. 5, Tr. and Cr. iv. 4), a quick bounding dance for two persons. It would seem not to have been unlike the waltz of the present day. Leave (Two Gent. iv. 3, M. of Ven. v. 1), to part with, give away.

Leg. "Make a leg" (R. II. iii. 3, T. Sh. iv. 1), to make a bow or obeisance—from putting forward one leg and withdrawing the other.

Leiger (M. for M. iii. 1, Cymb. i. 6), a resident ambassador, apparently from liggan, ligg, to lie, i.e. reside.

Leisure. Shakespeare, and apparently he alone, uses this word (R. III. v. 2) for brief time, and also (R. II. i. 1) for occupation, engagement.

L'envoy (L. L. L. iii. 1), lines terminating a French ballad and conveying the moral, or an address to the person for whom the poem was intended.

Lightning before death (R. and J. v. 3), the temporary reviving of the mental powers sometimes seen in sick persons a little before death. It may be so named from an analogy with lightning; but it more probably means relieving, easing.

Light-o'-love (Two Gent. i. 2, M. Ado, iv. 3), the name of an old tune for dancing; no words to it are known.

Line. "Under the line" (Temp. iv. 1), i.e. at stake, a phrase of the tennis-court: "Let us keep the laws of the court—that is, stake money under the line (sotto la corda). Is it not so?—Yea, sir, you hit it right" (Florio, Second Fruits, ch. ii). Elsewhere in this play (iv. 1) line is lime- or linden-tree.

Line of life (M. of V. ii. 2)—in fortune-telling, one of the lines of the hand.

Lipsbury pinfold (Lear ii. 2). Pinfold is a pound for cattle; but no place of the name of Lipsbury is known. As Nares observes, this is probably a coined name, like Lob's pound.

Lock (M. Ado, iii. 3, v. 1), i.e. love-lock, a lock of hair plaited and tied with ribbon, hanging on the left side down to the shoulder, or even lower. It was greatly the fashion among the men of the poet's time, and much later. Prynne wrote furiously against it.

Loggat (Ham. v. 1), a small log of wood. Steevens, of his own knowledge, describes the game of loggats as played at sheep-shearing feasts. A stake was stuck in the ground, at which they threw loggats, and he that threw nearest to it was the winner; the prize was a black fleece. This he gave to the farmer's maid to make her a petticoat, on the condition of her kneeling down on it to be kissed by the company. Lord. "Good lord" (All's Well, ii. 3; "dear lady," Temp. i. 2) is patron or protector of any one.

Lord have mercy upon us! (L. L. L. v. 2), the inscription put on houses where the plague was, to warn people against entering them.

Lord's sake. "For the Lord's sake!" (M. for M. iv. 3). This was the word of prisoners for debt from the prison window, calling on the passers-by to give them some relief.Lose (H. V. iv. 1), waste, employ without gaining by it. So also loss (M. for M. ii. 4) is mere employment, or occupation—waste, as it were.

Lots to blanks (Cor. v. 2). Here lot is used in the sense of prize in a lottery.Love in Idleness (M. N. D. ii. 1), the pansy, Viola tricolor.

Lover. This word was sometimes used where we should now say friend, as in Jul. CÆs. ii. 3, iii. 2, v. 1, Cor. v. 2.

Luxury (Ham. i. 5, Lear, iv. 6, Tr. and Cr. v. 2), lechery, lewdness, fornication, the luxuria of the schoolmen, lussuria It.

Magnifico (M. of V. iii. 2, Oth. i. 2), a title given to the nobles of Venice.

Magot-pie (Macb. iii. 4), magpie. It is the French Margot-pie, just like our Madge-howlet, Jack-daw, Tom-tit, etc.

Mall. By "Mistress Mall" (Tw. N. i. 3) is probably meant merely a lady, without any particular allusion.

Man (T. Sh. iv. 1)—in falconry, tame a haggard or wild hawk, by making her submissive to the man or keeper.

Mammet (1 H. IV. ii. 3, R. and J. iii. 5), doll, puppet. It is probably the same as maumet, idol, image (from Mahomet?).

Mandragora (Oth. iii. 3, A. and C. i. v), the mandrake, a strong narcotic or soporific.

Mandrake (R and J. iv. 3, 2 H. IV. i. 2, iii. 2, 2 H. VI. iii. 2). From its root being forked, and bearing some resemblance to the legs and thighs of a man, some superstition was attached to it, such as its groaning when pulled out of the ground, and causing madness or death to the person who pulled it.

Mankind (W. T. ii. 3, Cor. iv. 2), masculine (of a woman).

Manner. "Taken with the manner" (L. L. L. i. 1, 1 H. IV. ii. 4), to be caught in the fact, with the stolen goods upon him. It was a law-phrase, the proper term being mainour, from manier, Fr., derived from main. Manningtree-ox (1 H. IV. ii. 4). This town in Essex used to hold fairs, by the tenure of exhibiting stage-plays; and there were great festivities there at Whitsun-ales and other festal times, at which probably—for we have no account of it—oxen used to be roasted whole, etc.

Mantuan (L. L. L. iv. 2), a Carmelite friar of the 15th century, who wrote several works, among which were Latin Eclogues, in imitation of those of Virgil. This last was a school-book in our poet's time; and the words quoted are the beginning of the first Eclogue.

Marchpane (R. and J. i. v), a confection of almonds, sugar, and flour pounded, blended, and baked, so as to form a kind of biscuit. The name occurs in most European languages, but its origin is uncertain.

Mare. "Riding the wild mare" (2 H. IV. ii. 4) is playing at the game of see-saw or weighdy-buckety—bascule, Fr.

Marian. "Maid Marian" (1 H. IV. iii. 3) was in the ballads the bride of Robin Hood. She was a character in the morris-dances, and was frequently represented by a man, but more usually by a woman of ill life.

Martlemas, i.e. Martinmas (2 H. IV. ii. 2), Nov. 11, St. Martin's day, the beginning of winter, the decline of the year.

Maze. "The quaint mazes in the wanton green" (M. N. D. ii. 2) may perhaps have been merely the fairy rings; but there was in many places what was called a Maze or Troy town, or Walls of Troy, in which young people used to run for amusement. "They are generally," says Stukely, "upon open green places by the sides of roads or rivers, upon meadows or the like, near a town." For descriptions of them see Notes and Queries, 3 S. x. 283, 398.

Meacock (T. Sh. ii. 1), a tame, dastardly person. Its most probable derivation is meekock, perhaps its original form (-ock being a diminutive, as in hillock, bullock, etc.).

Measure (L. L. L. v. 2, As Y. L. v. 4), a stately, slow dance, like the minuet of the last century.

Meazle (Cor. iii. 2), leper (mesel, meseau Old Fr.; from misellus?).

Medicine (All's Well, ii. 1, W. T. iv. 3), physician (probably mÉdecin, Fr.).

Mephistophilus (M. W. i. 1), the well-known spirit or familiar in the story of Dr. Faustus. In Marlowe's play on the subject he was probably represented as very slender in person. Merchant (R. and J. ii. 4) was used as we now use chap (i.e. chapman), in my chap, a saucy chap, etc.

Merry, cheerful, pleasant; the adj. of mirth. Hence merry (i.e. pleasant) England.

Chauc. Tale of Nonnes Prest.

(Id. Prol. Person's Tale),

where the "mery tale" is a sermon.

Mess (L. L. L. iv. 3, 3 H. VI. i. 4), a set of four persons at a meal, the party being arranged in fours. It is probably the Spanish mesa, table.

Milliner (1 H. IV. i. 3), a man who carried on the business now appropriated to women; probably from Milan.

Mobled (Ham. ii. 2), having the face covered. "The moon doth mobble up herself" (Shirley, Gent. of Venice). Its derivation is uncertain; but it may be connected with muffle.

Mock-water (M. W. ii. 3) may allude to the usage of judging of diseases by the urine; but it is uncertain.

Modern (As Y. L. ii. 7, iv. 1, All's Well, v. 3, Macb. iv. 3), common, trivial, such as we may meet with every day. Modern comes from hodiernus.

Monarcho (L. L. L. iv. 1). "Monarcho the Italian" (Nash, Have with You, etc.). "Monarcho that lived about court" (Meres, Pal. Tamia).

Month's mind (Two Gent. i. 2). This was originally a service in the church for the soul of a person deceased, performed a month after his death, in mind, i.e. remembrance, of him. After the Reformation, when such a usage ceased, the phrase still remained; and as mind signified inclination as well as memorial, it came to signify a great longing which had, as it were, lasted a month. This seems to be the simple explication.

Mops and mowes (Temp. iii. 3, Cymb. i. 7), ridiculous distortions of the face and body. Mop may be only a corruption of mock, and mow of mouth—we still say make mouths—or the French moue, which has the same sense.

Moral (T. Sh. iv. 4, M. Ado, iii. 4), meaning, as in the moral of a fable. In Tr. and Cr. iv. 4, it seems to be the same as motto.

Morris (A. Well, ii. 2), i.e. morris-dance, as it were Moorish dance, an amusement on May-day, which was long kept up, but confined to the chimney-sweeps, in London. Its chief characters were Maid Marion, Friar Tuck, the Clown, the Hobby-horse, etc.

Mort of the deer (W. T. i. 2), notes blown on the horn on the death of the deer.

Motion (Two Gent. ii. 1, W. T. iv. 2), puppet, puppet-show, as being moved and put in action by strings.

Motley (As Y. L. ii. 7), the dress of Fools, as formed of divers colours.

Mousehunt (R. and J. iv. 4), a name of the stoat; but here it seems to be used ambiguously as a hunter of mice, i.e. women, for whom mouse was a term of endearment.

Murdering-piece (Ham. iv. 5), a piece of ordnance placed in loop-holes of a castle or fortress, or the port-holes of a ship's forecastle, from which was discharged case-shot filled with bullets, nails, pieces of iron, etc. MeurtriÈre (Fr.) is, loop-hole.

Mutton (Two Gent. i. 1, M. for M. iii. 2). The single term, and that of laced mutton, mean a woman—in the opinion of critics in general, a woman of bad life; and Cole in his Dict. has "Laced mutton, scortum." Yet this may be questioned. In MoliÈre's G. Dandin (iii. 14), the maid says to her mistress, of whose virtue she is the maintainer, pauvre mouton! so that both in French and English mutton, i.e. sheep, ewe, may have been, like lamb, a term of endearment. "There's another goodly mutton going" (Green's Tu Quoque), of a modest woman.

Jonson, Mask of Nep. Triumph.

Here, we have no reason to suppose that they were women of bad character. So also in Two Gent. it is of a lady of unblemished fame that lac'd mutton is used. Speed calls himself "a lost mutton," and her "a lac'd mutton," where, by the way, we must pronounce "lac'd" last, or we miss the humour. It may be observed, as Nares and others have not seen it, that the allusion in laced is to the lacing of the dress in front. Hence the frequent cry, Cut my lace!

Nettle of India (Tw. N. ii. 5), a zoophyte, it is said, called Urtica marina, abounding in the Indian seas. "The flower of India, pleasant to be seen, but whoso smelleth to it, feeleth present smart" (Green, Card of Fancie), whence Shakespeare probably took it, would rather seem to indicate a plant.

Nice (T. Sh. iii. 1, R. and J. v. 2), silly, trifling, from niais, Fr.

Nicholas (Two Gent. iii. 1, 1 H. IV. ii. 1). This Saint appears to have had a double office,—the one as the patron of schools and learning, as he was celebrated for his piety and love of learning from his infancy; the other, we know not how, as the patron of thieves and highwaymen, who were called St. Nicholas' clerks.

Night-gown. This was the name of the night-dress of both women and men (Macb. ii. 2, Ham. iii. 4). It is still used, at least in the country, for night-dress. The night-gown was only used by persons of some rank and consideration; people in general went to bed naked, buffing the blanket, as it was termed in Ireland. It may be here observed that gown was, like gonna, It., whence it is derived, used very extensively at that time. So we have sea-gown (Ham. v. 1), for a sailor's outer coat, a pilot-coat, as we should now say.

Nine men's morris (M. N. D. ii. 1). "In that part of Warwickshire where Shakespeare was educated, and the neighbouring parts of Northamptonshire, the shepherds and other boys dig up the turf with their knives to represent a sort of imperfect chess-board. It consists of a square, sometimes only a foot in diameter, sometimes three or four yards. Within this is another square, every side of which is parallel to the external square; and these squares are joined by lines drawn from each corner of both squares, and the middle of each line. One party, or player, has wooden pegs, the other stones, which they move in such a manner as to take up each other's men, as they are called; and the area of the inner square is called the pound, in which the men taken up are impounded. These figures are by the country-people called Nine Men's Morris or Merrils, and are so called because each party has nine men." (James, in Var. Shakespeare.) This, it must be confessed, is not very intelligible, and it is rather remarkable that Nares takes no notice of it. On the contrary, he says that Nine Men's Morris is "evidently only another name" for Nine-holes. In this he must be wrong, as the word Morris shows; but Shakespeare may have confounded the two, and have meant Nine-holes, as would seem to be indicated by "filled up with mud." Nobody (Temp. iii. 2). "The picture of Nobody was a common sign. There is also a woodcut prefixed to an old play of Nobody and Somebody, which represents him" (Singer).

Noddy (Two Gent. i. 1), a fool, or rather perhaps a nobody. "Thersites, the glorious noddy" (Puttenham).

Dam. and Pith.

It may be connected with noodle. It was also a game at cards, something like cribbage, in which the knave was called knave-noddy, to which last, it may be, Speed alludes.

Nonce (1 H. IV. i. 2), or Nones, is simply ones, once, with the paragogic n, and signifying that one time.

Novum (L. L. L. v. 2), a game at dice, at which the full number of players would seem to have been five. As the principal throws were nine and five, it was named Novemquinque.Nuncle, i.e. uncle with the paragogic n, of which there were so many instances. In Lear, it is the term used by the Fool to the King; and in Fletcher's Pilgrim (iv. 1), Alinda uses it, when assuming the character of a fool; but this may have been a mere imitation of the Fool in Lear. Uncle and Aunt (M. N. D. ii. 1, W. T. iv. 2) may have been originally only names for elderly persons: the former at least is still used in this manner in Cornwall; and the American custom of so styling elderly negroes of both sexes may be a remnant of it.

Nut-hook (M. W. i. 1, 2 H. IV. v. 4), a hook for pulling down the branches of nuts. It was, as in these places, used figuratively of a bailiff.

Nutmeg. "A gilt nutmeg" (L. L. L. v. 2), was a common gift at Christmas and other festivals.

Object. This word was used, of both persons and things, in the same manner as we now use subject. Of persons we still employ it with the ellipsis of of pity, as it seems to be used in Tim. iv. 3; but Shakespeare uses it also with that of of love. (Two Gent. ii. 4, Cymb. i. 7.) The French also used it in this sense (see MoliÈre passim).

One. As this appears to be pronounced on (Two Gent, ii. 1), it is assumed that such was its sound, but it was in fact pronounced as at present; for in the Contention, etc., the original of 2 H. VI., we have "all's wonne (one) to me." In Chaucer's time it was sounded like own, for he always writes it oon, and it retains this sound in alone, atone, only.

Or ere. This should be or e'er; for or is ere, before, and we have the full phrase or ever in the Bible (Dan. vi. 24, Ps. lviii. 8) and elsewhere.

Osprey (Cor. iv. 7). This bird of prey was supposed to exercise a kind of fascination over the fish which it captured.

Out of God's blessing into the warm sun (Lear, ii. 2)—a proverb signifying from good to bad, the origin of which has not yet been shown.

Overscutched huswives (2 H. IV. iii. 2) seems to mean the harlots who had been well whipped in the house of correction. Scutch (same as scotch), to beat, to scourge, is still used of flax, and in Ireland of a mode of beating out wheat; huswife or housewife, signified hussy, a corruption of it.

Owch (2 H. IV. ii. 4). This word, whose origin is extremely obscure, seems to signify ornament, jewel, etc.

Owl. "The owl was a baker's daughter" (Ham. iv. 5). Douce says this is a common tradition in Gloucestershire. "Our Saviour went into a baker's shop, where they were baking, and asked for some bread to eat. The mistress of the shop immediately put a piece of dough in the oven to bake for him; but was reprimanded by her daughter, who, insisting that the piece of dough was too large, reduced it to a very small size. The dough, however, immediately began to swell, and presently became of a most enormous size; whereupon the baker's daughter cried out, Heugh, heugh, heugh! which owl-like noise probably induced our Saviour to transform her into that bird for her wickedness."

Painted cloth (As Y. L. iii. 2), i.e. cloth or canvas painted in oil, used like tapestry for hanging the walls of sitting-rooms and bed-chambers. It was both cheaper and more lasting than tapestry, and, like it, had stories and mottoes on it.

Palabras (M. Ado, iii. 4) and Paucas [pocas] palabras (T. Sh. Ind.) Sp., words, few words.

Parish top (Tw. N. i. 3). It was the custom to keep a large whipping-top in each parish in the country parts for the peasantry to use in frosty weather to keep them warm with exercise.

Partlet (W. T. ii. 3, 1 H. IV. iii. 3), the name of the hen in Chaucer's Tale of the Nonnes Prest—used in these places of a woman who, like her, gave advice, etc., to her husband.

Passy-measure (Tw. N. v. 1), the Italian passo mezzo. It was a slow grave dance, correlative to the Galliard, but with only half the number of steps. It may have been the same as the Pavin (from pavo?), which is joined with it.

Patch (C. of Err. iii. 1, M. of V. iii. 5, Macb. v. 3), fool. "Patch was the name of a Fool kept by Cardinal Wolsey, and who deservedly had the honour of transmitting his appellation to a very numerous body of descendants, he being, as Wilson observes in his Art of Rhetorique, 1553, 'a notable fool in his time'" (Gifford on Mass. New Way, etc. iii. 2). He may, however, have been so named from his dress.

Path (J. C. ii. 1), to pace, walk, go along.

Drayton, Duke Humphrey's Epistle.

Id. Polyolb. ii.

Pax (H. V. iii. 6), a piece of wood or metal, with the picture of Christ upon it, which was given to the people to kiss at the end of divine service.

Pensioners (M. W. ii. 2, M. N. D. ii. 1). The band of Gentlemen Pensioners was instituted by Queen Elizabeth. It was composed of tall handsome young men, of rank and fortune, who were splendidly attired.

Pict-hatch (M. W. ii. 2) is said to have been a noted tavern or brothel in Turnbull-street, Clerkenwell. The picked hatch or half-door with spikes (whence the name) was a common defence of brothels.

Piece, one, individual. It was, and is, used in English, French, and other languages, both of persons and things. So we say a piece of cannon, a fowling-piece, pieces of money, so much a-piece, i.e. to each, etc. A remarkable instance of this use of piece occurs in the Roman de la Rose (ver. 16099), where it denotes the individuals of the various species formed by Nature.

Corneille, Le Menteur, v. 5.

The critics are quite wrong in saying that when used of a woman it denoted bad character; for it was merely with an ellipsis of of womankind. Peele says of Helen before her elopement,

Arraign. of Paris, ii. 2.

War of Troy.

We also have,

of a princess;

of Elizabeth, whom Wilson (Life of James I. p. 1) terms "a glorious and most happy piece of sovereignty." We also meet with "piece of virtue" (Temp. i. 2, Ant. and Cleop. iii. 2), "piece of beauty, of enchantment" (W. T. iv. 3). It was also used of men:

to a man;

to men.

Pin (L. L. L. iv. 1)—in archery, the black peg with which the clout or white was fastened in the middle of the butt.

Placket (L. L. L. iii. 1, W. T. iv. 3). "Torace, the breast or bulk of a man; also the middle space between the neck and the thighs; also a placket, a stomacher" (Florio). This puts the meaning of this word beyond dispute. In Winter's Tale it signifies the part covered by it.

Point-device (L. L. L. v. 1, As Y. L. iii. 2), precise, exact in dress and manners. It is said to be the French point dÉvisÉ; but there is no such phrase in French. It may be point de vice.

Pomander (W. T. iv. 3), probably, as Minshew says, from pomme ambre. It was a ball, etc., often of silver, perforated, and containing perfumes; so that it would seem to answer to the present smelling-bottle. Perhaps it was the same as the pouncet-box (1 H. IV. i. 3). Poor-John (R. and J. i. 1), dried hake, a coarse kind of food.

Porpentine, a corruption of porcupine. Always the form used by Shakespeare; so Portingale for Portugal.

Potatoes (M. W. v. 5). It is curious that this tuber, which had been lately brought to England, should have been regarded, as it was, as an incentive to venery.

Pox, i.e. pocks, were properly the pits or holes poched or sunk in the face by the disease now called the small-pox, then simply the pox. Hence there was no indelicacy in its use by a lady (L. L. L. v. 2).

Pride of place (Macb. ii. 4) seems to mean the greatest height to which a falcon flew, previous to making the stoop. Place seems equivalent to pitch.

Princock, princox (R. and J. i. 5), a pert forward youth. Perhaps prince-cock, little prince; cock is a diminutive.

Priscian, a celebrated Latin grammarian. Blundering in grammar was termed breaking his head, hence "a little scratched" (L. L. L. v. 1).

Prone (Cymb. v. 4), prompt, ready, unembarrassed.

Holme, Fall of Rebellion, 1537.

Mass. New Way, iii. 2.

In M. for M. i. 3, prone is, perhaps, prepossessing, that makes one prone or inclined to.

Pun (Tr. and Cr. ii. 1), to pound, crush. It is the A.S. punian, and has been changed to pound, just as hoise has become hoist.

Puppet. "The puppets dallying" (Ham. iii. 2) seems to mean the apparent motion of the babies in the eyes, i.e. the reflections of objects on the outer part of the pupil.

Putter-out (Temp. iii. 3), one who, on going on his travels, placed in the hands of some one a sum of money, on condition of receiving three, four, five, etc. times that sum in case of his safe return. It was a very common practice in those days.

Quail (Tr. and Cr. v. 1) is used figuratively of a loose amorous woman, the quail being regarded as an amorous bird. Bevy was used alike of quails and of women. Quality, profession, occupation (Ham. ii. 2), chiefly the dramatic; the persons of it (Temp. i. 2).

Quarry (curÉe, Fr., curata, It. See Bocc. Thes. vii. 76, Orl. Inn. ii. 10, 60), properly the entrails of the game, the part given to the hounds; a heap or pile of slaughtered game (Ham. v. 2, Macb. iv. 3, Cor. i. 1). It was also used of the game itself even while afoot.

Quern (M. N. D. ii. 1), a hand-mill; but in this place Shakespeare evidently uses it for churn.

Quiddit and quillet (Ham. v. 1). The first of this is a corruption of the scholastic quidditas, and denotes a subtle distinction; the second is the same as quibble, whence quip, and is a corruption of quidlibet.

Quietus (Ham. iii. 1), "a word used by the Clerk of the Pipe and Auditors of the Exchequer, in their acquittances or discharges given to accountants, usually concluding with abinde recessit quietus; which is called Quietus est" (Reed, note in Dodsley's Old Plays).

Quinapalus (Tw. N. i. 5). This and Pigrogromitus, etc., afterwards (ii. 2) used by the Clown, are probably mere words invented by the poet, like the foreign language in All's Well.

Quintaine (As Y. L. i. 2). The quintaine here alluded to seems to be the simpler one in use in the poet's time. It was formed by a cross bar turning with a pivot on a pole, at one end of which was a figure, at which the player was to run with his lance, and at the other a sand-bag, which would give him a hard blow, if he struck so as not to be out of the way when it came round by the revolution of the bar. A quintaine is still to be seen at Offham Green, in Kent.

Rabato (M. Ado, iii. 4), a kind of ruff or collar, rabat, Fr. from rabattre, to throw back. It is said to have been originally merely the collar of the shirt turned back, as was the case with boys' shirts some years ago.

Rascal (As Y. L. iii. 3, 1 H. VI. iv. 2) "is properly the hunter's term given to young deer, lean and out of season" (Puttenham). This is the sense in which this word is usually understood; but on the other hand we have, in the Return from Parnassus, 1666, "I caused the keeper to sever the rascal-deer from the bucks of the first head. Now, sir, a buck is in the first year a fawn; the second year a pricket; the third year a sorrel; the fourth year a soare; the fifth a buck of the first head; the sixth year a complete buck."

Jonson, Staple of News, iii. 2.

It would therefore appear that the rascal was simply the deer that had not yet reached his fifth year, and perhaps the word was raw (immature) skull. It was used metaphorically in our poet's time as now. Fletcher uses it more than once of a woman.Ready. This word frequently signifies dressed, and unready undressed.

Queen of Corinth, ii. 4.

Island-Princess, iii. 3.

In 1 H. VI. ii. 1 we have, "half ready and half unready," i.e. drest and undrest; and in Macb. ii. 3, "manly readiness" for men's clothes. To ready the hair is still used in some places for combing and arranging it.

Recheat (M. Ado, i. 1), notes played on the horn to call off the dogs.

Regiment (Ant. and Cleop. iii. 6), government, rule; (R. III. v. 3) body of troops, separate command.

Region (R. and J. ii. 2, Ham. ii. 2), the air. The space between the lunar sphere and the earth was divided into the region of air and the region of fire; the air was the region par excellence, as nearest to the earth. See Element.

Rest. The phrase "set up rest" (All's Well, ii. 1, M. of V. ii. 2, W. T. iv. 3, R. and J. iv. 5) in these plays is figurative, derived from gaming, chiefly at the game of cards called Primero. As this game came from Spain it brought, like Ombre, its terms with it, and rest was the Spanish resto, which meant not, as is usually supposed, the stake, but the bet or wager, which appears to have been made by the players only. "What shall we play for?—One shilling stake and three rest" (Florio, Second Fruits). The Spanish phrase for laying a wager, or making a bet at play, was echar el resto, put or throw down the sum betted; and this became in English set up the rest. The reason perhaps was because this phrase was already in use in a military sense, as the matchlock guns, on account of their weight and the mode of firing them, required a rest or support. The phrase was also used (R. and J. v. 3, Lear, i. 1) for making one's abode. Restie (Cymb. iii. 6), "dull, heavy, idle, inert" (Bullokar).

Revels (H. VIII. i. 4) seems in this place to be what was called mixed dancing, in which both sexes partook. "Here they take forth the ladies and the revels begin" (Jonson, Masque of Lethe). Its general signification, however, was sports and amusement of any kind. It comes from rÉveiller, Fr.

Riming rats to death (As Y. L. iii. 2). There is abundant evidence of the belief that in Ireland rats could be killed by metrical charms. This notion would seem to have been common to the whole Celtic race; for M. VillemarquÉ (Barzaz Breiz, i. 1xx.) says that when some bad verses were made relating to the cholera in Bretagne, an old peasant observed "au fond, peu importe; l'essentiel Était que le cholÉra fÛt chansonnÉ. Il l'est; la chanson fera fuir la peste."

Roast. "Rule the roast" (2 H. VI. i. 1) was probably used originally of cocks, the proper term being roost, as it perhaps was here, where it is printed rost. It would thus be similar to Cock of the Walk.

Rosemary (W. T. iv. 3, Ham. iv. 5). This plant, for some unknown reason, was held to be a symbol of remembrance, and was used at weddings and funerals.

Rouse (Ham. i. 4). See Carouse.

Rue (W. T. iv. 3, R. II. iii. 4, Ham. iv. 5) was called herb of grace, probably from its resemblance to rue, pity.

Sack (2 H. IV. 1, et alib.). There can be no doubt that this celebrated wine was nothing else but what is now called sherry, sherris-sack, as Falstaff terms it. Sack is seco, Sp., as it was a dry wine; sherry is from the town of Xeres, the guttural x being as usual pronounced sh. See Naress' long article Sack.

Sackerson (M. W. i. 1), a celebrated bear at Paris-garden, named, as was the custom, after the bear-ward.

Safe (Temp. iii. 1, M. for M. i. 1, K. John, iv. 2, Macb. i. 4), secure, from which there is no danger, that may be relied on.

Sanctify (Cor. iv. 6), to bless, make the sign of the cross.

Seel (Oth. i. 3, Macb. iii. 1), to close the eye-lids of a hawk by passing a fine thread through them, with a view to making it tame.

Sennet, sinnet, cynet, signate, a set of notes on the trumpet or clarion, usually employed to denote the approach of a person of rank. It is perhaps only a corruption of sonata, It. Servant. In the gallantry of those days servant, as the correlative of mistress, denoted the lover. It came from the French serviteur, which occurs in this sense continually in the Nouvelles of the Queen of Navarre. In Italian 'cavalier servente' is hardly yet out of use.

Setabos (Temp. i. 2). "The giants [Patagonians], when they found themselves fettered, roared like bulls, and cried upon their great devil, Setabos, to help them" (Eden, Hist. of Travel, 1577).

Shard (Ham. v. i), a piece of broken pot, tile, etc. This word has also two other senses—namely, a piece of cow-dung, and a scale, the latter only in these lines of Gower:

Conf. Am. v.

Ib. vi.

And it is a question in which of these senses Shakespeare understood shard (Ant. and Cleop. iii. 2, Macb. iii. 2, Cymb. iii. 3) when speaking of the beetle. In the first "they were his shards and he their beetle," the cow-dung, though the beetle's natal place, could hardly be meant, as he had then to do with only one shard; while supposing the wing-cases to be meant, the sense is plain: in the second "the shard-borne beetle" is ambiguous; for born and borne were the same word: in the third, "the sharded beetle" can only mean properly the beetle that has shards, and it is opposed to "the full-wing'd eagle." The fact, then, seems to be that the poet took this word from Gower, and applied it to the wing-cases of the beetle, which he supposed to be the wings, a piece of ignorance in zoology not to be wondered at in one who asserted (M. of Ven. v. 1) that the nightingale does not sing by day.

Sheriff's post (Tw. N. i. 5). It was the custom to have painted posts at the doors of city magistrates, on which proclamations, etc. were put up.

Shove-groat, a kind of game. "It requires," says Strutt, "a parallelogram to be made with chalk, or by lines cut upon the middle of a table, about 12 or 14 inches in breadth, and 3 or 4 feet in length; which is divided latitudinally into nine equal partitions, in every one of which is placed a figure in regular succession from one to nine. Each of the players provides himself with a smooth halfpenny [formerly a groat or shilling] which he places upon the edge of the table, and striking it with the palm of his hand drives it towards the marks; and according to the value of the figure affixed to the partition wherein the halfpenny rests his game is reckoned; which generally is stated at thirty-one, and must be made precisely. If it be exceeded, the player goes again for nine, which must also be brought exactly, or the turn is forfeited; and if the halfpenny rests upon any of the marks that separate the partitions, or overpasses the external bounderies, the go is void."

Shrew. This well-known word is used of men also in Chaucer, signifying, a bad, a wicked person: in its later restriction to women it is nearly synonymous with scold. It would seem to come from some lost Anglo-Saxon verb—of which we have a trace in beshrew—akin to the German schreien, to cry out, scream. Shrewd, now used only in the sense of mental acuteness, signified (H. VIII. v. 2) ill, malicious.

Side. "Carry out a side" (Lear, v. 1), means win a game at cards, as "pull down a side" was to lose it. It would seem that these phrases were only used of games where there were partners. Sides is still used of athletic games where there are two parties.

Sink-apace. See Galliard.

Skains-mate (R. and J. ii. 4). Perhaps the best interpretation of this unusual term is common woman, whore, who, like Doll Tearsheet (2 H. IV. ii. 4), usually carried a knife. Skain is the Irish sgian, knife.

Sleave, and sleave-silk (Macb. ii. 2, Tr. and Cr. v. 1), the soft floss silk before it is twisted.

Sleeve-hand (W. T. iv. 3), cuff or wristband. In the same place square is the part covering the bosom:

Fairf. G. of Bul. xii. 64.

Slip. See Counterfeit.Soft, soft you. These expressions, which so frequently occur, are verbs; soft coming from soften, as haste from hasten. The meaning is relax, stop, hold back. It may be here observed that the hunting-term soho is a combination of soft and hold, both apocopated, meaning hold back, do not start the hare; and that tallyho is tarry, hold, let the fox get off, give him law. In like manner holla was a term used to a horse (Ven. and Adon., St. 48, As You Like it, iii. 2), to make him stop, stand quiet, and formed from hold and, perhaps, hard. Span-counter (2 H. VI. iv. 3), a game played by boys with counters or pieces of money; but it is not well known in what manner. The span or distance between the thumb and the little finger when the hand is on the stretch, had of course something to do with it, as in Three-hole-span, a game at marbles.

Speak (K. John, ii. 1, J. C. iv. 3, Cor. v. 3). Editors do not seem to have observed that in these and other places speak is synonymous with say.

Split. "Make all split" (M. N. D. i. 2), was a common phrase, denoting violence of action; but the allusion is not exactly known. We say "split the sides" with laughter.

Spoons (H. VIII. v. 3). It was the custom for the sponsors at a christening to make a present of spoons, named Apostle-spoons, because the handle was terminated with the figure of one of the Apostles. The spoons were usually of silver. The wealthy gave the entire dozen, others according to their means.

Spy of the time (Macb. iii. 2). This most unusual phrase occurs only in this place. The meaning of spy in it must be, exact information. It is very remarkable that Ariosto uses spia in exactly the same sense:—

Or. Fur. xxxix. 79.

See also vii. 34, viii. 68, ix. 14, xxxvii. 90, I Suppositi, v. 6. Could Shakespeare have read Ariosto in Italian? Spy does not occur in Harrington's translation; but Gascoigne renders ebbero spia in I Suppositi by had espial. In Gower (Conf. Am. v.) we have

Stalking-horse (As Y. L. v. 4), either a real horse trained for the purpose, or the imitation of one carried by the sportsman by means of which his was enabled to get within shooting-distance of wild fowl.

Statute (sc. staple, merchant) Ham. v. 1, a legal mode of securing a debt on the debtor's land. Recognizance in the same place is an acknowledgment by the debtor for the same purpose; fines and recoveries were legal modes of cutting off an entail; double voucher was connected with a recovery, two persons being required to vouch for the tenant's title.

Stell (Lear, iii. 7). It is very doubtful in what sense this verb is used here. It is usually supposed to be the same as stellar; but there is no instance of its use in that sense, while in Lucrece, st. 207, and in Son. xxiv. we have it in the sense of place, of which (except these passages of our poet) only the following instance has been given, and that of the subst., not the verb. "The said stell of Plessis," Danet, Comines. Stelle and stel are the German and Dutch, stead the English, for place.

Sticking-place (Macb. i. 7). The best explanation of this seems to be that which supposes it to be the point to which the strings of musical instruments are screwed up in tuning.

Stickler (Tr. and Cr. v. 9), one whose office it was, at single combats or trials of skill, to stand by and see fair play, and to end the matter when he deemed it right to do so. He bore a stick, whence the name. Like some other words it has somewhat changed its meaning, for it now means one who contends for something.

Stint (R. and J. i. 3, Tr. and Cr. iv. 5, Tim. v. 5), cease, stop, put an end to. "Stint thy babbling tongue" (Jonson, Cynth. Rev. i. 1). "Stint thy idle chat" (Marston, What You Will). "Lacrimas supprimere, to stint weeping" (Baret, Alvearie).

Strachy. "The Lady of the Strachy" (Tw. N. ii. 5). What the allusion is here, and the meaning of Strachy are alike unknown. Payne Knight conjectured that this word may be a corruption of Stratico, the title of the Governor of Messina; but this is very dubious.

Stuck (Tw. N. iii. 5, Ham. iv. 7), seems to be a corruption of stocco, It., a rapier.

Sword. Swearing by the sword (W. T. ii. 3, Ham. i. 5), was in effect swearing by the Cross, as the hilt and blade were separated by a cross bar of metal.

Take (M. W. iv. 4, Ham. i. 1, Lear, ii. 4), to strike, blast, infect. Here it is used in a causative sense, with an ellipsis of the object, as disease, etc.—Take in (Ant. and Cl. i. 1, iii. 7, Cymb. iv. 2) is the same as the simple take. It is a mere translation of the Dutch ennemen, learned in the wars of the Low Countries.—Take with (1 H. IV. ii. 4, R. and J. iii. 5), cause to understand, keep, as it were, in the same pace with.—Take up (All's Well, ii. 3, 2 H. IV. i. 2), sc. money or things on credit.

Tawdry (W. T. iv. 3), a corruption of Saint Audrey (i.e. Ethelred), the t being, as was so frequently the case, transferred to the following word. A fair was held, chiefly at Ely, on St. Audrey's day (Oct. 17), at which toys, etc., were sold, among these a kind of silken necklaces, much worn by the country-maidens. We should perhaps say simply, lace; for Spenser has

Shep. Cal. iv. 135.

Tawny. This is simply tanned, i.e. of a brown colour like that of tanned leather. Hence in 1 H. VI., the Bishop's men are in "tawny coats," i.e. coats of some variety of brown colour.

Tear a cat (M. N. D. i. 2), an expression of ranting violence of which the origin is merely conjectural.Tennis. The figurative expressions in these plays derived from this game are:—Bandy (R. and J. ii. 5, Lear, i. 4 et alibi), to strike and drive the ball with the racket. Hazard (H. V. i. 2) is, says Steevens, "a place in the tennis-court into which the ball was sometimes struck." Chace (ib.) is, says Douce, "that spot where a ball falls, beyond which the adversary must strike the ball to gain a point or chace. At long tennis it is the spot where the ball leaves off rolling." Steevens quotes from Sidney's Arcadia, book iii. "Then Fortune—as if she had made chaces enow on the one side of that bloody tennis-court—went on to the other side of the line." Surely, according to this, with which Shakespeare agrees, a chace was not a spot. The line, it may be observed, ran along the court at right angles to the wall against which they played.

Tercel (Tr. and Cr. iii. 2), and tassel-gentle (R. and J. ii. 2), the male of the goss-hawk, tiercelet, Fr., so called, it is said, from being a third less than the female, or, some say, as being one of three in a falcon's nest, the other two being always females. The epithet gentle denoted its docility.

Termagant (Ham. iii. 2), an imaginary being, in the old mysteries and moralities, usually associated with Mahound, i.e. Mahomet, and of a furious violent character. The word still remains, but in a somewhat different sense. It comes, it is said, from Trivagante, It., used in the same manner. May not the remote origin be Ter-(i.e. Tris-) megistos?

Thewes (2 H. IV. iii. 4, Ham. i. 3, J. C. i. 3). In these places Shakespeare uses this term in a corporeal sense of the sinews and muscles, and he may have been the first who did so. It properly denotes the qualities of the mind, from theaw, A.S., and is akin to Tugend Germ.

Thread and thrum (M. N. D. v. i). The thread is the warp in a web; the thrum, the tufts formed by the ends of the thread beyond the web. The two taken together therefore form the whole.

Three-farthings (K. John, i. 1), pieces of silver coin of that value; of course extremely thin and liable to crack.

Three-man song (W. T. iv. 3), a song for three voices. By way of a joke derived from this we have "three-man beetle" (1 H. IV. i. 2).

Three-pile (M. for M. IV. 3, W. T. iv. 2, L. L. L. v. 2), the finest kind of velvet. The name alludes to something in its construction. From pilum? Terciopelo is the Spanish for velvet.

Tick-tack (M. for M. i. 3), same as tric-trac, a game similar to draughts. "This is the plain game of tick-tack, which is so called from touch and take; for if you touch a man you must play him, though to your loss" (Comp. Gamester, p. 113).

Tide. "A parted just at turning of the tide" (H. V. ii. 3). Here the critics tell us of a superstition connecting death with the tide of the sea. But as it is added "between twelve and one," I think we may take tide in its original sense of, time.

Tire, in falconry (from tirer, Fr.). The hawk or any other bird of prey, was said to tire on its food when it dragged or tore it to pieces. Shakespeare uses the word metaphorically (Tim. iii. 6, Cymb. iii. 4).

To. Like zu, G., te, D., this particle occurs continually in Shakespeare in the sense of at. "To Milan let me hear from you by letters" (Two Gent. i. 1) is an instance generally not understood by the editors. See above, p. 343. It is also used with an ellipsis of compared in Two Gent. ii. 4, Ham. iii. 1, and elsewhere.

Toad (As Y. L. ii. 1). It was a notion in those times that the poor innocent toad had in the interior of his head a stone endued with great virtues, named borax or stelon. See Fenton, Secret Wonders of Nature, 1569, and other authors. Perhaps the notion originated in the great brilliancy of the toad's eye, which may have been termed 'a jewel.'

Lingua, v. 6.

Tokens (L. L. L. v. 2, Ant. and Cl. iii. 8), the spots on the body denoting the plague. The house in which there was one or more persons who had them was shut up, and Lord have mercy upon us! put over the door.Too. This word occurs in the sense of trop, Fr., i.e. excessively, in Com. of Err. i. 2, L. L. L. ii. 1, Temp. ii. 2, and other places. For the difference of trop and too, assez and enough, see what I have written in Notes and Queries, 3 Ser. x. 430.

Tray-trip (Tw. N. ii. 5), the name of some game, probably played with dice; but of which we have no description.

Tribulacion. "The Tribulacion of Tower-hill or the Limbs of Limehouse" (H. VIII. v. 3) are supposed to have been the names of two Puritan congregations.

Triple (All's Well, ii. 1, Ant. and Cl. i. 1), third, one of three, a sense only to be found in Shakespeare.

Troll-my-Dames (W. T. iv. 2), a corruption of the French Trou-madame, a game also called Pigeon-holes, our present bagatelle.

Trossers (H. V. iii. 7), the tight, close-fitting pantaloons worn by the native Irish. Hence trowsers.

Truckle-bed (M. W. iv. 5, R. and J. ii. 1), a bed on castors (trochlea) for the use of the servant, who lay in the same room with the master or mistress. During the day it was run under the state-bed, and at night was drawn out at the foot. It was also called trundle-bed.

Truepenny (Ham. i. 5). Mr. Collier says he was informed that in the mining-districts of the Midland counties this term signifies a particular indication on the soil of the direction in which ore is to be found.

Try with main-course (Temp. i. 1). "To hale the tack aboord, the sheat close aft, the boling set up, and the helm tied close aboord" (Smith, Sea Grammar, 1627).

Tub (M. for M. iii. 2, H. V. ii. 1, Tim. iv. 3). It was one of the modes of curing the venereal disease to put the patient in a heated tub, where he was sweated, being at the same time fed on mutton roasted dry, etc.

Tucket (H. V. iv. 2), the Italian toccata, a blast of the trumpet for a charge or advance. Turk Gregory (1 H. IV. v. 3). In this are united two objects of the utmost horror and fear, the Grand Turk and the famous Pope Gregory VII., as depicted by Foxe in his Book of Martyrs.

Turnbull-street (2 H. IV. iii. 2), a street in Clerkenwell, now restored to its original name of Turnmill-street. It was the resort of bullies, whores, et id genus omne.

Two and thirty a pip out (T. of Sh. i. 2), i. e. thirty-one; the allusion being, it is said, to a game of cards called Bone-ace or Thirty-one. A pip is one of the spots on the cards.

Utis (2 H. IV. ii. 4), or Utas, the eighth day after a festival, or Saint's-day: from huit, Fr. As it was a holiday, it came to signify sport, festivity, amusement in general.

Veal. "Veal, quoth the Dutchman" (L. L. L. v. 2). In Dutch Veel is much, many, often. Here it seems to answer to Much!

Veney, venew (M. W. i. 1, L. L. L. v. 1), an assault in fencing—from venue, Fr., a coming-on. It was the Italian stoccata.

Vice (Tw. N. iv. 2), same as Iniquity, which see.

Vie (T. Sh. ii. 1, Ant. and Cl. v. 2), to bet, lay. The noun is the French envi, the Spanish envite.

Virginal (W. T. i. 2). The virginal was the first form of the pianoforte. It was rectangular, differing in this from the spinnet, the harpsichord, and grand piano. Nares, who had seen the instrument, describes it exactly. It was sometimes called a pair of virginals, as an organ was a pair of organs, in allusion probably to the set (pair) of keys.

Wanton (from wendan, A.S., turn, change?) seems to have originally signified yielding, changeable. We have "the wanton green" (M. N. D. ii. 2), "the wanton rushes" (1 H. IV. iii. 1).

Water-work (2 H. IV. ii. 1) seems to mean work done on cloth in water-colours, or distemper.

Weaver (Tw. N. ii. 3, 1 H. IV. ii. 4). Weavers, from the sedentary nature of their work, seem to have been much addicted to singing, especially psalms. By the three souls in the first of these passages is meant the vegetative, sensitive, and reasonable souls, which were held to compose the soul.

Weyard. This is the way in which Shakespeare spells in Macbeth the word which in G. Douglas and Holinshed is spelt weird.

Wheel (Ham. iv. 5), the burthen in a ballad, a translation of rota, probably on account of its coming round and round.

Whiffler (H. V. v. Chor.), a fifer, who went first in a procession. It then came to be used of any one who went before to clear the way.While, whiles, whilst. The first of these words is a noun, signifying time; the second is the adverbial genitive of it, and the third this last with a paragogic t. While is used adverbially, like whiles, with an ellipsis of in the. It also occurs, as in the following passages, with an ellipsis of to the, till the. "The Romans had a law that every man should use shooting in peace-time, while he was forty year old" (Ascham, Toxoph. p. 16). "When the conjured spirit appears, which will not be while after many circumstances," etc. (K. James, Demonol.).

B. and F. Wit at sev. Weap. ii. 2.

Mass. Old. Law, i. 1.

Waller, Ans. to Suckling.

In Lincolnshire while is used at the present day for until. This is evidently the sense in which whiles is used in Twelfth Night, iv. 3; for Macb. iii. 1 see the note.

Whistling. In falconry the whistle was, for the bird, the sign of starting and of returning. The term of the former was whistle off (Oth. iii. 3) against the wind after game, down the wind if cast off as worthless and untameable. "I have been worth the whistle" (Lear, iv. 2) seems to refer to the whistle of recall. "As a long-winged hawk, when he is first whistled off the fist, mounts aloft, and for his pleasure fetcheth many a circuit in the air, still soaring higher and higher, till he come to his full pitch; and in the end, when the game is sprung, comes down amain, and stoops upon the sudden" (Burt. Anat. of Mel. ii. 1-3).

Who (M. of Ven. ii. 7, et alibi). This pronoun was often used, as here, of things. Hence we still use the gen. whose. Wild-goose chase (R. and J. ii, 4) was something like our steeple-chase. There were only two riders; and when one got the lead, the other was obliged to follow wheresoever he went.

Winchester goose (1 H. VI. i. 3, Tr. and Cr. v. 11). This is said to be a swelling caused by a disease got in the stews. The latter passage, however, might intimate that it was a denizen of them. The origin of the phrase is supposed to be the circumstance of the stews being chiefly on the Bankside, which was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Winchester; the proximity of the river may have caused the use of the term goose.

Wish (M. Ado, iii. 1, M. for M. iv. 3, Ant. and Cl. i. 3), advise, recommend; (T. of Sh. i. 1) to introduce.

Wit. This word was the same as esprit, Fr., and meant mental power, talent. Thus we have wit and humour still in use, but with changed signification; for it meant talent and character (individuality), as we have "wit and judgment" (Oth. iv. 2); or perhaps there may be an ellipsis of good with humour. The "five wits" (Tw. N. iv. 2) are said to be the five mental powers, "common wit [sense], imagination, fantasy, estimation [judgment], and memory" (Hawes, Bell. Pucel. ch. xxiv. ap. Malone). They were probably originally the five senses; but Shakespeare (Son. cxli.) clearly distinguishes them.

With (T. Sh. iv. 2, Ant. and Cl. v. 2, et alibi), by, a sense it still bears, but not as in these places.

World. "Go to the world" (All's Well, i. 3), "be a woman of the world" (As Y. L. v. 3), be married, have, as it were, a place in the world.

Worm (Ant. and Cl. v. 2, et alibi), snake, serpent, wyrm, A.S. Among Shakespeare's other errors in natural history seems to be that of his supposing (M. N. D. iii. 2, R. II. iii. 2) the adder to sting with its tongue. See, however, Ham. iii. 4, 3 H. VI. i. 4. Webster actually says,

Vitt. Coromb. ii.

J. Bunyan says of himself that having seized an adder, and "stunned her with a stick, he forced open her mouth, and plucked out her sting with his fingers," meaning probably her fangs. Yaughan (Ham. v. 1). This might be taken for a corruption of Vaughan; but it is the Danish and German Johan (Y for J), John. Jonson has (Ev. Man out, etc. v. 4) "a few, one Yohan." Shakespeare got Johan along with the other Danish names—Guildenstern, Rosencrantz, Osric.

THE END.

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