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Pist. Didft thou not share? hadst thou not fifteen pence? Fal. Reafon, you rogue, reason: Think'ft thou, I'll endanger my foul gratis? At a word, hang no more about me, I am no gibbet for you:-go.-A fhort knife and a throng;2 -to your manor of Pickt-hatch,3 go.-You'll not bear a let

ter

was perhaps imported from Italy, together with many others, in the reign of King Henry VIII. if not in that of King Richard II,

TEEVÈNS.

In the Sidney papers, published by Collins, a fan is prefented to queen Elizabeth for a new r's gift, the handle of which was ftudded with diamonds. T. WARTON.

2 Abert knife and a throng ;] So Lear: "When cut-purses come not to throngs." WARBURTON.

Theobald has throng instead of thong. The latter feems right.

LANGTON. Greene, in his Life of Ned Browne, 1592, fays; "I had no other fence but my foort knife, and a paire of purfe-ftrings." STEEVENS. Mr. Dennis reads-tbong; which has been followed, I think, improperly, by fome of the modern editors. MALONE.

3 Pickt batch was in Turnbull fireet. The derivation of the word may perhaps

ter for me, you rogue!-you ftand upon your honour Why, thou unconfinable bafenefs, it is as much as I can do, to keep the terms of my honour precife. I, I, I myself fometimes, leaving the fear of heaven on the left hand, and hiding mine honour in my neceffity, am fain to fhumle, to hedge, and to lurch; and yet you, rogue, will enfconce your rags, your cat-a-mountain looks, your red-lattice phrafes, and your bold-beating oaths, under the fhelter of your honour! You will not do it, you?

Pift. I do relent; What would 'ft thou more of man ?

Enter ROBIN.

Rob. Sir, here's a woman would speak to you.
Fal. Let her approach.

perhaps be difcovered from the following paffage in Cupid's Whirligig, 1607: "Set fome picks upon your batch, and, I pray, profefs to keep a bawdy-house." Perhaps the unfeafonable and obftreperous irruptions of the gallants of that age, might render fuch a precaution neceffary.

STEEVENS.

Pict-hatch was a cant-name of fome part of the town noted for bawdyhoufes. Sir T. Hanmer fays, that it was a noted harbour for thieves and pickpockets," who certainly were proper companions for a man of Pistol's profeffion. Eut Falstaff here more immediately means to ridicule another of his friend's vices; and there is fome humour in calling Piftol's favourite brothel, his manor of P&-batch. T. WARTON.

4 A fconce is a petty fortification. To enfonce, therefore, is to protect as with a fort. STEEVENS.

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Red lattice at the doors and windows, were formerly the external den ments of an ale-houfe. Hence the prefent chequers. Perhaps the reader will exprefs fome furprize, when he told that hops, with the fign of the chequers, were common among the Romans. See a view of the left-hand Atreet of Pompeii, (No. 9.) prefented by Sir William Hamilton, (together with feveral others, equally curious,) to the Antique Society,

STEEVENS.

In King Henry IV. P. II Falstaff's page, fpeaking of Bardolph, fays, ❝he called me even now, my lord, through a red lattice, and I could fee. no part of his face from the window.". MALONE.

This defignation of an ale-houfe is not altogether loft, though the original meaning of the word is, the fign being converted into a green lettuce, of which an inftance occurs in Brownlow Street, Holborn.

DOUCE

Enter

Enter Mistress QUICKLY.

Quick. Give your worship good-morrow.
Fal. Good-morrow, good wife.

Quick. Not fo, an't please your worship.
Fal. Good maid, then.

Quick. I'll be fworn; as my mother was, the first hour I was born.

Fal. I do believe the fwearer: What with me?

Quick. Shall I vouchfafe your worship a word or two? Fal. Two thousand, fair woman; and I'll vouchsafe thee the hearing.

Quick. There is one miftrefs Ford, fir;-I pray, come a little nearer this ways:-I myself dwell with master doctor Caius.

Fal. Well, on: Miftrefs Ford, you say,

Quick. Your worship fays very true: I pray your worship, come a little nearer this ways.

Fal. I warrant thee, nobody hears;-mine own people, -mine own people.

Quick. Are they fo? Heaven blefs them, and make them his fervants!

Fal. Well: miftrefs Ford;-what of her?

ick. Why, fir, fhe's a good creature. Lord, lord! you hip's a wanton: Well, heaven forgive you, and all us, I pray!

Fal. Miftrefs Ford ;-come, mistress Ford,

Quick. Marry, this is the fhort and the long of it; you have brought her into fuch a canaries," as 'tis wonderful. The best courtie them all, when the court lay at Windfor,7 could never have brought her to fuch a canary. Yet there has been knights, and lords, and gentlemen, with their coaches; I warrant you, coach after coach, letter after letter, gift after gift; fmelling fo fweetly, (all musk,) and fo rufhling, I warrant you, in filk and gold; and in fuch alligant terms; and in fuch wine and fugar of the best, and the faireft, that would have won any woman's heart; and, I

warrant

6 This is the name of a brifk light dance, and is therefore properly enough used in low language for any hurry or perturbation. JOHNSON. 7 i. e. refided there. MALONE.

warrant you, they could never get an eye-wink of her.I had myself twenty angels given me this morning but I defy all angels, (in any fuch fort, as they fay,) but in the way of honefty-and, I warrant you, they could never get her fo much as fip on a cup with the proudest of them all and yet there has been earls, nay, which is more, penfioners; but, I warrant you, all is one with her.

8

Fal. But what fays fhe to me? be brief, my good the Mercury.

Quick. Marry, fhe hath receiv'd your letter; for the which fhe thanks you a thousand times; and she gives you to notify, that her husband will be abfence from his houfe between ten and eleven.

Fal. Ten and eleven?

Quick. Ay, forfooth; and then you may come and fee the picture, the fays, that you wot of; 9hufband, will be from home.

mafter Ford, her Alas! the fweet woman leads an ill life with him; he's a very jealoufy man; the leads a very frampold life with him, good heart,

Fal

8 This may be illuftrated by a paffage in Gervase Holles's Life of the Firft Earl of Clare. Bisg. Brit. Art. HOLLES: "I have heard the Earl of Clare fay, that when he was penfioner to the queen, he did not know a worse man of the whole band than himself; and that all the world knew he had then an inheritance of 4000l. a year." TYRWHITT

Penfioners were Gentlemen of the band of Penfioners. In themonth of December," [1539] fays Stowe, Annals, p. 973, edit. 1665, “w appointed to waite on the king's perfon fifty Gentlemen called Penfions, or Speares, like as they were in the first yeare of the king; unto whom was affigned the fumme of fiftie pounds, yerely, for the maintenance of themselves, and everie man two horfes, or one horse and a gelding of fervice." Their drefs was remarkably fplendid, and therefore likely to attract the notice of Mrs. Quickly. Hence, [as both Mr. Steevens and Mr. T. Warton have obferved] in A Midsummer Night's Dream, our author has felected from all the tribes of flowers the golden-coated cowЛlips to be fenfioners to the Fairy Queen:

"The cowflips tall her penfioners be,

"In their gold coats spots you fee;" &c. MALONE.

9 To wot is to know. Obfolete. STEEVENS.

2 This word I have never feen elsewhere, except in Dr, Hacker's Life of Archbifbop Williams, where a frampul man fignifies a peevish troublefome fellow. JOHNSON.

Ray, among his South and Eaft country words, obferves, that frampald, or frampard, fignifies fretful, peevish, cross, froward. As froward (he adds) comes from from; lo may frampard. STEEVENS.

Fal. Ten and eleven: Woman, commend me to her; I will not fail her.

Quick. Why you fay well: But I have another meffenger to your worship: Miftrefs Page hath her hearty commendations to you too;-and let me tell you in your ear, she's as fartuous a civil modeft wife, and one (I tell you) that will not mifs you morning nor evening prayer, as any is in Windfor, whoe'er be the other: and the bade me tell your worship, that her husband is feldom from home; but, fhe hopes, there will come a time. I never knew a woman fo dote upon a man: furely, I think you have charms, la; yes, in truth.

Fal. Not I, I affure thee; fetting the attraction of my good parts afide, I have no other charms.

Quick. Bleffing on your heart for't!

Fal. But, I pray thee, tell me this: has Ford's wife, and Page's wife, acquainted each other how they love me?

Quick. That were a jeft, indeed!-they have not fo little grace, I hope:-that were a trick, indeed! But mistress Page would defire you to fend her your little page, of all loves; 3 her husband has a marvellous infection to the little page and, truly, mafter Page is an honest man. Never a wife in in Wdfor leads a better life than fhe does; do what fhe will, fay what fhe will, take all, pay all, go to bed when fhe lift, rife when the lift, all is as the will; and, truly, fhe deferves it; for if there be a kind woman in Windfor, she is one. You muft fend her your page; no remedy.

Fal. Why, I will.

Quick. Nay, but do fo then: and, look you, he may come and go between you both; and, in any cafe, have a nay-word, that you may know one another's mind, and the boy never need to understand any thing: for 'tis not good that children fhould know any wickednefs: old folks, you know, have difcretion, as they fay, and know the world.

Fal. Fare thee well; commend me to them both; there's

my

Thus, in The Ile of Gulls-" What a goodyer aile you mother? are you frampull know you not your own daughter ?" HENLEY.

3 Of all loves, is an adjuration only, and fignifies no more than if the had faid, defires you to fend him by all means. STEEVENS.

4 i. e. a watch-word. So, in a fubfequent scene: ་་ -We have a nay-word to know one another," &c. STEEVENS,

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