The white sheet bleaching on the hedge, With, hey! the fweet birds, O how they fing! For a quart of ale is a difh for a king. With, bey! with, hey! the thrush and the jay: While we lie tumbling in the bay. I have ferved Prince Florizel, and in my time wore three-pile, but now I am out of fervice. But fball I go mourn for that, my dear? If tinkers may have leave to live, My traffick is fheets; when the kite builds, look to leffer linnen. 4 My father nam'd me Autolicus, being litter'd under Mercury; who, as I am, was likewife a fnapper-up of unconfider'd trifles: with die and drab, I purchas'd this caparifon; and my revenue is 4 My father nam'd me Autolicus, &c.] Mr. Theobald fays, the allufion is unqueflionably to Ovid. He is miflaken. Not only the allufion, but the whole fpeech is taken from Lucian; who appears to have been one of our Poet's favourite authors, as may be collected from feveral places of his works. It is from his discourse on judicial Aftrology, where Autolicus talks much in the fame manner; and 'tis only on this account that he is called the fon of Mercury by the ancients, namely because he was born under that planet. And as the infant was fuppofed by the Aftrologers to communicate of the nature of the ftar which predominated, fo Autolicus was a thief. 5 my revenue is the filly cheat.] Silly is ufed by the writers of our author's time, for fimple, low, mean; and in this the humour [(a) progging-Oxford Edition-Vulg. pugging ] of is the filly cheat. Gallows, and knock, are too powerful on the high-way; beating and hanging are terrors to me: for the life to come, I fleep out the thought of it. A prize! a prize! Clo. Let me fee, Every eleven weather tods, every tod yields pound and odd fhilling; fifteen hundred fhorn, what comes the wool too? Aut. If the fprindge hold, the cock's mine.→→ [Afide. Clo. I cannot do't without compters. Let me fee, what am I to buy for our fheep-fhearing feast, three pound of fugar, five pound of currants, rice what will this fifter of mine do with rice? but my father hath made her miftrefs of the feaft, and fhe lays it on. She hath made me four and twenty nofe-gays for the fhearers; three-man fong-men all, and very good ones, but they are most of them means and bafes; but one Puritan among them, and he fings pfalms to hornpipes. I must have faffron to colour the warden-pies, mace- -dates none - that's out of my note: nutmegs, feven; a race or two of ginger, but that I may beg; four pound of prunes, and as many raifins o' th' fun. Aut. Oh, that ever I was born! Clo. I'th' name of me [Groveling on the ground. Aut. Oh, help me, help me: pluck but off thefe rags, and then death, death of the fpeech confifts. I don't afpire to arduous and high things, as bridewell or the gallows; I am content with this humble and low way of life, as a snapper up of unconfider'd trifles. But the Oxford Editor, who, by his emendations, feems to have declared war against all Shakespear's humour, alters it to, the fly cheat. Clo. 334 Clo. Alack, poor foul, thou haft need of more rags to lay on thee, rather than have these off. Aut. Oh, Sir, the loathfomness of them offends me, more than the stripes I have receiv'd, which are mighty ones, and millions. Clo. Alas, poor man! a million of beating may come to a great matter. Aut. I am robb'd, Sir, and beaten; my mony and apparel ta'en from me, and these detestable things put upon me. Clo. What, by a horse-man, or a footman? Aut. A footman, fweet Sir, a footman. Clo. Indeed, he fhould be a foot-man, by the garments he hath left with thee; if this be a horse-man's coat, it hath feen very hot fevice. Lend me thy hand, I'll help thee. Come, lend me thy hand. [Helping him up. Aut. Oh! good Sir, tenderly, oh! Clo. Alas, poor foul. Aut. O good Sir, foftly, good Sir: I fear, Sir, my fhoulder-blade is out. Clo. How now? canft ftand? Aut. Softly, dear Sir; good Sir foftly; you ha done me a charitable office. Clo. Doft lack any mony? I have a little mony for thee. Aut. No, good fweet Sir; no, I beseech you, Sir; I have a kinfman not paft three quarters of a mile hence, unto whom I was going, I fhall there have mony, or any thing I want: offer me no mony, I pray you; that kills my heart. Clo. What manner of fellow was he that robb'd you? Aut. "A fellow, Sir, that I have known to go about with trol-my-dames: I knew him once a 6 6 with trol my dames:] Trou-madame, French. The game of nine-holes. " fervant fervant of the prince; I cannot tell, good Sir, for "which of his virtues it was, but he was certainly "whipp'd out of the court. Clo. His vices, you would fay; there's no virtue "whipp'd out of the court; they cherish it to make "it ftay there, and yet it will no more but abide. Aut. Vices I would fay, Sir. I know this man well, " he hath been fince an ape-bearer, then a procefs"ferver, a bailiff; then he compass'd a 7 motion of "the prodigal fon, and married a tinker's wife within "a mile where my land and living lies; and, having "flown over many knavifh profeffions, he fettled "only in a rogue;" fome call him Autolicus. Clo. Out upon him, prig! for my life, prig; he haunts wakes, fairs, and bear-baitings. Aut. Very true, Sir; he, Sir, he; that's the rogue, that put me into this apparel. Clo. Not a more cowardly rogue in all Bohemia; if you had but look'd big, and fpit at him, he'd have run. Aut. I must confefs to you, Sir, I am no fighter; I am false of heart that way, and that he knew, I warrant him. Clo. How do you now? Aut. Sweet Sir, much better than I was; I can ftand, and walk; I will even take my leave of you, and pace foftly towards my kinfman's. Clo. Shall I bring thee on thy way? Aut. No, good-fac'd Sir; no, fweet Sir. Clo. Then, farewel, I must go to buy fpices for our sheep-fhearing. Aut. Profper you, fweet Sir! enough to purchase your fpice. your fheep-fhearing too: if I [Exit. Your purfe is not hot I'll be with you at make not this cheat 7 motion of the prodigal fon,] i. e. the Puppet-ber, then called Motions. A term frequently occurring in our Author. bring out another, and the fhearers prove fheep, let me be unroll'd, and my name put into the book of virtue! SONG. Fog on, jog on, the foot-path way, SCENE [Exit. IV. The Profpect of a Shepherd's Cotte. Enter Florizel and Perdita. HESE your unufual weeds to each part of Flo. T you Do give a life: no fhepherdefs, but Flora Peering in April's front. This your sheep-fhearing Is as a meeting of the petty gods, And you the Queen on't. Per. Sir, my gracious lord, To chide at your extreams it not becomes me: Το 8 let me be unroll'd, and my name put into the book of virtue!] Begging gipfies, in the time of our author, were in gangs and companies, that had fomething of the fhew of an incorporated Body. From this noble fociety he wishes he may be unrolled if he does not fo and fo. 9 • fvorn, I think, To fhew myself a glass.] i. e. one would think that in putting on this habit of a fhepherd, you had fworn to put me out of coun |
