Count. Will your answer ferve fit to all queftions?

Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French crown for your taffata punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's fore finger,7 as a pancake for Shrove-tuesday, a morris

7 Tem is the man, and by Tib we are to understand the woman, and therefore, more properly we might read-Tom's rush for, &c. The allufion is to an ancient practice of marrying with a rush ring, as well in other countries as in England. Breval, in his Antiquities of Paris, mentions it as a kind of efpoufal ufed in France, by fuch perfons as meant to live together in a state of concubinage: but in England it was fcarce ever practifed except by defigning men, for the purpose of corrupting those young women to whom they pretended love.

Richard Poore, bishop of Salisbury, in his Conftitutions, anni 1217, forbids the putting of rub rings, or any the like matter, on women's fingers, in order to the debauching them more readily: and he infinuates as the reafon of the prohibition, that there were fome people weak enough to believe, that what was thus done in jeft was a real marriage.

But notwithstanding this cenfure on it, the practice was not abolished; for it is alluded to in a fong in a play written by fir William D'Avenant, called The Rivals:

"I'll crown thee with a garland of ftraw then,

"And I'll marry thee with a rub ring.'

which fong, by the way, was firft fung by Mifs Davis; she acted the part of Celania in the play; and King Charles II. upon hearing it, was fo pleafed with her voice and action, that he took her from the ftage, and made her his mistress. SIR J. HAWKINS.

Tib and Tom, in plain English, I believe, ftand for wanton and rogue. STEEVENS.

An anonymous writer, [Mr. Ritfon,] with fome probability, fuppofes that this is one of thofe covert allufions in which Shakspeare frequently indulges himself. The following lines of Cleiveland on an Hermaphrodite feem to countenance the fuppofition:

Nay, thofe which modefty can mean,
"But dare not fpeak, are Epicene.

That gamefter needs must overcome,
"That can play both with Tib and Tom."

Sir John Hawkins would read-" as Tom's rush for Tib's forefinger." But if this were the author's meaning, it would be neceffary to alter ftill farther, and to read, As Tom's rufh for Tib's fourth finger. MALONE.

At the game of Gleek, the ace was called Tib, and the knave Tom; and this is the proper explanation of the lines cited from Cleiveland. The practice of marrying with a ruh ring mentioned by Sir John Hawkins is very questionable, and it might be difficult to find any authority in fupport of this opinion. Douce.

Sir John Hawkins's alteration is unneceffary. It was the practice in former

ris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a fcolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth; nay, as the pudding to his fkin.

Count. Have you, I fay, an answer of fuch fitnefs for all questions?

Clo. From below your duke, to beneath your conftable, it will fit any question.

Count. It must be an answer of moft monstrous fize, that muft fit all demands.

Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned fhould fpeak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to't: Afk me, if I am a courtier; it shall do you no harm to learn.

Count. To be young again, if we could:-I will be a fool in queftion, hoping to be the wifer by your anfwer. I pray you, fir, are you a courtier ?

Clo. O Lord, fir,9-There's a fimple putting off;more, more, a hundred of them.

Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you.
Clo. O Lord, fir,-Thick, thick, fpare not me.

Count. I think, fir, you can eat none of this homely meat.
Clo. O Lord, fir,-Nay, put me to't, I warrant you.
Count. You were lately whipp'd, fir, I think.
Clo. O Lord, fir,-Spare not me.

Count. Do you cry, O Lord, fir, at your whipping, and Spare not me? Indeed, your O Lord, fir, is very fequent to your whipping; you would anfwer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't.

Cla.

former times for the woman to give the man a ring as well as for the man to give her one. M. MASON.

I believe what many of us have afferted refpe&ting the exchange of rings in the marriage ceremony, is only true of the marriage contract, in which fuch a practice undoubtedly prevailed. STEEVENS.

The lady cenfures her own levity in trifling with her jester, as a ri diculous attempt to return back to youth. JOHNSON.

9 A ridicule on that foolish expletive of speech then in vogue at court. WARBURTON.

Thus Clove and Orange, in Every Man out of bis Humour : "You conceive me, fir?.

1

O Lord, fir !" Cleiveland, in one of his fongs, makes his Gentieman

Answer, O Lord, fir! and talk play-book oaths."

FARMER.

Clo. I ne'er had worfe luck in my life, in my-O Lord, fir: I fee things may ferve long, but not ferve ever.

Count. I play the noble houfewife with the time, to enter tain it fo merrily with a fool.

Clo. O Lord, fir,-Why, there't ferves well again.

Count. An end, fir, to your bufinefs: Give Helen this, And urge her to a prefent anfwer back :

Commend me to my knfmen, and my fon;

This is not much.

Clo. Not much commendation to them.

Count. Not much employment for you: You understand

me?

Clo. Moft fruitfully; I am there before my legs.

Count. Hafte you again.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt feverally.

Paris. A Room in the King's Palace.

Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and PAROLLES.

Laf. They fay, miracles are paft; and we have our philofophical perfons, to make modern and familiar thing, fupernatural and caufelefs. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; enfconcing ourselves into feeming knowledge,3 when we should fubmit ourselves to an unknown fear.4

Par. Why, 'tis the rareft argument of wonder, that hath fhot out in our latter times.

2

Ber. And fo 'tis.

Laf. To be relinquifh'd of the artists,

Par. So I fay; both of Galen and Paracelfus,

Laf. Of all the learned and authentick fellows,5

modern- -] i. e. common, ordinary. MALONE.

3 To enfonce literally fignifies to fecure as in a fert. + Fear is here an object of fear. JOHNSON.

STEEVENS.

Par

5 Shakspeare, as I have often obferved, never throws out his words at random. Paracelfus, though no better than an ignorant and knavish enthufiaft, was at this time in fuch vogue, even amongst the learned, that he had almoft juftled Galen and the ancients out of credit. On this account learned is applied to Galen, and authentick or fashionable to Paracelfus. Sancy, in his Confession Catholique, p. 301. Ed. Col. 1720, is made

Par. Right, fo I fay.

Laf. That gave him out incurable,

Par. Why, there 'tis; fo fay I too.

Laf. Not to be help'd,

Par. Right; as 'twere, a man affur'd of an—
Laf. Uncertain life and fure death.

Par. Juft, you fay well; fo would I have faid.

Laf. I may truly fay, it is a novelty to the world.

Par. It is, indeed: if you will have it in fhowing, you fhall read it in,- -What do you call there ?—

Par. A fhowing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor.7 Par. That's it I would have faid; the very fame.

Laf. Why, your dolphin is not luftier: 'fore me I fpeak in refpect

Par.

to fay: "Je trouve la Riviere premier medecin, de meilleure humeur que ces gens-la. Il eft bon Galenifte, & tres bon Paracelfifte. Il dit que la doctrine de Galien eft bonorable, & non mefprisable pour la pathologie, & profitable pour les boutiques. L'autre, pour-veu que ce foit de vrais preceptes de Paracelse, eft bonne à fuivre pour la verité, pour la fubtilité, pour l'efpargne; en fomme pour la Therapeutique." WARBURTON.

As the whole merriment of this fcene confifts in the pretenfions of Parolles to knowledge and fentiments which he has not, I believe here are two paffages in which the words and fenfe are bestowed upon him by the copies, which the author gave to Lafeu. I read this paffage thus: Laf. To be relinquished of the artists.

Par. So I fay.

Laf. Both of Galen and Paracelfus, of all the learned and authentick fel-lorus

Par. Right, fo I fay. JOHNSON.

The phrafe of the diploma is, authenticè licentiatus. MUSGRAVE,

The epithet authentick was in our author's time particularly applied to the learned. MALONE.

6 We fhould read, I think; It is, indeed, if you will have it a showingyou fhall read it in what do you call there.- TYRWHITT.

Does not, if you will have it IN fhowing, fignify IN a demonftration or ftatement of the cafe? HENLEY.

7 The title of fome pamphlet here ridiculed. WARBURTON. 8 By dolphin is meant the dauphin, the heir apparent, and the hope of the crown of France. His title is fo tranflated in all the old books.

STEEVENS.

What Mr. Steevens obferves is certainly true; and yet the additional word your induces me to think that by dolphin in the paffage before us the fish fo called was meant. MALONE.

In the colloquial language of Shakspeare's time your was frequently employed

Par. Nay, 'tis ftrange, 'tis very ftrange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he is of a most facinorious fpirit, that will not acknowledge it to be the

Laf. Very hand of heaven.

Par. Ay, fo I fay.

Laf. In a most weak

Par. And dehile minifter, great power, great tranfcendence: which should, indeed, give us a further use to be made, than alone the recovery of the king,” as to be

Laf. Generally thankful.

Enter King, HELENA, and Attendants.

Par. I would have faid it; you fay well: Here comes the king.

Laf. Luftick, as the Dutchman fays:2 I'll like a maid the better, whilft I have a tooth in my head: Why, he's able to lead her a coranto.

Par. Mort du Vinaigre! Is not this Helen?
Laf. 'Fore God, I think fo.

King.

employed as it is in this paffage : So, in Hamlet, the Grave-digger observes, 5 your water is a fore decayer of your whorfon dead body.'

that

STEEVENS.

9 I believe Parolles has again ufurped words and fenfe to which he has no right; and I read this paffage thus :

Laf. In a most weak and debile minifter, great power, great transcendence; which should, indeed, give us a further ufe to be made than the mere recovery of the king.

Par. As to be

Laf. Generally thankful. JOHNSON.

When the parts are written out for players, the names of the characters which they are to reprefent are never fet down: but only the laft words of the preceding speech which belongs to their partner in the fcene. If the plays of Shakspeare were printed (as there is good reafon to fufpect) from thefe piece-meal tranfcripts, how eafily may the mistake be ac counted for, which Dr. Johnfon has judiciously ftrove to remedy?.

STEEVENS.

2 Luigb is the Dutch word for lufty, chearful, pleasant.

STEEVENS.

In the narrative of the cruelties committed by the Dutch at Amboyna, in 1622, it is faid, that after a night spent in prayer, &c. by fome of the prifoners," the Dutch that guarded them offered them wine, bidding them drink luftick, and drive away the forrow, according to the custom of their own nation." REED.