This, too, is the man, Lear, III. 3. song. language of Edgar, when acting the madIt occurs too in As you, &c. V. 3. Page's (41) Sing, Down-a-down] This, also, is the burthen of an old song, "Trowle the bowle, the jolly nut-browne bowle, "And beere kind mate to thee! "Let's sing a dirge for saint Hugh's soule, "And downe it merily. Downe a-downe, hey downe a-downe, Hey dery, dery, downe a-downe. The second Three Man's Song. Shoomaker's Holiday, 1618. Brit. Bibliogr. 8vo. 1812, II. 1701. Mr. Steevens cites a Sonnet of Lodge's, in England's Helicon, 1600: "Downe a-downe, "Thus Phillis sung, "By fancie once distress'd: "And so sing I, with downe a-downe.” Mr. Malone refers to Florio's Italian Dictionary, 1598: " Filibustacchina, The burden of a countrie song; as we say, Hay doune a doune, douna." And as such it is used by Mrs. Quickly in M. W. of W. I. 4. (42) O, how the wheel becomes it] "How well is this ditty adapted to the wheel :" 'tis a song, as Mr. Malone instances, which "The spinsters, and the knitters in the sun "Fleshed to the presse "Sung to the wheele, and sung unto the payle, Hall's Virgidem. 1597. Mr. Steevens says, the wheel may mean no more than the burthen of the song, which she had just repeated, and as such was formerly used and cites from memory a quarto M.S. before Shakespeare's time. "The song was accounted a good one, though it was not moche graced by the wheele, which in no wise accorded with the subject matter thereof." (43) Rosemary, that's for remembrance] Rosemary, conceived to have the power of strengthening the memory, and prescribed in old medical books for that purpose, was an emblem of remembrance, and of the affection of lovers; and thence, probably, was worn at weddings, as it also was at funerals. "There's rosemarie; the Arabians justifie Chester's Dialogue betw. Nature and the Phoenix, 1601. 66 "Betweene us daie and night; "Wishing that I might alwaies have "You present in my sight." Handful of delites, &c. 16mo. 1584, in a "Nosegaie alwaies sweet for lovers to send for tokens of love." "Shee hath given thee a nosegay of flowers, wherein, as a top-gallant for all the rest, is set in rosemary for remembrance." Greene's Never too late, 1616. "Will I be wed this morning, "Thou shalt not be there, nor once be graced with "I meet few but are stuck withe rosemary; every one asked me, who was to be married." Noble Spanish Soldier, 1634. "What is here to do? wine and cakes, and rosemary and nosegaies? what, a wedding?" The Wit of a Woman, 1604. STEEVENS and MALONE. We shall add, "My mother hath stolne a whole pecke of flower for a bride cake, and our man hath sworne he will steale a brave Rosemary Bush, and I have spoken for ale that will make a cat speake.' Nich. Breton's Poste, &c. 4to. 1637. "The bride-laces, that I give at my wedding, will serve to tye rosemary to." The Honest Whore, signat. K 3, b. and see II H. IV. Lady Percy, II. 3. (44) pansies, that's for thoughts] "Since I have lincked myselfe in mariage, I have never bin without pensees nor soucy." The marginal note says, "Penseez is a little flower, called in English heart's ease, or pansies. Pensees in Fr. signifieth thoughtes. Soucy signifieth in English, care." Pet. Erondelle's Fr. Garden, 12mo. 1605, signat. N 7, b. Mr. Steevens cites Chapinan's All Fools, 1605 : "What flowers are these? "The pansie this. O, that's for lovers' thoughts!" (45) There's fennel for you, and columbines] This seems to be an address to the king; although the application to him of the latter of the two things offered, is not obvious. Mr. Steevens cites Turbervile's Epitaphs, p. 42: "Your fenell did declare "(As simple men can showe) "That flattrie in my breast I bare, Mr. Malone, Florio's Ital. Dict. 1.598. give fennel,-to flatter, to dissemble." "Dare finocchio, to And Mr. Holt White, Browne's Britannia's Pastorals, B. I. Song ii. 1613: "The columbine in tawny often taken, "Is then ascribed to such as are forsaken." (46) there's rue for you; and here's some for me :—we may call it herb of grace o'Sundays] Mr. Malone tells us, that under the word ruta, in Florio's Ital., and Rue, in Cotgrave's Fr. Dict., it is interpreted herb of grace. When Ophelia, presenting it to the queen, reserves some for herself, she certainly means to infer, that they were both visited by Ruth, or Sorrow; as the words are in terms associated in Rich. II.: and as contrition or sorrow is a sign of grace, it may thence have been called herb of grace, and in the passage referred to, it is called sour herb of grace. "Rue, sour herb of grace, "Rue, ev'n for ruth." III.4. Gardener. She adds, " we may call it herb of grace o'Sundays;" i. e. as is conceived on festivals, as being a holyday or softer name. Mr. Steevens also says, "herb of grace is one of the titles which Tucca gives to William Rufus, in Decker's Satiromastix. I suppose the first syllable of the surname Rufus introduced the quibble." In Doctor Do-good's Directions, an ancient ballad, is the same allusion: "If a man have light fingers that he cannot charme, Mr. Todd cites Jer. Taylor's Diss. from Popery, c. II. s. 10. They (the Romish exorcists) are to try the devil by holy water, incense, sulphur, rue; which from thence, as we suppose, came to be called herb of grace." (47) you may wear your rue with a difference] The slightest variation in the bearings, their position or colour, constituted a different coat in heraldry; and between the ruth and wretchedness of guilt, and the ruth and sorrows of misfortune, it would be no difficult matter to distinguish. "If he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse." M. ado, &c. I. 1. Beatr. (48) There's a daisy] Greene, in his Quip for an Upstart Courtier, has explained the significance of this flower: "Next them grew the DISSEMBLING DAISIE, to warne such light-of love wenches not to trust every faire promise that such amorous bachelors make them." HENLEY. (49) For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy] This is part of an old song. I can sing the broom "And Bonny Robin." Two Noble Kinsmen, IV. 1. In the books of the Stationers' Company, 26 April, 1594, is entered, "A ballad, intituled, A doleful adewe to the last Erle of Darbie, to the tune of Bonny sweet Robin." STEEVENS. The "Courtly new ballad of the princely wooing of the faire maid of London, by King Edward," is also "to the tune of Bonny sweet Robin." RITSON, (50) His beard was as white as snow, &c.] This, and several circumstances in the character of Ophelia, seem to have been ridiculed in Eastward Hoe, a comedy, written by Ben Jonson, Chapman, and Marston, printed in 1605, Act III: (51) I must common with your grief] Confer, have some discussion or argument with. Commune is the reading of the quartos and the folio of 1632: but, as Mr. Steevens observes, this word, pronounced as anciently spelt, is still in frequent provincial use. So, in The Last Voyage of Captaine Frobisher, by Dionyse Settle, 12mo. bl. 1. 1577: " Our Generall repayred with the ship boat to common or sign with them." Again, in Hollinshed's account of Jack Cade's insurrection: "to whome were sent from the king the archbishop &c. to common with him of his griefs and requests." (52) No trophy, sword, nor hatchment, o'er his bones] Not only the sword, but the helmet, gauntlet, spurs, and tabard (i. e. a coat whereon the armorial ensigns were anciently depicted, from whence the term coat of armour,) are hung over the grave of every knight. SIR J. HAWKINS. (53) No noble rite, nor formal ostentation, Cry to be heard] All these multiplied incitements are things which cry, &c. We have in M. ado, &c.: "Maintain a mourning ostentation." IV. 1. Friar. (54) let the great axe fall] i. e. the axe" that is to be laid to the root." (55) Would, like the spring that turneth wood to stone, Convert his gyves to graces] Would, by a process like that with which wood is turned into stone by the action of a petrifying well, convert the iron fetters that load and encumber him, into elegant and graceful ornaments: Mercurii talaria. Mr. Reed refers to such a spring, called the dropping well, in Camden, edit. 1590, p. 564: "Sub quo fons est in quem ex impendentibus rupibus aquæ guttatim distillant, unde DROPPING WELL Vocant, in quem quicquid ligni immittitur, lapideo cortice brevi obduci & lapidescere observatum est.” For would, the quartos here read work. (56) Too lightly timber'd for so loud a wind] "Weake bowes and lighte shaftes, cannot stand in a roughe winde." Ascham's Toxophilus, 1589, p. 57. STEevens. The quartos for loud a wind, read loued armes, and loued armed. (57) let our beard be shook with danger] "Idcirco stolidam præbet tibi vellere barbam Jupiter?" Persius, Sat. ii. STEEVENS. (58) As checking at his voyage] Holding back, hesitating about. It is a term of falconry. Mr. Steevens quotes Hinde's Eliosto Libidinoso, 1606: "For who knows not, quoth she, that this hawk, which comes now so fair to the fist, may tomorrow check at the lure?" Mr. Steevens's quartos for checking at read liking not: but Mr. Malone states, that the quarto of 1604 reads "As the king at his voyage." (59) Sir, this report] Two lines above, where this extract from the quartos begins, this word, Sir, finishes the sentence; and the folios read, "If one could match you, sir,—this report of his." (60) love is begun by time; And that I see, in passages of proof, Time qualifies the spark and fire of it.] The operation of time, whose slow and gradual progress is necessary to ripen a genuine and legitimate passion, has, as experience shows in conclusive instances, a powerful influence in producing its decay, as well as in giving it birth. Of the dignity and constancy of this passion, our author, when not sustaining a character, speaks in clearer language, in more earnest terms, and in a higher strain of poetry, Sonn. CXVI. |