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Oli. He hath been most notoriously abused.
Duke. Pursue him, and entreat him to a peace:
He hath not told us of the captain yet;
When that is known, and golden time convents,
A solemn combination shall be made

Of our dear souls. Meantime, sweet sister,
We will not part from hence.- Cesario, come;
For so you shall be, while you are a man;
But, when in other habits you are seen,
Orsino's mistress, and his fancy's queen. [Exeunt.

Clown sings.

When that I was a little tiny boy,

With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,

A foolish thing was but a toy,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came to man's estate,

With hey, ho, the wind and the rain, 'Gainst knaves and thieves men shut their gate, For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came, alas! to wive,

With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
By swaggering could I never thrive,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came into my beds,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
With toss-pots still had drunken heads,
For the rain it raineth every day.
A great while ago the world began,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
But that's all one, our play is done,
And we'll strive to please you every day.
[Exit.

NOTES.

"That instant was I turned into a hart."— Act I., Scene 1.

"This image," says Johnson, "evidently alludes to the story of Acteon, by which Shakspeare seems to think men cautioned against too great familiarity with forbidden beauty. Acteon, who saw Diana naked, and was torn in pieces by his hounds, represents a man, who, indulging his eyes, or his imagination, with the view of a woman that he cannot gain, has his heart torn with incessant longing. An interpretation far more elegant and natural than that of Sir Francis Bacon, who, in his WISDOM OF THE ANTIENTS,' supposes this story to warn us against enquiring into the secrets of princes, by shewing that

“A galliard”—“The back-trick."—"A coranto.”—“A sink a-pace (or, cinque-pace)."- Act I., Scene 3.

Names and terms of, or relating to, favorite dances of the day.

"Mistress Mall's picture." - Act I., Scene 3.

A noted woman of the day; the worse than Lady Barrymore of her time, famous for a variety of low and boisterous vices. Her popular cognomen was Moll Cutpurse; and her real name, Mary Frith. She is the heroine of the "ROARING GIRL," of Middleton and Decker, which was printed in 1611, with a full-length portrait of her, in which she

those who know that which for reasons of state is to be concealed, is represented in man's clothes, with a drawn sword in her right

will be detected and destroyed by their own servants."

"Thou shalt present me as an eunuch to him.”- Act I., Scene 2. "When," says Malone, "the practice of castration was adopted first, Bolely to improve the voice, is uncertain. The first regular opera was performed at Florence, in 1600. Till about 1653, musical dramas were only occasionally performed in the palaces of princes, and consequently before that period eunuchs could not abound. The first eunuch that was suffered to sing in the Pope's chapel was in 1600. So early, however, as 1604, eunuchs are mentioned by Marston in his • MALCONTENT,' as excelling in singing. Yes, I can sing, fool, if you 'll bear the burden; and I can play upon instruments scurvily, as gentlemen do. 0, that I had been gelded! I should then have been a fat fool for a chamber, a squeaking fool for a tavern, and a private fool for all the ladies.""

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"He's a coward and a coystril, that will not drink to my niece till his brains turn o' the toe like a parish top."— Act I., Scene 3.

Coystrils was a term applied to certain menial servants formerly the usual attendants upon the body-guard of the monarch. A coystril, or kestrel, in falconry, is also the name of a worthless, mongrel kind of hawk. The "parish top" was a large top, formerly kept in every village, for the peasants to whip by way of exercise and amuse

ment.

"Castiliano vulgo."— Act I., Scene 3.

The commentators interpret this to mean Castiliano volto; that is to say, "Put on your Castilian face;" the Castilians being distinguished for their gravity of aspect.

"I pray you, bring your hand to the battery-bar, and let it drink." Act I., Scene 3. The meaning of Maria is, that Sir Andrew's hand is not that of a lover, of which "a moist palm" is the understood characteristic: of this, they who have in their memory the fourth scene of the third act of "OTHELLO" will not need to be reminded.

hand, and a pipe of tobacco, which she is smoking, in her left. She is, also, one of the characters in Nathaniel Field's comedy, " AMENDS FOR LADIES," first printed in 1618; and is a favorite theme of allusion with most of the old dramatists, whose audiences doubtless enjoyed any reference to her notorious and anti-feminine practices. One of her daring exploits was the robbing, or assisting in the robbery, of General Fairfax, on Hounslow Heath; for which offense, she was committed to Newgate, but, for some unknown reason, she was subsequently liberated without trial. She was comparatively rich, lived in a house of her own in Fleet-street, and, being a loyalist, left £20, at her death, for the conduit to run wine upon the (then expected) return of Charles II. She died of dropsy, in 1659, at the age of 75, and was buried in what is now called St. Bride's church.

"SIR TOBY. Were we not born under Taurus!

SIR AND. Tuurus! that's sides and heart.

SIR TOBY. No, sir; it is legs and thighs." — Act I., Scene 3.

This, of course, alludes to the old system of medical astrology, which is still preserved in some of the almanacs, and which refers the affections of particular parts of the body to the predominance of cer tain constellations.

"Needs to fear no colors."— Act I., Scene 5. This is a common saying in the writings of the old dramatists, and appears to be satisfactorily enough explained by Maria herself.

"Points." —“ Gaskins.” - Act. I., Scene 5. Points were hooks by which the gaskins, hose, or breeches, were unfastened.

"For what says Quinapulus.” — Act. I., Scene 5.

Which of the "classics" the learned Festo quotes, under the name of Quinapulus, it is not of much consequence to determine; but the commentators say, Sir Thomas More.

"Cucullus non facit monachum."- Act I., Scene 5. "The cowl does not constitute the monk."

"Bird-bolts.”—“ Leasing.”—“Pia mater.”—“ A squash.” Act I., Scene 5.

Bird-bolts were short arrows (shafts, or bolts) shot at birds from a

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"The fool has an excellent breast."— Act II., Scene 3. An excellent natural, or breast-voice; voce-di-petto. Breast is a term very commonly used by the old writers for voice, or breath. In the oldest of our extant regular English comedies, the "RALPH ROYSTER DOYSTER" of Nicholas Udall, which was produced as early as about the year 1550, is the phrase of "A breast to blow out a candle;" (act i., scene 2).

"In sooth, thou wast in very gracious fooling last night, when," &c. Act II., Scene 3. Of" Pigrogomitus," "the Vapians," and "the equinoctial of Queubus," which the "Vapians" passed, we, as well as Dr. Johnson, have been able, after no little traveling, to discover nothing. The Clown's "fooling," so "gracious" in the estimation of Sir Andrew, might possibly allude to the jargon of the various puppet-shows, so popular in

Shakspeare's time; or, perhaps, to the rhodomontade of certain apocryphal published "Travels" of the day.

"For thy leman."-"A testril."-"Sneck up!"-"A nayword.” "Possess us, possess us." — Aet II., Scene 3.

A leman is a sweetheart; a testril is a sixpence; a sneck up! is as much as to say, "go, hang yourself;" a nayword is a byeword; and possess us, means, inform us.

"I did impeticos thy gratillity; for Malvolio's nose," &c.

Act II., Scene 3

Sir Andrew tells the Clown that he sent him sixpence for his mistress, and the Clown says that he gave it to her- that he "impetti coated the gratuity;" adding, that Malvolio's nose, being no whipstock, although it might smell out the scandalous transaction, could not punish him for it. He also eulogizes his lady's hand; and remarks, that the houses of myrmidons (officers of justice) are no places for merrymaking. All this learned interpretation of the passage is derived from the various profound commentators that have preceded us.

"Malvolio's a Peg-a-Ramsay," &c.- Act II., Scene 3. "Peg-a-Ramsay" is the name of an obscene old song, preserved in Durfey's" PILLS TO PURGE MELANCHOLY; " and, also, of an indecent dance, performed to the tune of the song. The ballads, and scraps of ballads, in this and in other parts of the play, are quotations of and from popular songs of the day, many of which will be found entire in Percy's "RELIQUES OF ANCIENT ENGLISH POETRY."

"Coziers' catches."- Act II., Scene 3.

A cozier (from the French coudre, to sew, or stitch) is a cobbler, or botcher of any kind; but a reverend commentator, of the name of Francis Peck, thinks that the phrase may possibly allude to certain old Irish Festivities, called Cosherings, which are thus amusingly described in a pamphlet, published in 1624, entitled "A NEW IRISH PROGNOSTICATION, or POPISH CALENDAR, describing the disposition, &c, of the Irish:"-" A good company of men and women being drawn together, a-feasting, between the meales their rhymers and harpers entertain them with songs, chiefly in commemoration of theft, murder, rebellion, treason, invented of purpose to stir up their hearts to imitate their ancestors; making repetition how many cows they had stolen, how many murders they have committed, and the like."

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"Thou dost look

Like Patience gazing on kings' graves, and smiling Extremity out of act.

"Rascally sheep-biter."-" Lady of the strachy.". -"Hang thee, brock!"—"The stannyel checks at it.”—“ Sowter.”—“ Daylight and champian."-" Tray-trip."-" To the gates of Tartar."-Act I., Scene 5.

By "sheep-biter," is meant, we presume, a fellow who, as is still the horrible common practice, converts young rams into wethers with his teeth. The word "strachy" much puzzles the commentators; some of whom (confirmed in their conjecture by the fact, that in the old copies the word is printed in italics, and with a capital S) insist that we should read, "the lady of Trachy," or Thrace; but what "lady of Thrace" it was who married a "yeoman of the wardrobe," they do not inform us. Others suggest that we should read, "lady of the starchy." or starchery; the superintendence of the starchery department of the laundry being an important and highly respectable charge in Shakspeare's day, when frills and ruffs were starched of no less than five different colors, and lessons were given in the art by Dutch professors of it.-A brock is a badger. A stannyel is a hawk, which, in falconry, is said to check, or fly at, a thing. - Sowter is the name of a hound. -Champian is the open country.-Tray-trip, or three-andtrip, is a school-game.- Tartar is Tartarus, the classical hell.

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had been committed for two very orthodox offenses-assaulting a magistrate, and insulting a constable.

"Be curst and brief."-"At the cubiculo."— Act III., Scene 2. Be snappish and abrupt.- At the lodging-house.

"The youngest wren of nine.” — Act III., Scene 2. The smallest and sprightliest bird of the brood.

"He does smile his face into more lines than are in the new map, with the augmentation of the Indies." — Act III., Scene 2.

An allusion to a map published in 1598, with a translation of "JOHN HUGH VAN LINSCHOTEN'S VOYAGES TO THE EAST INDIES." This map is remarkable for its many-lined appearance.

"Why dost thou smile so, and kiss thy hand so oft?"-Act III., Scene 4. This fantastical custom is taken notice of by Barnaby Rice, in "FAULTS, AND NOTHING BUT FAULTS," (1606):-"And these Flowers of Courtsie,' as they are full of affectation, so are they no less formal in their speeches, full of fustian phrases, many times delivering such sentences as do betray and lay open their masters' ignorance: and they are so frequent with the kisse on the hand,' that word shall not passe their mouthes, till they have clapt their fingers over their lippes."

"Am I made?"-Act III., Scene 4.

"We would read "maid," to the convicting of Olivia of a pun; otherwise, the question appears pointless.

We will bring the device to the bar, and crown thee for a finder of madmen." — Act III., Scene 4.

Juries sitting in inquest upon cases of lunacy were formerly called "finders of madmen."

"He is knight, dubbed with unhacked rapier, and on carpet consider ation."- Act III., Scene 4.

He is a carpet-knight; not dubbed in the field, after a bloody fight, but on a carpet, after a festivity, and with sword unhacked in any battle.

"By the duello." -Act III., Scene 4.

By the laws of dueling.

"Empty trunks, o'erflourished by the devil."— Act III., Scene 4.

Trunks, which are now furniture for the bed, dressing, or lumberchamber, were, in Shakspeare's time, appertainments to parlors, and other company-rooms; were mounted upon feet, and richly ornamented on the top, at the ends, and along the sides, with scroll-work, and emblematic devices of all kinds.

"I pry thee, foolish Greek," &c.—Act IV., Scene 1.

Greek, was as much as to say bawd or pander. He understood the Clown to be acting in that office. A brothel was called Corinth, and frequenters of it Corinthians, which words occur frequently in Shakspeare, especially in "TIMON OF ATHENS," and "HENRY IV."

"Get themselves a good report, after fourteen years' purchase."

Act IV., Scene 1.

"This," says Warburton, "seems to carry a piece of satire upon monopolies, the crying grievance of that time. The grants generally were for fourteen years; and the petitions being referred to a committee, it was suspected that money gained favorable reports from thence."

"Bonos dies, Sir Toby; for as the old Hermit of Prague," &c. Act IV., Scene 2. In this speech of the Clown is probably intended "a fling" at the jargon of the schools, once so prevalent, in such phrases as "Whatso ever is, is;" and, "It is impossible for the same thing to be, and not to be;" &c. The old hermit of Prague was, doubtless, a very admirable logician in his time, and family-physician to King Gorboduc.

"Nay, I am for all waters."-Act IV., Scene 2.

The old dictionaries define the term water, applied to gems, as “a certain luster of pearls, diamonds, and other precious stones." This will sufficiently explain the Clown's play of words upon the chaplain's

name.

"Like to the old vice, &c."- Act IV., Scene 2.

The vice, in the old church-plays, called "MYSTERIES," and "MoRALITIES," was as regularly introduced a personage as is the harlequin in our modern pantomimes. The devil, also, was another of their prominent heroes; and the belaboring of this latter worthy by the vice, with his "dagger of lath," afforded as much amusement to the audiences of the time, as to our Christmas holiday-makers do the magic thumps of harlequin's wand upon the backs of clown and pantaloon.

"Whiles you are wiling."-Act IV., Scene 3.

"Till such time as you are willing."

"Primo, secundo, tertio, is a good play," &c.-Act V., Scene 1. If the jester's wit be here too latent for the detection of the reader, it is so, also, for that of all the learned commentators, who, accordingly, pass it over in very discreet silence; and we are compelled humbly to tread in the steps of their ignorance. Festo is, nevertheless, in this place, as everywhere, intelligible enough- by implication.

"Like to the Egyptian thief," &c. - Act V., Scene 1. An allusion to an affecting story in the Ethiopics of Heliodorus, the famous sophist, of which an English version, by Thomas Underdowne, appeared in 1587. Thyamis, a native of Memphis, and captain of a band of robbers, being deeply enamored of a lady named Chariclea, who had fallen into his hands, and being surprised by a company of banditti, stronger than his own, caught her by her tresses with his left hand, and with his right plunged his sword into her heart, to prevent her becoming their victim after his inevitable death.

"A passy-measure parin." — Act V., Scene 1. The names of grave pedantic dances of the time. The pavin (paven, or pavan), so called from the Latin paro, a peacock, was of Spanish origin, and was performed by gentlemen dressed with cap and sword, by the long-robed gentry in their gowns, by princes in their mantles, and by ladies in gowns with long trains; "the motion whereof, in the dance," says Sir John Hawkins, "resembled that of a peacock's tail."

"When that I was and a little tiny boy," &c.-Act V., Scene 1.

This ballad-epilogue (for such it is), superciliously sneered at by some of the learned commentators, is to us expressive, and suggestive of much that is sublime.

"A great while ago the world began,

With, hey, ho, the wind and the rain!
But that's all one-our play is done."

As the play, so is the world. "A great while ago " it began, as did the play: the play is ended, and the world must end:

"The cloud-capped towers, and the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve;
And, like this unsubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind! We are such stuff
As dreams are made of, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep."

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