Hoft. I know my remedy; I must go fetch the third borough."

Sly. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I'll anfwer him by law: I'll not budge an inch, boy; let him come, and kindly. [Falls afleep.

Wind borns. Enter a Lord from bunting, with a train.

Lord. Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my

hounds:

Brach Merriman, the poor cur is imbost ;-7

And

So Sly here, not caring to be dun'd by the Hoftefs, cries to her in effect, "Don't be troublesome, don't interrupt me, go, by ;” and to fix the fatire in his allufion, pleasantly calls her Jeronymo.

6-I must go fe'ch the Headborough.

THEOBALD.

Sly, Third, or fourth, or fifth Borough, &c.] This corrupt reading had pafs'd down through all the copies, and none of the editors pretended to guefs at the poet's conceit. What an infipid, unmeaning reply does Sly make to his Hoftefs? How do third, or fourth, or fifth Borough relate to Headborough? The author intended but a poor witticism, and even that is loft. The Hostess would fay, that she'll fetch a conftable: and this officer fhe calls by his other name, a Third-borough: and upon this term Sly founds the conundrum in his answer to her. Who does not perceive, at a fingle glance, fome conceit started by this certain correction? There is an attempt at wit, tolerable enough for a tinker, and one drunk too. Third-borough is a Saxon term fufficiently explained by the gloffaries: and in our ftatute-books, no farther back than the 28th year of Henry VIII. we find it used to fignify a conflable. THEOBALD.

Theobald took his explanation of Third-borough, from Cowel's Law Di&t. which at the fame time might have taught him to doubt of its propriety. In the Perfonæ Dramatis to Ben Jonson's Tale of a Tub, the high-conftable, the petty confiabl, the bead borough, and the third-borough, are enumerated as diftin&t characIt is difficult to fay precisely what the office of a third-borough was.

ters.

STEEVENS.

7 Brach. Merriman, the poor cur is embost,

And couple Clowder with the deep-mouth'd Brach.]

Here

And couple Clowder with the deep-mouth'd Brach. Saw'st thou not, boy, how Silver made it good

Here, fays Pope, brach fignifies a degenerate hound: but Ed. wards explains it a hound in general.

That the latter of thefe criticks is right, will appear from the ufe of the word brach in Sir J. Mores's Comfort against Tribulation, book iii. ch. 24. "Here it must be known of fome men that " can skill of hunting, whether that we mistake not our terms, " for then are we utterly ashamed, as ye wott well. And I am "fo cunning, that I cannot tell, whether among them a bitche be " a bitche or no; but as I remember she is no bitche but a backe.” The meaning of the latter part of the paragraph feems to be," I "am fo little skilled in hunting, that I can hardly tell whether a "bitch be a bitch or not; my judgment goes no further, than " juft to direct me to call either dog or bitch by their general "name-Hound." I am aware that Spelman acquaints his reader, that brache was used in his days for a lurcher, and that Shakefpeare himself has made it a dog of a particular fpecies.

Mafiff greyhound, mungrill grim,
Hound or Spaniel, brache or hym.

K. LEAR, act iii. fc. 5.

But it is manifeft from the paffage of More juft cited, that it was fometimes applied in a general fenfe, and may therefore be fo understood in the paffage before us; and it may be added, that brache appears to be used in the fame fenfe by Beaumont and Fletcher. "A. Is that your brother? E. Yes, have you loft your memory? 4. As I live he is a pretty fellow. r. O this "is a fweet brache." Scornful Lady, act i. fc. 1.

66

WARTON.

Sir T. Hanmer reads, Leech Merriman, that is, apply fome remedies to Merriman, the poor cur has his joints fuelled. Perhaps we might read, bathe Merriman, which is I believe the common practice of huntfmen, but the prefent reading may ftand:

-tender well my bounds:
Brach-Merriman—the poor cur is imboft.

JOHNSON.

I believe brach Merriman means only Merriman the brach. So in the old fong,

"Cow Crumbocke is a very good cow."

Brach however appears to have been a particular fort of hound.

At the hedge-corner in the coldest fault?
I would not lofe the dog for twenty pound.
Hun. Why, Belman is as good as he, my lord;
He cried upon it at the meereft lofs,

And twice to-day pick'd out the dulleft fcent:
Trust me, I take him for the better dog.

Lord. Thou art a fool; if Eccho were as fleet,
I would esteem him worth a dozen fuch.
But fup them well, and look unto them all;
To-morrow I intend to hunt again.

Hun. I will, my lord.

Lord. What's here? one dead, or drunk? See, doth he breathe?

2 Hun. He breathes, my Lord. Were he not warm'd with ale,

This were a bed but cold, to fleep fo foundly.

Lord. O monftrous beaft! how like a fwine he lies! -Grim death, how foul and loathfome is thy image!Sirs, I will practise on this drunken man.

What think you, if he were convey'd to-bed, Wrapt in fweet cloaths; rings put upon his fingers; A most delicious banquet by his bed,

And brave attendants near him; when he wakes, Would not the beggar then forget himself?

1 Hun. Believe me, Lord, I think he cannot chufe. 2 Hun. It would feem ftrange unto him, when he wak'd.

Lord. Even as a flattering dream, or worthlefs fancy.

Then take him up, and manage well the jeft :-
Carry him gently to my faireft chamber,

In an old metrical charter, granted by Edward the Confeffor to the hundred of Cholmer and Dancing, in Effex, there are the two following lines;

"Four greyhounds & fix Bratches,

"For hare, fox, and wild-cattes."

STEEVENS.

And hang it round with all my wanton pictures:
Balm his foul head with warm diftilled waters,
And burn fweet wood, to make the lodging fweet.
Procure me mufick ready when he wakes,
To make a dulcet and a heavenly found;
And if he chance to speak, be ready ftraight,
And, with a low fubmiffive reverence
Say, What is it your honour will command?
Let one attend him with a filver bafon

Full of rofe-water, and beftrew'd with flowers;
Another bear the ewer; the third a diaper;
And fay- -Will't pleafe your lordship cool your

hands?

Some one be ready with a costly suit,
And ask him what apparel he will wear,
Another tell him of his hounds and horfe,
And that his lady mourns at his disease:
Perfuade him that he hath been lunatick ;
And when he fays he is,fay that he dreams;*
For he is nothing but a mighty lord.

This do, and do it kindly, gentle firs;
It will be pastime excellent,

$ And when he fays he is,- -fay that be dreams.
For he is nothing but a mighty lord.]

One can hardly conceive that he would confefs himself to be lunatic; neither is lunacy a thing incompatible with the condition of a lord. I fhould rather think that Shakespeare wrote,

"And when he says he's poor,-fay, that he dreams." The dignity of a lord is then fignificantly oppofed to the poverty which it would be natural for him to acknowledge.

STEEVENS.

If any thing fhould be inferted, it may be done thus,
"And when he fays he's Sly, fay that he dreams."

The likeness in writing of Sly and fay produced the omiffion.

JOHNSON.

If it be husbanded with modesty

1 Hun. My lord, I warrant you, we'll play our part,

As he fhall think, by our true diligence,

He is no less than what we fay he is.

Lord. Take him up gently, and to bed with him ; And each one to his office, when he wakes.

[Some bear out Sly.

Sound trumpets. Sirrah, go see what trumpet 'tis that founds. Belike, fome noble gentleman, that means,

[Exit Servant.

Travelling fome journey, to repofe him here.

Re-enter a Servant.

How now? who is it?

Ser. An't please your honour, players, That offer service to your lordship.

Lord. Bid them come near:

Enter Players.

Now, fellows, you are welcome.
Play. We thank your honour.

Lord. Do you intend to stay with me to night?
2 Play. So please your lordship to accept our
duty.

Lord. With all my heart. This fellow I remember, Since once he play'd a farmer's eldest son :— 'Twas where you woo'd the gentlewoman fo well: I have forgot your name; but fure, that part Was aptly fitted, and naturally perform'd.

modefty.] By modefty is meant moderation, without fuffering our merriment to break into an excefs. JOHNSON. -to accept our duty.] It was in thofe times the custom of players to travel in companies, and offer their fervice at great houfes. JOHNSON.

Sincklo.