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Explanatory Notes.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

P. 187. c. 1. 1. 36 With all these] i. e. the King, Biron, &c.

ld c. 2. 1. 27. while truth the while,

Doth falsely blind) Falsely is here, and in many other places, the same as dishonestly or treacherously.

Id l. 34. Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed.

And give him light that was it blinded by.] This passage is unnecessarily obscure; the meaning is, that when he dazzles, that is, has his eye made weak, by fixing his eye upon a fairer eye, that fairer eye shall be his heed, his direction or lode-star, and give him light that was blinded by it. JOHNSON. Mr. Malone reads "it was.'

Id. 1. 59.

sneaping frost,] To sneap is to

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check, or rebuke. P. 188, c. 1, l. 6. May's new fangled shows;] By these shows the poet means May-games at which a snow would be very unwelcome and unexpected. It is only a periphrasis for May. Id. 1. 10. sit you out,] To sit out: is a term from the card-table.

d. 1. 23. Mr. Malone omits And.

Id 1 27. "This penalty?" - MALONE.

Id. 1.32. A dangerous law against gentility,] or whanity.

la. 1 54.

-lie here - Means reside here, in the same sense as an ambassador is said to lie leiger

Id. 1. 59. Not by might master'd, but by special grace: Biron, amidst his extravagancies, speaks with great justness against the folly of Fows. They are made without sufficient regard to the variations of life, and are therefore broken by some unforeseen necessity. They proceed commonly from a presumptuous conSdence, and a false estimate of human power. JOHNSON.

11.1.69.

14.1.66 Suggestions —] Temptations. quick recreation] Lively sport, spritely diversion.

ld 1.77. A man of complements,] Compliment, in Shakspeare's time, did not signify, at least did not only sign fy verbal civility, or phrases of courtesy, but according to its original meaning, the trappings, or ornamental appendages of a character, in the same manner, and on the same principles of speech with accomplish

ment.

Id. 1. 79. This child of fancy.] This fantastic.
Id. 1. 79. That Armado hight,] Who is called
Armado.

Id. c. 2, 1.5. And I will use him for my min-
strelsy.] i. e. I will make a minstrel of him,
whose occupation was to relate fabulous sto-
ries.
Id. l. 7. fire-new words,] i. e. words newly
coined, new from the forge. Fire-new, new
off the irons, and the Scottish expression
brennew, have all the same origin.

Id. l. 15.

tharborough:] i. e. thirdborough, a peace officer, alike in authority with a headborough or a constable.

Id. 1.25. A high hope for a low having :] Though you hope for high words, and should have them, it will be but a low acquisition at best. Id. 1. 32. taken with the manner.] i. e. in the fact.

17

Id. l. 76. curious-knotted garden:] Ancient gardens abounded with figures of which the lines intersected each other in many directions.

Id. l. 77. base minnow of thy mirth,] The base minnow of thy mirth, is the contemptible little object that contributes to thy entertain

ment.

SCENE 11.

P. 189, c. 1, l. 75. my tender juvenal?] Juvenal is youth. Id. c. 2, l. 22. crosses love not him.] By crosses he means money.

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id.

Id.

l. 41.

the dancing horse will tell you.] Bankes's horse, which played many remarkable pranks, and is alluded to by many writers contemporary with Shakspeare.

l. 75. Green, indeed, is the colour of lovers :] An allusion to jealousy, or perhaps to the green willow.

P. 190, c. 1, l. 14 Which native she doth owe. ] i. e. of which she is naturally possessed. Id. 1. 23. my digression - Digression on this occasion signifies the act of going out of the right way, transgression.

Id. l. 38. -for the day-woman] i. e. for the dairy-maid.

Id 1. 42. That's hereby ] i. e. as it may happen.
Id. I. 45. With that face? This cant phrase has
oddly lasted till the present time.
Id. 1. 74. affect - i. e. love.
Id. c 2, l. 4. butt-shaft i. e. an arrow to

shoot at butts with.

ACT II.

SCENE 1.

Id. 1. 45. This wimpled,¡ The wimple was a hood or veil which fell over the face. Id. 1. 50. Dread prince of plackets,] A placket is a petticoat.

P. 190, c. 2, 1. 22. your dearest spirits :】 | Id. Dear, in our author's language, has many shades of meaning. In the present instance and the next, it appears to signify - best, most powerful. STEEVENS.

1d. 1. 50. Bold of your worthiness] i. e. confi- |

dent of it.

P. 191, c. 1, l. 9. And much too little, &c.] i. e. And my report of the good I saw, is much too little compared to his great worthiness. competitors in oath,] i. e. confe

Id. l. 31. derates. Id. 1. 32. Were all address'd -] To address is

to prepare.

Id. 1. 56. Where-1 Where is here used for

whereas.

Id. c. 2, l. 25.

depart withal,] To depart

and to part were anciently synonymous. Id. l. 74. No poynt,] A negation borrowed from the French.

P. 192, c. 1, 1. 38. My lips are no common, though several they be ] A play on the word several, which, besides its ordinary signification of separate, distinct, likewise signifies in uninclosed lands, a certain portion of ground appropriated to either corn or meadow, adjoining the common field. 1d. 1. 55. His tongue, all impatient to speak and not see,] Although the expression in the text is extremely odd, 1 take the sense of it to be that his tongue envied the quickness of his eyes, and strove to be as rapid in its utterance, as they in their perception. STEE

VENS.

ACT III.

SCENE I.

Id. c. 2, 1.7. Concolinel-] Here is apparently a song lost in the old comedies, the songs are frequently omitted.

Id. 1. 12. festinately hither;] i. e. hastily. Id. l. 15. -a French brawl?] A brawl is a kind of dance, perhaps what we now call a cotillon.

Id. l. 18. canary to it with your feet.] Canary was the name of a spritely nimble dance. Id. l. 34. By my peany of observation ] The allusion is to the famous old piece, called a Penniworth of Wit.

P. 193, c. 1, l. 4, ·

here's a Costard broken -]

i. e. head. Id. 1. 7. l'envoy ;] The l'envoy is a term borrowed from the old French poetry. It appeared always at the head of a few concluding verses to each piece, which either served to convey the moral, or to address the poem to some particular person. It was frequently adopted by the ancient English writers." Id. l. 9. — no salve in the mail, sir:] What this can mean, is not easily discovered: if mail for a packet or bag was a word then in use, no salve in the mail may mean, no salve in the mountebank's budget. Or, perhaps we should read -no salve in them all, sir. Id. 1. 74. Like the sequel, I.) Alluding to the sequel of any story.

Id. 176. my incony Jew!] Incony or kony in the North, signifies fine, delicate kony thing, a fine thing.

as a

Id. c. 2, l. 33.. guerdon; i. e. reward.
Id. l. 37. -in print.] i. e. exactly, with the

utmost nicety.

Id. l. 44. so magnificent!] i. e. glorying, boasting.

Id.

1. 52. Of trotting paritors.] An apparitor, or paritor, is an officer of the Bishop's court, who carries out citations; as citations are most frequently issued for fornication, the pa1. 53. And I to be a corporal of his field,] ritor is put under Cupid's government. A corporal of the field was employed as an aide-de camp is now, in taking and carrying to and fro the directions of the general, or Id. l. 54. And wear his colours like a tumbler's other the higher officers of the field. hoop!] Tumbler's hoops are to this day bound round with ribbands of various colours.

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queen Guinever -] This was king Arthur's queen, not over famous for fidelity to her husband.

195, c. 1, l. 3. Wide o'the bow hand.] i. e. a good deal to the left of the mark; a term st.. retained in modern archery.

Id. 1. 3.--the clout.] The clout was the white mark at which archers took aim The pis was the wooden nail that upheld it. Id. 1.7. — you talk greasily,]'i. e. grossly

SCENE II.

Id. 1. 27. Enter Holofernes,] By Holofernes is designed a pedant and schoolmaster of our author's time, one John Florio, a teacher of the Italian tongue in London, who has given us a small dictionary of that language under the title of A World of Words. Id. 1. 31-ripe as a pomewater.] A species of apple formerly much esteemed. Malus Car bonaria.

Id. l. 62. —— a patch—] Patch, or low fl low.

Id. 1 74 And raught not] i. e. reach'd not Id. 1. 75. The allusion holds in the exchange

i. e. The riddle is as good when I use the name of Adam, as when I use the name of Cain.

Id. c. 2, l. 11.

affect the letter;] That is, I will practise alliteration. Id. 1. 24 claw him with a talent.] ie flatters him.

P. 196, c. 1, 7. 15. the tired horse-] The

tired horse was the horse adorned with rib bands, -The famous Bankes's horse so ofte alluded to.

Id. 1. 18. Ay, sir, from one monsieur Biren,' Shakspeare forgot himself in this passage. Jaquenetta knew nothing of Biron, and had said, just before, that the letter had been "sent to her from Don Armatho, and gives to her by Costard."

Id. l. 39. colourable colours.] i, e. specious appearances.

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Would let her out in saucers;] It was the fashion among the young gallants of that age, to stab themselves in the arms, or elsewhere, in order to drink their mistress's health, or write her name in their blood, as a proof of their passion,

H. c. 2, l. 1. such zeal". MALONE. Id. 11. Your eyes do make no coaches;] Alluding to a passage in the king's sonnet: "No drop but as a coach doth carry thee." Id l. 20. teen!] i. e. grief.

Id. 1. 22. To see a king transformed to a gnat!] Biron is abusing the king for his sonneting like a minstrel, and compares him to a gnat, which always sings as it flies.

Id. 1. 26. critic Timon-1 Critic and critical are used by our author in the same sense as cynic and cynical.

Id. l. 40 In pruning me?] A bird is said to prune himself when he picks and sleeks his fea

thers.

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-The nimble spirits in the arteries ;] In the old system of physic they gave the same office to the arteries as is now given to the nerves.

Id. 1. 35. Mr. Malone has followed this line by a hemistich with ourselves". for which it would be difficult to find a meaning. Id. 1. 46. Other slow arts entirely keep the brain; As we say, keep the house, or keep their bed. M. MASON.

Id. 1. 58. the suspicious head of theft is stopp'd i. e. a lover in pursuit of his mistress has his sense of hearing quicker than a thief (who suspects every sound he hears) in pursuit of his prey. Or, the suspicious head of theft may mean the head suspicious of theft.

Id. l. 60.

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-cockled i. e. inshelled, like the fish called a cockle.

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P. 199, c. 1, 1. 38. your reasons at dinner have been, &c.] I know not well what degree of respect Shakspeare intends to obtain for his vicar, but he has here put into his mouth a finished representation of colloquial excellence. It is very difficult to add any thing to his character of the schoolmaster's table-talk, and perhaps all the precepts of Castiglione will scarcely be found to comprehend a rule for conversation so justly delineated, so widely dilated, and so nicely limited.

It may be proper just to note, that reason here, and in many other places, signifies discourse; and that audacious is used in a good sense for spirited, animated, confident. Opinion is the same with obstinacy or opiniatreté. JOHNSON.

Id. l. 39.- without affection, ] i. e. without

affectation.

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Id. 1. 48. He is too picked,] nicely drest. Id. l. 54. point-devise-] A French expression for the utmost or finical exactness. Id. c. 2, l. 3. ——a Hap-dragon.] A flap-dragon is a small inflammable substance, which topers swallow in a glass of wine.

Id. l. 18. -- a quick venew of wit:] A venew is the technical term for a bout at the fencingschool.

Id. l. 39. the charge-house-] perhaps, is the free-school.

Id. l. 53. inward-] i, e. confidential. Id. l. 55. I do beseech thee, remember thy courtesy; I beseech thee, apparel thy head; By "remember thy courtesy," I suppose Armado means remember that all this time thou art standing with thy hat off. STEEVENS. Id. l. 60. —— dally with my excrement,] The author calls the beard valour's excrement in The Merchant of Venice.

Id. 1. 68. chuck. i. e. chicken; an ancient term of endearment.

P. 200, c. 1, 7. 24.

if this fadge not,] i. e suit not, pass not into action. Id. 1. 26. Via,] An Italian exclamation, signify ing courage! come on!

SCENE 11.

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P. 200, c 2, l. 12. "But, Katherine," &c. MALONE Id. 1. 7. in by the week!] An expression taken from hiring servants or artificers; meaning I was as sure of his service for any time limited. as if I had hired him.

Id 1.32 And make him proud to make me proud that jests!) The meaning of this obscure line seems to be, I would make him proud to flatter me who make a mock of his flattery. P. 201, c. 1, l. 10. spleen ridiculous-] Is,

a ridiculous fit of laughter. Id. 1. 29. "you"-MALONE, Id. l. 61. Beauties no richer than rich taffata] i. e. the taffata masks they wore to conceal themselves.

Id. c. 2, l. 17. To tread a measure-] The measures were dances solemn and slow.

Id. l. 43. Mr. Malone omits do.

P. 202, c. 1, l. 4. Since you can cog.] To cog, signifies to falsify the dice, and to falsify a narrative, or to lye. JOHNSON.

Id. l. 60. Well liking wits,-] Well-liking is the same as embonpoint.

Id. l. 70. No point, quoth I;] Point in French is an adverb of negation; but if properly spoken, is not sounded like the point of a sword. A quibble, however, is intended.

Id. 1. 76-better wits have worn plain statutecaps.] Dr. Johnson thinks this is an allusion to the statute-cap of the universities. Mr. Steevens, that it means better wits may be found among the citizens, who wore a kind of wollen cap by statute

Id. c. 2, l. 15. Are angels vailing clouds,] i. e. letting those clouds which obscured their brightness, sink from before them. JOHNSON.

Id. l. 42.- wassels,] Wassels were meetings of rustic mirth and intemperance.

Id. l. 54. A mean-] The mean, in music, is the

tenor.

P. 203, c. 1,7. 19. My lady (to the manner of the days,)

In courtesy, gives undeserving praise ] To the manner of the days, means according to the manner of the times. Gives undeserving praise, means praise to what does not deserve it. Jd. l. 26. Mr. Malone reads, My gentle sweet." Id. 1. 67-my friend :] i. e. mistress. Id. l. 70. Three-pil'd hyperboles,] A metaphor from the pile of velvet.

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Id. 1. 70. Spruce affection?"-MALONE.

Id. c. 2, 1.4. Write, Lord have mercy on us ] This was the inscription put upon the doors of the houses infected with the plague, to which Biron compares the love of himself and his companions; and pursuing the metaphor finds the tokens likewise on the ladies. The tokens of the plague are the first spots or discolorations, by which the infection is known to be received. JOHNSON.

Id. 1. 33-you force not to forswear.] You force not is the same with you make no difficulty This is a very just observation. The crime which has been once committed, is committed again with less reluctance. JOHNSON.

Id. 1.55.-a consent,] i, e. a conspiracy.
Id. 1.58-zany,] A zany is a buffoon, a merry
Andrew.

Id. 1. 61.

his cheek in years 1 In years, signifies, into wrinkles; but Mr. Malone reads 'jeers," or gibes.

66

Id. 1. 71. by the squire,] From esquierre, Freach, a rule, or square.

Id. 1. 75. Go, you are allow'd;] i. e. you may may say what you will.

P. 204, c. 1, l. 13. You cannot beg us,] That is, we are not fools, or lunatics; our next relations cannot beg the wardship of our persons and fortunes

Id. 1. 76. Abate a throw at novum:] Notum (or novem) appears to have been some game at dice. Id. c. 2, l. 9. With libbard's head—| i. e. leopard's.

Id. 7. 36. it stands too right.] It should be remembered, to relish this joke, that the head of Alexander was obliquely placed on his shoulders. STEEVENS.

Id. l. 53. ——— A-jax :] There is a conceit of Ajar and a jakes, which, paltry as it is, was used by Ben Jonson, and Camden the antiquary. Id. l. 59. a little o'er-parted :] That is, the part or character allotted to him in this piece is too considerable. MALONE.

P. 205, c. 1, l. 18. —— on a flask,] i. e. a soldier's powder-horn.

Id. 1. 19. St. George's half cheek in a brooch ] A brooch is an ornamental buckle, for fasteung hat-bands, girdles, mantles, &c.

Id. 1. 42. Hector was but a Trojan-] A Trejas was, in the time of Shakspeare, a cant ter for a thief.

Id. l. 50. of lances-li, e. of larce-men. Id. c. 2, l. 18. More Ates;] That is, more instigation. Ate was the mischievous goddess that incited bloodshed.

Id. l. 24. —— like a northern man ;] Vir borealis, a clown.

Id. l. 41. --woolward—] To go woolward was a phrase appropriated to pilgrims and pea tentiaries. Id. 1 67. liberal-] Free to excess. Id. 1. 69. In the converse of breath | Perhap converse may, in this lie, mean interchange.

Id.

1. 75. And often, at his very loose, decides, &c.] At his very loose, may mean at the mo ment of his parting, i. e. of his getting lost, or away from us.

P. 206, c. 1, l. 1. —— which fain it would cat vince;] The words which fain it would com vince, mean what it would wish to succeed obtaining.

Id. l. 27. Suggested us-] That is, tempted us Id. l. 61. and thin weeds,] i. e. clothing Id. l. 63. and last love;] Means, if it can

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Merchant of Venice,

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Historical Noles.

IN Steevens's and Malone's editions of Shakspeare, the reader will find a distinct epitome of the novels from which the story of this play is supposed to be taken. It should, however, be remembered, that if our poet was at all indebted to the Italian novelist, it must have been through the medium of some old translation, which has hitherto escaped the researches of his most industrious editors.

It appears from a passage in Stephen Gosson's School of Abuse, &c. 1579, that a play, comprehending the distinct plot of Shakspeare's Merchant of Venice, had been exhibited long before he commenced a writer, viz. "The Jews shown at the Bull, representing the greediness of worldly choosers, and the bloody minds of usurers."

These plays," says Gosson (for he mentions others with it), are goode and sweete plays," &c. It is therefore not improbable that Shakspeare new-wrote his piece, on the model already mentioned, and that the elder performance, being inferior, was permitted to drop silently tato oblivion.

This play of Shakspeare had been exhibited before the year 1598, as appears from Meres's Wits Treasury, where it is mentioned with eleven more of our author's pieces. It was entered on the books of the Stationer's Company, July 22, in the same year. It could not have been printed earlier because it was not yet licensed. The old song of Gernutus the Jew of Venice, is published by Dr. Percy in the first volume of his Reliques of Ancient English Poetry: and the hallad intituled, The murtherous Lyfe and terrible Death of the rich Jews of Malta; and the tragedy on the same subject, were both entered on the Stationers' books, May, 1594. STEEVENS.

The story was taken from an old translation of The Gesta Romanorum, first printed by Wynkyn de Worde. The book was very popular, and Shakspeare has closely copied some of the language an additional argument, if we wanted it, of his track of reading. Three vessels are exhibited to a lady for her choice.-The first was made of pure gold, well beset with precious

stones without, and within full of death men's bones; and thereupon was engraven this posie : Whoso chuseth me, shall find that he deserveth. The second vessel was made of fine silver, filled with earth and worms: the superscription was thus: Whoso chuseth me, shall find that his nature desireth. The third vessel was made of lead, full within of precious stones, and thereupon was insculpt this posie : Whoso chuseth me, shall find that God hath disposed for him.The lady, after a comment upon each, chuses the leaden vessel.

In a MS. of Lidgate, belonging to my very learned friend, Dr. Askew, I find a Tale of Two Merchants of Egypt, and of Baldad ex Gestis Romanorum. Leland, therefore, could not be the original author, as bishop Tanner suspected. He lived a century after Lidgate. FARMER.

When

The two principal incidents of this play are to be found separately in a collection of odd stories, which were very popular, at least five hundred years ago, under the title of Gesta Romanorum. The first, Of the Bond, is in ch. xlviii. of the copy which I chuse to refer to, as the completest of any which I have yet seen. MS. Harl. n. 2270. A knight there borrows money of a merchant, upon condition of forfeiting all his flesh for non-payment. the penalty is exacted before the judge,the knight's mistress, disguised, in forma veri & vestimentis pretiosis induta, comes into court, and, by permission of the judge, endeavours to mollify the merchant. She first offers him his money, and then the double of it, &c. to all which his answer is " Conventionem meam volo habere. -Puella, cum hoc audisset, ait coram omnibus, Domine mi judex, da rectum judicium super his quæ vobis dixero.-Vos scitis quod miles nunquam se obligabat ad aliud per litteram nisi quod mercator habeat potestatem carnes ab ossibus scindere, sine sanguinis effusione, de quo nihil erat prolocutum. Statim mittat manum in eum; si vero sanguinem effuderit, Rex contra eum actionem habet. Mercator, cum hoc audisset, ait; date mihi pecuniam & omnem actionem

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