of our ancestors. So, in Acolastus; a comedy, 1540!" seeing that the issue of the table, fruits and cheese, or wafers, hypocras, and murchpanes, or comfytures, be brought in." See Dugdale's Orig. Jurid. p. 133.

In the year 1560, I find the following entry on the books of the Stationers' Company: Item, payd for ix marshe paynes, xxvi s. vin d.

Marchpanes were composed of filberts, almonds,a pistachoes, pine-kernels, and sugar of roses, with a small proportion of flour. Our macaroons are only debased and diminutive marchpanes. STEEVENŠ.{ P. 11471. g. A hall! a hall!] Such is the old reading, and the true one, though the modern seditors read, A ball! a ball! The former exclam smation occurs frequently in the old comedies, and →signifies, make room, STEEVENS auct Pan14, kei. turn the tables up,] Before this phrase is generally intelligible, it should bel observed that ancient tables were flat leaves, joined by hinges, and placed on tressels. When they were to be removed, they were therefore turned up. « STEEVENS.

P. 114, 1. 15. good cousin Capulet;] This cousin Capulet is uncle in the paper of invitation, but as Capulet is described as old, cousin is pro bably the right word in both places. I know noti how Capulet and his lady might agree, their agess were very disproportionate; he has been past mask ing for thirty years, and her age, as she tells Juliet, is but eight-and-twenty. JOHNSON.

Cousin was a common expression from oper kinsman to another, out of the degree of parents and child, brother and sister. Olivia, in Twelfth Night, constantly calls her uncle Toby cousin.

VOL. XVIII.

25

RITSON.

Shakspeare and other contemporary writers use the word cousin to denote any collateral relation, of whatever degree, and sometimes even to denote those of lineal descent.

Richard III. during a whole scene calls his nephew York, cousin; who in his answer constantly calls him uncle. And the old Duchess of York in the same play calls her grandson, cousin:

"Why, my young cousin, it is good to

grow.

"York, Grandam, one night, as we did

sit at supper,

", &c.

M. MASON,

to scath you;] i. e. to do

you an injury. STEEVENS.

P. 116, 1. 13. You must contráry me!] The use of this verb is common to our old writers.

5

STEEVENS, P. 116, 1. 14. A princox is a coxcomb, a conceited person. STEEVENS.

The etymology of the word princox may be found in Florio's Italian Dict. 1598, in v. Pinchino. It is rather a cockered or spoil't child, than a coxcomb. MALONE.

P. 116/1. 17. Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting,] This expression is in part proverbial: the old adage is, "Patience perforce is a medicine for a

mad dog." STEEVENS. P. 116, 1. 25. the gentle fine is this, -] The old copies read sin. MALONE.

All profanations are supposed to be expiated 1 either by some meritorious action, or by some penance undergone, and punishment submitted to. So Romeo would here say, If I have been profane in the rude touch of my hand, my lips stand ready,

as two blushing pilgrims, to take off that offence, to atone for it by a sweet penance. Our poet therefore must have wrote:

the gentle fine is this. WARBURTON. P. 117, 1. 3-6. Rom. O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;

They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to

despair.] Juliet had said before "that palm to palm was holy palmers' kiss." She afterwards says that "palmers have lips that they must use in prayer." Romeo replies, that the prayer of his lips was, that they might do what hands do; that is, that they might kiss. M. MASON.

P. 117, 1. 12. [Kissing her.] Our poet here, without doubt, copied from the mode of his own time and kissing a lady in a publick assembly, we may conclude, was not thought indecorous. In K. Henry VIII. he in like manner makes Lord Sands kiss Anne Boleyn, next to whom he sits at the supper given by Cardinal Wolsey. MALONE.

P. 117, 1. 18. Jul. You kiss by the book.] In As you Like It, we find it was usual to quarrel by the book, and we are told in the note, that there were books extant for good manners. Juliet here appears to refer to a third kind, containing the art of courtship, an example from which it is probable that Rosalind hath adduced. HENLEY. All that Juliet means to say is you kiss methodically; you offer as many reasons for kissing, as could have been found in a treatise professedly written on the subject. AMNER.

P. 117, 1.34. We have a trifling foolish_banquet towards.] ToSTEEVENS.

wards is ready, at hand. It appears from the

former part of this scene

prononce but love and dove; ] Thus the first quarto, 1597. Pronounce in the quartos of 1599 and 1609 was made provaunt

In the first folio, which appears to have been printed from the latter of those copies, the same reading is adopted. The editor of the second folio arbitrarily substituted couply, meaning certainly couple, and all the modern editors have adopted F his innovation. Proveant, as MrSteevens has observed, means provision; but I have never never met with the verb To Provant, nor has any example of it been produced. I have no doubt therefore that it was a corruption, and have adhered to the first quarto. To'p tad bin lo amolars ba

In this very fine, love and dove, the reading of

the original was corrupted in the

and the folio, to love and day; and heir in the next line corrupted into * her. MALONE.

When King Cophetua lop'd the beggarSali bu998 "maidie po All the co pies read, Abraham Cupid The alteration was proposed Originally by Mr. Uptons It evidently alludes to the famous archer, Adam Bell, REED

Alluding to an old ballad preserved in the first volume of Dr. Percy's Reliques of ancient English Poetry. STEEVENS,