Again, in The Lover's Melancholy, 1629: 66 -that's a bird "Whom art had never taught cliffs, moods, or notes.". STEEVENS. 156. You flow to great destruction- -] The quarto. I read, You show too great distraction. JOHNSON, I would adhere to the old reading. You flow to great destruction, or distraction, means, the tide of your imagination will hurry you either to noble death from the hand of Diomed, or to the height of madness from the predominance of your own passions. STEEVENS. 177. How the devil luxury, with his fat rump, and potatoe finger, tickles these together!] Luxuria was the appropriate term used by the school divines to express the sin of incontinence, which accordingly is called luxury, in all our old English writers. In the Summa Theologia Compendium of Thomas Aquinas, P. 2. II. Quæst. CLIV. is de Luxuria Partibus, which the author distributes under the heads of Simplex Fornicatio, Adulterium, Incestus, Stuprum, Raptus, &c. and Chaucer, in his Parson's Tale, descanting on the seven deadly sins, treats of this under the title, De Luxuria. Hence in King Lear, our author uses the word in this peculiar sense : “To't Luxury pell-mell, for I want soldiers." And Middleton, in his Game of Chess, 1625: -in a room fill'd all with Aretine's pictures, "(More than the twelve labours of Luxury) 4 "Thou "Thou shalt not so much as the chaste pummel see "Of Lucrece' dagger.". But why is luxury, or lasciviousness, said to have a potatoe finger?—This root, which was in our author's time but newly imported from America, was considered as a rare exotic, and esteemed a very strong provocative. As the plant is so common now, it may entertain the reader to see how it is described by Gerard in his Herbal, 1597, p. 780. "This plant, which is called of some Skyrrits of ́, Peru, is generally of us called Potatus, or Potatoes.— There is not any that hath written of this plant-. therefore, I refer the description thereof unto those that shall hereafter have further knowledge of the same. Yet I have had in my garden divers roots (that I bought at the Exchange in London) where they flourished until winter, at which time they perished and rotted. They are used to be eaten roasted in the ashes. Some, when they be so roasted, infuse them and sop them in wine; and others, to give them the greater grace in eating, do boil them with prunes. Howsoever they be dressed, they comfort, nourish, and strengthen the bodie, procure bodily lust, and that with great greediness." It appears from Dr. Campbell's Political Survey of · Great-Britain, that potatoes were brought into Ireland about the year 1610, and that they came first from Ireland into Lancashire. It was however forty years before they were much cultivated about London. At this time they were distinguished from the Spanish by the name of Virginia potatoes—or battatas, which is the Indian denomination of the Spanish sort. The Indians in Virginia called them openank. Sir Walter Raleigh was the first who planted them in Ireland. Authors differ as to the nature of this vegetable, as well as in respect of the country from whence it originally came. Switzer calls it Sisarum Peruvianum, i. e. the skirret of Peru. Dr. Hill says it is a solanum, and another very respectable naturalist conceives it to be a native of Mexico. COLLINS. The potatoes of Virginia are, however, very different in appearance, flavour, and growth, from the English; so different, as to constitute them a distinct species. HENLEY. 189. -keep this sleeve.] The custom of wearing a lady's sleeve for a favour, is mentioned in Hall's Chronicle, fol. 12: "One ware on his head-piece his lady's sleeve, and another bare on his helme the glove of his deareling." Again, in the second canto of the Barons' Wars, by Drayton : "A lady's sleeve high-spirited Hastings wore." Again, in the MORTE ARTHUR, p. 3. ch. 119: "When queen Genever wist that Sir Launcelot beare the red sleeve of the faire maide of Astolat, she was nigh out of her minde for anger." Holinshed, p. 844, says, King Henry VIII. "had on his head a ladies sleeve full of diamonds." The circumstance, however, was adopted by Shakspere from Chaucer, T. and T. and C. 1. v. 1040: "She made him were a pencell of her sleve." A pencell is a small pennon or STEEVENS. streamer. In an old play (in six acts) called Histriomastix, 1610, this incident seems to be burlesqued. Troilus and Cressida are introduced by way of interlude, and Cressida breaks out: “O knight, with valour in thy face, "Here take my skreene, wear it for grace, the same, "Therewith to make thine enemies lame." A little old book, The Hundred Hystoryes of Troye, tells us, "Bryseyde, whom master Chaucer calleth Cresseyde, was a damosell of great beaute; and yet was more quaynte, mutable, and full of vagaunt condysions." FARMER. 208. As I kiss thee.-] In old editions, As I kiss thee. Dio. Nay, do not snatch it from me. Cre. He, that takes that, must take my heart withal. Dr. Thirlby thinks this should be all placed to Cressida. She had the sleeve, and was kissing it raptu rously and Diomed snatches it back from her. 220. By all Diana's waiting-r the stars which she points to. THEOBALD. -women yonder,] i. e.. WARBURTON. So, in our author's Rape of Lucrece: "The silver-shining queen he would distain; Her twinkling hand-maids too, by him defil'd, Giij again." "Through night's black bosom should not peep MALONE. 240. Troilus, farewel!. -] The characters of Cressida and Pandarus are more immediately formed from Chaucer than from Lydgate; for though the latter mentions them more characteristically, he does not sufficiently dwell on either to have furnished Shakspere with many circumstances to be found in this tragedy. Lydgate, speaking of Cressida, says only: "She gave her heart and love to Diomede, "To shew what trust there is in woman kind; "For she of her new love no sooner sped, "But Troilus was clean out of her mind, "As if she never had him known or seen, 241. But with my heart, &c.] I think it should be read thus: But my heart with the other eye doth see. Perhaps, rather : But with the other eye my heart doth see. JOHNSON. TYRWHITT. 246. A proof of strength she could not publish more,] She could not publish a stronger proof. JOHNSON. 257. That doth invert the attest of eyes and ears.] i. e. That turns the very testimony of seeing and hearing against themselves. This is the reading of the quarto. THEOBALD. JOHNSON. |