will be thought effectual, and to weighty purpose and therefore into his mouth we'll put the approved theme of their forgeries. Skir. And I'll maintain it, knight, if she'll be true *. Enter a Servant. Sir Oliv. How now, fellow? Ser. May it please you, fir, my lord is newly lighted from his coach. Sir Oliv. Is my lord come already? His honour's early 6. You fee he loves me well. Up before feven! Aftreet; a church appearing. Enter Idle, Pyeboard, Sir Godfrey, and Edmond; the Widow in a bridal drefs; Sir John Pennydub, Mary and Frances; Nicholas, Frailty, and other attendants. To them a Nobleman, Sir Oliver Muckhill, and Sir Andrew Tipftaff. Nob. By your leave, lady. Wid. My lord, your honour is moft chaftly welcome. - what fuch a man utters will be thought effectual,-] Since the time when this comedy was written, the fentiments of the citizens are somewhat changed. The narrative of a lord would now be regarded by them (to use the words of Shakspeare's Lady Conftance) "As but the vain breath of a common man." STEEVENS. * And I'll maintain it, knight, if he'll be true.] There is here, I believe, fome corruption. Perhaps the author wrote—I tell you true. MALOne. 6 Is my lord come already? His honour's early.] Honour was the eftablished term of refpect, ufed in addreffing a lord, as lordihip is now. PERCY. Nob Nob. Madam, though I came now from court, I come not to flatter you. Upon whom can I justly caft this blot, but upon your own forehead, that know not ink from milk? fuch is the blind befotting in the state of an unheaded woman that's a widow. For it is the property of all you that are widows (a handful excepted) to hate those that honeftly and carefully love you, to the maintenance of credit, ftate, and pofterity; and strongly to dote on those that only love you to undo you. Who regard you leaft, are beft regarded; who hate you moft, are beft beloved. And if there be but one man amongst ten thousand mil lions of men, that is accurft, difaftrous, and evilly planeted; whom Fortune beats moft, whom God hates moft, and all societies efteem leaft, that maniş fure to be a husband, Such is the peevith moon that rules your bloods. An impudent fellow beft wooes you, a flattering lip beft wins you; or in a mirth, who talks roughlieft, is moft fweeteft; nor can you diftinguish truth from forgeries, mifts from fimplicity; witness thofe two deceitful monsters, that you have entertain'd for bridegrooms, Wid. Deceitful! Pye. All will out. Idle. 'Sfoot, who has blab'd, George? that foolish Nicholas. Nob. For what they have befotted your eafy blood withal, were nought but forgeries: the fortune-telling for husbands, the conjuring for the chain fir Godfrey heard the falfhood of, all, nothing but mere knavery, deceit, and cozenage. Wid. O wonderful! indeed I wonder'd that my husband, with all his craft, could not keep himself out of purgatory. Such is the peevish moon that rules your bloods.] So in the Revenger's Tragedy, 1608: I know 'twas but fomne pecvif moon in him." See Winter's Tale, last edit. vol. iv. p. 330. STERVENS. -Sir God. And I more wonder'd, that my be gone, and my taylor had none of it. chain fhould Mary. And I wonder'd most of all, that I fhould be tied from marriage, having fuch a mind to it. Come, fir John Pennydub, fair weather on our fide: The moon has chang'd fince yefternight. Pye. The fting of every evil is within me. Nob. And that you may perceive 1 feign not with you, behold their fellow-actor in thofe forgeries; who full of spleen and envy at their fo fudden advancements, reveal'd all their plot in anger. -Pye. Bafe foldier, to reveal us! Wid. Is't poffible we should be blinded fo, and our eyes open? Nob. Widow, will you now believe that false which too foon you believ'd true? Wid. O, to my fhame, I do. Sir God. But under favour, my lord, my chain was truly loft, and strangely found again. -Nob. Refolve him of that, foldier. Skir. In few words, knight, then thou wert the arch-gull of all. Sir God. How, fir? Skir. Nay I'll prove it for the chain was but hid in the rosemary-bank all this while; and thou got'ft him out of prifon to conjure for it, who did it admirably, fuftianly; for indeed what needed any other, when he knew where it was? Sir God. O villainy of villainies! But how came my chain there? Skir. Where's Truly la, Indeed la, he that will not fwear, but lie; he that will not steal, but rob; pure Nicholas Saint-Antlings? Sir God. O villain! one of our fociety, Deem'd always holy, pure, religious, A puritan a thief! When was't ever heard? Sooner we'll kill a man, than fteal, thou know'st. Out Out flave! I'll rend my lion from thy back, Nich. Dear mafter! O! Nob. Nay knight, dwell in patience. And now, 8 Out flave! I'll rend my lion from thy back, With mine own hands.] He means his creft, which was wrought in the back part of his fervant's livery, and worn as a cognizance or badge. MALONE. In the drefs of the yeomen of the guards, which is still worn as it was formed and fettled by king Henry VII. the rofe, which was the badge of that prince, is to this day (I believe) worn both on the breast and back. PERCY. I hardly think this can be the meaning. A Puritan would not have carried about a distinction fo oftentatious; it would have been regarded as a mark of the beaft. Neither perhaps were badges worn by any fervants but thofe of the nobility. Thefe cognizances likewife were never exhibited on the back, but on the feeve, as appears from the following ftanza in a ballad entitled Time's Alteration, &c: "The nobles of our land "Were much delighted then "To have at their command "When this old cap was new." It may be remarked that Iago alludes to the fame custom, when he says: 66 I will wear my heart upon my fleeve, "For daws to peck at." Befides, we are told in the first act that the three fanctimonious fervingmen were dreffed in "black, feurvy, mourning coats, with books at their girdles." I fufpect lion to be a printer's blunder for livery, (i. e. the fober livery of the faints) unlefs fome ftroke was aimed at the play of K. John, in which the Baftard threatens to tear the lion's hide from the back of Aufiria. STEEVENS. These fervants were dreffed in the early part of the play in mourning, having juft returned from their ma er's funeral; but as the widow in the prefent fcene appears in a bridal drefs, her attendants (who were the fervants of fir Godfrey alfo) must be prefumed to have likewife changed their apparel. Badges were ufually, I believe, worn on the fleeve (as they are at this day by the watermen belonging to the nobility); but whether cognizances were not likewife fometimes embroidered in the back part of ancient liveries, does not seem to be ascertained. MALONE. VOL. II. S s wi widow, being fo near the church, 'twere great pity, nay uncharity, to fend you home again without a hufband. Draw nearer, you of true worship, state, and credit; that should not ftand fo far off from a widow, and fuffer forged fhapes to come between you. Not that in thefe I blemish the true title of a captain, or blot the fair margent of a fcholar; for I honour worthy and deferving parts in the one, and cherifh fruitful virtues in the other. Come lady, and you virgin, bestow your eyes and your pureft affections upon men of ellimation both in court and city, that have long wooed you, and both with their hearts and wealth fincerely love you. Sir God. Good fifter, do. Sweet little Franke, these are men of reputation: you shall be welcome at court; a great credit for a citizen.-Sweet fifter. Nob. Come, her filence does confent to't. Wid. I know not with what face Nob. Poh, poh, with your own face; they deûre no other. Wid. Pardon me, worthy firs: I and my daughter Have wrong'd your loves. Sir Oliv. Tis eafily pardon'd, lady, if you vouchfafe it now. Wid. With all my foul. Fran. And I, with all my heart. Mary. And I, fir John, with foul, heart, lights and all. Sir John. They are all mine, Moll. Nob. Now lady : What honeft fpirit, but will applaud your choice, 9 For Come, enter into your joys; you fa'l not want For fathers, now; ] There is here, I believe, fome Corruption. MALONE. I fee no reafon for fufpecting any corruption in the text. It is the |