CLOWN. Have I not told thee, how I was cozen'd by the way, and lost all my money?

AUT. And, indeed, fir, there are cozeners abroad; therefore it behoves men to be wary.

CLOWN. Fear not thou, man, thou fhalt lofe nothing here.

Aur. I hope fo, fir; for I have about me many parcels of charge.

In a marginal note it is obferved that tawdries are a kind of necklaces worn by country wenches.

Again, in the fourth fong:

not the smallest beck,

"But with white pebbles makes her tawdries for her neck.” STEEVENS.

9 a pair of feet gloves.] Sweet, or perfumed gloves, are frequently mentioned by Shak fpeare, and were very fashionable in the age of Elizabeth, and long afterwards. Thus Autolycus, in the fong juft preceding this paffage, offers to fale:

"Gloves as feet as damask roses."

Stowe's Continuator, Edmund Howes, informs us, that the English could not "make any coftly wash or perfume, until about the fourteenth or fifteenth of the queene [Elizabeth,] the right honourable Edward Vere earle of Oxford came from Italy, and brought with him gloves, fweet bagges, a perfumed leather jerkin, and other pleasant thinges: and that yeare the queene had a pay re of perfumed gloves trimmed onlie with foure tuftes, or rofes, of cullered filke. The queene took fuch pleasure in thofe gloves, that fhee was pictured with thofe gloves upon her hands and for many yeers after it was called the erle of Oxfordes perfume." Stowe's Annals by Howes, edit. 1614, p. 868. col. 2.

In the computus of the burfars of Trinity college, Oxford, for the year 1631, the following article occurs: "Solut. pro fumigandis chirothecis." Gloves makes a conftant and confiderable article of expence in the earlier accompt-books of the college here mentioned; and without doubt in thofe of many other focieties. They were annually given (a cuftom ftill fubfifting) to the college-tenants, and often prefented to gucfts of diftinction. But it appears (at leaft, from accompts of the faid college in preceding years) that the practice of perfuming gloves for this purpofe was fallen into disuse foon after the reign of Charles the First. T. WARTON.

CLOWN. What haft here? ballads?

Mop. Pray now, buy fome: I love a ballad in print, a'-life; for then we are fure they are true.

2

Aur. Here's one, to a very doleful tune, How a ufurer's wife was brought to bed of twenty money-bags at a burden; and how the long'd to cat adders' heads, and toads carbonado'd.

Mop. Is it true, think you?

Aur. Very true; and but a month old.
DOR. Blefs me from marrying a ufurer!

AUT. Here's the midwife's name to't, one miftrefs Taleporter; and five or fix honeft wives' that were prefent: Why fhould I carry lies abroad?'

MOP. 'Pray you now, buy it.

CLOWN. Come on, lay it by: And let's first fee more ballads; we'll buy the other things anon.

2

I love a ballad in print, a'-life;] Theobald reads, as it has been hitherto printed,or a life. The text, however, is right; only it should be printed thus:a'-life. So, it is in Ben Jonfon:

σε

thou lovft a'-life

"Their perfum'd judgment."

It is the abbreviation, I fuppofe, of—at life; as a’--work is, of at work. TYRWHITT.

This reftoration is certainly proper. So, in The Ifle of Gulls, 1606: "Now in good deed I love them a'-life too." Again, in a Trick to catch the Old One, 1619: "I love that fport a'-life, i'faith." A-life is the reading of the eldest copies of The Winter's Tale, viz. fol. 1623, and 1632. STEEVENS.

3 Why Should I carry lies abroad?] Perhaps Shakspeare remembered the following lines, which are found in Golding's Tranflation of Ovid, 1587, in the fame page in which he read the story of Baucis and Philemon, to which he has alluded in Much ado about Nothing. They conclude the tale:

"These things did ancient men report of credite very good,

For why, there was no caufe that they should lie. As I there

food," &c. MALONE.

Re-enter Servant, with twelve rufticks babited like Satyrs. They dance, and then exeunt.

POL. O, father, you'll know more of that hereafter.'

Is it not too far gone?-'Tis time to part them.— He's fimple, and tells much. [Afide.]-How now, fair fhepherd?

Your heart is full of fomething, that does take
Your mind from feafting. Sooth, when I was young,
And handed love, as you do, I was wont

To load my fhe with knacks: I would have ranfack'd
The pedler's filken treasury, and have pour'd it
To her acceptance; you have let him go,
And nothing marted with him: If your lafs
Interpretation fhould abufe; and call this,
Your lack of love, or bounty; you were ftraited
For a reply, at least, if you make a care
Of happy holding her.

FLO.

Old fir, I know
She prizes not fuch trifles as these are:

The gifts, the looks from me, are pack'd and lock'd
Up in my heart; which I have given already,
But not deliver'd.-O, hear me breathe my life
Before this ancient fir, who, it should seem,*
Hath fometime lov'd: I take thy hand; this hand,

2 Pol. O, father, you'll know more of that hereafter.] This is replied by the king in answer to the fhepherd's faying, fince these good men are pleased. WARBURTON.

The dance which has intervened would take up too much time to preferve any connection between the two fpeeches. The line fpoken by the king feems to be in reply to fome unexpreffed question from the old fhepherd. RITSON.

This is an anfwer to fomething which the Shepherd is fuppofed to have faid to Polixenes during the dance. M. MASON.

-ftraited-] i. e. put to difficulties. STEEVENS.

who, it should feem,] Old Copy-whom. Corrected by the editor of the fecond folio. MALONE.

As foft as dove's down, and as white as it;
Or Ethiopian's tooth, or the fann'd fnow,'
That's bolted by the northern blasts twice o'er.

POL. What follows this?—

How prettily the young fwain seems to wash
The hand, was fair before!-I have put you out :-
But, to your proteftation; let me hear

What you profess.

FLO.

Do, and be witnefs to't.

And he, and more

POL. And this my neighbour too? FLO. Than he, and men; the earth, the heavens, and all; That, were I crown'd the most imperial monarch, Thereof moft worthy; were I the fairest youth That ever made eye fwerve; had force, and knowledge,

More than was ever man's,-I would not prize them, Without her love: for her, employ them all; Commend them, and condemn them, to her fervice, Or to their own perdition.

By the pattern of mine own thoughts I cut out
The purity of his.

5 Dream:

or the fann'd fnow,] So, in A Midfummer Night's

"That pure congealed white, high Taurus' fnow,
"Fann'd by the eastern wind, turns to a crow,
"When thou hold'st up thy hand." STEEVENS.

SHEP.

Take hands, a bargain;

And, friends unknown, you shall bear witness to't:
I give my daughter to him, and will make
Her portion equal his.

FLO.
O, that must be
I'the virtue of your daughter: one being dead,
I fhall have more than you can dream of yet;
Enough then for your wonder: But, come on,
Contract us 'fore these witneffes.

POL. Methinks, a father

Is, at the nuptial of his fon, a guest

That beft becomes the table. Pray you, once more; Is not your father grown incapable

Of reasonable affairs? is he not stupid

With age, and altering rheums? Can he fpeak? hear?

Know man from man? dispute his own estate?'

6

altering rheums?] Rowe has tranfplanted this phrase into his Jane Shore, A&t II. fc. i.

when altering rheums

"Have ftain'd the luftre of thy ftarry eyes,"

STEEVENS.

7 difpute his own eftate?] Perhaps for difpute we might read compute; but difpute his eftate may be the fame with talk over his affairs. JOHNSON.

The fame phrase occurs again in Romeo and Juliet:

"Let me difpute with

Does not this allude to the of imbecillity, lunacy, &c?

thee of thy eftate," STEEVENS.

next heir fuing for the estate in cafes CHAMIER.