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Explanatory Notes.

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P. 137, c. 1, 7. 34.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

is signior Montanto returned- Montanto was one of the ancient terms of the fencing school.

Id. 1.42. He set up his bills, &c.] published a general challenge like a prize-fighter. STEEVENS. Id. 1. 48. — challenged Cupid at the flight:] Flight means a sort of shooting called roving, or shooting at long lengths. The arrows used at this sport are called flight-arrows. Id. 1.45. at the bird-bolt.] The bird-bolt is a short thick arrow without a point, and spreading at the extremity so much, as to leave a flat surface, about the breadth of a shilling. Id. c. 2, 1. 2. he'll be meet with you.,] i. e. he'll be your match.

Id. 1. 36. young squarer -] A squarer I take to be a choleric, quarrelsome fellow, for in this sense Shakspeare uses the word to square. So, in A Midsummer-Night's Dream, it is said of Oberon and Titania, that they never meet but they square. So the sense may be, Is there no hot-blooded youth that will keep him company through all his mad pranks? JOHNSON.

P. 138, c. 1, 7. 18. - fathers herself:] This phrase is common in Dorsetshire: "Jack fathers himself;" i. e. is like his father. Id. c. 2, l. 10.—the flouting Jack ;] Jack, in our author's time, was a term of contempt. Id. 1. 24. wear his cap with suspicion ? that is, subject his head to the disquiet of jealousy. Id. 1.41. Claud. If this were so, so were it uttered. | i. e. If I had really confided such a secret to him, he would have blabbed it in this manner. Id. 1. 43. These were the words used in a tragic nursery tale, common in Shakspeare's days and since.

Id. 1. 66. but that I will have a recheat winded in my forehead,] that is, I will wear a horn on my forehead which the huntsman may blow. A recheate is the sound by which dogs are called back. Shakspeare had no mercy upon the poor cuckold his horn is an inexhaustible subject of merriment. JOHNSON. Id. l. 69. The fine-] i. e. the conclusion. P. 139, c. 1, l. 3. -in a bottle like a cat.] In some counties in England, a cat was formerly closed up with a quantity of soot in a wooden bottle (such as that in which shepherds carry their liquor), and was suspended on a line. He who beat out the bottom as he ran under it,

and was nimble enough to escape its contents, was regarded as the hero of this inhuman diversion. STEEVENS.

Id. 1. 5. and he that hits me, let him be clapped on the shoulder, and called Adam.] Perhaps Adam Bell, a famous archer. Id. 1. 7. In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke. A line from The Spanish Tragedy, or Hieronymo, &c.

Id. 1.31.—— guarded with fragments,] Guards were ornamental lace or borders.

Id. l. 33. —— ere you flout old ends, &c.] Before you endeavour to distinguish yourself any more by antiquated allusions.

Id. 1. 66. –

66

'tis once, thou lov'st;] Once may mean once for all,"-"'tis enough to say at once." STEEVENS.

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the Dog-berry, 1. e. the female cornel, a shrub that grows in the hedges in every county of England. Verges is only the provincial pronunciation of Verjuice.

Id. c. 2, l. 22 - bills be not stolen :] A bill is still carried by the watchmen at Lichfield. It was the old weapon of English infantry, which says, Temple, gave the most ghastly and deplorable wounds. It may be called securis falcata. JOHNSON.

"it bleats." MALONE Id. l. 51. P. 115, c. 1, l. 17. —— thou art_unconfirmed :] i. e unpractised in the ways of the world. Id. l. 35. reechy painting;] Is painting discoloured by smoke. Id. l. 37. - sometime, like the shaven Hercules, in the smirched, &c.] Hercules when shaved to make him look like a woman, while he remained in the service of Omphale, his Lydian mistress. Smirched is soiled, obscured

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Id. 1.37. Proposing with the prince and Claudio:] Proposing is conversing, from the French word - propos, discourse, talk.

P. 145, c. 1, l. 16. Misprising-] Despising, contemning, or undervaluing.

Id. l. 54.- --so swift and excellent a wit,] Swift means ready.

Id. l. 61. - argument,] or conversation.
Id. 1. 69. She's lim'd] Entangled with birdlime.
Id. c. 2, l. 1. Taming my wild to thy loving hand;]

This image is taken from falconry. She had
been charged with being as wild as haggards
of the rock; she therefore says, that wild as
her heart is, she will tune it to the hand.
JOHNSON.

SCENE II.

Id. l. 41.- all slops;] Slops are large loose breeches or trowsers, worn only by sailors at present.

SCENE 11.

P. 146, c. 1, l. 60. Dogberry and Verges,] The first of these worthies had his name from

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Id. l. 45. Light o' love; This is the name of an old dance tune, which occurs also in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Id. l. 49. -no barns.] A quibble betwee barns, repositories of corn, and bairns, the old word for children.

Id. 1. 56.

turned Turk, i. e. taken captive by love, and turned a renegado to his religion. Id. 1.76. -- some moral-] That is, some secret meaning, like the moral of a fable. JOHNSON.

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ld. l. 31.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

some be of laughing,] This is a quotation from the Accidence. JOHNSON. Id. 1. 55. "Not to knit." MALONE. Id. 1. 64. word too large;1 i. e. licentious. Id. 1. 74. that he doth speak so wide?] i, e. so remotely from the present business. P. 149, c. 1, l. 11. kindly power-] That is, kindred power.

Id. l. 31. liberal villain,] Liberal here, as in many places of these plays, means frank be yond honesty, or decency. Free of tongue. Id. I. 45. conjecture-] Conjecture is here used for suspicion.

Id. 1 47. And never shall it more be gracious.] i. e. lovely, attractive.

Id. 1. 68. The story that is printed in her blood" That is, the story which her blushes discover to be true.

Id. 1. 74. Chid 1 for that at frugal nature's frame? Grieved I at nature's being so frugal as to have framed for me only one child? Id 1. 79. Who smirched-] To smirch is to danh. to sully.

P. 149. c. 2, l. 35. of my book:] i. e. of what I have read. Id. 1. 56 bent of honour;] Bent is used by our author for the utmost degree of any passion, or mental quality. In this play before, Benedick says of Beatrice, her affection has its full bent.

P. 150, c. 1, 7. 12. --we rack the value;] i. e. we exaggerate the value. The allusion is to rack-rents.

Id. 1 39. my inwardness-] i. e. intimacy. Id. c 2, 1. 20 bear her in hand-] i. e. delude her by fair promises.

ld 1. 29. and counties!] Countz was the ancient general term for a nobleman. Id. i. 30 a goodly count-confect;] i. e. a specious nobleman made out of sugar.

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Id. c. 2. 1. 6 make misfortune drunk. With candle-wasters;] Perhaps, those who sit up all night to drink. than advertisement] That is, than

Id. 1. 20 admonition. Id. 1.74. Despite his nice fence,] i. e. defence or skill in the science of fencing, or defence.

Id. 1. 77. Canst thou so daff me?] or doff, i. e. put me off

P. 152, c. 1. 7. 5. foining fence; Foining is
a term in fencing, and means thrusting.
Id. 1. 17. Scambling.] i. e. scrambling.
Id. l. 34" Come, brother, away."- MALONE.
Id. 1. 68. Nay, then give him another staff; &c.]
An allusion to tilting.

Id 1. 72. to turn his girdle ] A proverbial speech.

Id. c. 2, l. 8. Shall I not find a woodcock too?] A woodcock means one caught in a springe; alluding to the plot against Benedick.

Id.

1. 50 What a pretty thing man is, when he goes in his doublet and hose, and leaves off his wit!] Perhaps the meaning is :-What an inconsistent fool is man, when he covers his body with clothes, and at the same time divests himself of his understanding!

Id. 1. 55. But, soft you, let be;] i. e. desist. Id. l. 56, -pluck up, my heart, and be sad!] i. e. rouse thyself, my heart, and be prepared for serious consequences!

Mr. Malone thinks that Dogberry, Verges, &c. should enter here, and not before Claudio's speech.

P. 153, c. 1, l. 9.

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incensed me to slander,

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Ancient Bills,

MENTIONED IN MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, Act III, Scene 3, AND IN THE

NOTES, Page 158, Col. 2.

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