Bohemia can learnedly handle, though they come to him by the gross; inkles 29, caddisses 30, cambricks, lawns: why, he sings them over, as they were gods or goddesses; you would think, a smock were a she-angel; he so chants to the sleeve-hand 31, and the work about the square on't 32. 31 Clo. Pr'ythee, bring him in; and let him approach singing. Per. Forewarn him, that he use no scurrilous words in his tunes. Clo. You have of these pedlers, that have more in 'em than you'd think, sister. Per. Ay, good brother, or go about to think. Enter AUTOLYCUS, singing. Lawn, as white as driven snow; 29 A kind of tape. 30 A kind of ferret or worsted lace. 31 Sleeve-hand, the cuffs, or wristband. 32 The work about the bosom of it. So in Fairfax's Tasso, b. xii. st. 64: 'Her curious square embossed with swelling gold, 33 Amber of which necklaces were made fit to perfume a lady's chamber. 34 These poking-sticks are described by Stubbes in his Anatomie of Abuses, Part ii :- They be made of yron and steele, and some of brasse, kept as bright as silver, yea, some of silver itselfe; and it is well, if in processe of time, they grow not to be Come, buy of me, come; come buy, come buy ; Come, buy, &c. Clo. If I were not in love with Mopsa, thou should'st take no money of me; but being enthrall'd as I am, it will also be the bondage of certain ribands and gloves. Mop. I was promis'd them against the feast; but they come not too late now. Dor. He hath promised you more than that, or there be liars. Mop. He hath paid you all he promised you: may be, he has paid you more; which will shame you to give him again. Clo. Is there no manners left among maids? will they wear their plackets, where they should bear their faces? Is there not milking-time, when you are going to bed, or kiln-hole 35, to whistle off these secrets; but you must be tittle-tattling before all our guests? 'Tis well, they are whispering: Clamour your tongues 36, and not a word more. of gold. The fashion whereafter they be made, I cannot resemble to any thing so well as to a squirt or a little squibbe, which little children used to squirt water out withal; and when they come to starching and setting of their ruffes, then must this instrument be heated in the fire, the better to stiffen the ruff.' Stowe informs us that about the sixteenth yeare of the queene (Elizabeth) began the making of steele poking-sticks, and until that time all lawndresses used setting stickes made of wood or bone.' 35 The kiln-hole generally means the fireplace for drying malt; still a noted gossiping place. 36 An expression taken from bell-ringing; now contracted to clam. The bells are said to be clammed, when, after a course of rounds or changes, they are all pulled off at once, and give a general clash or clam, by which the peal is concluded. As this clam is succeeded by a silence, it exactly suits the sense of the passage.-NARES. Mr. Gifford thinks with Malone that it is a misprint for charm. Mop. I have done. Come, you promised me a tawdry lace 37, and a pair of sweet gloves 38. Clo. Have I not told thee, how I was cozened by the way, and lost all my money? Aut. And, indeed, sir, there are cozeners abroad: therefore it behoves men to be wary. Clo. Fear not thou, man, thou shalt lose nothing here. Aut. I hope so, sir; for I have about me many parcels of charge. Clo. What hast here? ballads? Mop. 'Pray now, buy some: I love a ballad in print, a'-life; for then we are sure they are true. Aut. Here's one to a very doleful tune, How a usurer's wife was brought to bed of twenty moneybags at a burden; and how she longed to eat adders' heads, and toads carbonadoed. Mop. Is it true, think you? 37 A tawdry lace was a sort of necklace worn by country wenches; so named after St. Audrey (Ethelreda) who is said to have died of a swelling in her throat, which she considered as a particular judgment, for having been in her youth much addicted to wearing fine necklaces; or it probably implies that they were bought at the fair of St. Audrey, where gay toys of all sorts were sold. This fair was held in the Isle of Ely on the Saint's day, the 17th of October; Harpsfield, who tells the story of the saint, describes the necklace:-'Solent Angliæ nostræ mulieres torquem quendam, extenui et subtili sericâ confectum, collo gestare quam Ethelredæ torquem appellamus (tawdry lace) forsan in ejus quod diximus memoriam.'-Hist. Eccles. Angl. p. 86. So in The Faithful Shepherdess:— The primrose chaplet, tawdry lace, and ring.' Spenser in his Shepherd's Kalendar mentions it as an ornament for the waist: 'And gird your waste For more fineness, with a tawdrie lace.' Tawdries is used sometimes for necklaces in general. 38 Sweet, or perfumed gloves, are often mentioned by Shakspeare, they were very much esteemed, and a frequent present in the poet's time. Aut. Very true; and but a month old. Dor. Bless me from marrying a usurer! Aut. Here's the midwife's name to't, one mistress Taleporter; and five or six honest wives' that were present: Why should I carry lies abroad? Mop. 'Pray you now, buy it. Clo. Come on, lay it by: And let's first see more ballads; we'll buy the other things anon. Aut. Here's another ballad, of a fish, that appeared upon the coast, on Wednesday the fourscore of April, forty thousand fathom above water, and sung this ballad against the hard hearts of maids: it was thought, she was a woman, and was turned into a cold fish, for she would not exchange flesh with one that loved her: The ballad is very pitiful, and as true 39. Dor. Is it true, think you? Aut. Five justices' hands at it; and witnesses, more than my pack will hold. Clo. Lay it by too: Another. Aut. This is a merry ballad; but a very pretty one. Mop. Let's have some merry ones. Aut. Why, this is a passing merry one; and goes to the tune of, Two maids wooing a man: there's scarce a maid westward, but she sings it; 'tis in request, I can tell you. Mop. We can both sing it; if thou❜lt bear a part, thou shalt hear; 'tis in three parts. Dor. We had the tune on't a month ago. Aut. I can bear my part; you must know, 'tis my occupation; have at it with you. 39 All extraordinary events were then turned into ballads. In 1604 was entered on the Stationers' books- A strange report of a monstrous fish that appeared in the form of a woman from her waist upward.' To this it is highly probable that Shakspeare alludes. SONG. A. Get you hence, for I must go ; D. Whither? M. O, whither? D. Whither? Thou to me thy secrets tell: D. Me too, let me go thither. M. Or thou go'st to the grange, or mill: A. Neither. D. What, neither? A. Neither. M. Thou hast sworn it more to me: Then, whither go'st? say, whither? Clo. We'll have this song out anon by ourselves: My father and the gentlemen are in sad 40 talk, and we'll not trouble them: Come, bring away thy pack after me. Wenches, I'll buy for you both:-Pedler, let's have the first choice.-Follow me, girls. Aut. And you shall pay well for 'em. Will you buy any tape, Or lace for your cape, Any toys for your head, Of the new'st, and fin'st, fin'st wear-a? Money's a medler, That doth utter 41 all men's ware-a. [Aside. [Exeunt Clown, AUT. DORC. and MOPSA. Enter a Servant. Serv. Master, there is three carters, three shepherds, three neat-herds, three swine-herds, that have |