"lines; "the first and second Quartos "vaine." The correction is Theobald's. The same error occurs in Troilus and Cressida, ii. 3. 126.

IV. ii. 85. The witch of Brentford; an actual personage of the sixteenth century. A tract is extant entitled Jyl of Breyntford's Testament, whence it appears that the witch kept a tavern at Brentford. In Dekker and Webster's Westward Ho the following allusion is found: "I doubt that old hag Gillian of Brainford has bewitched me."

IV. iv. 41. That Falstaff at that oak shall meet with us. After this line the following words from the Quartos have been added in many editions:

"We'll send him word to meet us in the field,

Disguised like Horne with huge horns on his head."

IV. iv. 56. To pinch; probably the correct reading should be "to-pinch," where "to" is the intensitive prefix so common in old English, though it is possible to explain it as the ordinary infinitive prefix, omitted in the case of the former verb in the sentence.

IV. iv. 82. Send quickly to Sir John. Theobald ingeniously suggested "Quickly" for "quickly."

IV. v. 70. Cozen-germans; the first Quarto reads, —

"For there is three sorts of cosen garmombles,

Is cosen all the Host of Maidenhead and Readings,"

where "garmombles" is very possibly a perversion of Mömpelgard. Count Frederick of Mömpelgard visited Windsor in 1592; free post-horses were granted him by a passport of Lord Howard. The Count became a “Duke of Jamany" (Wirtemberg) in 1593. Considerable interest must have been taken in the Duke about 1598. A

letter to the Queen, dated August 14, 1598, is extant, in which the following passage occurs: "I have heard with extreme regret that some of my enemies endeavour to calumniate me and prejudice your Majesty against me. I have given them no occasion for this. I hope that when your Majesty has discovered this report to be false, you will have greater reason to continue your affection towards me, and give neither faith nor credit to such vipers." In the year 1602 appeared "An Account of the Duke's Bathing Excursion to the far-famed Kingdom of England' (see Rye's England as seen by Foreigners).

4.

V. 22. Bribe buck; the Folios read "brib'd buck," which is probably the right reading. "A bribed buck' was a buck cut up into portions (Old French bribes "portions of meat to be given away").

V. v. 37. Orphan heirs. Theobald suggested "ouphen (elvish) for "orphan,” and he has been followed by many editors; but the change is unnecessary. Cp. "unfather'd heirs," 2 Henry IV. iv. 4. 122.

V. v. 40. Toys, evidently to be read "toyës," rhyming with "O-yes" in the previous line; similarly "unswept (line 42) should probably be "unswep," rhyming with leap" (line 41).

V. v. 105. These fair yokes; the first Folio reads "yoakes," the second "okes." "Yokes" must refer to the resemblance of the buck's horns to a yoke. A sort of sense can be got out of "oaks," the antlers resembling the branches of oaks; but the first Folio reading seems preferable.

52. Slen. Thus the folio; and also in the next but one speech. Dyce and Capell give both to Shallow.

109. goot worts. I may just observe that here the folio has "good worts," though previously it has made Sir Hugh say "goot discretions" and "a goot motion,” and presently after this makes him say "Ferry goo't." The quartos 1602, 1619, have "good vrdes."

186. Michaelmas? Was altered to "Martlemas" by Theobald, who did not believe that Shakespeare intended Simple to blunder here.

228. contempt. The folio has "content."

230. fall. So the folio. Dr. Ingleby, in his Shakespeare Fabrications, p. 116, boldly asserts that formerly "the substantive 'fall' had the sense of fault."

SCENE II. .11. cheese. So the folio. Dyce has "geese.” See v. 5. 136.

124

SCENE III.13, 14. Let me see thee froth and lime. Steevens says: “The folio reads and live.' This passage had passed through all the editions without suspicion of being corrupted; but the reading of the old quartos of 1602 and 1619, Let me see thee froth and lime,' I take to be the true one. The Host calls for an immediate specimen of Bardolph's abilities as a tapster; and frothing beer and liming sack were tricks practised in the time of Shakespeare. The first was done by putting soap into the bottom of the tankard when they drew the beer; the other, by mixing lime with the sack (i. e. sherry) to make it sparkle in the glass. • Froth and live' is sense, but a little forced; and to make it so we must suppose the Host could guess by his dexterity in frothing a pot to make it appear fuller than it was, how he would afterwards succeed in the world. Falstaff himself complains of limed sack.”

19, 20. O base Hungarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield? So the folio. The quartos 1602, 1619, have “O bace gongarian wight,” etc., which," says Steevens, "is a parody on a line taken from one of the old bombast plays, beginning,—

O base Gongarian, wilt thou the distaff wield?'

I had marked the passage, but forgot to note the play." 26. at a minute's rest. The folio reading. Langton points out the right reading, and Sir J. Hawkins cites from Romeo and Juliet (ii. 4), “rests me his minim's rest,” etc., adding, "A minute contains sixty seconds, and is a long time for an action supposed to be instantaneous. Nym means to say, that the perfection of stealing is to do it in the shortest time possible." It now appears that Collier's Ms. Corrector had here anticipated Langton.

42. she carves.

Here by "carves

we are to under

some sign of

stand some particular form of action,intelligence and favour.

46. He hath studied her will, and translated her will. The folio reading; which Dyce thinks is an evident misprint, and gives "well" in both cases for "will.”

50. he hath a legion of angels. The folio has "he hath a legend of angels."

6

65-67. she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I will be cheaters to them both. The folio reading. Dyce has "cheater to them both." He says: "Misled by his Ms. Corrector, Mr. Collier now prints all gold and beauty;' though nothing can be plainer than that Falstaff is thinking, not of Mrs. Page's beauty, but of her power and readiness to supply him with money. And where is the 'tautology' which Mr. Collier discovers in 'gold and bounty'? Surely Mrs. Page might have been all gold,' and yet entirely devoid of 'bounty,' — 'all gold' and stinginess."

་

77. "Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores." So the folio. Dyce has "the golden shores," assuming that "these" was " repeated by mistake from the preceding

line."

79. o' the hoof. The first folio has "ith' hoofe.”

88. By welkin and her star! The folio reading. Dyce has "stars," and thinks that Mr. Collier's Ms. Corrector rightly makes the word plural. The quartos (1602, 1619) have "By Welkin and her Fairies."