"The sheriff's fool."— Act IV. Sc. 3.

We are not to suppose that this was a fool, kept by the sheriff for his diversion. The custody of all idiots possessed of land, belonged to the king, who was entitled to their income, but was obliged to provide them necessaries. When the property was large, this prerogative was generally given to some favourite, or other person, who made suit for and had interest enough to obtain it, which was called begging a fool. But where the land was of small value, the natural was supported out of the profits, by the sheriff, who accounted for them to the crown. As for those unhappy creatures, who had neither possessions nor relations, they seem to have been considered as a species of property, being sold or given, with as little ceremony, treated as capriciously, and very often, it is to be feared, left to perish as miserably, as dogs or cats.-RITSON.

"Villainous saffron.”—Act IV. Sc. 5.

This alludes to a fantastic fashion, of using yellow starch for bands and ruffs. Yellow starch was invented by one Turner, a tire-woman, a court bawd, and in all respects of so infamous a character, that her invention deserved the name of " villainous saffron." This woman was afterwards among the miscreants concerned in the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury, for which she was hanged at Tyburn, and would die in a yellow ruff of her own invention; which made yellow starch so odious, that it immediately went out of fashion." Starch was used of various colours, and is declaimed against most bitterly by Stubbes in his Anatomie of Abuses.

"Plutus himself,

That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine.”—Act V. Sc. 3. In the reign of Henry IV. a law was made to forbid thenceforth to multiply gold, or use any craft of multiplication, of which law, Boyle, when he was warm with the hope of transmutation, procured a repeal. JOHNSON.

"Exorcist.”—Act V. Sc. 3.

By an exorcist, we now mean one who can lay spirits, but in Shak speare's age, exorcist implied a person who could raise spirits. The dif ference between a conjuror, a witch, and an inchanter, is as follows:— "The conjuror seemeth by praiers and invocations of God's powerful names, to compell the devil to say or doe what he commandeth him. The witch dealeth rather by a friendlie and voluntary conference or agreement between him or her and the devill or familiar, to have his or her turne served, in lieu or stead of blood or other gift unto him; especially of his or her soule. And both these differ from inchanters or sorcerers, because the former two have personall conference with the devill, and the other meddles but with medicines and ceremonial formes of words called charmes, without apparition."-MINSHEU'S DICT. 1617.

END OF VOL I.