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Hoft. Here, boys, here, here! fhall we wag? Page. Have with you: I had rather hear them fcold than fight. [Exeunt Hoft, Shallow, and Page.

Ford. Though Page be a fecure fool, and stand fo firmly on his wife's frailty, yet I cannot put off my opinion fo eafily. She was in his company at Page's house; and, what they made there, I know not. Well, I will look further into't: and I have a disguise to found Falftaff: if I find her honeft, I lofe not my labour; if fhe be otherwife, 'tis labour well bestow'd. [Exit.

3 and stand so firmly on his wife's frailty,-] No, furely; Page ftood tightly to the opinion of her honefty, and would not entertain a thought of her being frail. I have therefore ventured to fubftitute a word correfpondent to the fenfe required; and one, which our poet frequently ufes to fignify conjugal faith. THEOBALD.

ftand fo firmly on his wife's frailty,] Thus all the copies. But Mr. Theobald had no conception how any man could ftand firmly on his wife's frailty. And why? Because he had no conception how he could ftand upon it, without knowing what it was. But if I tell a ftranger, that the bridge he is about to cross is rotten, and he believes it not, but will go on, may I not fay, when I fee him upon it, that he ftands firmly on a rotten plank? Yet he has changed frailty for fealty, and the Oxford editor has followed him. But they took the phrafe, to ftand firmly on, to fignify to infift upon; whereas it fignifies to reft upon, which the character of a fecure fool, given to him, fhews. So that the common reading has an elegance that would be loft in the alteration. WARBURTON.

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II.

I

SCENE

Changes to the Garter inn.

Enter Falstaff and Pistol,

Fal. I will not lend thee a penny. ·

you,

Pift. Why then the world's mine oyfter, which I with fword will open.-9 I will retort the fum in equipage. Fal. Not a penny. I have been content, Sir, you fhould lay my countenance to pawn: I have grated upon my good friends for three reprieves for and your coach-fellow, Nym; or elfe you had look'd through the grate, like a geminy of baboons. I am damn'd in hell, for fwearing to gentlemen, my friends, you were good foldiers, and tall fellows: and when miftrefs Bridget 3 loft the handle of her fan, I took't upon mine honour, thou hadft it not.

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-I will retort the fum in equipage.] This is added from the old quarto of 1619, and means, I will pay you again in ftolen goods. WARBURTON.

I rather believe he means, that he will pay him by waiting on him for nothing. That equipage ever meant ftolen goods, I am yet to learn. STEEVENS.

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your coach-fellow, Nym;] Thus the old copies. Coach-fellow has an obvious meaning, but the modern editors read, couch-fellow. The following paffage from B. Jonfon's Cynthia's Revels, may juftify the reading I have chofen."-Tis "the fwaggering coach-horfe Anaides, that draws with him "there." STEEVENS.

2-and tall fellows:-] A tall fellow, in the time of our author, meant a frout, bold, or courageous perfon. In A Difcourfe on Ujury, by Dr. Wilfon, 1584, he fays, "Here in England, he that can rob a man by the high-way, is called a tall fellow. Lord Bacon fays, "that bishop Fox caufed his caftle of Norham to be fortified, and manned it likewife with a very great number of tall foldiers." In The Love of David and Bethfabe, 1599, Joab enters in triumph, and fays-" Well "done tall foldiers," &c, So B. Jonfon, in Every Man out of bis Humour:

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"Is he fo tall a man?" STEEVENS. 3ft the handle of her fan,-] It should be remembered, that fans, in our author's time, were more coftly than they are

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Pift. Didst thou not share? hadft thou not fifteen pence ?

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Fal. Reafon, you rogue, reason: think'ft thou, I'll endanger my foul gratis? At a word, hang no more about me, I am no gibbet for you :-go. A fhort knife and a thong-to your manor of 5 Pickt-hatch, go-you'll not bear a letter for me, you rogue !-you ftand upon your honour!-Why, thou unconfinable bafenefs, it is as much as I can do to keep the term of my honour precife. I, I, I myself fometimes, leaving the fear of heaven on the left hand, and hiding mine honour in my neceffity, am fain to fhuffle, to hedge, and to lurch; and yet you, rogue, will ensconce your rags, your cat-a-mountain looks, your

at prefent, as well as of a different conftruction. They confifted of oftrich feathers, or others of equal length and flexibility, which were stuck into handles, the richer fort of which were compofed of gold, filver, or ivory of curious workmanfhip. One of thefe is mentioned in The Fleire, Com, 1610. -fhe hath a fan with a fhort filver handle, about the length "of a barber's fyringe." STEEVENS.

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4 — A short knife and a throng-] So Lear, "When cutpurfes come not to throngs." WARBURTON.

Part of the employment given by Drayton, in The Mooncalf, to the Baboon, feems the fame with this recommended by Falstaff:

He like a gypsy oftentimes would go,

All kinds of gibberish he had learn'd to know;
And with a stick, a fhort ftring, and a noofe,
Would fhew the people tricks at faft and loofe.

Theobald has throng instead of thong. The latter feems right.

LANGTON.
"I had no

Greene, in his Life of Ned Browne, 1592, fays, "other fence but my fhort knife, and a paire of purfe-ftrings."

STEEVENS.

s-Pickt-batch,-] A noted place for thieves and pickpockets. TAEOBALD.

Pitt-batch is frequently mentioned by contemporary writers. So in B. Jonfon's Every Man in his Humour :

From the Bordello it might come as well, "The Spital, or Pi&t-hatch." STEEVENS,

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red lattice phrafes, and 7 your bold-beating oaths, under the shelter of your honour! You will not do it, you!

Pift. I do relent; what wouldst thou more of man?

Enter Robin.

Rob. Sir, here's a woman would fpeak with you. Fal. Let her approach.

Enter Mistress Quickly.

Quic. Give your worship good-morrow.
Fal. Good-morrow, good wife.

Quic. Not fo, an't please your worfhip.
Fal. Good maid, then.

Quic. I'll be fworn; as my mother was, the first hour I was born.

Fal. I do believe the swearer: what with me? Quic. Shall I vouchfafe your worship a word or two?

Fal. Two thousand, fair woman; and I'll vouchfafe thee the hearing.

Quic. There is one miftrefs Ford, Sir;-I pray, come a little nearer this ways:-I myself dwell with master Doctor Caius.

Fal. Well on: miftrefs Ford, you fay

Quic. Your worship fays very true: I pray your worship, come a little nearer this ways.

6red lattice phrafes,] Your ale-houfe conversation. JOHNSON.

Red lattice at the doors and windows, were formerly the external denotements of an ale-houfe. Hence the prefent chequers. So in A Fine Companion, one of Shackerley Marmion's plays, "A waterman's widow at the sign of the red lattice in Southwark." STEEVENS.

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your

bold-BEATING oaths, -] We fhould read beldBEARING oaths, i. e. out-facing. WARBURTON.

A beating oath, is, I think, right; fo we now fay, in low Janguage, a thwacking or fwinging thing. JOHNSON.

Fal.

Fal. I warrant thee, nobody hears;-mine own people, mine own people.

Quic. Are they fo? heaven blefs them, and make them his fervants!

Fal. Well: miftrefs Ford;what of her?

Quic. Why, Sir, fhe's a good creature. Lord, lord! your worship's a wanton: well, heaven forgive you, and all of us, I pray !--

Fal. Miftrefs Ford;come, mistress FordQuic. Marry, this is the fhort and the long of it; you have brought into fuch as canaries, as 'tis wonderful. The best courtier of them all, when the court lay at Windfor, could never have brought her to fuch a canary. Yet there has been knights, and lords, and gentlemen, with their coaches; I warrant you, coach after coach, letter after letter, gift after gift; smelling fo sweetly (all muk) and fo rufling, I warrant you, in filk and gold, and in fuch alligant terms, and in fuch wine and fugar of the beft, and the faireft, that would have won any woman's heart; and, I warrant you, they could never get an eye-wink of her. I had myself twenty angels given me this morning; but I defy all angels (in any fuch fort as they fay) but in the way of honefty :-and I warrant you, they could never get her fo much as fip on a cup with the proudeft of them all: and yet there has been 9 earls, which is more, penfioners; but, I warrant you, all is one with her.

nay,

Fal.

3 canaries,] This is the name of a brifk light dance, and is therefore properly enough used in low language for any hurry or perturbation. JOHNSON.

So Nash, in Piece Pennylefs his Supplication, 1595, fays→→→ "A merchant's wife jets it as gingerly, as if the were dancing "the canaries:" and our author, in All's well, &c." Make "you dance canary." STEEVENS.

earls, nay, which is more, penfioners ;-] This may be illuftrated by a paffage in Gervafe Holles's Life of the First Earl of Clare. Biog. Brit. Art. HOLLES. "I have heard the earl of Clare fay, that when he was penfioner to the queen,

" he

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