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says Thersites (Troilus and Cressida, ii., 1). So in Cornwall a term of reproach is "thee art an assneger;" though the word is not now much in use, the shorter synonome of ass, or fool, being perhaps preferred, from its fitting in more readily with the expletive or adjective too frequently prefixed. Welford, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady, (v., 4) says— "All this would be forsworn, and I again An asinego, as your sister left me."

Again, in the Antiquary, by Marmion, (v., 1)—

-"in the interim they apparell'd me as you see, made

a fool, or an asinigo of me."

"She'd

AS LIEF.-" Nurse. She, good soul, had as lief see a toad, a very toad, as see him."-(Romeo and Juliet, ii., 5.) as lev see a toa-ad," would an old Cornish nurse say. "Clack. There be as good wenches as you be glad to pay me toll.

"Joan. Like enough, Clack; I had as live they as I, and a great deal rather too.”—Grim the Collier of Croydon, ii., 1. This, with a little variation, and a provincial accent, might pass at the present day.

CALL TO.-Timon uses the expression, "I'll call to you," in the sense of I'll call on you. (Timon of Athens, i., 2.) It is a common expression in the West, "I'll call to” (i.,e., at) your house."" I'm going to call to Mr.'s."

CENSURE. This frequently occurs in Shakespeare, and other writers, both as noun and verb, in the sense of opinion, and it was in fact the old acceptation of the word :

"Lucetta. Pardon, dear madam, 'tis a passing shame That I, unworthy body as I am,

Should censure thus on lovely gentlemen.'

Two Gentlemen of Verona, i., 2.

"Countess. Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears, To give their censure of these rare reports!"

“Gloster. Madam, the king is old enough himself

To give his censure.”

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Ibid., Part II., i., 3.

"Richard. Madam-and you, my mother-will you go To give your censure in this mighty business?"

Richard III., ii., 2.

"Theosodius. Let me be censured fond and too indulgent." The Emperor of the East, Massinger, iii., 2.

all stick

"Trimtram. Fast in censure, yet think it strange and rare,

He liv'd by smoke, yet died for want of air."

A Fair Quarrel, Middleton, iv., 1.

The word is used frequently in the West in the same acceptation, as "I do give my censure 'pon it."-"I censure," &c.; i.e., I think.

COMFORTABLE." Lear. I have another daughter,

Who, I am sure, is kind and comfortable."

King Lear, i., 4.

"Wife. George, Ralph was ever comfortable, was he not? "Citizen. Yes, duck.

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Wife. I shall ne'er forget him. When we had lost our child-Ralph was the most comfortablest to me.”

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Knight of the Burning Pestle, B. and F., ii., vi.

This word is frequently used as obliging, pleasant, conformable: a servant will say, "Mistress is a very comfortable lady."— "You'll find him comfortable," talking of a person who is likely to do what is wanted of him. Mrs. Amlet, in “The Confederacy," iii., 1, says of her son, "Now the Lord love thee; for thou art a comfortable young man."

CRANCH.-A word not in Shakespeare, but in Massinger Countryman. We prune the orchards, and you

and Jonson. 66

cranch the fruit."-The Emperor of the East, iii., 2.

Rut.

A sack of small coal."

she can cranch

The Magnetic Lady, i., 1.

Eating apples, &c., is commonly called by the expressive word cranching them. "Dont'ee keep sich a noise, then, cranching they apples."

DOLE." With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, In equal scale weighing delight and dole.”—Hamlet, i., 1. A person in grief or trouble is said in Cornwall to be bedoled.

DRUMBLE." Mrs. Ford. Go, take up these clothes here, quickly; where's the cowl-staff? look how you drumble."

Merry Wives of Windsor, iii., 3. A person moving lazily or stupidly is said to drumble, and a drone is called a drumbledrane; but this insect is rather illused, as he is generally pretty active, and very persevering in his musical practice.

FADGE." Viola. How will this fadge? My master loves her dearly,

And I, poor monster, fond as much on him."

Twelfth Night, ii., 2.

"Armigero. We will have, if this fadge not, an antic."

Love's Labour Lost, v., 1.

"Bobadilla. He will never fadge with these Toledos."

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Astley.

Love's Cure, B. and F., iii., 4.

if this Scotch garboils do not fadge to our minds, we will pell-mell run amongst the Cornish choughs presently, and in a trice."

Perkin Warbeck, Ford, iv., 2.

"Harvey. But, sirra Ned, what says Mathea to thee?

Wilt fadge? Wilt fadge? What, will it be a match?" Englishmen for my Money, Haughton, i., 2. The word is still used in the West, in the same sense of agreeing, or suiting. "He and she don't fadge."—" That waint do, it esn't fitty, it don't fadge."-"How do'ee fadge?" (i.e., how are you?)

FANG." Timon. Destruction fang mankind! earth yield me roots!"

Timon of Athens, iv., 3.

Fang is still used as to get; so, earnings are called fangings: "I wedn't do et, then; nau, not to fang the Queen's crown."

GoWK'D." Keep. Nay, look how the man stands as he were gowk'd.”—The Magnetic Lady, iii., 4.

A stupid fellow is called a gaukum, (a gawkey is common every where) and goky, in the old Cornish language, means a fool.

HAVING. "Autolycus. your names, your ages; of what having, breeding, and anything that is fitting to be known, discover."—Winter's Tale, iv., 3.

"The gentleman is of no havings."

Merry Wives of Windsor. "Matthew. Lie in a water-bearer's house! a gentleman of his havings!"

Every Man in his Humour, iv., 8. The word harage, common in the West, is more usually applied to a person's family, or stock, both as to pedigree and condition, than to his possessions; so that a poor person may be of good havage, and the reverse: it is applied also to all ranks. "He is of a good havage," would imply the person spoken of to be of good and respectable family; while, being of bad harage, would denote the family to have been ill-conducted. So, you may hear, "She have turned out well, though she be comed of bad harage."

LATTEN." I combat challenge of this latten bilboe."

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Merry Wives of Windsor, i., 1.

Upon the est-yate of the toun,

He made a man of fin latoun."

The Seuyn Sages, 1997-8.

The term latten, or latteen, is now generally applied to tin plate,

or iron tinned over.

MOIL." Phulas.

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trot behind me softly,

As it becomes a moil of ancient carriage."

The Broken Heart, Ford, iv., 2.

Spadone. 'Twould wind-break a moil, or a ringed mare,

to vie burthens with her."

The Fancies Chaste and Noble, Ford, ii., 2.

Mules are still called moiles in the West.

NONCE. It is unnecessary to give any examples of this word, it occurs so frequently in the ancient romances, and in the dramatic writers, even beginning with the mysteries and moralities, and making its appearance in Udall's "Ralph Royster Doyster," where Mage Mumblecrust says (i., 3)—

"And sweete malte maketh joly good ale for the nones.” It is still in common use in Cornwall, with the same meaning; "for the occasion,"-" on purpose," &c.; as, "He ded it for the nonce." "Lev us have a dance for the nonce." In the old Cornish language nans signified now.

NOUZLE." Cleon. Those mothers who, to nouzle up their

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babes,

Thought nought too curious, are ready now

To eat those little darlings whom they lov'd."

Pericles, i., 4.

New Custome, iii., 1.

'Light of the Gospell. Borne to all wickednesse, and nusled in all evyll."

Nouzle, meaning to nestle or nursle as an infant in its

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