gentlemen garrawse only in wine, with which they mix sugar, which I never observed in any other place or kingdom to be used for that purpose. And because the taste of the English is thus delighted with sweetness, the wines in taverns (for I speak not of merchantes' or gentlemen's cellars) are commonly mixed at the filling thereof, to make them pleasant." ITIN. 1617. P. III. p. 152. See also Mr. Tyrwhitt's Chaucer, Vol. IV. p. 308: "Among the orders of the royal household in 1604 is the following: [Mss. Harl, 293, fol, 162.] "And whereas in tymes past, Spanish wines, called Sacke, were little or no whitt used in our courte, standing that is now used in common drink," &c. Sack was, I believe, often mulled in our author's time. See a note, post, on the words, "If sack and sugar be a sin,' &c. See also Blount's GLOSSOGRAPHY: "Mulled Sack, (Vinum mollitum) because softened and made mild by burning, and a mixture of sugar.'

we now under

Since this note was written, I have found reason to believe that Falstaff's Sack was the dry Spanish wine which we call Mountain Malaga. A passage in Via Recta ad vitam longam, by Thomas Venner, Dr. 'of Physicke in Bathe, 410. 1622, seems to ascertain this:

"Sacke is completely hot in the third degree, and of thin parts, and therefore it doth vehemently and quickly heat the body. Some affect to drink sack with sugar, and some without, and upon no other grounds, as I thinke, put as it is best pleasing to their palates. I will speake what I deeme thereof, Sack, taken by itself is very hot and very penetrative; being taken with sugar,

the heat is both somewhat allayed, and the pedit netrative quality thereof also retarded." Vasm sol The author afterwards thus speaks of the wine i which we now denominate Sack; and which was ai hen called Canary: Canariewine, which bears eth the name of the islands from whence it is d brought, is of some termed a sacke, with this w yet improperly, it

adjunct, sweet from sack and

differeth not pleasantess of taste, but also in colour and consistence, for it is not so white in colour is sack, wherefore it is moreo nor so thin in substance, nutritiv than sack, and less p penetratives e White wine Rhenish wine, &c. do in six ore! seaven moneths, or within, according to the small-I ness of them, attaine unto the height of theiras goodness, especially the smaller sort of them! But the stronger sort o sort of wines, as sack, muska dell, malmsey are best when they are two of three years it is clear that the wine Hence, it is clear, il usually age was thinner than ALDO in that canary, and was a strong light-coloured dry wine; vin sec; and their was a Spanish wine sas certained by the order quoted by Mr. Tyrwhitt on and by several ancient books. Cole in his Dict. 1679, renders sack by Vinum panicum; and Sherwood in his English and French Dict! 1650 by Fin d'Espagne. I MALONE.

scene. The quibble, however, is lost, except the old reading be preserved. Cry, stand, will not support it. STEEVENS,

12, 1, 2. All-hallows, is All-hallowntide, or All-saints' day, which is the first of November. We have sull a church in London, which is absur Hytled 34. All-hallows, as if a word which was forned to express the commu nity of saints, could be appropriated to any particular one of the number.

Shakspeare's allusion is designed to ridicule an old man with youthful passions. STEEVENS P. 12, 1. 5. 6. Falst J, Bardolph, Peto and Gadshill, In former editions-Falstaff, Har

Rossil, and Gadshill. Thus have we two persons named, as characters in this play, that were never among the dramatis Personae. But let us see who they were that committed this robbery, In the second Act we come to a scene of the highway. Falstaff, wanting his horse, calls out on Hal, Poins, Bardolph, and Peto. Presently Gadshill joins them, with intelligence of tra vellers being at hand; upon which the Prince You four shall front. 'em in a narrow says,lane, and I will walk lower." So that the four to be concerned, are Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill. Accordingly, the robbery is committed; and the Prince and Poins afterwards rob then four. In the Boar's-head tavern, the Prince rallies Peto and Bardolph for their running away, who confess the charge. Is it not plain now that Bardolph and Peto were two of the four robbers? And who then can doubt, but Harvey and Rossil were the names of the actors? THEOBALD.

P. 12, 1. 24. Sirrah, in our author's time,

as appears from this and many other passages, was not a word of disrespect. MALONE.

It is scarcely used as a term of respect, when addressed by the King to Hotspur,`p. 17. STEEVENS.

P. 12, 1. 25. for the nonce ce,] That is, as I conceive, for the occasion. This phrase, which was very frequently, though not always very precisely, used by our old writers, I suppose to have been originally a corruption of corrupt Latin. From pro-nunc, I suppose, came for the nunc, and so for the nonce; just as from ad-nunc came a-non. The Spanish entonces has been formed in the same manner from in-tunc., TYRWHITT.

For the nonce is an expression in daily use amongst the common people in Suffolk, to signify on purpose; for the turn. HENLEY. "P. 13, 1. 2. Reproof is confutation.

JOHNSON.

P. 13, 1. 4. -to-morrow night-] I think we should read-to-night. The disguises were to be provided for the purpose of the robbery, which was to be committed at four in the morning and they would come too late if the Prince was not to receive them till the night after the day of the exploit. This is a second instance: to prove that Shakspeare could forget in the end of a scene what he had said in the beginnings STEEVENS.

P. 13, 1. 25. To falsify hope is to exceed hope, to give much where inen hoped for little.

This speech is very artfully introduced to keep the Prince from appearing vile in the opinion of the audience; it prepares them for his future

re

reformation; and, what is yet more valuable, exhibits a natural picture of a great mind offering excuses to itself, and palliating those follies which it can neither justify nor forsake. T JOHNSON.

Hopes is used simply for expectations, as suc→ cess is for the event, whether good or bad. This is still common in the midland counties. "Such manner of uncouth speech, (says Puttenham,) did the Tanner of Tamworth use to King Edward IV. which Tanner having a great while mistaken him, and used very broad talke with him, at length perceiving by his traine that it was the King, was afraide he should be punished for it, and said thus, with a certaine rude repentance: I hope shall be hanged to-morrow, for I fear me I shall be hanged;' whereat the King laughed a-good; not only to see the Tanner's vaine feare, but also to hear his mishapen terine; and gave him for recompence of his good sport, the inheritance of Plumton Parke." P.214. FARMER. P. 14, 1. 11. 12. I will from henceforth rather be myself,

Mighty, and to be fear'd, than my condition;] i. e. I will from henceforth, rather put on the character that becomes me, and exert the resentinent of an injured King, than still continue in the inactivity and mildness of my natural dispo sition. And this sentiment he has well expressed, save that by his usual licence, he puts the word condition for disposition. WARBURTON.

The commentator has well explained the sense, which was not very difficult, but is mistakensin supposing the use of condition licentious, Shakspeare uses it very frequently for temper VOL. IX,

17