ton, gave me, a loft mutton, nothing for my la-
bour.

Pro. Here's too small a pasture for such a store
of muttons.

SPEED. If the ground be overcharg'd, you were best stick her.

Pro. Nay, in that you are astray; ' 'twere best pound you.

because Proteus had been proving him a sheep. But why does he
call the lady a lacad mutton ? Wenchers are to this day called
mutton-mongers ; and consequently the objeđ of their paflion mult,
by the metaphor, be the mutton. And Cotgrave, in his Evglish-
French Didionary, explains laced mutton, Une garse, putain, fille
de joye. And Mr. Motteux has rendered this passage of Rabelais,
in the prologue of his fourth book, Cailles coiphées mignonnement
chantans, in this manner ; Coated quails and laced mutton waggishly
linging. So that laced mutton has been a sort of standard phrale for
girls of pleasure. THEOBALD.

Nah, in his Hare with you to Saffron Walden, 1595, speaking of
Gabriel Harvey's incontinence, says : 5 he would not stick io extoil
rotten lac'd niutton. » So, in the comedy of The Shoemaker's Holiday,
or the Gentle Craft, 1610 :

Why here's good lac'd mutton, as I promis'd you,
Again, in Whetstone's Promos and Cassandra, 1578 :

16 And I smelt he lov'd lac'd mutton well.
Again, Heywood, in his love's Mistress, 1636, speaking of
Cupid, says, he is the “ Hero of hie-hoes, admiral of ay-mes,
and monsieur of mutton lac'd. STEEVENS.

A laced mutton was in our author's time fo established a term for
a courtezan, that a freet in Clerkenwell, which was much fre-
quented by women'of the town, was then called Mution-lane. It
seems to have been a phrase of the same kind as the French expresa
fion -- caille coifée, and might be rendered in that language, inoutor
en corset. This appellation appears to have been as old as the time
of King Henry III. - Item sequitur gravis pæna corporalis, fed
sine amissione vitæ vel niemnbrorum, si raptus fit de concubinâ legi-
timà, vel aliâ quejium faciente, fine delectu personarum : has
quidem oves debet rex tueri pro pace fuâ. Biadton de legibus,
lib. ii. MALONE.

Nay, in that you are a tray ; ) For the reason Proteus gives,

!

SPEED. Nay, fir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter.

Pro. You mislake; I mean the pound, a pinfold. Speed. From a pound to a pin? fold it over

?

and over,

a

'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your

lover.
PRO. But what said she ? did she nod. 6

(SPEED nods.
SPEED. I.
Pro. Nod, I ? why, that's noddy.'

Sreed. You mistook, fir; I say, she did nod: and you ask me, if she did nod ; and I say, I.

Pko. And that set together, is - noddy. Dr. Thirlby advises that we should read, a stray. i. e. a stray flieep i which continues Proteus's banter upou Speed. THEOBALD.

From the word aliray here, and lost mutton above, it is obvious that the double reference was to the first sentence of the General Confession in the prayer-book. Henley.

did she nod.) These words were supplied by Theobald , to introduce what follows. STEEVENS.

In Speed's answer the old spelling of the affirmative particle has been retained ; otherwise the conceit of Proteus (such as it is, would be unintelligible. MALONE.

why, that's noddy) Noddy was a game at cards So, in The Inner Temple Mask, by Middleton, 1619: " I leave them wholly (lays Christmas) to my eldest son Noddy, whom', during his minority, I commit to the custody of a pair of knaves, and one and thirty." Again, in Quarles's Virgin Widow, 1649 : her forbear chess and noddy, as games too serious. STEÉVENS.

This play, upon fyllables is hardly worth explaining. The speakers intend to fix the name of noddy, that is , fool, on each other. So, in The Second part, of Pasquil's Mad Cappe, 1600, lig. E.

" If such a Noddy be not thought a fool." Again, Ei.

6

7

6 Let

SPEED. Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains.

Pro. No, no, you shall have it for bearing the letter.

SPEED. Well; I perceive, I must be fain to bear

with you.

Pro. Why, fir, how do you bear with me?

SPEED. Marry, sir, the letter very orderly; having nothing but the word, noddy, for my pains.

Pro. Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit.
SPEED. Andyetit cannot overtake your flow purse.

Pro. Come, come, open the matter in brief: What said she ?

SPEED. Open your purse, that the money, and the matter, may be both at once deliver'd.

Pro. Well, fir, here is for your pains : What faid she ?

Speed. Truly, fir, I think you'll hardly win her.

Pro. Why? Could'st thou perceive so much from her ?

SIEED. Sir, I could perceive nothing at allfrom lier ; no, not so much as a ducat for delivering your

letter: And being so hard to me that brought your mind, I fear, she'll prove as hard to you in telling her mind. 3 Give her no token but stones; for she's as hard as steel.

8

- in telling her mind. ). The old

copy

has it in telling your mind.” But as this reading is to me unintelligible, I have adopted the emendation of the second folio. STEEVENS. The old copy is certainly right. The meaning is,

She being so hard to me who was the bearer of your mind, I fear she will prove no less go to you, when you address her in perfon. The opposition is between brought and telling. MALONE. VOL. IV.

N

Pro. What, said she nothing ?

SPEED. No, not so much as —take this for thy pains. To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have testern'd me;' in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letters yourself : and fo, fir, I'll commend you to my master. Pro. Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from

wreck; Which cannot perish, having thee aboard, Being deftin'd to a drier death on shore: I must go fend fome better messenger; 1 fear, my Julia would not deign my lines, Receiving them from such a worthless post.

(Exeunt.

2

a

SC EN E II.

The fame. Garden of Julia's house.

Enter JULIA and LUCETTA.

9

JUL., Dut say, Lucetta, now we are alone,
Would'st thou then counsel me to fall in love?
Luc. Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheed-

fully.

-- you have testern'd me ; ) You have gratified me with a tefter, tefiern, or testen, that is, with a fixpence. Johnson.

By the succeeding quo ation from the Fruitful Sermons preached by Hugh Latimer, 1584. fol. 94. ii appears that a tester was of greater value than our lixpence : • They brought him a denari, a piece of their current coyne that was worth ten ofour usual pence, such another piece as our testerne. HOLT WHITE.

The old reading is ceftern'd. This typographical error was core reded by the eiilor of the second folio. MALONE.

2 Which cannot perish, &c.) The same proverb has already been alluded to in the first and last scenes of The Tempeft. REED.

Jul. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen, That every day with parle encounter me, In thy opinion, which is worthielt love ?

I.uc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll shew

my mind

According to my shallow simple kill.

Jul. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Egla

mour ? 3

LUC. As of a knight well-spoken, neat and fine; But, were I you, he never should be mine. *

1 JUL. What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio ? Luc. Well, of his wealth; but of himself, so, so, JUL. What think'st thou of the gentle Proteus ? Luc. Lord, lord ! to see what folly reigns in us ! Jul. How now! what means this passion at his

name?

name.

4

Luc. Pardon, dear madam; 'tis a pafling shame, That I, unworthy body as I am, Should censure thus on lovely gentlemen.

3 What think'd thou of the fair Sir Eglamour ?) This Sir Eglamour must not be confounded with the perfona dramatis of the same The latter lived at Milan, and had vowed us

pure chastity upon the death of his true love." Ritson.

he (Sir Eglamour) never should be mine. ) Perhaps Sir Eglamour was once the common cant term for an insignificant inamorato. So, in Decker's Satiromaflix :

6 Adieu, fir Eglamour ; adieu lute-fing, curtain-rod, goose quill," &c. Sir Eglamour of Artoys indeed is the hero of an ancient metrical romance, - Imprinted at London, in Foiler-lane, at the fygue of the larweshorne, by John Walley,” bl. l. no date.

STIEVENS. Should censure thus, &c.) To cerfure means, in this place, to pasi senience. So, in Hinde's Eliesto Libidinoso, 1606 : " Eliotto and Cleodora were astonished at such a hard cenfure, and went to limbo most willingly." STEEVENS.

To censure, in our author's time, generally signified to give one's judgement or opinion. MALONE.