"That false hagge oftens paints him in her cloth "Ten times more monstrous than he is in troth." 553. HENLEY. -the image of the jest] Image is represen tation. So, in K. Richard III. 5.58. -are somewhat rank on foot,] i. e. while they are hotly pursuing other merriment of their own. 562. STEEVENS. -even strong against that match] Thus The modern editors read ever, but the old copies. perhaps without necessity. Even strong, is as strong, with a similar degree of strength. So, in Hamlet, 66 -even christian.” is, fellow christian. STEEVENS. 565. -tasking of their minds,] So, in another play of our author: 66- -some things of weight "That task our thoughts concerning us and Surely we not only may, but ought, to read—denote] In the folio 1623, the word is exhibited thus:-deuote. It is highly probable that the n was reversed at the press. So, in Much ado about Nothing, we meet: "He is turu'd orthographer" Again, in The Winter's Tale: -instead of turn'd. "Louely apart” for “ Lonely apart.” Again, in Hamlet, quarto, 1605, we meet this very word put by an error of the press for denote: (6 Together with all forms, modes, ships of grief "That can deuote me truly." Again, in Othello:" to the contemplation, mark and deuotement of parts"-instead of denotement. Again, in All's Well that Ends Well, act i. "—the mystery of your loveliness" instead of loneliness. Again, in K. John: "This expeditiou's charge." Again, ib. "involuerable," for "involnerable." Again, in K. Henry V. act iii. Sc. vi. Leuity and cruelty," for "for Lenity and cruelty." MALONE. 576. —quaint in green,] —may mean fantastically drest in green. So, in Milton's Masque at Ludlow Castle: -lest the place, "And this quaint habit breed astonishment." Quaintness, however, was anciently used to signify gracefulness. So, in Green's Dialogue between a He and a She Coney-catcher, 1592: "I began to think what a handsome man he was, and wished that he would come and take a night's lodging with me, sitting in a dump to think of the quaintness of his personage." In the Two Gentlemen of Verona, act iii. quaintly is used for ingeniously: "-ladder -ladder quaintly made of cords." STEEVENS. In Daniel's Sonnets, 1594, it is used for fantastick. "Prayers prevail not with a quaint disdayne.” MALONE. Line 8. ACT V. HOLD up your head, and mince.] To mince is to walk with affected delicacy. So, in the Merchant of Venice, 36. 66 -turn two mincing steps "Into a manly stride." STEEVENS. ―a nay-word] i. e. a watch-word. Mrs. Quickly has already used it in this sense. STEEVENS. 43. -No MAN means evil but the devil,--} This is a double blunder; for some, of whom this was spoke, were women. We should read them, No ONE means. WARBURTON. There is no blunder. In the ancient interludes and moralities, the beings of supreme power, excellence, or depravity, are occasionally styled men. So, in Much ado about Nothing, Dogberry says: "God's a good man." Again, in an Epitaph, part of which has been borrowed as an absurd one, by Mr. Pope and his associates, who were not very well acquainted with ancient phraseology: "Do all we can, "Death is a man "That never spareth none." Again, in Jeronimo, or the First Part of the Spanish Tragedy, 1605: "You're the last man I thought on, save the devil.” STEEVENS. The former 57. -and the Welch devil Evans?] impression, and the Welch devil Herne? But Falstaff was to represent Herne, andhe was on Welchman. Where was the attention or sagacity of our editors, not to observe that Mrs. Ford is inquiring for Evans by the name of the Welch devil? Dr. Thirlby likewise discover'd the blunder of this passage. THEOBALD. I suppose only the letter H. was set down in the MS; and therefore, instead of Hugh (which seems to be the true reading), the editors substitued Herne. STEEVENS. 58. -in a pit hard by Herne's oak, -] An oak, which may be that alluded to by Shakspere, is still standing close to a pit in Windsor forest. It is yet shewn as the oak of Herne. STEEVENS. 85. When gods have hot backs, what shall poor men do?] Shakspere had perhaps in his thoughts the argument which Cherea employed in a similar situation. Ter. Eun. act iii. sc. v. "Venisse clanculum per impluvium, fucum factum mulieri. "At quem deum? qui templa cœli summa sonit concutit. "Ego homuncio hoc non facerem? Ego illud vero ita feci, ac lubens." A translation of Terence was published in 1598. MALONE. 87. -Send me a cool rut-time, Jove, or who can blame me to piss my tallow ?- -] This, I find, is technical. In Tuberville's Booke of Hunting, 1575: "During the time of their rut, the rats live with small sustenance. The red mushroome helpeth well to make them pysse their greace, they are then in so vehement heate," &c. FARMER. In Ray's Collection of Proverbs, the phrase is yet further explained: "He has piss'd his tallow. This is spoken of bucks who grow lean after rutting-time, and may be applied to men. STEEVENS. 92. -rain potatoes ;-] Potatoes, when they were first introduced in England, were supposed to be strong provocatives. See Mr. Collins's note on a passage in Troilus and Cressida, a&t v. 94. STEEVENS. —kissing-comfits,— -] These were sugarplums, perfumed to make the breath sweet. So, in Webster's Dutchess of Malfy, 1623: |