Shallow reckons among the Swinge-bucklers, "Will Squeele, a Cotsole man."

In the first edition of the imperfect play, Sir Hugh Evans is called on the title-page, the Welch Knight; and yet there are some persons who still affect to believe, that all our author's plays were originally published by himself. FARMER.

Queen Elizabeth was so well pleased with the admirable character of Falstaff in The Two Parts of Henry IV. that, as Mr. Rowe informs us, she commanded Shakspeare to continue it for one play more, and show him in love. To this command we owe The Merry Wives of Windsor; which, Mr. Gildon says, [Remarks on Shakspeare's Plays, 8vo. 1710,] he was very well assured our author finished in a fortnight. He quotes no authority. The circumstance was first mentioned by Mr. Dennis. "This comedy," says he, in his Epistle Dedicatory to The Comical Gallant (an alteration of the present play,) 1702, "was written at her [Queen Elizabeth's] command, and by her direction, and she was so eager to see it acted, that she commanded it to be finished in fourteen days; and was afterwards, as tradition tells us, very well pleased at the representation." The information, it is probable, came originally from Dryden, who from his intimacy with Sir William Davenant, had an opportunity of learning many particulars concerning our author.

At what period Shakspeare new-modelled The Merry Wives of Windsor is unknown. I believe it was enlarged in 1603. MALONE.

It is not generally known, that the first edition of The Merry Wives of Windsor, in its present state, is in the valuable folio, printed 1623, from whence the quarto of the same play, dated 1630, was evidently copied. The two earlier quartos, 1602, and 1619, only exhibit this comedy as it was originally written, and are so far curious as they contain Shakspeare's first conceptions in forming a drama, which is the most complete specimen of his comick powers. T. WARTON.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Sir John Falstaff.

Fenton.

Shallow, a country Justice.

Slender, cousin to Shallow.

Mr. Ford,

Mr. Page,

two gentlemen dwelling at Windsor.

William Page, a boy, son to Mr. Page.

Sir Hugh Evans, a Welch parson.

Dr. Caius, a French physician.

Host of the Garter Inn.

Mrs. Ford.

Mrs. Page.

Mrs. Anne Page, her daughter, in love with Fenton. Mrs. Quickly, servant to Dr. Caius.

Servants to Page, Ford, &c.

SCENE, Windsor; and the parts adjacent.

Jul. O me, unhappy!

Pro. Look to the boy.

[Faints.

Val. Why, boy! why wag! how now? what is

the matter?

Look up; speak.

Jul.

O good sir, my master charg'd me

To deliver a ring to madam Silvia;

9

Which, out of my neglect was never done.

Pro. Where is that ring, boy?

Jul.

Pro. How! let me see:

Here 'tis: this is it.

Why this is the ring I gave to Julia.

[Gives a ring.

Jul. O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook;

This is the ring you sent to Silvia.

[Shows another ring.

Pro. But, how cam'st thou by this ring? at my

depart,

I gave this unto Julia.

Jul. And Julia herself did give it me; And Julia herself hath brought it hither.

Pro. How! Julia!

Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,

And entertain'd them deeply in her heart:
How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root?2

speech in page 197, and all is right. Why then should Julia faint? It is only an artifice, seeing Silvia given up to Valentine, to discover herself to Proteus, by a pretended mistake of the rings. One great fault of this play is the hastening too abruptly, and without due preparation to the denouëment, which shews that, if it be Shakspeare's, (which I cannot doubt,) it was one of his very early performances. BLACKSTONE.

9 To deliver a ring to madam Silvia;] Surely our author wrote "Deliver a ring," &c. A verse so rugged as that in the text must be corrupted by the players, or transcriber.

Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,] Gave encouragement, a phrase in archery.

O Proteus, let this habit make thee blush!
Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon me
Such an immodest rayment; if shame live3
In a disguise of love:

It is the lesser blot, modesty finds,

Women to change their shapes, than men their

minds.

Pro. Than men their minds! tis true: O heaven! were man

But constant, he were perfect: that one error

Fills him with faults; makes him run through all

sins:

Inconstancy falls off, ere it begins:

What is in Silvia's face, but I may spy
More fresh in Julia's with a constant eye?

Val. Come, come, a hand from either:
Let me be blest to make this happy close;
'Twere pity two such friends should be long foes.
Pro. Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish for

ever.

Jul. And I have mine.

Enter Out-laws, with Duke and THURIO.

Out.

A prize, a prize, a prize!

Val. Forbear, I say; it is my lord the duke.

Your grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd,
Banished Valentine.

Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine.

Val. Thurio give back, or else embrace thy

death;

Come not within the measure of my wrath:

Do not name Silvia thine; if once again,

3

- if shame live - That is, if it be any shame to wear a disguise for the purposes of love.

Milan shall not behold thee. Here she stands,
Take but possession of her with a touch ;-
I dare thee but to breathe upon my love.-

Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I;
I hold him but a fool that will endanger
His body for a girl that loves him not :
I claim her not, and therefore she is thine.

Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou, To make such means for her as thou hast done, And leave her on such slight conditions.Now, by the honour of my ancestry, I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine, And think thee worthy of an empress' love. Know then, I here forget all former griefs," Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again.Plead a new state in thy unrivall'd merit, To which I thus subscribe,-sir Valentine, Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd; Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her.

Val. I thank your grace; the gift hath made me

happy.

I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake,
To grant one boon that I shall ask of you.

Duke. I grant it, for thine own, whate'er it be.
Val. These banish'd men, that I have kept withal,
Are men endued with worthy, qualities;
Forgive them what they have committed here,
And let them be recall'd from their exíle :
They are reformed, civil, full of good,

5 Milan shall not behold thee.) All the editions-Verona shall not behold thee. But from every circumstance, the poet must have intended; i. e. Milan, thy country, shall never see thee again: thou shalt never live to go back thither. THEOBALD.

6 To make such means for her as thou hast done,] i. e. to make such interest for, to take such disingenuous pains about her.

7

all former griefs,] Griefs in old language frequently signified grievances, wrongs. MALONE.