378. And her witholds, &c.] It stood thus: And her withholds he from me.

Other more suitors to her, and rivals in my love, &c. The regulation which I have given to the text, was dictated to me by the ingenious Dr. Thirlby.

THEOBALD.

391. Well seen in musick,] Seen is versed, practised. So, in The longer thou Livest the more Fool thou art, 1570:

"Sum would have you seen in stories,

"Sum to feates of arms will you allure, &c.
"Sum will move you to reade Scripture.

"Marry, I would have you seene in cardes and
dise."

Again, in Spenser's Faery Queen, B. IV. c. 2: "Well scene in every science that mote bee." STEEVENS.

404. -at any hand,] i. e. at all events.

STEEVENS.

430. help me.] The old copy reads :-help one. STEEVENS.

448. old Antonio's son. 2.] The folio 1623, and

quarto 1613-reads old Butonio's son.

465. and trumpets clang ?]

STEEVENS. Probably the

word clang is here used adjectively, as in Paradise Lost, B. XI. v. 834, and not as a verb :

-an island salt and bare,

"The haunt of seals, and ores, and sea-mews clang "

I believe Mr. Warton is mistaken. Clang as a substantive, is used in The Noble Gentleman of Beaumont and Fletcher:

"I hear the clang of trumpets in this house,” Again, in Tamburlaine, &c. 1590;

-hear you the clang

"Of Scythian trumpets ?”

Again, in The Cobler's Prophecy, 1594:

"The trumpet's clang, and roaring noise of drums."

Again, in Claudius Tiberius Nero, 1607:

"Hath not the clang of harsh Armenian troops,” &c.

Again, in Drant's translation of Horace's Art of Poetry, 1567;

"Fit for a chorus, and as yet the boystus sounde and shryll

"Of trumpetes clang the stalles was not accustomed to fill."

The trumpet's clang is certainly the clang of trumpets, and not an epithet bestowed on those instruments.

STEEVENS.

465. That gives not half so great a blow to hear,] This awkward phrase could never come from Shakspere. He wrote, without question,

-so great a blow to th' ear.

So, in King John :

WARBURTON,

"Our ears are cudgell'd; not a word of his
But buffets better than a fist of France."

STEEVENS,

481. He that has the two fair daughters, &c.] This speech should rather be given to Gremio: to whom, with the others, Tranio has addressed himself. The following passages might be written thus:

Tra. Even he. Biondello!

Gre. Hark, you, sir; you mean not her too.

TYRWHITT. This speech in the old copy, is given to Tranio. STEEVENS.

It is given in the first folio to Biondello. MALONE.
this feat-] The old copy reads-
The emendation was made by Mr.
STEEVENS.

529. this seeke

Rowe.

538. Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,] Mr. Theobald asks what they were to contrive? and then says, a foolish corruption possesses the place, and so alters it to convive; in which he is followed, as he pretty constantly is, when wrong, by the Oxford editor. But the common reading is right, and the critick was only ignorant of the meaning of it. Contrive doth not signify here to project but to spend, and wear out. As in this passage of Spenser :

"Three ages such as mortal men contrive."

Faery Queen, B. xi. ch. 9.
WARBURTON.

The word is used in the same sense of spending or wearing out, in Painter's Palace of Pleasure. JOHNSON.

So,

So, in Damon and Pithias, 1582.

"In travelling countries, we three have contrived "Full many a year," &c.

Contrive, I suppose, is from contero. So, in the "Totum hunc contrivi diem.”

Hecyra of Terence.

STEEVENS.

ACT II.

Line 3. -BUT for these other goods,] This is so

trifling and unexpressive a word, that I am satisfied our author wrote gawds, i. e. toys, trifling ornaments; a term that he frequently uses and seems fond of.

THEOBALD.

17. -to keep you fair.] I wish to read, To keep you fine. But either word may serve. JOHNSON. 26. -hilding—] The word hilding or hinderling, is a low wretch; it is applied to Katharine for the coarseness of her behaviour. JOHNSON.

72. -Baccare, you are marvellous forward.] We must read, Baccalare; by which the Italians mean, thou arrogant, presumptuous man! the word is used scornfully upon any one that would assume a port of grandeur. WARBURTON,

The word is neither wrong nor Italian: it was an old proverbial one, used by John Heywood; who hath made, what he pleases to call, Epigrams upon it. Take two of them, such as they are;

"Backare,

"Backare, quoth Mortimer to his sow,

"Went that sow backe at that bidding, trow you?”

"Backare, quoth Mortimer to his sow: se
"Mortimer's sow speaketh as good Latin as he."

Howel takes this from Heywood, in his Old Sawes and
Adages: and Philpot introduces it in the proverbs
collected by Camden.
FARMER.

Again, in the ancient Enterlude of the Repentance of Mary Magdalene, 1567:

"Nay, hoa there, Backare, you must stand apart :

"You love me best, I trow, mystresse Mary." Again, in John Lylly's Midas-1592: "The masculine gender is more worthy than the feminine, and therefore Licio Backare." Again, in John Grange's Golden Aphroditis, 1577: -yet wrested he so his effeminate bande to the siege of backwarde affection, that both trumpe and drumme sounded nothing for their larum, but Baccare, Baccare." STEEVENS.

75. I doubt it not, sir, but you will curse your wooing neighbours. This is a gift] This nonsense may be rectified by only pointing it thus, I doubt it not, sir, but you will curse your wooing. Neighbour, this is a gift, &c. addressing himself to Baptista. WARBURTON.

79. -free leave give to this young scholar,] This is an injudicious correction of the first folio, which reads-freely give unto this young scholar. We should read, I believe

I freely