And Jonson's Devil's an Ass :

"Carmen and chimney-sweepers are got into the yellow starch."

This was invented by one Turner, a tire-woman, a court-bawd; and, in all respects, of so infamous "a character, that her invention deserved the name of villanous saffron. This woman was, afterwards, amongst the miscreants concerned in the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury, for which she was hanged at Tyburn, and would die in a yellow ruff of her own Invention which made yellow starch ŝo odious, that it immediately went out of fashion. 'Tis this then to which Shakspere alludes: but using the word saffron for yellow, a new idea presented itself, and he pursues his thought under a quite different allusionWhose villanous saffron would have made all the unbak’d and doughy youths of a nation in his colour, i. e. of his emper and disposition. Here the general custom of that time, of colouring paste with saffron, is alluded to. So, in The Winter's Tale:

"I must have saffron to colour the warden pyes.” WARBURTON. 572. I would, I had not known him!] This dialogue serves to connect the incidents of Parolles with the main plan of the play. JOHNSON.

594. -I would give his wife my bauble, sir, to do her service.] Part of the furniture of a fool was a bauble, which, though it be generally taken to signify any thing of small value, has a precise and determinate meaning. It is, in short, a kind of trun

cheon with a head carved on it, which the fool anciently carried in his hand. There is a representation of it in a picture of Watteau, formerly in the collection of Dr. Mead, which is engraved by Baron, and called Comediens Italiens. A faint resemblance of it may be found in the frontispiece of L. de Guernier to king Lear, in Mr. Pope's edition in duodecimo.

Sir J. HAWKINS So, in Marston's Dutch Courtesan, 1604:

if a fool, we must bear his bauble." Again, in The Two angry Women of Abingdon, 1559: "The fool will not leave his bauble for the Tower of London." Again, in Jack Drum's Entertainment, 1601 :

"She is enamoured of the fool's bauble.”

In the SULTIFERA NAVIS, 1497, are several representations of this instrument, as well as in Cocke Lorella's Bote, printed by Wynkyn de Worde. Again, in Lyte's Herbal; " In the hollowness of the said flower (the great blue wolfe's-bane) grow two small crooked hayres, somewhat great at the end, fashioned like a fool's bable." An ancient proverb, in Ray's collection, points out the materials of which these baubles were made: "If every fool should wear a bable, fewel would be dear.” STEEVENS.

When Cromwell, 1653, forcibly turned out the rump-parliament, he bid the soldiers "take away that fool's bauble," pointing to the speaker's mace.

BLACKSTONE.

603. an English name;

reads maine.

-

-] The old copy STEEVENS.

Maine or head of hair agrees better with the context His hair was thick. HENLEY.

than name.

604. -his phisnomy is more hotter in France than there.] This is intolerable nonsense. The stupid editors, because the devil was talked of, thought no quality would suit him but hotter. We should read, more honour'd. A joke upon the French people, as if they held a dark complexion, which is natural to them, in more estimation than the English do, who are generally white and fair. WARBURTON.

This attempt at emendation is unnecessary. The allusion is, in all probability, to the Morbus Gallicus.

609.

the old copy.

STEEVENS.

-to suggest thee from thy master-] Thus The modern editors read-seduce, but without authority. To suggest had anciently the same meaning. So, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona:

66 Knowing that tender youth is soon suggested, "I nightly lodge her in an upper tower."

STEEVENS.

611. I am a woodland fellow, sir, &c.] Shakspere is but rarely guilty of such impious trash. And it is observable, that then he always puts that into the mouth of his fools, which is now grown the characteristick of the fine gentleman. WARBURTON.

628. So he is. My lord, that's gone, made himself much sport out of him; by his authority he remains here, which he thinks is a patent for his sauciness; and, indeed, he has no pace, but runs where he will.] Should not we read-no place, that is, no station, or office in the family?

A pace is a certain or prescribed walk; so we say of a man meanly obsequious, that he has learned his paces, and of a horse who moves irregularly, that he has no paces. JOHNSON. 666. -Carbonado'd] i. e. scotched like a piece of meat for the gridiron. STEEVENS.

-but I am now, sir, muddy'd in fortune's mood, and smell somewhat strong of her strong displeasure.] I believe the poet wrote, in fortune's moat; because the clown in the very next speech replies, I will henceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering; and again, when he comes to repeat Parolles' petition to Lafeu, that hath fall'n into the unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he says, is muddy'd withal. And again, Pray you, sir, use the carp as you may, &c. In all which places, 'tis obvious a moat or a pond is the

allusion.

allusion. Besides, Parolles smelling strong, as he says, of fortune's strong displeasure, carries on the same image; for as the moats round old seats were always replenish'd with fish, so the Clown's joke of holding his nose, we may presume, proceeded from this, that the privy was always over the moat; and Therefore the Clown humorously says, 'when Parolles is pressing him to deliver his letter to lord Lafeu, Foh! pr'ythee stand away; a paper from fortune's closetool to give to a nobleman! WARBURTON.

Dr. Warburton's correction may be supported by a passage in the Alchemist:

"Subtle.

-Come along, sir,

"I now must shew you Fortune's privy lodgings.

"Face.

ready?

Are they perfumed, and his bath

-Sub. All.

"Only the fumigations somewhat strong."

FARMER. I believe the old reading, "in Fortune's mood," is the true one.. -By the whimsical caprice of Fortune, I am fallen into the mud, and smell somewhat strong of her displeasure.In Pericles Prince of Tyre, 1609, we meet with the same phrase:

Mood is again used for resentment or caprice, in Othello: "You are but now cast in his mood, a punish'ment more in policy than in malice."