set me i' the stocks, i' the common stocks, for a witch.

QUICK. Sir, let me speak with you in your chamber; you shall hear how things go; and, I warrant, to your content. Here is a letter will say somewhat. Good hearts, what ado here is to bring you together! Sure, one of you does not serve heaven well, that you are so crossed.

FAL. Come up into my chamber.

SCENE VI.

Another Room in the Garter Inn.

Enter FENTON and Host.

[Exeunt.

HCST. Master Fenton, talk not to me; my mind is heavy, I will give over all.

FENT. Yet hear me speak: Assist me in my pur

pose,

in order to escape being apprehended for a witch? Surely, one would imagine, this was the readiest means to bring him into such a scrape: for none but old women have ever been suspected of being witches. The text must certainly be restored " a wood woman, a crazy, frantick woman; one too wild, and silly, and unmeaning, to have either the malice or mischievous subtlety of a witch in her. THEOBALD.

This emendation is received by Sir Thomas Hanmer, but rejected by Dr. Warburton. To me it appears reasonable enough.

JOHNSON.

I am not certain that this change is necessary. Falstaff, by counterfeiting such weakness and infirmity, as would naturally be pitied in an old woman, averted the punishment to which he would otherwise have been subjected, on the supposition that he was a witch. STEEVENS.

The reading of the old copy is fully supported by what Falstaff says afterwards to Ford: "I went to her, master Brook, as you see, like a poor old man; but I came from her, master Brook, like a poor old woman." MALONE.

4 Sure, one of you does not serve heaven well, &c.] The great fault of this play is the frequency of expressions so profane, that no necessity of preserving character can justify them. There are laws of higher authority than those of criticism. JOHNSON.

And, as I am a gentleman, I'll give thee
A hundred pound in gold, more than your loss.
HOST. I will hear you, master Fenton; and I will,
at the least, keep your counsel.

FENT. From time to time I have acquainted you
With the dear love I bear to fair Anne Page;
Who, mutually, hath answer'd my affection
(So far forth as herself might be her chooser,)
Even to my wish: I have a letter from her
Of such contents as you will wonder at;
The mirth whereof 5 so larded with my matter,
That neither, singly, can be manifested,

Without the show of both ;-wherein fat Falstaff Hath a great scene: the image of the jest"

[Showing the letter.

5 The mirth WHEREOF ] Thus the old copy. Mr. Pope and all the subsequent editors read-The mirth whereof's so larded, &c. but the old reading is the true one, and the phraseology that of Shakspeare's age. Whereof was formerly used as we now use thereof; "the mirth thereof being so larded," &c. So, in Mount Tabor, or Private Exercises of a Penitent Sinner, 8vo. 1639: In the mean time [they] closely conveyed under the cloaths wherewithal he was covered, a vizard, like a swine's snout, upon his face, with three wire chains fastened thereunto, the other end whereof being holden severally by those three ladies; who fall to singing again," &c. MALONE. WHEREIN fat Falstaff

6

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Hath a great scene:] The first folio reads:

"Without the shew of both: fat Falstaff," &c.

I have supplied the word that was probably omitted at the press, from the early quarto, where, in the corresponding place, we find

"Wherein fat Falstaff hath a mighty scare [scene].” The editor of the second folio, to supply the metre, arbitrarily reads

"Without the shew of both;-fat Sir John Falstaff -." MALONE.

Scare in the quarto was probably meant for share, and not

scene.

7

BOSWELL.

the IMAGE of the jest -] Image is representation. So, in King Kichard III.:

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And liv'd by looking on his images."

I'll show you here at large. Hark, good mine host:
To-night at Herne's oak, just 'twixt twelve and one,
Must my sweet Nan present the fairy queen;
The purpose why, is here ; in which disguise,
While other jests are something rank on foot,
Her father hath commanded her to slip
Away with Slender, and with him at Eton
Immediately to marry: she hath consented:
Now, sir,

Her mother, even strong against that match ',
And firm for Dr. Caius, hath appointed
That he shall likewise shuffle her away,
While other sports are tasking of their minds 2,
And at the deanery, where a priest attends,
Straight marry her: to this her mother's plot
She, seemingly obedient, likewise hath

Made promise to the doctor;-Now, thus it rests:
Her father means she shall be all in white;
And in that habit, when Slender sees his time
To take her by the hand, and bid her go,

Again, in Measure for Measure :-"The image of it gives me content already." STEEVENS.

These words allude to a custom still in use, of hanging out painted representations of shows.

So, in Bussy d'Ambois :

8

I

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like a monster

Kept onely to show men for goddesse money: "That false hagge often paints him in her cloth

"Ten times more monstrous than he is in troth." HENLEY. is here;] i. e. in the letter. STEEVENS.

9 While other jests are something rank on foot,] i. e. while they are hotly pursuing other merriment of their own. STEEVENS. -EVEN strong against that match,] Thus the old copies. The modern editors read-ever, but perhaps without necessity. Even strong, is as strong, with a familiar degree of strength. So, in Hamlet, even christian" is fellow christian.

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-

STEEVENS.

TASKING of their minds,] So, in K. Henry V.:

"That task our thoughts concerning us and France."

STEEVENS.

She shall go with him :-her mother hath intended, The better to denote 3 her to the doctor,

(For they must all be mask'd and vizarded,)

That, quaint in green 4, she shall be loose enrob'd,'
With ribbands pendant, flaring, 'bout her head;
And when the doctor spies his vantage ripe,
To pinch her by the hand, and, on that token,
The maid hath given consent to go with him.
HOST. Which means she to deceive? father or
mother?

3

-to DENOTE] In the MSS. of our author's age n and u were formed so very much alike that they are scarcely distinguishable. Hence it was, that in the old copies of these plays one of these letters is frequently put for the other. From the cause assigned, or from an accidental inversion of the letter n at the press, the first folio in the present instance reads-deuote, u being constantly employed in that copy instead of v. The same mistake has happened in several other places. Thus, in Much Ado About Nothing, 1623, we find, "he is turu'd orthographer," instead of turn'd. Again, in Othello:-" to the contemplation, mark, and deuotement of her parts," instead of denotement. Again, in King John: This expeditious charge, instead of expedition's. Again, ibid. involuerable for invulnerable. Again, in Hamlet, 1605, we meet with this very word put by an error of the press for denote:

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66

:

Together with all forms, modes, shapes of grief,
That can deuote me truly."

The present emendation, which was suggested by Mr. Steevens, is fully supported by a subsequent passage, quoted by him: the white will decipher her well enough." MALONE.

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4

QUAINT in green,] May mean fantastically drest in green. So, in Milton's Masque at Ludlow Castle :

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lest the place,

"And my quaint habits, breed astonishment."

Quaintness, however, was anciently used to signify gracefulness. So, in Greene's Dialogue between a He and 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. Sc. I. quaintly is used for ingeniously:

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a ladder quaintly made of cords." STEEVENS. In Daniel's Sonnets, 1594, it is used for fantastick: "Prayers prevail not with a quaint disdayne." MALONE.

FENT. Both, my good host, to go along with me: And here it rests,-that you'll procure the vicar To stay for me at church, 'twixt twelve and one, And, in the lawful name of marrying,

To give our hearts united ceremony.

HOST. Well, husband your device; I'll to the vicar:

Bring you the maid, you shall not lack a priest. FENT. So shall I evermore be bound to thee; Besides, I'll make a present recompense. [Exeunt.

ACT V. SCENE I.

A Room in the Garter Inn.

Enter FALSTAFF and Mrs. QUICKLY.

FAL. Pr'ythee, no more prattling :-go.-I'll hold: This is the third time; I hope, good luck lies in odd numbers. Away, go; they say, there is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance, or death.-Away.

QUICK. I'll provide you a chain; and I'll do what I can to get you a pair of horns.

FAL. Away, I say; time wears: hold up your head, and mince 7. [Exit Mrs. QUICKLY.

5

I'll HOLD] I suppose he means-I'll keep the appointOr he may mean- -I'll believe. So, in K. Henry VIII. : "Did you not of late days hear," &c.—" Yes, but held it not.”

ment.

6

STEEVENS.

they say, there is DIVINITY IN ODD NUMBERS,] Alluding to the Roman adage

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numero deus impare gaudet." Virgil, Ecl. viii. STEEVENS.

hold up your head, and MINCE.] To mince is to walk with affected delicacy.' So, in The Merchant of Venice: