The elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy; Troilus and Creffida, A. S. 3. This is he, That kifs'd away his hand in courtesy; This is the ape of form, Monfieur the nice, Shew'd thy dear mother any courtesy; When the (poor hen) fond of no fecond brood, Coriolanus, A. 5, S. 3. The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first-born; but the fame tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. As you like it, A. 1, S. 1. Pluck commiferation of his ftate From braffy bofoms, and rough hearts of flint, From stubborn Turks, and Tartars, never train'd To offices of tender courtefy. Merchant of Venice, A. 4, S. 1. Is it poffible, difdain fhould die, while fhe hath fuch meet food to feed it, as Signior Benedick? Courtefy itself must convert to difdain, if you come in her presence. Much ado about nothing, A. 1, S, 1. Thefe couchings and thefe lowly courtefies, Might fire the blood of ordinary men ; And turn pre-ordinance, and firft decree, Julius Cæfar, A. 3, S. 1. Into the lane of children.] I do not well understand what is meant by the lane of children. I should read, the law of children. That is, change pre-ordinance and decree into the law of children; into fuch flight determinations as every fart of will would alter. Lane and law, in fome manufcripts, are not eafily distinguished. JOHNSON. COWARDICE. I do defy him, Call him-a flanderous coward, and a villain Richard II. A. 1, S. 17 Young as I am, I have obferv'd these three swafhers. I am boy to them all three : but all they three, though they would ferve me, could not be man to me; for, indeed, three fuch anticks do not amount to a man. For Bardolph, he is white-liver'd, and red-faced; by the means whereof, a' faces it out; but fights not. For Piftol-he hath a killing tongue, and a quiet fword; by the means whereof a' breaks words, and keeps whole weapons. For Nym, he hath heard, that men of few words are the best of men; and therefore he fcorns to fay his prayers, left a fhould be thought a coward. Henry V. A. 3, S. 2. The fecond property of your excellent therris isthe warming of the blood; which, before cold and fettled, left the liver white and pale, which is the badge of pufillanimity and cowardice; but the fherris warms it, and makes it courfe from the inwards to the parts extreme. It illumineth the face; If the lane of children be the true reading, it may poffibly receive illuftration from the following paffage in Ben Jonson's Staple of News: “A narrow minded man! my thoughts do dwell all in a lane." The lane of children will then mean the narrow conceits of children, which must change as their minds grow more enlarged. STEEVENS. I believe we should read bane-Bane in its ordinary accepta tion is burt, injury; and by a licence common with our author, it may poffibly be used for punishment. "You behave, by these low courtefies, and crouchings, like children, and many men might be "tempted to punish you as fuch.” A. B. which, which, as a beacon, gives warning to all the reft of this little kingdom, man, to arm. A. 4, S. 3. Henry IV. P. 2, Cowards die many times before their deaths; It seems to me most strange that men fhould fear, Will come, when it will come. Julius Cafar, A. 2, S. 2. How many cowards, whofe hearts are all as falfe as ftairs of fand, wear yet upon their chins the beards of Hercules, and frowning Mars; who, inward fearch'd, have livers white as milk? Merchant of Venice, A. 3, S. 2. Thou flave, thou wretch, thou coward; Thou little valiant, great in villainy! Thou fortune's champion, that doft never fight, To teach thee fafety! I. King John, A. 3, S. 1. (In my heart Lie there what hidden woman's fear there will) That do outface it with their femblances. As you like it, A. 1, S. 3. He's a coward, and a coystril,' and will not drink to my niece, till his brains turn o'the toe like a parish-top. Twelfth Night, A. 1, S. 3. A coyftril.]. i. e. a coward cock. It may, however, be a keftril, or bastard hawk. STEEVENS. A "coiftril," is likewise a lad, a ftripling. It feems here to be used for a milk-fop. "A coward and a coyftril an he will ❝ not drink.".. A coward and a milk-fop if he will not drink, &c. A. B. -He He ftopt the fliers; And, by his rare example, made the coward Coriolanus, A. 2, S. 2. He excels his brother for a coward, yet his brother is reputed one of the best that is: In a retreat he outruns any lacquey. All's well that ends well, A. 4, S. 3. I know him a notorious liar, Think him a great way fool, folely a coward; That they take place, when virtue's steelly bones All's well that ends well, A. 1, S. 1. I never dealt better fince I was a man; all would not do. A plague of all cowards!-Let them speak : if they speak more or less than truth, they are villains, and the fons of darkness. Henry IV. P. 1, A. 2, S. 4. A plague of all cowards, I fay, and a vengeance too! marry, and amen!-Give me a cup of fack, boy. A plague of all cowards!-Is there no virtue extant? Henry IV. P, 1, A. 2, S. 4. I was never curst; I have no gift at all in shrewishness ; Midfummer Night's Dream, A. 3, S. 2. To rest mistrustful where a noble heart Hath pawn'd an open hand in fign of love. сору, Henry VI. P. 3, A. 4, S. 2. CREA And fell below his ftern.] We fhould read, according to the old bis fem The ftem is that end of the fhip which leads. STEEVENS. We CREATURE. This is a creature, Would the begin a fect, might quench the zeal Of who the but bid follow. Winter's Tale, A. 5, S. 1. O thou thing, Which I'll not call a creature of thy place, Winter's Tale, A. 2, S. 1. Call the creatures— Whose naked natures live in all the spight Of wreakful heaven; whofe bare unhoufed trunks To the conflicting elements expofed, Answer mere nature-bid them flatter thee; Timon of Athens, A. 4, S. 3. Divineft creature, bright Aftræa's daughter, Thy promifes are like Adonis' gardens, That one day bloom'd, and fruitful were the next, Henry VI. P. 1. A. 1, S. 6. CRIM E. If little faults, proceeding on diftemper, Shall not be wink'd at, how fhall we ftretch our eye When capital crimes, chew'd, fwallow'd, and digefted, Appear before us? We fhould read Fell before his ftem. Henry V. A. 2, S. 2. Stem does not here mean any part of a fhip.-Stem is used for prowess, valour. "Fell before his ftem," yielded to his prowess. A. B. All |