attached fans of feathers with richly ornamented gold handles. Instead of a voil they wore a sort of collar or neckerchief (Bavaro) of lawn or cambric, pinched or plaited. The skirts of their gowns were usually of damask, either crimson or purple, with a border lace or trimming round the bottom, a quarter of a yard in depth. The sleeves were of velvet or other stuff, large and slashed, so as to shew the lining or under garment, terminating with a small band or ruffle like that round the edge of the collar. The body of the dress was of gold stuff or embroidery. Some of the dresses were riade with trains which were either held up by the hand when walking, or attached to the girdle. The head-dress of gold brocade given in one of the plates of Vecellio, is not unlike the beretta of the Doge of Venice; and caps very similar in form and material are still worn in the neighbourhood of Linz in Upper Austria. The Milan bonnet was also worn by ladies as well as men at this period. Hall, the chronicler, speaks of some who wore "Myllain bonnets of crymosyne sattin drawn through (i. c. slashed and puffed) with cloth of gold;" and in the roll of provisions for the marriage of the daughters of Sir John Nevil, tempore Henry VIII., the price of "a Millan bonnet, dressed with agletts," is marked SCENE I.-An open place in Verona. Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS. ; ACT I. Val. Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus; Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits Wer't not affection chains thy tender days To the sweet glances of thy honour'd love, I rather would entreat thy company, To see the wonders of the world abroad, Than, living dully sluggardiz'd at home, Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness. But, since thou lov'st, love still, and thrive therein, Even as I would, when I to love begin. Pro. Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine, adieu! Think on thy Proteus, when thou, haply, seest Some rare note-worthy object in thy travel: Wish me partaker in thy happiness, When thou dost meet good hap: and in thy danger, If ever danger do environ thee, for Val. And on a love-book pray for my success? Pro. Upon some book I love, I'll pray thee. Val. That's on some shallow story of deep Jove, How young Leander cross'd the Hellespont. Pro. That's a deep story of a deeper love; Val. No, I will not, for it boots thee not. Coy looks with heart-sore sighs; one fading moment's mirth,a With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights: Pro. So, by your circumstance, you call me fool. a Steevens gives the passage thus: What? Val. No, I'll not, for it boots thee not. Pro. Val. To be In love, where scorn is bought with groans; coy looks With heart-sore sighs; one fading moment's mirth, &c. By this reading, the Alexandrine in the line beginning with 'coy looks" is avoided ;-but the force and harmony of the entire passage are weakened. Our reading is that of the edit. of 1623. We mention this deviation from the reading of the common octavo edition here; but we shall not often repeat this sort of notice. Steevens having a notion of metre which placed its highest excellence in monotonous regularity, has unsparingly maimed the text, or stuck something upon it, to satisfy his "finger-counting ear." We shall silently restore the text, as Malone has in many cases done. b However. In whatsoever way, "haply won," or "lost." Val. So, by your circumstance," I fear, you'll | prove. Pro. 'Tis love you cavil at; I am not love. Val. Love is your master, for he masters you: And he that is so yoked by a fool, Methinks should not be chronicled for wise. Pro. Yet writers say, as in the sweetest bud The eating canker dwells, so eating love Inhabits in the finest wits of all. Val. And writers say, as the most forward bud Is eaten by the canker ere it blow, leave. To Milan let me hear from thee by letters, Pro. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan! Pro. He after honour hunts, I after love: He leaves his friends to dignify them more; I leave myself," my friends, and all for love. Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphos'd me; Made me neglect my studies, lose my time, War with good counsel, set the world at nought; Made wit with musing weak, heart sick with thought. a Circumstance. The word is used by the two speakers in different senses. Proteus employs it in the meaning of circumstantial deduction;-Valentine in that of position. b According to modern construction, we should read its verdure. In an elaborate note by Professor Craik, in his valuable "Philological Commentary on Julius Cæsar," he has clearly shown that "His was formerly neuter as well as masculine, or the genitive of It as well as of He." c To Milan. Let me hear from thee by letters, addressed to Milan. To is the reading of the first folio, and has been restored by Malone. d The original copy reads, "I love myself." Pro. Indeed a sheep doth very often stray, An if the shepherd be awhile away. Speed. You conclude that my master is a shepherd then, and I a sheep? Pro. I do. Speed. Why then my horns are his horns, whether I wake or sleep. Pro. A silly answer, and fitting well a sheep. Speed. This proves me still a sheep. Pro. True; and thy master a shepherd. Speed. Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance. Pro. It shall go hard, but I'll prove it by another. Speed. The shepherd seeks the sheep, and not the sheep the shepherd; but I seek my master, and my master seeks not me: therefore, I am no sheep. Pro. The sheep for fodder follow the shepherd, the shepherd for food follows not the sheep; thou for wages followest thy master, thy master for wages follows not thee: therefore, thou art a sheep. Speed. Such another proof will make me cry baa. Pro. But dost thou hear? gav'st thou my letter to Julia? Speed. Ay, sir; I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her, a laced mutton; and she, a laced mutton, gave me, a lost mutton, nothing for my labour ! Pro. Here's too small a pasture for such store of muttons. Speed. If the ground be overcharged, you were best stick her. Pro. Nay, in that you are astray; 't were best pound you. Speed. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter. Pro. You mistake; I mean the pound, a pinfold. Speed. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and over, 'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your lover. Pro. But what said she? did she nod ? [SPEED nods. A laced mutton. The commentators have much doubt. ful learning on this passage. They maintain that the epithet "laced" was a very uncomplimentary epithet of Shakspere's time; and that the words taken together apply to a female of loose character. This is probable; but then the insolent application, by Speed, of the term to Julia is received by Proteus very patiently. The original meaning of the verb lace is to catch-to hold (see Tooke's Diversions &c. part ii. ch. 4); from which the noun lace,-any thing which catches or holds. Speed might, therefore, without an insult to the mistress of Proteus, say-I, a lost sheep, gave your letter to her, a caught sheep. b Astray. The adjective here should be read "a stray" -a stray sheep. c Did she nod? These words, not in the original text, were introduced by Theobald. The stage-direction, "Speed nods," is also modern. Speed. I. Pro. Nod, I; why, that's noddy. Speed. You mistook, sir; I say, she did nod: and ask you me, if she did nod; and I say, I. Pro. And that set together, is—noddy. Speed. Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains. Pro. No, no, you shall have it for bearing the letter. Speed. Well, I perceive, I must be fain to bear with you. Pro. Why, sir, how do you bear with me? Speed. Marry, sir, the letter very orderly; having nothing but the word, noddy, for my pains. Pro. Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit. Speed. And yet it cannot overtake your slow purse. Pro. Come, come, open the matter in brief: What said she? Speed. Open your purse, that the money, and the matter, may be both at once delivered. Pro. Well, sir, here is for your pains: What said she? Speed. Truly, sir, I think you'll hardly win her. Pro. Why? Could'st thou perceive so much from her? Speed. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; no, not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter: And being so hard to me that brought your mind, I fear, she'll prove as hard to you in telling your mind. Give her no token but stones; for she's as hard as steel. Pro. What said she,-nothing? Speed. No, not so much as-take this for thy pains. To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have testern'd' me; in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letters yourself: and so, sir, I'll commend you to my master. Pro. Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from wrack; Which cannot perish, having thee aboard, Enter JULIA and LUCETTA. Jul. But say, Lucetta, now we are alone, Would'st thou then counsel me to fall in love? Luc. Ay, madam, so you stumble not unheedfully. a Jul. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen, That every day with parle encounter me, In thy opinion, which is worthiest love? Luc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll shew my mind According to my shallow simple skill. Jul. What think'st thou of the fair sir Eglamour? Luc. As of a knight well-spoken, neat and fine ; But, were I you, he never should be mine. Jul. What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio? Luc. Well of his wealth; but of himself, so, so. Jul. What think'st thou of the gentle Proteus ? Luc. Lord, lord! to see what folly reigns in us! Jul. How now! what means this passion at his name? 't is a passing Luc. Pardon, dear madam; shame, a Parle. Speech. The first folio spells it par 'le, which shews the abbreviation of the original French parole. b Censure. Give an opinion-a meaning which repeat edly occurs. [Exeunt. a I. The old spelling of the affirmative particle Ay. b The second folio changes the passage to "her mind." The first gives it "your mind." Speed says,-she was hard to me that brought your mind, by letter;-she will be as hard to you in telling it, in person. The same allusion to the proverb, "He that is born to be hanged," &c., occurs in the Tempest. c Fire is here used as a dissyllable. Steevens, whose ear received it as a monosyllable, corrupted the reading. In Act II. Sc. VII., we have this line "But qualify the fire's extreme rage.' See Walker, on "Shakespeare's Versification," § xviii. The present play furnishes other examples, such as, "Trenched in ice, which with an hour's heat." When the reader has a key to the reading of such werdsfl-er, hou-er-he may dispense with the notes that he will perpetually find on these matters in the pages of Steevens. |