-wear this jewel for me,

nament or superfluity.

519. -] Jewel does not properly signify a single gem, but any precious orMALONE. So, in Markham's Arcadia, 1607" She gave him a very fine jewel, wherein was set a most rich diamond." See also Warton's History of English Poetry, vol. i. p. 121. STEEVENS.

547. He is knight, dubb'd with unhack'd rapier, and on carpet consideration; -] That is, he is no soldier by profession, not a knight banneret, dubbed in the field of battle, but, on carpet consideration, at a festivity, or on some peaceable occasion, when knights receive their dignity, kneeling not on the ground, as in war, but on a carpet. This is, I believe, the original of the eontemptuous term, a carpet knight, who was naturally held in scorn by the men of war. JOHNSON. Greene uses the term-Carpet-knights, in contempt of those of whom he is speaking; and in The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington, 1601, it is employed for the same purpose:

"soldiers, come away,

"This Carpet-knight sits carping at our scars."

In Barrett's Alvearie 1580: "

-those which do

not exercise themselves with some honest affaires, but serve abhominable and filthy idleness, are, as we used to call them, Carpet-knightes."

Again, among Sir John Harrington's Epigrams, b. iv.ep. 6. Of Merit and Demerit :

"That captaines in those days were not regarded, "That only Carpet-knights were well rewarded."

The

The old copy reads-unhatch'd rapier.

STEEVENS.

It appears from Cotgrave's Dictionary, in verb, Hacher [to hack, hew, &c.] that to hatch the hilt of a sword was a technical term. I suspect, we ought to read—with an hatch'd rapier ; i. e. with a rapier, the hilt of which was richly engraved and ornamented.

Our author, however, might have used unhatch'd in the sense of unhack'd; and therefore I would not disturb the reading of the old copy. MALONE.

-on carpet consideration] i. e. Not on account of his own merit, but for political reasons. The phrase seems to owe its origin to the custom of having the tables,' round which those who determined publick measures were seated, covered with carpets. "There is something on the carpet," is a phrase still in use, and means, 'some measure is at present under consideration.”

ÁNONYMOUS.

552. -hob, nob, -] This adverb is corrupted from hap ne hap; as would ne would, will ne will; that is, let it happen, or not; and signifies at random, at the mercy of chance. See Johnson's Dictionary: STEEVENS. 587. Why, man, he's a very devil, &c.] Ben Jonson has imitated this scene in the Silent Woman. The behaviour of Sir John Daw, and Sir Amorous la Foole, is formed on that of Viola and Aguecheek. STEEVENS. -I have not seen such a virago.- -] Virago cannot

be properly used here, unless we suppose Sir Toby to mean, I never saw one that had so much the look of woman with the prowess of man. G

JOHNSON.
The

The old copy reads frago. A virago always means a female warrior, or, in low language, a scold, or turbulent woman. In Heywood's Golden Age, 1611, Jupiter enters like a nymph or virago; and says: "I may pass for a bona-roba, a rounceval, a virago, or a good manly lass." If Shakspere (who knew Viola to be a woman, though Sir Toby did not) has made no blunder, Dr. Johnson has supplied the only obvious meaning of the word. Firago may however be a ludicrous term of Shakspere's coinage. STEEVENS.

589. the stuck-] The stuck is a corrupted abbreviation of the stoccata, an Italian term in fencing. So, in the Return from Parnassus, 1606: "Here's a fellow, Judicio, that carried the deadly stock in his pen." Again, in Marston's Mal-content, 1604: "The close stock, O mortal," &c. Again, in Antonio's Revenge, 1602:

"I would pass on him with a mortal stock.”

STEEVENS. 620. by the duello] i. e. by the laws of the duello, which, in Shakspere's time, were settled with the utmost nicety. STEEVENS.

631. Nay, if you be an undertaker,- - But why was an undertaker so offensive a character? I believe this is a touch upon the times, which may help to determine the date of this play. At the meeting of the parliament in 1614, there appears to have been a very general persuasion, or jealousy at least, that the king had been induced to call a parliament at that time, by eertain persons, who had undertaken, through their in

Auence

fluence in the house of commons, to carry things according to his majesty's wishes. These persons were immediately stigmatized with the invidious name of undertakers; and the idea was so unpopular, that the king thought it necessary, in two set speeches, to deny positively (how truly is another question) that there had been any such undertaking. Parl. Hist. vol v. p. 277, and 286. Sir Francis Bacon also (then attor. ney-general) made an artful, apologetical speech in the house of commons upon the same subject; when the house (according to the title of the speech) was in great heat, and much troubled about the undertakers. Bacon's Works, vol. ii. p. 236. 4to edit. TYRWHITT.

687. o'erflourish'd by the devil.] In the time of Shakspere, trunks, which are now deposited in lumberrooms, or other obscure places, were part of the furniture of apartments in which company was received. I have seen more than one of these, as old as the time of our poet. They were richly ornamented on the tops and sides with scroll-work, emblematical devices, &c. and were elevated on feet. Shakspere has the same expression in Measure for Measure:

66 —your title to him

"Doth flourish the deceit

Again, in his 6oth Sonnet:

STEEVENS.

"Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth.”. The following lines in K. Richard II. as exhibited in England's Parnassus, 1600, confirm Mr. Steevens's observation:

"The purest treasure mortal times afford

"Is spotless reputation; that away,
"Men are but gilded trunks, or painted clay.”

687.

MALONE.

so do not I.] This, I believe, means, I do not yet believe myself, when, from this accident, I gather hope of my brother's life.

JOHNSON.

ACT IV.

Line 1. I AM afraid this great lubber—] i. ¿. affectation and foppery will overspread the world. JOHNSON. 18. I pr'ythee, foolish Greek,-] Greek, was as much as to say bawd or pander. He understood the Clown to be acting in that office. A bawdy-house was called Corinth, and the frequenters of it Corinthians, which words occur frequently in Shakspere, especially in Timon of Athens, and Henry IV. Yet the Oxford editor alters it to Geck. WARBURTON, Can our author have alluded to St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, ch. i. v.

22.

23

-to the Greeks foolishness ?"

STEEVENS.

-get themselves a good report after fourteen years purchase.] This seems to carry a piece of satire upon monopolies, the crying grievance of that time. The grants generally were for fourteen years; and the petitions being referred to a committee, it was suspected that money gained favourable reports from thence. WARBURTON. Perhaps