In a marginal note it is observed that tawdries are a kind of necklaces worn by country wenches. Again, in the fourth song : "But with white pebbles makes her tawdries for STEEVENS. her neck." 517. —a ballad, of a fish] Perhaps in later times prose has obtained a triumph over poetry, though in one of its meanest departments; for all dying speeches, confessions, narratives of murders, executions, &c. seem anciently to have been written in verse. Whoever was hanged or burnt, á merry, or a lamentable ballad (for both epithets are occasionally bestowed on these compositions) was immediately entered on the books of the Company of Stationers. Thus, in a subsequent scene of this play: Such a deal of wonders is broken out within this hour, that ballad-makers cannot be able to express it." 521. -for] i. e. becausė. STEEVENS. REED. JOHNSON. 566. That doth utter all men's ware-a.] To utter. To bring out, or produce. JOHNSON. 567. Masters, there are three carters, three shepherds, three neat-herds, and three swine-herds,] Thus all the printed copies hitherto, Now, in two speeches after this, these are called four threes of herdsmen. But could the carters properly be called herdsmen ? At least, they have not the final syllable, herd, in their names; which, I believe, Shakspere intended all wrote: all the four threes should have. I therefore guess he -Master, there are three goat-herds, &c. And so, I think, we take in the four species of cattle usually tended by herdsmen. THEOBALD. 474. bowling-] Bowling, I believe, is here à term for a dance of smooth motion, without great exertion of agility. JOHNSON. 587. Pol. 0, father, you'll know more of that hereafter.] This is replied by the king in answer to the shepherd's saying, since these good men are pleased. Yet the Oxford editor, I can't tell why, gives this line to Florizel, since Florizel and the old man were not in conversation. WARBURTON. The dance which has intervened would take up too much time to preserve any connection between the two speeches. The line spoken by the king seems to be in reply to some unexpressed question from the old shepherd, and should not be uttered aside. 609. i REMARKS. or the fann'd snow] So, in the Mid summer Night's Dream: "That pure congealed white, high Taurus' snow, "Fann'd by the eastern wind, turns to a crow, "When thou hold'st up thy hand.” STEEVENS. 657. dispute his own estate ?] Does not this allude to the next heir suing for the estate in cases of imbecility, lunacy, &c. 697. Far than CHAMIER. I think for far than we should should read far as. We will not hold thee of our kin ever so far off as Deucalion the common ancestor of all. JOHNSON. The old reading farre, i. e. further, is the true one. The ancient comparative of fer was ferrer. See the Glossaries to Robt. of Glocester and Robt. of Brunne. This, in the time of Chaucer, was softened into ferre. "But er I bere thee moche ferre.” H. of Fa. B. II. v. 99. "Thus was it peinted, I can say no ferre.” Knight's Tale, 2062. 709. I was not much affeard, &c.] The character is here finely sustained. To have made her quite astonished at the king's discovery of himself had not become her birth; and to have given her presence of mind to have made this reply to the king had not be come her education. WARBURTON. 710. I was about to speak; and tell him plainly, The self same sun, that shines upon his court, Looks on both alike.] So, in NosCE TEIPSUM, a poem by Sir John Davies, 1599 : "Thou, like the sunne, dost with indifferent ray, "Into the palace and the cottage shine." MALONE. 722. You have undone a man of fourscore three, &c.] These sentiments, which the poet has heightened by a strain of ridicule that runs through them, admirably characterize characterize the speaker; whose selfishness is seen in concealing the adventure of Perdita; and here supported, by shewing no regard for his son or her, but being taken up entirely with himself, though fourscore three. WARBURTON. 727. Where no priest shovels in dust.- —] This part of the priest's office might be remembered in Shakspere's time: it was not left off till the reign of Edward VI. FARMER. That is-on pronouncing the words earth to earth, membered that fancy in our author very often, as in this place, means love. So, in the Midsummer Night's Dream : JOHNSON. "Fair Helena in fancy following me." STEEVENS. 776. And, most opportune to our need,] The old copy has her need. This necessary emendation was made, I believe, by Mr. Pope. MALONE. 826. Ourselves to be the slaves of chance, and flies] As chance has driven me to these extremities, so I commit myself to chance, to be conducted through them. JOHNSON. 819. Things known, betwixt us three, I'll write you down.: G The The which shall point you forth at every sitting, What you must say ;] That is, at every audience you shall have of the king and council. The council-days, in our author's time, were called, in common speech, the sittings. WARBURTON. Howel, in one of his letters, says: "My lord president hopes to be at the next sitting in York.” FARMER. 869. But not take in the mind.] To take in anciently meant to conquer, to get the better of. So, in Antony and Cleopatra: "He could so quickly cut th' Ionian seas, STEEVENS To take in, is simply to include, or comprehend. HENLEY. 894. -I have sold all my trumpery; not a counterfeit stone, not a ribbon, glass, pomander, -] From the mention of his trumpery, counterfeit stones, &c. it appears that the wares of Autolycus were all braided. HENLEY. A pomander was a little ball made of perfumes, and worn in the pocket, or about the neck, to prevent infection in times of plague. In a tract, entitled, Certain necessary Directions, as well for curing the Plague, as for preventing Infection, printed 1636, there are directions for making two sorts of pomanders, one for the rich, and another for the poor. In Lingua, or a Combat of the Tongue, &c. the following receipt given, act iv. sc. 3. GREY. 1607, is "Your only way to make a good pomander is this, Take |