Nath. A moft fingular and choice epithet.

[Draws out his table-book, Hol. He draweth out the thread of his verbofity finer than the ftaple of his argument, I abhor fuch phanatical phantafms, fuch infociable and point-devife companions; fuch rackers of orthography, as to speak dout fine, when he should fay, doubt; det, when he should pronounce debt; d, e, b, t; not, d, e, t: he clepeth a calf, cauf: half, hauf: neighbour vocatur nebour; neigh abbreviated ne: this is abominable, which he would call abhominable: it infinuateth me

this is abominable, &c.] He has here well imitated the language of the moft redoubtable pedants of that time. On fuch fort of occafions, Jofeph Scaliger ufed to break out, Abominor, execror. Afinitas mera eft, impietas, &c. and calls his adverfary Lutum ftercore maceratum, Damoniacum retrimentum infcitia, Sterquilinium, Stercus Diaboli, Scarabæum, Larvam, Pecus poftremum beftiarum, infame propudium, καθαρμα WARB.

' In former Editions: It infinuateth me of infamy: Ne intelligis, Domine, to make franrick, lunatick?

Nath. Laus Deo, bene intelligo.

Hol. Bome, boon for boon Prefcian; a little Scratch, 'twill ferve.] This Play is certainly none of the best in itself, but the Editors have been fo

very

happy in making it worfe by their Indolence, that they have left me Augeas's Stable to cleanfe: and a Man had need to have the Strength of a Hercules to heave out all their Rubbish. But to

of infanity: (Ne intelligis, Domine ?) to make frantick, lunatick ?

Nath. Laus Deo, bone, intelligo.

Hol. Bone?bone, for benè; Prifcian a little fcratch'd; 'twill serve.

SCENE II.

Enter Armado, Moth, and Costard.

Nath. Videfne quis venit ?

Hol. Video, & gaudeo.

Arm. Chirrah.

Hol. Quare Chirrah, not Sirrah ?

Arm. Men of Peace, well encountred,
Hol. Moft military Sir, falutation.

Moth. They have been at a great feaft of languages, and ftole the fcraps.

[To Coftard afide. Coft. O, they have lived long on the Alms-basket of words. I marvel, thy master hath not eaten thee for a word; for thou art not fo long by the head as bonorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier fwallowed than a flap-dragon.

Moth. Peace, the peal begins.

Arm. Monfieur, are you not letter'd?

Moth. Yes, yes, he teaches boys the horn-book: What is A B fpelt backward with a horn on his head? Hol. Ba, pueritia, with a horn added.

Moth. Ba, moft filly fheep, with a horn. You hear his learning.

Hol. Quis, quis, thou confonant,

the pedant worse than Shakespeare made him; who, without doubt,

Wrote INSANITY.

WARBURTON. There feems yet fomething wanting to the integrity of this paffage, which Mr. Theobald has

in the moft corrupt and difficult places very happily restored. For ne intelligis Domine, to make frantick, lunatick, I read (nonne intelligis, Domine ?) to be mad, frantick, lunatick.

Moth. The third of the five vowels, if you repeat them; or the fifth, if 1.

Hol. I will repeat them, a, e, I.————

Moth. The fheep; the other two concludes it, o, u. Arm. Now by the falt wave of the Mediterraneum, a fweet touch, a quick venew of wit; fnip, fnap, quick and home; it rejoiceth my intellect; true wit.

Moth. Offered by a child to an old man which is wit-old.

Hol. What is the figure? what is the figure?
Moth. Horns.

Hol. Thou difputest like an infant; go, whip thy gigg.

Moth. Lend me your horn to make one, and I will whip about your infamy 3 circùm circà; a gigg of a cuckold's horn.

Coft. An' I had but one penny in the world, thou fhould't have it to buy ginger-bread; hold, there is the very remuneration I had of thy mafter, thou halfpenny purse of wit, thou pigeon-egg of difcretion. O, that the heav'ns were fo pleafed, that thou wert but my bastard! what a joyful father wouldst thou make me? go to, thou haft it ad dunghill; at the fingers? ends, as they say.

Hol. Oh, I fmell falfe Latin, dung bill for unguem. Arm. Arts-man, preambula; we will be fingled

2 In former Editions: The ceits. laft of the five Vowels, if you repeat them; or the fifth if I:

Hol. I will repeat them, a, e, I.

Moth, The Sheep :-the other two concludes it out.] Is not the laft, and the fifth, the fame Vowel? Though my Correction reftores but a poor Conundrum, yet if it reftores the Poet's Meaning, it is the Duty of an Editor to trace him in his lowest Con

By, O, U, Moth would mean- Oh, You-i. e. You are the Sheep ftill, either way; no matter which of Us repeats them. THEOBALD.

3 I will whip about your Infamy unum cita ;] Here again all the Editions give us Jargon inftead of Latin. But Moth would certainly mean, circum circa: i. e. about and about: tho' it may be defign'd, he fhould mistake the Terms. THEOBALD

fr om

from the barbarous. Do you not educate youth at the charge-house on the top of the mountain?

Hol. Or, Mons the hill.

Arm. At your fweet pleasure, for the mountain? Hol. I do, fans queftion.

Arm. Sir, it is the King's moft fweet pleasure and affection, to congratulate the Princess at her Pavilion, in the pofterior of this day, which the rude multitude call the afternoon.

Hol. The pofterior of the day, moft generous Sir, is liable, congruent, and meafurable for the afternoon: the word is well cull'd, choice, fweet, and apt, I do affure you, Sir, I do affure.

Arm. Sir, the King is a noble gentleman, and my familiar; I do affure ye, my very good friend ;-for what is inward between us, let it pafs-I do befeech thee, remember thy curtefy-I befeech thee, apparel thy head, and among other importunate and most ferious defigns, and of great import indeed too-but let that pass-for I must tell thee, it will please his Grace (by the world) fometime to lean upon my poor fhoulder, and with his royal finger thus dally with my * excrement, with my muftachio; but fweet heart, let that pafs. By the world, I recount no fable; fome certain fpecial honours it pleafeth his Greatness to impart to Armado, a foldier, a man of travel, that hath feen the world; but let that pafs-the very all of all is-but fweet heart, I do implore fecrefythat the King would have me prefent the Princess (fweet chuck) with fome delightful oftentation, or fhow, or pageant, or antick, or fire-work. Now, understanding that the Curate and fweet felf are good at fuch eruptions, and fudden breaking out of mirth (as it were) I have acquainted you withal, to the end to crave your affiftance.

Hol. Sir, you fhall prefent before her the nine Wor

*The authour has before call'd the beard valour's excrement in the Merchant of Venice.

thies. Sir, as concerning fome entertainment of time, fome fhow in the pofterior of this day, to be rendred by our affiftance at the King's command, and this most gallant, illustrate and learned gentleman, before the Princefs; I say, none fo fit as to present the nine Wor

thies.

Nath, Where will you find men worthy enough to present them?

Hol. Jofbua, yourfelf; this gallant man, Judas Macabeus; this fwain (because of his great limb or joint) hall pafs Pompey the great; and the page Hercules.

Arm. Pardon, Sir, error: he is not quantity enough for that Worthy's thumb; he is not fo big as the end of his club.

Hol. Shall I have audience? he shall prefent Hercules in minority: his Enter and Exit fhall be ftrangling a fnake; and I will have an apology for that purpose.

Moth. An excellent device: for if any of the audience hifs, you may cry; "well done, Hercules, now "thou crusheft the fnake;" that is the way to makę an offence gracious, tho' few have the grace to do it, Arm. For the reft of the Worthies, Hol. I will play three myself. Moth. Thrice-worthy gentleman! Arm. Shall I tell you a thing? Hol. We attend.

Arm. We will have, if this fadge not, an Antick. I befeech you, follow.

Hol. Via! good man Dull, thou haft fpoken no word all this while.

Dull. Nor understood none neither, Sir.

Hol. Allons; we will employ thee.

Dull. I'll make one in a dance, or fo: or I will play on the tabor to the Worthies, and let them dạnce the hay.

Hol. Moft dull, honeft, Dull, to our Sport away.

[Exeunt,

SCENE