Fal. But what fays fhe to me? be brief, my good fhe Mercury. Quic. Marry, fhe hath receiv'd your letter; for the which the thanks you a thousand times: and the gives you to notify, that her husband will be abfence from his house between ten and eleven. Fal. Ten and eleven. Quic. Ay, forfooth; and then you may come and fee the picture, fhe fays, that you wot of:-mafter Ford, her husband, will be from home. Alas! the fweet woman leads an ill life with him; he's a very jealoufy man; fhe leads a very frampold life with him, good heart. I Fal. Ten and eleven: woman, commend me to her; I will not fail her. Quic. Why, you fay well. But I have another mefsenger to your worship: mistress Page has her hearty " he did not know a worfe man of the whole band than him"felf; and that all the world knew he had then an inheritance "of 4000l. a year." T. T. I -frampold-] This word I have never feen elsewhere, except in Dr. Hacket's Life of Archbishop Williams, where a frampul man fignifies a peevish troublefome fellow. JOHNSON. In The Roaring Girl, a comedy, 1611, I meet with a word, which, though differently fpelt, appears to be the fame. Lax. "Coachman. Coach. "Anon, Sir! Lax. "Are we fitted with good phrampell jades ?" Ray, among his South and Eaft country words, fays, that frampald or frampard fignifies fretful, peevish, cross, froward. As froward (he adds) comes from from, fo may frampard. Nath, in his Praife of the Red Herring, 1599, fpeaking of Leander, fays the churlifh frampold waves gave him his "belly full of fish-broth." So in The Inner Temple Mafque, by Middleton, 1619-" 'tis "fo frampole, the puritans will never yield to it." So in The Blind Beggar of Bethnall-Green, by John Day. "I think the fellow's frampell," &c. So in B. and Fletcher's Wit at feveral Weapons: "Is Pompey grown fo malapert, so frampel?" Again, in Ben Jonfon's Tale of a Tub: 66 pray thee grow not frampul now." STEEVENS, com commendations to you too; and let me tell you in your ear, fhe's as fartuous a civil modeft wife, and one (I tell you) that will not mifs you morning nor evening prayer, as any is in Windfor, whoe'er be the other: and the bad me tell your worship, that her husband is feldom from home; but, fhe hopes, there will come a time. I never knew a woman fo doat upon a inan; furely, I think you have charms, la; yes, in truth. Fal. Not I, I affure thee; fetting the attraction of my good parts afide, I have no other charms. Quic. Bleffing on your heart for't! Fal. But I pray thee, tell me this; has Ford's wife, and Page's wife, acquainted each other how they love me? Quic. That were a jeft, indeed! they have not fo little grace, I hope that were a trick, indeed! but miftrefs Page would defire you 2 to fend her your little page, of all loves: her husband has a marvellous infection to the little page: and, truly, mafter Page is an honeft man. Never a wife in Windfor leads a better life than fhe does; do what fhe will, fay what she will, take all, pay all, go to bed when the lift, rise when the lift, all is as fhe will; and, truly, fhe deferves it; for if there be a kind woman in Windfor, fhe is one. You must fend her your page; no re medy. Quic. Nay, but do fo then: and, look you, he may come and go between you both; and in any cafe have a nay-word, that you may know one another's mind, and the boy never need to understand any thing; for 'tis not good that children fhould know 2 to fend her your little page, of all loves :-] Of all loves, is an adjuration only, and fignifies no more, than if he had faid defires you to fend him by all means. It is ufed in Decker's Honeft Whore, Part I. 1635--" con"juring his wife, of all loves, to prepare cheer fitting," &c. STELVENS. any any wickedness: old folks, you know, have discre tion, as they fay, and know the world. Fal. Fare thee well: commend me to them both : there's my purfe; I am yet thy debtor.-Boy, go along with this woman. This news diftracts me! [Exeunt Quickly and Robin. Pift. 3 This pink is one of Cupid's carriers: Clap on more fails; purfue; up with your fights; Give fire; fhe is my prize, or ocean whelm them all! [Exit Piftol. 3 In former editions, This PUNK is one of Cupid's carriers : Fal. Clap on more fails; purfue; up with your fights; Give fire; he is my prize,- This punk is one of Cupid's carriers, is a plaufible reading, yet abfurd on examination. For are not all punks Cupid's carriers? Shakespeare certainly wrote, This PINK is one of Cupid's carriers: And then the fenfe is proper, and the metaphor, which is all the way taken from the marine, entire. A pink is a veffel of the fmall craft, employed as a carrier (and fo called) for merchants. Fletcher ufes the word in his Tamer Tamed: "This PINK, this painted foift, this cockle-boat, As to the word fights, both in the text and in the quotation, it was then, and, for aught I know, may be now, a common featerm. Sir Richard Hawkins, in his voyages, p. 66, fays"For once we cleared her deck, and had we been able to have fpared but a dozen men, doubtlefs we had done with her "what we would;" for fhe had no clofe FIGHTS, i. e. if I underftand it right, no fmall arms. So that by fights is meant any manner of defence, either fmall arms or cannon. So Dryden, in his tragedy of Amboyna, 66 Up with your FIGHTS, "And your nettings prepare," &c. But, not confidering this, I led the Oxford editor into a filly conjecture, which he has done me the honour of putting into bis text, which is indeed a proper place for it, 66 Up with YOND' FRIGAT." WARBURTON. The quotation from Dryden might at leaft have raised a fufpicion that fights were neither fall arms, nor cannon. Fights and nettings are properly joined. Fights, I find, are chats hung round the fhip to conceal the men from the enemy, and clofe Fal. Say'st thou fo, old Jack? go thy ways;-I'll make more of thy old body than I have done.-Will they yet look after thee? Wilt thou, after the expence of fo much money, be now a gainer? Good body, I thank thee: let them fay, 'tis grofsly done, fo it be fairly done, no matter. Enter Bardolph. Bard. Sir John, there's one mafter Brook below would fain fpeak with you, and be acquainted with and hath sent your worship a morning's draught you; of fack. Fal. Brook, is his name? Bard. Ay, Sir. Fal. Call him in. [Exit Bardolph.] Such Brooks are welcome to me, that o'erflow fuch liquor. Ah! ha! mistress Ford and miftrefs Page, have I encompass'd you? go to, via! Re-enter Bardolph, with Ford disguis'd. Ford. Blefs you, Sir. Fal. And you, Sir: would you speak with me? ration upon you. Fal. You're welcome; what's your will? give us [Exit Bardolph. leave, drawer. Ford. Sir, I am a gentleman that have spent much; my name is Brook. clofe-fights are bulkheads, or any other fhelter that the fabrick of a fhip affords. JOHNSON. So in Heywood and Rowley's comedy, called Fortune by Land and Sea" difplay'd their enfigns, up with all their feights, "their matches in their cocks," &c. So in The Chriflian turn'd Turk, 1612" lace the netting, and let down the fights, make ready the shot," &c. 4 STEEVENS. go to, via!] This cant phrafe of exultation is common in the old plays. So in Blurt Mafter Conftable: "Via for fate! Fortune, lo! this is all." STEEVENS. Fal. Fal. Good mafter Brook, I defire more acquaintance of you. Ford. Good Sir John, I fue for yours: 5 not to charge you; for I must let you understand, I think myself in better plight for a lender than you are: the which hath fomething embolden'd me to this unfeafon'd intrusion; for they fay, if money go before, all ways do lie open. Fal. Money is a good foldier, Sir, and will on. Ford. Troth, and I have a bag of money, here, troubles me: if you will help me to bear it, Sir John, take all, or half, for eafing me of the carriage. Fal. Sir, I know not how I may deferve to be your porter. Ford. I will tell you, Sir, if you will give me the hearing. Fal. Speak, good mafter Brook; I fhall be glad to be your fervant. Ford. Sir, I hear you are a scholar (I will be brief with you); and you have been a man long known to me, though I had never fo good means, as defire, to make myself acquainted with you. I fhall discover a thing to you, wherein I muft very much lay open mine own imperfection: but, good Sir John, as you have one eye upon my follies, as you hear them unfolded, turn another into the register of your own; that. I may pafs with a reproof the eafier, fith you yourself know, how eafy it is to be fuch an offender. Fal. Very well, Sir; proceed. Ford. There is a gentlewoman in this town, her hufband's name is Ford. Fal. Well, Sir. Ford. I have long lov'd her, and, I proteft to you, bestow'd much on her; follow'd her with a doating obfervance; engrofs'd opportunities to meet her; fee'd S not to charge you ;-] That is, not with a purpose of putting you to expence, or being burthenfome. JOHNSON. |