be not lifping to his master's old tables; his note-book, his counfel-keeper. Fal. Thou doft give me flattering buffes. Dol. Nay, truly; I kifs thee with a moft conftant heart. Fal. I am old, I am old. Dol. I love thee better than I love e'er a fcurvy young boy of them all. Fal. What ftuff wilt have a kirtle of?? I shall receive confifts of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. So, in Warner's Albions England, 1602; B. 6. chap. 31: "Even at the fiery Trigon fhall your chief afcendant be." STEEVENS. 6 —lisping to bis master's old tables ;] Dr. Warburton reads clasping too, &c. to preferve no doubt the integrity of the metaphor, as he often calls it. But a flight acquaintance with our author's manner is fufficient to inform us that this is an object to which he scarcely ever attends. The old table-book was a counfel-keeper, or a register of fecrets; and fo alfo was Dame Quickly; and Shakspeare looked no further. I have therefore not the leaft fufpicion of any corruption in the text. Lifping is, in our author's dialect, making love, or in modern language, Jaying foft things. So in the Merry Wives of Windfor, Falstaff apologizes to Mrs. Ford for his concife addrefs to her, by faying, "I cannot cog, and say this and that, like a many of these lisping hawthorn-buds, that come like women in men's apparel, and smell like Buckler's-bury in fimple-time; I cannot; but I love thee;" &c. MALONE. I believe the old reading to be the true one. Bardolph was very probably drunk, and might lifp a little in his courtship; or might affume an affected softness of speech, like Chaucer's Frere: late edit. Prol. v. 266: "Somewhat he lifped for his wantonneffe, "To make his English fwete upon his tonge." Or, like the Page in the Mad Lover of Beaumont and Fletcher, who "Lifps when he lift to catch a chambermaid." Again, in Love's Labour's Loft: "He can carve too, and lifp." STEEVENS. 7-a kirtle of ] I know not exactly what a kirtle is. The following paffages may ferve to fhew that it was fomething different from a gown: "How unkindly fhe takes the matter, and cannot be reconciled with less than a gown or a kirtle of filk." Greene's Art of Legerdemaine, &c. 1612. Bale, in his Actes of English Votaries, fays that Roger earl of Shrewfbury fent "to Clunyake in France, for the kertle of holy Hugh the abbot." Perhaps kirtie, in its common acceptation, means a petticoat. Half a dozen taffata gowns or fattin kirtles." Cynthia's Revels by Ben Jonfon.-Stubbs mentions kirtles, but is not precife in his defcription of them. Dr. Farmer fuppofes them to be the fame as fafe-guards, riding-boods. STEEVENS. Ꮓ ३ A kirtle, money on thursday: thou fhalt have a cap to-morrow. A merry fong, come: it grows late, we'll to bed. Thou'lt forget me, when I am gone. Dol. By my troth, thou'lt fet me a weeping, an thou fay'ft fo: prove that ever I dress myself handsome till thy return.-Well, hearken the end. Fal. Some fack, Francis. P. Hen. Poins. Anon, anon, fir 8. [advancing. Fal. Ha! a baftard fon of the king's 9?—And art not thou Poins his brother' A kirtle, I believe, meant a long cloak. Mintheu defcribes it as an upper or exterior garment, worn over another; what in French is called a garde-robe. See his Di. 1617. The latter word is explained by Cotgrave thus: "A cloth or cloak worn or caft over a garment to keep it from duft, rain," &c. That writer however fuppofes kirtle and petticoat to be fynonymous; for he renders the word vafquine thus: "A kirtle, or petticoat; and furcot he calls an upper kirtle, or a garment worn over a kirtle. " When therefore a kirtle is mentioned fimply, perhaps a petticoat is meant; when an upper kirtle is fpoken of, a long cloak or mantle is probably intended; and I imagine a balf-kirtle, which occurs in a fubTequent fcene in this play, meant a fhort cloak, half the length of the upper kirtle. The term balf-kirtie feems inconfiftent with Dr. Farmer's idea; as does Milton's ufe of the word in his Mafque," the flowery-kirtled Naiades." Stubbes in his Anatomie of Abuses, 1595, defcribes a kirtle as distinct from both a gown and a petticoat. After having defcribed the gowns ufually worn at that time, he proceeds thus: "then have thei petticoats of the beft clothe, of scarlette, grograine, taffatie, or filke, &c. But of whatsoever their petticoats be, yet muft they have kirtles, (for fo they call them,) either of filke, velvet, grograine, taffatie, fatten or fcarlet, bordered with gardes, lace," &c. Ifuppofe he means a mantle or long cloak. MALONE. Anon, anon, fir.] The ufual anfwer of drawers at this period. So, in The Discoverie of the Knights of the Pofte, 1597 :—" wherefore he calling, the drawer prefently answered with a fhrill voice, anon, anon, fir?" REED. 9 Ha! a baftard fon, &c.] The improbability of this scene is scarcely balanced by the humour. JOHNSON. I did not perceive any improbability. Falstaff does not mistake the prince for a baftard fon of the king's, (as Dr. Johnfon feems to have thought,) but means to inform him at once that he knows him and Poins, notwithstanding their disguifes. MALONE. ANONYMOUS. 1-Poins his brother ?] i. e. Poins's brother, or brother to Poins; a vulgar corruption of the genitive cafe. 5 P. Hen. P. Hen. Why, thou globe of finful continents, what a life doft thou lead? Fal. A better than thou; I am a gentleman, thou art a drawer. P. Hen. Very true, fir; and I come to draw you out by the ears. Hoft. O, the Lord preferve thy good grace! by my troth welcome to London.-Now the Lord blefs that sweet face of thine! O Jefu, are you come from Wales? Fal. Thou whorefon mad compound of majesty,-by this light flesh and corrupt blood, thou art welcome. [Leaning his band upon Doll. Dol. How! you fat fool, I fcorn you. Poins. My lord, he will drive you out of your revenge, and turn all to a merriment, if you take not the heat. P. Hen. You whorefon candle-mine 2, you, how vilely did you speak of me even now, before this honeft, virtuous, civil gentlewoman? Hoft. Bleffing o' your good heart! and fo fhe is, by my troth. Fal. Did'st thou hear me? P. Hen, Yes; and you knew me, as you did when you ran away by Gads-hill: you knew, I was at your back; and spoke it on purpose, to try my patience. Fal. No, no, no; not fo; I did not think, thou wast within hearing. P. Hen. I fhall drive you then to confefs the wilful abuse; and then I know how to handle you. Fal. No abufe, Hal, on mine honour; no abuse. P. Hen. Not! to difpraise me ;-and call me pantler, and bread-chipper, and I know not what? Fal. No abufe, Hal. Poins. No abuse! Fal. No abuse, Ned, in the world; honeft Ned, none. I difprais'd him before the wicked, that the wicked might 2-candle-mine,] Thou inexhauftible magazine of tallow. JOHNSON. Not! to difpraife me;] The prince means to fay, "What! is it not abufe, to difpraife me,' &c. Some of the modern editors readNo! &c. but, I think, without neceflity. MALONE. not fall in love with him :-in which doing, I have done the part of a careful friend, and a true fubject, and thy father is to give me thanks for it. No abufe, Hal;none, Ned, none;-no, boys, none. P. Hen. See now, whether pure fear, and entire cowardice, doth not make thee wrong this virtuous gentlewoman to close with us? Is fhe of the wicked? Is thine hoftefs here of the wicked? Or is the boy of the wicked? Or honeft Bardolph, whose zeal burns in his nose, of the wicked? Poins. Anfwer, thou dead elm, answer. Fal. The fiend hath prick'd down Bardolph irrecoverable; and his face is Lucifer's privy-kitchen, where he doth nothing but roaft malt-worms. For the boy,there is a good angel about him; but the devil out-bids him too *. P. Hen. For the women,— Fal. For one of them,-fhe is in hell already, and burns, poor foul 3! For the other,-I owe her money; and whether she be damn'd for that, I know not. Hoft. No, I warrant you. Fal. No, I think thou art not; I think, thou art quit for that: Marry, there is another indictment upon thee, for fuffering flesh to be eaten in thy houfe, contrary to the law; for the which, I think, thou wilt howl. Hoft. All victuallers do fo+: What's a joint of mutton or two, in a whole Lent"? out-bids bim too. Thus the folio. The quarto reads-blinds him too; and perhaps it is right. MALONE. 3-and burns, poor foul!] This is fir T. Hanmer's reading. Undoubtedly right. The other editions had, he is in bell already, and burns poor fouls. The venereal difeafe was called in thefe times the brennynge or burning. JOHNSON. 4 All victuallers do fo:] The brothels were formerly skreened under pretext of being victualling boufes and taverns. "So, in the Cure for a Cuckold, 1661: "This informer comes into Turnbull Street to a victualling boufe, and there falls in league with a wench, &c.-Now, fir, this fellow, in revenge, informs against the bawd that kept the houfe, &c." Barrett in his Alvearie, 1580, defines a viЯualling boufe thus: "A tavern where meate is eaten out of due feafon." STEEVENS. s What's a joint of mutton in a whole Lent ?] Perhaps a covert allufion is couched under thefe words. See Vol. I. p. 110, n. 9. MALONE. P. Hen P. Hen. You, gentlewoman, Dol. What fays your grace ? Fal. His grace fays that which his flesh rebels against. Hoft. Who knocks fo loud at door? look to the door there, Francis. Enter PETO. P. Hen. Peto, how now? what news? Peto. The king your father is at Westminster; P. Hen. By heaven, Poins, I feel me much to blame, So idly to profane the precious time; When tempeft of commotion, like the fouth Give me my fword, and cloak ;-Falstaff, good night. Bard. You muft away to court, fir, presently; a dozen captains stay at door for you. Fal. Pay the muficians, firrah. [to the Page.]-Farewel, hoftefs; farewel, Doll. You fee, my good wenches, how men of merit are fought after: the undeferver may fleep, when the man of action is call'd on. Farewel, good wenches :-If I be not fent away poft, I will fee you again ere I go. Dol. I cannot fpeak;-If my heart be not ready to burft:-Well, fweet Jack, have a care of thyself. Fal. Farewel, Farewel. [Exeunt FALSTAEF and BARD. Hoft. Well, fare thee well: I have known thee these twenty nine years, come pefcod-time; but an honester, and truer-hearted man,-Well, fare thee well. Bard. [within.] Mistress Tear-sheet,- Bard. |