Shal. And how doth my cousin, your bedfellow? and your fairest daughter, and mine, my god-daughter Ellen? Sil. Alas, a black ouzel, cousin Shallow. Shal. By yea and nay, sir, I dare say, my cousin William is become a good scholar: He is at Oxford, still, is he not? Sil. Indeed, sir; to my cost. Shal. He must then to the inns of court shortly: I was once of Clement's-inn; where, I think, they will talk of mad Shallow yet. Sil. You were called-lusty Shallow, then, cousin. Shal. By the mass, I was called any thing; and I would have done any thing, indeed, and roundly too. There was I, and little John Doit of Staffordshire, and black George Bare, and Francis Pickbone, and Will Squele a Cotswold man,1—you had not four such swingebucklers in all the inns of court again: and, I may say 1 Will Squele a Cotswold man,] The games at Cotswold were, in the time of our author, very famous. Of these I have seen accounts in several old pamphlets; and Shallow, by distinguishing Will Squele, as a Cotswold man, meant to have him understood as one who was well versed in manly exercises, and consequently of a daring spirit, and an athletic constitution. 2 Steevens. - swinge-bucklers-] Swinge-bucklers and swash-bucklers were words implying rakes or rioters in the time of Shakspeare. Nash, addressing himself to his old opponent Gabriel Harvey, 1598, says: Turpe senex miles, 'tis time for such an olde foole to leave playing the swash-buckler." Again, in The Devil's Charter, 1607, Caraffa says, "when I was a scholar in Padua, faith, then I could have swinged a sword and buckler," &c. Steevens. "West Smithfield (says the Continuator of Stowe's Annals, 1631,) was for many years called Ruffians' Hall, by reason it was the usual place of frayes and common fighting, during the time that sword and buckler were in use; when every serving-man, from the base to the best, carried a buckler at his backe, which hung by the hilt or pummel of his sword which hung before him.-Untill the 20th year of Queen Elizabeth, it was usual to have frayes, fights, and quarrels upon the sundayes and holydayes, sometimes, twenty, thirty, and forty swords and bucklers, halfe against halfe, as well by quarrels of appointment as by chance.-And in the winter season all the high streets were much annoyed and troubled with hourly frayes, and sword and buckler men, who took pleasure in that bragging fight; and although they made great shew of much furie, and fought often, yet seldome any man was hurt, to you, we knew where the bona-robas3 were; and had the best of them all at commandment. Then was Jack Falstaff, now sir John, a boy; and page to Thomas Mowbray, duke of Norfolk.4 Sil. This sir John, cousin, that comes hither anon about soldiers? Shal. The same sir John, the very same. I saw him break Skogan's head at the court gate, when he was a for thrusting was not then in use, neither would any one of twenty strike beneath the waste, by reason they held it cowardly and beastly." Malone. 3 bona-robas-] i. e. ladies of pleasure. Bona Roba, Ital. So, in The Bride, by Nabbes, 1640: "Some bona-roba they have been sporting with." Steevens. See Florio's Italian Dictionary, 1598: "Buona roba, as we say good stuff; a good wholesome plump-cheeked wench." Malone. Then was Jack Falstaff, now sir John, a boy; and page to Thomas Mowbray, duke of Norfolk.] The following circumstances, tending to prove that Shakspeare altered the name of Oldcastle to that of Falstaff, have hitherto been overlooked. In a poem by J. Weever, entitled The Mirror of Martyrs, or the Life and Death of that thrice valiant Captaine and most godly Martyre Sir John Oldcastle, Knight, Lord Cobham, 18mo. 1601. Oldcastle, relating the events of his life, says: "Within the spring-time of my flow'ring youth, "He [his father] stept into the winter of his age; "Made meanes (Mercurius thus begins the truth) "That I was made Sir Thomas Mowbrais page." Again, in a pamphlet, entitled The Wandering Few telling Fortunes to Englishmen, 4to. (the date torn off, but apparently a republication about the middle of the last century) [1640] is the following passage in the Glutton's speech: "I do not live by the sweat of my brows, but am almost dead with sweating. I eate much, but can talk little. Sir John Oldcastle was my great grandfather's father's uncle. I come of a huge kindred." Reed. Different conclusions are sometimes drawn from the same premises. Because Shakspeare borrowed a single circumstance from the life of the real Ollcastle, and imparted it to the fictitious Falstaff, does it follow that the name of the former was ever employed as a cover to the vices of the latter? Is it not more likely, because Falstaff was known to possess one feature in common with Oldcastle, that the vulgar were led to imagine that Falstaff was only Oldcastle in disguise? Hence too might have arisen the story that our author was compelled to change the name of the one for that of the other; a story sufficiently specious to have imposed on the writer of The Wandering Few, as well as on the credulity of Field, Fuller, and others, whose coincidence has been brought in support of an opinion contrary to my own. Steevens, 6 crack, not thus high: and the very same day did I fight with one Sampson Stockfish, a fruiterer, behind Gray'sinn. O, the mad days that I have spent! and to see how many of mine old acquaintance are dead! Sil. We shall all follow, cousin. Shal. Certain, 'tis certain; very sure, very sure: death, as the Psalmist saith, is certain to all; all shall die. How a good yoke of bullocks at Stamford fair? 5 Skogan's head-] Who Skogan was, may be understood from the following passage in The Fortunate Isles, a masque, by Ben Jonson, 1626: 66 Methinks you should enquire now after Skelton, "And master Scogan. Scogan? what was he? "Oh, a fine gentleman, and a master of arts "Of Henry the Fourth's times, that made disguises "Daintily well," &c. Among the works of Chaucer is a poem called " Scogan unto the Lordes and Gentilmen of the Kinge's House." Steevens. In the written copy, (says the editor of Chaucer's Works, 1598,) the title hereof is thus: "Here followethe a morall ballade to the Prince, now Prince Henry, the Duke of Clarence, the Duke of Bedford, the Duke of Gloucester, the kinges sons, by Henry Scogan, at a supper among the merchants in the vintrey at London, in the house of Lewis John." The purport of the ballad is to dissuade them from spending their youth "folily." John Skogan, who is said to have taken the degree of master of arts at Oxford, "being (says Mr. Warton) an excellent mimick, and of great pleasantry in conversation, became the favourite buffoon of the court of King Edward IV" Malone. This was John Scogan, jester to King Edward IV, and not Henry, the poet, who lived long before, but is frequently confounded with him. Our author, no doubt, was well read in John's Fests, "gathered by Andrew Boarde, doctor of physick," and printed in 4to. and black letter, but without date; and his existence, which has been lately called in question, (for what may not be called in question?) is completely ascertained by the following characteristic epitaph, accidentally retrieved from a contemporary manuscript in the Harleian library (No. 1587): Hic iacet in tumulo corpas ScoGAN ecce JOHANNIS; Leti transibunt, transitus vitare nequibunt; Quo nescimus ibunt, vinosi cito peribunt. Ritson. 6 -a crack,] This is an old Islandic word, signifying a boy or child. One of the fabulous kings and heroes of Denmark, called Hrolf, was surnamed Krake. See the story in Edda, Fable 63. Tyrwhitt. Sil. Truly, cousin, I was not there. Shal. Death is certain.-Is old Double of your town living yet? Sil. Dead, sir. Shal. Dead!-See, see!-he drew a good bow;-And dead! he shot a fine shot:-John of Gaunt loved him well, and betted much money on his head. Dead!he would have clapped i' the clout at twelve score;8 and carried you a forehand shaft a fourteen and fourteen and a half, that it would have done a man's heart good How a score of ewes now?` to see. 7 clapped i the clout —] i. e. hit the white mark. Warburton. So, in King Lear: "O, well flown, bird!—¿' the clout, i' the clout." Steevens. 8 at twelve score;] i. e. of yards. So, in Drayton's Polyelbion, 1612: "At markes full fortie score they us'd to prick and rove." Malone. This mode of expression, certainly in this instance, and I believe in general, means yards; but the line from Drayton makes this opinion doubtful, or shows the extreme inaccuracy of the poet, for no man was ever capable of shooting an arrow forty score yards. Douce. 9 - fourteen, and fourteen and a half,] That is, fourteen score of yards. Johnson. Twelve score appears, however, from a passage in Churchyard's Charitie, 1595, to have been no shot of an extraordinary length: "They hit the white that never shot before, Steevens. The utmost distance that the archers of ancient times reached, is supposed to have been about three hundred yards. Old Double therefore certainly drew a good bow. Malone. He Shakspeare probably knew what he was about when he spoke of archery, which in his time was practised by every one. is describing Double as a very excellent archer, and there is no inconsistency in making such a one shoot fourteen score and a half; but it must be allowed that none but a most extraordinary archer would be able to hit a mark at twelve score. Some allowance, however, should be made when the speaker is considered. Douce The long field (I believe at Finsbury) is 16 score 10 yards. A Mr. Bates once shot an arrow near 30 yards beyond the bound of it, which was 18 score. Mr. John Rowston, of Manchester, bas often shot 18 score. Miss Banks. Sil. Thereafter as they be: a score of good ewes may be worth ten pounds. Shal. And is old Double dead! Enter BARDOLPH, and one with him. Sil. Here come two of sir John Falstaff's men, as I think. Bard. Good morrow, honest gentlemen: I beseech you, which is justice Shallow? Shal. I am Robert Shallow, sir; a poor esquire of this county, and one of the king's justices of the peace: What is your good pleasure with me? Bard. My captain, sir, commends him to you; my captain, sir John Falstaff: a tall gentleman, by heaven, and a most gallant leader. Shal. He greets me well, sir; I knew him a good backsword man: How doth the good knight? may I ask, how my lady his wife doth? Bard. Sir, pardon; a soldier is better accommodated, than with a wife. Shal. It is well said, in faith, sir; and it is well said indeed too. Better accommodated!-it is good; yea, indeed, is it: good phrases are surely, and ever were, very commendable. Accommodated!-it comes of accommodo: very good; a good phrase.1 Bard. Pardon me, sir; I have heard the word. Phrase, call you it? By this good day, I know not the phrase: but I will maintain the word with my sword, to be a soldier-like word, and a word of exceeding good command. Accommodated; That is, when a man is, as they say, accommodated: or, when a man is,-being,-whereby, -he may be thought to be accommodated; which is an excellent thing. very good; a good phrase. &c.] Accommodate was a modish term of that time, as Ben Jonson informs us: "You are not to cast or wring for the perfumed terms of the time, as accommodation, complement, spirit, &c. but use them properly in their places as others." Discoveries. Hence Bardolph calls it a word of exceeding good command. His definition of it is admirable, and highly satirical: nothing being more common than for inaccurate speakers or writers, when they should define, to put their hearers off with a synonymous term; or, for want of that, even with the same term differently accommodated: as in the instance before us. Warburton. |