"now appear strange and improbable, will then appear other"wise." ANONYMOUS.

Line 308. Coragio, i. e. Take courage.

320. true:-) That is, honest. A true man is, in the language of that time, opposed to a thief. The sense is, Mark what these men wear, and say if they are honest. JOHNSON.

Line 321. His mother was a witch; and one so strong

That could control the moon, &c.] In the time of our author certain statutes were in force against witchcraft, and it was probable, that this expression might arise out of so weak and wicked a belief. To the disgrace of this country, having then so far approached towards civilization, prosecutions were carried on, and many innocent old women were condemned in various ways, for their supernatural agencies, vide Law Reports. The charge of witchcraft, with much greater propriety, might (I should think, in all ages) be applied to young ladies than to old hags.

Line 332. And Trinculo is reeling ripe; where should they

Find this grand LIQUOR that hath gilded them?] Shakspeare, to be sure, wrote grand 'LIXIR, alluding to the grand Elixir of the alchymists, which they pretend would restore youth and confer immortality. This, as they said, being a preparation of gold they called Aurum potabile; which Shakspeare alluded to in the word gilded. But the joke here is to insinuate that, notwithstanding all the boasts of the chymists, sack was the only restorer of youth, and bestower of immortality. WARBURTON. As the Elixir was a liquor, the old reading may stand, and the allusion holds good without any alteration. STEEVENS.

END OF THE ANNOTATIONS ON THE TEMPEST.

T

LINE 2. Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits:] Milton has

the same play on words:

"It is for homely features to keep home,

"They had their name thence."

STEEVENS.

Line 8.-shapeless idleness.] The expression is fine, as implying that idleness prevents the giving any form or character to the manners.

WARBURTON.

Line 27. -nay, give me not the boots.] A proverbial expression, though now disused, signifying, don't make a laughing stock of me; don't play upon me. The French have a phrase, Bailler foin en corne; which Cotgrave thus interprets, To give one the boots; to sell him a bargain. THEOBALD,

Line 37. However, but a folly) This love will end in a foolish action, to produce which you are long to spend your wit; or it will end in the loss of your wit, which will be overpowered by the folly of love. JOHNSON,

Line 61. At Milan, &c.] i. e. Let your letters be addressed to me at Milan.

Line 73, Made wit with musing weak,-) For made read make. Thou, Julia, hast made me war with good counsel, and make wit weak with musing.

JOHNSON.

Line 74. Enter Speed.] This whole scene, like many others in these plays (some of which I believe were written by Shakspeare, and others interpolated by the players) is composed of the lowest and most trifling conceits, to be accounted for only from the

gross taste of the age he lived in; Populo ut placerent.

POPE.

That this, like many other scenes, is mean and vulgar, will be universally allowed; but that it was interpolated by the players seems advanced without any proof, only to give a greater licence to criticism.

JOHNSON.

Line 103. I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her, a laced mutton;-] Speed calls himself a lost mutton, because he had lost his master, and because Protheus had been proving him a sheep. But why does he call the lady a laced mutton? Wenchers are to this day called mutton-mongers; and consequently the object of their passion must, by the metaphor, be the mutton. And Cotgrave, in his English-French Dictionary, explains laced mutton, Une garse, putain, fille de joye. So that laced mutton has been a sort of standard phrase for girls of pleasure. THEOBALD.

Nash, in his Have with you to Saffron Walden, 1595, speaking of Gabriel Harvey's incontinence, says, he would not stick to extoll rotten laced mutton.

So in Whetstone's Promos and Cassandra, 1578. "And I smelt he lov'd laced mutton well."

Again Heywood, in his Love's Mistress, 1636, speaking of Cupid, says, he is the "Hero of hie-hoes, admiral of ay-me's, and monsieur of mutton laced."

STEEVENS.

Line 110. Nay, in that you are astray;] For the reason Protheus gives, Dr. Thirlby advises that we should read, a stray, i, e. a stray sheep; which continues Protheus's banter upon Speed. THEOBALD.

Line 119.

did she nod?] These words have been sup

plied by some of the editors, to introduce what follows.

STEEVENS.

Line 148. telling her mind.] The old copy reads your STEEVENS. Line 153.

you have testern'd me;] You have gratified me with a tester, testern, or testen, that is, with a sixpence.

ACT I. SCENE II.

JOHNSON,

Line 183. Should censure thus, &c.] To censure means, in

this place, to pass sentence.

STEEVENS,

Line 209. -a goodly broker!] A broker was used for match

maker, sometimes for a procuress.

Line 240.

JOHNSON.

stomach on your meat,] Stomach was used JOHNSON,

for passion or obstinacy.

Line 274. Indeed, I bid the base for Protheus.] The speaker here turns the allusion (which her mistress employed) from the base in musick to a country exercise, Bid-the-base: in which some pursue, and others are made prisoners. So that Lucetta would intend, by this, to say, Indeed I take pains to make you a captive to Protheus's passion. WARBURTON.

Line 315. Yet here they shall not lie, for catching cold.] Mean ing, here they shall not lie lest they should catch cold.

Line 316. I see, you have a month's mind to them.] A month's mind was an anniversary in times of popery; or, as Mr. Ray calls it, a less solemnity directed by the will of the deceased. There was also a year's mind, and a week's mind. See Proverbial Phrases.

"Was the month's mind of Sir Will. Laxton, who died the "last month (July 1556,) his hearse burning with wax, and "the morrow mass celebrated, and a sermon preached," &c. Strype's Mem. vol. 3. p. 305. Dr. GREY.

A month's mind, in the ritual sense, signifies not desire or inclination, but remonstrance; yet I suppose this is the true original of the expression. JOHNSON,

ACT I. SCENE III.

Line 320. - what sad talk) Sad is the same as grave or serious. JOHNSON.

Line 326. of slender reputation.] i. e. Of mean parentage, Line 329. Some, to discover islands far away;] In Shakspeare's time, voyages for the discovery of the islands of Ame