Rof. My lord, there was no fuch ftuff in my thoughts. Ham. Why did you laugh then, when I faid Man delights not me? 2 Rof. To think, my lord, if you delight not in man, what lenten entertainment the players fhall receive from you: we coted them on the way 3; and hither are they coming to offer you service. Ham. He that plays the king, fhall be welcome; his majesty shall have tribute of me: the adventurous knight fhall ufe his foil, and target: the lover fhall not figh gratis; the humorous man + fhall end his 2 lenten entertainment] i. e. fparing, like the entertainments given in Lent. So, in the Duke's Mifrefs, by Shirly, 1631: 46 to maintain you with bisket, "Poor John, and half a livery, to read moral virtue I 3 We coted them on the way,-] To cote is to overtake. meet with this word in The Return from Parnassus, a comedy, Itoб: -marry we presently coted and outstript them.” I have obferved the fame verb to be used in feveral more of the old plays. So, in the fecond part of Marston's Antonio and Mellida, 1602: 66 quick obfervation feud See vol. ii. p. 473. In the laws of courfing, fays Mr. Tollet, a cote is when a greyhound goes endways by the fide of his fellow, and gives the hare a turn." This quotation feems to point out the etymology of the verb to be from the French coté, the fide. STEEVENS. -Shall end his part in peace:] After thefe words the folio adds the clown fhall make thofe laugh whofe lungs are tickled o' th' fere. 4 WARBURTON. The clown fhall make thofe laugh whofe lungs ore tickled o' th' fere, i. e. thofe who are athmatical, and to whom laughter is most uneafy. This is the cafe (as I am told) with thofe whofe lungs are tickled by the fere or ferum: but about this paffage I am neither very confident, nor very folicitous. The word feare occurs as unintelligibly in an ancient Dialogue betweene the Comen Secretary and Jelowy, touchynge the unftablenes of Harlottes, bl. 1. no date : "And wyll byde whyfperynge in the eare, "Thynke ye her tayle is not light of the feare." The fere is likewife a part about a hawk. STEEVENS. part part in peace: the clown fhall make thofe laugh, whofe lungs are tickled o' the fere: and the lady fhall fay her mind freely, or the blank verfe fhall halt for't. What players are they? Rof. Even thofe you were wont to take fuch delight in, the tragedians of the city? Ham. How chances it, they travel? their refidence, both in reputation and profit, was better both ways. Ref. I think, their inhibition comes by the means of the late innovation. Ham, -the lady fall, &c.] The lady fhall have no obfiruction, unless from the lameness of the verse. JOHNSON. I think the meaning is.-the lady fhall mar the measure of the erfe, rather than not exprefs herself freely or fully. HENDERSON. I think, their inhibition- I fancy this is tranfpofed: Hamlet enquires not about an inhibition, but an innovation; the answer therefore probably was, I think, their innovation, that is, their new practife of ftrolling, comes by means of the late inhibition. JOHNSON. The drift of Hamlet's question appears to be this.-How chances it they travel-i. e. How happens it that they are become frollers-Their refidence, both in reputation and profit, was better both ways.—i, e. to have remained in a fettled theatre, was the more hovourable as well as the more lucrative fituation. To this, Rofencrantz replies Ther inhibition comes by means of the late innovation..e. their permiffion to at any longer at an established Loufe is taken away, in confequence of the NEW CUSTOM of introduc ing perfonal abufe into their comedies. Several companies of actors in the time of our author were filenced on account of this licentious practice. Among thefe (as appears from a paffage in Have with you to Saffron Walden, or Gabriel Harvey's Hunt is up, &c. 1595,) even the children of St. Paul's. Troth, would he might for mee (that's all the harme I wish him) for then we neede never wific the playes at Powles up againe," &c. See a dialogue between Comedy and Envy at the conclufion of Muc dorus 1598, as well as the preludium to Ariftippus, or the Jovial Philofopher, 1630, from whence the following paffage is taken Sbers having been long intermitted and forbidden by authority, for their abufes, could not be railed but by conjuring." Shew enters, whipped by two furies, and the prologue fays to her: with rears wath off that guilty fin, "Parge out thofe ill-digefted dregs of wit, "That ** Ham. Do they hold the fame estimation they did when I was in the city? Are they fo follow'd? Rof. No, indeed, they are not. "[Ham. How comes it? Do they grow rufty? Rof. Nay, their endeavour keeps in the wonted pace: But there is, fir, an airy of children, little eyafes, "That ufe their ink to blot a spotlefs name: 8 Alteration therefore in the order of the words seems to be quite unneceffary. STEEVENS. There will fill, however, remain fome difficulty. The statute 39 Eliz. ch. 4. which feems to be alluded to by the words-their inhibition, was not made to inhibit the players from acting any longer at an established theatre, but to prohibit them from firolling. All fencers (lays the act), bearwards, common players of interludes and minstrels, wandering abroad, (other than players of enterludes, belonging to any baron of this realm or any other honourable perfonage of greater degree, to be authorized to play under the hand and feal of arms of fuch baron or perfonage) fhall be taken, adjudged and deemed, rogues, vagabonds, and sturdy beggars, and fhall fuftain fuch pain and punishments as by this act is in that behalf appointed." This circumftance is equally repugnant to Dr. Johnson's tranfpofition of the text, and to Mr. Steevens's explanation of it as it now ftands. MALONE. 7 The lines enclosed in crotchets are in the folio of 1623, but not in the quarto of 1637, nor, I fuppofe, in any of the quartos. JOHNSON. 8 an Airy of children, &c.] This relates to the young finging men of St. Paul's, concerning whofe performances and fuccefs in attracting the best company, I find the following paffage in Jack Drum's Entertainment, or Pafquil and Kathe rine, thot I faw the children of Powles last night; And troth they pleas'd me pretty, pretty well, "To the barmy jacket of a beer-brewer. "Tis a good gentle audience," &c. It is faid in Richard Flecknoe's Short Difcourfe of the English Stage, 1674, that, both the children of the chappel and St. Paul's, acted playes, the one in White-Friers, the other behinde the eyafes, that cry out on the top of question, and are moft tyrannically clapp'd for't: thefe are now the fashion; and fo berattle the common ftages, (fo they call them) that many, wearing rapiers, are afraid of goofe-quills, and dare fcarce come thither. Ham. What, are they children? Who maintains 'em? how are they efcoted? Will they purfue the the Convocation-houfe in Paul's; till people growing more precife, and playes more licentious, the theatre of Paul's was quite fuppreft, and that of the children of the chappel converted to the ufe of the children of the revels." STEEVENS. Little Yafes, that cry out on the top of question,- ] The poct here steps out of his fubject to give a laff at home, and fneer at the prevailing fashion of following plays performed by the children of the chapel, and abandoning the established theatres. But why are they called little Yafes? As he first calls 'em an Aiery of children (now, an Aiery or Eyery is a hawk's or eagle's neft); there is not the leaft question but we ought to restore-little Eyafes ; i. e. young nestlings, creature juft out of the egg. THEOBALD. So, in the Booke of Haukying, &c. bl. 1. no date: "And fo bycaufe the best knowledge is by the eye, they be called eyeffed. Ye may alfo knowe an eye by the palenefs of the feres of her legges, or the fere over the beake." STEEVENS. 9 cry out on the top of queftion,-] The meaning feems to be, they afk a common question in the highest notes of the voice. JOHNSON I believe queflion, in this place, as in many others, fignifies conerfation, dialogue. So, in The Merchant of Venice: "Think "you queftion with a Jew." The meaning of the paffage may therefore be-Children that perpetually recite in the highest notes of moice that can be uttered. STEEVENS. I efcoted] Paid. From the French efcot, a fhot or reckoning. JOHNSON. Will they pursue the quality no longer than they can fing?] Will they follow the profeffion of players no longer than they keep the voices of boys, and fing in the choir? So afterwards he fays to the player, Come, give us a tafle of your quality; come, a paffionate Speech. JOHNSON. So, in the players' Dedication, prefixed to the first edition of Fletcher's plays in folio, 1647: "directed by the example of fome who once fteered in our quality, and so fortunately afpired to chufe your honour joined with your now glorified brother, patrons to the flowing compofitions of the then expired sweet Iwan of Avon, Shak pearc." Again, in Weftward Hoe, a comedy, by the quality no longer than they can fing? will they not fay afterwards, if they fhould grow themselves to common players, (as it is most like', if their means are no better) their writers do them wrong, to make them exclaim against their own fucceffion + ? Rof. 'Faith, there has been much to do on both fides; and the nation holds it no fin, to tarre them on to controverfy s: There was, for a while not money bid for argument, unless the poet and the player went to cuffs in the question. Ham. Is it poffible? Guil. O, there has been much throwing abou: cf brains. Ham. Do the boys carry it away? 6 Rof. Ay, that they do, my lord; Hercules and his load too.] Ham. It is not very ftrange: for my uncle is by Decker and Webster, 1607: "O, ay, 'tis the curfe laid upon our quality; what we glean from others we lavish upon fome toothless well-fac'd younger brother, that loves us only for main. tenance." Again, in Goffon's School of Abufe, 1579: "I fpeak not of this as though every one [of the players] that profeffed the qualitie, fo abufed himself. MALONE. 30 3-moft like,-] The old copy reads, like moft. STEEVENS. 4-their writers do them wrong, &c.] I fhould have been very much furprised if I had not found Ben Jonfon among the writers here alluded to. STEEVENS. - to tarre them on to controverfy.] To provoke any animal to rage, is to tarre him. The word is faid to come from the Greek ταράσσω. JOHNSON. Hercules and his load too. i. c. they not only carry away the world, but the world-bearer too alluding to the story of Hercules's relieving Atlas. This is humorous. WARBURTON. The allufion may be to the Globe playhoufe, on the Bankfide, the figne of which was Hercules carrying the Globe. STEEVENS. 7 Is it not very firange: for mine uncle-] I do not wonder that the new players have fo fuddenly rifen to reputation, my uncle fupplies another example of the facility with which honour is con ferred upon new claimants. JOHNSON. king |