Lies festring in his shroud; where, as they say, And madly play with my forefathers' joints? "-of our dear brother's death, Again, in the Opportunity, by Shirley: "I am but Green in my honours." STEVEENS. 3 Lies feftring-] To fefter is to corrupt. So, in K. Edward III. 1599 "Lillies that fester sinell far worse than weeds." This line likewise occurs in the 94th Sonnet of Shakspeare, The play of Edward III, has been afcribed to him. STEEVENS. 4-is it not like, that I] This speech is confused, and inconsequential, according to the diforder of Juliet's mind. JOHNSON. s-run mad-] So, in Webster's Dutchess of Malfy, 1623: " I have this night digg'd up a mandrake, " And am grown mad with't." So, in The Atheist's Tragedy, 1611: " The cries of mandrakes never touch'd the ear Again, in A Christian turn'd Turk, 1612: "I'll rather give an ear to the black shrieks Again, in Ariftippus, or the Jovial Philosopher : "This is the mandrake's voice that undoes me." The mandrake (fays Thomas Newton in his Herball to the Bible, 8vo, 1587) has been supposed to be a creature having life and engendered under the earth of the feed of fome dead person that hath been convicted and put to death for some felonie or murther; and that they had the fame in such dampish and funerall places where the faid convicted persons were buried, &c. STEEVENS. 6-be distraught.] Distraught is distracted. So, in Drayton's Polyolbion, Song 10: " Is, for that river's fake, near of his wits distraught.". Again, in Spenser's Faery Queen, B. 1. C. 9: "What frantic fit, quoth he, hath thus distraught," &c. STEEVENS. And And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his shroud? [She throws herself on the bed. Enter Lady Capulet, and Nurse. La. Cap. Hold, take these keys, and fetch more spices, nurse. Nurse. They call for dates and quinces in the pastry. Enter Capulet. Cap. Come, ftir, ftir, stir! the second cock hath crow'd, "The curfeu bell hath rung, 'tis three o'clock :Look to the bak'd meats, good Angelica : Spare not for coft. Nurse. Go, you cot quean, go, Get you to bed; 'faith, you'll be fick to-morrow They call for dates, &c. in the paftry.] On the books of the Stationer's Company in the year 1560, are the following entries: " Item payd for iiii. pound of datts iiiis. " Item payd for xxiii. pounde of prunys ili s. viii d. STEEVENS. 8 The curfcu bell) I know not that the morning-bell is called the curfeu in any other place. JOHNSON. The curfew bell was rung at nine in the evening as appears from a passage the Merry Devil of Edmonton, 1626 : - well 'tis nine o'clock, tis time to ring curferu." STEEVENS. Gap, Cap. No, not a whit; What! I have watch'd ere now All night for a less cause, and ne'er been fick. La. Cap. Ay, you have been a mouse-hunt in your time; But I will watch you from such watching now. [Exeunt Lady Capulet, and Nurse. • Cap. A jealous-hood, a jealous-hood!-Now, fellow, What's there? Enter three or four, with spits, and logs, and baskets. Serv. Things for the cook, fir; but I know not what. Call Peter, he will shew thee where they are. [Exit. Cap. 'Mass, and well faid; A merry whoreson ! ha, Thou shalt be logger-head.-Good faith, 'tis day : The county will be here with musick straight, [Musick within. For fo he said he would. I hear him near :Nurse!-Wife!-what, ho!-what, Nurse, I say! Enter Nurse. Go, waken, Juliet, go, and trim her up; [Exeunt. 9-a moufc-hunt-] It appears from a passage in Hamlet, that mouse was once a term of endearment applied to a woman : • Pinch wanton on your cheek, call you his mouse." STEEVENS. : SCENE Nurse. Mistress !-what, mistress!-Juliet!-faft, I warrant her: Why, lamb!-why, lady; -fie, you flug-a-bed! Why, love, I say!-madam! sweet-heart! why, bride! What, not a word? -- you take your pennyworths now; T Sleep for a week; for the next night, I warrant, I must needs wake her: - Madam! madam! madam! レ -fet up his reft,) This expression, which is frequently employed by the old dramatick writers, is taken from the manner of firing the harquebuss. This was so heavy a gun, that the foldiers were obliged to carry a fupporter called a reft, which they fixed in the ground before they levelled to take aim. Decker uses it in his comedy of Old Fortunatus, 1600: " -set your heart at rest, for I have fet up my rest, that unless you can run fwifter than a hart, home you go not." The fame expreffion occurs in Beaumont and Fletcher's Elder Brother:. -My reft is up, "Nor will I go less" Again, in the Roaring Girl, 1611: "Like a musket on a reft." See Montfaucon's Monarchie Françoise, tom. v. plate 48. STEEVENS. The above expression may probably be sometimes used in the sense already explained, it is however oftener employed with a reference to the game at primero, in which it was one of the terms then in use. In the second instance above quoted it is certainly fo. To avoid loading the page with examples, I shall refer to Dodsley's Collection of Old Plays, vol. x. p. 364, edit. 1780, where several are brought together. EDITOR... Ay, : Ay, let the county take you in your bed2; La. Cap. What noise is here? Nurse. Look, look! O heavy day! La. Cap. O me! Ome!-my child, my only life! Revive, look up, or I will die with thee !- Enter Capulet. Cap. For shame, bring Juliet forth; her lord is come. Nurse. She's dead, deceas'd, she's dead; alack the day! La. Cap. Alack the day! she's dead, she's dead, she's dead. Cap. Ha! let me fee her :-Out, alas! she's cold; Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff; Life and these lips have long been separated: Death lies on her, like an untimely frost Upon the sweetest flower of all the field. Accursed time! unfortunate old man ! Nurse. O lamentable day ! Ay, let the county take you in your bed;] So, in The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet : "First softly did she call, then louder she did cry,. La. |