A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ii Part 72

[63] _The which_, omitted in Copland's edition.

[64] _Is_, omitted, Copland's edition.

[65] _G.o.d_, Vele's edition.

[66] _Pervarce_, Copland's edition.

[67] _One_, Copland's edition.

[68] _They_, Copland's edition.

[69] _To_, Copland's edition.

[70] _Chap. Math_., Copland's edition.

[71] _Which_, Vele's edition.

[72] _Not_, omitted in Vele's edition.

[73] _To reward_, Vele's edition.

[74] _Leadete_, Copland's edition.

[75] _Borught_, Copland's edition.

[76] _His_, Copland's edition.

[77] _Exit_, omitted in Copland's edition.

[78] Copland's edit, _taste_.

[79] _A_, Copland's edition.

[80] _Abstinate_, Copland's edition.

[81] _Hole_, Copland's edition.

[82] _Begone_, Copland's edition.

[83] _That_, Copland's edition.

[84] _Craft_, Vele's edition.

[85] _My_, Copland's edition.

[86] _Exit_ omitted in Copland's edition.

[87] Abhominable. So the word is constantly spelt. It is worth remarking, in order to fix the adjustment of a pa.s.sage in Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost," A. 4, S. I: This is abhominable which he would call abominable. Capell's edition, nearly agreeable to the quartos, or, this is abominable which we would call abhominable. So Theobald and Hanmer, according to the folios. The two great and learned editors, Warburton and Johnson, read _vice versa_: This is abominable which he would call abhominable, which destroys the poet's humour, such as it is, who is laughing at such fanatical phantasms and rackers of orthography as affect to speak fine.--_Hawkins_.

[88] Thus.

[89] _Called_, Copland's edition.

[90] _Here in this tide_ omitted, Copland's edition.

[91] _Some_, Copland's edition.

[92] _Canseth_, Copland's edition.

[93] Thus.

[94] _You_, omitted in Copland's edition.

[95] Greatly.

[96] _As for al those fylthe doinges_, Copland's edition.

[97] Shakespeare puts these words, with great humour, into the mouth of Dogberry, in "Much Ado about Nothing," A. 3, S. 8. Though the quartos and folios concur in this reading, the moderns uniformly read, _He's a good man_. N.B.--The old reading is restored by Mr Capell.

The author seems here to ridicule the blasphemous questions discussed by the schoolmen among the Papists in his time, as, Whether the Pope be G.o.d or man, or a mean betwixt both? &c. See Archbishop Whitgift's "Sermon before Queen Elizabeth." 1574. Sig. B 2.--_Hawkins_. [In Germany they have a similar saying at present, and it seems to be used in this sense: G.o.d is a good person, he lets things take their course.]

[98] Portous, the ancient name for a Breviary. _Blount_. Here it signifies the Bible.--_Hawkins_.

[99] _You_ omitted, Copland's edition.

[100] _Thynge_, Copland's edition.

[101] _Thought_, Copland's edition.

[102] _Where_, Vele's edition.

[103] _Wil_, Copland's edition.

[104] _The foole presumptious_, Copland's edition.

[105] _I wote wote where_, Copland's edition.

[106] _Would_, Copland's edition.

[107] _Fare_, Copland's edition.

[108] _Beare_, Copland's edition.

[109] _Jybben_, Vele's edition.

[110] This pa.s.sage will receive ill.u.s.tration from the following quotation out of Bishop Latimer's Sermon, preached before King Edward the Sixth, about the year 1550: "A good fellow on a tyme bad another of hys frendes to a breakefast, and sayed, Yf you wyl come, you shal be welcome; but I tell you afore hande, you shal haue but sclender fare, one dysh and that is al. What is that, said he? A puddynge and nothynge els. Mary, sayed he, you cannot please me better; of all meates that is for myne owne toth: you may draw me round about the town with a pudding." Sig. G. vii.--_Hawkins_.

[111] _Thys_, Copland's edition.