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pocket, like a man after the old painting; and keep not too long in one tune, but a fnip and away; these are complements, these are humours; thefe betray nice wenches that would be betray'd without these, and make the men of note (14): do you note men, that are most affected to these ;

Arm. How haft thou purchas'd this experience?
Moth. By my pen of obfervation.

Arm. But O, but O.

Moth. The hobby-horfe is forgot. (15)

Arm.

(14) thefe betray nice wenches, that would be betray'd with eut thefe, and make them men of note. Thus all the editors, with a fagacity worthy of wonder. But who will ever believe, that the odd attitudes and affectations of lovers, by which they betray young wenches, fhould have power to make thofe young wenches men of note? This is a transformation, which, I dare fay, the poet never thought of. His meaning is, that they not only inveigle the young Girls, but make the men taken notice of too, who affect them. I reduc'd the paffage to good fenfe, in my SHAKESPEARE reftor'd, by cafhiering only a fingle letter: and Mr. Pope, in his laft impreffion, has vouchfaf'd to embrace my correction.

(15) Arm. But 0, but 0.

Moth. The hobby-horfe is forgot.] The humour of this reply of Moth's to Armado, who is fighing in love, cannot be taken without a little explanation: nor why there fhould be any room for making fuch a reply. A quotation from Hamlet will be neceffary on this occafion;

Ór elfe fhall he fuffer not thinking on, with the bobby-horse, whofe Epitaph is, For ob! for ob! the Hobby-horse is forgot. And another from Beaumont and Fletcher in their Women pleased. Soto. Shall the Hobby-borse be forgot then?

The hopeful Hobby horfe? fhall he lie founder'd? In the rites formerly obferv'd for the celebration of May-day, befides thofe now us'd of hanging a pole with garlands, and dancing round it, a boy was dreft up reprefenting maid Marian; another, like a Friar ; and another rode on a Hobby-horse, with bells jingling, and painted ftreamers. After the Reformation took place, and Precifians multiplied, thefe latter rites were look'd upon to favour of Paganism; and then maid Marian, the Friar, and the poor Hobby-borse were turn'd out of the games. Some, who were not fo wifely precife, but regretted the difufe of the Hobby-bhorfe, no doubt, fatiriz'd this fufpicion of idolatry, and archly wrote the Epitaph above alluded to. Now Moth, hearing Armado groan ridiculoufly, and cry out, But oh! but ob! humourofly pieces out his exclamation with the fequel of

Arm. Call'st thou my love hobby-horse?

Moth. No, mafter; the hobby horfe is but a colt, and your love, perhaps a hackney: but have you forgot your love?

Arm. Almoft I had.

Moth. Negligent ftudent, learn her by heart.

Arm. By heart, and in heart, boy.

:

Moth. And out of heart, mafter all thofe three I will prove.

Arm. what wilt thou prove?

Moth. A man, if I live. And this by, in, and out of, upon the inftant: by heart you love her, because your heart cannot come by her: in heart you love her, becaufe your heart is in love with her; and cut of heart you love her, being out of heart that you cannot enjoy her.

Arm. I am all thefe three.

Moth, And three times as much more; and yet nothing at all.

Arm. Fetch hither the fwain, he must carry me a letter. Moth. A meffage well fympathiz'd; a horse to be embaffador for an afs.

Arm Ha, ha; what fay't thou?

Moth. Marry, Sir, you muit fend the afs upon the horfe, for he is very flow-gated: but I go.

Arm. The way is but fhort; away.

Moth. As fwift as lead, Sir.

Arm. Thy meaning, pretty ingenious?

Is not lead a metal heavy, dull and flow?

Moth. Minimè, honeft mafter; or rather, mafter, no.

this epitaph which is putting his mafter's love-paffion, and the lofs of the Hobby-horfe, on a footing. The Zealct's deteftation of this Hobby-horfe, I think is excellently fneer'd at by B. Jensen in his Bartholomew-fair. In this Comedy, Rabby-Bufy, a Puritan, is brought into the fair and being ask'd by the toyman to buy Rattles, Drums Babies, Hobby-borfes, &c. He immediately in his zeal cries out: Peace, with thy apocryphal wares, thou prophane publican! Thy Bells, Thy Dragons, and thy Tobit's dogs. Thy Hobby-korse is an idol, a very idol, a fierce and rank idol; and thou the Nebuchadnezzar, the proud Nebuchadnezzar of the fair, that fet'ft it up for children to fall down to and worship. I 4

Arm.

Arm. I fay, lead is flow.

Moth. You are too fwift, Sir, to say so.

Is that lead flow, Sir, which is fired from a gun?
Arm. Sweet fmoak of rhetorick?

He reputes me a cannon; and the bullet, that's he:
I fhoot thee at the swain.

Moth. Thump then, and I fly.

[Exit. Arm. A moft acute Juvenile, voluble and free of grace; By thy favour, fweet welkin, I muft figh in thy face. Moft rude melancholy, valour gives thee place. My herald is return'd.

Re-enter Moth and Coftard.

Moth. Awonder, mafter, here's aCoftardbroken in a fhin Arm.Someenigma, fome riddle; come, thy l'envoy begin Ceft. No egma, no riddle, no l'envoy; no falve in the male, Sir. O Sir, plantan, a plain plantan; no l'envoy, no l'envoy, or falve, Sir, but plantan.

Arm. By virtue, thou enforceft laughter; thy filly thought, my fpleen; the heaving of my lungs provokes me to ridiculous fmiling: O pardon me, my ftars; doth the inconfiderate take falve for l'envoy, and the word l'envoy for a falve?

Moth. Doth the wife think them other? is not l'envoy a falve?

Arm. No, page, it is an epilogue or discourse, to make plain

Some obfcure precedence that hath tofore been fain. I will example it. Now will I begin your moral, and do you follow with my l'envoy.

The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee,

Were ftill at odds, being but three.

There's the moral, now the l'envoy.

Moth. I will add the l'envoy; fays the moral again. Arm. The fox, the ape, and the humble bee,

Were ftill at odds, being but three.

Moth. Until the goofe came out of door,

And stay'd the odds by adding four.

A good l'envoy, ending in the goofe; would you de

fire more?

Coft.

Coft. The boy hath fold him a bargain; a goofe that's.

fat;

Sir, your penny-worth is good, an your goofe be fat. To fell a bargain well is as cunning as fast and loofe. Let me fee a fat l'envoy; I, that's a fat goose.

Arm. Come hither, come hither;

How did this argument begin?

Moth. By faying, that a Coftard was broken in a shin. Then call'd you for a l'envoy.

Coft. True, and I for a plantan ;

Thus came the argument in ;

Then the boy's fat l'envoy, the goofe that you bought, And he ended the market.

Arm. But tell me; how was there a Coftard broken in a fhin?

Moth. I will tell you fenfibly.

Coft. Thou haft no feeling of it, Math,

I will speak that l'envoy.

I Coftard running out, that was fafely within,
Fell over the threshold, and broke my fhin.

Arm. We will talk no more of this matter.
Coft. Till there be more matter in the fhin.
Arm. Sirrah, Coftard, I will infranchise thee.
Coft. O, marry me to one Francis; I fmell fome l'en-
voy, fome goofe in this.

Arm. By my fweet foul, I mean, fetting thee at liberty; enfreedoming thy perfon; thou wert immur'd, reftrained, captivated, bound.

Coft. True, true, and now you will be my purgation, and let me loose.

;

Arm. I give thee thy liberty, fet thee from durance, and in lieu thereof impofe on thee nothing but this bear this fignificant to the country-maid Jaquenetta ; there is remuneration; for the beft ward of mine honours is rewarding my dependants. Moth, follow.

[Exit.

Moth. Like the fequel, I. Signior Coftard, adieu.

[Exit.

Coft. My fweet ounce of man's flesh, my in-cony Few! Now will I look to his remuneration. Remune15

ration!

ration! O, that's the Latin word for three farthings: three farthings remuneration: What's the price of this incle a penny. No, I'll give you a remuneration : why, it carries it. Remuneration!-why, it is a fairer name than French crown (16). I will never buy and

fell out of this word.

Enter Biron.

Biron. O my good knave Coftard, exceedingly well met. Coft. Pray you, Sir, how much carnation ribbon may a man buy for a remuneration ?

Biron. What is a remuneration?

Coft. Marry, Sir, half-penny farthing.

Biron. O, why then three farthings worth of filk.
Coft. I thank your worship, God be with you.
Biron. O ftay, flave, I must employ thee:
As thou wilt win my favour, my good knave,
Do one thing for me that I fhall intreat.

Coft. When would you have it done, Sir?
Biron. O, this afternoon.

Coft. Well, I will do it, Sir: fare you well.
Biron. O, thou knoweft not what it is.

Coft. I fhall know, Sir, when I have done it.
Biron. Why, villain, thou muft know first.

Coft. I will come to your worship to-morrow morning.
Biron. It must be done this afternoon.

Hark, flave, it is but this:

The Princefs comes to hunt here in the park:

And in her train there is a gentle Lady;

When tongues fpeak fweetly, then they name her name, And Rofaline they call her; afk for her,

And to her fweet hand fee thou do commend

This feal'd up counfel. There's thy guerdon; go. Coft. Guerdon,- O fweet guerdon! better than remuneration, eleven pence farthing better: moft fweet

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(16) No, I'll give you a remuneration : why? it carries its remuneration. Why? it is a fairer name than a French-crown.] Thus this paffage has hitherto been writ, and pointed, without any regard to common fenfe, or meaning. The reform, that I have made, flight as it is, makes it both intelligible and humorous.

guerdon !

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