4 ter to her, a laced mutton; and she, a laced mutton, gave me, a lost mutton, nothing for my la bour. PRO. Here's too small a pasture for such a store of muttons. SPEED. If the ground be overcharged, you were best stick her. * 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 Proteus 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. And Mr. Motteux has rendered this passage of Rabelais, in the prologue of his fourth book, Cailles corphees mignonnement chantans, in this manner; Coated quails and laced mutton waggishly singing. 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 lac'd mutton." So, in the comedy of The Shoemaker's Holiday, or the Gentle Craft, 1610: "Why here's good lac'd mutton, as I promis'd you." Again, in Whetstone's Promos and Cassandra, 1578: "And I smelt he lov'd lac'd mutton well.” Again, Heywood, in his Love's Mistress, 1636, speaking of Cupid, says, he is the "Hero of hie-hoes, admiral of ay-mes, and monsieur of mutton lac'd." STEEVens. A laced mutton was in our author's time so established a term for a courtezan, that a street in Clerkenwell, which was much frequented by women of the town, was then called Mutton-lane. It seems to have been a phrase of the same kind as the French expression-caille coifée, and might be rendered in that language mouton en corset. This appellation appears to have been as old as the time of King Henry III. "Item sequitur gravis pœna corporalis, sed sine amissione vitæ vel membrorum, si raptus fit de concubina legitimâ, vel aliâ quæstum faciente, sine delectu personarum has quidem oves debet rex tueri pro pace suâ." Bracton de Legibus, lib. ii. MALone. 5 PRO. Nay, in that you are astray; 'twere best pound you. SPEED. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for carrying your letter. PRO. You mistake; I mean the pound, a pinfold. SPEED. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and over, 'Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your lover. PRO. But what said she? did she nod? 6 SPEED. I. [SPEED nods. 5 PRO. Nod, I? why, that's noddy." Nay, in that you are astray;] For the reason Proteus gives, Dr. Thirlby advises that we should read, a stray, i. e. a stray sheep; which continues Proteus's banter upon Speed. THEOBALD. From the word astray here, and lost mutton above, it is obvious that the double reference was to the first sentence of the General Confession in the Prayer-book. HENLEY. did she nod?] These words were supplied by Theobald, to introduce what follows. STEEVENS. In Speed's answer the old spelling of the affirmative particle has been retained; otherwise the conceit of Proteus (such as it is) would be unintelligible. MAlone. 7 why, that's noddy.] Noddy was a game at cards. So, in The Inner Temple Mask, by Middleton, 1619: "I leave them wholly (says Christmas) to my eldest son Noddy, whom during his minority, I commit to the custody of a pair of knaves, and one and thirty." Again, in Quarles's Virgin Widow, 1649: "Let her forbear chess and noddy, as games too serious." STEEVENS. This play upon syllables is hardly worth explaining. The speakers intend to fix the name of noddy, that is, fool, on each other. So, in The Second Part of Pasquil's Mad Cappe, 1600, sig. E: "If such a Noddy be not thought a fool." Again, E 1: "If such an asse be noddied for the nounce." SPEED: You mistook, sir; I say, she did nod: and ask you me, if she did nod; and I say, I. PRO. And that set together, is-noddy. SPEED. Now you have taken the pains to set it together, take it for your pains. PRO. No, no, you shall have it for bearing the letter. SPEED. Well, I perceive, I must be fain to bear with you. PRO. Why, sir, how do you bear with me? SPEED. Marry, sir, the letter very orderly; having nothing but the word, noddy, for my pains. PRO. Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit, SPEED. And yet it cannot overtake your slow purse. PRO. Come, come, open the matter in brief: What said she? SPEED. Open your purse, that the money, and the matter, may be both at once delivered. PRO. Well, sir, here is for your pains: What said she? SPEED. Truly, sir, I think you'll hardly win her. PRO. Why? Could'st thou perceive so much from her? SPEED. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; no, not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter: And being so hard to me that brought Again, in Wits Private Wealth, 1612: "If you see a trull, scarce give her a nod, but follow her not, least you prove a noddy." Again, in Cobbes Prophecies, 1614: "When fashions make mens bodies "And wits are rul'd by noddies." REED. 8 your mind, I fear, she'll prove as hard to you in telling her mind. Give her no token but stones; for she's as hard as steel. PRO. What, said she nothing? SPEED. No, not so much as-take this for thy pains. To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have testern'd me; in requital whereof, henceforth carry your letters yourself: and so, sir, I'll commend you to to my master. PRO. Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from wreck; Which cannot perish,' having thee aboard, [Exeunt. 8 in telling her mind.] The old copy has " in telling your mind." But as this reading is to me unintelligible, I have adopted the emendation of the second folio. STEEVENS. The old copy is certainly right. The meaning is-She being so hard to me who was the bearer of your mind, I fear she will prove no less so to you, when you address her in person. The opposition is between brought and telling. MALONE. 9 you have testern'd me ;] You have gratified me with a tester, testern, or testen, that is, with a sixpence. JOHNSON. By the succeeding quotation from the Fruitful Sermons preached by Hugh Latimer, 1584, fol. 94, it appears that a tester was of greater value than our sixpence: "They brought him a denari, a piece of their current coyne that was worth ten of our usual pence, such another piece as our testerne.” HOLT WHITE. The old reading is cestern'd. This typographical error was corrected by the editor of the second folio. MALONE. 1 Which cannot perish, &c.] The same proverb has already. been alluded to in the first and last scenes of The Tempest. REED. The same. SCENE II. Garden of Julia's house. Enter JULIA and LUCETTA. JUL. But say, Lucetta, now we are alone, Would'st thou then counsel me to fall in love? Luc. Ay, madam; so you stumble not unheedfully. JUL. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen, That every day with parle encounter me, In thy opinion, which is worthiest love? Luc. Please you, repeat their names, I'll shew my mind According to my shallow simple skill. JUL. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour? 2 Luc. As of a knight well-spoken, neat and fine; But, were I you, he never should be mine. 3 JUL. What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio? Luc. Well of his wealth; but of himself, so, so. • What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour?] This Sir Eglamour must not be confounded with the persona dramatis of the same name. The latter lived at Milan, and had vowed "pure chastity" upon the death of his "true love." RITSON. 3—he [Sir Eglamour] never should be mine.] Perhaps Sir Eglamour was once the common cant term for an insignificant inamorato. So, in Decker's Satiromastix: "Adieu, sir Eglamour; adieu lute-string, curtain-rod, goosequill," &c. Sir Eglamour of Artoys indeed is the hero of an ancient metrical romance, " Imprinted at London, in Foster-lane, at the sygne of the Harteshorne, by John Walley," bl. 1. no date. STEEVENS. |