lock down to your shoulders, wherein you may hang your mistress' favour?" These "locks" were sometimes worn ornamented with showy ribbons: and were occasionally so large that they could be drawn over the face, and serve as a sort of mask for bravoes and lawless persons. The celebrated Puritan, Prynne, wrote a treatise called "The Unlovelinesse of Love-lockes, or a Discourse proving the wearing of a Locke to be unseemly," 1628. 50. A goodly commodity, being taken up of these men's bills. Borachio plays on the words: using "commodity" in the sense of advantage' or 'profit, and in that of goods' or 'articles of

Act III, Scene III.

Hero. And bid her come hither. Urs. Well.

[Exit.

Marg. Troth, I think your other rabato 2 were

better, Hero. No, pray thee, good Meg, I'll wear this. Marg. By my troth, it's not good; and I warrant your cousin will say so.

Hero. My cousin's a fool, and thou art another: I'll wear none but this,

Marg. I like the new tire within excellently, if the hair were a thought browner; 53 and your gown's

a most rare fashion, i'faith. I saw the Duchess of Milan's gown, that they praise so.

Hero. Oh, that exceeds, they say.

Marg. By my troth, it's but a night-gown in respect of yours,-cloth o' gold, and cuts, and laced with silver, set with pearls down sleeves, sidesleeves, and skirts round,55 underborne with a bluish tinsel: but for a fine, quaint, graceful, and excellent fashion, yours is worth ten on't.

Hero. Heaven give me joy to wear it! for my heart is exceeding heavy.

Marg. 'Twill be heavier soon by the weight of wedlock.

Hero. Fie upon thee! art not ashamed?

Marg. Of what, lady? of speaking honourably? Is not marriage honourable in a beggar? is not your lord honourable without marriage? I think you would have me say, saving your reverence,— "a husband:" an bad thinking do not wrest true speaking, I'll offend nobody. Is there any harm in "the heavier for wedlock?" None, I think, an it be the right husband and the right wife; otherwise 'tis light, and not heavy: ask my Lady Beatrice else; here she comes.

Enter BEATRICE.

Hero. Good morrow, coz.

Beat. Good morrow, sweet Hero.

Hero. Why, how now! do you speak in the sick tune?

Beat. I am out of all other tune, methinks. Marg. Clap us into "Light o' love; "s that goes without a burden; do you sing it, and I'll dance it. Beat. Yea, "Light o' love," with your heels!

was a name for a head-dress. See Note 22, Act iii., "Merry Wives." "The hair" here mentioned is the 'false hair' spoken of in Note 54, Act ii.; of this play, which it was then the fashion to wear in addition to the wearer's own tresses.

54. Cuts. We take this to mean the 'slashes' or openings filled in with puffed silk or satin, then sometimes forming ornaments of dresses.

55. Down sleeves, side-sleeves, and skirts round. A phrase that would now be written down the sleeves, the side-sleeves, and round the skirts.' "Side-sleeves" mean long sleeves ("side," or 'syde,' being still a word in North provincial use to express long or ample, as applied to garments): wide, open, or hanging sleeves; worn in addition to the under sleeves, or sleeves proper. 56. "Light o' Love." See Note 21, Act i., "Two Gentlemen of Verona."

57. For the letter that begins them all, H. A pun on the word 'ache, then pronounced aitch. See Note 59, Act i., "The Tempest." "For" is here used in the sense of 'because of,'on account of.'

58. Turned Turk. Margaret means to hint that Beatrice has become an apostate to her creed that no man is worthy of being her husband.

59. Trow? A form of inquiry, sometimes varied by 'I trow?' or 'trow you?' It came from the Gothic trawan, to think, to believe firmly, to be thoroughly persuaded of; and meant origi. nally, think you? 'believe you?' But from the way in which Shakespeare and other writers of his time use the expression, it has more the effect of 'I wonder.'

Tis almost five o'clock, cousin; 'tis time you were ready. By my troth, I am exceeding ill-heigh-ho! Marg. For a hawk, a horse, or a husband? Beat. For the letter that begins them all, H.57 Marg. Well, an you be not turned Turk, 58 there's no more sailing by the star.

Beat. What means the fool, trow

Marg. Nothing I; but Heaven send every one their heart's desire!

Hero. These gloves the count sent me; they are an excellent perfume.60

Beat. I am stuffed, cousin; I cannot smell. Marg. A maid, and stuffed! there's goodly catching of cold.

Beat. O Lord, help me! Lord, help me! how long have you professed apprehension {61 Marg. Ever since you left it. Doth not my wit become me rarely?

Beat. It is not seen enough, you should wear it in your cap.2-By my troth, I am sick.

Marg. Get you some of this distilled Carduus Benedictus, and lay it to your heart: it is the only thing for a qualm.

Hero. There thou prick'st her with a thistle. Beat. Benedictus! why Benedictus? you have some moral in this Benedictus.64

Marg. Moral? no, by my troth, I have no moral meaning; I meant, plain holy-thistle. You may think perchance that I think you are in love: nay, by'r lady, I am not such a fool to think what I list; nor I list nots to think what I can; nor, indeed, I cannot think, if I would think my heart out of thinking, that you are in love, or that you will be in love, or that you can be in love. Yet

60. An excellent perfume. The fashion of scented gloves then prevailing is alluded to more than once by Shakespeare, as well as by Molière in his "Precieuses Ridicules," where Mascarille requests the young ladies to "allow their olfactory nerves to hover for a moment over his gloves ;" and the reply is, "They smell terribly sweet.'

61. Apprehension. Here used for intellectual quickness, prompt perception of witty analogies, aptness at making witticisms.

62. You should wear it in your cap. By this subtly ironical fleer at the displayful and coarser character of Margaret's attempted wit, Beatrice fully vindicates her own thorough possession of that native refined wit which she is accused of having "left."

63. Carduus Benedictus. The varied and wonderful qualities of Blessed Thistle, or "holy-thistle," are attested by citations from many old writers; and, among other things, it was said to be "much used in the time of any infection or plague, as also to expel any evil symptom from the heart."

the

64. Moral in this Benedictus. "Moral" is used for occult signification, pointed meaning; as the "moral" of a fable. By way in which Beatrice starts at the word "Benedictus," she betrays her sense of the application of its first three syllables. 65. To think what I list; nor I list not, &c. Margaret uses the word "list" here in the sense of like,' 'prefer,' 'incline to,' desire;' but, as it seems to us, in the words "to think what I list" she makes covert punning allusion to Beatrice's believing what she has listened to from the arbour.

Benedick was such another, and now is he become a man he swore he would never marry; and yet now, in despite of his heart, he eats his meat without grudging: and how you may be converted, I know not; but methinks you look with your eyes as other women do.67

thar 'tis; for I hear as good exclamation on your worship as of any man in the city; and though I be but a poor man, I am glad to hear it. Verg. And so am 1.

Leon. I would fain know what you have to say. Verg. Marry, sir, our watch to-night, excepting

Dog. Marry, this it is, sir.
Verg. Yes, in truth it is, sir.

Leon. What is it, my good friends?

Dog. Goodman Verges, sir, speaks a little off the matter: an old man, sir, and his wits are not so blunt as, Heaven help, I would desire they were; but, in faith, honest as the skin between his brows.69 Verg. Yes, I thank Heaven I am as honest as any man living, that is an old man, and no honester

66. He eats his meat without grudging. He eats the food (love) prepared for him in common with all men, instead of scoffing at it as he used to do.

67. You look with your eyes as other women do. You can recognise a handsome man when you see him, as all we women can. 68. Decerns. For concerns.

69. Honest as the skin between his brows. A proverbial saying: most likely originating in the practice of branding on the forehead those convicted of dishonesty.

70. Palabras. The Spanish for 'words.' It passed into current use in England; and still exists in the corrupted form of 'palaver,' used vulgarly for 'futile words,' or for 'coarse flattery.' We have a synonyme for Dogberry's "palabras," in Mr. Burchell's "Fudge!" and in the more modern slang, "Bosh!" 71. The poor duke's officers. This joke of a transposed word occurs also in "Measure for Measure," Act ii., sc. 1, where Elbow says, "I am the poor duke's constable."

as arrant knaves as any in Messina.

Dog. A good old man, sir; he will be talking: as they say, When the age is in, the wit is out: Lord, help us! it is a world to see!73-Well said, i'faith, neighbour Verges:-well, he's a good man ; an two men ride of a horse, one must ride behind.

An honest soul, i'faith, sir; by my troth, he is, as ever broke bread: but all men are not alike,alas! good neighbour.

Leon. Indeed, neighbour, he comes too short of you.

Dog. Gifts that God gives.

Leon. I must leave you.

Dog. One word, sir: our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two aspicious persons, and we would have them this morning examined before your worship.

Leon. Take their examination yourself, and bring it me: I am now in great haste, as may appear unto you.

Dog. It shall be suffigance.s

Leon. Drink some wine ere you go: fare you well.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My lord, they stay for you to give your daughter to her husband.

Leon. I'll wait upon them: I am ready.

Exeunt LEONATO and Messenger. Dog. Go, good partner, go, get you to Francis Seacoal; bid him bring his pen and inkhorn to the gaol: we are now to examination those men. Verg. And we must do it wisely.

Dog. We will spare for no wit, I warrant you [pointing to his forehead]; here's that shall drive some of them to a non com :76 only get the learned writer to set down the excommunication," and meet me at the gaol. [Exeunt.