LAUN. Then may I set the world on wheels, when she can spin for her living. SPEED. Item, She hath many nameless virtues. LAUN. That's as much as to say, bastard virtues ; that, indeed, know not their fathers, and therefore have no names. SPEED. Here follow her vices. LAUN. Close at the heels of her virtues. SPEED. Item, She is not to be kissed fasting, in respect of her breath. LAUN. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast: Read on. SPEED. Item, She hath a sweet mouth." LAUN. That makes amends for her sour breath. SPEED. Item, She doth talk in her sleep. LAUN. It's no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk. SPEED. Item, She is slow in words. LAUN. O villain, that set this down among her she is not to be kissed fasting,] The old copy reads-she is not to be fasting, &c. The necessary word-kissed, was first added by Mr. Rowe. STEEVens. ♪ sweet mouth.] This I take to be the same with what is now vulgarly called a sweet tooth, a luxurious desire of dainties and sweetmeats. JOHNSON. So, in Thomas Paynell's translation of Ulrich Hutten's Book De medicina Guaiaci & Morbo Gallico, 1539: "delycates and deynties, wherewith they may stere up their sweete mouthes and prouoke theyr appetites." Yet how a luxurious desire of dainties can make amends for offensive breath, I know not. A sweet mouth may, however, mean a likerish mouth, in a wanton sense. So, in Measure for Measure: "Their saucy sweetness that do coin heaven's image," &c. STEEVENS. vices! To be slow in words, is a woman's only virtue: I pray thee, out with't; and place it for her chief virtue. SPEED. Item, She is proud. LAUN. Out with that too; it was Eve's legacy, and cannot be ta'en from her. SPEED. Item, She hath no teeth. LAUN. I care not for that neither, because I love crusts. SPEED. Item, She is curst. LAUN. Well; the best is, she hath no teeth to bite. SPEED. Item, She will often praise her liquor. LAUN. If her liquor be good, she shall: if she will not, I will; for good things should be praised. SPEED. Item, She is too liberal." LAUN. Of her tongue she cannot; for that's writ down she is slow of: of her purse she shall not; for that I'll keep shut: now, of another thing she may; and that I cannot help. Well, proceed.' SPEED. Item, She hath more hair than wit, and more faults than hairs, and more wealth than faults. 6 praise her liquor.] That is, shew how well she likes it by drinking often. JOHNSON. 7 She is too liberal.] Liberal, is licentious and gross in language. So, in Othello: "Is he not a profane and very liberal counsellor ?" JOHNSON. Again, in The Fair Maid of Bristow, 1605, bl. 1: "But Vallenger, most like a liberal villain, "Did give her scandalous ignoble terms." Mr. Malone adds another instance from Woman's a Weathercock, by N. Field, 1612: "Next that the fame "Of your neglect, and liberal talking tongue, STEEVENS. LAUN. Stop there; I'll have her: she was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that last article: Rehearse that once more. SPEED. Item, She hath more hair than wit,— LAUN. More hair than wit,-it may be; I'll prove it: The cover of the salt hides the salt, and therefore it is more than the salt; the hair that covers the wit, is more than the wit; for the greater hides the less. What's next? SPEED. And more faults than hairs,— LAUN. That's monstrous: O, that that were out! SPEED. And more wealth than faults. LAUN. Why, that word makes the faults gracious:" She hath more hair than wit,] An old English proverb. See Ray's Collection: "Bush natural, more hair than wit." Again, in Decker's Satiromastix: "Hair! 'tis the basest stubble; in scorn of it "This proverb sprung,-He has more hair than wit." Again, in Rhodon and Iris, 1631: "Now is the old proverb really perform'd; "More hair than wit." STEEVENS. 9 makes the faults gracious;] Gracious, in old language, means graceful. So, in K. John: "There was not such a gracious creature born." Again, in Albion's Triumph, 1631: "On which (the freeze) were festoons of several fruits in their natural colours, on which in gracious postures lay children sleeping." Again, in The Mal-content, 1604: "The most exquisite, &c. that ever made an old lady gracious by torch-light." STEEVENS. Mr. Steevens's interpretation of the word gracious has been controverted, but it is right. We have the same sentiment in The Merry Wives of Windsor: 66 Ó, what a world of vile ill-favour'd faults "Look handsome in three hundred pounds a year!" MALONE. Well, I'll have her: And if it be a match, as no thing is impossible,— SPEED. What then? LAUN. Why, then I will tell thee,-that thy master stays for thee at the north gate. SPEED. For me? LAUN. For thee? ay; who art thou? he hath staid for a better man than thee. SPEED. And must I go to him? LAUN. Thou must run to him, for thou hast staid so long, that going will scarce serve the turn. SPEED. Why didst not tell me sooner? 'pox of your love-letters! [Exit. LAUN. Now will he be swinged for reading my letter: An unmannerly slave, that will thrust himself into secrets!-I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction. [Exit. SCENE II. The same. A Room in the Duke's Palace. Enter DUKE and THURIO; PROTEUS behind. DUKE. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love you, Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight. THU. Since his exíle she hath despis'd me most, Forsworn my company, and rail'd at me, That I am desperate of obtaining her. DUKE. This weak impress of love is as a figure VOL. IV, Trenched in ice; which with an hour's heat PRO. Gone, my good lord. DUKE. My daughter takes his going grievously.2 PRO. A little time, my lord, will kill that grief. DUKE. So I believe; but Thurio thinks not so.Proteus, the good conceit I hold of thee, (For thou hast shown some sign of good desert,) Makes me the better to confer with thee. PRO. Longer than I prove loyal to your grace, Let me not live to look upon your grace. DUKE. Thou know'st, how willingly I would effect The match between sir Thurio and my daughter. PRO. I do, my lord. DUKE. And also, I think, thou art not ignorant How she opposes her against my will. PRO. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. DUKE. Ay, and perversely she persévers so. What might we do, to make the girl forget The love of Valentine, and love şir Thurio? 1 Trenched in ice;] Cut, carved in ice. Trancher, to cut, French. JOHNSON. So, in Arden of Feversham, 1592: "Is deeply trenched in my blushing brow." STEEVENS, grievously.] So some copies of the first folio; others have, heavily. The word, therefore, must have been corrected, while the sheet was working off at the press. The word last, p. 256, 1. 2, was inserted in some copies in the same manner. MALONE. |