Lies feftring' in his fhroud; where, as they fay, So early waking,-what with loathsome smells; 66 -of our dear brother's death, Again, in the Opportunity, by Shirley : "I am but Green in my honours." STEVEENS. 3 Lies feftring-] To fefier is to corrupt. So, in K. Edward III. 1599: Lillies that fester finell far worse than weeds." This line likewife occurs in the 94th Sonnet of Shakspeare, The play of Edward III, has been afcribed to him. STEEVENS. 4is it not like, that 1] This fpeech is confufed, and inconfequential, according to the diforder of Juliet's mind. JOHNSON. 5-run mad-] So, in Webster's Dutchess of Malfy, 1623: "I have this night digg'd up a mandrake, "And am grown mad with't." So, in The Atheist's Tragedy, 1611: "The cries of mandrakes never touch'd the ear Again, in A Chrißian turn'd Turk, 1612: "I'll rather give an ear to the black shrieks "Of mandrakes," &c. Again, in Ariftippus, or the Jovial Philofopher : This is the mandrake's voice that undoes me." The mandrake (fays Thomas Newton in his Herball to the Bible, 8vo, 1587) has been fuppofed to be a creature having life and engendered under the earth of the feed of fome dead person that hath been convicted and put to death for some felonie or murther; and that they had the fame in fuch dampish and funerall places where the faid convicted perfons were buried, &c. STEEVENS. 6-be diftraught.] Diftraught is distracted. So, in Drayton's Polyolbion, Song 10: Is, for that river's fake, near of his wits diftraught." Again, in Spenfer's Faery Queen, B. 1. C. 9: What frantic fit, quoth he, hath thus diftraught," &c. STEEVENS. And And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his fhroud? [She throws herfelf on the bed. Enter Lady Capulet, and Nurfe. La. Cap. Hold, take these keys, and fetch more fpices, nurfe. Nurfe. They call for dates and quinces in the pastry. Enter Capulet. Cap. Come, ftir, ftir, ftir! the fecond cock hath crow'd, The curfeu bell hath rung, 'tis three o'clock :Look to the bak'd meats, good Angelica : Spare not for cost. Nurfe. Go, you cot quean, go, Get you to bed; 'faith, you'll be fick to-morrow For this night's watching. 7 They call for dates, &c. in the paftry.] On the books of the Stationer's Company in the year 1560, are the following entries: "Item payd for iiii. pound of datts iiii. Item payd for xxiiii. pounde of prunys iii s. viii d. STEEVENS. 8 The curfeu bell] I know not that the morning-bell is called the curfeu in any other place. JOHNSON. The curfew bell was rung at nine in the evening as appears from a paffage the Merry Devil of Edmonton, 1626: well 'tis nine o'clock, tis time to ring curfew.” Cap. No, not a whit; What! I have watch'd ere now All night for a less cause, and ne'er been fick. La. Cap. Ay, you have been a mouse-hunt in your time; But I will watch you from fuch watching now. [Exeunt Lady Capulet, and Nurse. Cap. A jealous-hood, a jealous-hood!-Now, fellow, What's there? Enter three or four, with spits, and logs, and baskets. Serv. Things for the cook, fir; but I know not what. Cap. Make hafte, make hafte. Sirrah, fetch drier logs; Call Peter, he will fhew thee where they are. [Exit. Cap. 'Mafs, and well faid; A merry whorefon! ha, Thou fhalt be logger-head.-Good faith, 'tis day: The county will be here with mufick ftraight, [Mufick within. For fo he faid he would. I hear him near :Nurfe!-Wife!-what, ho!-what, Nurse, I fay! Enter Nurfe Go, waken, Juliet, go, and trim her up; [Exeunt 9 -a mouse-hunt-] It appears from a paffage in Hamlet, that moufe was once a term of endearment applied to a woman : Pinch wanton on your cheek, call you his moufe." STEEVENS. SCENE Nurfe. Miftrefs!-what, miftrefs!-Juliet!-faft, I warrant her : Why, lamb!-why, lady;-fie, you flug-a-bed!— Why, love, I fay!. madam! fweet-heart! why, bride! What, not a word?--you take your pennyworths now; Sleep for a week; for the next night, I warrant, The county Paris hath fet up his reft, That you fhall reft but little.-God forgive me, (Marry, and amen!) how found is the afleep!.. I muft needs wake her:-Madam! madam! madam! -fer up his reft,] This expreffion, which is frequently employed by the old dramatick writers, is taken from the manner of firing the harquebufs. This was fo heavy a gun, that the foldiers were obliged to carry a fupporter called a refl, which they fixed in the ground before they levelled to take aim. Decker uses it in his comedy of Old Fortunatus, 1600:"fet your heart at reft, for I have fet up my reft, that unless you can run fwifter than a hart, home you go not." The fame expreffion occurs in Beaumont and Fletcher's Elder Brother :. My reft is up, "Nor will I go lefs Again, in the Roaring Girl, 1611: "Like a musket on a reft." See Montfaucon's Monarchie Françoife, tom. v. plate 48. STEEVENS. The above expreffion may probably be fometimes ufed in the fenfe already explained, it is however oftener employed with a reference to the game at primero, in which it was one of the terms then in use. In the fecond inftance above quoted it is certainly fo. To avoid loading the page with examples, I fhall refer to Dodley's Collection of Old Plays, vol. x. p. 364, edit. 1780, where feveral are brought together. EDITOR. Ay, Ay, let the county take you in your bed'; La. Cap. What noife is here? La. Cap. What's the matter? Nurfe. Look, look! O heavy day! La. Cap. O me! O me !-my child, my only life! Revive, look up, or I will die with thee Help, help!-call help. Enter Capulet. Cap. For fhame, bring Juliet forth; her lord is come. Nurfe. She's dead, deceas'd, fhe's dead; alack the day! La. Cap. Alack the day! fhe's dead, fhe's dead, fhe's dead. Cap. Ha! let me fee her :-Out, alas! fhe's cold; Her blood is fettled, and her joints are stiff; Life and thefe lips have long been separated: Death lies on her, like an untimely froft Upon the sweeteft flower of all the field. Accurfed time! unfortunate old man! Nurfe. O lamentable day! 2 Ay, let the county take you in your bed;] So, in The Tragicall Hifory of Romeus and Juliet: First foftly did fhe call, then louder the did cry, "Lady, you fleep too long, the earl will raife you by and by.' MALONE. La |