2. Serv. When good manners fhall lie all in one or two men's hands, and they unwash'd too, 'tis a foul thing. 1. Serv. Away with the joint-stools, remove the courtcupboard, look to the plate:-good thou, fave me a piece of march-pane ; and, as thou loveft me, let the . porter They were common even in the time of Charles I. See Vol. I. p. 54, 2. 3. MALONE. They continued common much longer in many public focieties, particularly in colleges and inns of court; and are fill retained at Lincoln's-inn. NICHOLS. On the books of the Stationers' Company, in the year 1554, is the following entry: "Item, pay'd for x dofyn of trenchers. xxi d. STEEV. 8-court-cupboard,] I am not very certain that I know the exact fignification of court-cupboard. Perhaps it is what we call at prefent the fide-board. It is however frequently mentioned in the old plays: So, in a Humorous Day's Mirth, 1599: fhadow thefe tables with their white veils, and accomplish the court-cupboard." Again, in the Roaring Girl, 1611: "Place that in the court-cupboard" Again, in Chapman's May-Day, 1611: "Court-cupboards planted with flaggons, cans, cups, beakers," &c. Two of these court-cupboards are fill in Stationers' Hall. STEEV. By remove the court-cupboard," the fpeaker means, I think, remove the flaggons, cups, ewers, &c. contained in it.-A court-cupboard was not strictly what we now call a fide-board, but a recefs fitted up with fhelves to contain plate, &c. for the ufe of the table. It was afterwards called a buffet, and continued to be used to the time of Pope "The rich buffet well colour'd ferpents grace, "And gaping Tritons fpew to wash your face." The fide-board was, I apprehend, introduced in the prefent century. MALONF. The ufe which to this day is made of thofe cupboards is exactly defcribed in the above-quoted line of Chapman; to difplay at public festivals the flaggons, cans, cups, beakers, and other antique filver vefiels of the company, fome of which (with the names of the donors infcribed on them) are remarkably large. NICHOLS. 9 Save me a piece of march-pane ;] March-pane was a confection made of pistacho-nuts, almonds, and fugar, &c. and in high esteem in Shakspeare's time; as appears from the account of Queen Elizabeth's entertainment in Cambridge. It is faid that the univerfity prefented Sir William Cecil, their chancellor, with two pair of gloves, a march`pane, and two fugar-loaves. Pick's Defiderata Curiofa, Vol. II p. 29. GREY. March pane was a kind of fweet bread or bifcuit: called by fome almond-cake. Hermolaus Barbarus terms it mazapanis, vulgarly Marrius panis. G. marcepain and massepen. It, marzapane, H. il maṛapan. B. marcepeyn porter let in Sufan Grindstone, and Nell.-Antony! and Potpan! 2. Serv. Ay, boy; ready. 1. Serv. You are look'd for, and call'd for, ask'd for, and fought for, in the great chamber. 2. Serv. We cannot be here and there too.-Cheerly, boys; be brifk a while, and the longer liver take all. [They retire behind. Enter CAPULET, &c. with the Guests, and the Mafkers. 1. Cap. Welcome, gentlemen! ladies, that have their toes * Unplagu'd with corns, will have a bout with you:- Will now deny to dance? fhe that makes dainty, fhe, A whispering tale in a fair lady's ear, Such as would pleafe;-'tis gone, 'tis gone, 'tis gone: You are welcome, gentlemen'!-Come, muficians, play. A hall! a hall give room, and foot it, girls. [Mufick plays, and they dance. More marcepeyn, i.e. mala pura. But, as few understood the meaning of this term, it begun to be generally though corruptly called mallepeyn, marcepcyn, martfepeyn; and in confequence of this mistake of theirs, it foon took the name of martius panis, an appellation transferred afterwards into other languages. See Junius. HAWKINS. March-pane was a conftant article in the deferts of our ancestors. So, in Acoleftus, a comedy, 1540:"-feeing that the iflue of the table, fruits and cheese, or wafers, hypocras, and marchpanes, or comfytures, be brought in." See Dugdale's Orig. Jurid. p. 133. In the year 1560, I find the following entry on the books of the Stationers' Company: "Item, payd for ix mar fhe paynes, xxvi. s. viii. d. STEEVENS. —their toes-] Thus all the ancient copies. The modern editors, following Mr. Pope, read, with more delicacy, their feet.-An editor by fuch capricious alerations deprives the reader of the means of judging of the manners of different ages; for the word employed in the text undoubtedly did not appear indelicate to the audiences of Shakspeare's time, though perhaps it would not be endured at this day. MALONE. You are welcome, gentlemen!] Thefe two lines, omitted by the modern editors, I have replaced from the folio. JOHNSON. 2 A ball! a ball!] Such is the old reading, and the true one, though More light, ye knaves; and turn the tables up, 2. Cap. By'r lady, thirty years. 1. Cap. What, man! 'tis not fo much, 'tis not fo much: 'Tis fince the nuptial of Lucentio, Come penticoft as quickly as it will, Some five and twenty years; and then we mafk'd. though the modern editors read, A ball! a ball! The former exclamation occurs frequently in the old comedies, and fignifies, make room. So, in the comedy of Doctor Dodypoll, 1600: "Room! room! a ball! a ball!" Again, in Ben Jonson's Tale of a Tub: "Then cry, a ball! a ball!" and numberless other paffages. STEEVENS. 3-good coufin Capulet,] This coufin Capulet is unkle in the paper of invitation; but as Capulet is defcribed as old, coufin is probably the right word in both places. I know not how Capulet and his lady might agree, their ages were very difproportionate; he has been paft masking for thirty years, and her age, as he tells Juliet, is but eight and twenty. JOHNSON. Shakspeare and other contempory writers ufe the word cousin to denote any collateral relation, of whatever degree, and fometimes even to denote thofe of lineal defcent. The king calls Hamlet frequently his coufin, though his nephew and step-fon: "But now, my coufin Hamlet, and my fon." Richard III. during a whole fcene calls his nephew York, coufin; who in his anfwer conftantly calls him uncle. And the old Dutchess of York in the fame play calls her grandfon, cousin. "Why, my young coufin, it is good to grow. "York. Grandam, one night, as he did fit at fupper," &c. In this very play Lady Capulet fays, Tybalt, my coufin, O, my brother's child!" and in Fletcher's Woman Pleafed, Sylvio ftyles Rhodope at one time his aunt, at others his cousin, to the great annoyance of Mr. Sympfon, the editor. MASON. MALONE. 4 -our dancing days:] Thus the folio; the quarto reads, our fland See alfo Vol. VI. p. 504, n. 4. ing days. STEVENS. 2. Cap. 2. Cap. 'Tis more, 'tis more: his fon is elder, fir; His fon is thirty. 1. Cap. Will you tell me that "? His fon was but a ward two years ago. Rom. What lady's that, which doth enrich the hand Of yonder knight ? Serv. I know not, fir. Rom. O, the doth teach the torches to burn bright! The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, 5 Will you tell me, &c.] This fpeech ftands thus in the first copy: Will you tell me that? it cannot be fo: His fon was but a ward three years ago; Good youths i'faith!-Oh, youth's a jolly thing !" There are many trifling variations in almost every fpeech of this play; but when they are of little confequence I have forborne to encumber the page by the infertion of them. The laft, however, of these three lines is natural, and worth preferving. STEEVENS. What lady's that, which doth enrich the band Of yonder knight?] Here is another proof that our authour had the poem, and not Painter's Novel, in his mind. In the novel we are told, "A certain lord of that troupe took Juliet by the hand to dance." In the poem of Romeus and Juliet, as in the play, her partner is a knight: "With torch in hand a comely knight did fetch her forth to dance." MALONE. 7-upon the cheek of night-] Shakspeare has the fame thought in his 27th fonnet: "Which, like a jewel hung in ghaftly night, "Makes black night beauteous, and her old face new," STEEVENS. 8 Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear:] So, in Lily's Euphucs= "A fair pearl in a Morian's ear." T. H. W. 9 For Ine'er faw true beauty till this night.] Thus K. Henry VIII. "o beauty, "Till now I never knew thee!" STEEVENS. Tyb. Tyb. This, by his voice, fhould be a Montague :- Now, by the stock and honour of my kin, 1. Cap. Why, how now, kinfman? wherefore form you fo? Tyb. Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe; Tyb. 'Tis he, that villain Romeo. 1. Cap. Content thee, gentle coz, let him aloné, Tyb. It fits, when such a villain is a guest ; 1. Cap. He shall be endur'd; What, goodman boy!-I fay, he shall ;-Go to ;-- You'll not endure him!-God thall mend my foul You'll make a mutiny among my guests! You will fet cock-a-hoop! you'll be the man! 1. Cap. Go to, go to, You are a faucy boy :-Is't fo, indeed?-. This trick may chance to scathe you' ;-I know what. You must contrary me! marry, 'tis time To feathe you ;] i. e. to do you an injury. STEEVENS, See Vol. VI. p. 485, n. 3. MALONE. Well 2 You must contrary me!] The ufe of this verb is common to our old Vol. IX. E writers, |