33 She shall be buried with her face upwards.] Thus the whole set of editions: But what is there any way particular in this? Are not all men and women buried so? Sure, the poet means, in opposition to the general rule, and by way of distinction, with her heels upwards, or face downwards. I have chosen the first reading, because I find it the expression in vogue in our author's time. THEOBALD. 34-only have a care that your bills be not stolen.] A bill is still carried by the watchmen at Litchfield. It was the old weapon of the English infantry, which, says Temple, gave the most ghastly and deplorable wounds. It may be called securis falcata. JOHNSON. These weapons are mentioned in Glapthorn's Wit in a Constable, 1639. -Well said, neighbours; "You're chatting wisely o'er your bills and lan thorns, "As becomes watchmen of discretion." Again, the same play. 35 If you hear a child cry, &c.] It is not impossible but that part of this scene was intended as a burlesque on The Statutes of the Streets, imprinted by Wolfe, in 1595. Among these I find the following. 22. "No man shall blow any horne in the night, " within this cittie, or whistle after the houre of nyne " of the clock in the night, under paine of imprison"ment." 23. "No man shall use to goe with visoures, or disguised by night, under like paine of imprison❤ "ment." 24. "Made that night-walkers, and evisdroppers, "like punishment." 25. "No hammar-man, as a smith, a pewterer, a "founder, and all artificers making great sound, "shall not worke after the houre of nyne at the "night, &c.". 30. "No man shall, after the houre of nyne at "night, keepe any rule, whereby any such suddaine 66 out-cry be made in the still of the night, as mak"ing any affray, or beating his wyfe or servant, or "singing, or revyling in his house, to the disturb65 aunce of his neighbours, under payne of iiis. iiiid. " &c. &c." Ben Jonson, however, appears to have ridiculed this scene in the Induction to his Bartholomew Fair. "And then a substantial watch to have stole in upon 'em, and taken them away with mistaking "words, as the fashion is in the stage-practice." 36 STEEVENS. shaven Hercules.] By the shaven Hercules is meant Samson, the usual subject of old tapestry. In this ridicule on the fashion, the poet has not unartfully given a stroke to the barbarous workmanship of the common tapestry hangings, then so much in use. The same kind of raillery Cervantes has employed on the like occasion, when he brings his knight and 'squire to an inn, where they found the story of Dido and Æneas represented in bad tapestry. On Sancho's seeing the tears fall from the eyes of the forsaken queen as big as walnuts, he hopes that when their atchievements became the general subject for these sort of works, that fortune will send them a better artist.What authorised the poet to give this name to Samson was the folly of certain Christian mythologists, who pretend that the Grecian Hercules was the Jewish Samson. The retenue of our author is to be commended: The sober audience of that time would have been offended with the mention of a venerable name on so light an occasion. Shakspeare is indeed sometimes licentious in these matters: but to do him justice, he generally seems to have a sense of religion, and to be under its influence. What Pedro says of Benedick, in this comedy, may be well enough applied to him. The man doth fear God, however it seems not to be in him by some large jests he will make. WARBURTON. I believe that Shakspeare knew nothing of these Christian mythologists, and by the shaven Hercules meant only Hercules when shaved to make him look like a woman, while he remained in the service of Omphale, his Lydian mistress. Had the shaven Hercules been meant to represent Samson, he would probably have been equipped with a jaw-bone instead of a club. STEEVENS. 97 rabato- A band for the neck, a ruff. 38 Light o' love;] A tune so called, which has been already mentioned by our author. JOHNSON. This tune is mentioned in Beaumont and Fletcher's Two Noble Kinsmen. The gaoler's daughter, speaking of a horse, says, "He gallops to the tune of Light o' love." It is mentioned again in the Two Gentlemen of Verona ; "Best sing it to the tune of Light o' love." And in the Noble Gentleman, of Beaumont and Fletcher. STEEVENS. 59 no barns.] A quibble between barns, repositories of corn, and bairns, the old word for children. JOHNSON. 40 For the letter that begins them all, H.] This is a poor jest, somewhat obscured, and not worth the trouble of elucidation. Margaret asks Beatrice for what she cries, hey ho; Beatrice answers, for an H, that is, for an ache or pain. JOHNSON. Heywood, among his Epigrams, published in 1562, has one on the letter H. "H is worst among letters in the cross-row; him," STEEVENS. 41 turn'd Turk,] i. e. taken captive by love, and turned a renegado to his religion. WARBURTON. 4 This interpretation is somewhat far-fetched, yet, perhaps, it is right. JOHNSON. Hamlet uses the same expression, and talks of his fortune's turning Turk. To turn Turk was a common phrase for a change of former condition or opinion. So in The Honest Whore, by Decker, 1616. "If you turn Turk again, &c." STEEVENS. 42 he eats his meat without grudging:] This means, as Dr. Johnson remarks, As he is content to live by eating like other mortals, so will he be content, notwithstanding his boasts, like other mortals, to have a wife." 45 I am as honest as any man living, &c.] There is much humour, and extreme good sense, under the covering of this blundering expression. It is a sly insinuation that length of years, and the being much hacknied in the ways of men, as Shakspeare expresses it, take off the gloss of virtue, and bring much defilement on the manners. For, as a great wit says, Youth is the season of virtue: corruptions grow with years, and I believe the oldest rogue in England is the greatest. WARBURTON. Much of this is true, but I believe Shakspeare did not intend to bestow all this reflection on the speaker. JOHNSON. 44 an two men ride, &c.] This is not out of place, or without meaning. Dogberry, in his vanity of superior parts, apologizing for his neighbour, observes, |