Clo. Believe me, thou talkest of an admirable-conceited fellow. Has he unbraided wares ?"

any

Serv. He hath ribands of all the colours i'the rainbow; points,* more than all the lawyers in Bohemia can learnedly handle, though they come to him by the gross; inkles, caddisses," cambricks, lawns; why, he sings them over, 'as they were gods or goddesses; you would think, a smock were a she-angel; he so chants to the sleevehand, and the work about the square on't.*

Clo. Pry'thee, bring him in; and let him approach singing.

Per. Forewarn him, that he use no scurrilous words in his tunes.

Clo. You have of these pedlers, that have more in 'em than you'd think, sister.

Per. Ay, good brother, or go about to think.

Enter AUTOLYCUS, singing.

Lawn, as white as driven snow;
·Cyprus, black as e'er was crow ;
Gloves, as sweet as damask roses;
Masks for faces, and for noses :
Bugle bracelet, necklace-amber,
Perfume for a lady's chamber :
Golden quoifs, and stomachers,
For my lads to give their dears ;
Pins, and poking-sticks' of steel,

What maids lack from head to heel:

Come, buy of me, come; come buy, come buy;
Buy, lads, or else your lasses cry:

Come, buy, &c.

any unbraided wares?] Braided is faded-perhaps the Clown means to inquire whether the wares are fresh and new.

t

n

points,] Laces with metal tops to them.

caddisses,] Caddis is, I believe, a narrow worsted galloon. I remember when very young to have heard it enumerated by a pedler among the articles of his pack. There is a very narrow slight serge of this name, now made in France. Inkle is a kind of tape also.-MALONE.

X

y

the square on't.] i. e. The bosom part.

poking-sticks-] These instruments were heated in the fire and made use of to adjust the plaits of the ruff.

Clo. If I were not in love with Mopsa, thou should'st take no money of me; but being enthrall'd as I am, it will also be the bondage of certain ribands and gloves...

Mop. I was promised them against the feast; but they come not too late now.

Dor. He hath promised you more than that, or there be liars.

Mop. He hath paid you all he promised you: may be, he has paid you more; which will shame you to give him again.

Clo. Is there no manners left among maids? will they wear their plackets, where they should bear their faces? Is there not a milking-time, when you are going to bed, or kiln-hole,' to whistle off these secrets; but you must be tittle-tattling before all our guests? 'Tis well they are whispering: charm your tongues, and not a word

more.

Mop. I have done. Come, you promised me a tawdry lace, and a pair of sweet gloves.

Clo. Have I not told thee, how I was cozened by the way, and lost all my money?

Aut. And, indeed, sir, there are cozeners abroad; therefore it behoves men to be wary.

Clo. Fear not thou, man, thou shalt lose nothing here. Aut. I hope so, sir; for I have about me many parcels of charge.

1. Clo. What hast here? ballads?

Mop. Pray now, buy some: I love a ballad in print, a'-life; for then we are sure they are true.

Aut. Here's one to a very doleful tune, How a usurer's

kiln-hole,] Kiln-hole is the place into which coals are put under a stove, a copper, or a kiln, in which lime, &c. are to be dried or burned. To watch the kiln-hole, or stoking-hole, is part of the office of female servants in farm-houses.-STEEVENS.

a

charm your tongues,] i. e. Silence your tongues. The ordinary reading is, clamour your tongues: the emendation which I have adopted is proposed by Mr. Gifford, who says, "by an evident misprint, clamour is given for charm (silence) your tongues; and the painful endeavours of the commentators to explain the simple nonsense of the text by contradictory absurdities, might claim our pity, if their unfounded absurdities did not provoke our contempt."GIFFORD'S Ben Jonson, vol. iv. 405.

b

a tawdry lace,] A necklace, so called from S. Audrey, who died of a welling in her throat, which she considered as a judgment for having given into the vanity of wearing such ornaments in her youth.

wife was brought to bed of twenty money-bags at a burden; and how she longed to eat adders' heads, and toads carbonadoed.

Mop. Is it true, think you?

Aut. Very true; and but a month old.

Dor. Bless me, from marrying a usurer!

Aut. Here's the midwife's name to't, one mistress Taleporter; and five or six honest wives' that were present: Why should I carry lies abroad?

Mop. 'Pray you now, buy it.

Clo. Come on, lay it by: And let's first see moré ballads; we'll buy the other things anon.

Aut. Here's another ballad, Of a fish, that appeared upon the coast, on Wednesday the fourscore of April, forty thousand fathom above water, and sung this ballad against the hard hearts of maids: it was thought, she was a woman, and was turned into a cold fish, for she would not exchange flesh with one that loved her: The ballad is very pitiful, and as true.

Dor. Is it true too, think you?

Aut. Five justices' hands at it; and witnesses, more than my pack will hold.

Clo. Lay it by too: Another.

Aut. This is a merry ballad; but a very pretty one. Mop. Let's have some merry ones.

Aut. Why, this is a passing merry one; and goes to the tune of Two maids wooing a man: there's scarce a maid westward, but she sings it; 'tis in request, I can

tell you.

Mop. We can both sing it; if thou'lt bear a part, thou shalt hear; 'tis in three parts.

Dor. We had the tune on't a month ago.

Aut. I can bear my part; you must know, 'tis my occupation: have at it with you.

SONG.

A. Get you hence, for I must go;

Where, it fits not you to know.

D. Whither? M. O, whither? D. Whither?

M. It becomes thy oath full well,
Thou to me thy secrets tell:

D. Me too, let me go thither.

M. Or thou go'st to the grange, or mill:
D. If to either, thou dost ill.

A. Neither. D. What, neither? A. Neither.
D. Thou hast sworn my love to be;

M. Thou hast sworn it more to me:

Then, whither go'st? say, whither?

Clo. We'll have this song out anon by ourselves; My father and the gentlemen are in sad talk, and we'll not trouble them: Come, bring away thy pack after me. Wenches, I'll buy for you both:-Pedler, let's have the first choice.-Follow me, girls.

Aut. And you shall pay well for 'em.

Will you buy any tape,

Or lace for your cape,
My dainty duck, my dear-a?

Any silk, any thread,

Any toys for your head,

Of the new'st, and fin'st, fin'st wear-a?

Come to the pedler ;

Money's a medler,

That doth utterd all men's ware-a.

[Aside.

[Exeunt Clown, AUTOLYCUS, Dorcas,

and MOPSA.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Master, there is three carters, three shepherds, three neat-herds, three swine-herds, that have made themselves all men of hair; they call themselves saltiers:f and they have a dance which the wenches say is a gallimaufry of gambols, because they are not in't; but they themselves are o' the mind, (if it be not too rough for some, that know little but bowling,) it will please plentifully.

C

e

sad-] For serious.

d

utter-] i. e. Vend by retail. all men of hair;] Men of hair, are hairy men, or satyrs. A dance of satyrs was no unsual entertainment in the middle ages.-STEEVENS.

saltiers:] He means satyrs.

gallimaufry-] i. e. A confused heap of things together.-STEEVENS.

Shep. Away! we'll none on't; here has been too much homely foolery already:-I know, sir, we weary you.

Pol. You weary those that refresh us: Pray, let's see these four threes of herdsmen.

Serv. One three of them, by their own report, sir, hath danced before the king: and not the worst of the three, but jumps twelve foot and a half by the squire."

Shep. Leave your prating: since these good men are pleased, let them come in; but quickly now.. Serv. Why, they stay at door, sir.

[Exit.

Re-enter Servant, with twelve Rusticks, habited like Satyrs. They dance, and then exeunt.

Pol. O, father, you'll know more of that hereafter. Is it not too far gone?-Tis time to part them.— He's simple, and tells much. [Aside.]-How now, fair shepherd?

Your heart is full of something, that does take

Your mind from feasting. Sooth, when I was young,
And handed love, as you do, I was wont

To load my she with knacks: I would have ransack'd
The pedler's silken treasury, and have pour'd it

To her acceptance; you have let him go,
And nothing marted with him: If your lass
Interpretation should abuse; and call this,
Your lack of love, or bounty; you were straited'
For a reply, at least, if you make a care

Of happy holding her.

Flo.

Old sir, I know

She prizes not such trifles as these are ;

The gifts, she looks from me, are pack'd and lock'd
Up in my heart; which I have given already,
But not deliver'd.-O, hear me breathe my life
Before this ancient sir, who, it should seem,
Hath sometime lov'd: I take thy hand; this hand,

h by the squire.] i. e. By the foot rule.-Esquierre, Fr.

i Pol. O, father, you'll know more of that hereafter.-] This is an answer to something which the shepherd is supposed to have said to Polixenes during the dance.-M. MASON.

knacks:] i. e. Toys, trifles.

straited-] i, e. Put to difficulties.