Transcriber's Note:

"He mighte noughte that serpent dere;He was soscherdedall aboute."

"He mighte noughte that serpent dere;

He was soscherdedall aboute."

Conf. Am. v.

"She sigh her thought a dragon tho',Whosesherdesshinen as the sonne."

"She sigh her thought a dragon tho',

Whosesherdesshinen as the sonne."

Ib. vi.

And it is a question in which of these senses Shakespeare understoodshard(Ant. and Cleop. iii. 2, Macb. iii. 2, Cymb. iii. 3) when speaking of the beetle. In the first "they were hisshardsand he their beetle," the cow-dung, though the beetle's natal place, could hardly be meant, as he had then to do with only one shard; while supposing the wing-cases to be meant, the sense is plain: in the second "theshard-borne beetle" is ambiguous; forbornandbornewere the same word: in the third, "theshardedbeetle" can only mean properly the beetle that has shards, and it is opposed to "the full-wing'd eagle." The fact, then, seems to be that the poet took this word from Gower, and applied it to the wing-cases of the beetle, which he supposed to be the wings, a piece of ignorance in zoology notto bewondered at in one who asserted (M. of Ven. v. 1) that the nightingale does not sing by day.

Sheriff's post(Tw. N. i. 5). It was the custom to have painted posts at the doors of city magistrates, on which proclamations, etc. were put up.

Shove-groat, a kind of game. "It requires," says Strutt, "a parallelogram to be made with chalk, or by lines cut upon the middle of a table, about 12 or 14 inches in breadth, and 3 or 4 feet in length; which is divided latitudinally into nine equal partitions, in every one of which is placed a figure in regular succession from one to nine. Each of the players provides himself with a smooth halfpenny [formerly a groat or shilling] which he places upon the edge of thetable, and striking it with the palm of his hand drives it towards the marks; and according to the value of the figure affixed to the partition wherein the halfpenny rests his game is reckoned; which generally is stated at thirty-one, and must be made precisely. If it be exceeded, the player goes again for nine, which must also be brought exactly, or the turn is forfeited; and if the halfpenny rests upon any of the marks that separate the partitions, or overpasses the external bounderies, the go is void."

Shrew.This well-known word is used of men also in Chaucer, signifying, a bad, a wicked person: in its later restriction to women it is nearly synonymous withscold. It would seem to come from some lost Anglo-Saxon verb—of which we have a trace inbeshrew—akin to the Germanschreien, to cry out, scream.Shrewd, now used only in the sense of mental acuteness, signified (H. VIII. v. 2) ill, malicious.

Side."Carry out a side" (Lear, v. 1), means win a game at cards, as "pull down a side" was to lose it. It would seem that these phrases were only used of games where there were partners.Sidesis still used of athletic games where there are two parties.

Sink-apace.SeeGalliard.

Skains-mate(R. and J. ii. 4). Perhaps the best interpretation of this unusual term is common woman, whore, who, like Doll Tearsheet (2 H. IV. ii. 4), usually carried a knife.Skainis the Irishsgian, knife.

Sleave, and sleave-silk(Macb. ii. 2, Tr. and Cr. v. 1), the soft floss silk before it is twisted.

Sleeve-hand(W. T. iv. 3), cuff or wristband. In the same placesquareis the part covering the bosom:

"Her curioussquare, emboss'd with swelling gold,Between her breasts the cruel weapon rives."

"Her curioussquare, emboss'd with swelling gold,

Between her breasts the cruel weapon rives."

Fairf. G. of Bul. xii. 64.

Slip.SeeCounterfeit.

Soft, soft you.These expressions, which so frequently occur, are verbs;softcoming fromsoften, ashastefromhasten. The meaning is relax, stop, hold back. It may be here observed that the hunting-termsohois a combination ofsoftandhold, both apocopated, meaning hold back, do not start the hare; and thattallyhoistarry, hold, let the fox get off, give him law. In like mannerhollawas a term used to a horse (Ven. and Adon., St. 48, As You Like it, iii. 2), to make him stop, stand quiet, and formed fromholdand, perhaps,hard.

Span-counter(2 H. VI. iv. 3), a game played by boys with counters or pieces of money; but it is not well known in what manner. The span or distance between the thumb and the little finger when the hand is on the stretch, had of course something to do with it, as inThree-hole-span, a game at marbles.

Speak(K. John, ii. 1, J. C. iv. 3, Cor. v. 3). Editors do not seem to have observed that in these and other placesspeakis synonymous withsay.

Split."Make all split" (M. N. D. i. 2), was a common phrase, denoting violence of action; but the allusion is not exactly known. We say "split the sides" with laughter.

Spoons(H. VIII. v. 3). It was the custom for the sponsors at a christening to make a present of spoons, named Apostle-spoons, because the handle was terminated with the figure of one of the Apostles. The spoons were usually of silver. The wealthy gave the entire dozen, others according to their means.

Spy of the time(Macb. iii. 2). This most unusual phrase occurs only in this place. The meaning ofspyin it must be, exact information. It is very remarkable that Ariosto usesspiain exactly the same sense:—

"Non ha avuto Agramante ancoraspia,Ch' Astolfo mandi una armata si grossa."

"Non ha avuto Agramante ancoraspia,

Ch' Astolfo mandi una armata si grossa."

Or. Fur. xxxix. 79.

See also vii. 34, viii. 68, ix. 14, xxxvii. 90, I Suppositi, v. 6. Could Shakespeare have read Ariosto in Italian?Spydoes not occur in Harrington's translation; but Gascoigne rendersebbero spiain I Suppositi byhad espial. In Gower (Conf. Am. v.) we have

"My sone be thou ware with allTo seche suche micheries,But if thou have the betteraspiesIn aunter."

"My sone be thou ware with all

To seche suche micheries,

But if thou have the betteraspies

In aunter."

Stalking-horse(As Y. L. v. 4), either a real horse trained for the purpose, or the imitation of one carried by the sportsman by means of which his was enabled to get within shooting-distance of wild fowl.

Statute(sc. staple, merchant) Ham. v. 1, a legal mode of securing a debt on the debtor's land.Recognizancein the same place is an acknowledgment by the debtor for the same purpose;finesandrecoverieswere legal modes of cutting off anentail;double voucherwas connected with a recovery, two persons being required tovouchfor the tenant's title.

Stell(Lear, iii. 7). It is very doubtful in what sense this verb is used here. It is usually supposed to be the same asstellar; but there is no instance of its use in that sense, while in Lucrece, st. 207, and in Son. xxiv. we have it in the sense ofplace, of which (except these passages of our poet) only the following instance has been given, and that of the subst., not the verb. "The saidstellof Plessis," Danet, Comines.Stelleandstelare the German and Dutch,steadthe English, for place.

Sticking-place(Macb. i. 7). The best explanation of this seems to be that which supposes it to be the point to which the strings of musical instruments are screwed up in tuning.

Stickler(Tr. and Cr. v. 9), one whose office it was, at single combats or trials of skill, to stand by and see fair play, and to end the matter when he deemed it right to do so. He bore astick, whence the name. Like some other words it has somewhat changed its meaning, for it now means one whocontendsfor something.

Stint(R. and J. i. 3, Tr. and Cr. iv. 5, Tim. v. 5), cease, stop, put an end to. "Stintthy babbling tongue" (Jonson, Cynth. Rev. i. 1). "Stintthy idle chat" (Marston, What You Will). "Lacrimas supprimere, tostintweeping" (Baret, Alvearie).

Strachy."The Lady of the Strachy" (Tw. N. ii. 5). What the allusion is here, and the meaning ofStrachyare alike unknown. Payne Knight conjectured that this word may be a corruption ofStratico, the title of the Governor of Messina; but this is very dubious.

Stuck(Tw. N. iii. 5, Ham. iv. 7), seems to be a corruption ofstocco, It., a rapier.

Sword.Swearing by the sword (W. T. ii. 3, Ham. i. 5), was in effect swearing by the Cross, as the hilt and blade were separated by a cross bar of metal.

Take(M. W. iv. 4, Ham. i. 1, Lear, ii. 4), to strike, blast, infect. Here it is used in a causative sense, with an ellipsis of the object, as disease, etc.—Take in(Ant. and Cl. i. 1, iii. 7, Cymb. iv. 2) is the same as the simpletake. It is a mere translation of the Dutchennemen, learned in the wars of the Low Countries.—Take with(1 H. IV. ii. 4, R. and J. iii. 5), cause to understand, keep, as it were, in the same pacewith.—Take up(All's Well, ii. 3, 2 H. IV. i. 2), sc. money or things on credit.

Tawdry(W. T. iv. 3), a corruption of Saint Audrey (i.e.Ethelred), thetbeing, as was so frequently the case, transferred to the following word. A fair was held, chiefly at Ely, on St. Audrey's day (Oct. 17), at which toys, etc., were sold, among these a kind of silken necklaces, much worn by the country-maidens. We should perhaps say simply, lace; for Spenser has

"And gird yourwaistFor more fineness, with atawdry-lace."

"And gird yourwaist

For more fineness, with atawdry-lace."

Shep. Cal. iv. 135.

Tawny.This is simply tanned,i.e.of a brown colour like that of tanned leather. Hence in 1 H. VI., the Bishop's men are in "tawny coats,"i.e.coats of some variety of brown colour.

Tear a cat(M. N. D. i. 2), an expression of ranting violence of which the origin is merely conjectural.

Tennis.The figurative expressions in these plays derived from this game are:—Bandy(R. and J. ii. 5, Lear, i. 4et alibi), to strike and drive the ball with the racket.Hazard(H. V. i. 2) is, says Steevens, "a place in the tennis-court into which the ball was sometimes struck."Chace(ib.) is, says Douce, "thatspotwhere a ball falls, beyond which the adversary must strike the ball to gain a point orchace. At long tennis it is the spot where the ball leaves off rolling." Steevens quotes from Sidney's Arcadia, book iii. "Then Fortune—as if she had made chaces enow on the one side of that bloody tennis-court—went on to the other side of the line." Surely, according to this, with which Shakespeare agrees, a chace was not aspot. Theline, it may be observed, ran along the court at right angles to the wall against which they played.

Tercel(Tr. and Cr. iii. 2), andtassel-gentle(R. and J. ii. 2), the male of the goss-hawk,tiercelet, Fr., so called, it is said, from being athirdless than the female, or, some say, as being one of three in a falcon's nest, the other two being always females. The epithetgentledenoted its docility.

Termagant(Ham. iii. 2), an imaginary being, in the old mysteries and moralities, usually associated with Mahound,i.e.Mahomet, and of a furious violent character. The word still remains, but in a somewhat different sense. It comes,it is said, fromTrivagante, It., used in the same manner. May not the remote origin beTer-(i.e.Tris-)megistos?

Thewes(2 H. IV. iii. 4, Ham. i. 3, J. C. i. 3). In these places Shakespeare uses this term in a corporeal sense of the sinews and muscles, and he may have been the first who did so. It properly denotes the qualities of the mind, fromtheaw, A.S., and is akin toTugendGerm.

Thread and thrum(M. N. D. v. i). Thethreadis the warp in a web; thethrum, the tufts formed by the ends of the thread beyond the web. The two taken together therefore form the whole.

Three-farthings(K. John, i. 1), pieces of silver coin of that value; of course extremely thin and liable to crack.

Three-man song(W. T. iv. 3), a song for three voices. By way of a joke derived from this we have "three-man beetle" (1 H. IV. i. 2).

Three-pile(M. for M. IV. 3, W. T. iv. 2, L. L. L. v. 2), the finest kind of velvet. The name alludes to something in its construction. Frompilum?Terciopelois the Spanish for velvet.

Tick-tack(M. for M. i. 3), same as tric-trac, a game similar to draughts. "This is the plain game of tick-tack, which is so called fromtouch and take; for if you touch a man you must play him, though to your loss" (Comp. Gamester, p. 113).

Tide."A parted just at turning of the tide" (H. V. ii. 3). Here the critics tell us of a superstition connecting death with the tide of the sea. But as it is added "between twelve and one," I think we may taketidein its original sense of, time.

Tire, in falconry (fromtirer, Fr.). The hawk or any other bird of prey, was said totireon its food when it dragged or tore it to pieces. Shakespeare uses the word metaphorically (Tim. iii. 6, Cymb. iii. 4).

To.Likezu, G.,te, D., this particle occurs continually in Shakespeare in the sense ofat. "ToMilan let me hear from you by letters" (Two Gent. i. 1) is an instance generally not understood by the editors. See above, p. 343. It is also used with an ellipsis ofcomparedin Two Gent. ii. 4, Ham. iii. 1, and elsewhere.

Toad(As Y. L. ii. 1). It was a notion in those times that the poor innocent toad had in the interior of his head a stone endued with great virtues, namedboraxorstelon. See Fenton, Secret Wonders of Nature, 1569, and other authors.Perhaps the notion originated in the great brilliancy of the toad's eye, which may have been termed 'a jewel.'

"If I but once lay hands upon the slave,That thus hath robb'd me of my dearest jewel (his eye)."

"If I but once lay hands upon the slave,

That thus hath robb'd me of my dearest jewel (his eye)."

Lingua, v. 6.

Tokens(L. L. L. v. 2, Ant. and Cl. iii. 8), the spots on the body denoting the plague. The house in which there was one or more persons who had them was shut up, andLord have mercy upon us!put over the door.

Too.This word occurs in the sense oftrop, Fr.,i.e.excessively, in Com. of Err. i. 2, L. L. L. ii. 1, Temp. ii. 2, and other places. For the difference oftropandtoo,assezandenough, see what I have written in Notes and Queries, 3 Ser. x. 430.

Tray-trip(Tw. N. ii. 5), the name of some game, probably played with dice; but of which we have no description.

Tribulacion."The Tribulacion of Tower-hill or the Limbs of Limehouse" (H. VIII. v. 3) are supposed to have been the names of two Puritan congregations.

Triple(All's Well, ii. 1, Ant. and Cl. i. 1), third, one of three, a sense only to be found in Shakespeare.

Troll-my-Dames(W. T. iv. 2), a corruption of the FrenchTrou-madame, a game also calledPigeon-holes, our present bagatelle.

Trossers(H. V. iii. 7), the tight, close-fitting pantaloons worn by the native Irish. Hencetrowsers.

Truckle-bed(M. W. iv. 5, R. and J. ii. 1), a bed on castors (trochlea) for the use of the servant, who lay in the same room with the master or mistress. During the day it was run under the state-bed, and at night was drawn out at the foot. It was also calledtrundle-bed.

Truepenny(Ham. i. 5). Mr. Collier says he was informed that in the mining-districts of the Midland counties this term signifies a particular indication on the soil of the direction in which ore is to be found.

Try with main-course(Temp. i. 1). "To hale the tack aboord, the sheat close aft, the boling set up, and the helm tied close aboord" (Smith, Sea Grammar, 1627).

Tub(M. for M. iii. 2, H. V. ii. 1, Tim. iv. 3). It was one of the modes of curing the venereal disease to put the patient in a heated tub, where he was sweated, being at the same time fed on mutton roasted dry, etc.

Tucket(H. V. iv. 2), the Italiantoccata, a blast of the trumpet for a charge or advance.

Turk Gregory(1 H. IV. v. 3). In this are united two objects of the utmost horror and fear, the Grand Turk and the famous Pope Gregory VII., as depicted by Foxe in his Book of Martyrs.

Turnbull-street(2 H. IV. iii. 2), a street in Clerkenwell, now restored to its original name ofTurnmill-street. It was the resort of bullies, whores,et id genus omne.

Two and thirty a pip out(T. of Sh. i. 2),i. e. thirty-one; the allusion being, it is said, to a game of cards calledBone-aceorThirty-one. Apipis one of the spots on the cards.

Utis(2 H. IV. ii. 4), orUtas, the eighth day after a festival, or Saint's-day: fromhuit, Fr. As it was a holiday, it came to signify sport, festivity, amusement in general.

Veal."Veal, quoth the Dutchman" (L. L. L. v. 2). In DutchVeelis much, many, often. Here it seems to answer toMuch!

Veney,venew(M. W. i. 1, L. L. L. v. 1), an assault in fencing—fromvenue, Fr., a coming-on. It was the Italianstoccata.

Vice(Tw. N. iv. 2), same asIniquity, which see.

Vie(T. Sh. ii. 1, Ant. and Cl. v. 2), to bet, lay. The noun is the Frenchenvi, the Spanishenvite.

Virginal(W. T. i. 2). The virginal was the first form of the pianoforte. It was rectangular, differing in this from the spinnet, the harpsichord, and grand piano. Nares, who had seen the instrument, describes it exactly. It was sometimes called apair of virginals, as an organ was apair of organs, in allusion probably to the set (pair) of keys.

Wanton(fromwendan, A.S., turn, change?) seems to have originally signified yielding, changeable. We have "the wanton green" (M. N. D. ii. 2), "the wanton rushes" (1 H. IV. iii. 1).

Water-work(2 H. IV. ii. 1) seems to mean work done on cloth in water-colours, or distemper.

Weaver(Tw. N. ii. 3, 1 H. IV. ii. 4). Weavers, from the sedentary nature of their work, seem to have been much addicted to singing, especially psalms. By thethree soulsin the first of these passages is meant thevegetative, sensitive, andreasonablesouls, which were held to composethe soul.

Weyard.This is the way in which Shakespeare spells inMacbeth the word which in G. Douglas and Holinshed is speltweird.

Wheel(Ham. iv. 5), the burthen in a ballad, a translation ofrota, probably on account of its coming round and round.

Whiffler(H. V. v. Chor.), a fifer, who went first in a procession. It then came to be used of any one who went before to clear the way.

While, whiles, whilst.The first of these words is a noun, signifying time; the second is the adverbial genitive of it, and the third this last with a paragogict.Whileis used adverbially, likewhiles, with an ellipsis ofin the. It also occurs, as in the following passages, with an ellipsis ofto the,till the. "The Romans had a law that every man should use shooting in peace-time,whilehe was forty year old" (Ascham, Toxoph. p. 16). "When the conjured spirit appears, which will not bewhileafter many circumstances," etc. (K. James, Demonol.).

"I may be convey'd into your chamber. I'll lieUnder your bedwhilemidnight."

"I may be convey'd into your chamber. I'll lie

Under your bedwhilemidnight."

B. and F. Wit at sev. Weap. ii. 2.

"Cleanthus, if you want money to-morrow, use me,I'll trust youwhileyour father's dead."

"Cleanthus, if you want money to-morrow, use me,

I'll trust youwhileyour father's dead."

Mass. Old. Law, i. 1.

"Blessings may be repeatedwhilethey cloy."

Waller, Ans. to Suckling.

In Lincolnshirewhileis used at the present day foruntil. This is evidently the sense in whichwhilesis used in Twelfth Night, iv. 3; for Macb. iii. 1 see the note.

Whistling.In falconry the whistle was, for the bird, the sign of starting and of returning. The term of the former waswhistle off(Oth. iii. 3) against the wind after game,downthe wind if cast off as worthless and untameable. "I have been worth the whistle" (Lear, iv. 2) seems to refer to the whistle of recall. "As a long-winged hawk, when he is firstwhistled offthe fist, mounts aloft, and for his pleasure fetcheth many a circuit in the air, still soaring higher and higher, till he come to his fullpitch; and in the end, when the game is sprung, comes down amain, and stoops upon the sudden" (Burt. Anat. of Mel. ii. 1-3).

Who(M. of Ven. ii. 7,et alibi). This pronoun was often used, as here, of things. Hence we still use the gen.whose.

Wild-goose chase(R. and J. ii, 4) was something like our steeple-chase. There were only two riders; and when one got the lead, the other was obliged to follow wheresoever he went.

Winchester goose(1 H. VI. i. 3, Tr. and Cr. v. 11). This is said to be a swelling caused by a disease got in the stews. The latter passage, however, might intimate that it was a denizen of them. The origin of the phrase is supposed to be the circumstance of the stews being chiefly on the Bankside, which was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Winchester; the proximity of the river may have caused the use of the termgoose.

Wish(M. Ado, iii. 1, M. for M. iv. 3, Ant. and Cl. i. 3), advise, recommend; (T. of Sh. i. 1) to introduce.

Wit.This word was the same asesprit, Fr., and meant mental power, talent. Thus we havewit and humourstill in use, but with changed signification; for it meant talent and character (individuality), as we have "wit and judgment" (Oth. iv. 2); or perhaps there may be an ellipsis ofgoodwithhumour. The "five wits" (Tw. N. iv. 2) are said to be the five mental powers, "common wit [sense], imagination, fantasy, estimation [judgment], and memory" (Hawes, Bell. Pucel. ch. xxiv.ap.Malone). They were probably originally the five senses; but Shakespeare (Son. cxli.) clearly distinguishes them.

With(T. Sh. iv. 2, Ant. and Cl. v. 2,et alibi), by, a sense it still bears, but not as in these places.

World."Go to the world" (All's Well, i. 3), "be a woman of the world" (As Y. L. v. 3), be married, have, as it were, a place in the world.

Worm(Ant. and Cl. v. 2,et alibi), snake, serpent,wyrm, A.S. Among Shakespeare's other errors in natural history seems to be that of his supposing (M. N. D. iii. 2, R. II. iii. 2) the adder to sting with its tongue. See, however, Ham. iii. 4, 3 H. VI. i. 4. Webster actually says,

"Repentance then will follow, like the stingPlac'd in the adder's tail."

"Repentance then will follow, like the sting

Plac'd in the adder's tail."

Vitt. Coromb. ii.

J. Bunyan says of himself that having seized an adder, and "stunned her with a stick, he forced open her mouth, and plucked out herstingwith his fingers," meaning probably her fangs.

Yaughan(Ham. v. 1). This might be taken for a corruption of Vaughan; but it is the Danish and GermanJohan(YforJ), John. Jonson has (Ev. Man out, etc. v. 4) "a few, oneYohan." Shakespeare got Johan along with the other Danish names—Guildenstern, Rosencrantz, Osric.

THE END.

Printed byTaylorandFrancis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street.

Transcriber's Note:The author's corrections on page viii have been applied on the text.Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently corrected.Corrections.The first line indicates the original, the second the correction. The author's corrections on pageviiihave been applied on the text.p.27:It was therefore written between 1697 and that date;It was therefore written between1597and that date;p.63:The right word, it is quite plain, isc p.The right word, it is quite plain, iscup.p.186:it it might be better to read so here alsoitmight be better to read so here alsop.395:the incumbent of a parish; not what i now so termed.the incumbent of a parish; not whatisnow so termed.p.421:a piece of ignorance in zoology not be wondered ata piece of ignorance in zoology nottobe wondered atErrata.The first line indicates the original, the second how it should read.p.71:In the Anglo-Saxon the verbs made their plural inth, not inn,In the Anglo-Saxon the verbs made their plural inth, not ins,p.178:It might appear better to readwould; but all is right.It might appear better to readwould; butwillis right.

The author's corrections on page viii have been applied on the text.

Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained.

Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently corrected.

The first line indicates the original, the second the correction. The author's corrections on pageviiihave been applied on the text.

p.27:

p.63:

p.186:

p.395:

p.421:

The first line indicates the original, the second how it should read.

p.71:

p.178:

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