Give fire; she is my prize, or ocean whelm them [Exit PISTOL. all! "For once we cleared her deck; and had we been able to have spared but a dozen men, doubtless we had done with her what we would; for she had no close FIGHTS," i. e. if I understand it right, no small arms. So that by fights is meant any manner of defence, either small arms or cannon. So, Dryden, in his tragedy of Amboyna: "Up with your FIGHTS, "And your nettings prepare," &c. WARBURTON. The quotation from Dryden might at least have raised a suspicion that fights were neither small arms, nor cannon. Fights and nettings are properly joined. Fights, I find, are clothes hung round the ship to conceal the men from the enemy; and close-fights are bulk-heads, or any other shelter that the fabrick of a ship affords. JOHNSON. So, in Heywood and Rowley's comedy, called Fortune by Land and Sea: "-display'd their ensigns, up with all their feights, their matches in their cocks," &c. Again, in The Christian turned Turk, 1612: "Lace the netting, and let down the fights, make ready the shot," &c. Again, in The Fair Maid of the West, 1615: "Then now up with your fights, and let your ensigns, "Blest with St. George's cross, play with the winds." Again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Valentinian: 66 - while I were able to endure a tempest, This passage may receive an additional and perhaps a somewhat different illustration from John Smith's Sea-Grammar, 4to. 1627. In p. 58 he says: "But if you see your chase strip himself into fighting sailes, that is, to put out his colours in the poope, his flag in the maine top, his streamers or pendants at the end of his yards' arms, &c. provide yourself to fight." Again, p. 60: "Thus they use to strip themselves into their short sailes, or fighting sailes, which is only the fore sail, the maine and fore top sailes, because the rest should not be fired or spoiled; besides they would be troublesome to handle, hinder our sights and the using of our armes: he makes ready his close fights fore and aft." In a former passage, p. 58, he has said that "a ship's close fights are small ledges of wood laid crosse one another, like the grates of iron in a prison's window, FAL. Say'st thou so, old Jack? go thy ways; I'll make more of thy old body than I have done. Will they yet look after thee? Wilt thou, after the expence of so much money, be now a gainer? Good body, I thank thee: Let them say, 'tis grossly done; so it be fairly done, no matter. Enter BARDolph. BARD. Sir John, there's one master Brook below would fain speak with you, and be acquainted with you; and hath sent your worship a morning's draught of sack." betwixt the maine mast and the fore mast, and are called gratings or nettings," &c. STEEVENS. 7 -one master Brook below would fain speak with you, and be acquainted with you; and hath sent your worship a morning's draught of sack.] It seems to have been a common custom at taverns, in our author's time, to send presents of wine from one room to another, either as a memorial of friendship, or (as in the present instance) by way of introduction to acquaintance. Of the existence of this practice the following anecdote of Ben Jonson and Bishop Corbet furnishes a proof: "Ben Jonson was at a tavern, and in comes Bishop Corbet (but not so then) into the next room. Ben Jonson calls for a quart of raw wine, and gives it to the tapster. Sirrah, says he, carry this to the gentleman in the next chamber, and tell him, I sacrifice my service to him.' The fellow did, and in those words. Friend,' says Dr. Corbet, I thank him for his love; but 'pr'ythee tell him from me that he is mistaken; for sacrifices are always burnt." Merry Passages and Jeasts, MSS. Harl. 6395. MALONE. This practice was continued as late as the Restoration. In the Parliamentary History, Vol. XXII. p. 114, we have the following passage from Dr. Price's Life of General Monk: "I came to the Three Tuns before Guildhall, where the general had quartered two nights before. I entered the tavern with a servant and portmanteau, and asked for a room, which I had scarce got into but wine followed me as a present from some citizens, desiring leave to drink their morning's draught with me." REED. FAL. Brook, is his name? BARD. Ay, sir. FAL. Call him in; [Exit BARDOLPH.] Such Brooks are welcome to me, that o'erflow such liquor. Ah! ha! mistress Ford and mistress Page, have I encompassed you? go to; via! Re-enter BARDOLPH, with FORD disguised. FORD. Bless you, sir. FAL. And you, sir: Would you speak with me? FORD. I make bold, to press with so little preparation upon you. FAL. You're welcome; What's your will? Give us leave, drawer. [Exit BARDOLPH. FORD. Sir, I am a gentleman that have spent much; my name is Brook. FAL. Good master Brook, I desire more acquaintance of you. 9 FORD. Good sir John, I sue for yours: not to charge you; for I must let you understand, I think myself in better plight for a lender than you are: the which hath something embolden'd me to go to; via!] This cant phrase of exultation or defiance, is common in the old plays. So, in Blurt Master Constable: "Via for fate! Fortune, lo! this is all." STEEVENS. Markham uses this word as one of the vocal helps necessary for reviving a horse's spirits in galloping large rings, when he grows slothful. Hence this cant phrase (perhaps from the Italian, via,) may be used on other occasions to quicken or pluck up courage. TOLLET. 9 not to charge you;] That is, not with a purpose of putting you to expence, or being burthensome. JOHNSON. this unseasoned intrusion; for they say, if money go before, all ways do lie open. FAL. Money is a good soldier, sir, and will on. FORD. Troth, and I have a bag of money here troubles me: if you will help me to bear it, sir John, take all, or half, for easing me of the carriage. FAL. Sir, I know not how I may deserve to be your porter. FORD. I will tell you, sir, if you will give me the hearing. FAL. Speak, good master Brook; I shall be glad to be your servant. I FORD. Sir, I hear you are a scholar,—I will be brief with you ;-and you have been a man long known to me, though I had never so good means, as desire, to make myself acquainted with you. shall discover a thing to you, wherein I must very much lay open mine own imperfection: but, good sir John, as you have one eye upon my follies, as you hear them unfolded, turn another into the register of your own; that I may pass with a reproof the easier, sith' you yourself know, how easy it is to be such an offender. FAL. Very well, sir; proceed. FORD. There is a gentlewoman in this town, her husband's name is Ford. FAL. Well, sir. FORD. I have long loved her, and, I protest to you, bestowed much on her; followed her with a doting observance; engrossed opportunities to meet her; fee'd every slight occasion, that could but sith] i. e. since. STEEVENS. niggardly give me sight of her; not only bought many presents to give her, but have given largely to many, to know what she would have given: briefly, I have pursued her, as love hath pursued me; which hath been, on the wing of all occasions. But whatsoever I have merited, either in my mind, or in my means, meed,2 I am sure, I have received none; unless experience be a jewel: that I have purchased at an infinite rate; and that hath taught me to say this: Love like a shadow flies, when substance love pursues; Pursuing that that flies, and flying what pursues.3 FAL. Have you received no promise of satisfaction at her hands? meed,] i. e. reward. So Spenser: "A rosy garland was the victor's meed." Again, in our author's Two Gentlemen of Verona: "Vouchsafe me for my meed but one fair look." STEEVENS. 3 Love like a shadow flies, when substance love pursues; Pursuing that that flies, and flying what pursues.] These lines have much the air of a quotation, but I know not whether they belong to any contemporary writer. In Florio's Second Fruites, 1591, I find the following verses: Again: "Di donne e, et sempre fu natura, "Chi per prender l'huomo, piangono, e preso la devorano, "Chile fugge sequono, e chi le seque fuggono." 'Thus translated by Florio: 66 they are like crocodiles, They weep to winne, and wonne they cause to die, "Follow men flying, and men following fly." MALONE. Thus also in a Sonnet by Queen Elizabeth, preserved in the Ashmole Museum: 66 My care is like my shaddowe in the sunne, "Follows me fliinge, flies when I pursue it." STEEvens. |