Samuel Johnson [1765], The plays of William Shakespeare, in eight volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of Various Commentators; To which are added notes by Sam. Johnson (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [and] C. Corbet [etc.], London) [word count] [S11001].
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SCENE III.
3 noteA foot of honour better than I was,
But many a many foot of land the worse!
Well, now can I make any Joan a lady.
Good den, Sir Robert,—Godamercy, fellow;
And if his name be George, I'll call him Peter;
For new-made honour doth forget men's names:
'Tis too respective and unsociable
For your conversing. 4 noteNow your traveller,
5 noteHe and his tooth-pick at my worship's mess;
-- 412 --
And when my knightly stomach is suffic'd,
Why then I suck my teeth, and catechise
My piked man of countries;—My dear Sir,
(Thus leaning on mine elbow, I begin)
I shall beseech you,—that is question now:
And then comes answer 6 notelike an ABC-book:
O Sir, says answer, at your best command,
At your employment, at your service, Sir:—
No, Sir, says question, I, sweet Sir, at yours,—
7 note
And so e'er answer knows what question would,
Saving in dialogue of compliment;
And talking of the Alps and Apennines,
-- 413 --
The Pyrenean and the river Po;
It draws towards supper in conclusion, so.
But this is worshipful society,
And fits the mounting spirit like myself:
For he is but a bastard to the time,
That doth not smack of observation;
[And so am I, whether I smack or no:]
And not alone in habit and device,
Exterior form, outward accoutrement;
But from the inward motion to deliver
Sweet, sweet, sweet poison for the age's tooth;
8 noteWhich tho' I will not practise to deceive,
Yet, to avoid deceit, I mean to learn;
For it shall strew the footsteps of my rising.
9 noteBut who comes in such haste, in riding robes?
What woman-post is this? hath she no husband,
That will take pains 1 noteto blow a horn before her?
O me! it is my mother; now, good lady,
What brings you here to court so hastily?
Samuel Johnson [1765], The plays of William Shakespeare, in eight volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of Various Commentators; To which are added notes by Sam. Johnson (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [and] C. Corbet [etc.], London) [word count] [S11001].
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