by observing, that Latymer, in the time of Edward VI. mentions
it as proof of his father's prosperity, _That though but a yeoman.
he gave his daughters five pounds each for her portion_. At the
latter end of Elizabeth, seven hundred pounds were such a temptation
to courtship, as made all other motives suspected. Congreve
makes twelve thousand pounds more than a counterbalance to the
affectation of Belinda. Ho poet would now fly his favourite
character at less than fifty thousand.

III.iv.100 (270,1) [will you cast away your child on a fool and a
physician?] I should read _fool_ or a _physician_, meaning Slender and
Caius.

III.v.113 (274,4) [bilbo] A _bilbo_ is a Spanish blade, of which the
excellence is flexibleness and elasticity.

III.v.117 (274,5) [kidney] _Kidney_ in this phrase now signifies _kind_ or
_qualities_, but Falstaff means a man whose _kidnies_ are as _fat_ as mine.

III.v.155 (275,6) [I'll be horn-mad] There is no image which our
author appears so fond of, as that of cuckold's horns. Scarcely
a light character is introduced that does not endearor to produce
merriment by some allusion to horned husbands. As he wrote
his plays for the stage rather than the press, he perhaps reviewed
them seldom, and did not observe this repetition, or
finding the jest, however, frequent, still successful, did not
think correction necessary.

IV.i (276,7) [_Page's house_. _Enter Mrs. Page. Mrs. Quickly, and William_]
This is a very trifling scene, of no use to the plot, and I should think