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- Scene I] Notes 153
" Leave a casement of the great chamber window, where we play,
open, and the moon may shine in ; " and R. and J. i. 5. 14 : " You
are looked for . . . in the great chamber."
155. Mill-sixpences. Old English coin, first milled, or coined,
in 1 561. The groat was fourpence ; and making seven groats in
sixpences is of course an intentional blunder.
Edward shovel-boards were the broad shillings of Edward VI.,
which were generally used in playing the game of shovel-board or
shove-board. Cf. 2 Hen. I V. ii. 4. 206 : " Quoit him down . . .
like a shove-groat shilling." Nares remarks that the wisdom of
Slender is shown by his paying " two shillings and twopence " for
a smooth or well-worn shilling ; but it is possible that these old
shovel-boards commanded a premium on account of being in demand
for the game. We find allusions to their being carefully kept for
this purpose. An old shovel-board was long preserved at the Falcon
inn at Stratford (I believe it is the one now shown in the house
at New Place), which tradition says was used by S. himself.
157. Yead. An old contraction of Yedward (see I Hen. IV.
i. 2. 149) = Edward.
161. Latten bilbo. Latten was a soft alloy of copper and zinc ;
and bilbo was a name applied to a sword, from Bilboa in Spain, a
place famous for its blades. Cf. iii. 5. no below: "like a good
bilbo." Latten bilbo is a hit at Slender's cowardice, implying that
he was as weak and edgeless as a blade of latten ; with possibly the
added idea that he was as thin as a sword-blade.
162. In thy labras. Literally, in thy lips; an expression like
"in thy teeth," " in thy face," etc. The ist quarto reads here: —
" Pistol. Sir lohn, and Maister mine, I combat craue
Of this same laten bilbo. I do retort the lie
Euen in thy gorge, thy gorge, thy gorge."
Labras is a corruption of labios, the Spanish for lips; perhaps sug-
gested hypa labras, for which see Much Ado, iii. 5. 18.
165. Be avised. Be advised = listen to reason. Cf. i. 4. 100
below.
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