2. Twenty cunning cooks. Ritson says: "Twenty cooks for half a dozen guests! Either Capulet has altered his mind strangely, or S. forgot what he had just made him tell us" (iii. 4. 27). But, as Knight remarks, "Capulet is evidently a man of ostentation; but his ostentation, as is most generally the case, is covered with a thin veil of indifference." Cf. i. 5. 124: "We have a trifling foolish banquet towards."

According to an entry in the books of the Stationers' Company for 1560, the preacher was paid six shillings and twopence for his labour; the minstrel, twelve shillings; and the cook, fifteen shillings. But, as Ben Jonson tells us, a master cook is—

"a man of men For a professor; he designs, he draws, He paints, he carves, he builds, he fortifies, Makes citadels of curious fowl and fish. * * * * * * He is an architect, an engineer, A soldier, a physician, a philosopher, A general mathematician."

6. 'Tis an ill cook, etc. Cf. Puttenham, Arte of English Poesie, 1589:—

"As the old cocke crowes so doeth the chick: A bad cooke that cannot his owne fingers lick."

14. Harlotry. S. uses the noun only in this concrete sense: literally in Oth. iv. 2. 239; and in a loose contemptuous way, as here (= silly wench), in 1 Hen. IV. iii. 1. 198: "a peevish, self-willed harlotry, one that no persuasion can do good upon." For peevish = foolish, childish, cf. A.Y.L. iii. 5. 110, M.W. i. 4. 14, etc.

17. Learn'd me. Taught myself, learned; not elsewhere used reflexively by S. Cf. iii. 2. 12 above.

18. In disobedient opposition. This line has but two regular accents, the others being metrical. See p. 159 above. Opposition has five syllables.

26. Becomed. Becoming. Cf. "lean-look'd" = lean-looking in Rich. II. ii. 4. 11, "well-spoken" in Rich. III. i. 3. 348, etc. We still say "well-behaved."

33. Closet. Chamber; as in Ham. ii. 1. 77, iii. 2. 344, iii. 3. 27, etc. Cf. Matthew, vi. 6.

34. Sort. Select. Cf. iii. 5. 108 above.

38. Short in our provision. Very feminine and housewifely! Cf. Lear, ii. 4. 208:—

"I am now from home, and out of that provision Which shall be needful for your entertainment."

41. Deck up her. Such transpositions are not rare in S. The 1st quarto has "prepare up him" in 45 just below.