Note 252 — SCENE II.

in Rome, I'll go to him with a mortar “The clown in Fletcher’s Fair Maid of the Inn, act v. sc. 2, makes use of a similar expression: ‘He did measure the stars with a false yard, and may now travel to Rome with a mortar on’s head, to see if he can recover his money.’ On this Mason observes, ‘One class of presidents in the parliament of Paris were styled présidents à mortier, for a cap they wore resembling in shape a mortar.’” Editor of 1816. See also Cotgrave’s Fr. Engl. Dict. in v. mortier; but in this expression, which seems to have been proverbial, does mortar mean a cap? “So that methinkes I could flye to Rome (at least hop to Rome, as the olde Prouerb is) with a morter on my head.” Dedicatory Epistle to Kemps nine daies wonder, 1600.