Page:Henry IV Part 2 (1921) Yale.djvu/141

King Henry the Fourth (worth 'eight shillings an ell,' cf. 1 Henry IV, III. iii. 83). The play on the words holland and lowcountries is apparent. The Prince proceeds to assume that Poins's shortage in shirts is due to the fact that his old shirts are serving as garments for his illegitimate children, who 'bawl out' from 'the ruins of his linen.'

 Either Shakespeare or the Page confuses the dream of Hecuba with that of Althea. Althea dreamed that the Fates told her that her newborn son would live only so long as a burning brand on the hearth remained unconsumed. Althea snatched the brand from the hearth, extinguished the fire, and prolonged her son's life.

 martlemas. Corrupted form of Martinmas, or the Feast of St. Martin, November 11. This day was considered the last day of autumn, and was also the day for salting and hanging the winter's supply of beef. The reference is obviously to Falstaff's hearty old age (cf. All-hallown summer, 1 Henry IV, I. ii. 177, note), or to Falstaff as a 'martlemas beef.'

 borrower's cap. A man asking for a loan is always very ready to take off his cap.

 Most modern editors have rearranged the following speeches, giving to Poins the reading of Falstaff's letter to Hal. The Quarto and Folio arrangement, followed with one exception (cf. Appendix C) in this text, seems more natural. In lines 109, 110 Bardolph evidently gives the letter to the Prince, not to Poins. In line 119 the Prince shows the letter to Poins, but does not necessarily give it to him.

 The parallel is not striking. Jove took the form of a bull to woo Europa. Hal disguises himself as a waiter to spy upon Falstaff. The leather jerkins are the only connecting link.