at the ring by correre alla quintana. The principle of all these was the fame, viz. to avoid the blow of the fword or fand-bag, by ftriking the quintain in a particular place. It might have been expected that fome inftance had been given of the use of these quintains in England; and for want of it an objection may be taken to this method of illuftrating the prefent fubject: but let it be remembered, that Shakspeare has indifcriminately blended the ufages of all nations; that he has oftentimes availed himself of hearfay evidence; and again, that as our manners and cuftoms have at all times been borrowed from the French and other nations, there is every reafon to infer that this fpecies of the quintain had found its way into England. It is hardly needful to add, that a knowledge of very many of our ancient fports and domeftic employments is not now to be attained. Historians have contented themselves to record the vices of kings and princes, and the minutia of battles and fieges; and, with very few exceptions, they have confidered the difcuffion of private manners (a theme perhaps equally interefting to pofterity,) as beneath their notice and of little or no importance. As a military sport or exercise, the use of the quintain is very ancient, and may be traced even among the Romans. It is mentioned in Juftinian's Code, Lib. III. Tit. 43; and its most probable etymology is from "Quintus," the name of its inventor. In the days of chivalry it was the fubftitute or rehearsal of tilts and tournaments, and was at length adopted, though in a ruder way, by the common people, becoming amongst them a very favourite amufement. Many inftances occur of its ufe in feveral parts of France, particularly as a feignorial right exacted from millers, watermen, new-married men, and others; when the party was obliged, under fome penalty, to run at the quintain upon Whitfunday and other particular times, at the lord's caftle for his diverfion. Sometimes it was practised upon the water, and then the quintain was either placed in a boat, or erected in the middle of the river. Something of this kind is defcribed from Fitzftephen by Stowe in his Survey, p. 143, edit. 1618, 4to. and still continues to be tifed upon the Seine at Paris. Froiffart mentions, that the shield quintain was used in Ireland in the reign of Richard II. In Wales it is still practifed at weddings, and at the village of Offham, near Town Malling in Kent, there is now ftanding a quintain, refembling that copied from Stowe, oppofite the dwelling-house of a family that is obliged under fome tenure to fupport it, but I do not find that any ufe has been ever made of it within the recollection of the inhabitants. prac Shak fpeare then has moft probably alluded to that fort of quintain which refembled the human figure; and if this be the cafe, the fpeech of Orlando may be thus explained: "I am unable to thank you; for, furprized and fubdued by love, my intellectual powers, which are my better parts, fail me; and I resemble the quintain, whofe human or active part being thrown down, there remains nothing but the lifeless trunk or block which once upheld it." Or, if better parts do not refer to the quintain, "that which here ftands up" means the human part of the quintain, which may be alfo not unaptly called a lifeless block. DOUCE. * ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.] The ftory of All's Well that ends Well, or, as I fuppofe it to have been fometimes called, Love's Labour Wonne, is originally indeed the property of Boccace, but it came immediately to Shakspeare from Painter's Giletta of Narbon, in the Firft Vol. of the Palace of Pleafure, 4to. 1566, p. 88. FARMER. Shakspeare is indebted to the novel only for a few leading circumftances in the graver parts of the piece. The comic buliness appears to be entirely of his own formation. STEEVENS. This comedy, I imagine, was written in 1598. See An Attempt to afcertain the Order of Shakspeare's Plays, Vol. I. MALONE. |
