Scene II.—
[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.