A pain he in his head-piece feels,
Against a stubbed tree he reels,
And up went poor hobgoblin's heels;
Alas, his brain was dizzy.——
At length upon his feet he gets,
Hobgoblin fumes, Hobgoblin frets,
And as again he forward sets,
And through the bushes scrambles,
A stump doth trip him in his pace,
Down fell poor Hob upon his face,
Among the briers and brambles.
III.ii.30 (58,7) [Some, sleeves; some, hats] There is the like image in Drayton of queen Mab and her fairies flying from Hobgoblin.
Some tore a ruff, and some a gown,
'Gainat one another jostling;
They flew about like chaff i' th' wind,
For haste some left their masks behind,
Some could not stay their gloves to find,
There never was such bustling.
III.ii.48 (58,l) [Being o'er shoes in blood] An allusion to the proverb, Over shoes, over boots.
III.ii.70 (59,3) [O brave touch!] Touch in Shakespeare's time was the same with our exploit, or rather stroke. A brave touch, a noble stroke, un grand coup. Mason was very merry, pleasantly playing both with the shrewd touches of many curst boys, and the small discretion of many lewd schoolmasters. Ascham.
III.ii.74 (60,4) [mispris'd] Mistaken; so below misprision is mistake.
III.ii.141 (62,5) [Taurus' snow] Taurus is the name of a range of mountains in Asia.
III.ii.144 (62,7) [seal of bliss!] Be has elsewhere the same image,
But my kisses bring again Seals of love, but seal'd in vain, (rev. 1778, III,74,4)
III.ii.150 (62,8) [join in souls] This is surely wrong. We may read, Join in scorns, or join in scoffs. [Tyrwhitt: join, ill souls] This is a very reasonable conjecture, though I think it is hardly right. (1773)