“_Shal._ The luce is the fresh fish, the salt fish is an old coat.”
I cannot understand this. Perhaps there is a corruption both of words and
speakers. Shallow no sooner corrects one mistake of Sir Hugh’s, namely,
“louse” for “luce,” a pike, but the honest Welchman falls into another,
namely, “cod” (_baccalà_). _Cambrice_—“cot” for coat.
“_Shal._ The luce is the fresh fish—
_Evans._ The salt fish is an old cot.”
“Luce is a fresh fish, and not a louse;” says Shallow. “Aye, aye,” quoth
Sir Hugh; “the _fresh_ fish is the luce; it is an old cod that is the salt
fish.” At all events, as the text stands, there is no sense at all in the
words.
_Ib._ sc. 3—
“_Fal._ Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband’s
purse; He hath a legion of angels.
_Pist._ As many devils entertain; and _To her, boy_, say I.”