ssion which then
predominates. The term is several times used by Shakespeare for strong
amorous passion. Iago, in "Othello" (iii. 3), refers to it as "hot as
monkeys, as salt as wolves in pride." In "Measure for Measure" (v. I),
the Duke calls Angelo's base passion his "salt imagination," because he
supposed his victim to be Isabella, and not his betrothed wife, whom he
was forced by the Duke to marry.[987]

[987] Brewer's "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable," p. 782.

_Salutations._ God-den was used by our forefathers as soon as noon was
past, after which time "good-morrow" or "good-day" was esteemed
improper; the phrase "God ye good den" being a contraction of "God give
you a good evening." This fully appears from the following passage in
"Romeo and Juliet" (ii. 4):

"_Nurse._ God ye good morrow, gentlemen.

_Mercutio._ God ye good den, fair gentlewoman."

Upon being thus corrected, the Nurse asks, "Is it good den?" to which
Mercutio replies, "'Tis no less, I tell you, for the bawdy hand of the
dial is now upon the prick of noon."

A further corruption of the same phrase was "God dig-you-den," as used
by Costard in "Love's Labour's Lost" (iv. 1): "God dig-you-den all!"
Shakespeare uses it several times, as in "Titus Andronicus" (iv. 4),
where the Clown says: "God and Saint Stephen give you good den;" and in
"King John" (i. 1) we have "Good-den, Sir Richard!"

Another old popular salutation was "good even and twenty" ("Merry Wives
of Windsor," ii. 1), equivalent to "twenty good-evenings." Mr.
Halliwell-Phillipps quotes a similar phrase from Elliot's "Fruits of the
French" (1593), "God night, and a thousand to everybody."

We may also compare the phrase "good deed" in "Winter's Tale" (i. 2)--a
species of asseveration, as "in very deed."

_Servants Customs._ The old custom of the servants of great families
taking an oath of fidelity on their entrance into office--as is still the
case with those of the sovereign--is alluded to by Posthumus in
"Cymbeline" (ii. 4), where, speaking of Imogen's servants, he says:

"Her attendants are
All sworn and honourable."[988]

[988] See Percy's "Northumberland Household Book," p. 49.

Gold chains were formerly worn by persons of rank and dignity, and by
rich merchants--a fashion which descended to upper servants in great
houses--and by stewards as badges of office. These chains were usually
cleaned by being rubbed with crumbs. Hence, in "T