callat[855] know herself."

[854] Nares's "Glossary," vol. ii. p. 965.

[855] "Callat," an immodest woman, also applied to a scold. Cf.
"Winter's Tale," ii. 3:

"A callat
Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her husband,
And now baits me."

A wisp, adds Nares, seems to have been the badge of the scolding woman
in the ceremony of Skimmington;[856] an allusion to which is given in a
"Dialogue between John and Jone, striving who shall wear the breeches,"
in the "Pleasures of Poetry," cited by Malone:

"Good, gentle Jone, with-holde thy handes,
This once let me entreat thee,
And make me promise never more,
That thou shalt mind to beat me.
For fear thou wear the wispe, good wife,
And make our neighbours ride."

[856] Skimmington was a burlesque ceremony in ridicule of a man
beaten by his wife. See Brand's "Pop. Antiq.," vol. ii. pp.
191, 192.

In Nash's "Pierce Pennilesse" (1593) there is also an amusing allusion
to it: "Why, thou errant butter-whore, thou cotquean and scrattop of
scolds, wilt thou never leave afflicting a dead carcasse? continually
read the rhetorick lecture of Ramme-alley? a wispe, a wispe, you
kitchen-stuffe wrangler."

CHAPTER XIX.

PROVERBS.

In the present chapter are collected together the chief proverbs either
quoted or alluded to by Shakespeare. Many of these are familiar to most
readers, but have gained an additional interest by reason of their
connection with the poet's writings. At the same time, it may be noted
that very many of Shakespeare's pithy sayings have, since his day,
passed into proverbs, and have taken their place in this class of
literature. It is curious to notice, as Mrs. Cowden-Clarke remarks,[857]
how "Shakespeare has paraphrased some of our commonest proverbs in his
own choice and elegant diction." Thus, "Make hay while the sun shines"
becomes

"The sun shines hot; and if we use delay,
Cold biting winter mars our hoped-for hay,"

a statement which applies to numerous other proverbial sayings.

[857] "Shakespeare Proverbs," 1858.

"A black man is a jewel in a fair woman's eyes." In the "Two Gentlemen
of Verona" (v. 2), the following passage is an amusing illustration of
the above:

"_Thurio._ What says she to my face?

_Proteus._ She says it is a fair one.

_Thurio._ Nay then, the wanton lies; my face i