Vulgar words in Notes and Queries, Number 193, July 9, 1853 - A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, - Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc (Page 1)
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~ ~ ~ Sentence 157 ~ ~ ~
"It lies as sightly on the back of him As great Alcides' shoes upon an ass."
~ ~ ~ Sentence 166 ~ ~ ~
Here we have over again the same note as above, a little diversified, and placed parallel to Theobald's edition in this way: "It lies as sightly on the back of him As great Alcides' _shows_ upon an ass."
~ ~ ~ Sentence 169 ~ ~ ~
For let Hercules and his _shoes_ have been really as big as they were ever supposed to be, yet they (I mean the _shoes_) would not have been an overload for an ass.'"
~ ~ ~ Sentence 185 ~ ~ ~
But Malone, to his immortal honour, was the first to furnish them with _hoofs_: "Upon an ass; _i.e._ upon the hoofs of an ass."
~ ~ ~ Sentence 195 ~ ~ ~
The mask and buskins are put for the stage trappings, or _properties_, of the part of Hercules: of these, one of the items was the _lion's skin_; and hence the extreme aptitude of the allusion, as applied by the Bastard, in _King John_, to Austria, who was assuming the importance of Coeur de Lion!
~ ~ ~ Sentence 197 ~ ~ ~
The real points of the allusion can scarcely be expressed in better words than his own: "Faulconbridge, in his resentment, would say this to Austria, 'That lion's skin which my great father, King Richard, once wore, looks as uncouthly on thy back, as that other noble hide, which was borne by Hercules, would look on the back of an ass!'
~ ~ ~ Sentence 795 ~ ~ ~
They being as it were overjoyed, did foolishly lay this gift of the gods upon the back of an ass, who, being wonderfully oppressed with thirst and near a fountain, was told by a serpent (which had the custody thereof) that he should not drink unless he would promise to give him the burthen that was on his back.
~ ~ ~ Sentence 796 ~ ~ ~
The silly ass accepted the condition, and _so the restoration of youth_ (_sold for a draught of water_) _passed from men to serpents._"--_The Wisdom of the Ancients_ (Prometheus, xxvi.).