2. to-night, last night ; another illustration of the usage is in
i. 4. SO, above.
12. dares . . . dared, a mere quibble ; the first means "chal-
lenges," the second, " ventured."

16. thorough, another spelling of the preposition l/trovsh.
pin, centre ; a term from archery. " The clout, or white mark
at which arrows were diret'ted, was fastened by a black pin placed
in the centre" (Malone). Cf Lov^'i Lahour't Lost, iv. 1. 138:
" Then will she get the upshoot by cleaving the pin."

19. prince of cats, a play on Tybalt's name. Sir Tybert, an-
other form of the worl, is the name of the cat in the beast-fable of

Tit^nard Iki Fox. Parallel passages have been cited from Dekker,
Salirtnniutix {1 603) : " The' you were Tybert, the long-tail'd prince
of cats"; and Nash, Have with You to Saffron WakUa (IS96):

- Not Tybalt, prince of cats." '

20. Mptain of complements. He knows all the formalities of
dueling. Compare it. 9. S9, above. The modem distinction in
spelling and sense between complinMtit and compUmfnl did not
exist In the sixteenth century.
ISO ROMEO AND JULIET [Act Two

21-2. time, distance, and proportion. Sleevens quotes from
Jonson, Enery Man in Hi» Hamonr, i. 4. where Bobndil is teaching
Matthew to fence ; " Note your distance, keep your due proportion
of time."

22. resti me. Me is the meaningless " ethical dative," of irbich
further examples are given by Abbott, 5 220.
24. butcher of a silk button., Staunton cites Silver's Paradoxu
of Defence (USS) : "Thou that takest upon thee to hit anie Eng-
lishman with a thrust upon anie button."

26. <>f the very first house, of the first rank, probably; though.
