"Treis clers aloent a escole, Nen frai mie longe parole; Lor ostes par nuit les oscieit, Les cors musca, la ...[3]prenoit Saint Nicolas par Deu le sout, Sempris fut la si cum Deu plut, Les clers al oste demanda, Nes peut muscier einz lui mustra. Seint Nicolas par sa priere Les ames mist el cors ariere. Por ceo qe as clers fist tiel honor Font li clerc feste a icel jor." That is, "Three scholars were on their way to school, (I shall not make a long story of it,) their host murdered them in the night, and hid their bodies; their ... he reserved. Saint Nicholas was informed of it by God Almighty, and according to his pleasure went to the place. He demanded the scholars of the host, who was not able to conceal them, and therefore showed them to him. Saint Nicholas, by his prayers, restored the souls to their bodies. Because he conferred such honour on scholars, they at this day celebrate a festival." It is remarkable, that although the above story explains the common representation of the Saint, with three children in a tub, it is not to be found in that grand repertory of Monkish lies, _The Golden Legend_. It occurs, however, in an Italian life of Saint Nicholas, printed in 1645, whence it is extracted into the Gentleman's Magazine for 1777, p. 158. There is a note by Mr. Whalley on _Saint Nicholas's clerks_, as applied to _highwaymen_, in King Henry the Fourth, part the first, vol. viii. p. 418, which, though erroneously conceived, would have been more properly introduced on the present occasion. Standing where it does, the worthy author is made responsible for having converted the parish clerks of London into a nest of thieves, which he certainly never intended. Those respectable persons, finding that scholars, more usually termed clerks, had placed themselves under the patronage of Saint Nicholas, conceived that _clerks_ of any kind might have the same right, and accordingly took this saint as _their_ patron; much in the same way as the wool-combers did Saint Blaise, who was martyred with an instrument resembling a curry-_comb_, the nail-makers Saint _Clou_, and the booksellers Saint John Port-_Latin_. SCENE 2. Page 246. PRO. Especially against his _very_ friend. Mr. Steevens explains _very_ to be _immediate_. Is it not rather _true, verus_? Thus Massinger calls one of his plays _A_ very _woman_. See likewise the beginning of the Nicene creed. ACT IV. SCENE 2. Page 257. HOST. ... the musick _likes_ you not. i. e. _pleases_, in which sense it is used by Chaucer. This is the genuine Saxon meaning of the word, however it might have been corrupted in early times from its Latin original _licet_. In the next speech Julietta plays upon the word. SCENE 2. Page 258. SIL. What is your will? PRO. That I may compass yours. SIL. You have your wish; my will is even this;--