Ang. Nay, women are frail too.

  Measure for Measure, Act. ii.  Sc. 4.

I should paraphrase Isabella’s remarks thus:—­

“If it be otherwise, if we are not all frail as thou sayest, then let my brother die, unless he be but in the same case as others; if he alone possess and follow thee in that particular frailty to which thou has half confessed.”

A feodary, I should observe, was an officer of the Court of Wards, who was joined with the escheator and did not act singly; I conceive therefore that Shakspeare by this expression indicates an associate; one in the same plight as others; negatively, one who does not stand alone.  In Cymbeline, Act iii.  Sc. 2., we read: 

  “Senseless bauble,
  Art thou a feodary for this act, and lookst
  So virgin-like without?”

where feodary clearly means confederate, associate.  According to some, the word signifies one who holds land by the same tenure as the rest of mankind; whilst Mr. Knight, in a note on Henry IV.  Part i.  Act i. endeavors to show that it includes both the companion and the feudal vassal.

“To owe” is frequently used by Shakspeare in the sense of to possess, to own, as in Act i.  Sc. 5. where Lucio says: 

  “But when they weep and kneel,
  All their petitions are as freely theirs
  As they themselves would owe them.”

So also in the following instances:—­

  “The slaughter of the prince that ow’d that crown.”

  Richard III., Act. iv.  Sc. 4.

  “What art thou, that keepst me out from the house I
  owe?”

  Comedy of Errors, Act iii.  Sc. 1.

  “Then thou alone kingdoms of hearts shouldst owe.”

  Sonnet lxx.

Further examples will be found in A Lover’s Complaint, the last line but two; Pericles, Act v.  Sc. 1.; Twelfth Night, Act. i Sc. 5., Love’s Labour’s Lost, Act i.  Sc. 2.; King John, Act ii.  Sc. 1.; King Lear, Act i.  Sc. 4.

As the passage is allowed to be obscure, this attempt to explain its meaning is submitted with great deference to the opinions of your readers.

Arun.

Mildew in Books (Vol. ii., p. 103.).—­In answer to B. I mention that the following facts connected with mildew in books have been elicited.

The mildew referred to is that which shows itself in the form of roundish or irregular brown spots.

It is usually most abundant in those parts which are most exposed to the air.

In making a microscopic examination of the spots, I ascertained that there was no new structure present; but in manipulating I found that these spots absorbed water more rapidly than the rest of the paper.

On applying litmus, these spots were found to have a powerful acid reaction.