Not understood, this gift they have befides To fhew us when our foes ftand not upright. JOHNS. P. 191. Sc. 9. It is to be obferved that in the first folio edition, the only Edition of authority, there are no directions concerning the fcenes; they have been added by the later Editors, and may therefore be changed by any reader that can give more confiftency or regularity to the drama by fuch alterations. I make this remark in this pla e, because I know not whether the following foliloquy of Protheus is so proper in the street. JOHNS. P. 192. L. 1. O fweet fuggefting love] To fuggeft is to tempt in our Author's language. So again, Knowing that tender youth is foon fuggefted. The fenfe is. O tempting love, if thou haft influenced me to fin, teach me to excufe it. Dr. Warburton reads, if I have finn'd; but, I think, not only without neceffity, but with leis elegance. JOHNS. L. 29. Myfelf, who am his competitor or rival, being admitted to his counfel. JOHNS L. 31. Pretended flight.] We may read intended flight. JOHNSON. P. 193. L. 4, 5. I fufpect that the author concluded the act with this couplet, and that the next fcene fhould begin the third act; but the change, as it will add nothing to the probability of the action, is of no great importance. ter. JOHNSON. P. 197. L. 25. Be not aimed at] Be not guefed. JoHNS. L. 27. Of this pretence] Of this claim made to your daugh JOHNS. P. 199. L. 2. Sir, in Milan here] It ought to be th. S, inftead of in Verona herefor the Scene apparently is in Milan, as is clear from feveral paffages in the first Act, and in the beginning of the first Scene of the fourth A&t. A like mistake has crept into the eighth Scene of act II. where Speed bids his fellow fervant Launce, welcome to Padua. POPE. L. 7. The fabion of the time] The modes of courtship, the acts by which men recommended themselves to ladies. JOHNSON. - for they are fent by me.] For is the same JOHNS. WARB. P. 201. 1. 7. as for that, fince. L. 11. Merops' fon.] i. e. baftard, base-born. Ibid.] The duke calls Valentine, for his ambition in attempting his daughter, Merops' fon, a term fynonimous with Phaeton. He is too well bred to call a gentleman a fon of a whore for no reafon at all; but fince Clymene was Phaeton's mother, and Merops Clymene's husband; how comes calling him Merops' fon to fignify baftard? for though Mr. W. is acquainted with Clymene's amours, the duke is not talking of them here. CANONS.* Ibid.] Thou art Phaeton in thy rashness, but without his pretenfions; thou art not the fon of a divinity, but a terræ filius, a low born wretch; Merops is thy true father, with whom Phaeton was falfely reproached. JOHNS. P. 202. 1. 13. Ify not death, to fly his deadly doom.] To fly bis doom, ufed for by flying, or in flying, is a gallicifm. The fenfe is, By avoiding the execution of his fentence I shall not efcape death. If I ftay here, I fuffer myself to be destroyed; if I go away, I deftroy myself. JOHNS. P. 204. fc. 4. Laun. I am but a fool, look you, and yet I have the wit to think my mafter is a kind of knave: but that's all one, if be be but one knave.] Where is the sense, or, if you won't allow the speaker that, where is the humour of this speech Nothing had given the fool occafion to suspect that his master was become double, like Antipholis in the Comedy of Errors. The laft word is corrupt. We should read, if he be but one kind. He thought his mafter was a kind of knave; however, he keeps himself in countenance with this reflection, that if he was a knave but of one kind, he might pass well enough among his neighbours. This is truly humorous. WARB. Ibid.] This alteration is acute and fpecious, yet I know not whether, in Shakespeare's language, one knave may not fignify a knave on only one occafion, a fingle knave. We still ufe a double villain for a villain beyond the common rate of guilt. JOHNS. & REVIS. Ibid.] Launce, from what has happened in the preceding part of the play between Protheus, his mafter, and Valentine, reflects, that though he is a fool, his master is a knawe. But that's all one, fays he; if he be but one knave, i. e. if be only be a knave; if I too be not found to be another, viz. a hypocritical knave: for he goes on, faying, "He lives not, that knows I am in love; yet I am in love, &c. CAN.* P. 205. 1. 1. A team of korfe fhall not pluck-] I fee how Valentine suffers for telling his love fecrets, therefore I will keep mine close. JOHNS. L. 15. Mafter's Ship] VULG. With my maftership? why, it is at fea. For how does Launce mistake the word? Speed asks him about his mastership, and he replies to it litteratim. But then how was his mastership at sea, and on fhore too? The addition of a letter and a note of Apoftrophe make Launce both mistake the word, and fets the pun right: It reftores, indeed, but a mean joke; but, without it, there is no fenfe in the paffage. Befides, is it in character with the reft of the scene; and, I dare be confident, the poet's own conceit. THEOB. L. 30. St. Nicholas be thy fpeed.] St. Nicholas prefided over scholars, who were therefore called St. Nicholas's clerks. Hence, by a quibble between Nicholas and Old Nick, highwaymen, in the first part of Henry the fourth, are called Nicholas's clerks. WARB. Ibid.] That this faint prefided over young scholars, may be gathered from Knight's life of dean Collet, p. 362. For by the ftatutes of Paul's fchool, there inferted, the children are required to attend divine fervice, at the cathedral, on his anniversary. The reafon I take to be, that the legend of this faint makes him to have been a bishop, while he was a boy. At Salisbury cathedral is a monument of a boy bishop, and it is faid, that a custom formerly prevailed there, of choofing, from among the chorifters, a bishop, who actually performed the pastoral functions, and difpofed of fuch prebends as became vacant during his epifcopacy, which lafted but a few days: it is thought the monument abovementioned was for fome boy that died in office. See the pofthumous works of Mr. John Gregory, 4to. Oxon. P. 206. 1. 25. HAWKINS. -fweet mouth.] This I take to be the fame with what is now vulgarly called a freet tooth, a luxurious defire of dainties and sweetmeats. JOHNSON. P. 207. 1. 8. praife ber liquor.] That is, fhew how well fhe likes it by drinking often. JOHNSON. L. II. -fhe is too liberal.] Liberal, is licentious and grofs in language. So Othello, Is he not a profane and very liberal counfellor. French. JOHNSON. JOHNSON. P. 208. 1. 25. Trenched in ice.] Cut, carved in ice. Trencher, to cut, P. 209. 1. 22. with circumftance.] With the addition of fuch identical particulars as may induce belief. JOHNS. P. 210. 1. 3. But fay, this weed her love-] This caft of reafoning very near resembles that of Davus in the Andria of Terence, Act. 2. Scene 2. Ridiculum Caput! Quafi neceffe fit, fi huic non dat, te illam uxorem ducere. ТНЕСЕ.* P. 210. 1. 5. as you unwind ber love.] As you wind off her love from him, make me the bottom on which you wind it. The housewife's term for a ball of thread wound upon a central body, is a bottom of thread. JOHNS. L. 31. For Orpheus' lute was ftrung with poet's finervs.] This fhews Shakespeare's knowledge of antiquity. He here affigns Orpheus his true character of legislator. For under that of a poet only, or lover, the quality given to his lute is unintelligible. But, confidered as a lawgiver, the thought is noble, and the imag'ry exquifitely beautiful. For by his lute is to be understood his fyftem of laws and by the poet's finews, the power of numbers, which Orpheus actually employed in thofe laws to make them received by a fierce and barbarous people. WARB. P. 211. 1. 19. - I will pardon you.] I will excufe you from waiting. JOHNS. L. 24. we'll make you, fir, and rifle you.] The meaning of this, as it ftands, is, "If you do not deliver we'll make you deliver, and then plunder you.' This is not the lan guage of a very cunning robber. We may better read, JOHNS. If not, we'll take you, Sir, and rifle you. P. 212. 1. 32.] Robin Hood was captain of a band of robbers, and was much inclined to rob churchmen. JOHN. P. 213. 1. 10. →→→→→→→ awful men.] Reve end, worshipful, fuch as magiftrates, and other principal members of the civil communities. JOHNS. Ibid.] I would read lawful men in oppofition to lawless. REVISAL & HAWKINS. L. 13.] All the impreffions, from the first downwards, An heir and niece ally'd unto the duke. But our poet would never have expressed himself so stupidly, as to tell us, this lady was the duke's niece, and ally'd to him: For her alliance was certainly, fufficiently included in the first term. Our author meant to fay, fhe was an heirefs, and near ally'd to the duke; an expreffion the most natural that can be for the purpose, and very frequently used by the stage-poets. THEOB. P. 214. 1. 20. fudden quip.] That is, hafty paffionate teproaches and fcoffs. So Macbeth is in a kindred fenfe faid ro be fudden, that is, irafcible and impetuous. JOHNS.! P. 216. 1. 2. Beauty lives with kindness.] Beauty without kindness dies unenjoyed, and undelighting. JOHNS. L. 31. Out of all nick.] Beyond all reckoning or count. Reckonings are kept upon nicked or notched fticks or tallies. WARB. P. 217. 19. You have your wish, my will is even this] The word will is here ambiguous. He wishes to gain her will: fhe tells him, if he wants her will he has it. JOHNS. P.218. 1. 29. But fince your falfhood fhall become you well.] This is hardly fenfe. We may read, with very little alteration, But fince you're falfe, it fhall become you well. JOHNS. P. 220. 1. 21. Grievances.] Sorrows, forrowful affections. JOHNS. P. 221. 1. 5. I went. VULG. I was fent. THEOB.* L. 11.] I believe we should read, I would have, &c. one that takes upon him to be a dog, to be a dog indeed, to be, &c. JOHNS. P. 222. 1. 2. madam Silvia;] We fhould certainly read Julia, meaning when his mafter and he left Verona. WARB. & CAPELL.* P. 223. 1. 12.] It feems you lov'd ber not to leave her token.] Protheus does not properly leave his lady's token, he gives it away. The old edition has it, It feems you lov'd her not, not leave her token. I fhould correct it thus, It seems you lov'd her not, nor love her token. JoиN. |