is in this drama eminently happy. Dryden was much pleafed with his own addrefs in connecting the two plots of his Spanish Friar, which yet, I believe, the critic will find excelled by this play. JOHNS. POPE. P. 337.9.] Argofie, A fhip from Argo. Ibid. Whether it be derived from Argo I am in doubt, It was a name given in our Author's time to fhips of great burthen, probably Galleons, fuch as the Spaniards now ufe in their Weft-India trade. JOHNS. Ibid.] Mr. Pope was miftaken in imagining the Argofie, to fignify a fhip from Argo.' This laft is an inland town in the Morea, and cenfequently could have no shipping. In the primary fignification of the word, it denoted a ship of Ragufa; and as that city was in the middle ages famous for its trade, and extenfive navigation, and particularly for building merchant fhips of the largest fize, every very large mer hant veffel came to be called an Argofie. Hence too Ragozine, for Ragufan, the name of the pirate in Measure for Measure. REVLSAL.* L. 18. Plucking the grafs,, &c.] By holding up the grass, or any light body that will bend by a gentle blaft, the direction of the wind is found. "This way I ufed in fhooting. Betwixt the marks was an open place, there I took a fethere, or a lytle lighte graffe, and fo learned how the wind ftood." Afcham. JOHNS. P. 338. 1. 30. •Now by two-headed Janus.] Here Shakefpear fhews his knowledge in the antique. By trvo-headed Janus is meant those antique bifrontine heads, which generally reprefent a young and fmiling face,. together with an old and wrinkled one, being of Pan and Bacchus; of Saturn and Apollo, &c. Thefe are not uncommon in collections of antiques; and in the books of the antiquaries, as Montfau con, Spanheim, &c. WARB. L. 32. -peep through their eyes.] This gives us a very picturesque image of the countenance in laughing, when the eyes appear half fhut. WARB. P. 339. 1. 3. their teeth in way of smile.] Because such are apt enough to fhew their teeth in anger. WARB. L. 28. Let me play the Fool] Alluding to the common comparison of human life to a fage play. So that he defires his may be the fool's or buffoon's part, which was a conftant character in the old farces: From whence came the phrafe, to play the Fool. WARB. L. 29. With mirth, and laughter, let old wrinkles come;} Because they come eafier, and are longer before they come than when brought by Care. WARB. P. 340. 1. 16. would almoft damn thofe Ears.] Several old Editions have it, dam, damme, and daunt. Some more correct Copies, damn. The Author's meaning is this; That fome People are thought wife, whilft they keep filence; who, when they open their mouths, are fuch ftupid praters, that their hearers cannot help calling them Fools, and fo incur the Judgment denounc'd in the Gospel. THEO. Ibid.] Alluding to what is faid in the Gospel, that Whofoever fhall fay to his brother, Thou fool, fhall be Hell-fire. in danger of HANMER.* L. 22. I'll end my exhortation after dinner.] The humour of this confifts in its being an allufion to the practice of the puritan preachers of thofe times; who being generally very long and tedious, were often forced to put off that part of their fermon called the exhortation till after dinner. WARB. L. 31. Is that any thing now?] All the old copies read, it is that any thing now? I fuppofe we should read, is that any thing new? JOHNS. P. 342. l. I. like a wilful yuuth.] This does not at all agree with what he just before promifed, that, what follow'd, fhould be pure innocence. For wilfulness is not quite fo pure. We should read witless, i. e. heedlefs; and this agrees exactly to that to which he compares his cafe, of a school-boy, who, for want of advised watch, loft his first arrow, and sent another after it with more attention. But wilful agrees not at all with it. WARB. Ibid.] Dr. Warburton confounds the time paft and prefent. He has formerly loft his money like a wilful youth, he now borrows more in pure innocence, without disguifing his former faults, or prefent designs. JOHNS. & REV. L. 14.-in your knowledge.-] i. e. agreeable toyour knowledge and care of my honour. THEO. L. 18. fometimes from her Eyes.] So all the Editions; but it certainly ought to be fometime, i, e. formerly, fome time ago, at a certain time: and it appears by the fubfequent fcene, that Baffanio was at Belmont with the Marquis de Montferrat, and faw Portia in her Father's life-time. L. 33. Thrift for thriving. THEO. POPE. P. 343. 1. 22. I can easier teach twenty.] This reflection of Portia has very much the caft of one in Philemon, the Greek comic poet, and contemporary with Menander. Αλλῳ πονᾶνι ράδιον παραινέσαι Ἔσιν, ποιῆσαι δ ̓ αὑτὸν ἐχὶ ῥάδιον. "It is eafy to advise another under a difficulty; not so eafy to follow what one is able to advise." I dare not pretend, however, that our author imitated this fentiment; for in moral axioms, particularly allowing an equality of genius, writers of all times and countries may happen to ftrike out the fame thought. THEOB.* P. 344. 1. 17. Ay, that's a Colt, indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his borje.] Tho' all the Editions agree in this reading, I can perceive neither humour nor reasoning in it. How does the talking of horses, or knowing how to fhoe them, make a Man e'er the more a Colt? Or, if a Smith and a Lady of Figure were to have an affair together, would a Colt be the iffue of their careffes? The word, Dolt, which I have fubftituted, fignifies one of the most stupid and blockish of the Vulgar. THEOB. Ibid.] Mr. Theobald fays, "he can perceive neither humour nor reafoning in this reading," and therefore alters Colt to Dolt; but whatever humour or reafoning there is in the one there is in the other: for the fignification is the fame in both. Hen. IV. ft. part, Falftaff fays, "What a plague mean you to colt me thus ?" And Fletcher constantly ufes Colt for Dolt. WARE. Ibid.] Colt is used for a witlefs, heady, gay younfter, whence the phrafe ufed of an old man too juvenile, that he ftill retains his colt's tooth. See Hen. VIII. JOHNS. P. 323. 1. 22. there is the count Palatine.] I make no doubt but the count Palatine was fome character notorious in Shakespeare's time (perhaps Albertus a Lafco, a polish Palatine, who vifited England in our author's time, was eagerly carefled and fplendidly entertained, but running in debt, VOL. I. PART II. B at laft ftole away and endeavoured to repair his fortune by enchantment) When Sir Epicure Mammon, in the Alche mift, is promifing Face what great things he will do for him, he fays, he fhall be a count, and adds flily, ay, a count Palatine. The editor of B. jonfon has taken no notice at all of the paffage, nor obferves that the latter part of the line fhould be spoken afide, which the character of Sir Epicure would have juftified him in doing. STEEV. and JOHNS. P. 345, 1. 11. -be bath neither Latin, French, nor Italian.] A Satire on the ignorance of the young English Travellers in our Author's time. WARB. L. 18. Scottish lord.] Scottish, which is in the quarto, was omitted in the first folio, for fear of giving offence to king James's countrymen. THEOB. L. 22. I think, the Frenchman became bis furety,] Alluding to the conftant affiftance, or rather conftant promifes of affiftance, that the French gave the Scots in their quarrels with the English. This Alliance is here humourously fatirized. WARE. L. 24. How like you the young German.] In Shakespear's time the Duke of Bavaria vifited London, and was made Knight of the Garter. Perhaps in this enumeration of Portia's fuitors, there may be fome covert allufion to thofe of Queen Elizabeth. JOHNS. To eat of the baconjur'd the Devil THE. HAN. WAR B. & CAP.* P. 348. 1. 7. Read, Yes to fmell pork. bitation which your prophet, the Nazarite, into. I will, &c. L. 17. catch him once upon the bip.] A phrase taken from the practice of wrestlers. JOHNS. P. 349. 1. 5. the ripe wants of my friend.] Ripe wants are wants come to the height, wants that can have no longer delay. Perhaps we might read, rife wants, wants that come thick upon him. P. 350. 1. 11. can cite fcripture for his purpose JOHNS. O, what a goodly outside falfhood bath!] But this is not true, that falfhood hath always a goodly outfide. Nor does this take in the force of the speaker's fentiment; who would obferve that the falfhood which quotes fcripture for its purpose has a goodly outfide. We should therefore read, O, what a goodly outfide's falfhood hath. i. e. bis falfhood, Shylock's. WARB. Ibid.] I wish any copy would give me authority to range and read the lines thus: JOHNS. O, what a godly outfide falfhood hath ! An evil foul producing holy witness, Is like a villain with a fmiling cheek; Or goodly apple rotten at the heart. Ibid.] Thefe words must be understood as spoken in an ironical contemptuous manner, by which they are peculiarly applied and confined to the inftance which had juft then prefented itself to obfervation. They are not intended to exprefs a general maxim, which holds univerfally; fo that Mr. Warburton's objection, is befide the purpose. REVIS.* P. 351. 1. 13. A breed of barren metal of his friend?] A breed that is intereft money bred from the principal. By the epithet barren the author would inftruct us in the argument on which the advocates against ufury went, which is this, that money is a barren thing, and cannot like corn and cattle multiply itfelf. And to fet off the abfurdity of this kind of ufury, he put breed and barren in oppofition. WARB. P. 352. 1. 4. dwell in my neceffity.] To dwell feems in this place to mean the fame as to continue. To abide has both the fenfes of habitation and continuance. JOHN. L. 24. - left in the fearful guard, &c.] But surely fearful was the most trufty guard for a houfe-keeper in a populous city; where houses are not carried by ftorm like fortreffes. For fear would keep them on their watch, which was all that was neceffary for the owner's fecurity. I fuppofe therefore Shakespear wrote, fearless guard. i. e. Careless; and this, indeed, would expofe his house to the only danger he had to apprehend in the day-time, which was clandeftine pilfering. This reading is much confirmed by the character he gives this guard, of an unthrifty knavé, and by what he says of him afterwards, that he was, - a huge feeder: Snail-flow in profit, but he fleeps by day More than the wild-cat WARB. Ibid.] Dr. Warburton has forgotten that fearful is not only that which fears, but that which is feared or caufes fear. |