ftop fhort, even there where both our interest and inclination would otherwise have carried us. WARB. Ibid.] The Text as Dr. W. has printed it, means quite the contrary to what he afcribes to it; for it can only mean "with good ufage you may win us to any thing, but with ill, our advances will be extremely flow except in cafes aubere our own inclinations would bave made your interpofition neceffary." But this fenfe degrades thofe important words, but to the Goal, into an unmeaning appendage. I am therefore for retaining the old punctuation. REVISAL. P. 105, 1.7. The mort o' th' deer ;—] A lesson upon the horn at the death of the deer. THEOB. L. 14, We must be near.] Leontes, feeing his fon's nofe fmutched, cries, "we must be neat," then recollecting that neat is the term for horned cattle he says, " not neat, but cleanly." L. 16. JOHNS. Still virginalling] Still playing with her fingers, as a girl playing on the virginals. the next claimant. L. 22. cuckold. JOHNS. JOHNS. JOHNS. a fork'd one —] That is, a horned one; a P. 108, L. 8.tis powerful: think it.] After this there are four lines of infamous, fenfelefs ribaldry, ftuck in by some profligate player, which we have cashiered. HAN. and WARS.* P. 108, 1. 26. They're bere with me already.] Net Polixenes and Hermione, but cafual oblervers, people accidentally prefent. THIRLEY. Whifpring, rounding :] i, è, rounding in the ear, a phrase in ufe at that time. But the Oxford Editor not knowing that, alters the text to,whiff'ring round. WARB. To round in the ear, is to whisper or to tell fecretly. The expreffion is very copiously explained by M. Cafaubon, in his book de Ling. Sax. JOHNS. P. 109, 1. 7. - lower mesffes,] Mefs is a contrac tion of Mafter, as Mefs John, Mafter John; an appellation ufed by the Scots, to thofe who have taken their academical degree. Lower Meffes, therefore, are graduates of a lower form. P. 110, 1. 13. Whereof the execution did cry out JOHNS. Against the non-performanc,-] This is one of the expreffions by which Shakespeare too frequently clouds his meaning. This founding phrafe means, I think, no more than "a thing neceffary to be done." JOHNS Ibid.] This paffage is fuch apparent nonfenfe, that the reader may perhaps be inclined to think with me that we ought to read the now performance, which gives as this very reasonable meaning; at the execution whereof,circumftances occurred to forbid all futher proceeding in it. Rev L. 27. If thou wilt confefs] Dele the comma after wilt which poils the fense of the passage. REVI P. 111, 1.6. were fin As deep as that, tho' true.] i. e. Your fuficion is as great a fin as would be that (if committed) for which you fufpe& her. L. 8. WARB. meeting nofes?] Dr. Thirlby reads meting nafes; that is, measuring notes. one P. 112, . 16. But with a lingering dram that shouli na work, Maliciously, like poison: ] The thought is here beautifully expreffed. He could do it with a dram that should have none of thofe vifible defects that detect the poifoner. These effects he finely calls the malicious workings of poifon, as if done with defign to betray the ufer. But the Oxford Editor would mend Shakespeare's expreffion, and reads, that should not work Like a malicious poifon : Se that Camillo's reafon is loft in this happy emendation. WA. Ibid.] Rafb is hafty, as in another place, rafb gunpowder. Muliciously is malignantly, with effects openly burtful. Shakefpeare had no thought of "betraying the ufer." The Oxford emendation is harmless and felefs. JOHNS. L. 17. In former copies, but I cannot Believe this Crack to be in my dread mifirefs, I have loved thee Leo. Make that by Question and go rot :] The last Hemiftich affigned to Camillo, must have been mistakenly placed to him. It is difrefpect and Infolence in Camillo to his king, to tell him that he has once loved him. I have ventured at a tranfpofition, which feems felf-evident. Camillo will not be perfuaded into a fufpicion of the difloyalty imputed to his mistress. The king, who believes nothing but his jealoufy, provoked, that Camillo is fo obftinately diffident, finely itarts into a rage and cries; "I've lov'd thee. Make't thy Question and go rot." i. e, I have tendered thee well, Camillo, but I here cancei all former refpect at once. If thou any longer make a Question of my wife's difloyalty, go from my presence, and perdition overtake thee for thy ftubborness. THEOB. I have admitted this alteration, as Dr. Warburton has done, but am not convinced that it is neceffary. Camillo, defirous to defend the Queen, and willing to secure credit to his apology, begins, by telling the King "that he has loved him," is about to give inftances of his love, and to infer from them his prefent zeal, when he is interrupted. Joн. Ibid.]Read "Make that thy Question and go rot: I've lov'd thee." CAPELL.* P. 15, 1.3. Succefs here is to be understood in the fame HANM*. fenie as Succeffion. L. 31. To vice you to't, i. e. to draw, perfuade you. The character called the Vice, in the old plays, was the Tempter to evil, WARB. Ibid.] I do not believe the expreffion To Vice, to be english, notwithstanding Dr. W. difcovery. The genuine reading Tentice is obvious. P. 116, 1. 9. Cam. REVI.* Swear his Thought over By each particular ftar in heaven, &c.] The tranfpofition of a fingle letter reconciles this paffage to good fenfe; Polixenes, in the preceding fpeech, had been laying the deepest imprecations on himself, if he had ever abused Leontes in any familiarity with his Queen. To which Camillo very pertinently replies: -Swear this though over, &c. Ibid.] Read "Swear his thought." whofe foundation L. 14. Is pil'd upon bis faith, THEOB. CAPELL ] This folly which is JOHNS. ] But how could founded upon fettled belief. this expedition comfort the Queen? on the contrary it would increase her Hufband's fufpicion. and comfort The gracious Queen's: We should read, i. e. be expedition my friend, and be comfort the Queen's friend. The Oxford Editor has thought fit to paraphrafe iny correction, and fo reads, Heaven comfort The gracious Queen; WARB. Dr. Warburton's conjecture is, I think, juft; but what fhall be done with the following words, of which I can make nothing: Perhaps the line which connected them to the reft, is loft. JOHNS. Ibid.] The difficulty in this paffage may poffibly be leffened by reading thus Fear o'erfhades me: Good expedition be my friend and comfort Of his ill-ta'en fufpicion. ¿.. May part of the King's theme be comfort to the Queen, and may he not torment her by touching upon his illgroundless fufpicions! The mind, when greatly affected and hurried, like the fpeaker's, delivers itself thus imperfectly and disjointedly. ANON. P. 119, 1. 12. Alack, for besser knowledge] That is “O that my knowledge were lefs." L. 24. He bath difcovered my defign, and I Remain a pinch'd thing; JOHNS. Alluding to the fuperftition of the vulgar, concerning those who were enchanted, and faftened to the fpot,by charms fuperior to their own. WARB. P. 121. L. 11: But with her most wile principal] Thefe words rejected by. CAPELL.* L. 21. if I miftake. The center, &c.] That is, if the proofs which I can offer will not fupport the opinion I have formed, no foundation can be trufted, But that be fpeaks JOHN S. L. 25. He who fball speak for her, is far off guilty, - This cannot be the fpeaker's meaning. Leontes would fay, I fhall hold the perfon in a great measure guilty, who shall dare to intercede for her: and this, I believe Shakespeare ventur'd to exprefs thus: He, who fball speak for ber, is far of guilty, &c. i. e. partakes far, deeply, of her guilt. THEOB. It is ftrange that Mr. Theobald could not find out that fer off guilty, fignifies, guilty in a remote degree. JOHNS. P. 122. L. 12. -this action, ] The word action is here taken in the lawyer's fenfe, for indi&ment, charge, or accufation. JOHNS. I'll keep my ftable where L. 27. I lodge my wife, Stabiefland (ftabilis Ratio as Spelman interprets it) is a term of the Foreft-laws, and fignifies a place where a deer-stealer fixes his stand under fome convenient cover, and keeps watch for the purpose of killing deer as they pafs by. From the place it came to be applied alfo to the perfon, and any man taken in s foreft in that fituation with a gun or bow in his hand, was prefumed to be an offender, and had the name of a stabieftand. In all former editions this hath been printed tables, and it may perhaps be objected, that another fyllable added fpoils the fmoothness of the verfe. But by pronouncing ftable short the measure will very well bear it, according to the liberty allowed in this kind of writing, and which ShakeSpeare never feruples to ufe; therefore I read, Alable-ftand. HANMER and CAP. |