self, your instead of thine; and, I think, sonnets having little claim to sublimity, this reading may, with propriety be adopted. EDITOR.

Tb. 1. 20. Golden tresses. In our author's time, the false hair usually worn, perhaps in compliment to the Queen, was of a sandy colour. Hence the epithet golden. MALONE.

In him

Ib. 1. 25. Without all ornament, itself and true. Surely we ought to read---himself and true. the primitive simplicity of ancient times may be observed; in him, who scorns all adscititious ornaments, who appears in his native genuine state, (himself and true) &c. MALONE.

P. 31, 1. 5. Give thee thy due. Read--that due. The quarto has---that end. For the present emendation (which the rhyme requires) the reader is indebted to Mr. Tyrwhitt. The letters that compose the word due were probably transposed at the press, and

the u inverted. MALONE.

Ib. 1. 7. Their outward, &c. Thus the quarto.-We should read---Thine outward, &c.

Ib. 1. 13. Then their churl thoughts (altho' their eyes were kind.) Other copies read :--

"Then (churls) their thoughts, altho' their eyes were kind."

Ib. 1. 16. The toil is this. Thus the modern editions, which is unintelligible. The quarto reads---solve; i. e. Solution, which Mr. Malone has adopted, though he says he has not met with the word in any author: however, as Shakespeare has formed substantives of verbs, I make no doubt but solve was the word he intended. EDITOR.

I believe we should read---The sole is this; i. e. here the only explanation lies---this is all. STEEVENS.

Ib. 1. 18 and 20. Pretty wrongs that liberty commit - well befit. Other copies read--commits---befits. The latter is a false concord (wrongs befits.) According to the above, commit may be considered as the potential mood, (may commit.) Surely we ought to read--petty, and not-pretty wrongs. Editor.

P. 32, 1. 2. Till he have prevailed. Thus the quarto. But the lady, and not the man, being in this case supposed the wooer, the poet, without doubt, wrote:--

"Till she have prevailed."

The emendation was proposed by Mr. Tyrwhitt. MALONE.

Thus the

Ib. 1. 3. Thou might'st my seat forbear. old copy; as the context proves it to be a corruption, it is thus corrected by Mr. Malone :--

"But yet, thou might'st, my sweet, forbear." Ib. 1. 17. If I lose thee, my loss is my love's gain. If I lose thee, my mistress gains by my loss. MA

LONE.

P. 33, 1. 2 and 5. Venus with Adonis. Thus the old copy. The defect of the metre (as remarked by Dr. Farmer) shows that a word was omitted by the press, which is thus supplied by Mr. Malone :--

"Fair Venus with Adonis," &c.

The metre is equally defective in the fourth line, being double rhyme.

"And as he fell to her, she fell to him."

This is not rhyme for woo him, because the accent falls upon him, instead of to.

read :--

We should, therefore,

"And as he fell to her, now she fell to him."

EDITOR.

Ib. 1. 7. She clipt, or clipp'd; i. e. embraced. So

in the last line of the stanza :--

"To kiss and clip me," &c. EDITOR.

Ib. 1. 9. Should use like loving charms. Should take such fond liberties; or else loving is substituted for lovely. EDITOR.

P. 34, 1. 3. Age I do defy thee. I despise or reject thee. MALONE.

Ib. 1. 13. As faded gloss no rubbing will refresk. This line is founded on a wrong position. Every one knows, that a gloss or polish on all works of art, may restored, and that rubbing is the means of restoring it.

STEEVENS.

be

Shakespeare, I believe, alludes to faded silk, of which, the colour, when once faded, cannot be restored but by a second dying.

A copy of this poem, said to be printed from an an

cient MS. and published in the Gentleman's Magazine,

vol. xxix. p. 39, reads :--

"As faded gloss no rubbing will excite."

And in the corresponding line,--

"As broken glass no cement can unite." MALONE. I think, as refresh and redress is most miserable rhyme we should read in their stead---excite and unite; and certainly, with respect to broken glass, unite is more significant. EDITOR.

Ib. 1. 22.

P. 35, 1. 3.

To limits, &c. Read---From limits, &c.

Jump both sea and land. Jump has here its common signification. In Shakespeare it often signifies to hazard.

Ib. 1. 7. So much of earth and water wrought; i. e. being so thoroughly compounded of these two ponderous elements.

Ib. 1. 18.

STEEVENS.

Opprest with melancholy. Melancholy must be pronounced here as a trisyllable (melanch'ly.) EDITOR.

Ib. 1. 21. But know. Read--but now.

Ib. 1. 22.

P. 36, 1. 2. soon faded.

Of their, &c. Read---Of thy, &c.

Sweet rose, fair flower, untimely pluck'd, This seems to have been intended for a dirge, to be sung by Venus on the death of Adonis. MALONE.

The verb fade, throughout these little fragments, &c. is always spelt vaded, either in compliance with ancient pronunciation, or in consequence of a primitive, which, perhaps, modern lexicographers may feel some reluctance to acknowledge. They tell us that we owe this word to the French, fade; but I see no reason why

we may not as well impute its origin to the Latin, vado, which equally serves to indicate departure, motion, and evanescence. STEEVENS.

Ib. 1. 20. With ugly rack, &c. Ruck is the fleeting motion of the clouds. MALONE.

Ib. 1. 22. Stealing unseen to west, &c. The article the may have been omitted through necessity; yet, I believe, our author wrote-to rest. STEEVENS.

I have often seen, especially in ancient poems, the article the contracted before a consonant, particularly when a vowel precedes it, (to th' west;) there was, therefore, no necessity for omitting it. EDITOR. P. 37, 1. 4. The region cloud; i. e. the clouds of this region or country. STEEVENS.

Ib. 1. 5. No wit, &c.

Read-no whit, &c.

Stain is here used as a verb

P. 38, 1. 2. Authorizing, &c.

The accent must be

on the second syllable, (authorizing.) EDITOR. Ib. 1. 3. Thy amiss; i. e. thy misbehaviour. Ma

LONE.

Ib. 1. 4. Excusing their sins more than their sins are. Thus the old copy; modern editions have it :--

"Excusing thy sins more than thy sins are." The latter words of this line, which ever reading we adopt, are not very intelligible. MALONE.

Ezcusing thy sins more than thy sins are, I believe, means only this---Making the excuse more than proportioned to the offence. STEEVENS.

Ib. 1. 5.

For to my sensual fault I bring incense. Read--For to thy sensual fault, &c.