CANON XVIII.

He may explane bis Author, or any former Editor of him; by supplying such words, or pieces of words, or marks, as he thinks fit for that purpose.

EXAMPLE I. Vol. 1. P. 355. MEASURE FOR

MEASURE.

In a note on the title of this play, Mr. Pope had told us; that the story of it was taken from Cinthio's Novels, Dec. 8. Nov. 5: by which a plain man would imagine he meant, that it was taken from the fifth Novel of the eighth Decade, as indeed it happens to be, in Cinthio: but Mr. Warburton puts it in words at length, December 8. November 5. though, whether he thought the story was fo long, that it held for two days; and, not being finished the first, was refumed again at almost a twelve-month's distance; or, whether he defigned to hint, that Cinthio wrote his Tale on the eighth of December, and Shakespear his Play on the fifth of November; we can only conjecture.

This is the only paffage, in all this book; which has been honour'd with Mr. Warburton's particu lar notice. In a note on v. 175 of Mr. Pope's imitation of Horace, book ii. epift. 2. the ridiculous blunder here laugh'd-at is charged on the Printer; and the author of the Canons abufed grofsly, for imputing it to the Editor. Both parts of this anfwer should be replied-to. The Printer, it seems, lengthened Dec. and Nov. into December and No•vember.' If Mr. W. can give a fingle inftance of any fuch lengthening, or any thing like it, in Printers; except this and two or three more which

might be mention'd, as having happen'd to HimSelf; (one is to be found under Canon VIII. Ex. 28.) and one famous one, which is faid to have happen'd to a Writer, lately the subject of much controverfy; the benefit of it fhall be allow'd him very readily. As to the Duncery, or Knavery, of imputing to Mr. W. himself this pretended blunder of his Printer; we would obferve, in the first place, that the very great number of cancell'd leaves in his edition of Shakespear led us to think; that it was revised with extraordinary care and exactness and confequently, that the many blunders in fpelling, pointing, and the like, were as certainly His; as thofe in reafoning and emending: in the fecond place, He muft knowingly and wilfully mistake our defign; if he fuppofes it was anywhere intended to charge fuch grofs ignorance upon him; or any thing more here, than to expose his heedless hafte and very flovenly inattention; in a work, which came abroad with fuch vaft expec

tation.

EXAMP. II. Vol. 7. P. 241. CYMBELINE.

." or e'er I could "Give him that parting kiss, which I had fet "Betwixt two charming words❞—

Mr. Warburton, in his note on this paffage, has had the felicity to discover; what were the two charming words, between which Imogen would have fet her parting kifs: which Shakespear probably never thought-of. He fays; "without que"stion, by these two charming words fhe would be "understood to mean,

"ADIEV, POSTHVMVS. "The one religion made fo; and the other love."

Imogen must have understood the etymology of our language very exactly; to find out fo much religion in the word adieu: which we use commonly, without fixing any fuch idea to it; as when we say, that fuch a man has bidden adieu to all religion. And, on the other fide, she must have understood the language of love very little; if she could find no tenderer expreffion of it, than the name, by which every body else called her husband.

EXAMP. III. Vol. 2. P. 229. LOVE'S LABOR LOST.

"and fuch barren plants are set before us, that • we thankful should be; which we taste and feel"ing are, for those parts that do fructify in us more "than he."

The words have been, as Mr. Warburton fays, transposed and corrupted; and he " hopes, he has "reftored the author," by reading thus;

-" and fuch barren plants are fet before us, "that we thankful should be for those parts (which we tafte and feel ingradare) that do fructify in us more than he.” WARB.

Our Critic's defire to fhew his skill in the Italian, would not let him fee; that Sir Thomas Hanmer restored this paffage to fenfe, without the help of his ingradare; which does not mend the matter much, and which he has not the left pretense of authority for palming upon us as Shakespear's; and this is done in the Oxford edition, by thrusting-out the intrufion, as Mr. Warburton* fays; and printing the paffage, as the rhyme directs;

"And these barren plants are fet before us, that we "thankful fhould be

For those parts, which we tafte and feel do fruc

tify in us more than he."

* Vol. 1. P. 263.

which is a couplet of the fame fort of long verses, as thofe which follow. This unreasonable and unbridled affectation in Mr. Warburton, of dragging into the text of Shakespear, as well as into his notes on him, all, and more-than he understands, of the modern languages; cannot but put one in mind of a most unlucky note of his a little lower, p. 233.

note 3.

-"thofe, who know the world, know the pedant to be the greatest affecter of politeness." WARB. When the critic does not understand a passage,

he may explane it by putting a proper quantity of asterisks, where he supposes some words are wanting.'

EXAMP. IV. Vol. 3. P. 46. ALL'S WELL

THAT ENDS WELL.

"for doing I am past; as I will by thee in "what motion age will give me leave."

..

"Here is a line loft after past; fo that it should be diftinguished by a break with afterisks. The very "words of the loft line, it is impoffible to retrieve; "but the fenfe is obvious enough. For doing I am "paft; age has deprived me of much of my force "and vigour; yet I have still enough to fhew the "world I can do myself right, as I will by thee in "what motion [or in the best manner] age will give me leave." WARB.

σ

By this fagacious discovery Lafeu, an old lord of a high fpirit, (who is treating with the most contemptuous ridicule Parolles, an infamous coward ; who receives all that can be laid on him with the most abject patience) is made fo far to forget his character and dignity; as to give a challenge to this pitiful fcoundrel. Is this like Shakespear? The fenfe, fuch as it is, feem to be plainly this;

‹‹ I can

"I cannot do much, fays Lafeu; doing I am past: "as I will by thee in what motion age will give me "leave. i. e. as I will pass by thee as faft as I am "able ;" and he immediately goes out: it is a play on the word past; the conceit indeed is poor; but Shakespear plainly meant it, and nothing more; and confequently nothing is left-out. In the very next fpeech Parolles confiders it not as a challenge, but as an excufe on account of his age; and threatens to fight his fon for it:

"Well, thou haft a son shall take this disgrace "off me;" &c.

EXAMP. V. Vol. 3. P. 38. ALL'S WELL THAT

ENDS WELL.

"Parolles.-he's of a moft facinerious fpirit, "that will not acknowledge it to be theLafeu. Very hand of heaven.

66

"Par. Ay, fo I fay.

"Laf. In a moft weak

"Par. And debile minifter, great power, great "transcendence; which should indeed give us, a farther use to be made, than alone the recovery "of the King; as to be

66

Laf. Generally thankful.

"Between the words us and a farther, there feem " to have been two or three words dropt; which "appear to have been to this purpofe.-fhould in"deed give us [notice, that there is of this] a far"ther ufe to be made. So that the paffage fhould "be read with Afterisks for the future." WARB.

He is in the right to put the Afterisks, not the Words into the text; because They do indeed give us [notice, that there is in Them] as much additional meaning, as there would be in those words which they fo properly reprefent.