Mutton waggishly finging. So that lac'd Mutton has been a fort of Standard Phrafe for Girls of Pleafure. THEOB. L. 26. Nay, in that you are aftray.] For the Reafon Pro theus gives, Dr. Thirlby advises that we should read, a Stray, i. e. a ftray Sheep; which continues Protheus's Banter upon Speed. P. 165. L. 29. THEOB. -you have teftern'd me] You have gratified me with a tefter, teftern, or teften, that is, with a fixpence. JOHNS. P. 166. L. 25. Should cenfure thus on lovely gentlemen] I can conceive no reason why Mr. Warburton fhould alter the reading of Mr. Pope's edition, Should cenfure thus a lovely gentleman. which, by the answer, evidently appears to be the true one. REVIS.* P. 167. L. 22. a goodly broker.] A broker was used for matchmaker, fometimes for a procurefs. JOHNS. P. 168. L. 19. - ftomach on your meat] Stomach was ufed for paffion or obftinacy. JOHNS. P. 169. L. 21. Indeed I bid the bafe for Protheus.] The fpeaker here turns the allufion (which her mistress employed) from the bafe in mufick to a country exercise Bid-the Bafe: In which fome purfue, and others are made prifoners. So that Lucetta would intend, by this, to fay, indeed I take pains to make you a captive to Protheus's pafHe ufes the fame allufion in his Venus and fion. Adonis, To bid the winds a bafe he now prepares. and in his Cymbaline he mentions the game, Lads more like To run the country Base. WARB. and GRAY. P. 190. Julia. I fee you have a month's mind to them] A month's mind was an anniversary in times of popery; or, as Mr. Ray calls it, a lefs folemnity directed by the will of the deceased. There was alfo a year's mind, and a week's-mind. See proverbial phrases. This appears from the interrogatories and obfervations against the clergy, in the year 1552. Inter. VII. "Whether there are any month's minds, and anniverfaries? Strype's Memorials of the Reformation, vol. ii. p. 354. "Was the month's mind of Sir William Laxton, who died the last month (July 1556) his herse burning with wax, and the morrow mafs celebrated, and a fermen preached, &c." Strype's Memorial, vol. iii. p. 305. GRAY. Ibid. A month's mind in the ritual fenfe fignifies not defire or inclination, but remembrance, yet I fuppofe this is the true original of the expreffion. P. 171. L. 2. grave or ferious. JOHNS. what fad talk] Sad is the fame as JOHNS. L. 11. Some to difcover iflands far away] In Shakespeare's time, voyages for the difcovery of the iflands of America were much in vogue. And we find, in the journals of the travellers of that time, that the fons of noblemen, and of others of the best families in England, went very frequently on these adventures. Such as the Fortefcues, Collitons, Thorn-hills, Farmers, Pickerings, Littletons, Willoughbys, Chefters, Hawleys, Bromleys, and others. To this prevailing fashion, our poet frequently alludes, and not without high commendations of it. WARB. P. 172. L. 2. Attends the Emperor in his Royal Court] The Emperor's Royal Court is properly at Vienna, but Valentine, 'tis plain, is at Milan; where, in most other Paffages, 'tis faid he is attending the Duke, who makes one of the Characters in the Drama. This feems to convict the Author of a Forgetfulness and Contradiction; but, perhaps, it may be folved thus, and Milan be called the Emperor's Court; as, fince the Reign of Charlemaigne, this Dukedom and its Territories have belonged to the Emperors. I wish, I could as eafily folve another Abfurdity, which encounters us; of Valentine's going from Verona to Milan, both Inland Places, by Sea. THEOB. Ibid. Mr. Theobald discovers not any great skill in hiftory. Vienna is not the court of the Emperor as Emperor, nor has Milan been always without its princes fince the days of Charlemaigne; but the note has its ufe. JOHNS. L. 20.- in good time] In good time was the old expreffion when fomething happened which fuited the thing in hand, as the French fay, a propos. JOHNS. P. 173. L. 30. Ob, how this fpring of love refembleib well] This monofyllable was foifted in by Mr. Pope, to fupport, as he thought, the verfification in the clofe. Eut it was done for want of obferving Shakespeare's licences in his measures which 'tis proper, once for all, to take notice of. Refembleth, he defign'd here should in pronunciation make four fyllables: as witness, afterwards in this play, and as fidler, (in the Taming a Shrew) and angry (twice in Timon of Athens) are made trifyllables; and as fire and hour are almost for ever protracted by him to two fyllables. THEOB* Ibid.] At the end of this verfe there is wanting a fyllable, for the fpeech apparently ends in a quatrain. I find nothing that will rhyme to fun, and therefore shall leave it to some happier critick. But I fufpect that the Author might write thus, Oh, how this fpring of love resembleth right, Light was either by negligence or affectation changed to fun, which, confidered without the rhyme, is indeed better. The next tranfcriber finding that the word right did not rhyme to fun, fuppofed it erroneously written, and left it JOHNS. out. P. 175. L. 8. Hallomas] That is, about the feaft of AllSaints, when winter begins, and the life of a vagrant becomes lefs comfortable. JOHNS. L. 18. None elfe would] None elfe would be fo fimple. JOHNSON. P. 177. L. 8. Ob! excellent motion, &c.] I think this paffage requires a note, as every reader does not know, that motion, in the language of Shakespeare's days, fignifies puppet. In Ben Jonson's Bartholemew Fair, it is frequently ufed in that fenfe, or rather, perhaps, to fignify a puppet fhew; the mafter whereof may properly be faid to be an interpreter, as being the explainer of the inarticulate language of the actors: the fpeech of the fervant is an allufion to that *practice, and he means to fay, that Silvia is a puppet, and that Valentine is to interpret to, or rather, for her. HAWK. L. 13. Here Silvia calls her lover fervant. again, below, fhe calls him gentle fervant; this was the language of ladies to their lovers, at the time when Shake And fpeare wrote, and as the word is no longer used in that fenfe, would it not be proper to fix it by a note on this passage? HAWKINS. P. 178. L. 22. Reafoning] That is, discoursing, talking. An Italianifm. JOHNSON. P. 181. L. 14. I am the dog, &c.] This paffage is much confused, and of confufion the present reading makes no end. Sir T. Han er reads, "I am the dog, no, the dog is himself and I am me, the dog is the dog, and I am myself." This certainly is more reasonable, but I know not how much reafon the Author intended to bestow on Launce's foliloquy. JOHNSON. L. 19. Like a wood Woman!] The first Folios agree in would woman; for which, Mr. Pope fubftituted ould Woman. But it must be writ, or at least understood, wode Woman. i. e. crazy, frantick with Geief; or distracted, from any Caufe. THEOB. & WARB. Ibid. I think ould woman right. Launce fuppofes one of his Shoes to ftand for his Mother and wishes it could speak like her, i. e. an old Woman not a mad Woman. REVISAL.* P. 184. L. 15. Not without defert.] And not dignified with fo much reputation without proportionate merit. JOHNSON. P. 186. L. 16. No. That you are worthless] I have inferted the particle no to fill up the meafure. JOHNS. L. 17. Thurio. Madam, my Lord your Father.] This Speech in all the Editions is affigned improperly to Thurio; but he has been all along upon the Stage, and could not know that the Duke wanted his Daughter. Besides, the first Line and half of Silvia's Anfwer is evidently address'd to two Perfons. A Servant, therefore, muft come in and deliver the Meffage; and then Silvia goes out with Thurio. THEOBALD. P. 187. L. 7. Whofe high imperious.] For kofe I read thofe. I have contemned love and am punish'd. Thofe high thoughts by which I exalted myself above human paffions or frailties, have brought upon me fasts and groans. JOHNS. L. 15. No woe to his correction] No mifery that can be compared to the punishment inflicted by love. Herbert called for the prayers of the Liturgy a little before his death, faying, None to them, none to them. JOHNS. L. 30. A principality] The first or principal of women. So the old writers ufe ftate. She is a lady, a great state. LATYMER. This look is called in state warlie, in others otherwife. Sir T. More. P. 188. L. 11. Read, Bragardifm. JOHNS. REVISAL.* L. 14. She is alone] She ftands by herself. There is none to be compared to her. JOHNSON. P. 189. L. 13. It is mine THEN, or Valentino's Praise] Here Protheus queftions with himself, whether it is his own praise, or Valentine's miftrefs. But not to insist on the abfurdity of falling in love through his own praises, he had not indeed praised her any farther than giving his opinion of her in three words, when his friend asked it of him. In all the old editions, we find the line printed thus, It is mine, or Valentino's praife? A word is wanting. The line was originally thus, Protheus had just seen Valentine's miftrefs, whom her lover had been lavishly praifing. His encomiums therefore heightening Protheus's idea of her at the interview, it was the lefs wonder he fhould be uncertain which had made the ftrongest impreffion, Valentine's praises, or his own view of her. WARBURTON. Ibid.] Is it mine own, or Valentino's praise. CAP.* L. 24. With more advice] With more prudence, with more difcretion. JOHNS. L. 28. 'Tis but her picture] This is evidently a flip of attention, for he had feen her in the last scene, and in high terms offered her his fervice. JOHNS. P. 190. L. 1. Milan] It is Padua in the former editions. See the note on A&t 3, POPE. HANMER. L. 21 to 28, inclufive, rejected by L. 23. My fraff underflands me] This equivocation, miferable as it is, has been admitted by Milton in his great Poem. B. VI. The terms we fent were terms of weight, Such as we may perceive, amaz'd them all And ftagger'd many; who receives them right Had need from head to foot well understand, |