that when she was feen alone, fhe would be more noted. CAN. & JOHNS. Rofalind lacks then the love L. 24. Which teacheth thee that thou and I are one.] The poet certainly wrote which teacheth me. For if Rofalind had learnt to think Celia one part of herself, she could not lack that love which Celia complains the does. THEOB, and CAPELL. Ibid] Either reading may stand. The fenfe of the eftablifhed text is not remote or obfcure. Where would be the abfurdity of faying, "You know not the law which teaches you to do right." JOHNS. L. 30. take your change upon you,] In all the later editions, from Mr. Rowe's to Dr. Warburton's, change is altered to charge, without any reason, and also in Capell's. P. 445. 1. 16. curtle-axe, or cutlace, a broad fword. JOHNS. L. 19. I'll have, Sir T. Hanmer, for we'll have. (Capell retains the old reading.) JOHNS. P. 446. l. 10. In former editions, Here feel we not the penalty] What was the penalty of Adam, hinted at by our poet? The being fenfible of the difference of the feafons. The duke fays, the cold and effects of the winter feelingly perfade him what he is. How does he not then feel the penalty? Doubtless, the text must be reftored as I have corrected it and 'tis obvious in the course of these notes, how often not and but by mistake have chang'd place in our author's former editions. THEOB. L. 18. Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head:] It was the current opinion in Shakespeare's time, that in the head of an old toad was to be found a ftone, or pearl, to which great virtues were afcribed. This ftone has been often fought, but nothing has been found more than accidental or perhaps morbid indurations of the skull. JOHNS. L. 23. I would not change it] Mr. Upton, not without probability, gives these words to the duke, and makes Amiens begin, happy is your grace. REV. and JOHNS. P. 448. T. 18. to cope bim,] To encounter him; to engage with him. JOHNS. P. 449. 1. 20. In the former editions, the bonny prifer – We fhould read boney prifer. For this wrestler is characterifed for his ftrength and bulk, not for his gaiety or goodhumour. WARB. JOHNS. Ibid] So Milton, giants of mighty bone. Ibid] The word bonny, which was the ancient reading, fignifies not gay, or good-humoured, only, but, high-spirited, active. Mr. Warburton's alteration therefore was unneceffary. P. 450. 1. 23. courfe of nature. P. 451. 1. 15. do cloak] Read, do choak, from the old copies. REV.* diverted blond] Blood turned out of the JOHNS. САР. L. 16. Even with the having.] Even with the promotion gained by service is fervice extinguifhed. JOHNS. P. 452. 1. 1. O Jupiter! how merry are my Spirits ?] Mr. Warburton and I, concurred in conjecturing it should be, as how weary are my spirits? And the clown's reply makes this reading certain. I have reformed the text : THEOB. P. 453. 1. 3. I am inclined to believe that from this paffage Suckling took the hint of his fong. Honeft lover, whofoever, If in all thy love there ever Were one wav'ring thought, thy flame Were not even, ftill the fame. Know this Thou lov'ft amiss, And to love true Thou must begin again and love anew, &c. JOHNS. L. 18. batlet-The inftrument with which washers beat their coarfe cloaths. JOHNS. L. 20. For cods it would be more like fenfe to read peas, which having the fhape of pearls, refembled the common prefents of lovers. JOHNS. L. 23. -fo is all nature in love mortal in folly.] This expreffion I do not well understand. In the middle countries, mortal, from mort a great quantity, is ufed as a particle of amplification; as, mortal tell, mortal little. Of this fenfe I believe Shakespeare takes advantage to produce one of his darling equivocations. Thus the meaning will be, fo is all nature in love, abounding in folly. JOHNS. P. 454. 1. 26. And in my voice right welcome fhall ye be.] In my voice, as far as I have a voice or vote, as far as I have power to bid you welcome. JOHNS. P. 456. 1. 9. will dine] Read with the old copies will drink. CAP. P. 457. 1. 3. For ducdame Sir T. Hanmer, very acutely and judiciously, reads, duc ad me. That is, bring him to me. (Capell reads, ducdame) JOHNS. P. 458. 1. 14. A motley fool; a miferable world!] What! because he met a motley fool, was it therefore a miferable world? This is fadly blundered; we fhould read, a miferable varlet. His head is altogether running on this fool, both before and after these words, and here he calls him a miferable varlet, notwithstanding he railed on lady fortune in good terms, &c. Nor is the change we make fo great as appears at first fight. WARB. Ibid.] I fee no need of changing fool to varlet, nor, if a change were neceffary, can I guess how it should be certainly known that varlet is the true word. A miferable world is a parenthetical exclamation, frequent among melancholy men, and natural to Jaques at the fight of a fool, or at the hearing of reflections on the fragility of life. JOHNS. P. 459. 1. 18. Only fuit.] Suit means petition, I believe, not drefs. L. 27. He, whom a fool doth very wifely bit, Doth very foolishly, although he fmart, JOHNS. Seem fenfelefs of the bob. If not, &c.] Befides that the third verfe is defective one whole foot in measure, the tenour of what Jaques continues to fay, and the reasoning of the paffage, fhew it is no lefs defective in the fenfe. There is no doubt, but the two little monofyllables, which I have fupplied, were either by accident wanting in the manufeript copy, or by inadvertence were left out. THEO. &WARB. Toid. If not, &c.] Unlefs men have the prudence not to appear touched with the farcafms of a jefter, they subject themselves to his power, and the wife man will have his folly anatomifed, that is, diffected and laid open by the_fquandring glances or random fhots of a fool. JOHN. P. 460. 1. 8. As fenfual as the brutish fting.] Though the brutish fting is capable of a fenfe not inconvenient in this paffage, yet it is a harsh and unusual mode of fpeech, I should read the brutish fty. JOHNS. P. 461. 1. 7. The thorny point Of harp diftrefs has ta'en fram me the fhew Offmooth civility.] We might read torn with more elegance, but elegance alone will not justify alteration. L. 26. Lafe and neglect the creeping hours of time.] JOHNS. Secretum iter & fallentis femita vitæ. Hor. WARB. P. 462. 1. 7. And take upon command what help we bave.] It feems neceffary to read, then take upon demand what beip, &c. that is, afk for what we can fupply, and have it. JOHNS. L. 22. Wherein we play in.] Mr. Pope has given us more correctly, Wherein we play." WARB. P. 463. 1. 12. Full of wife fares and modern inftances.] It is remarkable that Shakespeare ufes modern in the double fen fe that the Greeks ufed xa, both for recens and abfurdus. WARB. Ibid.] I am in doubt whether modern is in this place ufed for abfurd: the meaning feems to be, that the juftice is full of old fayings and late examples. REV. & JOHNS. L. 13. The fixth age shifts Into the lean and flipper'd pantaloon.] There is a greater beauty than appears at firit fight in this image. Life is here compared to a fage play, of feven acts, (which was no unusual divifion before our author's time.) The fixth he calls the lean and flipper'd pantaloon, alluding to that general character in the Italian comedy, called Il Pantalone; who is a thin emaciated old man in flippers; and well defigned, in that epithet, becaufe Pantaline is the only character that acts in flippers. L. 23. WARE. Set down your venerable burthen.] Is it not likely that Shakespear had in his mind this line of the Metamorphofes ? Patremque Fert humer us, venerabile onus Cythereius heros. P. 464. 1. 5. Thy tooth is not so keen, Because thou art not feen,] This fong is defigned to fuit the Duke's exiled condition, who had been ruined by ungrateful flatterers. Now the winter-wind, the fong fays, is to be prefer'd to man's ingratitude. But why? Because it is not feen. But this was not only an aggravation of the injury, as it was done in fecret, not seen, but was the very circumftance that made the keenefs of the ingratitude of his faithlefs courtiers. Without doubt, Shakefpeare wrote the line thus. Because thou art not been, i. e. fmiling, fhining, like an ungrateful court-fervant, who flatters while he wounds, which was a very good reason for giving the winters-wind the preference. So in the Midfummer's Night's Dream, Spangled ftar light feen. and in feveral places, Chaucer ules it in this fense, Your blissful fufter Lucina the hene. And Fairfax, The facred Angel took his Target hene, And by the Chriftian Champion ftood unfeen. The Oxford editor, who had this emendation communicated to him, takes occafion from thence to alter the whole thus, Thou caufeft not that teen. But, in his rage of correction, he forgot to leave the reafon, which is now wanting, Why the winter wind was to be preferred to man's ingratitude. WARE. For Ibid.] I am afraid that no reader is fatisfied with Dr. Warburton's emendation, however vigorously enforced; and it is indeed enforced with more art than truth. Sheen, i. e. Smiling, foining. That been fignifies fhining is eafly proved, but when or where did it fignify failing? yet fmiling gives the fenfe neceffary in this place. Sir T. Hanmer's change is lefs uncouth, but too remote from the prefent text. my part I queftion whether the original line is not loft, and this fubftituted merely to fill up the meafures and the rhyme. Yet out of this line, by firong agitation, may fenfe be elicited, and fenfe not unfuitable to the occafion. "Thou winter wind, fays the Duke, thy rudenefs gives the lefs pain, as thou art not feen, as thou art an enemy that doft not brave VOL. I. PART II, B |