518.

er: 6 sespolis

Shakspere, and represented as daring or over-awing
Isabella, and crying No, to her, whenever she finds
herself prompted to 'tongue' Angelo. Dare is often
met with in this sense by Shakspere. Beaumont and
Fletcher have used the word No in a similar way in
the Chances, act iii. sc. 4.

that she, or he,
“ Or any of that family are tainted,

Suffer disgrace, or ruin, by iny pleasures,

“I wear a sword to satisfy the world no." Again, in A Wife for a Month, act iv. I'm sure he did not, for I charg'd him ng."

MONTHLY Review. -ny authority bears a credent bulk,

That no particular scandal, &c.] Credent is creditable, enforcing credit, not questionable. The old English writers often confound the active and passive adjectives. So Shakspere, and Milton after him, use inexpressive for inexpressible.

Particular is private, a French sense. No scandal from any private mouth can reach a man in my

autho. rity.

JOHNSON. The old copy reads--bears of--I suppose furbears off, 1. c. carries along with it. STEEVENS. 526.

-we would, and we would not.] Here undoubtedly the act should end, and was ended by the poet; for here is properly a cessation of action, and a night intervenes, and the place is changed between the passages of this scene, and those of the next. The next act beginning with the following

scene,

sik, ak

scene, proceeds without any interruption of time or
change of place.

JOHNSON.
527. These letters-

-] Peter never delivers the letters, but tells his story without any credentials. The poet forgot the plot which he had formed.

JOHNSON. 531. -you do blench from this to that,] To blench is to start off, to fly off.

Steevens.
544. He says, to vail full purpose.] Mr. Theobald
alters it to,

He
says

ľavailful purpose.
To vail full purpose, may, with very little force on
the words, mean, to hide the whole extent of our design,
and therefore the reading may stand; yet I cannot
but think Mr. Theobald's alteration either lucky or
ingenious.

JOHNSON
552. Enter Friar Peter.] This play has two friars,
either of whom might singly have served. I sliould
therefore imagine, that Friar Thomas, in the first
act, might be changed, without any harm, to Friar
Peter; for why should the Duke unnecessarily trust
two in an affair which required only one. The name
of Friar Thomas is never mentioned in the dialogue,
and therefore seems arbitrarily placed at the head of
the scene.

JOHNSON 555. The generous, &c.] i.e. the most noble, &c. Generous is here used in its Latin sense. “ Virgo generosa et nobilis." Cicero. Shakspere uses it again in Othello :

(the

| Spen

,

-the
generous

islanders
By you invited”.

Steevens, 556. Have hent the gates,–] Have seized, or taken possession of the gates.

JOHNSON. So, in Sir A. Gorges' translation of the 4th Book of Lucan :

did prevent “ His foes, ere they the hills had hent." Again, in the bl. let. Romance of Syr Eglamoure of Artoys, no date :

“ But with the childe homeward gan ryde

" That fro the gryffon was hent." Again, in the ancient metrical Romance of Syr Guy of Warwick, bl. let. no date :

“ Some by the arms hent good Guy," &c. Again,

“ And some by the bridle him hent." Spenser often uses the word hind for to seize or take, and overhend for to overtake,

STEEVENS.

97

ACT Y.

Line 81.

VAIL your regard] That is, withdraw your thoughts from higher things, let your notice desit a scend upon a wronged woman. To vail, is to lower.

JOHNSON.

This is one of the few expressions which might have been borrowed from the old play of Promos and Case sandra, 1598:

-vail thou thine ears."
So, in Stanyhurst's translation of the 4th Book of
Virgil's Æneid:

Phrygio liceat servire marito."
“ Let Dido vail her heart to bed-fellow Trojan."

STEEVENS.
Thus, in Hamlet :

“ Do not for ever with thy vailed lids
“ Seek not thy noble father in the dust."

HENLEY 59. -as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute;} As shy; as reserved, ás abstracted': as just; as nice, as exact : as absolute ; as complete in all the round of duty.

JOHNSON 61. In all his dressings, &c.] In all his semblance of virtue, in all his habiliments of office. JOHNSON. -charalis,

-] 1. c. characters. See Dugdale, Orig. Jurid. p. 81.-" That he use ne hide, no charme, ne carette.

TYRWHITT, So, in Gower, De Confessione Amantis, Book I.

“ With his carrećte would him enchaunt." Again,

“ And read his care&te in the wise." , B. V. f. 103. Again, “ Through his careftes and figures."

B. VI. fol. 140 Again,

And

109 “ And his carečte as he was taught, 6. He rad,” &c.

STEEVENS. Charact signifies an inscription. The stat. 1 Ed. VI. C. 2. directed the seals of office of every bishop' to have a certain characts under the king's arms, for the knowledge of the diocess." Characters are the letters in which the inscription is written. Charaktery is the materials of which characters are composed. “ Fairies use flowers for their charactery."

Merry Wives of Windsor.

BLACKSTONE. 69. As e'er 'I heard, &c.] This is the reading of the old copy. I suspect Shakspere wrote, As ne'er I heard in madness.

MALONE, do not banish reason For inequality: -] Let not the high quality of my adversary prejudice you against me.

JOHNSON. . I imagine the meaning rather is-Do not suppose I am mad, because I speak passionately and unequally.

MALONE. 109. How he refellid me,--] To refel is to refute. • Refellere et

coarguere mendacium." Cicero pro Ligario. Ben Jonson uses the word ::

“ Friends, not to refel you,

“ Or any way quell you."

Again, in The Second Part of Robert Earl of Hune fel Hetington, 1601 :

K

71.

as c

duty

TOR.:1

sembles

TORNO

okl.

:. Therea