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 my pleasures, Again, in A Wife for a Month, act iv. "I'm sure he did not, for I charg'd him no.” 518. MONTHLY REVIEW. -my 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 authority. JOHNSON. The old copy reads-bears of-I suppose forbears off, i. e. 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, scene, proceeds without any interruption of time or change of place. 527. These letters JOHNSON. -] 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 t' availful 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 should 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 -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: "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 hend for to seize or take, and overhend for to overtake. STEEVENS. ACT V. Line 21. VAIL your regard] That is, withdraw your thoughts from higher things, let your notice descend 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 Cassandra, 1598: 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.” Thus, in Hamlet: 59. "Do not for ever with thy vailed lids STEEVENS. "Seek not thy noble father in the dust.” HENLEY. -as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute,] As shy; as reserved, as 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. -chara&s, -] i. e. characters. See Dugdale, Orig. Jurid. p. 81.-"That he use ne hide, no charme, ne carecte." TYRWHITT, So, in Gower, De Confessione Amantis, Book I. "With his carrete would him enchaunt.” -- Again, "And read his carece in the wise.". B. V. f. 103. Again, "Through his careces and figures." B. VI. fol. 140. Again, "And "And his carecte as he was taught, "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 "certain characts under the king's arms, for the knowledge of the diocess." Characters are the letters in which the inscription is written. Charactery is the materials of which characters are composed. "Fairies use flowers for their charactery." Merry Wives of Windsor. 69. As e'er 1 heard, &c.] This is the reading of the old copy. I suspect Shakspere wrote, lity 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 refell'd 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 Hun tington, 1601: K :- There |