"Therefore go on, young Bruce, proceed, re fell "The allegation." STEEVENS. 113. To his concupiscible, &c.] Such is the old reading. The modern editors unauthoritatively substitute concupiscent. STEEVENS. 117. His purpose surfeiting] Thus the old copy. So, in Othello: 120. Oh that it were as like, as it is true!] The meaning, I think, is: O that it had as much of the appearance as it has of the reality of truth! MALONE. 121. -fond wretch,-] Fond wretch is foolish wretch. So in another play of our author: "'Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes." STEEVENS. 123. In hateful practice :--] Pradice was used by the old writers for any unlawful or insidious stratagem. So again : "This must needs be practice:" and again : "Let me have way to find this practice out.” JOHNSON. 135. In countenance !—] i. e. in partial favour. 140. WARBURTON. -practice.] Practice in Shakspere, very often means shameful artifice, unjustifiable stratagem. So in King Lear: "This is practice, Gloster." Again, in King John : "It is the shameful work of Hubert's hand, STEEVENS. 163. -nor a temporary medler,] It is hard to know what is meant by a temporary medler. In its usual sense, as opposed to perpetual, it cannot be used here. It may stand for temporal: the sense will then be, I know him for a holy man, one that meddles not with secular affairs. It may mean temporising: I know him to be a holy man, one who would not temporise, or take the opportunity of your absence to defame you. Or we may read: Not scurvy, nor a tamperer and medler : not one who would have tampered with this woman to make her a false evidence against your deputy. JOHNSON. Peter here refers to what Lucio had before affirmed concerning Friar Lodowick. Hence it is evident that the phrase TEMPORARY medler, was intended to signify one who intruded himself, as often as he could find opportunity, into other men's concerns. See the context. HENLEY. 178. So vulgarly-] Vulgarly, I believe means publickly. The vulgar are the common people. Daniel uses vulgarly for among the common people: "In this I'll be impartial: be you judge "Of your own cause." Surely, says Mr. Theobald, this Duke had odd notions of impartiality!-He reads therefore, "I will be partial," and all the editors follow him even Mr. Heath declares the observation unanswerable. But : see the uncertainty of criticism! impartial was sometimes used in the sense of partial. In the old play of Swetnam the Woman Hater, Atlanta cries out, when the judges decree against the women: "You are impartial, and we do appeal FARMER. So, in Marston's Antonio and Mellida, 2d Part, 1602: -There's not a beauty lives "Hath that impartial predominance "O'er my affects, as your enchanting graces." Again, in the first edit. of Romeo and Juliet, 1597: "Cruel, unjust, impartial destinies !" In support of the old reading, and in confirmation of Dr. Farmer's observation, it may be remarked, that the writers who were contemporary with Shakspere, when they would express what we now call impartial, generally use the word unpartial. Thus Marston in the play above quoted : "I tell you, Lady, had you view'd us both "With an unpartial eye.” So Speed, in his Hist. of Great-Britain, 1614, speaking of the death of queen Elizabeth, says," The God of peace called her to a far higher glory by his unpartial messenger, Death." And indeed, I believe, it will be found, that the ancient English privative un, was in Our our author's time generally used; and that in or im, which modern writers have substituted in its place, was then frequently used as an augmentative or intensive particle. Thus impartial was used for very partial, and indifferent for very different. See a note on the Taming of a Shrew, act iv. MALONE. 197. Neither maid, widow, nor wife?] This is a proverbial phrase to be found in Ray's Collection. STEEVENS. 223. This is a strange abuse:-] Abuse stands in this place for deception or puzzle. So in Macbeth, -my strange and self abuse, 66 means, this strange deception of myself. JOHNSON. 230. And did supply thee at thy garden-house,] A garden-house, in the time of our author, was usually appropriated to purposes of intrigue. So in SKIALETHIA, or a shadow of truth, in certain Epigrams and Satyres, 1598: "Who, coming from the CURTAIN, sneaketh in "To some old garden, noted house for sin." Again, in the London Prodigal, a comedy, 1605: "Sweet lady, if you have any friend, or gardenhouse, where you may employ a poor gentleman as your friend, I am yours to command in all secret service." MALONE. See also an extract from Stubbes's Anatomie of Abuses, 4to. 1597, P. 57; quoted by Mr. Reed in the 5th Vol. of Dodsley's Old Plays, edit. 1780, p. 74. 239. -her promised proportions EDITOR. Came short of composition;] Her fortune, which was promised proportionate to mine, fell short of the composition, that is, contract or bargain. JOHNSON. 958. These poor informal women— -] Informal signifies cut of their senses. In the Comedy of Errors, we meet with these lines: 66 -I will not let him stir, "Till I have used the approved means I have, prayers, "To make of him a formal man again." Formal, in this passage, evidently signifies in his senses. The lines are spoken of Antipholis of Syracuse, who is behaving like a madman. Again, in Antony and Cleopatra: "Thou shouldst come like a fury crown'd with snakes, "Not like a formal man.” 268. That's seal'd in approbation? STEEVENS. -] When any thing subject to counterfeits is tried by the proper officers and approved, a stamp or seal is put upon it, as among us on plate, weights, and measures. So the Duke says, that Angelo's faith has been tried, approved, and seal'd in testimony of that approbation, and, like other things so sealed, is no more to be called in question. JOHNSON. 279. -to hear this matter forth,] To hear it to JOHNSON. the end; to search it to the bottom. are light at midnight.] See note on the 303. Merchant of Venice, act v. STEEVENS. |