Page 60. MELANTIUS........Diphilus, Thou com'st as sent. That is, as if you were sent on purpose. Theobald censures this expression as obscure; but the word as is frequently used by our Author in the sense of as if. So, in the Elder Brother, Miramont says, Tho' I speak no Greek, I love the sound on't; We should read, Heaven's honour. Page 74. KING........Reach me a bowl of wine; MELANTIUS........ I should be, sir, the merriest here, &c. We find from Theobald's note on this passage, that in the former editions this last speech was given to Amintor, and the substance of it would apply to him; but as Melantius was the person to whom the King addressed himself, the reply should come from him. Besides, it was the King's intention to sound him, and discover from his behaviour, whether the information of Callianax was true; he therefore accuses him of sadness or gravity, the natural disposition for a man to be in who had formed some deep design. Page 79. MELANTIUS........ Your subjects all have fed by virtue of My arms; this sword of mine hath ploughed the ground, And reapt the fruit in peace. The last Editors inform us that Seward reads the last line thus: And they have reaped the fruit of it in peace; And approve of this amendment as judicious, though they have not ventured to adopt it; but the present reading is the true one. Melantius means to say, not in plain prose, but in poetical language, that had it not been for his sword, the people could neither have ploughed the ground, or have reaped the fruits of it. So, in the Captain, Jacomo says, Do you not tell men sometimes of their dulness, Page 81. CALLIANAX............Ay, Do look for some great punishment for this; We should read I instead of ay, as in Theo The thing that we call honour bears us all Seward proposes to read, And yet itself is not one; an amendment not absolutely necessary, but well-imagined, and probably the true reading. Page 99. AMINTOR............ The world wants lives to excuse thy loss. This reading conveys no idea; Seward proposes to read expiate instead of excuse, which is so great an improvement both of the sense and the metre, that I should not hesitate to adopt it. Amintor considers the destruction of Aspatia as a crime so great that it could be expiated only by sacrifice, and that all the lives in the world were insufficient for that purpose. The expiation of crimes by sacrifice was not only the doctrine of the Pagan world, but is the foundation of Christianity itself. Theobald's first idea, the reading of limits instead of lives was very illconceived, and his explanation of it ridiculous. d As this is not sense, it cannot be right. Seward reads, Opine in myself most happy, which may be right; but I believe the true reading is, Hope in myself most happy, which is nearer to the old edition, and agrees best with the preceding part of this speech: O this country ! By more than all my hopes I hold it happy. Page 110. DION.......... By this sun, he'll ne'er make king, Unless it be for trifles. I should read, He'll ne'er make a king, Page 114. PHILASTER............ Who dares in all this presence, speak (that is As this passage stands, the word speak is unnecessarily inserted, and has no connection with the rest of it: I should therefore either leave it out, or if it is to stand, insert the word I before it. Who dares in all this presence, (I speak, that is But man of flesh and mortal) tell me, &c. I speak, that is, I mean. Page 115. PHILASTER............ You stand, methinks, like men that would be courtiers, If you could well be flattered at a price Not to undo your children. I cannot discover any sense in this passage as it stands; but believe we should read in the second line, If I could well be flattered, instead of if you, and then the meaning will be, You look as if you could be willing to pay your court to me, if you could do so without hazarding the fortune of your families by offending the king. Page 120. PHILASTER............ A garland lay by him Of many several flowers, bred in the bay, |