To clustring filberds, and sometimes I'll get thee
Young seamels (24) from the rock.

АСТ III. SCENE

Ι.

There perhaps cannot be conceived any thing more beautiful and natural than the following Scene: I almost think it an Injustice to S. to take down any particular part: yet the fubfequent lines are so expressive of true and unbiassed affection, I cannot omit them.

Ferdinand, bearing a Log.

There (25) be some sports are painful; and their

labour

Delight in them fets off: fome kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone: and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This my mean task would be
As heavy to me, as 'tis odious; but
The mistress whom I serve, quickens what's dead,
And makes my labours pleasures: O, she is
Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed;
And he's composed of harshness. I must remove

Some

(24) Seamels.] This is the reading of the old editions, but the word is no where else to be met with. Sea-mells, which J. would propose, comes very near the traces of the letters: they are birds that haunt the rocks about the fea-shore, and are the fame with the fea-mews. Other editors read differently; Theobald and Warburton, Shamois, i. e. young kids: the reading in the text feems less uncouth; but it matters little (as has been observed) so long as we take a word fignifying the name of fomething in nature, which we use. Holt says, that in fome places, limpets are called fcams.

(25) There, &c.] In Paradise Lost, B. 4. v. 437. Adam says to Eve,

But let us ever praise him and extol

His bounty, following our delightful task

To prune those growing plants, and tend these flowers,
Which were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet,

Some thousands of these logs, and pile 'em up
Upon a fore injunction. My sweet mistress
Weeps when the fees me work, and says, such baseness
Had ne'er like executor: I forget;

But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labour,
Most bufie-less, (26) when I do it.

Admir'd Miranda!

And again.

Indeed the top of admiration; worth

What 's dearest to the world! Full many a lady
I have ey'd with best regard; and many a time
The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
Brought my too diligent ear; for several virtues
Have I lik'd several women; never any
With fo full foul, but fome defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she ow'd,
And put it to the foil: but you, O you,
So perfect, and so peerless, are created
Of every creature's best (27)..

Miranda's offering to carry the Logs for him is peculiarly elegant.

If you'll fit down,

I'll bear your logs the while; pray give me that,
I'll carry it to the pile.

And

(26) Most bufie-less.] i. e. "Amidst all these labours, the thoughts of her drive away all appearance of labour, and make me feem to myself most bufy-less, or least employed, when I am most so!" something after the manner of the old famous nunquam minus otiofus, quam cum otiofus. (27) Of every creature's best.] Alluding to the picture of Venus by Apelles. J.

And afterwards, how innocent

I am a fool (28)

To weep at what I am glad of!

(29) I am your wife, if you will marry me:
If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow
You may deny me: but I'll be your servant,
Whether you will or no.

(28) I am a fool, &c.] This is one of those touches of nature that diftinguish S. from all other writers. It was necessary, in fupport of the character of Miranda, to make her appear ignorant, that excess of forrow and excess of joy find alike their relief from tears : and as this is the first time that confummate pleasure had made any near approaches to her heart, the calls fuch an expreffion of it, folly.

It is impertinent to be for ever pointing out beauties, which the reader of taste will of course diftinguish for himself; and yet I cannot quit this scene without observing that it is fuperior in its kind to any of those that pass between Romeo and Juliet; and holds up the most captivating picture of juvenile affection that has been exhibited, even by S. himself. The prince behaves through the whole with a delicacy fuitable to his birth and education: and his unexperienced mistress pours forth her foul without referve, without defcending from the foft elevation of maiden dignity, and apparently derives her confidence from the purity of her intentions. St.

(29) Mr. Prior has a thought to this effect, in his charming poem of Henry and Emma.

This potent beauty, this triumphant fair,
This happy object of our different care,
Her let me follow, her let me attend,
A fervant-she may scorn the name of friend,

Incens'd the feas and shores, yea, all the creatures, Against your peace.

Guilty Conscience.

O, (30) it is monstrous! monstrous!Methought the billows spoke, and told me of it; The winds did fing it to me; and the thunder, That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounc'd The name of Prosper. It did bass my trespass. (31) Gon. All three of them are defperate; their great

guilt Like poifon given to work a great time after, Now 'gins to bite thy spirit.

ACT

(30) 0, &c.] The horrors of a guilty mind are thus nobly described by Maffinger.

Do, do, rage on; rend open, Æolus,
Thy brazen prifon, and let loose at once
Thy stormy issue! Blust'ring Boreas,
Aided with all the gales the pilot numbers
Upon his compass, cannot raise a tempeft
Thro' the vast region of the air, like that
I feel within me: for I am poffefs'd
With whirlwinds, and each guilty thought to me's
A dreadful hurricane; although this center
Labour to bring forth earthquakes, and hell open
Her wide-ftretch'd jaws, and let out all her furies,
They cannot add an atom to the mountain
Of fears and terrors that each minute threaten

To fall on my accursed head.

Unnatural Combat, Act 5. latter end.

(31) Bass my trespass.] "The deep pipe told it me in a rough bass found." In the next line but one S. alludes to a custom of the natives of Africa, who have been fuppofed to be poffefied of the secret how to temper poisons with fuch art as not to take effect till several years after they were administered, and were then as certain in their effect, as they were fubtle in their preparation. J. and St.

ACT IV. SCENE Ι.

Profpero's Boaft of Miranda.

O, Ferdinand,

Do not smile at me that I boast her off,
For thou shalt find the will outstrip all praise,
And make it halt behind her.

Continence before Marriage.

Prof. If thou dost break her virgin-knot, before

All fanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy right be minister'd,
No sweet afperfions shall the heav'ns let fall
To make this contract grow: but barren hate,
Sour-ey'd disdain, and difcord shall bestrew
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly,
That you shall hate it both; therefore take heed,
As Hymen's lamps shall light you.

Ferd.

A Lover's Protestation.

As I hope

For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,
With fuch love as 'tis now; the murkiest den
The most opportune place, the strongest suggestion

Our worfer genius can, shall never melt

Mine honour into lust, to take away

The edge of that day's celebration;

When I shall think or Phœbus' steeds are founder'd,

Or night kept chain'd below.

Paffion too ftrong for Vows.

Prof. Look thou be true: do not give dalliance Too much the rein: the strongest (32) oaths are straws

To

(32) The strongest, &c.] So in Hamlet, Polonius says, VOL. II.

D

I do