Imatges de pàgina
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a grand filting before the court, in queen Mary's reign, 1554, fays, from an old journal, that king Philip and the challengers, entered the lifts, preceded by their whifflers, their footmen, "and their armourers." Ecclef. Memor. iii. p. 211. This explains the ufe of the word in Shakespeare, where it is alfo li terally applied. Henry V. act iv. fc. ult.

"Behold, the English beach "Pales in the flood with men, "with wives and boys, "Whofe fhouts and claps outvoice the deep-mouth'd

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"fea, "Which, like a mighty whif "fler 'fore the king, "Seems to prepare "way.". By degrees, the word whiffler hence acquired the metaphorical meaning which it at prefent obtains in common fpeech, and became an appellation of contempt. Whiffler, a light trivial character, a fellow hired to pipe at fbows and proceffions.

Mr. WARTON. P. 424. Nature could not inveft herself in Such fhadowing paffions without Jome inftruction.] However ingenious Dr. Warburton's note may be, it is certainly too forced and farfetch'd. Othello alludes only to Caffio's dream, which had been invented and told him by lago, when many confufed and very interefting ideas pour in upon the mind all at once, and with fuch rapidity, that it has not time to fhape or digeft them, if the mind does not relieve itself by tears, which we know it often does, whether

for joy or grief, it produces flupefaction and fainting.

Othello, in broken fentences and fingle words, all of which have a reference to the cause of his jealoufy, fhews, that all the proofs are prefent at once to his mind, which fo overpowers it, that he falls in a trance, the natural confequence. Mr. REYNOLDS. P. 461. Line 2. Gone to burning bell.- Against the authority of all the editions, I think, we might venture to read, burn in bell.- REVISAL. P. 469. Like the bafe Judean threw a pearl away, Richer than all his tribe.] I cannot join with the learned criticks in fuppofing this paffage to refer either to the ignorance of the natives of India, in respect of pearls or the well known ftory of Herod and Mariamne.

Othello, in deteftation of what he had done, feems to compare himself to another who had thrown away a thing of value, with fome circumftances of the meanest villainy, which the epithet bafe feems to imply in its general fenfe, though it is fometimes ufed only for low or mean. The Indian could not properly be termed base in the former and molt common fenfe, whofe fault was ignorance, which brings its own excufe with it, and the crime of Herod furely deferves a more aggravated distinction. For though in every crime, great as well as mall, there is a degree of baseness, yet the furiis agitatus amor, fuch as contributed to that of Herod, feems to ask a stronger word to characterize it, as there

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was Spirit at least in what he did, though the fpirit of a fiend, and the epithet bafe would better fuit with petty larceny than royal guilt. Befides, the fimile appears to me too appofite almost to be used on the occafion, and is little more than bringing the fact into comparifon with itself. Each through jealoufy had deftroyed an innocent wife, circumftances fo parallel, as hardly to admit of that variety which we generally find in one allufion, which is meant to illuftrate another, and at the fame time to appear as no fuperfluous ornament. Neither do I believe the poet intended to make it coincide with all the circumstances of Othello's fituation, but merely with the fingle act of having bafely (as he himfelf terms it) deftroyed that, on which he ought to have fet a greater value. As the pearl may bear a literal as well as a metaphorical fenfe, I would rather chufe to take it in the literal one, and receive Mr. Pope's rejected explanation, preSuppofing fome ftory of a Jew alluded to, which might be well understood at that time, though now totally forgotten.

Shakespeare's feeming averfion to the Jews in general, and his conftant defire to expofe their avarice and bafenefs as often as he had an opportunity, may ferve to ftrengthen this fuppofition; and as that nation in his time, and fince, has not been famous for crimes daring and confpicuous, but has rather contented itself to thrive by the meaner and more fuccefsful arts of basenefs, there feems to be a particular propriety in the epithet.

When Falftaff is juftifying himfelf in Henry IV. he adds, If what I have faid be not true, I am a few, an Ebrew Jew, (i.e. one of the most fufpected characters of the time) and the vigilance for gain which is defcribed in Shylock, may afford us reafon to fuppofe the poet was alluding to a ftory of fome Jew, who rather than not have his own price for a pearl of value, bafely threw that away which was fo excellent in its kind, that its fellow could hardly ever be expected to be found again.

Richer than all his tribe, feems to point out the few again in a mercantile light, and may mean that the pearl was richer than all the gems to be found among a fet of men generally trading in them. Neither do I recollect that Othello mentions many things, but what he might fairly have been allowed to have had knowledge of in the courfe of his peregrinations. Of this kind, are the fimilies to to the Euxine fea flowing into the Propontick, and the Arabian trees dropping their gums. The reft of his fpeeches are more free from mythological and hiftorical allufions, than almost any to be found in Shakespeare, for he is never quite clear from them, though in the design of this character, he feems to have meant it for one who had spent a greater part of his life in the field, than in the cultivation of any other knowledge than what would be of ufe to him in his military capacity. It fhould be obferved that most of the flourishes merely ornamental were added after the first edition, and

this is not the only proof to be met with, that the poet in his alterations, fometimes forgot his original plan.

The metaphorical term of a pearl for a fine woman, may for ought I know be very common; but in the inftances Dr. Warburton has brought to prove it fo, there is a circumstance that immediately fhews a woman to have been meant.

"There SHE lies a pearl:
"Why SHE is a pearl of
"price."

In Othello's fpeech we find no fuch leading expreffion, and are therefore at liberty, I think, to take the paffage in its literal meaning.

To this note, fhould be fubjoined (as an apology for many

others which may not be thought to bring conviction with them) that the true fenfe of a paffage has frequently remained undetermined, till repeated experiments have been tried on it, when one commentator, making a proper ufe of the errors of another, has at laft explained it to univerfal fatisfaction. When mittakes have fuch effects, who would regret having been mistaken, or be forry to be the means of directing others, by that affinity which a wrong reading or interpretation fometimes has to, the right, though he has not been fo lucky to produce at once authorities which could not be queftioned, or decifions to which nothing could be added?

Mr. STEEVENS.

I have

1

I have endeavoured to enumerate the Editions of Shakespeare's Plays, but finding that I have paid too much regard to inaccurate catalogues, I think it neceffary to fubjoin the following lift given me by Mr. Steevens.

The Editions marked with Afterifks are in na former Tables.

1 know no one who has feen thofe in the Italic Characters, but find them in Mr. Pope's and Mr. Theobald's Tables, and in Dr. Warburton's, which is compiled from them.

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1. Midfummer Night's Dream, William Shakefpeare, 1600, for Thomas Fisher.

z. D. William Shakespeare, 1600, James Ro-
berts.

1. Merry Wives of Windfor, William Shake-
fpeare, 1602, T. C. for Arthur Johnfon.
2. Do. William Shakespeare, 1619, for Do.
3. D. William Shakespeare, 1630, T. H. for
R. Meighen.

Much ado about Nothing, William Shake-
speare, 1600, V. S. for Andrew Wife, and
William Afpley.

1. Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare,
1600, J. K. for Thomas Heyes.

2. D. W. Shakespeare, 1600, T. Roberts.
3. D. William Shakespeare, 1637, M. P. for
Laurence Hayes.

4. D. William Shakespeare, 1652, for William
Leake.

1. Love's Labour loft, William Shakespear, 1598, W. W. for Cuthbert Burley.

2. D. William Shakespeare, 1631, W. S. for John Smethwicke.

VI.

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1. Taming of the Shrew, 1607, V. S. for Nich Ling.

2. D. Will. Shakespeare, 1631, W. S. for John Smethwicke.

1. King Lear, William Shakespeare, 1608, for
Nathaniel Butter.

2. Do. William Shakespeare, 1608, for Do.
3. D. William Shakespeare, 1655, Jane Bell.

1. King John, 2. ps. 1591, for Sampson Clarke.
2. D°. W. Sh. 1611, Valentine Simmes, for
John Helme.

3. D. W. Shakespeare, 1622, Aug. Mathewes,

for Thomas Dewe.

1. Richard II. William Shakespeare, 1598, Valentine Simmes, for Andrew Wife.

2. D. W. Shakespeare, 1608, W. W. for Mathew Law.

3. D. William Shakespeare, 1615, for Mathew

Law.

D. William Shakespeare, 1634, John Norton.

1. Henry IV. 1st. pt. 1598, P. S. for Andrew

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2. D°. W. Shakespeare, 1599, S. S. for Do.
3. D°. 1604.

4. Do. 1608. for Mathew Law.

5. Do. W. Shakespeare, 1613, W. W. for Do.
6, Do. William Shakespeare, 1622, T. P. Sold
by Do.

7. Do. William Shakespeare, 1632, John Norton.
Sold by William Sheares.

8. D. William Shakespeare, 1639, John Norton. Sold by Hugh Perry.

Henry IV. 2nd pt. William Shakespeare, 1600, V. S. for Andrew Wife, and William Afpley. 1. Henry V. 1600, Tho. Crede for Tho. Millington. 2. D. 1602, Thomas Creede, for Thomas Pavier.

3. D°. 1608, for T. P.

1. Henry VI. William Shakespeare, 1600, W. W.

for Tho. Millington.

2. D. William Shakespeare, no date, for T. P.

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