Imatges de pàgina
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Aye to compare unto thyne
excellence,

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"I will prefume hym fo to dignifie,

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"Yet be not egal!" Prologue

ue to the Remedy of Love. So in Gorbodac.

"Sith all as one do bear you

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egall faith." Dr. GRAY. P. 454 Read thus; -çannot contain their urine. For affections,

and Juliet, which, by the date appears to be much older than Shakespeare's time. It is remarkable, that all the particulars in which that play differs from the ftory in Bandello, are found in this ballad. But it may be faid, that he copied this flory as it ftands in Paynter's Pallace of Plecfure, 1567, where there is the fame variation of circumftances. This, however,

Mafters of paffion, fway it to fhews us that Shakespeare did not

the mood

firft alter the original ftory for the worfe, and is at least a prefumptive proof that he never faw the Italian.

Of what it likes or loaths. As for affection, thofe that know to operate upon the paf-, fions of men, rule it by making Shakespeare alludes to the tale it operate in obedience to the of king Cophetua and the beggar, notes which pleate or difguft it. more than once. This was a P. 454. Woolen bagpipe.] ballad; the oldeft copy of which, This paffage is clear from all that I have feen, is in "A crown. difficulty, if we read fwoln bag." garland of golden roses gathered pipe; which, that we fhould, I "out of England's royall garhave not the leaft doubt. "den, 1612." The collector of this mifcellany was Richard Johnson, who compiled, from various romances, THE SEVEN CHAMPIONS. This ftory of Cophetua was in high vogue, appears from our author's manner of introducing it in Love's Labour loft, A&t iv. fc. i. As likewife from John Marston's Satires, called the Scourge of Villanie, printed 1598, viz.

Mr. HAWKINS.

P. 488. The Merchant of Venice.] The antient ballad, on which the greater part of this play is probably founded, has been mentioned in Obfervations on the Fairy Queen, 1. 129. ShakeSpeare's track of reading may be traced in the common books and popular ftories of the times, from which he manifeftly derived most of his plots. Hifto

rical fongs, then very fashionable, often fuggefled and recommended a subject. Many of his incidental allufions alfo relate to pieces of this kind; which are now grown valuable on this account only, and would otherwife have been defervedly forgotten. A ballad is ftill remaining on the fubject of Romeo

as

Go buy fome ballad of the fairy king,

And of the BEGGAR WENCH
Jome rogie thing. Sign. B. 2.
The firft ftanza of the ballad be-
gins thus,

I read, that once in Africa
A prince that there did
raine,
Who had to name Cophetua,
As poets they do faine, &c.

The

The prince, or king, falls in love with a female beggar, whom he fees accidentally from the windows of his palace, and afterwards marries her. [Sign. D. 4.] The fong, cited at length by the learned Dr. Gray, on this fubject, is evidently spurious, and much more modern than Shakespeare's time. The name Cophetua is not once mentioned in it. Notes on Shak. vol. ii. p. 267.

However, I fufpect, there is fome more genuine copy than that of 1612, which I before mentioned. But this point may be, perhaps, adjusted by an ingenious enquirer into our old English literature, who is now publishing a curious collection of antient ballads, which will illuftrate many passages in ShakeSpeare.

I doubt not but he received the hint of writing on king Lear from a Ballad of that fubject. But in most of his hiftorical plays he copies from Hall, Hollingshead, and Stowe, the reigning hiftorians of that age. And although these chronicles were then univerfally known and read, he did not fcruple to transcribe their materials with the most circumftan tial minuteness. For this he

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NOTES to the P. 62. Unquestionable Spirit.] May it not mean unwilling to be converfed with ?

Mr. CHAMIER. P. 72. In the note, for arrow's mark, read hollow mark.

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That is, too much knowledge gives only fame, a name which every Godfather can give likewife. P. 125. Moth. And how eafy is it to put years to the word three, and ftudy three years in two words, the dancing horfe will tell you.] Banks's horse, which plaid many remarkable pranks. Sir Walter Raleigh (Hiftory of the World, first part, p. 178.) fays "If "Banks had lived in older times, "he would have fhamed all the

inchanters in the world: for "whofoever was most famous

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P. 157. And fuch barren plants

are fet before us, &c.] The length of these lines was no novelty on the English ftage. The moralities afford fcenes of the like measure.

P. 176. Teaches fuch beauty.] The fenfe is plain without correction. A lady's eye gives a fuller notion of beauty than any authour.

P. 197. Rof. Well, better wits

have worn plain ftatute caps.] Woollen caps were enjoined by act of parliament, in the year 1571, 13th Queen Elizabeth: "Be"fides the bills paffed into acts "this parliament, there was one "which I judge not amifs to be "taken notice of-it concerned "the Queen's care for employ"ment for her poor sort of sub"jects. It was for continuance "of making and wearing wool"len caps, in behalf of the trade "of cappers; providing, that

all above the age of fix years, "(except the nobility and fome "others) fhould on Sabbath-days, "and holy days, wear caps of "wool, knit, thicked, and drest "in England, upon penalty of "ten groats."

Dr. GRAY.

I think

I think my own interpretation of this paffage right. P. 200. "This is the flower "that smiles on every one, "To fhew his teeth as white as "whales bone."] As white as whales bone, is a proverbial comparison in the old poets. In the Fairy Queen, b. iii. c. i. ft. 15. "Whose face did feem as clear "as crystal stone, "And eke, through feare, as

"white as whales bone." And in Tuberville's Poems, printed in the year 1570, is an ode intitled, "In Praise of Ladie ..P."

"Her mouth fo fmall, her "teeth fo white,

66 As any whale his bone; Her lips without fo lively "red,

"That paffe the corall "ftone.' And in L. Surrey, fol. 14. edit. 1567.

"I might perceive a wolf, as

"white as whales bone. "A fairer beaft of fresher hue,

"beheld I never none." Again, in the old romance of Syr Degore.

"The Kyng had no chyldren, "but one,

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"A daughter, as white as "whales bone. Skelton joins the whales bone with the brightest precious ftones, in defcribing the pofition of Pallas. "A hundred steppes mounting to the halle, "One of jafper, another of "whales bone; "Of diamantes pointed by "the rokky walle." Crowne of Laurell, p. 24. edit. 1736. Mr. WARTON.

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many churches, in every of "them to pray to God for help "in his blindness." Dr. GRAY. P. 217. We to ourselves prove

falfe.] The prefent reading may stand as well as that which I have fubftituted,

P. 223. Keel the pot.] This word is yet in ufe in Ireland, and fignifies to fcum the pot,

Mr, GOLDSMITH,
P. 235-
-that may blow
No fneaping winds.] The fame
there blow. A gallicism.
Mine bo-

as may
P. 242. Leo.

neft friend, Will you take eggs for money?] The meaning of which is, Will you put up affronts? The French have a proverbial faying, A qui vendez vous coquilles ? i. e. whom

do you defign to affront? Mamilius's anfwer plainly proves it. Mam. No, my lord, I'll fight. Mr. SMITH.

P. 251. The vice is an inftrument well known; its operation is to hold things together. The Revifal reads, to 'ntice you to't. I think not rightly.

P. 259. I would land-dam him.] Sir 7. H. interprets, top his urine. Was Antigonus then his phyfician, or a wizard, to have, what he fays he would do, in his power ? Antigonus was a Sicilian lord, who might land-dam him in one fenfe, that is confine him.

If it had been fpelt damn, I fhould have thought he might have meant, he would procure fentence to be paffed on him here on earth; or to interdict him the ufe of earth, one of the elements, which interdiction was always included in a formal curfe.

Mr. STEEVENS. P. 260. In the margin, for finking read flriking.

ib. And I had rather glib mySelf, than they

Should not produce fair iffue.] For glib, I think we should read lib, which in the Northern language, is the fame with geld.

In the Court Beggar, by Mr. Richard Broome, act iv. the word lib is ufed in this fenfe.

"He

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With what encounter so unsur

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Have ftrain'd to appear thus ;] I am always willing to fupport an old reading, if any reafon can be found for doing so. The fenfe feems to be this: With what encounter fo uncurrent have I caught a wrench in my character to ap fear thus to you.

—a noble nature May catch a wrench.

Mr. STEEVENS. P. 289. For her periods, read his periods.

P. 293. My traffick is sheets, when the kite builds look to leffer linen.] The meaning, I believe, is, I leave fmall linen for the kite to line her neft with.

P. 300.

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Grace and remembrance.] Rue was called herb of grace. Rofemary was the emblem of remembrance; I know not why, unless because it was carried at funerals.

P. 302. violets dim But fweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes.] Sweeter than an eye-lid is an odd image.

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