269 murder her and thinking he had killed her, (but it happened to be another) he cries out, Alas poor maid, thefe are the nuptial gifts I prefent thee. This story is alluded to in the TwelfthNight, Act V. Nor did the allusion escape the notice of Mr. Theobald. "Duke. Why should I not, had I the heart "Like the Egyptian thief, at point of death And this fame story feems to me hinted at in Othello, Act V. where the Moor, fpeaking of his favage jealoufie, adds, "Of one whofe hand "Like th' bafe Egyptian, threw a pearl away "Richer than all his tribe." Now this exactly agrees with the romance. 'Twas Thyamis' own hand, and he too in a strong fit of love and jealoufie, that committed this murder. When Othello robbed Brabantio of his daughter, the old man calls him in the beginning of the play, O thou foul thief! T Thefe Thefe circumftances all croud into Othello's mind to increase his horror: for this reafon, as well as for feveral others, with great propriety he calls himself, the bafe Egyptian. In Mr. Pope's edition 'tis "Like the bafe Indian, &c." which he thus interprets: "In the first edition "it is Judian, occafion'd probably by the word "tribe just after, but the common reading is "better; as the word tribe is applicable to any race of people, and the thought of an igno"rant Indian's cafting away a pearl very natu"ral in itfelf; whereas to make fenfe of the "other, we muft prefuppofe fome particular ftory of a few alluded to, which is much less "obvious." Mr. Theobald in his edition has "plainly overthrown Mr. Pope's explanation and reading, but whether he has established his own may be doubted; he reads, Like the bafe Judian, &c. i. e. (fays he) the bafe Jew Herod, who "threw away fuch a jewel of a wife as Mari"amne." But firft of all there is no fuch word as Judian, which must certainly occafion a fufpicion of it's not being genuine. Again, if any one will confider the history of Mariamne from Jofephus, he will find, 'tis very little applicable to Desdemona's cafe. Mariamne had an averfion to Herod, and always treated him with fcorn and contempt; fhe was publicly, tho' falfely, accused of an attempt to poison him, and accordingly put to death. In the present circumstances, with which Othello is furrounded, he would never apply Herod's cafe to himself : he was a private murderer,-one whofe band, &c. Herod brought his wife to public justice; Defdemona was fond of the Moor, the Jewels hated her husband. On the other hand, the story of the Egyptian thief is very minutely applicable; and the verses, cited from the Twelfth Night, fhew that our author was pleased with the allufion. It seems the correction was owing to fome fort of ill-written abbreviation, that might be in the original, as Egypian, and which could not easily be understood by printer or player. From fuch like abbreviations arife no fmall blunders in ancient books. In the Greek manufcripts we often find ἄνθρωπος, ανθρώπων, thus abbreviated, AS, 'Arwy. This abbreviation has occafion'd fome confufion in many printed books. As for example, in a differtation of Maximus Tyrius, Τί ὁ Θεὸς κατὰ Πλάτωνα, what Deity is according to Plato. We find Plato is there called, T 2 ὁ εὐφων ὁ εὐφωνίταλος τῶν ΟΝΤΩΝ, the most eloquent of BEINGS. But, as used by Plato and his followers, is a word of facred import, Truth, Deity itself, that which really is Being, in contradiftinction to ever-fleeting and changing matter. A Platonist therefore, enquiring what Deity is, would never fay even of his mafter Plato, ὁ εὐφωνότατος τῶν ΟΝΤΩΝ. It would be compli ment fufficient to fay, ὁ εὐφωνόταλος τῶν ΑΝΩΝ ; i. e. avgπw. There is very little difference ανθρώπων. between ΟΝΤΩΝ and ΑΝΩΝ, if it be confidered how easily the ftroke over aww might be miftaken for at by a transcriber: Plato, the most eloquent of mortals, feems the compliment intended by Maximus Tyrius. 1 In this fenfe 'tis used by the Platonic writer of the Wisdom of Solomon. XIII, 1. "And could not out of the good things that are know HIM THAT IS: Tov öva.” I SECT. XIV. T is not at all furprising that the perfons in the drama fhould be changed, either thro' the blunders, or wrong judgment of the tranfcribers and players. In the Tempeft, A& I. "Profpero. What is the time o' th' day? Ariel. Paft the mid season. Profp. At least two glaffes; the time twixt "fix and now "Muft by us both be spent most preciously." Who can imagine that Profpero would ask a question, and answer it himself? But a trifling diftinction will make all right. I "Prof. What is the time o'th' day? "Ar. Paft the mid feason, "At least two glaffes. Profp. The time twixt fix and now "Muft by us both be spent most precioufly." In As you like it, A&t II. The Duke is speaking of the happiness of his retirement. 66 "And this our life, exempt from publick haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running ❝ brooks, 1 This corrrection has been tacitly adopted by the late Editor. But I don't know whether the other reading might not be defended. Profpero has great concerns in agitation, and his mind cannot attend to minute things: wanting therefore to fet Ariel to work, he asks him the time of the day: scarcely had he asked, but he recollects himself. Perhaps by this feeming inaccuracy Shakespeare kad a mind to paint ftronger Profpero's greater concern for the business in hand. |