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"Sermons in ftones, and good in every thing: "I would not change it.

"Am. Happy is your Grace, &c."

How much more in character is it for the Duke to fay, "I would not change it," than for Amiens?

In the second part of K. Henry IV. A& IV. "Weft. The Prince is here at hand: pleaseth 66 your Lordship

"To meet his Grace, just distance 'tween our " armies ?

"Mowb. Your Grace of York in God's name then fet forward.

"York. Before, and greet bis Grace; my Lord, we come."

I believe, at first fight, the reader must discover that it should be thus divided:

"Mowb. Your Grace of York in God's "name then fet forward.

"Before, and greet his Grace. York. My "Lord we come."

In K. Henry V. A&IV.

"K. Henry. But, hark, what new alarum is...

"this fame?

"The

66 men.

"The French have reinforc'd their scatter'd

"Then every foldier kill his prisoners.

"Give the word through."

66

Enter Fluellen and Gower.

"Flu. Kill the poyes and the luggage! 'tis exprefsly against the law of arms, &c.”

How should the King know the French had reinforc'd their men? It should thus be printed,

"K. Henry. But, hark, what new alarum is "this fame ?"

Enter a Messenger.

"Mell. The French have reinforc'd their "fcatter'd men.

"K. Hen. Then every foldier kill his pri

"foners:

"Give the word through."

In Antony and Cleopatra, Act I.

"Cleopatra. Excellent falfhood!

[Exeunt.

"Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her? "I'll feem the fool, I am not. Antony

"Will be himself.

"Ant. But stirr'd by Cleopatra.

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"Now for the love of love, and his foft hours,

" &c."

I make no question but the author thus gave it,

"Cleo. Excellent falfhood!

"Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her? "I'll feem the fool, I am not. Antony "Will be himself, but stirr'd by Cleopatra.

[Afide.

"Ant. Now for the love of love, and his foft "hours, &c."

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"Ventid. Learn this, Silius,

"Better to leave undone, than by our deed Acquire too high a fame, when he, we serve,

66

's away.

"Cæfar and Antony have ever won

"More in their officer than perfon. Soffius, "One of my place in Syria, &c."

'Tis highly out of character for Ventidius, Antony's Lieutenant, to say that Antony had ever won more in his officer than perfon: so great an obferver of Decorum as Shakespeare would, and undoubtedly did give this reflection to Silius. Hereafter then let us thus distinguish this place,

« Sil,

"Sil. "Cæfar and Antony have ever won "More in their officer than perfon. Ventid. "Soffius,

"One of my place in Syria, &c."

In Macbeth. Act I.

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King. But who comes here?

Mal. The worthy Thane of Roffe,

"Len. What hafte looks through his eyes? "So fhould he look that feems to speak things "strange.

This last line should be spoken by Malcolme.

"Len. What hafte looks through his eyes? "Mal. So fhould he look, that seems to speak things ftrange."

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SEC T. XV.

HERE are no ancient books now re

maining, but what, more or lefs, have fuffered from the ignorance of transcribers foifting into the text fome marginal note, or glofs. One would have imagined, that printing should have put an end to these fort of blunders; yet

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1 You may fee Gloffes of this kind printed in Chaucer's tranflation of Boethius. And in his Troilus and Crefeide, (p. 330. edit. Urry) are printed the arguments of Statius' twelve books of the War of Thebes.

Mr.

Book II. Mr. Theobald has with great judgment difcovered a marginal direction, printed from the prompter's books, in As you like it, Act IV. where a fong is inferted,

"Then fing him home,

["The reft fhall bear this burthen."]

This being written in the prompter's copy, by way of direction to the players, the unattending printer mixed them with the poet's own words. Again, in Richard II. Act III.

"Bol. Thanks, gentle uncle; come, my "lords away,

"[To fight with Glendower and his complices] "A while to work and after holiday."

The intermediate verfe he has rightly flung out for the fame reason.

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In the Merry Wives of Windsor, A& V.

"Mrs. Ford. Where is Nan now, and her

troop of fairies, and the Welch devil Herne ?"

There was a plot carrying on against Falstaff, which was to be acted near Herne's Oak, in Windfor-Park. Mr. Theobald has printed, the Welch devil Evans. Thinking, Herne got into

the

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