Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

it may be, to strip him and discover his nakedness, though armed and concealed by the investments of authority. JOHNSON.

To scale, as may be learned from a note to Coriolanus, Act 1. Sc. 1. may mean, to disorder, to disconcert, to put to flight. An army routed is called by Holinshed, an army scaled. The word sometimes signifies to diffuse or disperse; at others, as I suppose in the present instance, to put into confusion. STEEVENS.

Line 298. - -the moated grange,] A grange is a farm-house remote from others.

ACT III. SCENE II.

-bastard.] A kind of sweet wine, then much in

Line 307.

vogue, from the Italian, bastardo.

It appears that bastard was raisin wine.

Line 309.

WARBURTON.

-since of two usuries,] Here a satire on usury turns abruptly to a satire on the person of the usurer, without any kind of preparation. We may be assured then, that a line or two, at least, have been lost. The subject of which we may easily discover, a comparison between the two usurers; as, before, between the two usuries. So that, for the future, the passage should be read with asterisks thus- -by order of law, *** a furr'd gown, &c. WARBURTON. Line 329. I drink, I eat, array myself, and live.] That is, the clown fed himself, and put cloaths on his back, by exercising the vile trade of a bawd, Line 343.

THEOBALD.

That we were all, as some would seem to be,

"

Free from our faults, as faults from seeming free!] i.e. As faults are destitute of all comeliness or seeming. The first of these lines refers to the deputy's sanctified hypocrisy; the second to the clown's beastly occupation. But the latter part is thus ill expressed for the sake of the rhime. WARBURTON.

That men were really good, or that their faults were known, that men were free from faults, or faults from hypocrisy. So Isabella calls Angelo's hypocrisy, seeming, seeming. JOHNSON.

Line 345. His neck will come to your waist, a cord, Sir.] That is, his neck will be tied, like your waist, with a rope. The friars of the Franciscan order, perhaps of all others, wear a hempen cord for a girdle. JOHNSON.

Line 351. Pygmalion's images, newly made woman, I believe Shakspeare meant-Are there no virgins yet untouched to be had? This passage may, however, contain some allusion to a pamphlet printed in 1598, called-The Metamorphosis of Pigmalion's Images, and certain Images. I have never seen the book, but it is mentioned by Ames, page 568. STEEVENS.

Pygmalion's images, newly made woman,] By

Line 354. What say'st thou to this tune, matter, and method? Is't not drown'd i'th' the last rain?] Lucio, a prating fop, meets his old friend going to prison, and pours out upon him his impertinent interrogatories, to which, when the poor fellow makes no answer, he adds, What reply? ha? what say'st thou to this? tune, matter, and method,―is't not? drown'd' th' last rain? ha? what say'st thou, trot? &c. It is a common phrase used in low raillery of a man crest-fallen and dejected, that he looks like a drown'd puppy. Lucio, therefore, asks him, whether he was drowned in the last rain, and therefore cannot speak. JOHNSON.

Line 355. —what say'st thou, trot?] It should be read, I think, what say'st thou to't? the word trot being seldom, if ever used to a man.

Old trot, or trat, signifies a decrepid old woman, or an old drab. In this sense it is used by Gawin Douglass, Virg. Æn. B. 4.

"Out on the old trat, aged dame or wyffe." Dr. GREY. Trot, or as it is often pronounced, honest trout, is a familiar address to a man, among the provincial vulgar.

Line 357. Which is the way?] What is the mode now?

363.

JOHNSON.

JOHNSON.

-in the tub.] The method of cure for venereal

complaints is grossly called the powdering tub.

JOHNSON.

Line 392. Go;-to kennel, Pompey, go:] It should be remembered, that Pompey is the common name of a dog, to which allusion is made in the mention of a kennel. JOHNSON.

Line 408. It is too general a vice.] Yes, replies Lucio, the vice is of great kindred,—it is well ally'd, &c. As much as to say, Yes, truly, it is general; for the greatest men have it as well as we little folks. A little lower he taxes the Duke personally with it. EDWARDS. Line 420. ———and he is a motion ungenerative, that's infal

lible.] In the old editions generative. Lucio, perhaps, may mean, that though Angelo have the organs of generation, yet that he makes no more use of them, than if he were an inanimate puppet. But I rather think our author wrote, and he is a motion ungenerative, because Lucio again in this very scene says,—this ungenitured agent will unpeople the province with continency.

THEOBALD.

Line 437. —clack-dish.] The beggars, two or three centuries ago, used to proclaim their want by a wooden dish with a moveable cover, which they clacked to shew that their vessel was empty. This appears in a passage quoted on another occasion by Dr. Grey. STEEVENS.

Line 440. 446.

-inward- -] i. e. Familiar.

-the greater file of the subject-] The larger

list, the greater number.

Line 477. ponent.

JOHNSON.

-too unhurtful an opposite.] Too weak an op

-eat mutton on Fridays.] A wench was called a

Line 493. laced mutton. THEOBALD. Line 507. -mercy swear, and play the tyrant.] We say at present, Such a thing is enough to make a parson swear, i. e. deviate from a proper respect to decency, and the sanctity of his character. STEEVENS.

[blocks in formation]

Grace to stand, and virtue go;] This passage is very obscure, nor can be cleared without a more licentious paraphrase than any reader may be willing to allow. He that bears the sword of heaven should be not less holy than severe : should be able to discover in himself a pattern of such grace as can avoid temptation, together with such virtue as dares venture abroad into the world without danger of seduction.

Line 588.

How may likeness, made in crimes,

Making practice on the times,

Draw with idle spiders' strings

STEEVENS.

Most pond'rous and substantial things!] i. e. How

may the making it a practice of letting great rogues break through the laws with impunity, and hanging up little ones for the same crimes; draw away in time with idle spiders strings, (For no bet

ter do the cords of the law become, according to the old saying, Leges similes aranearum telis, to which the allusion is) justice and equity, the most ponderous and substantial bases and pillars of government. When justice on offenders is not done, law, government, and commerce, are overthrown. SMITH. Line 595. So disguise shall, by the disguis'd,] So disguise shall, by means of a person disguised, return an injurious demand with a counterfeit person. JOHNSON.

ACT IV. SCENE I..

Line 1. Take, oh take, &c.] This is part of a little song of Shakspeare's own writing, consisting of two stanzas, and so extremely sweet, that the reader won't be displeased to have the other.

Hide, oh, hide those hills of snow,
Which thy frozen bosom bears,
On whose tops, the pinks that grow,
Are of those that April wears.
But my poor heart first set free,

Bound in those icy chains by thee.

WARBURTON.

This song is entire in Beaumont's Bloody Brother, and in Shakspeare's poems. The latter stanza is omitted by Mariana, as not suiting a female character. THEOBALD.

Line 16. My mirth it much displeas'd, but pleas'd my woe.] Though the musick soothed my sorrows, it had no tendency to produce light merriment. ⚫. JOHNSON.

Line 25. Constantly] Certainly; without fluctuation of mind. JOHNSON. Line 32. -circummur'd with brick,] Circummur'd, walled round. He caused the doors to be mured and cased up.

Painter's Palace of Pleasure.
JOHNSON.

Line 34. Planche, French. Line 38.

thus:

a planched gate,] i. e. A gate made of boards. STEEVENS.

There have I, &c.] In the old copy the lines stand

There have I made my promise, upon the

Heavy middle of the night, to call upon him. STEEVENS.

Line 44. In action of all precept,] i. e. Shewing the several turnings of the way with his hand; which action contained so many precepts, being given for my direction. WARBURTON.

Line 49. I have possess'd him,] I have made him clearly and strongly comprehend.

JOHNSON.

Line 70. millions of false eyes— -] That is, eyes insidious and traiterous.

Line 73.

JOHNSON.

-contrarious quests- -] Different reports, run

ning counter to each other.

JOHNSON.

Line 90. Doth flourish the deceit.] A metaphor taken from embroidery, where a coarse ground is filled up, and covered with figures of rich materials and elegant workmanship.

Line 91.

WARBURTON.

for yet our tythe's to sow.] We should read

tilth, i. e. our tillage is to make.

JOHNSON.

ACT IV. SCENE II.

Line 150.

yare:] i. e. Handy, nimble. So in Antony

STEEVENS.

and Cleopatra:

"His ships are yare, yours heavy."

Line 151.

world.

a good turn.] i. e. A turn into the other

Line 160. starkly—] Stiffly. These two lines afford a very pleasing image.

JOHNSON.

JOHNSON.

Line 179. Even with the stroke] Stroke is here put for the stroke of a pen or a line. Line 182. To qualify] To temper, to moderate, as we say wine is qualified with water.

JOHNSON.

Line 182. -were he meal'd- -] Were he sprinkled; were he defiled. A figure of the same kind our author uses in Mac

beth:

The blood-bolter'd Banquo.

JOHNSON.

Line 190. unsisting i. e. Unfeeling. JOHNSON. -siege of justice,] i. e. Seat of justice. Siege,

[blocks in formation]
« FöregåendeFortsätt »