His woful queen leave at Ephess, That monster envy, oft the wrack 8 His woful queen leave at Ephess, To Dian there a votaress.] Old copy-we leave at Ephesus; but Ephesus is a rhyme so ill corresponding with votaress, that I suspect our author wrote Ephese or Ephess; as he often contracts his proper names to suit his metre. Thus Pont for Pontus, Mede for Media, Comagene for Comagena, Sicils for Sicilies, &c. Gower, in the story on which this play is founded, has Dionyze for Dionyza, and Tharse for Tharsus. Steevens. To Dian there a votaress.] The old copies read-there's a votaress. I am answerable for the correction. Malone. 9 Whom our fast-growing scene must find -] The same expression occurs in the chorus to The Winter's Tale :
- your patience this allowing, "I turn my glass, and give my scene such growing, 1 In musick, letters;] The old copy reads, I think corruptly -In musicks letters. The corresponding passage in Gower's Confessio Amantis, confirms the emendation now made: "My doughter Thaise by your leve "In Tharse, as the Cronike telleth; "She was well kept, she was well loked, "That she of every wysedome couth -." Malone. 2 Which makes her both the heart and place Malone. The emendation was made by Mr. Steevens. U Of earned praise, Marina's life center and situation of general wonder. We still use the heart of oak for the central part of it, and the heart of the land in much such another sense. Shakspeare in Coriolamıs says, that one of his ladies is" the spire and top of praise." Steevens. Place here signifies residence. So, in A Lover's Complaint : "Love lack'd a dwelling, and made him her place." In this sense it was that Shakspeare, when he purchased his house at Stratford, called it The New-Place. Malone. 3 oft the wrack Of earned praise,] Praise that has been well deserved. The same expression is found in the following lines, which our author has imitated in his Romeo and Juliet : "How durst thou once attempt to touch the honour of his name? "Whose deadly foes do yeld him dew and earned praise.” Tragicall Historie of Romeus and Juliet, 1562. So, in A Midsummer Night's Dream: "If we have unearned luck -." 4 And in this kind hath our Cleon دو Malone. One daughter, and a wench full grown,] The old copy reads: One daughter, and a full grown wench. The rhyme shows evidently that it is corrupt. For the present regulation the reader is indebted to Mr. Steevens. Malone. * Even ripe for marriage fight;] The first quarto reads: Even right for marriage sight; -. The quarto, 1619, and all the subsequent editions, have Even ripe for marriage sight Sight was clearly misprinted for fight. We have before in this play Cupid's wars. I would read: Malone. Even ripe for marriage rites. Percy. Read-fight; i. e. the combats of Venus; or night, which needs no explanation. "Let heroes in the dusty field delight, "Those limbs were fashion'd for a softer fight" Dryden's version of Ovid's Epistle from Helen to Paris. Steevens. read: Be 't when she weav'd the sleided silk 5 Be 't when she wear'd the sleided silk-] The old copies Be it when they wear'd &c. But the context shows that she was the author's word. To have praised even the hands of Philoten would have been inconsistent with the general scheme of the present chorus. In all the other members of this sentence we find Marina alone mentioned: or when to the lute "She sung," &c. Malone. Sleided silk is untwisted silk, prepared to be used in the weaver's sley or slay. Percy. For a further explanation of sleided silk, see Vol. VII, p. 93, n. 4; and Mr. Malone's edit. of our author, Vol. X, p. 353, n. 5. Steevens. With fingers, long, small, white &c.] So, in Twine's translation: " beautified with a white hand, and fingers long and slender." Steevens. 8 Or when she would with sharp neeld wound - All the copies read-with sharp needle wound; but the metre shows that we ought to read neeld. In a subsequent passage, in the first quarto, the word is abbreviated : دو - and with her neele composes -." So, in Stanyhurst's Virgil, 1582: on neeld-wrought carpets." See also Vol. VII, p. 407, n. 9. Malone. 9 - or when to the lute She sung, and made the night-bird mute, That still records with moan;) The first quarto reads: - the night-bed mute, That still records with moan; for which in all the subsequent editions we find - and made the night-bed mute, That still records within one. There can, I think, be no doubt, that the author wrote night-bird. Shakspeare has frequent allusions, in his works, to the nightingale. So, in his 101st Sonnet: "As Philomel in summer's front doth sing, Vail to her mistress Dian;1 still With absolute Marina:2 so With the dove of Paphos might the crow Vie feathers white.3 Marina gets "Not that the summer is less pleasant now "Than when her mournful hymns did hush the night," &c. Again, in his Rape of Lucrece, 1594: "And for, poor bird, thou sing'st not in the day, "As shaming anie eye should thee behold, -." To record anciently signified to sing. So, in Sir Philip Sid ney's Ourania, by N. B. [Nicholas Breton] 1606: "Recording songs unto the Deitie -." See Vol. II, p. 231, n. 4.-" A bird (I am informed) is said to record, when he sings at first low to himself, before he becomes master of his song and ventures to sing out. The word is in constant use with bird-fanciers at this day." Malone. 1 With rich and constant pen Vail to her mistress Dian;] To vail is to bow, to do homage. The author seems to mean-When she would compose supplicatory hymns to Diana, or verses expressive of her gratitude to Dio nyza. We might indeed read-Hail to her mistress Dian; i. e. salute her in verse. Steevens. I strongly suspect that vail is a misprint. We might read: Wail to her mistress Dian. i. e. compose elegies on the death of her mother, of which she had been apprized by her nurse, Lychorida. That Dian, i. e. Diana, is the true reading, may, I think, be inferred from the passage in The Merchant of Venice; which may at the same time perhaps afford the best comment on that before us: "Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn; Again, in A Midsummer Night's Dream: "To be a barren sister all your life, "Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon." Malone. 2 With absolute Marina:] i. e. highly accomplished, perfect. So, in Antony and Cleopatra : Again, in Green's Tu Quoque, 1614: " from an absolute and most complete gentleman, to a most absurd, ridiculous, and fond lover." Malone. 3 Vie feathers white.] See note on the Taming of a Shrew, Vol. VI, p. 75, n. 5. Steevens. Old copy: All praises, which are paid as debts, The dove of Paphos might with the crow Vie feathers white. M. Mason. The sense requires a transposition of these words, and that we should read: 80 The dove of Paphos might with the crow Vie feathers white. M. Mason. I have adopted Mr. Mason's judicious arrangement. Steevens. In Philoten all graceful marks,] So, in Coriolanus : 66 - and their blaze "Shall darken him for ever." Again, ibidem: 5 66 You are darken'd in this action, sir, "Even by your own." Malone. with envy rare,] Envy is frequently used by our ancient writers, in the sense of malice. See Julius Cæsar, Act II, sc. i, Vol. XIV. It is, however, I believe, here used in its common acceptation. Malone. 6 The pregnant instrument of wrath - Pregnant, in this instance, means prepared, instructed. It is used in a kindred sense in Measure for Measure. See Vol. III, p. 453, n. 7. Steevens. Pregnant is ready. So, in Hamlet : "And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee, -." Malone. 7 Prest for this blow.] Prest is ready; pret. Fr. So, in The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet, 1562: "I will, God lendyng lyfe, on Wensday next be prest See note on The Merchant of Venice, Vol. IV, p. 318, n. 2. Malone: I do commend to your content:) I am not sure that I under stand this passage; but so quaint and licentious is the phraseo |