Pro. My shame and guilt confounds me.- Then I am paid ; my love may appear plain and free, All that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.3 So, in our poet's 133d Sonnet : “ But Nave to slavery my sweetest friend must be." MALONE. Perhaps our author only wrote—"sweet," which the tranfcriber, or printer, prolonged into the superlative-“ sweeteft." Steevens. 3 All, that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.] It is (I think) very odd, to give up his mistress thus at once, without any reason alledged. But our author probably followed the stories just as he found thein in his novels as well as histories. Pope. This paffage either hath been much sophisticated, or is one great proof that the main parts of this play did not proceed from Shakspeare; for it is impossible he could make Valentine act and speak so much out of character, or give to Silvia so unnatural a behaviour, as to take no notice of this strange concession, if it had been made. HANMER. Valentine, from seeing Silvia in the company of Proteus, might conceive she had escaped with him from her father's court, for the purposes of love, though she could not foresee the violence which his villainy might offer, after he had seduced her under the pretence of an honest passion. If Valentine, however, be supposed to hear all that passed between them in this scene, I am afraid I have only to subscribe to the opinions of my predecessors. STEEVENS. I give thee.] Transfer these two lines to the end of Thurio's speech in page 287, and all is right. Why then should Julia faint? It is only an artifice, seeing Silvia given up to Va. lentine, to discover herself to Proteus, by a pretended mistake of the rings. One great fault of this play is the hastening too abruptly, and without due preparation, to the denouëment, which shews that, if it be Shakspeare's (which I cannot doubt,) it was one of his very carly performances. BLACKSTONE, Jul. O me, unhappy! [Faints. Pro. Look to the boy. Val. Why, boy! why wag! how now? what is the matter? Look up; speak. Jul. O good sir, my master charg'd me Pro. Where is that ring, boy? Pro. How! let me see: 5 Jul. O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook ; [Shows another ring. Pro. But, how cam'st thou by this ring? at my depart, I gave this unto Julia. Jul. And Julia herself did give it me; Pro. How! Julia ! 4 To deliver a ring to Madam Silvia ;] Surely our author wrote "To give a ring,” &c. A verse fo rugged must be one of those corrupted by the players, or their transcriber. Steevens. Pro. How! let me fee : &c.] I suspect that this unmetrical passage should be regulated as follows: Pro. How ! let me see it: Why, this is the ring Jul. 'Cry you mercy, fir, Pro. But how cam'lt thou by this ? Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,] So, in Titus Andronicus, Aa V. sc. iii : But gentle people, give me aim a while." And entertain'd them deeply in her heart: minds. Pro. Than men their minds! 'tis true: O heaven! were man But constant, he were perfect: that one error fins : VAL. Come, come, a hand from either : Let me be bleft to make this happy close ; "Twere pity two such friends should be long foes. Pro. Bear witness, heaven, I have my with for ever. Jul. And I have mine. Both these passages allude to the aim-crier in archery. So, in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act III. fe. ü : " - all my neighbours shall cry aima" See note, ibid. STERVENS. 6 How oft haft thon with perjury eleft the root ?] Sir T. Hanmer reads-cleft the root on't. JOHNSON cleft the root ?] i. e, of her heart. MALONE. - if shame live -] That is, if it be any foame to wear a disguise for the purposes of love. Johnson. & And I have mine.] The old copy reads “ And I mine." I have inserted the word have, which is necessary to metre, by the advice of Mr. Ritson. STEEVENS. Enter Out-laws, with Duke and THURIO, . OUT. A prize, a prize, a prize! Sir Valentine ! death; Duke. The more degenerate and bafe art thou, • Forbear, I say; it is my lord the duke.] The old copy, without regard to metre, repeats the word forbear, which is here omitted. STEEVENS, the measure-] The length of my sword, the reach of my anger. JOHNSON. 3 Milan Hall not bebold shee.] All the editions Verona fall not bebeld ther. But, whether through the mistake of the first editors, or the poet's own carelessness, this reading is absurdly faulty. For the threat here is to Thurio, who is a Milanese ; and has no concern, as it appears, with Verona. Befides, the scene is betwixt the confines of Milan and Mantua, to which Silvia follows Valentine, having heard that he had retreated thither. And. upon these circumstances, I ventured to adjuft the text, as I imagine the poet must have intended; i. e. Milan, thy country shall never see thee again: thou shalt never live to go back thither. THEOBALD. To make such means for her as thou hast done, 4 happy. . VAL. These banish'd men, that I have kept withal, thee; 4 To make such means for her as thou haft done,] i.e. to make such interest for, to take such difingenuous pains about her. So, in King Richard III: “ One that made means to come by what he hath.” STEEVENS. $ And think thee worthy of an empress' love.] This thought has already occurred in the fourth scene of the second act:: “ He is as worthy for an empress' lozie.” Steevens. 6 — all former griefs,] Griefs in old language frequently fignified grievances, wrongs. Malone. ? Plead a new state-] Should not this begin a new sentence? Plead is the same as plead thou. TYRWHITT. I have followed Mr. Tyrwhitt's direction. STREVENS. 1 |