ACT III. Scene 1. Page 305. TIT. Speak my Lavinia, what accursed hand Hath made thee handless in thy father's sight? Dr. Warburton says, "we should read spight;" but there is no reason for a change for the worse. Titus had made no attempt to prevent the mutilation of his unhappy daughter, nor had it taken place in despite, i. e. contempt or hatred of him. ACT IV. Scene 3. Page 338. TIT. And sith there is no justice in earth nor hell, Notwithstanding the difference in arrangement, it will hardly be questioned that the author is here indebted to Virgil's "Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo." This may be added to the list of classical allusions at the end of the play. ACT V. Scene 1. Page 351. AAR. An idiot holds his bauble for a God, And keeps the oath which by that God he swears. Even though the bauble here mentioned had been actually of that kind which is alluded to in the course of a note in All's well that ends well, Act iv., his imagination would be deemed not a little fanciful, who would connect it with the object of the singular oath in Genesis, xxiv. 9. There cannot however be a doubt that Aaron refers to that sort of bauble or sceptre which was usually carried in the hand by natural idiots and allowed jesters, and by which, it may be supposed, they would sometimes swear. The resemblance which it bore to an image or idol suggested the poet's comparison. Sc. 2. p. 363, TIT. So, now bring them in, for I will play the cook. This redundant line ought to be thus arranged and printed. So, Now bring them in, for I will play the cook. Sc. 3. p. 364. MAR. Rome's emperor, and nephew, break the parle. Dr. Johnson makes the sense "begin the parley." Is it not rather "break off this sort of discourse!"? for Lucius and Saturninus had already begun the parley by sparring language: to prevent the continuance of it Marcus interferes, by declaring that their quarrels must be adjusted by gentle words. Throughout this play the name Andronicus is improperly accented. It should have been Andronicus. THE CLOWN. He is nothing more than a shrewd rustic, performing the office of a messenger. PERICLES. Pentapolis.] Page 388. "THIS," says Mr. Steevens, "is an imaginary city, and its name might have been borrowed from some romance, We meet, indeed, in history with Pentapolitana regio, a country in Africa, and from thence perhaps some novelist furnished the sounding title of Pentapolis," &c. But there was no absolute reason for supposing it a city in this play, as Gower in the Confessio amantis had done, a circumstance which had probably misled Mr. Steevens. In the original Latin romance of Apollonius Tyrius it is most accurately called Pentapolis Cyrenorum, and was, as both Strabo and Ptolemy inform us, a district of Cyrenaica in Africa, comprising five cities, of which Cyrene was one. ACT I. GOWER. To sing a song of old was sung. The editor having very properly adopted Mr. Malone's amendment in the text, has forgotten to mention that the former reading was that old, and the note is consequently rendered obscure. Sc. 1. p. 397. PER. See where she comes, apparell'd like the spring, Graces her subjects, and her thoughts the king Of every virtue A transposition of spring and king has been suggested, but on no solid foundation; nor, it is presumed, is the passage incurably depraved, or even any change necessary. Mr. Steevens asks "With what propriety can a lady's thoughts be styled the king of every virtue?" For this the poet must answer, who evidently designed an antithesis in king and subjects. |