That knew the stars, as I his characters ; Of my lord's health, of his content; yet not, Lovers, [Reading. JUSTICE, and USTICE, and your father's wrath, should be take me in his dominion, could not be fo cruel to me; as you, oh the dearest of creatures, would even renew me with your eyes. Take notice, that I am in Cambria, at Milford-Haven: what your own love will, out of this, advife you, follow. So, he wishes you all happiness, that remains loyal to his vow, and your increcfing in love. Leonatus Pofthumus. circumftances, to be extremely folicitous about the future; and defirous of coming to it by the affiftance of that fuperftition. WARBURTON. For it doth phyfic love;] That is, grief for absence, keeps love in health and vigour. JOHNSON. So in Macbeth, 7 "The labour we delight in phyfics pain." STEEVENS. Bleft be You bees, that make thefe locks of counfel! Lovers, And men in dangerous bonds, pray not alike. Though forfeitures you caft in prifon, yet You clap young Cupid's tables.] The meaning of this, which had been obfcured by printing forfeitures for forfeiters, is no more than that the bees are not bleft by the man who forfeiting a bond is fent to prifon, as they are by the lover for whom they perform the more pleafing office of fealing letters. STEEVENS. loyal to his vow, and your increafing in love.] I read, Loyal to his vow and you, increafing in love. JOHNS. Oh, for a horse with wings! Hear'ft thou, Pifanio? How far 'tis thither. If one of mean affairs For mine's beyond, beyond) fay, and speak thick; Pif. One score 'twixt fun and fun, Madam,'s enough for you; and too much too. Imo. Why, one that rode to his execution, man, Could never go fo flow. I have heard of riding wagers, Where horfes have been nimbler than the fands 9 That run is the clock's behalf. But this is foolery. Go, bid my woman feign a sickness; fay, She'll home to her father: and provide me presently A riding fuit; no coftlier than would fit 'A franklin's housewife. Pif. Madam, you'd best confider. • That run i' the clock's behalf. -] This fantaftical ex preffion means no more than fand in an hour-glass, used to measure time. WARBURTON. A franklin's wife.] A franklin is literally a freeholder, with a small eftate, neither villain nor affal. JOHNSON. Imo. I fee before me, man, nor here, nor here, 2 I fee before me, man, nor here, nor here, Nor what enfues; but have a fog in them, [Exeunt. That I cannot look thro.'- -] Where is the fubftantive to which this relative plural, them, can poffibly have any reference? There is none; and the fenfe, as well as grammar, is defective. I have ventured to restore, against the authority of the printed copies, but have a fog in ken, That I cannot look thro.' Imogen would fay, "Don't talk of confidering, man; I I fee before me, man; nor here nor there, -] Shakespeare fays fhe can fee before her, yet on which fide foever the looks there is a fog which he cannot fee thro'. This nonfenfe is occafioned by the corrupt reading of BUT have a fog, for, THAT have a fog; and then all is plain. "I fee before me (fays the) "for there is no fog on any fide of me which I cannot fee "thro." Mr. THEOBALD objects to a fog in them, and asks for the fubftantive to which the relative plural (THEM) relates. The fubftantive is places, implied in the words here, there, and what enfues: for not to know that Shakespeare perpetually takes thefe liberties of grammar, is knowing nothing of his author. So that there is no need for his strange stuff of a fog in ken. WARBURTON. This paffage may, in my opinion, be very eafily understood, without any emendation. The lady fays, "I can fee neither "one way nor other, before me nor behind me, but all the "ways are covered with an impenetrable fog." There are objections infuperable to all that I can propofe, and fince reafon can give me na counfel, I will refolve at once to follow my inclination. JOHNSON, > SCENE SCENE III. Changes to a foreft with a cave, in Wales. Enter Bellarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus. Bel. A goodly day not to keep house, with such Whofe roof's as low as ours. See, boys! this gate Inftructs you how to adore the heavens; and bows you To morning's holy office. The gates of monarchs Are arch'd fo high, that giants may jet through And keep 2 their impious turbants on, without Good-morrow to the fun. Hail thou fair heaven! We house i' the rock, yet use thee not fo hardly As prouder livers do. 2 Guid. Hail, heaven! Arv. Hail, heaven! Bel. Now for our mountain fport: up to yon' hill. Your legs are young: I'll tread thefe flats. Confider, When you, above, perceive me like a crow, That it is place, which leffens, and sets off. And you may then revolve what tales I told you, I Sec, boys!] The old copy reads-leep, boysfrom whence I conjecture that the poet wrote-Roop, boysas that word affords a good introduction to what follows. Mr. Rowɛ first made the exchange, which (as usual) has been filently followed. STEEVENS. 2 their impious turbants on,- -] The idea of a giant was, among the readers of romances, who were almost all the readers of thofe times, always confounded with that of a Saracen. JOHNSON. 3 This fervice is not fervice, &c.] In war it is not fufficient to do duty well; the advantage rifes not from the act, but the acceptance of the act. JOHNSON, And And often, to our comfort, fhall we find 4 The fharded beetle in a safer hold, Than is the full-wing'd eagle. Oh, this life Is nobler than attending for a check; Have never wing'd from view o' the neft; nor know not What air's from home. Haply, this life is best, To ftride a limit: The Sharded beetle-] i. e. The beetle hatched among fhards, or broken tiles. STEEVENS. than doing nothing for a bauble ;] i. e. Vain titles of honour gained by an idle attendance at court. But the Oxford Editor reads, for a bribe. WARBURTON. The Oxford Editor knew the reafon of this alteration, though his cenfurer knew it not. The old edition reads, Richer, than doing nothing for a babe. Of babe fome corrector made bauble; and HANMER thought himself equally authorised to make bribe. I think babe cannot be right. STEEVENS. I have always fufpected that the right reading of this paffage is what I had not in my former edition the confidence to propose: Richer, than doing nothing for a brabe. Brabium is a badge of honour, or the enfign of an honour, or any thing worn as a mafk of dignity. The word was firange to the editors as it will be to the reader: they therefore changed it to babe; and I am forced to propofe it without the fupport of any authority. Brabium is a word found in Holyoak's Dictionary, who terms it a reward. Cooper, in his Thefaurus, defines it to be a prize, or reward for any game. JOHNSON. To fride a limit.] To overpafs his bound. JOHNSON. |