Alcib. "What is thy name? is man so hateful to

thee

"That art, thyself, a man?"

Tim. 66

Misanthropos :

For thy part," &c.

141. "To thine own lips again."

Some words seem wanting: perhaps the context was,

"I will not kiss thee; then the rot returns, "And sates itself on thy own lips again." "Promise me friendship," &c.

This is deranged: I would regulate: "Promise me friendship, but perform me none; "If thou'lt not promise, why then the gods plague thee,

"For thou'rt a man; and if thou dost perform, "Confound thee then, too, for thou art a man." 142. "Be a whore still!" &c.

This line, properly regulated, would accommodate Timandra's responsive monosyllable, which else takes up the place of a verse:

Timand. "Yes."

Tim. 66

Be whore still they love thee

not that use thee."

Thus Milton

144.

"Lust hard-by hate."

When neighbour states,

"But for thy sword and fortune, trod upon

them."

Sir T. Hanmer's necessary correction "had trod" should be admitted, rejecting, for the sake of the metre, the first syllable of "upon."

145. "That,

By killing villains," &c.

This is corrupted: perhaps the verse proceeded:

"That, killing villains, thou wast born to conquer "My country.-Up thy gold; here's gold; go on, "Be as a planetary plague," &c.

"He's an usurer: Strike me the counterfeit

matron."

No line can begin or proceed in this manner: Shakspeare often omits the article; and, I suppose, wrote,

"He's usŭrer. Strike the matron counterfeit."

148. "Not all thy counsel."

This hemistic, I suppose, was only a part of the preceding line:

"Hast thou gold yet?—I'll take't, not all thy

counsel."

Be whores still;

"And he whose pious breath seeks to convert you,

"Be strong in whore, allure him," &c. This is a broken sentence, and very strongly elliptic-he whose pious breath seeks to convert you (listening to him) "be strong "be strong in whore;" be fortified in your real character against this specious seduction to virtue; allure him, &c.

66

" Predominate his smoke."

"Predominate” a verb active."

"Be quite contrary," &c.

The word "contrary" has this accentuation in other places; as in K. John:

"Had falsely thrust upon contráry feet.” (C Let your close fire predominate his smoke."

Let the tenacious infection of your embraces overcome the effect of the medical vapours he shall use.

Yet may your pains, six months,

"Be quite contrary."

Be as industrious as ye can in the practice of your baneful profession; yet let it afflict and disappoint even yourselves, for one half of the

year.

"And be no turn-coats: yet may your pains, six months,

"Be quite contrary: and thatch your poor thin roofs," &c.

The sense would accommodate the metre by dismissing "may" from this verse.-" Contrary" has, in other places, the accent on the second syllable: yet we might read, rejecting a word, here useless, quite,

"Be contrary; and thatch your poor thin roofs "With burdens of the dead."

This reflection occurs again in the Merchant of Venice:

"So are those crisped snaky golden locks, "Which make such wanton gambols with the wind, "Upon supposed fairness, often found

To be the dowry of a second head; "The skull that bred them in the sepulchre." 150. "No matter:-wear them," &c.

The measure is deranged; I would propose,

"No matter; wear them, still betray with them,

"Whore still; paint till a horse may mire

upon

"Your face; a pox of wrinkles."

Phr. 66

Well; more gold

"What then? Believe it, Timon, that we

will

"Do any thing for gold."

Tim. "

151.

Consumptions sow," &c.

Strike their sharp shins,

"And mar men's spurring."

I have no doubt that a wrong word has crept here into the text: of what force can spurring be? or how is the thought connected with what Timon is saying? I believe we should read, springing," strike their sharp shins, i. e. stiffen their emaciated legs, and mar their agility; blight or paralize" the pregnant hinges of their knees," and spoil their leaping or vaulting: We find vaulting" used in a similar sense in Cymbeline:

66

"Whiles he is vaulting variable ramps.'

152. "Smells from the general weal: make curl'd-pate ruffians bald."

This line far exceeds its quantity. "The general" is put in other places absolutely for the general weal, and may so stand here: I would regulate:

"Smells from the general; curl❜d-pate ruffians

make

"Bald; and let th' unscarr'd braggarts of the war "Derive some pain from you: plague, plague them all.

153.

"And ditches grave you all."

I

suppose some words have been lost; perhaps, "Do your foul course; and ditches grave you

all."

"I never did thee harm."

I suppose Alcibiades had first asked, "Wherefore good Timon? I ne'er did thee harm." 154. "And take thy beagles with thee."

"With thee" might be spared, and the metre mended:

"And take thy beagles."

Alcib.."

"Teems, and feeds all; whose self-same mettle.”

This is defective: I suppose

it was,

"Teems and feeds all upon't, whose self-same mettle."

156. "

With liquorish draughts, "And morcels unctuous, greases his pure mind,

"That from it all consideration slips.”

That, by drunkenness and gluttony his mind may be utterly unretentive of rational reflection.

"More man? plague! plague!"

Perhaps, as Apemantus advances :

"What's here? another yet! more man? plague! plague!"

158.

66

Call these creatures, "Whose naked natures live in all the spite