"I had one too much in thee. Why had I one? 66 Why did I not, with charitable hand, "Take up some beggar's offspring at my door." Much Ado About Nothing. A syllable is wanting for the measure; I sup pose, 66 Peace, you old mumbling fool." 184. "God's bread! it makes me mad: Day, night, late, early." I prefer what the first quarto exhibits to this singular exclamation : "God's blessed mother!" 187. "O, he's a lovely gentleman!" The first quarto gives a word, in this line of the nurse's speech, that would supply the deficient quantity: "O, he's a gallant lovely gentleman." ACT IV. SCENE I. 189. "And I am nothing slow, to slack his haste." This line, in the first copy, runs thus: "And I am nothing slack, to slow his haste." The expression is bad either way; but not worse in the first than in the latter instance, nor less reducible to meaning :-"The time," says the friar,"is short."-" My father," answers Paris, "will have it so, and I am not slack or remiss, so as to incline him to retard his speed.” 190. "And in his wisdom hastes our marriage." "Marriage," a trisyllable. 194. " Or walk in thievish ways." * Here again the first quarto appears to have been unskilfully altered-that proceeds thus: "Or chaine me to some steepie mountaine's top, "Where roaring beares and sauage lions are, "Or shut me nightly in a charnell house, "With reekie shankes and yellow chapless skulls, "Or lay me in a tombe with one new dead; Things that, to heare them namde, haue made me tremble; “And I will doe it without feare or doubt, 196. Thy eyes' windows fall, "Like death, when he shuts up the day of life." "Shuts out" would seem a more natural expression; but "shuts up" is used elsewhere, for closes," "concludes," and seems to be a metaphor taken from a tradesman's shutting up his shop or pack.-This is not in the first quarto. SCENE III. 204. "Nurse! what should she do here? My dismal scene I needs must act alone. "Come, phial." These two hemistics might easily have been incorporated. * "And yawninge denns where glaringe monsters house." MS. of Comus, L. 415, Duke of "Nurse! what should she do here? My dismal scene. "Alas! I needs must act alone. Come, phial." But these words are not in the first copy. 225. ACT IV. SCENE I. My dreams presage some joyful news at hand." We are not to suppose that Romeo had a multitude of dreams; in the first quarto it is, My dreame presagde some good euent to come" It should, perhaps, be 'My dream presageth joyful news to come." 226. "My bosom's lord sits lightly in his throne." By "bosom's lord," I am persuaded that nothing more is meant than heart. The early quarto reads, preferably, I think, in the first part of the line, My bosome lord sits chearfull in his throne." 229. "Is it even so? then I defy you, stars.” I prefer the reading of the first quarto—then I defy my stars. i. e. I am prepared to meet my destiny. 232. "And fear'st to die, The world is not thy friend, nor the world's law; "The world affords no law to make thee rich; "Then be not poor, but break it." The antecedent to "it," in this sentence, is not sufficiently obvious, and should rather be "the world," than "law;" both the construction and the argument are better in the first quarto : "And dost thou fear to violate the law? "The law is not thy friend, nor the law's friend; (i. e. neither law nor lawyer) "And therefore make no conscience of the law." "Need and oppression starveth in thy eyes." This line, I confess, appears to me more poetical than that which we find in the first quarto: "And starved famine dwelleth in thy cheeks." "Starveth in thine eyes," is, "keepeth his state there, exhibits there his nature and quality." To say that "need starves," is only saying that "need continues his existence." There is no false grammar here, as need and oppression, of which that need is the mere consequence, compose one mixed or general idea, which would only be split and enfeebled by pluralizing the verb. 236. " SCENE II. -Not nice." Not ceremonious or superfluous. 238. SCENE III. Perfect model of eternity." Eternity," I suppose, for "heaven;" a model for angels-(not in the first quarto.) Perfect model of eternity." The perfection and complete nature of eter nity, I conceive, is here meant that which contains every thing. B. STRUTT. 242. "I do defy thy conjuratións.” "Defy," Mr. Steevens, interprets "refuse," but it is somewhat more-it is, to renounce with vehemence, to abjure; as, in K. Henry IV. Hotspur exclaims, "All studies, here, I solemnly defy, "Save how to gall and pinch this Bolingbroke." 343. "In faith, I will:-Let me peruse this face." So great a favour should not so prematurely be granted; indeed, it would be of no value if any stranger might claim and receive it. The first and latter parts of the line should change places, as it is evident that Romeo's motive for complying with Paris's request was, his having recognised the kinsman of Mercutio: "Let me peruse this face:-In faith I will;"Mercutio's kinsman," &c. "Did not attend him." Did not mark, attend to him-the active for the neuter form. "Will I set up my everlasting rest.” In a similar tone of resolute despair, Othello says, "Here is my journey's end; here is my butt; "The very sea-mark of my utmost sail. |