duct for his person, of the magnanimous, and most illustrious, six-or-seven-times-honoured captain-general of the Grecian army, Agamemnon. Do this. Patr. Jove bless great Ajax. Ther. Humph! Patr. I come from the worthy Achilles, Ther. Ha! Patr. Who most humbly desires you, to invite Hec= tor to his tent; Ther. Humph! Patr. And to procure safe conduct from Agamemnon. Ther. Agamemnon? Patr. Ay, my lord. Ther. Ha! Patr. What say you to 't? Ther. God be wi' you, with all my heart. Patr. Your answer, sir. Ther. If to-morrow be a fair day, by eleven o'clock it will go one way or other; howsoever, he shall pay for me ere he has me. Patr. Your answer, sir. Ther. Fare you well, with all my heart. Achil. Why, but he is not in this tune, is he? Ther. No, but he 's out o' tune thus. What musickwill be in him when Hector has knocked out his brains, I know not: But, I am sure, none; unless the fiddler Apollo get his sinews to make catlings on." Achil. Come, thou shalt bear a letter to him straight. Ther. Let me bear another to his horse; for that 's the more capable creature.1 Achil. My mind is troubled, like a fountain stirr❜d: And I myself see not the bottom of it.2 [Exeunt ACHIL. and PATR. 9- to make catlings on.] It has been already observed that a catling signifies a small lute-string made of catgut. One of the musicians in Romeo and Juliet is called Simon Catling. Steevens. 1- the more capable creature.] The more intelligent creature. So, in King Richard III: "Bold, forward, quick, ingenious, capable." See also Vol. XI, p. 334, n. 9. Malone. 2 And I myself see not the bottom of it.] This is an image frequently introduced by our author. So, in King Henry IV, Part II: Ther. 'Would the fountain of your mind were clear again, that I might water an ass at it! I had rather be a tick in a sheep, than such a valiant ignorance. [Exit. ACT IV..... SCENE I. Troy. A Street. Enter, at one side, ENEAS and Servant, with a Torch; at the other, PARIS, DEIPHOBUS, ANTENOR, DIOMEDES, and Others, with Torches. Par. See, ho! who's that there? Dei. "Tis the lord Eneas. Ene. Is the prince there in person?— Had I so good occasion to lie long, As you, prince Paris, nothing but heavenly business Dio. That's my mind too. Good morrow, lord Æneas. 3 Ene. But when I meet you arm'd, as black defiance, Dio. The one and other Diomed embraces. "I see the bottom of Justice Shallow." Again, in King Henry VI, Part II: 3 -valiant sir,] The epithet-valiant, appears to have been caught by the compositor from the the preceding speech, and is introduced here only to spoil the metrre. Steevens. 4 During all question of the gentle truce:] I once thought to read: During all quiet of the gentle truce: But I think question means intercourse, interchange of conversa- \ tion. Johnson. See Vol. IV, p. 398, n. 9. Question of the gentle truce is conversation while the general truce lasts. Malone. But when contention and occasion meet, Ene. And thou shalt hunt a lion, that will fly Dio. We do; and long to know each other worse. Par. This is the most despiteful gentle greeting, The noblest hateful love, that e'er I heard of.— What business, lord, so early? Ene. I was sent for to the king; but why, I know not. To Calchas' house; and there to render him, That I assure you; Ene. 5 Par. There is no help; By Venus' hand I swear,] This oath was used to insinuate his resentment for Diomedes' wounding his mother in the hand. Warburton. I believe Shakspeare had no such allusion in his thoughts. He would hardly have made Eneas civil and uncivil in the same breath. Steevens. 6 His purpose meets you;] I bring you his meaning and bis orders, Johnson The bitter disposition of the time Will have it so. On, lord; we 'll follow you. Ene. Good morrow, all. [Exit. Par. And tell me, noble Diomed; 'faith, tell me true, Even in the soul of sound good-fellowship,- Dio. Both alike: He merits well to have her, that doth seek her 7 a flat tamed piece;] i. e. a piece of wine out of which the spirit is all flown. Warburton. This word, with a somewhat similar sense, occurs in Coriolanus: "His remedies are tame i' the present peace S Both merits pois'd, each weighs nor less nor more; But he as he, each heavier for a whore? "Steevens. Heavy is taken both for weighty, and for sad or miserable. The quarto reads: But he as he, the heavier for a whore? I know not whether the thought is not that of a wager. It must then be read thus: But he as he. Which heavier, for a whore? That is, for a whore staked down, which is the heavier? Johnson. As the quarto reads, - the heavier for a whore, I think all new pointing or alteration unnecessary. The sense appears to be this: the merits of either are sunk in value, because the contest between them is only for a strumpet. Steevens. The merits of each, whatever they may be, being weighed one against the other, are exactly equal; in each of the scales, however, in which their merits are to be weighed, a harlot must be placed, since each of them has been equally attached to one. This is the reading of the quarto. The folio reads, which heavier for a whore. Malone. Par. You are too bitter to your countrywoman. A Grecian's life hath sunk; for every scruple A Trojan hath been slain: since she could speak, [Exeunt 9 We'll not commend what we intend to sell.] I believe the meaning is only this: though you practice the buyer's art, we will not practise the seller's. We intend to sell Helen dear, yet will not commend her. Johnson. Dr. Warburton would read-not sell. Steevens. The sense, I think, requires we should read-condemn. Tyrwhitt. When Dr. Johnson says, they meant to sell Helen dear, he evidently does not mean that they really intended to sell her at all, (as he has been understood) but that the Greeks should pay very dear for her, if they had her. We'll not commend what we intend to make you pay very dear for, if you have her. So Ajax says, in a former scene: "however, he shall pay for me, ere he has me." Commend is, I think, the true reading, our author having introduced a similar sentiment in two other places. In Love's Labour's Lost, we have "To things of sale a seller's praise belongs." Again, in his 21st Sonnet: "I will not praise, that purpose not to sell." This passage favours Dr. Warburton's emendation; but intend not sell sounds very harsh. However, many very harsh combinations may be found in these plays, where rhymes are introduced. Surely Dr. Warburton's reading is the true one. We'll not commend what we intend not sell, is evidently opposed to Dispraise the thing that you desire to buy," in the same speech. Malone. Of such elliptical phraseology as is introduced by Dr. Warburton's emendation, our author's plays will afford numerous examples. Steevens. |