Ob. Welcome, good Robin. Seeft thou this sweet? fight? Her dotage now I do begin to pity. And, gentle Puck, take this transformed fcalp 1 What Shakespeare feems to mean, is this-So the woodbine, i.e. the fweet honey-fuckle, doth gently entwift the barky fingers of the elm, and fo does the female ivy enring the fame fingers. It is not unfrequent in the Poets, as well as other writers, to explain one word by another which is better known. The reafon why Shakespeare thought woodbine wanted explanation, perhaps is this. In fome countries, by woodbine or woodbind would be generally underftood the Ivy, which he had occafion to mention in the very next line. STEEVENS. 3 the female ivy.] Shakespeare calls it female ivy, be caufe it always requires fome fupport, which is poetically called its hufband. So Milton: "To wed her elm : fhe fpous'd, about him twines! "Her marriageable arms "Ulmo conjuncta marito." Catull. "Platanufque celebs "Evincet Ulmos. Hor. STEEVENS. fweet favours,] The first edition reads favours. STEEVENS. From From off the head of the Athenian swain ; Be, as thou waft wont to be; See, as thou waft wont to fee: Now, my Titania, wake you, my fweet queen. Queen. How came these things to pass? Titania, musick call; and flrike more dead Still mufick. Puck. When thou awak'ft, with thine own fool's eyes peep. Dian's bud, or Cupid's flower.] Thus all the editions. The Ingenious Dr. Thirlby gave me the correction, which I have inferted in the text. THEOBALD. 6 Titania, mufick call, and frike more dead This most certainly is both corrupt in the text and pointing. My emendation needs no juftification. The five, that lay asleep on the ftage were Demetrius, Lyfander, Hermia, Helena, and Bottom.- -Dr. Thirlby likewife communicated this very correc tion. THEOBALD. Ob. Sound, mufick. Come, my queen, take hand with me, And rock the ground whereon these fleepers be. And will to-morrow midnight folemnly There fhall these pairs of faithful lovers be I do hear the morning lark. Ob. Then, my queen, in filence fad; Queen. Come, my lord, and in our flight [Exeunt. [Wind berns within. Enter Thefeus, Egeus, Hippolita, and all his train. 7 Dance in Duke Thefeus houfe triumphantly, And blefs it to all FAIR pofierity;] We should read, —to all FAR pofterity. i. e. to the remoteft pofterity. WARBURTON. Then, my queen, in filence fad; Trip we after the nighi's fhade.] Mr. Theobald fays, wly fad? Fairies are pleafed to follow night. He will have it fade; and fo, to mend the rhime, fpoils both the fenfe and grammar. But he mistakes the meaning of fad; it fignifies only grave, fober; and is oppofed to their dances and revels, which were now ended at the finging of the morning lark. -So Winter's Tale, act iv. My father and the gentlemen are in SAD talk. For grave or ferious. WARBURTON. For For now our observation is perform'd, ' Of hounds and echo in conjunction. 2 Hip. I was with Hercules, and Cadmus, once, The. My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind, 9 Our obfervation is perform'd.] The honours due to the morning of May. I know not why Shakespear calls this play a MidJummer-Night's Dream, when he fo carefully informs us that it happened on the night preceding May day. JOHNSON. I they bay'd the bear.] Thus all the old copies. I suppose we should read, the boar. STEEVENS. 2 fuch gallant chiding.] Chiding in this inftance means only found. So in Hen. VIII. "As doth a rock against the chiding flood." So in Humour out of Breath, Com. by John Day, 1608. "I take great pride "To hear foft mufic, and thy fhrill voice chide." STEEVENS. 3 So flew'd.] i. e. fo mouthed. Flews are the large chaps of a deep-mouthed hound. HANMER. + So fanded.] So marked with fmall fpots. JOHNSON. Sandy'd means of a fandy colour, which is one of the true denotements of a blood-hound. VOL. III. STEEVENS. Was Was never halloo'd to, nor cheer'd with horn, Judge, when you hear.-But soft, what nymphs are these? Ege. My lord, this is my daughter here asleep; And this Lyfander, this Demetrius is; This Helena, old Nedar's Helena : I wonder at their being here together. The. No doubt, they rofe up early, to obferve That Hermia fhould give anfwer of her choice? The. Go bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns. Horns, and fhout within; Demetrius, Lyfander, Hermia and Helena, wake and start up. The. Good-morrow, friends; faint Valentine is paft; s Begin thefe wood-birds but to couple now? Lyf. Pardon, my lord. [They all kneel to Thefeus. The. I pray you all, ftand up. I know, you two are rival enemies. How comes this gentle concord in the world, To fleep by hate, and fear no enmity? Half 'fleep, half waking: but as yet, I fwear, I came with Hermia hither. Our intent -faint Valentine is paft;] Alluding to the old faying, That birds begin to couple on St. Valentine's day. STEEVENS. |