Queen. I doubt, it is no other but the main, Say, Veltimand, what from our brother Norway? His nephew's levies, which to him appear'd That (27) Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee.] This reading first obtain'd in the edition put out by the players. But all the old quarto's (from 1605, downwards) read, as I have reform'd the text. I had hinted, that threescore thousand crowns feemed a much more fuitable donative from a King to his own nephew, and the general of an army, than fo poor a pittance as three thousand crowns, a pension fcarce large enough for a dependent courtier. I therefore restor'd, Gives him threefcore thousand crowns To this Mr. Pope (very archly critical, as he imagines) has only replied,-which in his ear is a verfe. I own, it is; and I'll venture to prove to this great mafter in numbers, that two fyllables may, by pronunciation, be refolv'd and melted into one, as eafily as two notes are flur'd in mufick: and a redundance of a fyllable, that may be fo funk, has never been a breach of harmony in any language. We muft pronounce, as if 'twere written; Gi's'm three fcore | thou | fand crowns | But has Mr. Pope, indeed, fo long been converfant with verfe, and never obferv'd the licence of the pes proceleufmaticus: or that an anapaf That it might please you to give quiet pafs King. It likes us well; And at our more confider'd time we'll read, Mean time, we thank you for your well took labour. anapaft is equal in time and quantity to a fpondée? A few inftances from the Claffics will convince him, and perfons (if there are any fuch) of fuperior learning. Γαλακτοφάγων αξίαν, δικαιοτάτων ανθρώπων. Hom. II. v. v. 6. Capitibus mutantes platanos, rectafque cupreffus. Arietat in portas & duros objice poftes. Ego laticis bauftu fatior? aut ullo furor, &c. Ennius. Lucret. Idem. Idem. Horat. Virgil, Idem. Idem. Idem. Senec. Idem. Idem. But inftances from the Claffics would be endless. Let us now take a fhort view, whether there are not other verfes in our Author which neither can be scan'd nor pronounc'd, without melting down fome fyllables and extending others; and yet the verfes will stand the teft of all judicious ears, that are acquainted with the licences of verfification. On bolyrood day, the gallant Hotspur there. 1 Hen. IV. And that the lord of Weft | morland shall | maintain. 3 Hen. VI. Thy grandfather Roger Mortimer eat] | of March. Ibid. I am the son of Henry the Fifth. For Henry here is made a trifyllable. Ibid. As fire drives out fire, lo pi | ty pity: Jul. Caf. And I might amais a thousand more inftances in proof. To conclude, without this liberty of liquidating fyllables, as we may call it, how would Mr. Pope, or any body elfe, fcan this verfe in Johnson's Volpone? But Pără fites or | fub pā | rāfités, | And yet, &c. Go Go to your reft; at night we'll feaft together. Moft welcome home! Pol. This bufinefs is well ended. [Exe. Ambaf. My Liege, and Madam, to expoftulate (28) Why day is day, night night, and time is time, And tedioufnefs the limbs and outward flourishes, Queen. More matter, with lefs art. Pol. Madam, I fwear, I ufe no art at all: Thus it remains, and the remainder thus.-Perpend. (28) My Liege, and Madam, to expoftulate.] There feem to me in this fpeech most remarkable ftrokes of humour. I never read it without aftonishment at the Author's admirable art of preferving the unity of character. It is fo just a fatire on impertinent oratory, (especially, of that then in vogue) which was of the formal cut, and proceeded by definition, divifion, and fubdivifion, that I think, every body must be charm'd with it. Then as to the jingles, and play on words, let us but look into the fermons of Dr. Donne, (the wittiest man of that age) and we shall find them full of this vein; only, there they are to be admired, here to be laugh'd at. Then, with what art is Polonius made to pride himself in his wit? A foolish figure. But, farewell it. Again, how finely is he fneering the formal oratory in fashion, when he makes this reflection on Hamlet's raving? Tho' this be madness, yet there's method in it. As if method in a difcourfe (which the wits of that age thought the moft effential part of good writing) would make amends for the mad nefs of it. This in the mouth of Polonius is exceeding fatirical. Tho' it was madness, yet he could comfort himself with the reflec tion, that at leaft it was method. Mr. Warburton. I have VOL. VIII. G I have a daughter; have, while fhe is mine; [He opens a letter, and reads.] To the celestial,and my foul's idol, the most beatified (29) Ophelia. That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase: beatified is a vile phrafe; but you fhall hear-Thefe to her excellent white bofom, these. Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her? Pol. Good Madam, ftay a while, I will be faithful. (29) To the celeftial, and my foul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia.] I have ventur'd at an emendation here, against the authority of all the copies but, I hope, upon examination it will appear probable and reafonable. The word beautified may carry two diftinct ideas, either as applied to a woman made up of artificial beauties (which our Poet afterwards calls, The harlot's cheek beautied with plaftring art) or as applied to a perfen rich in native charms : As in the Two Gentlemen of Verona; And partly feeing you are beautified But a As Shakespeare has therefore chofe to use it in the latter acceptation, to exprefs natural comeliness; I cannot imagine, that, here, he would have excepted to the phra'e, and call'd it a vile one. ftronger objection ftill, in my mind, lies against it. As celeftial and foul's idol are the introductory characteristics of Ophelia,what a dread. ful anticlimax is it to defcend to fuch an epithet as beautified? On the other hand, beatified, as I have conjectur'd, raifes the image: but Polonius might very well, as a Roman catholick, call it a vile phrafe, i. e. favouring of prophanation; fince the epithet is peculiarly made an adjunct to the Virgin Mary's honour, and therefore ought not to be employ'd in the praife of a meer mortal. Again, tho' beatified, perhaps, is no where clfe apply'd to an earthly beauty, yet the fame rapturous ideas are employ'd in terms purely fynonymous. No Valentine indeed for facred Sylvia. Two Gent. of Verona. Call her divine. My vow was earthly, thou a beavenly love. Ibid. Love's Lab. Loft. Celestial as thou art, O, pardon, Love, this wrong; That fings Heav'n's praife with fuch an earthly tongue, Ibid. And Beaumont and Fletcher, I remember, in a Wife for a Mentb, make a lover fubfcribe his letter to his mistress, bleft Evanthe. thus ; -To the Doubt Doubt thou, the ftars are fire, But never doubt, I love. [Reading. Oh, dear Ophelia, I am ill at thefe numbers; I have not art to reckon my groans ; but that I love thee beft, oh moft beft, believe it. Adieu. Thine evermore, most dear Lady, whilst This in obedience hath my daughter fhewn me: As they fell out by time, by means, and place, King. But how hath fhe receiv'd his love? King. As of a man, faithful and honourable. Pol. I would fain prove fo. But what might you think When I had seen this hot love on the wing, (As I perceiv'd it, I must tell you that, Or giv'n my heart a working, mute and dumb, What might you think? no, I went round to work, Thence to a watching, thence into a weakness, King. Do you think this? Queen. It may be very likely. G 2 1 |