ADVANTAGE. Thus fays my king:-Say thou to Harry of England, though we feemed dead, we did but fleep: Advantage is a better foldier, than rafhnefs; Tell him, we cou'd have rebuked him at Harfleur; but that we thought not good to bruife an injury, till it were full ripe. Henry V. A. 3, S. 6. ADVERSITY. A wretched foul, bruis'd with adverfity, But were we burden'd with like weight of pain, Comedy of Errors, A. 2, S. 1. Sweet are the uses of adversity; Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head. As you like it, A. 2, S. 1. AFFECTION S. -When his headstrong riot hath no curb, When rage and hot blood are his counfellors, When means and lavish manners meet together, Buzzer, in a fubfequent scene of this play, is used for a busy talker. "And wants not buzzers to infect his ear." It is therefore probable, from the answer of Polonius, that buz was ufed, as Dr. Johnson fuppofes, for an idle rumour, without foundation. MALONE. When Hamlet fays "buz, buz!" he cannot mean by it mere idle talk, because he had already been informed by Guildernftern that the players were actually arrived. I understand the expreffion thus:-The Prince is vexed at the officious intrufion of Polonius into his prefence, and exclaims, "buz, buz!—now fhall I be tormented with your chattering." Polonius mistaking Hamlet, and thinking that he doubts the truth of his news, replies "upon mine honour," &c. A. B. O, with O, with what wings fhall his affections fly, I faw Baffanio and Anthonio part: Baffanio told him, he would make some speed And even there, his eye being big with tears, He wrung Baffanio's hand, and fo they parted. -Brave conquerors !-for fo you are, That war against your own affections, 5, S.3. Love's Labour Loft, A. 1, S. 1. If drawing my fword against the humour of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take defire prifoner, and ranfom him to any French courtier for a new devised court'fy. Nor to comply with heat, (the young affects, And heaven defend your good fouls, that you think your ferious and great bufinefs fcant, I will Othello, A. 1, S. 3. I remember, one faid, there were no fallets in the lines, to make the matter favoury; nor no matter in the phrafe, that might indite the author of affection': but called it an honeft method; as wholesome as fweet, and by very much more handfome than fine. Hamlet, A. 2, S. 2. O, fhe, that hath a heart of that fine frame, Twelfth Night, A. 1. S. 1. Very many notes have been written on these seemingly difficult lines, but without difcovering the poet's meaning. A very flight change will give fufficient clearnefs to the paffage, and confiftency to Othello's fpeech. I read, (the young affects, In me conjunct), &c. The meaning will therefore be,-I beg it not to comply with heat, nor yet in confideration of the young affections (alluding to his recent marriage), which may very naturally be fuppofed to be conjunct, or joining, in this my requeft; but, &c. A. B. 2 There were no fallets in the lines.] Such is the reading of the old copies. I know not why the latter editors have adopted the alteration of Mr. Pope, and read, nofalt, &c. STEEVENS.. "No fallets in the lines" is nonfenfe; and no falt in the lines is not right. The poet has here, as is very common with him, adopted a French word, viz. faletés, i. e. fmut, or fmuttiness. Dire des faletés, is, to talk lewdly. Saletés having been at first printed without the accent, was read faletes, and thence arose the miftake. 3 A. B. indite the author of affection.] i. e. Convict the author of being a fantastical, affected writer. STEEVENS. "Affection" is not, in this place, I believe, affected or fantafti"cal. "No matter in the phrafe that might indite the author of affection," feems to mean, that he was a cold, uninterefting writer, that he did not speak from the heart. A. B AFFLICTION AFFLICTION. Tell my friends, Tell Athens, in the fequence of degree, Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe, -Had it pleas'd heaven Timon, A. 5, S. 2. To try me with affliction; had he rain'd All kind of fores, and fhames, on my bare head, Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes; Othello, A. 4, S. 2. This world I do renounce; and, in your fights, If I could bear it longer, and not fall To quarrel with your great opposeless wills, -Henceforth, I'll bear Affliction, till it do cry out itself, Enough, enough, and die. Lear, A. 4, S. 6. Lear, A. 4, S. 6. Winter's Tale, A. 4, S. 3. Prosperity's the very bond of love; Whose fresh complexion, and whofe heart together, Affliction alters. What's gone, and what's paft help, Should be paft grief: Do not receive affliction At my petition, I beseech you! I think, affliction may fubdue the check, Winter's Tale, A. 3, S. 2. But not take in the mind. Winter's Tale, A. 4, S. 3. Nay, -Nay, forfooth, my friends, They that must weigh out my afflictions', King Henry VIII. A. 3, S. 1. A G E. The fixth age fhifts Into the lean and flipper'd pantaloon; With spectacles on nofe, and pouch on fide; Turning again towards childish treble, pipes And whistles in his found. As you like it, A. 2, S. 7. AIR. When he speaks, The air, a charter'd libertine, is still, And the mute wonder lurketh in men's ears, Henry V. A. 1, S. 1. As glorious to this night, being o'er my head, I weigh out my afflictions.] This phrafe is obfcure. To weigh out, is, in modern language, to deliver by weight; but this fenfe cannot be here admitted. To weigh is likewife to deliberate upon, to confider with due attention. This may perhaps be meant. Or the phrase, to weigh out, may fignify to counterbalance, to counteract with equal force. JOHNSON. STEEVENS To weigh out, is the fame as to outweigh. I understand the paffage thus: The Queen would infinuate that fhe is the child of affliction, as we would fay; and that such she must be content to remain. She at the fame time hints, however, that her friends, who in fuch a cafe would weigh out, or apportion her afflictions, and who would confequently make them as eafy and light as poffible, were abfent; and that she has nothing to hope for from the Cardinals, who would rather endeavour to heap misfortunes on her head. A. B. Of |