From camp to camp, through the foul womb of night, Henry V. A. 4, Chorus. The confident, and over-lufty French Henry V. A. 4, Chorus. Steed threatens steed, in high and boastful neighs, Give dreadful note of preparation. Henry V. A. 4, Chorus. Here nothing breeds, Unless the nightly owl, or fatal raven. Gallop apace you fiery-footed steeds, Romeo and Juliet, A. 3, S. 2. If the midnight bell Did, with his iron tongue and brazen mouth, King John, A. 3, S. 3. The time of night when Troy was fet on fire; Brief as the lightning in the colly'd night, 1 Sound on unto the drowy race of night.]. Some of the commentators have taken infinite pains to prove that the prefent reading, found on, is faulty, and that we ought to read, "found one,' &c. while the others, have as ftoutly maintained that the text fhould undoubtedly remain unchanged. I am of opinion, however, that both thefe readings are wrong, and have therefore ventured to alter the paffage thus: 66 If the midnight bell "Had, with his iron tongue and brazen mouth, To fuppofe that the king was unable to communicate his thoughts to Hubert, at any other time than when the bell was founding on, is truly ridiculous and abfurd. But that he fhould confider midnight as the proper feafon for converfing with him on the dreadful bufinefs in hand, is highly beautiful and just. He therefore fays, if the bell bad founded, or founden, then, &c. In old language, the participle is frequently formed by the termination en, as it is now by ed. A. B. 2 ban-dogs bowl.] The etymology of the word bandogs is unfettled. They feem, however, to have been defigned by poets to fignify fome terrific beings, whofe office it was to make night bidcous, like thofe mentioned in the first book of Horace : "Serpentes, atque videres "Infernos errare canes." STEEVENS. Ban-dog," or band-dog, is a dog kept in bands, or tied up. A maftiff. A. B. 3 Brief as the lightning in the collied night, word pleen be here employed oddly enough, yet I believe it right. And ere a man hath power to fay,-behold! Midfummer Night's Dream, A. I, S. I. NOBLENESS, NOBILITY. I When did he regard The stamp of nobleness in any perfon, Henry VIII. A. 3, S. 29 I am join'd with no foot but with nobility, and tranquillity; burgomasters and great moneyers; fuch as can hold in; fuch as will strike fooner than speak, and right. Shakespeare, hurried on by the grandeur and multitude. of his ideas, affumes every now and then an uncommon licence in the ufe of his words. Here he uses the word Spleen for a fudden, hafty fit. WARBURTON. It is fcarcely poffible that spleen fhould be right. I read bene, i. e. thining, Chauc. Spenf. Shakefpeare ufes it as a fubftantive, fab, fudden blaze. The flamp of nobleness in any perfon, A. B. Out of himself?] The expreffion is bad, and the thought falfe. It fuppofes Wolfey to be noble, which was not so. We fhould read, When did he regard "The ftamp of noblenefs in any perfon; "Out of't himself?" i. e. When did he regard nobleness of blood in another; having none of his own to value himself upon ? WARBURTON. I do not think this correction proper. The meaning of the prefent reading is eafy. When did he, however careful to carry his own dignity to the utmost height, regard any dignity of another? JOHNSON. I conceive the meaning to be-that from his pride he never paid a proper refpect to uoblenefs, but when he was abfolutely obliged to it. "Out of himfelf" is, of himself, of his own accord. That this is the fenfe is evident. It is impoffible, as Warburton rightly obferves (though he has printed and pointed the paffage wrong), that the Chamberlain fhould be talking of Wolfey's being noble. A. B. Such as will frike fooner than speak; and speak fooner than and speak fooner than drink, and drink fooner than pray. Henry IV. P. 1, A. 2, S. 1. NOSE. His chin, new reap'd, Shew'd like a stubble land at harvest home: And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held Henry IV. P. 1, A. 1, S. 3. drink; and drink fooner than pray.] According to the specimen given us in this play, of this diffolute gang, we have no reason to think they were lefs ready to drink than speak. We fhould certainly read,-They will ftrike fooner than speak; and fpeak fooner than think; and think sooner than pray. WARBURTON. I am in doubt about this paffage. There is yet a part unexplained. What is the meaning of fuch as can hold in? It cannot mean fuch as can keep their own fecret, for they will, he fays, Speak fooner than think; and though we fhould read, by tranfpofition, fuch as will speak fooner than frike, the climax will not proceed regularly. I must leave it as it is. JOHNSON. "Drink" is certainly wrong, and for the reafon given by Dr. Warburton; but think is fcarcely right. Drink, I am of opinion, has been printed in mistake for drien, the old word for fuffer. I read the paffage thus: "Such as will strike fooner than speak, and speak fooner than "drien (fuffer); and drien (fuffer) fooner than pray." Here the climax is perfectly regular. "Hold in" fhould, I think, be hold on, i. e. fuch as will pursue their courfe,-fuch as are not eafily terrified. This agrees with the reading above propofed, and gives confiftency to the entire fpeech. A. B. OATH. 0. H OATH. E profeffes no keeping of oaths; in breaking them, he is stronger than Hercules. He will lie, fir, with fuch volubility, that you would think truth were a fool: drunkenness is his beft virtue: for he will be fwine-drunk. All's well that ends well, A. 4, S. 3. Not for Bohemia, nor the pomp that may Be thereat glean'd; for all the fun fees, or The close earth wombs, or the profound fea hides In unknown fathoms, will I break my oath. Winter's Tale, A. 4, S. 3. If thou wert any way given to virtue, I would fwear by thy face; my oath fhould be, by this fire : but thou art altogether given over; and wert indeed, but for the light in thy face, the fon of utter darknefs. Henry IV. P. 1, A. 3, S. 3. A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears, Warrant me welcome. Two Gentlemen of Verona, A. 2, S. 7. His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles; Breaking |
