The French and English, there mifcarried Sola. You were beft to tell Anthonio what you hear; Baffanio told him, he would make some speed 8 And for the Jew's bond, which he hath of me. He wrung Baffanio's hand, and fo they parted. Sal. Do we fo, [Exeunt. SCENE -your mind of love.] So all the copies, but I fufpect some corruption. JOHNSON. This imaginary corruption is removed by only putting a comma after mind. LANGTON. Of love, is an adjuration fometimes used by Shakespeare. So Merry Wives, act ii. fc. 7. 66 Quick. defires you to fend her your little page of all loves," i. e. fhe defires you to fend him by all means. Your mind of love may however in this inftance mean-your loving mind, or your mind which should now be intent only on love. 9 STEEVENS. EMBRACED heaviness.] This unmeaning epithet would make me choose rather to read, ENRACED SCENE IX. BELMONT. Enter Neriffa with a Servant. Ner. Quick, quick,-I pray thee, draw the curtain The prince of Arragon hath ta'en his oath, Enter Arragon, his train, Portia. Flourish of cornets. Por. Behold, there ftand the cafkets, noble prince: If you chufe that, wherein I am contain'd, Strait fhall our nuptial rites be folemniz'd: But if you fail, without more fpeech, my lord, You must be gone from hence immediately. Ar. I am enjoin'd by oath to obferve three things. First, never to unfold to any one Which cafket 'twas I chofe ;-next, if I fail ENRACED heaviness, from the French enraciner, accrefcere, inveterafcere. So in Mach ado about Nothing, I could not have owed her a more ROOTED love. And again in Othello, With one of an INGRAFT infomity. WARBURTON. Of Dr. Warburton's correction it is only neceffary to obferve, that it has produced a new word, which cannot be received without neceffity. When I thought the paffage corrupted, it seemed to me not improbable that Shakespeare had written entranced beavinefs, mufing, abftracted, moping melancholy. But I know not why any great efforts fhould be made to change a word which has no uncommodious or unufual fenfe. We fay of a man now, that be hugs his forrows, and why might not Anthonio embrace beaviness. JOHNSON. Por. f Por. To these injunctions every one doth fwear, That comes to hazard for my worthlefs felf. Το Ar. And fo have I addreft me.' Fortune now my heart's hope !-Gold, filver, and base lead. I will not chufe what many men desire, Without the ftamp of merit? Let none prefume O, that eftates, degrees, and offices, Were not deriv'd corruptly! and that clear honour 1 And fo I have addrift me.] So in Hen. V. To-morrow for our march we are addreft. The meaning is, I have prepared myself by the fame ceremonies. STEEVENS. 2 How much low prafantry would then be glean'd The meaning is, How much meanness would be found among the great Pick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times, 3 To be new varnished? Well, but to my choice: there. Por. Too long a paufe for that which you find [Unlocking the filver casket. Ar. What's here! the portrait of a blinking idiot, Presenting me a schedule? I will read it. -How much unlike art thou to Portia? How much unlike my hopes, and my defervings? Who chufes me fhall have as much as he deferves. Did I deferve no more than a fool's head? great, and how much greatness among the mean. But fince men are always faid to glean corn though they may pick chaff, the fentence had been more agreeable to the common manner of speech if it had been written thus, How much low peafantry would then be pick'd From the true feed of honour? how much honour This confufion and mixture of the metaphors, makes me think that Shakespeare wrote, To be new vanned.. i. e. winnow'd, purged, from the French word, vanner; which is derived from the Latin Vannus, ventilabrum, the fan used for winnowing the chaff from the corn. This alteration reflores the metaphor to its integrity and our poet frequently ufes the fame thought. So in the 2d Part of Hen. IV. We fhall be winnow'd with fo rough a wind, WARBURTON. Shakespeare is perpetually violating the integrity of his metaphors, and the emendation propofed feems to me to be as faulty as unneceffary; for what is already felected from the chaff needs not be new vanned. I wonder Dr. Warburton did not think of changing the word ruin into rowing, which in fome counties of England, is used to fignify the fecond and inferior crop of grafs which is cut in autumn. STEEVENS. Is Is that my prize? are my deserts no better? Por. To offend, and judge, are diftinct offices, And of oppofed natures. Ar. What is here? The fire feven times tried this; Seven times tried that judgment is, That did never chufe amifs. Some there be, that shadows kifs; Ar. Still more fool I fhall appear, With one fool's head I came to woo, But I go away with two. Sweet, adieu!-I'll keep my oath, [Exit. Por. Thus hath the candle fing'd the moth. Enter a Servant. Serv. Where is my lady? } + Take what wife you will to bed.] Perhaps the poet had forgotten that he who miffed Portia was never to marry any woman. JOHNSON. 5 to bear my wrath.] The old editions read" to bear my wreath." Wroath is ufed in fome of the old books for misfortune; and is often fpelt like ruth, which at prefent fignifies only pity, or forrow for the mifery of another, STEEVENS. Por. |