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"Young Abraham Cupid, he that shot so true, "When king Cophetua lov'd the beggar maid."

Shakespeare wrote, Young Adam Cupid, &c. The printer or tranfcriber, gave us this Abram, mistaking the d for br: and thus made a paffage direct nonsense, which was understood in Shakefpeare's time by all his audience: for this Adam was a moft notable archer; and for his skill became a proverb. In Much Adoe about Nothing, Act I." And he that hits me, let him "be clapt on the fhoulder, and called ADAM." Where Mr. Theobald's ingenious note is worth reading. His name was Adam Bell. So that

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1 This Adam Bell: I accidentally met with in a collection of old Ballads, among which was one intitled, Adam Bell, Clim of the Clough, and William of Cloudeffe: In the fame collection was, Syr Bevis of Hampton: And, The Wife lapped in Morells skin, or the Taming of a Shrew: These may all serve to illustrate, some where or other, Shakespeare.-Adam Bell is likewife mentioned in the Art of English Poesie. p. 69. And in an old Ballad of Bold Robin Hood, printed in Dryden's Miscell. by Tonson, vol. 6. p. 347.

"For he brought ADAM BELL and Clim of the Clough, "With William of Cloudeflee,

"To fhoot with our forefter for forty mark,

"And the forefter beat them all three."

But he is not mentioned in Ascham's Toxophilus, as Mr.

Theobald gucffes,

R 4

here,

2

here, Young Adam Cupid, &c. is the fame as, Young Cupid that notable archer, &c. "The "archer God," as Spencer calls him. The story of king Cophetua and the beggar maid is elsewhere alluded to by Shakespeare; and by Johnson, in Every Man in his Humour, A& III. fc. IV. "I have not the heart to devoure 66 you, an' I might be made as rich as king "Cophetua."

In Julius Caefar, A& I.

"Caffius. Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?

"Brutus. No, Caffius; for the eye fees not « itself,

"But by reflection from fome other things.

"Caff. 'Tis just

"And it is very much lamented, Brutus, "That you have no fuch mirrors, as will turn "Your hidden worthinefs into your eye, "That you might fee your shadow."

'Tis plain from the reply of Brutus, and the whole tenor of the reasoning, that Caffius fhould fay,

"Tell me, good Brutus, can you fee your eye ?"

2 In his Muiopotmos.

The

245 The analogy is no less beautiful, than philofophical, of the rational faculty (the internal eye) to the corporeal organ of fight: and in the first Alcibiades of Plato, p. 132, 133. of Stephens' edition, there is exactly a parallel instance. Caffius tells Brutus that he will be his mirror, and fhew him to bimfelf.

In Julius Caefar, A&t IV.

Antony. These many then fhall die, their names are prickt.

Octavius. Your brother too must die: confent you

Lepidus?

Lepidus. I do confent.

Octavius. Prick him down, Antony.

Lepidus. Upon condition, PUBLIUS fhall not

live;

Who is your fifter's fon, Mark Antony.

The triumviris, A. U. 710. met at a small ifland formed by the river Labinius, (now Lavino,) near Mantua; as 3 fome authors write : others, in an island formed by the river Rhenus, now Reno and there came to a refolution of cutting off all their enemies, in which number they included the old republican party. Antony

3 Appianus Lib. 4. 589. See Dio Lib. 46. Florus L. 4. c. 6. Vide Cluver Ital. antiq. 1. 1. c. 28. p. 187.

Book II fet down Cicero's name in the lift of the proscribed: Octavius infifted on Antony's facrificing LUCIUS, bis uncle by the mother's fide: And Lepidus gave up his own brother, L. Æmilius Paulus. As 'tis not uncommon to blunder in proper names, I make no doubt but in the room of Publius we fhould place Lucius, Antony's uncle by his mother's fide: and then a trifling correction fets right the other line.

Lepidus. Upon condition Lucius fhall not live. You are his fifter's fon, Mark Antony.

In Antony and Cleopatra A&t III. Caefar is speaking of the vassal kings, who attended Antony in his expedition against him.

"He hath affembled

"Bocchus the king of Lybia, Archelaus "Of Cappadocia, Philadelphos king "Of Paphlagonia; the Thracian king✦ Adullas, King' Malchus of Arabia, king of Pont, "Herod of Jewry, Mithridates king "Of Comagene, Polemon and Amintas, The king of Mede, and Lycaonia, "With a more larger lift of Scepters."

4. Plut. p. 944. Β. ̓Αδάλλας δὲ Θράκης.

5 Plut. ibid. Maxi 'Apabias. Shakespeare very rightly writes, Malchus: and fo Hirtius de bell. Alex. c. I. The word in the original fignifies King.

247 This mufter-roll is taken from Plutarch in his life of Antony: the translation is as follows, "His land-forces were compofed of a hundred"thousand foot, and twelve thousand horfe. "He had of vaffal kings attending, Bocchus of "Libya, [Tarcondemus of the upper Cilicia,] "Archelaus of Cappadocia, Philadelphus of "Paphlagonia, Mithridates of Commagena, and "Adallas king of Thracia; all these attended "him in the war. Many others who could not "serve in person, sent him their contributions "of forces, Polemon of Pontus, Malchus of Ara"bia, Herod of Jury, and Amyntas' still king "of Lycaonia and Galatia; and even the king

6 I could have wish'd that Shakespeare had omitted this mufter-roll of Kings and commanders and followed Virgil's example.

Hinc ope barbaricâ variifque Antonius armis
Victor ab aurorae populis et litore rubro
Aegyptum, virefque orientis, et ultima fecum
Bactra vehit. Æn. VIII, 685.

7 Ελι δὲ ̓Αμύνας ὁ Λυκαίνων καὶ Γαλατῶν. And moreover, &c. The words in Plutarch fhould be transposed, for Amyntas was not king both of Lycaonia, and Galatia : thus, ἔτι δὲ ̓Αμύκλας ο Λυκαόνων, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Γαλατῶν. And moreover, Amyntas of Lycaonia, and the king of Galatia, And 'tis remarkable, this blunder of the tranflator's is avoided by the easy change I make of Shakespeare's words.

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