mangle our British names abroad; what trefpass were it if we in requital should as much "neglect theirs? And our learned Chaucer did 66 not stick to do fo, writing Semyramus for "Semiramis, Amphiorax for Amphiaraus, K. Seies for K. Ceyx the hufband of Alcyone, with "many other names ftrangely metamorphis'd "from true orthography, if he had made any "account of that in these kind of words." Milton's obfervation is exceeding true; and to this affectation of the Romans is owing the difficulty of antiquarians tracing the original names and places. Our Cafwell, Bowdich and Cotes, in a Roman mouth are Caffivellanus, Boadicia and Cotifo. The Portus Itius mention'd in Cae 1 Chaucer's tranfcribers have plainly corrupted fome words, as AE they have turned into G. In the house of Fame. p. 466. . 116. Edit. Urry. "Yfatte the Harpir Orion, "And Gacides Chirion." One may venture I think to write "Eacides, and Chirion." 1. Achilles and Chiron: both famous for their skill in Mufick. Again Senior they have changed into Semor. In the Chanon's Yeman's tale. 1471. p. 127. edit. Urry. "As in his boke Semor [r. Senior] will bear witness.” Senior de Chemia. viz. Senior Zadith. far 2 far was a port below Calais called Vitfan or Whitfan. The old German words Wat Awe; i. e. fat or fruitful earth, the Romans called Batavia. When the north-eaft part of Scotland was pronounced by the natives Cal dun, i. e. a hill of hazel, the Romans foon gave it their Latin termination, and called it Caledonia. Many other names of places our antiquarians and etymologifts easily trace, if they can get but the radical word. This rule then is univerfally true, that all nations make foreign words submit to their manner of pronunciation. However our Shakespeare does not abuse proper names like Chaucer or Spencer, tho' he has elegantly fuited many of them to the English mouth. In his Midfummer-Night's Dream, A& II. he hints at a story told by Plutarch in the life of Thefeus, of one Пegyen, daughter of the fa mous robber Sinis, whom Thefeus flew he, true hero-like, killed the father and then debauched the daughter. Her he calls very poetically Perigenia. Cleopatra had a fon by Julius Caefar, whom Plutarch tells us was called Kairagiwv, Shakespeare in Antony and Cleopatra very properly writes it Cefario, not Cefarion: Пáτwv, does not 2 Camden's Brit. p. 254. make make in Latin or English Platon, but Plato. And Prifcian the Grammarian observes that the Latins omit the n at the latter end of proper names. So Cicero in his Tufculan difputations: Hinc ille Agamemno Homericus. And Virgil. Aen. VIII, 603. "Haud procul hinc Tarcho, et Tyrrheni tuta "tenebant." From whence Aen. X, 290. Inftead of 66 Speculatus litora Tarchon, we must write Tarcho. Perhaps to avoid the meeting of two vowels, he followed the Grecian fpelling, in Aen. VII, 327. Odit et ipfe pater Pluton, odere forore The Jews name in the Merchant of Venice Scialac, he makes English and calls Shylock. In Romeo and Juliet, Montecchi and Capello, are Montague and Capulet. Sir Joban of Boundis, in Chaucer's legend of Gamelyn, he changes into, Sir Rowland of Boys, in his play called As you 3 Prifc. 1. 6. p. 690. 4 Cic. Tufc. difp. III, 26. like it. Amleth, he writes Hamlet; and Cunobeline or Kymbeline, he calls Cymbeline. Macbeth's father is variously written in the Scotish chronicles. Macbeth fil. Findleg: Innes of Scotland p. 791. Macbeth Mac-Finleg: Ibid. p. 803. Machabeus Filius Finele: Johan. de Fordin Scot. L. IV. c. 44. Salve, Maccabaee Thane Glammis; nam eum magiftratum defuncto paulo ante patre Synele acceperat. Hector Boeth. Scot. hift. L. XII. Sinell thane of Gammis: Holingfh. p. 168. "By Sinel's death, I know, I'm thane of Glamis." So our author, in Macbeth, A&I. 5 In Cicero's offices B. II. c. ix. is the following paffage, Itaque propter aequabilem praedae partitionem, et BARGULUS ILLYRIUS LATRO, de quo 5 'Tis very plain if the plays called 1ft, zd, &c. parts of Henry VI. were written by our poet, that he had red Cicero's offices. I wonder this paffage fhould escape the diligent search of Mr. Theobald. I lately turned to the edition printed at Oxford, where I found Bardylis had taken poffeffion of the copy, but no mention made of Cicero. In the last edition indeed I found THE TRUE PIRATE.-But Shakespeare seems to me to have had his eye on other paffages of Cicero's offices. In the IIId part of Henry VI. A& I. "York, quo eft apud Theopompum, magnas opes babuit. Thus the editions in Shakespear's time; and thus I found it in two manuscripts. In the fecond part of K. Henry VI. Act IV. Suffolk fays, 66 "This villain here, Being captain of a pinnance, threatens more "Than Bargulus the strong Illyrian pirate. In fome later editions 'tis printed in Cicero, Bardylis Illyrius latro. For my own part, I really imagine that Cicero gave this Illyrian name a Roman pronunciation and turn but why the editors of Cicero print it Bardylis, I don't know; Plutarch in the life of Pyrrhus writes it Βάρδυλλις. 'In "York. I took an oath that he should quietly reign. "Edw. But for a kingdom any oath may be broken.' Cicero de Off. L. III. f. 21. "Nam fi violandum eft jus, regnandi gratiâ "Violandum eft." In Romeo and Juliet, A& I. "I measuring his affections by my own, "That most are bufied, when they're moft alone, "Perfu'd my humour." Cic. Lib. III. f. 1. Nunquam fe minus otiofum effe, quàm cum otiofus ; nec minus folum, quàm cum folus esset. |