In Othello, A& III.

"But in a man that's just,

"They're cold dilations, working from the heart, "That paffion cannot rule."

Dilations, à Lat. dilationes, delayings, paufes, à differendo. But in Act I. That I would all my pilgrimage dilate. i. e. à dilatando, enlarge upon, exfpatiate, &c."

In K. Lear, A& II.

"I tax not you, you elements"You owe me no subscription.”

Subfcriptio, is a writing underneath, a registering our names so as to take part in any cause, suit or fervice. Hence it fignifies, allegiance, fubmiffion, &c. And the verb fubfcribere is not only to write under, but to aid and help, to abet and approve, &c.

Ovid Trift. L. I. El. 11.

"Dii maris et caeli (quid enim nifi vota super"funt)

"Solvere quaffatae parcite membra ratis : "Neve precor magni fubfcribite Caefaris irae.

In Measure for Measure, A&t II.

"Admit no other way to fave his life, "As I fubscribe not that."

Milton, B. XI, 181.

So fpoke, fo wifh'd much-humbled Eve; " but fate

Subscrib'd not.”

That is, affented not, took not her part. But Milton abounds with words thus taken from the ⚫ Latin; and uses them according to that idiom.

In

6 Such are, weligions, i. e. fuperftitious ornaments: I, 372. And thus Shakefp. in Jul. Caef. A& I. uses ceremonies. If you do find them deck'd with ceremonies, Difrobe his images.

Instină, i. e. moved forward, pufh'd on: II, 937. XI, 562. Emblem, picture-work of wood, ftone, or metal, inlaid in diverfe colours, as in pavements, &c. IV, 703. Divine, 1. foreboding: IX, 845. Person, i. e. character, quality, or state, part to act in: X, 156. Many inftances too he has of construction imitated from the poets: as for instance, B. IX, 795.

"O Sov'reign, virtuous, PRECIOUS OF ALL TREES "In paradife !"

Virgil IV. 576.—Sequimur te, SANCTE DEORUM.

With others too numerous to be mention'd here; but thefe may fuffice to vindicate our author. I ought not to say

vindicate:

In Julius Caefar, Act I.

"Brutus. If it be aught toward the general "good,

"Set honour in one eye, and death i' th' other, "And I will look on both indifferently.

"For let the Gods fo fpeed me, as I love "The name of honour, more than I fear death.” How agreeable to his Stoic character does Shakespeare make Brutus here speak? Cicero de Fin. III, 16. Quid enim illi AAIADOPON dicunt, id mibi ita occurrit, ut INDIFFERENS dicerem. One of the great divifion of things, among the Stoics, was into good, bad, indifferent; virtue, and whatever partook of virtue, was good; vice, bad; but what partook neither of virtue nor vice, being not in our power, was indifferent: fuch as honour, wealth, death, &c. But of thefe indifferent things, fome might be esteemed more than others; as here Brutus fays, I love the name of bonour more than I fear death. See Cicero de Fin. III, 15, 16. The Stoics never destroy'd choice among indifferent things. Their gonfpiva were indifferentia cum mediocri aeftimatione. Chryfippus ufed to fay, * Μέχρις ἂν ἄδηλά μοι

vindicate: for words thus ufed out of the common and vulgar track, add a peculiar dignity and grace to the diction of a poet.

7 Aggiavos bib. C'. xɛq. s'.

ᾖ τα

ἢ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἀεὶ τῶν εὐφυεσερέρων ἔχομαι. While I continue ignorant of confequences, I always bold to thofe things which are agreeable to my difpofition. Which faying of Chryfippus is thus further explained by Epictetus, Διατέτο καλῶς λέξεσιν οἱ φι λόσοφοι, ὅτι εἰ προήδει ὁ καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθὸς τὰ ἐσόμενα, συνήρει ἂν καὶ τῷ νοσεῖν, ἐπὶ τῷ ἀποθνήσκειν, καὶ τῷ πηρᾶσθαι· αἰσθανόμενός γε, ὅτι ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν Όλων διατάξεως τᾶτο ἀπονέμεται. Κυριώτερον δὲ τὸ Ὅλον τῆ μέρος, καὶ ἡ πόλις τῇ πολίτε. Νῦν δ ̓ ὅτι ἐ προς γινώσκομεν, καθήκει τῶν ΠΡΟΣ ΕΚΛΟΓΗΝ εὐφυεσέρων ἔχεσθαι, ὅτι καὶ πρὸς τέτο γεγόναμεν. Hence the philofophers fay finely and truly, that if the real good and boneft man knew future events, be would co-operate with fuckners, death, and lofs of limbs in as much as he would be fenfible that this happen'd to him from the order and conftitution of the Whole : (for the Whole is principally to be preferred before the part, and the city, to the citizen :) but now as we are ignorant of future events, we Should by a right election hold to what is agreeable to our difpofitions. And this doctrine, of right election and rejection, they are full of, in all their writings. This being premised, let us fee Brutus' fpeech.

"Brutus. I do fear the people, « Chufe Caefar for their king.

se Caffius.

"Caffius. Ay, do you fear it?

"Then must I think, you would not have it fo. "Brut. I would not Caffius; yet I love him "well :

"But wherefore do you hold me here fo long? "What is it, that you would impart to me? "If it be aught toward the general good "Set honour, &c."

"If it be ought toward the general good, σε (πρὸς τὸ ὅλον, πρὸς τὴν πόλιν) as I am a part of "that whole, a citizen of that city; my prin

ciples lead me to perfue it; this is my end, "my good: whatever comes in competition "with the general good, will weigh nothing; "death and honour are to me things of an indifferent nature: but however I freely acknow

་་

ledge that, of these indifferent things, honour "has my greatest esteem, my choice and love; "the very name of honour I love, more than I "fear even death."

In Antony and Cleopatra, Act V.

"Cleop. Why that's the way

"To fool their preparation, and to conquer "Their most abfurd intents."

8

8 They correct, affur'd.

Abfurd,