"As whence the Sun gives bis reflexion, Shipwrecking forms and direful thunders "break, "So from that spring, whence comfort feem'd " to come, "Difcomfort fwelled." i. e. As the fky, or the beavens, from which we receive one of the greatest benefits of nature, the light of the Sun, produces likewife in its turn ftorms and thunder, oftentimes to the deftruction of many; fo from that spring, &c. But let our refining Critic and Philofopher take this in band, and you have- -what, for my part, I really know not, let the reader try, "As whence the fun 'GINS his reflexion.] " Here are two readings in the copies, gives and 'gins, i. e. begins. But the latter I think is "the right, as founded on obfervation, that forms generally come from the east. As from the "place (fays be) whence the fun begins his "course, (viz. the east) fhripwrecking ftorms proceed fo, &c. For the natural and conftant "motion of the ocean is from east to west; and "the wind bas the fame general direction. Præ"cipua & generalis [ventorum] caufa eft ipfe "Sol qui aërem rarefacit & attenuat. Aër "enim rarefactus multo majorem locum poftu "lat. Inde fit ut Aër à fole impulfus alium ❝ vicinum aërem magno impetu protrudat; 66 cumque Sol ab Oriente in occidentem circum"rotetur, præcipuus ab eo aëris impulfus fiet verfus occidentem. Varenii Geogr. 1. 1. c. 14. 66 prop. 10. See also Doctor Halley's Account ઃઃ "of the Trade-Winds of the Monfoons. This being fo, it is no wonder that storms should come "most frequently from that quarter; or that they fhould be most violent, because there is a concur"rence of the natural motions of wind and wave. "This proves the true reading is 'gins; the other "reading not fixing it to that quarter. For the "Sun may give its reflexion in any part of its course above the horizon; but it can begin it "only in one. The Oxford Editor, however, "Sticks to the other reading, gives: and fays, 66 that, by the Sun's giving his reflexion, is "meant the rainbow, the strongest and most "remarkable reflexion of any the Sun gives. "He appears by this to have as good a band at reforming our phyfics as our poetry. This is a difcovery; that shipwrecking storms proceed from "the rainbow. But he was misled by his want of 86 66 fkill in Shakespeare's phrafeology, who, by the "fun's reflexion, means only the Sun's light. "But while he is intent on making his author Speak correctly, he flips himself. The rainbow 2 66 is " is no more a reflexion of the Sun than a tune is a fiddle. And, though it be the most remarkable effect of reflected light, yet it is not the strong"eft." Mr. W. "DISCOMFORT well'd.] Shakespeare without "question wrote DISCOMFIT, i. e. rout, over"throw, from the Latin, DISCONFICTUS. i. e. difruptus, diffolutus. And that was the cafe, "at the first onfet, 'till Macbeth turned the for"tune of the day." Mr. W. 66 Can the reader find out this learned fyftem of phyfics? and, when he has found it out, apply it to the prefent purpose ?-Can he tell what is meant by DISCONFICTUS ?-or will be not rather think, after all, that our Editor has "cashiered com"mon sense, to make room for a jargon of " his own?" X. Mr. W. often puts us in mind of his great knowledge in Shakespeare. Thus, for instance, in a note on a paffage in Macbeth, A&t II. "Thou feeft, the heav'ns as troubled with man's "ter. "Threaten this bloody ftage:-] One might be tempted to think the poet wrote STRAGE, flaughBUT I, WHO KNOW HIM BETTER, am perfuaded be used stage for a&t. And because Stage may be figurately used for act, a dramatic representation; therefore be ufes it deed done. Threatens a tragedy." 66 for act, a Mr. W. One might be tempted to think the poet wrote STRAGE! I know no one, that might be tempted to think fo, but his late editor, who has so often removed Shakespeare's sense to the bottom of the page, to make room for his own barbarism. -But I, who know him better, am perfuaded he used STAGE for ACT! But Shakespeare's reader, I dare fay, is perfuaded, this ftage means, metaphorically, this stage of the world: Threaten this bloody ftage, threaten this world, where thefe bloody Scenes are transacting. Was it from this better knowledge of our poet, that Mr. W. bas laid forgetfulness and ignorance to his charge? But whether the commentator, or the poet nods I will fubmit to the reader-Hamlet feeing bis uncle, is in fome doubt with himself whether or no he then shall kill him; and adds, "He took my father grofly, full of bread, "With all bis crimes broad blown, and flush as "May; "And "And bow bis audit ftands, who knows, fave "beaven? "But in our circumftance and course of thought, " "Tis heavy with him. Hamlet, A& III. "From these lines, and fome others, it appears that Shakespeare bad drawn the first fketch of this play without his Ghost; and " when be bad added that machinery, he forgot "to ftrike out thefe lines: For the Ghoft bed "told him, very circumftantially, how his audit. ftood: and he was now satisfied with the reality of the vifion." Mr. W. But the critic knows not what the poet meant by this expreffion, How his audit ftands. For this the Ghoft could not know, fully, 'till the time for auditing his accounts, THE DAY Of judgment. All that the Ghoft told Hamlet we have above in AЯ I. "I am thy father's fpirit "Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, Confin'd to faft in fires-metaphorically; i. e. to d 3 |