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womb, strange and unnatural forms of things, the poet, in his inspiration, turns them to shapes well known, and thus gives to airy nothing a name. and a certain acknowledged residence: there is an evident distinction made between the unknown infinite forms of things, bodied forth by the imagination, and the forms of things known: "turns" has the force of alters; and I think, after the word "shapes," familiar or known is implied. See Hamlet, Act 4, may fit us to our shape:" shape here is character. B. STRUTT.

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I once wished to read, instead of "the forms,' a mass of things," but I am much better. pleased with the preceding explanation. The form of things unknown is the idea of "the unlicked bear-cub that carries no impression like the dam."

464. "And grows to something of great constancy;

"But, howsoever, strange and admirable.”

i. e. Grows to something consistent and real, but (yet, nevertheless) strange and wonderful. B. STRUTT.

If the above explanation be right, "howso ever" is only expletive.

466. "How many sports are ripe."

Ripe" is ready, prepared, as in the Comedy of Errors, a boat is sinking-ripe;" and in King Henry VIII. where Griffith says of Wolsey, "He was a scholar, and a ripe and good one.

VOL. I.

E

468.

Hot ice, and wonderous strange snow."" Dr. Warburton calls this nonsense, and dictates,

"Hot ice, a wonderous strange shew!'

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An expression that with much less outrage, I believe, may be styled nonsensical; such a thing, if it could exist, being an object not of sight, or

shew," but of feeling. Mr. Upton would read, (and Dr. Johnson adds, not improbably,) "and" wonderous black snow," but so, the wonder itself being only in the blackness, such wonderous tautology can hardly be admitted. Sir T. Hanmer, with similiar pleonasm, proposes,

"Wonderous scorching snow.'

And though Mr. Steevens had, at length, given the plain sense, which, indeed, one would think, could not readily be overlooked, Mr. Monk Mason steps forth to purify and invigorate the text, with "wonderous strong snow," and this, as he tells us, because there is no antithesis between strange and snow: but what antithesis, or what sense can be expressed by strong or weak snow? If the reference be to the chilling power of snow, all antithesis is annihilated, whereas the epithet "strange," does evidently refer to some→ thing, at least different. However, it is possible that Mr. M. Mason, by strong, may mean hard, in allusion to the effect of frost upon a body of snow; but that being a natural, and no uncommon instance, it cannot well be associated with the prodigy of hot ice; and from Mr. Malone, in this case, I should have expected some better recommendation of Mr. Mason's amendment that

that strong and strange have sometimes by printers been confounded. The truth is, miraculous ice and miraculous snow were to be expressed, the ice was said to be "hot," and an epithet appropriate and sufficiently forcible not beeing at hand, the quality of the snow was given under a more general character, it was wonderous strange

snow.

"A play there is," &c.

The four first lines of this speech end, alternately, with the words, "long," and "play." They could not, surely, be meant as rhymes.

469. "Hard-handed men, that work in Athens here,

"Which never labour'd," &c.

The neuter relative," which," to men, was common anciently,-we find it frequently in the translation of the Scriptures. In Julius Cæsar we meet with the hard hands of peasants, and in Cymbeline,

"Hands made hard with hourly falsehood-
"Unless you can find sport in their intents."

This, Dr. Johnson remarks, is obscure; and he supposes that a line has been lost. Mr. Steevens, to clear up the difficulty, observes, that as to attend, and to intend were formerly synonymous, intents here may have been put for the objects of attention: but as the objects of attention in the present instance can be no other than the Duke and court, we are still unfurnished with the sense; which yet I suppose to lurk in the ward intents. Unless you can be amused by the

preposterousness of their designs, and the absurd pains they take to shew their duty.

470. "The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing."

This sentiment occurs, on a similar occasion, in Hamlet, "the less they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty."

"And what poor duty cannot do,

"Noble respect takes it in might, not merit."

"Might," perhaps, implies labour, effort, attempt, and the meaning may be, Generosity accepts the endeavour for the worth of the performance but the defective measure in the first line, and in the other the want of perspicuity, which none of the commentators has been able to supply, is an unquestionable evidence of corruption. I am inclined to think a rhyme has been lost, and that the couplet ran thus, at least this affords a meaning,

"And what poor duty cannot do aright,
'Respect takes it in merit, not in might."

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This, I apprehend, has no reference to mammocking, as Mr. Malone supposes, nor to mouthing, as Mr. M. Mason would have it, but simply to the action of the lion, in pouncing on the garment, as a cat would on a mouse-in Macbeth

"An eagle, towering in his pride of place,

"Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at, `and kill'd.”

MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

ACT I. SCENE I.

27. My book of songs and sonnets."

Mr. Malone's gratuitous supposition that Lord Surrey's poems are here meant, reminds me of an old story in a jest book:-A student of Oxford shewing the Museum to some company, one of them enquired the history of an old rusty sword which was there. This, says the student, is the sword with which Balaam was just going to kill his ass. I never knew, said the stranger, that Balaam had any sword, but that he wished for one. You are right, replied the Oxonian, and this is the very sword he wished for.

LORD CHEDWORTH.

SCENE II.

37. "Let me see thee froth, and lime.”

This may be an allusion to the combustion in Bardolph's face, which the host calls froth and lime. The tricks, though practised, of frothing and liming the liquors, would not, probably, be thus openly acknowledged and uselessly proclaimed by the host.

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