few paffages, where not a word is changed, but only the pointing; and shall submit to his judgment whether or no any further alteration is required. In Measure for Measure, Act IV. "Aug. But that her tender fhame "Will not proclaim against her maiden lofs, "How might the tongue me? 4 Yet reason "For my authority bears a credent bulk, That no particular scandal once can touch; "But it confounds the breather." Were it not for her maiden modefty, how might the Lady proclaim my guilt? Yet (you'll fay) fhe bas reafon on her fide, and that will make her dare to do it. I think not; for my authority is of fuch weight, &c. The Taming of a Shrew, Act I. * Pet. Such wind as fcatters young men thro' "the world, "To feek their fortunes farther than at home, 4 Yet reafon dares her : "The old folio impreffions read, yet reafon dares her no :- "Where small experience grows. But in a few, 66 Signior Hortentio thus it ftands with me, "Antonio my Father, &c." In Coriolanus. A& I. "Mar. May these fame inftruments which 66 you profane, "Never found more! when drums and trum"pets fhall "I'th' field prove flatterers, let courts and cities "Be made all of falfe-fac'd foothing. "When steel grows foft as the Parafite's filk, "Let Him be made an overture for th' wars." Marcus Coriolanus fays this after a flourish of drums and trumpets, and the acclamations of the people: The whole difficulty of the paffage, 5 But in a few, viz. Words: fed paucis. Which is thus corrected in a late edition, "Where small experience grows but in a MEW." I leave this to the reader's ridicule. In Hamlet Polonius thus fpeaks to his daughter, "IN FEW, Ophelia "Do not believe his vows, for they are broken." In K. Henry VIII. A& II. "Gent. I'll tell you IN A LITTLE." (if any) confifts in the last line, "Let Him, &c." Which he speaks ftriking his hand upon his heart: deixas, as the Grammarians term it. The editors not feeing this, have strangely altered the whole. In Cymbeline, A& V. "Pofthumus. Muft I repent? "I cannot do it better than in gyves, "Defir'd, more than conftrain'd. To fatisfie, " (If of my freedom 'tis the main part) take No ftricter render of me, than my all." Must 1 repent? (says Pofthumus in prifon) I cannot repent better than now in gyves; defir'd, more than conftrain'd. To make what fatisfaction I can for my offences, (if this he, as really 'tis, the main part left of my freedom,) take no ftritter furrender of me than my all, my life and fortune. go In Othello, A& I.. The Moor is afking leave for Desdemona to with him to Cyprus, 6 'Tis printed in Mr. Theobald's edition, by conjecture, To fatisfie, I doff my freedom. "I there "I therefore beg it not, To please the palate of my appetite, "Nor to comply with heat, (the young effects,) proper fatisfaction: "In my defunct and 7 "But to be free and bounteous to her mind." I don't beg it merely to please my appetite, nor to comply with lustful heat, (which are youthful affections) in my own fatisfaction, which is, as it were, defunct, and proper to my age, being declined into the vale of years: But I beg it in compliance to Desdemona's mind. The word defunct is not to be taken strictly here as fignifying abfolutely dead; but almost fo; or from the lat. defunctus it might mean, discharged from youthful appetite, and proper to his age and character. So afterwards, Act II. Iago fays, "When the "blood is made dull with the act of sport, "there should be (again to inflame it, and to "give fatiety a fresh appetite) loveliness in fa vour, fympathy in years, manners and beau "ties all which the Moor is defective in." Now if any alteration were to be propofed, instead of defunct the propereft word seems defect, "In my defect and proper fatisfaction. 6 They read, diftinct. In which sense the Latins ufe defectus; and 'tis well known how frequently in Shakespeare's time they made Latin words English. Tacitus in Annal. L. IV. c. 29. Lentulus fenectutis extremae, Tubero defecto corpore. And Martial, L. 13. Ep. 77. "Dulcia defectâ modulatur carmina linguâ "Cantator cygnus funeris ipfe fui,” Or what if, with a flighter variation ftill, we read? "I therefore beg it not effects To please the palate of my appetite, "Nor to comply with heat, (the young "In me defunct) and proper fatisfaction? "But to be free and bounteous to her mind." i. e. The youthful affections being in me defunct, &c. In K. John, Act I. Philip Faulconbridge has been juft knighted. "Phil. James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave " a while? 66 "Gurn. Good leave, good Philip.. . Phil. Philip, Sparrow, James. "There's toys abroad; anon I'll tell thee more.", Mr. 1 |