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whelmed with grief for his only daughter's affront and dishonour and had severely reproved him for not commanding his passion better on so trying an occasion. Yet, immediately after this, not sooner does he begin to suspect that his age and valour are slighted, but he falls into the most intemperate fit of rage himself: and all he can do or say is not of power to pacify him. This is copying nature with a penetration and exactness of judgment peculiar to Shakspeare. As to the expression, too, of his passion, nothing can be more highly painted. WARBURTON.

Line 112. Scambling,] Means, scrambling.

121. we will not wake your patience.] The old men have been both very angry and outrageous; the prince tells them that he and Claudio will not wake their patience; will not any longer force them to endure the presence of those whom, though they look on them as enemies, they cannot resist. JOHNSON.

Line 151. the minstrels;] The minstrels were, in the time of Elizabeth, itinerants who amused the people with sworddancing.

Line 160. Nay, then give him another staff, &c.] Allusion to tilting. See note, As you like it, Act 3. Sc. 10. WARBURTON. Line 164. to turn his girdle.] We have a proverbial speech, If he be angry, let him turn the buckle of his girdle. But I do not know its original or meaning. JOHNSON.

A corresponding expression is used to this day in Ireland.-If he be angry, let him tie up his brogues. Neither proverb, I believe, has any other meaning than this: If he is in a bad humour, let · him employ himself till he is in a better. STEEVENS.

Line 177.

187.

bid] Means invited.

a wise gentleman:] This jest depending on the colloquial use of words is now obscure; perhaps we should read, a wise gentle man, or a man wise enough to be a coward. Perhaps wise gentleman was in that age used ironically, and always stood for silly fellow. JOHNSON.

Line 222. What a pretty thing man is, when he goes in his doublet and hose, and leaves off his wit!] It was esteemed a mark of levity and want of becoming gravity, at that time, to go in the doublet and hose, and leave off the cloak, to which this well-turned expression alludes. The thought is, that love makes a man as ridi

culous, and exposes him as naked as being in the doublet and hose WARBURTON.

without a cloak. Line 231.

ne'er weigh more reasons in her balance:] A

pun upon the word raisins.

Line 249.

one meaning well suited.] That is, one meaning

is put into many different dresses; the prince having asked the same question in four modes of speech. JOHNSON.

Line 316. Possess the people, &c.] i. e. Inform, or make the people acquainted with it.

Line 325. And she alone is heir to both of us;] Shakspeare seems to have forgot what he had made Leonato say, in the fifth scene of the first act, to Antonio: How now, brother; where is my cousin your son? hath he provided the musick? ANONYMOUS.

Line 336.

in the mischief.

Line 347.

-packed in all this wrong,] i. e. A confederate

and borrows money in God's name ;] The invo

cation of the common beggar.

ACT V. SCENE II

Line 383. To have no man come over me? why, shall I always keep below stairs ?] I suppose every reader will find the meaning. JOHNSON.

Line 391. -I give thee the bucklers.] I suppose, that to give the bucklers is, to yield, or to lay by all thoughts of defence, so clipeum abjicere. The rest deserves no comment. JOHNSON.

Line 415. in festival terms.] Thus in Henry IV. Part 1.

"With many holiday and lady terms.”

· 453. —in the time of good neighbours:] i. e. When men were not envious, but every one gave another his due. The reply is extremely humourous. WARBURTON.

ACT V. SCENE III.

Line 482. Done to death- -] An obsolete phrase common to our author, and the ancient writers, implying dead.

Line 484.

compence.

in guerdon-] Guerdon means, reward, re

Line 492. Those that slew thy virgin knight;] Knight, in its original signification, means follower or pupil, and in this sense

may be feminine. Helena, in All's well that End's well, uses knight in the same signification. JOHNSON.

In the times of chivalry, a virgin knight was one who had as yet atchieved no adventure. Hero had as yet atchieved no matrimonial one. It may be added, that a virgin knight wore no device on his shield, not having atchieved any.

Line 515. And Hymen now with luckier issue speeds,

STEEVENS.

Than this, for whom we render'd up this woe!] Claudio could not know, without being a prophet, that this new proposed match should have any luckier event than that designed with Hero. Certainly, therefore, this should be a wish in Claudio; and, to this end, the poet might have wrote, speed's; i. e. speed us: and so it becomes a prayer to Hymen.

ACT V. SCENE IV.

THIRLBY.

Line 636. I would not deny you, &c.] The sense of the reading is this, I cannot find in my heart to deny you, but for all that I yield, after having stood out great persuasions to submission. He had said, I take thee for pity, she replies, I would not deny thee, i. e. I take thee for pity too: but as I live, I am won to this compliance by importunity of friends. WARBURTON.

Line 640. Ben. Peace, I will stop your mouth. (kissing her)]

In former copies;

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Leon. Peace, I will stop your mouth. What can Leonato mean by this? Nay, pray, peace, niece? "don't keep up this obstinacy of professions, for I have proofs to stop your mouth." The ingenious Dr. Thirlby agreed with me, that this ought to be given to Benedick, who, upon saying it, kisses Beatrice, and this being done before the whole company, how natural is the reply which the prince makes upon it?

How dost thou, Benedick, the married man?

Besides, this mode of speech, preparatory to a salute, is familiar to our poet in common with other stage writers. THEOBALD.

END OF THE ANNOTATIONS ON MUCH ADO ABOUT

NOTHING.

ANNOTATIONS

ON

A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM.

ACT I. SCENE I.

LINE 5. Like to a step-dame, or a dowager,

Long withering out a young man's revenue.] Dr. Warburton would read, wintering on a young man's revenue, which is no improvement to the sense.

Line 21. With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling.] Triumph here means a show, a mask, or sport. Thus in King Henry VI. Part 3.

"With stately triumphs, mirthful comick shows." Line 36. gauds,] i. e. Baubles, toys, trifles. Our author has the word frequently: See King John, Act 3. Sc. 5.

STEEVENS.

Line 47. Or to her death, according to our law.] By a law of Solon's, parents had an absolute power of life and death over their children. So it suited the poet's purpose well enough, to suppose the Athenians had it before.-Or perhaps he neither thought nor knew any thing of the matter. WARBURTON.

Line 55. To leave the figure, or disfigure it.] The sense is plain,

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