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Line 99. It was my deer;] The play upon deer and dear has been used by Waller, who calls a lady's girdle

"The pale that held my lovely deer."

ACT III. SCENE II.

JOHNSON.

Scene II.] This scene, which does not contribute any thing to the action, yet seems to have the same author with the rest, is omitted in the quarto of 1611, but found in the folio of 1623.

JOHNSON.

Line 330. Marcus, unknit that sorrow-wreathen knot;] So, in The Tempest:

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Line 374.

tice.

MALONE.

by still practice,] By constant or continual prac

JOHNSON.

Line 410. Ah, sirrah!] This was formerly not a disrespectful expression. Poins uses the same address to the Prince of Wales.

MALONE.

Line 19.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

-Tully's Orator.] Tully's Treatise on Eloquence,

addressed to Brutus, and entitled Orator. The quantity of Latin

words was formerly little attended to.

Line 60.

observe.

MALONE.

-how she quotes the leaves.] To quote means to STEEVENS.

Line 105. And swear with me,—as with the woful feere,] The word feere, or pheere (companion), very frequently occurs among the old dramatick writers and others. So, in Ben Jonson's Silent Woman, Morose says,

"her that I mean to chuse for my

And many other places.

bed-pheere."

STEEVENS.

Line 119. And with a gad of steel-] A gad, from the Saxon gad, i. e. the point of a spear, is used here for some similar

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I believe the old reading is right, and signifies-may the hea vens revenge, &c. STEEVENS.

ACT IV. SCENE II.

Line 183. Here's no sound jest !] Thus the old copies. This mode of expression was common formerly; so, in King Henry IV. P. I: "Here's no fine villainy !"-We yet talk of giving a sound drubbing. Mr. Theobald, however, and the modern editors, read-Here's no fond jest. MALONE.

Line 247. Villain, I have done thy mother.] The verb is here used obscenely.

Line 257. I'll broach the tadpole-] A broach is a spit. I'll spit the tadpole. JOHNSON.

Line 275. In that it scorns to bear another hue:] Thus both the quarto and the folio. Some modern editions had seems instead of scorns, which was restored by Dr. Johnson. MALONE. Line 288.for this foul escape.] This foul illegitimate child. MALONE.

Line 291.

ignomy.] i. e. ignominy.

MALONE.

335. Go pack with him,] Pack here seems to have the meaning of make a bargain. Or it may mean, as in the phrase of modern gamesters, to act collusively:

"And mighty dukes pack knaves for half a crown.”

РОРЕ.

Mr. Henley observes, that to PACK a jury, is an expression still used; though the practice, it is to be hoped, is obsolete.

ACT IV. SCENE III.

Line 415. Yet wrung with wrongs,] To wring a horse, is to press or strain his back. JOHNSON. Line 424. To Saturn, Caius, &c.] Caius appears to have been one of the kinsmen of Titus. Publius and Sempronius have been already mentioned. Publius and Caius are again introduced in Act V. sc. ii:

"Tit. Publius, come hither; Caius and Valentine." The modern editors read-To Saturn, to Calum, &c.

MALONE.

ACT IV. SCENE IV.

Line 586. imperious, like thy name.] Imperious was for

merly used for imperial.

Line 597.

MALONE.

honey-stalks to sheep ;] Honey-stalks are clover

flowers, which contain a sweet juice. It is common for cattle to overcharge themselves with clover, and die.

ACT V. SCENE I.

Line 7.scath,] Scath means harm.

JOHNSON.

-23. To gaze upon a ruinous monastery ;] Shakspeare has so perpetually offended against chronology in all his plays, that no very conclusive argument can be deduced from the particular absurdity of those anachronisms, relative to the authenticity of Titus Andronicus. And yet the ruined monastery, the popish tricks, &c. that Aaron talks of, and especially the French salutation from the mouth of Titus, are altogether so very much out of place, that I cannot persuade myself even our hasty poet could have been guilty of their insertion, or would have permitted them to remain, had he corrected the performance for another. STEEVENS.

Line 45. This is the pearl that pleas'd your empress' eyes ;] Alluding to the proverb, "A black man is a pearl in a fair woman's eye." Line 98.

MALONE. -luxurious woman!] i. e. lascivious woman.

MALONE.

112. That codding spirit-] Mr. Collins says, that cod is a word still used in Yorkshire for pillow. The meaning of this passage is that passion for bed-sports.

Line 115. As true a dog as ever fought at head.] An allusion to bull-dogs, whose generosity and courage are always shown by meeting the bull in front, and seizing his nose. JOHNSON.

Line 132. She swounded-] When this play was written, the verb to swound, which we now write swoon, was in common use. MALONE.

Line 159. Bring down the devil,] It appears from these words, that the audience were entertained with part of the apparatus of an

execution, and that Aaron was mounted on a ladder, as ready to be turned off.

STEEVENS,

ACT V. SCENE II.

Line 242. So thou destroy Rapine and Murder there.] I do not know of any instance that can be brought to prove that rape and rapine were ever used as synonymous terms. The word rapine has always been employed for a less fatal kind of plunder, and means the violent act of deprivation of any good, the honour here alluded to being always excepted.

STEEVENS. Line 387. And of the paste a coffin-] A coffin is the term of art for the cavity of a raised pye.

ACT V. SCENE III.

JOHNSON.

Line 407. And ours with thine,] And our content runs parallel with thine, be the consequence of our coming to Rome what it may.

MALONE

Line 426. break the parle ;] That is, begin the parley. We yet say, he breaks his mind.

JOHNSON.

-and basely cozen'd-] i. e. and he basely cozened.

Line 521.

MALONE.

553. The poor remainder of Andronici

Will,cast us down,] i. e. We the poor remainder

&c. will cast us down.

MALONE.

END OF THE ANNOTATIONS ON TITUS ANDRONICUS.

1

ANNOTATIONS

ON

PERICLES.

LINE 21.

ACT I.

-unto him took a pheere,] This word, which is frequently used by our old poets, signifies a mate or companion. MALONE.

Line 23. full of face,] i. e. completely, exuberantly beautiful. A full fortune, in Othello, means a complete, a large one.

Line 30. 32.

thither.

MALONE.

-account no sin.] Account for accounted.
-thither frame,] i. e. shape or direct their course
MALONE.

Line 36. (To keep her still, and men in awe,)] The meaning, I think, is not to keep her and men in awe, but to keep her still to himself, and to deter others from demanding her in marriage. MALONE.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Line 44. Young prince of Tyre,] It does not appear in the present drama that the father of Pericles is living. By prince

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