be meted out to Fletcher as to Jonson? But leaving this, Mr. Weber must bear to be told, when he introduces a mass of irrelevant trash, for the sake of traducing the character of such a man as Jonson, that he is an ignorant and impudent calumniator. "The bitterness of Ben Johnson," so far from being, as he says, "well ascertained," exists no where but in the slanderous falsehoods of Steevens, Malone, and their wretched followers, who imagine that they have established a claim to the public approbation, when they ape their conduct, and bring a senseless accusation of enmity against the most faithful and affectionate friend that Shakspeare ever possessed. With respect to Fletcher, of whose "profound regard for Shakspeare" Mr. Weber is so confident, he is, I lament to say, the only dramatic writer of those times, who can be positively pronounced to have attempted, ou more than one occasion, "to ridicule him." G.408. IV.376. here's laughter worth our presence. "The old copy reads, worthy our presence." And why not? it is, at least, as good a word as the critic has been pleased to put in its stead:—but, in fact, it is better; for it completes the metre, which his sophistication destroys. Read, here's laughter Worthy our presence! I'll not lose him so. G.410. W.377.-" Scene II. A room in the same, i. e. in Mauruccio's House." "The writing of notes," as Mr. Weber formerly observed, "is of inferior importance to the well arranging of the scene:" he is, therefore, as might be expected, uncommonly attentive to this part of an editor's duty; and accordingly, wherever there is a mere possibility of committing a mistake, he very adroitly does it. Here the place of action is so clearly marked out by the author, that it requires no little power of blundering to miss it. "At night," Fer nando says, I'll meet you at my lord Petruchio's house." Yet Mr. Weber sends them both to Mauruccio's! G.411. W.378.-Oh for the party, who now? G.413. W.380. such harmony of admiral beauty. Admiral Beauty is very good! As the name however does not appear in the Navy-list of Pavy, we may venture to dismiss him at once, and read such harmony of admirable beauty. G. 414. W.381.-The shrine of some fan'd Venus. "Fan'd, that is, enshrin'd." And this, too, is very good. But did it not occur to Mr. Weber that a shrined Venus stood in no need of a shrine? And at all events, a fane is not a shrine, but a temple. Read, "Tis such a picture as might well become The shrine of some famed Venus. But our critic has less excuse than usual for his unwarrantable reading, as some of the copies have a faint dot over the first limb of the in:-fam'd (feign'd) it might be, and, perhaps, was; fan'd it could never be. G. 414. W.381.-" His name is Frinulzio." Name for name, I prefer the author's. Read, therefore, Trinultio. G. 414. W.381.-Youth is threescore years and ten. Read: Youth in threescore years and ten! The allusion is to the juvenile foppery of the superannuated dotard, Mauruccio. G.416. W.383.—These are very elements in a creature of little understanding. Just the reverse of the speaker's meaning. Read, These are very rare elements, &c. G.417. W.384.-Enter Roseilli disguised as a Fool. "It was a bold undertaking of our poet's—to paint a counterfeit fool after Shakspeare's admirable character of Edgar in King Lear.” The reader, who knows that Edgar counterfeits a madman, not a fool, must be startled at this; but what will he say when he learns that this bold copy after Shakspeare proves his affinity to the admirable original in such terms as these? I give the whole of his speeches as they follow in the scene before us. 1. Ros. A, a, a, a, aye.* 2. Ros. Can speak? De, e, e, e, e. 3. Ros. Dud- -a clap cheek for nowne sake. Hee, e, e, e, e. 4. Ros. U, u, umb-u, u, umh-won-not, won-not -u, u, umh. 5. Ros. Will go, te, e, e-go, will go And these are the marvellous scintillations of wisdom, which prove to Mr. Weber that Ford made a bold attempt (though not with his usual skill) to paint a fool after Shakspeare! It is to the praise of this great poet that he has avoided every exhibition of this kind, which must have been sufficiently repulsive even to the rude audiences of those early days. His fools are fools only in name, and, whether introduced in petticoats, or in motley, are, in reality, shrewd, petulant, licentious, and, if the truth must be told, most amusing knaves, the lineal descendants of the Vice of the old Moralities. As far as my memory serves me, indeed, Ford stands alone in this humiliating part of his dramatis persona; nor does he derive any adequate advantage from this voluntary degradation of his scenes, since the whole plot of Ro It is this burst of intellect which furnishes the occasion for Mr. Weber's note. seilli is without object or end, especially after he had been recalled by the Duke. G. 417. W.384.-" Exit Fern. and Pet." This accuracy might have been dispensed with. Read, Exeunt Fern. and Pet. G. 419. W.385.-" Enter Fiormonda, D'Avolos and Julia." Assuredly the conversation is such as Julia could not possibly be admitted to share. Having thus carelessly introduced the lady, Mr. Weber forgets her quite, and for aught that appears to the contrary, she is still upon the stage. Read, "Enter Fiormonda and D'Avolos in close converse." G. 419. W.385.-Gia. Lose no time, my lord. Fer. To him, sir. Both wrong. Transpose the speakers' names. G. 421. W.387.-" Scene III. Another Apartment in the same, i. e. in Mauruccio's House." This is a continuation of the former blunder. (377.) The scene is clearly laid in the private apartments of the Duchess, which were certainly not under Mauruccio's roof. G. 421. W. 387.-He's a well-practised gamester: well, I care not, How cunning soe'er he be, to pass an hour.. I'll try your skill, my lord. Read: He's a well-practised gamester-well, I care not How cunning soe'er he be. To pass an hour, G. 422. W.387.-Here Mr. Weber takes a speech from Fiormonda to give it to Fernando, " to whom, he says, it evidently belongs." If any thing be evident here, it is that the critic does not understand what he is about. The reply is not to let 's to 't"; (or, as he chooses to give it, let's toot) but to, "I fear you not": words which Fior - monda overhears and adverts to with bitter sarcasm; in which she is immediately joined by D'Avolos. G. 428. W.393.-To witness that I spake is truth. Read: To witness that I speak is truth. i. e. that which I am now saying. Three times in this very scene has Mr. Weber blundered on the same string, and given us spake for speak, though the corruption perverts the meaning in every one of them. G. 434. W.399.—and for the process we'll give them courage. i. e. when the women have agreed on their plan of vengeance, we'll aid them in the performance of it. But this is too simple for our author. "Process," he says, "generally means summons, but seems here to be employed in the sense of executing a warrant." G.435. W.399.-Will ye? Hold! Read: Will you hold? Ferentes is anxious to stop the clamour of Marana. G. 439. W.403.-To entertain the presence with delight. "The 4to reads the present, which conveys no meaning." This positiveness might have been spared. The present for the present time, conveys a very good meaning; it is common to all our old writers in this sense; and, though it naturally escaped the notice of Mr. Weber, occurs in the opening of the very next play, "Perkin Warbeck." But, noble counsellors, since now the present G. 446. IV.408.-She is as far beneath thy thought, as I Read: She is as far beneath my thought, as I, G. 448. W.410.-By all our wish of loves. Read: By all our wish of joys. |