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372. "Uncomprehensive deeps."

"Uncomprehensive" for "uncomprehensible," the active for the passive form. We find the same license used by Milton:

"The unexpressive nuptial song."

Almost every grain of Plutus' gold."

I am far from disapproving of the easy and proper correction of such a mistake as the insertion of Pluto for Plutus; but, when Mr. Malone calls it an obvious error of the press, I must take the liberty of utterly denying his assertion, and exonerating the printers, by laying the blame directly and solely on the poet; and the votaries of Shakspeare's muse need not blush at such a slip of his, while there is authority no less than that of the learned Bacon, to keep them in countenance : "But in all those things (though wisely layed downe and considered) Ferdinando had failed,

but that Pluto was better to him than Pallas."

History of the Raigne of King Henry VII. 373. "There is a mystery (with whom relation "Durst never meddle) in the soul of state."

By "relation," I believe, is meant, not as Dr. Johnson supposes, history, but rational deduction, the relation or natural connection of things: in this sense the word is used by Macbeth:

"Augurs, and understood relations have,
'By magpies," &c.

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"Whom" for which (the proper neuter pronoun) is wrong.

"All the commerce that you have had with Troy."

We had this accentuation of commerce before, Act 1, Scene 3, page 271.

"Unloose."

This word, perhaps, should be written, loose."

374. "Omission to do what is necessary

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"Seals a commission to a blank of danger." By omitting to do what is fit and expedient to be done, we give a discretionary authority-a chart blanch for danger to annoy us.

375. "

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A plague of opinion."

Opinion" seems, here, to mean, conceit, selfapprobation.

377.

His horse- the more capable creature."

Capable," says Mr. Malone, is intelligent, but I believe it is rather, sensible, susceptible, as in Hamlet:

"His form and cause conjoin'd "Preaching to stones, would make them capable."

ACT IV. SCENE I.

379. "A thousand complete courses of the sun." The same accentuation we find in Hamlet:

"That thou, dead corse, again in complete steel."

380. "Not palating the taste of her dishonour."

This is tautology, as palating, here, can only signify tasting, or perceiving by the palate.

382. "We'll not commend what we intend to sell."

As Paris had no design to sell Helen, I do not understand this passage as it stands: perhaps a word has been changed, "you," says Paris,

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Do as chapmen do,

Dispraise the thing that you desire to buy; "But we, in silence, hold this virtue well."

i. e. But we, tacitly approving of your policy, will conform to it, and only

"Not commend till we intend to sell."

SCENE II.

384. "With wings more momentary-swift than

thought."

Thus in Hamlet:

"On wings as swift

"As meditation or the thoughts of love." "As tediously as hell."

Sir T. Hanmer's restoration of the metre ought to be adopted:

"Tedious as hell."

385. "You bring me to do, and then you flout

me too."

Cressida, it is true, is not distinguished for her delicacy, yet there is no need to suppose, with Mr. Collins, that "do," here, is used, as in some other places, in a wanton sense: Cressida only

means to say, You bring or induce me to commit the act for which you afterwards reproach me: this general signification is evident from Pandarus's question, "To do what? what have I brought you to do?"

387. "How my achievements mock me!"

Here, Mr. Steevens subjoins, so in Anthony and Cleopatra,

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And mock our eyes with air," as if the passage referred to were any illustration of that which was immediately before us; indeed, that gentleman frequently "shuffles us off with such uncurrent pay:" he compliments his readers, too, largely, in thus supposing them all to be as knowing as himself. This practice, in which Mr. Steevens often indulges, of dismissing a difficult passage with only saying so, in such a play, and so, in another, where, indeed, a remarkable word may have place, but not at all amounting to explanation, reminds me of an instance of the late Mr. Bannister's pleasantry on this very subject. The present remarker was applauding the labours and sagacity of Mr. Steevens, to whom he thought, as still he does, that every reader of Shakspeare has extensive obligations. Yes, says Bannister, many of that gentleman's remarks may be ingenious and profound, but I have too often found them to be only so so.

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388. Good, good, my lord; the secrets of na

ture."

As the accent cannot rest upon the latter syllable of natúre, a word is wanting to the measure: we might read,

"The secrets e'en of nature."

390. "With sounding Troilus. I will not go from Troy."

Mr. Steevens's offered ellipsis, for reducing this line to metre, is not wanted; as the common contraction of "I will" to "I'll" is sufficient for the purpose.

394. "Time-

SCENE IV.

"-Scants us with a single famish'd kiss, "Distasted with the salt of broken tears.'

i. e. Says Mr. Malone, of tears to which we are not permitted to give full vent; but I believe the meaning rather is, a single kiss, unfed, uncherished by our wonted continuity of pressure, and disrelished or made unpalatable by the salt of abruptly-extorted tears.

397. "They're loving, well compos'd, with gifts of nature flowing."

This extravagant line, without any thing to recommend it, is not in the quarto, and must have been, I think, an unskilful interpolation. 398." A still and dumb-discoursive devil." In Measure for Measure we meet with a similar thought:

" A

prone and speechless dialect.”

"Do you think I will?"

Troil. "No."

Some words here have been lost: perhaps we might read,

Cres. "How do you think I will be tempted?" Troil. "

No."

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