Read: Even to my bosom, Vasques.-Let my youth He now hath but a pair of days to live. Hippolita speaks not of herself but of Soranzo, whom she contemptuously stiles "my youth." G. 201. W.75.-" Scene, the Street." Read: G. 204. W.77. Read: Richardetto's House. Your over-loving lordship would have run I would have told you, &c. G. 209. W.81.-Be witness to my words, my soul, and thoughts. This quite overthrows the speaker's meaning. Read: Be witness to my words thy soul and thoughts. It is Annabella's soul that Soranzo calls to witness the sincerity of his words. G. 214. W.87. Read: and shall ever. G.215. W.89.-" Enter Annabella on a Balcony-which looks," we are carefully informed, " into the street." It is repeatedly mentioned that Annabella is closely confined not to waste words on so trivial a matter, she appears at the window of her bed-room. If we take upon ourselves to describe the place of action, we are bound in justice to the writer not to make him inconsistent with himself. G. 221. W.93.-Yet more: I'll come.- -Sir, are you answered? Read: Yet more? I'll come, sir: are you answered? i. e. Are you not yet satisfied, that you repeat your question? This is said by Giovanni, in his impatience at the persevering importunity of Vasques. G. 228. W.99.-Gio. What see you in my face? Ann. Distraction, and a troubled countenance. "The modern editors, very improperly, read-conscience." To see a “troubled countenance" in a "troubled face," with the critic's leave, is not quite so proper as he seems to think it. The reading of Dodsley is highly judicious. G.229. W.100. the jealous destinies require again. This is not grammar in its place; and if it were ten times grammar, it is not Ford: Read: -the jealous destinies required again. G.230. W.101.-With thee, most lovely beauty. THE BROKEN HEART. G. 222. W.223.-" Fide Honor, as has been already observed, is a perfect anagram of John Ford." Mr. Weber is not lucky in his choice of words. If it be a perfect anagram of the author's name, he must be called John Forde. G. 247. W.229. no pretended clause Of jests fit for a brothel court's applause. What could induce Mr. Weber to give the line in this mauner? Read: no pretended clause Of jests fit for a brothel, courts applause. G. 250. W.232.-After so many quarrels as dissention Had broach'd in blood.] "Broach'd' is spittell, transfixed. The metaphor is rather forced, if we accept this explication, but there is no other meaning of the word, which could at all apply here." Mr. Weber is a very chivalrous sort of a challenger:there are many other meanings;-one he might have found in this very drama, had he ever been able to carry his recollection from one page to another. When Bassanes sees the blood spring from the punctured arm of Orgilus, he exclaims "It sparkles like a lusty wine new broach'd; The vessel must be sound from which it issues." Is this at all applicable? But what folly can equal Mr. Weber's! The first Dyche or Dilworth at hand would have informed him that to broach is to open, to give vent, to pierce a vessel, to draw off liquor, &c. Fie on't! G. 250. W. 232. no time can eat into the pledge. "Our author was thinking of the very common metaphor of the worm of time, and this makes him forget the impropriety of the present allusion." How fortunate that Mr. Weber remembered it! But "our author" was thinking of tempus edax rerum, a metaphor, as Mr. Weber is pleased to call it, quite out of his way. G. 252. W.233. now and then. now or then. Altogether wide of the speaker's meaning. Read: G. 254. IV. 235.-As far from any will of mine. G. 254. W.235.-On fitting fortune. G. 257. W.238.-Your humble subject. G. 257. W.238.-I have wrought, To crown thy temples, this provincial garland. "I am not certain (what a pity!) whether the garland was composed of provincial or provencial roses, which are mentioned in Hamlet: 'provencial roses on my razed shoes'!!! It is certainly a violent anachronism to introduce Provençal roses in a tale of Sparta, which, however, the common usage of the appellation for the rosa centifolia would excuse, &c." And this unutterable stupidity, of which I can copy no more, has been graciously accepted by the public! They merit it all. The garland, however, was of bay. It was the reward of the heroic times for conquering a province; and was now appropriately bestowed on Ithocles for adding the province of Messene to Laconia. G. 258. W.239.-She is in all our own daughter. How musical! Read: She is in all our daughter. G. 259. W.239.—I use not these fit slights. i. e. "arts, subtle practices." Here, as every where else, Mr. Weber runs to his index; and here, as every where else, he blunders on the wrong example. By slights, Ithocles means undervaluings; and by fit, adapted to (what he modestly terms) his own want of merit. G. 260. W.241.-You wish'd your country peace. Read: You wish'd your country's peace. G. 260. W.241. and altogether. This does not give the poet's meaning. Read as he wrote-and all together. G.265. W.245. for to speak the truth. This foolish insertion spoils the metre. Read: For to speak truth. G. 268. W.247.-These apish boys, when they but task the gram mates, The principles of theory. Read: These apish boys, when they but taste the grammates, And principles of theory. G. 271. W.250.-Suddenly, "i. e. immediately." Ringrazio! G. 272. W.250.-Cull, passim. Read: coll. G: 272. W. 251. Struck on their foreheads. Read: Stuck on the foreheads. G. 272. W.251.-No woman but can fall, and doth, or would. "i. e. No woman, if she but can fall, doth fall, or if she cannot, fain would fall." And this I take to be a clear account of the matter! Bassanes says, Every woman is liable to fall; and either actually does fall, or would, if an opportunity offered. It is against the last chance that he purposes to guard, by closing his doors and windows. G.273. W. 251. they say the king has mow'd All his gray beard. “ Old copy, mew'd.” This is almost too absurd for Mr. Weber. Is there a child in the kingdom who does not know that to mew, is to moult, to shed the feathers? &c. And this precious correction (mowed) is, with the most undoubting simplicity, advanced into the text! G. 276. W.254.-I must attend Whether you please. |