This is a broken sentence: this dream of mine had created (perhaps she would have said) ambitious and inordinate expectations; but, breaking off passionately, she takes up the succeeding thought, 368. "To die upon the bed my father died." · This is not an admissible mode of speech: the necessary particle on should be annexed to the word "died." "If I might die within this hour, I have liv'd "To die when I desire." The same reflection exultingly delivered occurs in Othello: If it were now to die ""Twere now to be most happy; for I fear 373. "Sent by the king," &c. It is not very suitable to the character of either the good Camillo, or the princely Florizel to propose or adopt an imposition like this. 374. "She is as forward of her breeding, as "I'the rear of birth." i. e. Her accomplishments are as conspicuous as her birth is obscure, 380. If I thought it were not a piece of honesty I would do't." This language, as a soliloquy, is humorous and in character: a modern dramatist of wonderful skill, taste, and ingenuity, has introduced a simi lar incident, but applied it without a due regard to nature or probability: an unprincipled lawyer, who, through the whole play, had been practising fraud, and at length is induced to betray his perfidious patrons, entreats his new employers not to disclose this last action, because, being an equitable one, it would be injurious to his fame, as a consistent villain. This, indeed, is admirable satire, but, I fear, not truly dramatic; for no villain, I believe, ever openly spoke thus of himself. Sir Thomas Hanmer's emendation of the text, as it stands adopted by Mr. Steevens, must, I think, be acknowledged to be right. 395. 66 ACT V. SCENE I. Make proselytes Of who she did but follow." Who for whom; but them would be more cor rect. 397. "A king, at friend." As there appears to be no kind of authority for this phrase, I am inclined to read "A king at friends." To be friends or at friends with one another is an expression still in use. To clip is to clasp, to cling about, as, "Here I clip the anvil of my sword." Coriolanus. "No grave upon the earth shall clip in it A pair so famous.” Anthony and Cleop. O let me clip thee "In arms as sound as when I woo'd," &c. 406. "One of the prettiest touches of all, and that which angled for mine eyes (caught the water, though not the fish.) i. e. What most claimed my observation; but which bedimming with tears my sight, prevented my beholding it, "caught the water, not the fish." This seems to be an ancient jeer upon unsuccessful anglers. B. STRUTT. SCENE III. 413. "Hermione was not so much wrinkled; nothing," &c. The word much, here, is a burthen on the metre; but still more injurious to the sense. The lady, at the time of her supposed death, was not wrinkled at all: it should doubtless be, "Hermione was not so wrinkled; nothing "So aged, as this seems." 419. And from your sacred vials." This expression seems to be taken from the custom of pouring a vial of oil on the head of a person anointed king." LORD CHEDWORTH. MACBETH. ACT I. SCENE I. Enter three witches. The witches here seem to be introduced for no other purpose than to tell us they are to meet again; and as I cannot discover any advantage resulting from such anticipation, but, on the contrary, think it injurious, I conclude the scene is not genuine. 12. "There to meet with Macbeth." There is evidently a word wanting here; and if we instead of I were inserted, and go put before we, Mr. Pope's supplement appears to be satisfactory: "There go we (i. e. let us go) to meet Macbeth." 14. "Fair is foul and foul is fair." The meaning, I believe, is, now shall confusion work; let the order of things be invertedwhat is fair shall become foul, and what is foul become fair. SCENE II. 16. Doubtfully it stood." The deficiency of this hemistic, Mr. Pope supplied, by inserting "long" after "doubtfully," which appears far preferable to Mr. Steevens's expedient of extending " doubtful" adverbially; and censure has been passed perhaps too hastily on the poetic editor, for the application of long in this instance; long and short are terms merely relative, and depend, for their propriety, or unfitness, upon the cases to which they are referred. A lover, in the absence of his mistress, or a patient under the surgeon's knife, will call a moment long; and the contest for victory between two armies may properly enough be so termed, if it is protracted beyond the probable or expected period of decision. 17. "And Fortune, on his damned quarry smiling." Quarry, in this place, signifies that harvest of spoil which Macdonald with his own hand was reaping in the field of battle. those ancient arms bestow, "Which as a quarry on the soil'd earth lay, "Seiz'd only conquest as a glorious pray.' Drayton's Bar. Wars, second Canto. 22." I must report they were "As cannons overcharg'd with double cracks." The disorder in the metre is always, I think, a just reason for suspecting corruption. Whatever is overdone, cannot be said to be well done: if the cannons performed their office so as to pour an extraordinary measure of destruction on the foe, they were not "overcharged," although they might have double charges; and these generals, whose resistless valour the cannon is to illustrate, were not less prudent than brave. The |
