115. To follow Mr. Steevens's fecond note.] Mealed is VOL. II. mingled, compounded; from the French mefler. E. MEASURE Ibid. But this being fo-] The tenor of the argument feems to require:- But this not being fo Perhaps, however, the author meant only to fay→→ But, his life being paralleled, &c. he's juft. MALONE. Ibid. That wounds the unrefifting postern-] To follow Dr. Johnson's note.-Unfifling may fignify "never at reft," always opening. -E. 118. One that is a prifoner nine years old.] i. e. That has been confined thefe nine years. So, in Hamlet: "Ere we were two days old at fea, a pirate of very warlike preparation &c." MALONE. 121. First, here's young Mafter Rafh-] All the names here mentioned are characteristical. Rafh was a stuff formerly ufed. So, in A Reply as true as Steele, to a rufly, rayling, ridiculous, lying Libell, which was lately written by an impudent unfoder'd Ironmonger, and called by the name of an Answer to a foolish pamphlet entitled A Swarme of Sectaries and Schifmatiques. By John Taylour, 1641: "And with mockado fuit, and judgment rash, "And tongue of faye, thou'lt fay all is but trafh." MALONE. 120. Now the unfolding far.] To follow Mr. Steevens's note: "So doth the evening ftar prefent itself Marlton's Infatiate Countefs, 1613. MALONE. 123. All great doers in our trade, and are now in for the Lord's fake.] I believe Dr. Warburton's explanation is right. It appears from a poem entitled, Paper's Complaint, printed among Davies's epigrams, [about the year 1611] that this was the language in which prifoners who were confined for debt, addreffed paffengers: "Good gentle writers, for the Lord's fake, for the Lord's "Like Ludgate prifoner, lo, I, begging, make "My mone FOR MEASURE. Again, in Nafhe's Apologie of Pierce Pennileffe. 1593"At that time that thy joys were in the Fleeting, and thou crying for the Lord's fake, out at an iron window, in a lane not far from Ludgate-hill.". MALONE. 128, if the old fantaftical duke of dark corners] This VOL. II. This duke who meets his miftreffes in by-places. So, in MEASURE K. Henry VIII. FOR MEASURE. "There is nothing I have donc yet, o' my conscience, "Deferves a corner. Again, in Westward Hoe, a comedy, by Decker and Webster, 1607: "Has not his lordship's virtue once gone against the hair, and coveted corners ?" MALONE. Ibid. he's a better woodman] To follow Mr. Steevens's note.-A woodman, I believe, fignified not a huntfman, but an archer. So, in our author's Rape of Lucrece, 1594: "He is no wordman that doth bend his bow "To ftrike a poor unfeasonable doe." In Philafler, by B. and Fletcher, a woodman fwears by his bow." MALONE. 129 let it be proclaimed: betimes in the morning &c.] Should not this paffage be rather pointed thus? "Well, I befeech you, let it be proclaimed betimes in the morning: I'll call &c." So a little above, he says; "And why should we proclaim it an hour before bis entering.” MALONE. 137. characts] To follow Steevens's note. Charact fignifies an infcription. The ftat. 1 Edw. VI. c. 2. directed the feals of office of every bifhop to have «< certain charas under the king's arms, for the knowlege of the diocese." Characters are the letters in which an inscription is written. Charatery is the materials of which characters are composed. "Fairies ufe flowers for their chara&tery.” E. Merry Wives of Windfor. Ibid. As e'er I heard in madness.] This is the reading of the old copy. I fufpect Shakspeare wrote: As ne'er I heard in madness. MALONE. Ibid. Do not banish reajon for inequality.] To follow Dr. Johnson's note. I imagine the meaning rather is-Do not fuppofe I am mad, because I speak paffionately and unequally. MALONE. 138. Mended again.] I think we ought to read :-Mend it again the matter:-proceed. Correct that phrafe when you have occafion to peak again of the deputy-you left off at matter-proceed. The corruption might eafily have arifen in tranfcribing, from the fimilarity of founds. MALONE. 139. O that it were as like as it is true.] The meaning I VOL. ÍÍ. think, is: O that it had as much of the appearance as it has MEASURE of the reality of truth! MALONE. FOR 148. I for a while will leave you-ftir not &c.] The old MEASURE. copy reads: —will leave you: but stir not you till &c. MALONE. 152. Show your Sheep-biting facé and be hang'd an hour.] To follow Dr. Farmer's note.-A fimilar expreffion is found in Ben Jonfon's Bartholomew Fair, 1614: "Leave the bottle behind you, and be curft a while." MALONE. 153. Which confummate.] i. e. which being confummated. MALONE. 161. To follow Johnfon's note.] The duke probably had learnt the the ftory of Mariana in fome of his former retirements, "having ever loved the life removed." (Page 23) And he had a fufpicion that Angelo was but a feemer (page 26) and therefore he ftays to watch him. E. COMEDY OF ERRORS. 165. Comedy of Errors.] I fufpect this and all other plays VOL. II. where much rhime is used, and especially in long hobbling verses, to have been among Shakspeare's more early produc tions. -E. Ibid. A play with this title was exhibited at Gray's-inn, in December 1594; but it probably was a tranflation from Plautus." After fuch fports, a Comedy of Errors (like to Plautus his Menechmus) was played by the players: fo that night was begun, and continued to the end, in nothing but confufion and errors. Whereupon it was ever afterwards called the Night of errors." Gefta Grayorum. 1688. The Regifters of Gray's-inn have been examined, for the purpofe of afcertaining whether the play above mentioned was our author's ;-but they afford no information on the subject.. H 4 MALONE. 176. Add COMEDY OF ERRORS. COMEDY OF ERRORS. 176. Add in my note.] So, in Geo. Whetstone's Caftle of Delight, 1576: "Yet both in lahe at length this Creffid leaves." STEEVENS. 187. That never words were mufick to thine ear.] Imitated by Pope: "My mufick then you could for ever hear, Epifle from Sapho to Phaon. MALONE. 191. After Mr. Tollet's note, add: Owls are alfo mentioned in Cornu-Copie, or Pafquil's Night-cap, or Antidote for the Headach. 1623. p. 38: Dreading no dangers of the darkefome night, "No onles, hobgoblins, ghofts, nor water-fpright." STEEVENS. 199. Once this-your long experience of her wisdom.] Once this, I have no doubt, is wrong, though it is difficult to conjecture what the true reading was. The paffage is manifeftly corrupt in the old copy, which has inftead of her wifdom-your wisdom. Perhaps the author wrote:-Own this.- MALONE. Ibid. For ever hous'd where't gets poffeffion.] Poffeffion is pronounced as a trifyllable; and therefore the line fhould be printed where it &c. MALONE. 225 Add to note 3.] So, in Ben Jonfon's Staple of News: "I would have ne'er a cunning fchoole-mafter in England; I mean a cunning man as a schoole-master; that is a conjurour &c." STEEVENS. 233. But moody and dull melancholy &c] So, in K. Henry VI, P. I. "But rather moody mad." Mr. Gray has imitated this paffage, and alfo the lines in the text: And moody madness laughing wild "Grim vifag'd comfortless defpair, "Lo! in the vale of years beneath More hideous than their queen.' Ode on the Profpect of Eton. He He feems to have had Pope's Essay on Man alfo in his VOL. II. thoughts: "Hate, fear, and grief, the family of pain. Again: "The fury-paffions from the blood began, "And turn'd on man a fiercer savage, man." So, Gray, ibid. "The fury-paffions thefe fhall tear." MALONE. 236 Add, after the firft inftance in my first note :] So, in Geo. Whetstone's Caftie of Delight. 1576: "yet won by importance accepted his courtefie." STEEVENS. 242. Have written ftrange defeatures-] To follow Mr Steevens's note.-1 rather think defeatures means here, as in another place in this play, alteration of feature, or deformity. So, in our author's Venus and Adonis. 1593: 66 To crofs the curious workmanship of Nature, "To mingle beauty with infirmities, "And pure perfection with impure defeature." If we understand by defeatures, in this place, miscarriages, or misfortunes, then we fuppofe Ægeon to fay, "that careful hours, i. e. misfortunes, have written misfortunes in his face." MALONE. COMEDY ERRORS. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. 8 MUCH ADO 255. Add to my note :] A bolt feems to have been a ge- VOL. II. neral term for an arrow. So, in Shirley's Love's Cruelty: "When the keepers are none of the wifeft, their bolts are fooner fhot." There the bolt is fuppofed to be employed against deerftealers. The word is ftill used in the common proverb: A fool's bolt is foon foot. That particular fpecies of arrow which was employed in killing birds, appears to have been called a bird-bolt. MALONE. 258. The gentleman is not in your books. ] To follow Dr. Farmer's note.-This expreffion, I make no doubt, took its rife from the custom mentioned by Dr. Farmer. That in all great ABOUT NOTHING. |