Lo! this device was fent me from a nun, Or fifter fanctified of holiest note 7; Which late her noble fuit in court did fhun, But O, my fweet, what labour is't to leave The 7 Or fifter fanctified of holicft note;] The poet, I suspect, wrote: A fifter fanctified, of holiest note. MALONE. 8 Which late her noble fuit in court did fhun,] Who lately retired from the folicitation of her noble admirers. The word fuit, in the fenfe of request or petition, was much used in Shakspeare's time. MALONE. • Whose rareft havings made the bloffoms dote,]. Whofe accomplishments were fo extraordinary that the flower of the young nobility were paffionately enamoured of her. MALONE. For he was fought by Spirits of richest coat,] By nobles; whose high defcent is marked by the number of quarters in their coats of arms. So, in our author's Rape of Lucrece: 2 "Yea, though I die, the scandal will survive, "And be an eye-fore in my golden coat." MALONE. Playing the place which did no form receive, Playing patient fports in unconftrained gyves:] This paffage is evidently corrupt. I fufpect the words playing and form in the first line, and playing in the fecond, the metre of which shows that fome word of one fyllable ftood here originally. It was probably overlooked by the printer, whofe eye might have glanced on the preceding line, and caught the first word from thence, which I believe he alfo mifprinted.-The lover is speaking of a nun who had voluntarily retired from the world. But what merit (he adds) could fhe boaft, or what was the difficulty of fuch an action? What labour is there in leaving what we have not, [i. e. what we do not enjoy-See Rape of Lucrece, p. 481. n. 6.]. or in reftraining defires that do not agitate our breast? So far is clear. The fenfe of the next two lines was perhaps this. [What The fears of battle fcapeth by the flight 3, O pardon me, in that my boaft is true; How What labour is there in] fecuring that heart which had received no impreffion of love, and which therefore might with fufficient patience endure and even frolick in voluntary confinement? But what the words were, of which I fuppofe this to have been the sense, it is difficult to form even a conjecture. Perhaps we ought to read thus: But O my sweet! what labour is't to leave The thing we have not; mastering what not ftrives; She that her fame &c. The poet might have compared the unfeeling heart of this re clufe in her voluntary retirement, to a park without deer, unne ceffarily inclofed with pales. So, afterwards: "And now fhe would the caged cloister fly." This image, fanciful as it may appear, our author has introduced into his Venus and Adonis: 66 Fondling, faith fhe, fince I have hemm'd thee here, "Within the circuit of this ivory pale, "Fl be thy park, and thou shalt be my deer; "Feed where thou wilt, on mountain or on dale." MALONE. I do not believe there is any corruption in the words did no form receive, as the fame expreffion occurs again in the last stanza but three: a plenitude of fubtle matter, "Applied to cautels, all ftrange forms receives." Again, in Twelfth Night: "How eafy is it for the proper false "In women's waxen hearts to fet their forms?" STEEVENS. 3 -by the flight,] Perhaps the author wrote-by her flight. STEEVENS. • Not to be tempted would she be enur'd,] Thus the quarto; Ccc 2 from How mighty then you are, O hear me tell! I ftrong o'er them, and you o'er me being strong, As compound love to phyfick your cold breaft. My parts had power to charm a facred fun 3, When thou impreffeft, what are precepts worth How from which the reading of the text has been formed. The mo dern editions have-immur'd. MALONE. Immur'd is a verb used by Shakspeare in K. Richard III. and The Merchant of Venice. We have likewife immures, subst. in the Prologue to Troilus and Crefida. STEEVENS. 5 My parts had power to charm a facred fun,] I believe the poet wrote a facred nun. If fun be right, it must mean, the brighteft luminary of the cloifter. MALONE. In Coriolanus, the chaste Valeria is called "the moon of Rome." My parts bad power to charm a facred fun, Believ'd her eyes when they to affail begun, STEEVENS. All vors and confecrations giving place.] Thus the quarto and all the modern editions. For the prefent regulation of the text, the propriety of which, I think, will at once ftrike every reader, I am indebted to an anonymous correfpondent, whofe communications have been already acknowledged. MALONE. 1. When thou wilt inflame, How coldly thofe impediments frand forth Of wealth, of filial fear, law, kindred, fame ?] Thus, in Rowe's Lady Jane Gray: - every How coldly thofe impediments ftand forth And fweetens, in the fuffering pangs it bears, Now all these hearts that do on mine depend, Feeling it break, with bleeding groans they pine, -And fupplicant their fighs to you extend, To leave the battery that you make 'gainst mine, This faid, his watery eyes he did difmount, 86 -every other joy, how dear foever, "Gives way to that, and we leave all for love. "In fpite of reason and restraint we come, "Leave kindred, parents, and our native home. "The trembling maid, with all her fears he charms &c." STEEVENS. Love's arms are peace, 'gainst rule &c.] I fufpect our au thor wrote Love's arms are proof 'gainst rule, &c. The meaning, however, of the text as it ftands, may be-The warfare that love carries on against rule, fenfe &c. produces to the parties engaged a peaceful enjoyment, and fweetens &c. The construction in the next line is perhaps irregular.-Love's arms are peace &c. and love fweetens. MALONE. Perhaps we fhould read: Love aims at peace Yet fweetens &c. STEEVENS. And fweetens in the fuffering pangs it bears, The aloes of all forces, shocks, and fears.] So, in Cymbeline? 66 -a touch more rare "Subdues all pangs, all fears." STEEVENS. This faid, bis watery eyes he did difmount, Whofe fights till then were level'd on my face ;] The allufion is to the old English fire-arms, which were fupported on what was called a reft. MALONE. Each Each cheek a river running from a fount O father, what a hell of witchcraft lies What rocky heart to water will not wear? 4 For lo! his paffion, but an art of craft, All melting; though our drops this difference bore, In him a plenitude of fubtle matter, -gate the glowing rofes That flame-] That is, procured for the glowing rofes in his cheeks that flame &c. Gate is the ancient perfect tenfe of the verb to get. MALONE. 3 + O cleft effect!] O divided and difcordant effect! O cleft &c. is the modern reading. The old copy has-Or cleft effect, from which it is difficult to draw any meaning. MALONE. refolv'd my reafon into tears;] So, in Hamlet: "Thaw, and refolve itself into a dew.” STEEVENS. 5-my white fole of chaflity I daft,] To daff or deff is to put off,-do off. MALONE. Applied to cautels,-] Applied to infidious purposes, with subtilty and cunning. So, in Hamlet: "Perhaps he loves you now; "And now no foil of cautel doth befmirch Of |