I talk of dreams; Which are the children of an idle brain, Romeo and Juliet, A. 1, S. 4. I know thee not, old man: fall to thy prayers: Henry IV. P. 2, A. 5, S. 5. Between the acting of a dreadful thing, Julius Cæfar, A. 2, S. 1. Think our former ftate a happy dream; From which awak'd, the truth of what we are To grim neceffity; and he and 1 Will keep a league till death. Richard II. A. 5, S. 1. Thou proud dream, That play'ft fo fubtly with a king's repofe, No, No, not all these, laid in bed majestical, Henry V. A. 4, S. I. There is fome ill a brewing towards my reft, Merchant of Venice, A. 2, S. 5. DUTY. Others there are, Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty, Do themselves homage: these fellows have fome foul, Othello, A. 1, S. 1. Throw away respect, Tradition, form, and ceremonious duty, How can you fay to me-I am a king? Richard II. A. 3, S. 2. Every fubject's duty is the king's: but every fubject's foul is his own. Therefore fhould every foldier in the wars do as every fick man in his bed, wash every moth out of his confcience and doing fo, death is to him advantage; or not dying, the time was bleffedly loft, wherein fuch preparation was gained and, in him that escapes, it were not fin to think, that, making God fo free an offer, he let him out out-live that day to fee his greatnefs, and to teach others how they should prepare. Henry V. A. 4, S. 1. -We thought ourself thy lawful king: And if we be, how dare thy joints forget Το pay their awful duty to our prefence? If we be not, fhew us the hand of God That hath dismiss'd us from our stewardship. Richard II. A. 3, S. 3. Be pleased then To pay that duty, which you truly owe, To him that owes it, namely, this young prince : King John, A. 2, S. 1. S. 2. Though all the world should crack their duty to you, I Taming of the Shrew, A. 5, S. 2. Noble respect takes it in might, not merit. 1 and what poor duty cannot do, Noble refpet takes it in might, not merit.] The fenfe of this paffage, as it now stands, if it has any fenfe, is this: What the inability of duty cannot perform, regardful generofity receives as an act of ability, though not of merit. The contrary is rather true: What I love not to fee wretchednefs o'ercharg'd, Midsummer Night's Dream, A. 5, S. 1. I read as much, as from the rattling tongue Midfummer Night's Dream, A. 5, S. I. When fimpleness and duty tender it. YOU Midfummer Night's Dream, A. 5, S. 1. You cram these words into mine ears against The ftomach of my fenfe. Tempest, A. 2, S. 1. The ifle is full of noises, Sounds, and fweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling inftruments I've ey'd with best regard; and many a time What dutifulness tries to perform without ability, regardful generofity receives as having the merit, though not the power, of complete per formance. We should therefore read, "And what poor duty cannot do, "Noble respect takes not in might, but merit." "Might," in this place, is not ability but endeavour. H JOHNSON A. B. The The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage Henry VI. P. 3, A. 5, S. 6. I have a motion much imports your good; is mine. Measure for Measure, A. 5, S. 1. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; The good is oft interred with their bones, Henry IV. P. 2, A. 4, S. 4. I pray thee, cease thy counsel, Much ado about nothing, A. 5, S. 1. Ram' thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears, That long time have been barren. Antony and Cleopatra, A. 2, S. 5. Ram thou thy fruitful tidings.-] Shakespeare probably wrote (as Sir T. Hanmer obferves) Rain thou, &c. Rain agrees better with the epithets, fruitful and barren. STEEVENS. Perhaps |