Celestial as thou art, Oh pardon, love, this wrong, That fings the heaven's praise with such an earthly tongue. Hol. You find not the Apostrophes, and fo mifs the accent. Let me fupervife the canzonet. Here are only numbers ratify'd; but the elegancy, facility, and golden cadence of poefie, caret: Ovidius Nafa was the man. And why, indeed, Nafo; but for fmelling out the odoriferous flowers of fancy? the jerks of invention? imitari, is nothing: "fo doth the 4 Nath. Here are only Numbers ratified;] Tho' this Speech has been all along plac'd to Sir Nathanael, I have ventur❜d to join it to the preceding Words of Holofernes; and not without Reafon. The Speaker here is impeaching the Verses; but Sir Nathanael, as it appears above, thought them learned ones: befides, as Dr. Thirlby obferves, almoft every Word of this Speech, fathers itself on the Pedant. So much for the regulation of it: now, a little, to the Contents. And why indeed Nafo, but for Smelling out the odoriferous Flowers of Fancy? the Jerks of Invention imitary is nothing. Sagacity with a Vengeance! I should be afham'd to own myfelf a piece of a Scholar, to pretend to the Tafk of an Editor, and to pafs fuch Stuff as this upon the World for genuine. Who ever heard of Invention imitary? Invention and Imitation have ever been accounted two diftinct Things. The Speech is by a Pedant, who frequently throws in a Word of Latin amongst his English; and he is here flourish hound ing upon the Merit of Invention, beyond That of Imitation, or copying after another. My Correction makes the whole fo plain and intelligible, that, I think, it carries Conviction along with it. THEOBALD. 5 Ovidius Nafo was the man.] Our author makes his pedant affect the being converfant in the beft authors: Contrary to the practice of modern wits, who reprefent them as defpifers of all fuch. But those who know the world, know the pedant to be the greatest affecter of politeness. WARBURTON. 6 fo doth the bound his mafter, the ape his keeper, the TIRED horfe bis rider.] The pedant here, to run down Imitation, fhews that it is a quality within the capacity of beats: that the dog and the ape are taught to copy tricks by their master and keeper: and fo is the tir'd horfe by his rider. This last is a wonderful inftance; but it happens not to be true. The author must have wrote the TRYED borse his rider: i. e. one, exercis❜d, and broke to the manege: for he obeys * hound his mafter, the ape his keeper, the try'd horfe his rider: But Damofella Virgin, was this directly to you? Jaq. Ay, Sir, from one Monfieur Biron, to one of the ftrange Queen's Ladies. Hol. I will overglance the fuperfcript. To the fnowwhite band of the most beauteous lady Rofaline. I will look again on the intellect of the letter, for the nomination of the party writing to the person written unto. Your Ladyfhip's in all defir'd employment, Biron. This Biron is one of the votaries with the King; and here he hath fram'd a letter to a fequent of the stranger Queen's, which accidentally, or by the way of progreffion, hath mifcarry'd. Trip and go, my fweet; deliver this paper into the hand of the King; it may concern much; ftay not thy compliment; I forgive thy duty adieu. Faq. Good Coftard, go with me. Sir, God favé your life. Coft. Have with thee, my girl. [Exeunt Coft. and Jaq. Nath. Sir, you have done this in the fear of God, very religiously and as a certain father faith Hol. Sir, tell not me of the father, I do fear colourable colours 7. But, to return to the verfes; did they please you, Sir Nathanael? Nath. Marvellous well for the pen. Hol. I do dine to day at the father's of a certain pupil of mine; where if (being repast) it shall please you to gratifie the table with a grace, I will, on my privilege I have with the parents of the aforefaid child or pupil, undertake your ben venuto; where will I prove those verses to be very unlearned, neither fa vouring of poetry, wit, nor invention. I befeech your fociety. Nath. And thank you too: for fociety (faith the text) is the happiness of life. Hol. And, certes, the text moft infallibly concludes it. Sir, I do invite you too; [To Dull.] you shall not say me, nay: Pauca verba. Away, the gentles are at their game, and we will to our recreation. SCENE IV. [Exeunt. Enter Biron, with a paper in his hand, alone. Biron. The King is hunting the deer, I am courfing myself. They have pitcht a toil, I am toiling in a pitch*; pitch, that defiles; defile! a foul word: well, fet thee down, forrow; for fo they fay the fool faid, and fo fay I, and I the fool. Well prov'd wit. By the Lord, this love is as mad as Ajax, it kills fheep, it kills me, I a fheep. Well prov'd again on my fide. I will not love; if I do, hang me, i'faith, I will not. O, but her eye: by this light, but for her eye, I would not love; yes, for her two eyes. Well, I do nothing in the world but lie, and lie in my throat. By heaven, I do love; and it hath taught me to rhime, and to be melancholy; and here is part of my rhime; and here my melancholy. Well, the hath one o' my fonnets already; the clown bore it; the fool fent it, and the lady hath it: fweet clown, sweeter fool, sweetest lady! by the world, I would not care a pin if the other three were in. Here comes one with a paper; God give him grace to groan! [He ftands afide. * Alluding to lady Rojaline's whole play, reprefented as a complexion, who is, through the black beauty. Enter King. Ay me! Enter the King. Biron. [afide.] Shot, by heav'n! proceed, fweet Cupid; thou haft thumpt him with thy bird-bolt under the left pap: in faith, fecrets. King. [reads. So sweet a kifs the golden fun gives not To those fresh morning drops upon the rose, Nor fhines the filver moon one half fo bright, And they thy glory through my grief will fhew; How shall she know my griefs? I'll drop the paper; Sweet leaves, shade folly. Who is he comes here? [The King steps afide. Enter Longueville. What! Longueville! and reading!—Listen, ear. Biron. [afide.] Now in thy likeness one more fool Long. Ay me! I am forfworn. [appears. Biron. [afide.] Why, he comes in like a Perjure, wearing papers". * The night of dew, that on my cheeks down flows.] I cannot think the night of dew the true reading, but know not what $0 offer. M 3 9 He comes in like a Perjure.] The punishment of perjury is to wear on the breast a paper expreffing the crime. King, King. [afide.] In love, I hope; fweet fellowship in shame. Biron. [afide.] One drunkard loves another of the name. Long.[afide.]Am I the firft,that have been perjur'd fo? Biron. [afide.] I could put thee in comfort: not by two that I know; Thou mak'ft the triumviry, the three-corner-cap of fociety, The fhape of love's Tyburn, that hangs up fimplicity. Long. I fear, these ftubborn lines lack power to inove: O fweet Maria, Emprefs of my love, These numbers will I tear, and write in profe. Biron. [afide, ] O, rhimes are guards on wanton Cupid's hofe : Disfigure not his flop'. Long. The fame shall go, [he reads the fonnet. Did not the heavenly rhetorick of thine eye ('Gainst whom the world cannot hold argument) Perfuade my heart to this false perjury, Vows, for thee broke, deferve not punishment : Oh, Rhimes are Guards on wanton Cupid's Hofe; Disfigure not his Shop.] All the Editions happen to concur in this Error: but what Agreement in Şenfe is there betwixt Cupid's Hoje and his Ship? Or, what Relation can thofe two Terms have to one another? Or, what, indeed, can be undertood by Cupid's Shop? It must undoubt edly be corrected, as I have re form'd the Text. Slops are large and wide-kneed Breeches, the Garb in Fashion in our Author's Days, as we may observe from old Family Pictures; but they are now worn only by Boors and Sea-faring Men: and we have Dealers whose fole Bufinefs it is to furnish the Sailors with Shirts, Jackets, &c. who are call'd, Slop-men; and their Shops, Slop shops. THEOBALD. |
