So thin, that life looks through, and will break out. "The soul's dark cottage, batter'd and decay'd, Steevens. On this passage the elegant and learned Bishop of Worcester has the following criticism: "At times we find him (the imita tor) practising a different art; not merely spreading as it were and laying open the same sentiment, but adding to it, and by a new and studied device improving upon it. In this case we naturally conclude that the refinement had not been made, if the plain and simple thought had not preceded and given rise to it. You will apprehend my meaning by what follows. Shakspeare had said of Henry the Fourth : 'The incessant care and labour of his mind 'Hath wrought the mure, that should confine it in, 'So thin, that life looks through, and will break out.' "You have here the thought in its first simplicity. It was not unnatural, after speaking of the body as a case or tenement of the soul, the mure that confines it, to say, that as that case wears away and grows thin, life looks through, and is ready to break out." After quoting the lines of Daniel, who, (it is observed) "by refining on this sentiment, if by nothing else, shews himself to be the copyist," the very learned writer adds,-"here we see, not simply, that life is going to break through the infirm and much-worn habitation, but that the mind looks through, and finds his frailty, that it discovers that life will soon make his escape-Daniel's improvement then looks like the artifice of a man that would outdo his master. Though he fails in the attempt; for his ingenuity betrays him into a false thought. The mind, looking through, does not find its own frailty, but the frailty of the building it inhabits." Hurd's Dissertation on the Marks of Imitation. This ingenious criticism, the general principles of which cannot be controverted, shows, however, how dangerous it is to suffer the mind to be led too far by an hypothesis:—for after all, there is very good reason to believe that Shakspeare, and not Daniel, was the imitator. "The Dissention between the Houses of Yorke and Lancaster, in verse, penned by Samuel Daniel," was entered on the Stationers' books, by Simon Waterson, in October, 1594, and four books of his work were printed in 1595. The lines quoted by Mr. Steevens are from the edition of The Civil Wars, in 1609. Daniel made many changes in his poems in every new edition. In the original edition in 1595, the versus run thus; Book III, st. 116: "Wearing the wall so thin, that now the mind "Might well look thorough, and his frailty find." His is used for its, and refers not to mind, (as is supposed above) but to wall.-There is no reason to believe that this play was written before 1594, and it is highly probable that Shak 8 P. Humph. The people fear me; for they do observe That our great grandsire, Edward, sick'd and died. [They convey the King to an inner part of the Let there be no noise made, my gentle friends; Will whisper musick to my weary spirit. speare had read Daniel's poem before he sat down to compose these historical dramas. Malone. 8 The people fear me,] i. e. make me afraid. Warburton. So, in The Merchant of Venice: 66— this aspect of mine "Hath fear'd the valiant." Steevens. 9 Unfather'd heirs,] That is equivocal births; animals that had no animal progenitors; productions not brought forth according to the stated laws of generation. Johnson. 1 The seasons change their manners,] This is finely expressed; alluding to the terms of rough and harsh, mild and soft, applied to weather. Warburton. 2 — as the year —] i. e. as if the year, &c. So, in Cymbeline : "He spake of her, as Dian had hot dreams, "And she alone were cold." In the subsequent line our author seems to have been thinking of leap-year. Malone. 3 The river hath thrice flow'd.] This is historically true. It happened on the 12th of October, 1411. Steevens. 4 Unless some dull and favourable hand Will whisper musick to my weary spirit.] So, in the old anonymous King Henry V: 66 Depart my chamber, "And cause some musick to rock me asleep." Steevens. Unless some dull and favourable hand -] Dull signifies melancholy, gentle, soothing. Johnson. I believe it rather means producing dullness or heaviness; and consequently sleep. It appears from various parts of our au War. Call for the musick in the other room. K. Hen. Set me the crown upon my pillow here." P. Hen. Enter Prince HENRY. Who saw the duke of Clarence? Cla. I am here, brother, full of heaviness. P. Hen. How now! rain within doors, and none abroad! How doth the king? P. Humph. Exceeding ill. P. Hen. Tell it him. Heard he the good news yet? P. Humph. He alter'd much upon the hearing it." thor's works, that he thought musick contributed to produce sleep. So, in A Midsummer Night's Dream: 66 musick call, and strike more dead "Than common sleep, of all these five the sense." Again, in Love's Labour's Lost: "And when love speaks, the voice of all the gods So also in The Tempest, Act I, when Alonzo, Gonzalo, &c. are to be overpowered by sleep, Ariel, to produce this effect, enters, "playing solemn musick." Malone. 5 Set me the crown upon my pillow here.] It is still the custom in France, to place the crown on the King's pillow, when he is dying. Holinshed, p. 541, speaking of the death of King Henry IV, says: "During this his last sicknesse, he caused his crowne, (as some write) to be set on a pillow at his bed's head, and sudden. lie his pangs so sore troubled him, that he laie as though all his vitall spirits had beene from him departed. Such as were about him, thinking verilie that he had beene departed, covered his face with a linnen cloth. "The prince his sonne being hereof advertised, entered into the chamber, tooke awaie the crowne and departed. The father being suddenlie revived out of that trance, quicklie perceived the lacke of his crowne; and having knowledge that the prince his sonne had taken it awaie, caused him to come before his presence, requiring of him what he meant so to misuse himselfe. The prince with a good audacitie answered; Sir, to mine and all men's judgments you seemed dead in this world, and therefore I as your next heire apparant tooke that as mine owne, and not as yours. Well, faire sonne, (said the king with a great sigh) what right I had to it, God knoweth. Well (said the prince) if you die king, I will have the garland, and trust to keepe it with the sword against all mine enemies, as you have doone," &c. Steevens. P. Hen. If he be sick With joy, he will recover without physick. War. Not so much noise, my lords:-sweet prince, speak low; The king your father is dispos'd to sleep. Cla. Let us withdraw into the other room. War. Will 't please your grace to go along with us? P. Hen. No; I will sit and watch here by the king. [Exeunt all but P. HEN. Why doth the crown lie there upon his pillow, Being so troublesome a bedfellow? O polish'd perturbation! golden care! That keep'st the ports of slumber7 open wide To many a watchful night!-sleep with it now! Yet not so sound, and half so deeply sweet, As he, whose brow, with homely biggin bound, Snores out the watch of night. O majesty! When thou dost pinch thy bearer, thou dost sit Like a rich armour worn in heat of day, That scalds with safety. By his gates of breath There lies a downy feather, which stirs not: Did he suspire, that light and weightless down Perforce must move.-) -My gracious lord! my father!This sleep is sound indeed; this is a sleep, That from this golden rigol9 hath divorc'd 6 Tell it him. He alter'd much upon the hearing it.] For the sake of metre, I would read 7 Tell't him. He alter'd much on hearing it. Steevens. the ports of slumber -] Are the gates of slumber. So, in Timon of Athens: ". Our uncharged ports." Again, in Ben Jonson's 80th Epigram: The ports of death are sins Ports is the ancient military term for gates. Steevens. The word is yet used in this sense in Scotland. Malone. 8 homely biggin bound,] A kind of cap, at present worn only by children; but so called from the cap worn by the Beguines, an order of nuns. So, in Monsieur Thomas, by Beaumont and Fletcher, 1639: 66 were the devil sick now, "His horns saw'd off, and his head bound with a biggin." Again, in Ben Jonson's Volpone: "Get you a biggin more, your brain breaks loose." VOL. IX. N Steevens. So many English kings. Thy due, from me, [Putting it on his head. Which heaven shall guard: And put the world's whole strength Into one giant arm, it shall not force This lineal honour from me: This from thee Cla. [Exit. Doth the king call? War. What would your majesty? How fares your grace? K. Hen. Why did you leave me here alone, my lords? Cla. We left the prince my brother here, my liege, Who undertook to sit and watch by you. K. Hen. The prince of Wales? Where is he? let me see him: He is not here. War. This door is open; he is gone this way. P. Humph. He came not through the chamber where we stay'd. K. Hen. Where is the crown? who took it from my pillow? War. When we withdrew, my liege, we left it here. K. Hen. The prince hath ta'en it hence:-go, seek him out. Is he so hasty, that he doth suppose My sleep my death? Find him, my lord of Warwick; chide him hither. This part of his conjoins with my disease, 9 [Exit WAR. - this golden rigol —] Rigol means a circle. I know not that it is used by any author but Shakspeare, who introduces it likewise in his Rape of Lucrece: "About the mourning and congealed face "Of that black blood, a watry rigol goes." Steevens. |