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ing to the old copies; which have a full stop at affection, and read Masters of passion. WARB.

Woollen bag-pipe.] As all the editors agree with complete uniformity in this reading, I can hardly forbear to imagine that they understood it. But I never saw a woollen bag-pipe, nor can well conceive it. I suppose the author wrote wooden bag-pipe, meaning that the bag was of leather, and the pipe of wood. JoHN.

This passage is clear from all difficulty, if we read swelling or swollen bag-pipe, which, that we should, I have not the least doubt.

Sir JOHN HAWK. "Woollen bag-pipe." A woollen bag-pipe is no doubt wrong; and a wooden bag-pipe will be the same, for it matters not, in the present circumstance, of what the instrument was made. The swollen of Sir J. Hawkins will also be found defective, since it is not the appearance of the bag-pipe which offends, but its sound: and this we may know by the expression in the preceding linesings i'the nose." I am therefore of opinion that the right reading will be, "mewling bag-pipe." The m being turned so as to appear w, the word, in reading, would be pronounced wewling, and this the transcriber might mistake for woollen. Mewling is used by Shakspeare in speaking of the whining or squalling of a child: and the epithet is highly significant of the harmony produced by a bag-pipe. B.

As to offend himself, being offended." This line is wrong pointed. The comma should be placed at offend, thus; * As to offend, himself being offended;" that is, "To offend others while himself is offended." As it now stands, we read, himself, himself being offended." B..

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As to offend

Anth. I pray you, think you question with the Jew: You question, &c. To question is to converse. So, in Measure for Measure: "in the loss of question,—” i. e. conversation that leads to nothing. To reason had anciently the same meaning. See vol. i. p. 69.

STEEV.

"You question," &c. We must read: "Question with a Jew,' or the line will have no force. They all knew that they were talking with Shylock the Jew. B.

Gra. O, be thou damn'd, inexorable dog!

And for thy life let justice be accus'd.

Inexorable dog. All the copies read, inexecrable. The emendation in the 3rd fol. STEEV.

"Inexorable dog." "Inexecrable," i. e. greatly detestable, is, no doubt, the proper reading. The word is formed by the saine analogy as inestimable, &c. They had in vain endeavoured to awaken pity in the Jew. Gratiano therefore calls him "inexecrable dog," i. e. transcendantly detestable. B.

Por. You stand within his danger, do you not?

You stand within his danger. So, in the Corvysor's Play, among the collection of Whitsun Mysteries represented at Chester. See MS. Harl. 1013, p. 106.

"Two detters some tyme there were
"Oughten money to an usurere,

"The one was in his daungere

"Fyve hundred poundes tolde." STEEV. "Within his danger."

Shakspeare may have written danger, and the reading may certainly be understood. But it will perhaps be thought that the old word daungere, i. e. trap or suare, is the more likely to have been employed, when the circumstances which led to the situation of Anthonio are attended to. B.

Lor. The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils ;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus:

Let no such man be trusted.

The man that hath no music in himself,

Nor is not mored with concord of sweet sounds,

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The thought here is extremely fine: as if the being affected with music was the only harmony. between the internal [music in himself] and the external music [concord of sweet sounds] which were mutually affected like unison strings. This whole speech could not chuse but please an English audience, whose great passion, as well then as now, was love of music. Jam verò video naturam (says Erasmus in praise of fully) ut singulis nationibus, ac pene civitatibus, communem quandum insevisse Philautiam : atque hine fieri, ut Britanni præter alia formam, musicam, et lautas Mensas proprie sibi vindicent. WARB.

This passage, which is neither pregnant with physical or moral truth, nor poetically beautiful in an eminent degree, has constantly enjoyed the good fortune to be repeated by those whose inhospitable memories would have refused to adinit or retain any other sentiment or description of the same author, however exalted or just. The truth is, that it furnishes the vacant fiddler with something to say in defence of his profession, and supplies the coxcomb in music, with an invective against such as do not pretend to discover all the various powers of language in inarticulate sounds.

Our ancient statutes have often received their best comment by means of reference to the particular occasion on which they were framed. Dr. Warburton has therefore properly accounted for Shakspeare's seeming partiality to this amusement. He might have added, that Peacham requires of his gentleman ONLY to be able to sing his part sure, and at first sight, and withal to play the same on a viol or lute."

Let not, however, this capricious sentiment of Shakspeare descend to posterity, unattended by the opinion of the late Lord Chesterfield on the same subject. In his 148th letter to his son, who was then in Venice, his lordship, after having enumerated, music among the illiberal pleasures, adds" if you love music, hear it; go to operas, concerts, and pay fiddlers to play to you; but I must insist upon your neither piping nor fiddling yourself. It puts a gentleman in a very frivolous, contemptible

light; brings him into a great deal of bad company, and takes up a great deal of time, which might be much better employed. Few things would mortify me more, than to see you bearing a part in a concert, with a fiddle under your chin, or a pipe in your mouth." Again, Letter 153," A taste of sculpture and painting is, in my mind, as becoming as a taste of fiddling and piping is unliecoming a man of fashion. The former is connected with history and poetry, the latter with nothing that I know of but bad company. STEBV.

The man that hath no music, &c.' Such is Mr. Steevens's idea of music. But these coarse and illiberal sentiments touching the power and effect of harmony, of "heavenly harmony" as Dryden emphatically calls it--can awaken nothing but indignation in our breasts. The thought, as exhibited by Shakspeare, is exquisitely beautiful. To explain or set down all that is comprehended in the expression were wholly impossible: it must be felt to be understood. Mr. Steevens, indeed, is so great a blunderer as to confound the science itself --the composition of music, with the (perhaps) unconscious, insensible performer in it. But do we hold the Tragic Poet and the Actor in an equal degree of estimation? Do we not frequently consider the former with reverence, and the latter as frequently with something not very distant from contempt? Had Lord Chesterfield's notions respecting music been the same as those of Mr. Steevens, he would not have written-"If you love music hear it." But to suppose even for a moment that he could imbibe such notions, were in the highest degree ridiculous: we know indeed, that he was a totally different man. But enough of this -To urge the matter further were an affront to the reader's understanding, It were to suppose him an absolute Goth. B.

Ner.

Yet for your vehement oaths, You should have been respective, and have kept it. -have been respective. Respective has the same meaning as respectful. See K. John, act i.

STEEV.

-have been respective.

Respective' is careful, cautious. The word is used in that sense by Hooker and other writers. B.

Por.

Swear by your double self,

And there's an oath of credit.

Swear by your double self. Double is here used for full of duplicity. MAL.

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'Double self,' appears to be used jocularly, and for full of duplicity, but not with that particular meaning only-the expression is purposely ambiguous Swear by your double self,' says Portiai. e." Swear by yourself and by me," and the oath may be credited. The covert meaning in double self is, both of us having been enga.... ged in the business and we two being now but one. B.

Anth. I once did lend my body for his wealth;

for his wealth; For his advantage: to obtain his happiness. Wealth was, at that time, the term opposite to adversity or calamity.

JOHN. It would perhaps be better to read " for his health,” i. e. for his

good, for his welfare. B.

SHAK.

I.

T

As You Like It.

ACT II. SCENE II.

Ros. Wear this for me; one out of suits with for tune;

That could give more, but that her hand lacks means.

One out of suits with fortune.] This seems an allusion to carda, where he that has no more cards to play of any particular sort is out of suil. JOHN.

Out of suits with fortune.] I believe means, turned out of her service, and stripp'd of her livery. STEEV.

We should read, "out of fortune's suit." Suite, Fr. train. One not in fortune's train.

Le Beau.

That would give more," &c. B.

Albeit you have deserv'd

High commendation, true applause, and love. ;
Yet such is now the duke's condition,

That he misconstrues all that you have done.

The Duke's condition.] The word condition means character, temper. disposition. So Antonio, the merchant of Venice, is called by his friend the "best conditioned man." JOHN.

"The Duke's condition." Condition," should rather be explained by, situation. "The Duke is so circumstanced," &c. He speaks in the next line of his temper, his disposition. B.

2 Lord. My lord, the roynish clown, at whom so oft

Your grace was wont to laugh, is also missing.

The roynish clown.] Roynish from rogneux, Fr. mangy, scurvy. The word is used by Chaucer in the Romaunt of the Rose, 988:

" That knottie was and all roinous."

Again, by Dr. Gabriel Harvey, in his Pierce's Supererogation, 4to. 1593. Speaking of Long Meg of Westminster, he says, " Although she were

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