as literary curiofities; and as he declares, folely to manifeft, "that the fkill difplayed by his late opponent in defence of "what he conceived to have been right, can only be exceeded by the liberality of his conceffion, fince he has fuppofed "himself in the wrong." Here then we may confider ourfelves as having arrived at the truth; when two acute critics, after an earnest disputation, agree in one opinion; it remains only that we should wish for a more accurate copy, to make unneceffary those bold conjectural deviations, which the editor confeffes he has made from the original 4to. of 1609, and those copied from it. On the fubject of the name of Pericles, we cannot adopt the conjecture that it was corrupted from Pyrocles, which was probably more known to players than the other; as being in that most popular book the Arcadia. Mr. Steevens also appears, in his preliminary differtation, not to have recollected that fuch names as Pericles, Sophocles, &c. have their second syllable common: a fhort vowel preceding a mute and a liquid having always that effect, so that the term of falfe quantity cannot be applied either to Pericles or Pericles. Nor have we discovered, though poffibly it may have efcaped us, any variation in the ufage of that name in the play. One paffage only has struck us as doubtful. P. 465. "A gentleman of Tyre-my name Pericles." Here we might fuppofe it to be spoken Pericles; but only five lines lower it is fo evidently Pericles, "He thanks your grace; names himself Pericles." that it is easier to fuppofe the former verfe defective, than the ufage various, in paffages fo immediately connected; the latter even profeffing to be a repetition of the former. The affertion (in p. 620), that in Cymbeline we always meet with Pofihumus, not Pofthamus, is doubtlefs only an error of the prefs, being directly contrary to the fact; and on referring to the fame differtation in Mr. Malone's Supplement of 1780, we find the long mark rightly on the former word. We perceive ourselves in danger of dwelling on the various critical queftions that this interefting publication fuggefts, to an extent that may be unpleafing to our readers, and is incompatible with our plans: we, therefore, check ourselves, and we hope in good time, to advert a little to the Notes of this edition: Of thefe Mr. Steevens himself says generally, "that a confider"able number of remarks are both adopted and fupplied by "the prefent editors. They have perfifted in their former "track of reading, for the illuftration of their author, and "" cannot "cannot help observing, that those who receive the benefit of explanatory extracts from ancient writers, little know at "what expence of time and labour fuch atoms of intelligence "have been collected." To this obfervation we moft heartily affent, and think the diligence and acutenefs fo employed very honourable to the editors. That the new Notes of other kinds are also valuable, will not be doubted by those who see the names of Porfon, &c. fubjoined to fome of them. We may add, that feveral ufeful illuftrations have been inferted in various parts, by means of wooden cuts, which cannot but be very acceptable to the curious. Such are thofe of the Quintaine, in vol. vi. p. 176, 178, &c. In that of the house on the Bank fide, inferted in the notes to Pericles, p. 534, from Mr. Malone's edition, it is unfortunately but too true that the hatch, which is the motive for its introduction, does not at all appear; at least not to our eyes, any more than to thofe of Mr. Steevens. F With refpect to the Notes, what Method can we take? To run through the whole is the work of an editor, rather than Reviewer; and to remark even on a few from each play, would lead us to a very great extent of criticism: we will, therefore, content ourselves with giving a fpecimen of obfervations on one play, the Macbeth, in which we believe the editor confiders his chief ftrength to lie. This ftrikes us as one of the happiest conjectural emendations we have ever feen; and one which we doubt not Shak fpeare himself would adopt, could he be confulted. The infertion of whom? at once perfects the verfe, and fupports the character of the firft witch, and the livelinefs of the dialogue. Our reader fhould be told, that the old copies have "there to "meet with Macbeth," that Pope fubftituted "there I go "to meet Macbeth," and Capell "there to meet with brave "Macbeth," both lame emendations. Mr. Malone's notion that the word there must be taken as a diffyllable, is one of those that confirms an affertion we made on a former occasion,-that the verse is still as hopeless with his fuppofition as without it, except in the mere number of fyllables; befides that, there, as a diffyllable, was, we believe, never heard of. P. 332. "Like valours minion "Carv'd out his paffage, till he fac'd the flave." BRIT. CRIT., VOL. I. JUNE 1793. In the folios, "(Like valeurs minion) carv'd out his paffage The new divifion is very judicious. P. 336. In the note on memorize is a trifling mistake, which has run unnoticed through all the editions from that of 1778. Mr. Warton fays, the word is ufed by Spenfer "in a fonnet to "Lord Buckhurft, prefixed to his Paftorals in 1579." But the date of the first edition of Spenfer's Pastorals is 1581, and there are no fonnets at all prefixed to it. The fonnet is, in fact, one of those fent with the Fairy Queen, and certainly appeared not before 1590, if fo foon. See Church's Preface, p. ii. In the date of the Paftorals Mr. Warton was mifled by the fignature to E K's Introductory Epiftle. The true date is at the end of the volume. P. 341. A fimilar conjecture to that noticed before is here offered, so as to make the fpeeches of the three witches a verfe. 66 1 Witch. Where hast been, fister? Killing fwine. This is not fo happy as the former, yet is not improbable. As to rump-fed, we have little doubt that it alludes to the rotundity of the part in question, fed being a common expreffion for fat and it seems a little extraordinary, that so obvious an interpretation has escaped the commentators. We agree with Mr. Steevens, in thinking Dr. Johnson's explanation not only justifiable, but the best yet offered, of this obfcure paffage: "As faft as they could be counted." We have no doubt that Mr. Malone's conjecture on the firft. of these truths, the death of the thane of Glamis, is right. Shakspeare meant, by making him say, 66 By Sinel's death I know I'm thane of Glamis," to have it understood that he had received intelligence of his father's death, but thought it impoffible that the witches fhould yet know it by natural means. Thus, in his letter to Lady Macbeth, we do not find that he mentions how he came by the news that he was actually Glamis: this we are to fuppofe fhe knew by other letters from him. P. 378. P. 378 Mr. Steevens, remarking on the character of Lady Macbeth, fays, "Nor does one fentiment of love or foftnefs fall from her throughout." This is not literally the cafe ; in p. 394 fhe thus expreffes herfelf: "I have given fuck, and know "How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me." She alfo fays, in p. 415, That the herself would have perpetrated the murder of the king, had he not resembled her father as he slept a natural fentiment of tenderness and human feeling. Shakspeare knew nature too well, perfectly to unhumanize any character; which is one ftrong argument against the atrocities in Titus Andronicus. Ibid. Time, which is not in the old copies, undoubtedly weakens the language, and is not wanting. There is more vigour in this ignorant prefent :" P. 381. "No jutty, frieze, buttress, "Nor coigne of vantage, but this bird hath made "Her pendent bed, and procreant cradle: where they "Is delicate." The punctuation which makes jutty a substantive, is undoubtedly right. In fo common a book as Cole's Latin dictionary, we have, a Jutting a Jutty Projectura, Mænianum; and immediately above, Shakspeare's verb to jutty. But we object ftrongly to the new divifion of the lines, which in the 2d folio, in the edition. of 1778, &c. ftand thus:, "No jutty frieze "Buttrice, nor coigne of vantage, but this bird Let any poetical ear decide. The splicing the next verse better is a very trifling confideration. P. 383. "The love that follows us," &c. We think the explanation given by Mr. Steevens perfectly right, and the paffage not fo obfcure as many in Shakspeare. It might have been explained more shortly. "Love pursuing us "is fometimes troublesome, but ftill we ought to be grateful for it. "Thus I inftruct you to pray for us, for paying you this troublefome vifit of love, and to feel obliged to us for it." P. 385. "We reft your hermits." So in the Two Gentlemen of Verona : Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers, P. 385. "To prick the fides of my intent, but only This is perplexed after all efforts; and we long to add Sir Thomas Hanmer's word fide, though fides is fo near. The metaphor is not diftinctly made out; the general conception of it clearly is, I have no motive to spur me on but extravagant "ambition, which does too much." P. 395. "But fcrew your courage to the fricking place." If we recollect how univerfal the practice of mufic was in Shakspeare's time, we fhall not doubt that this metaphor was taken from a violin: it confequently implies alfo being in right key, or tune. P. 399. Mr. Steevens's remarks in this place, on the character of Macbeth, are admirable. restored from the folio for officers; and probably right: though we do not fee that officers neceffarily would fignify military officers. P. 407. "Now o'er the one half world," &c. This would feem more elegant, if half-world were coupled by an hyphen, fo as to be equivalent to hemifphere. The beauty and truth of Shakspeare's defcription is ftriking, with the mixture of imaginary circumftances calculated to imprefs terror. It is curious enough that Dryden, in his description, quoted by Mr. Steevens, has had fo little tafte as to copy the falfe and foolish thought of Statius ad fomnum, "Et fimulant feffos curvata cacumina fomnos." Dryden. "The mountains feem to nod their drowsy head." We think fleep more poetical by far than fleeper: and now, though not authorized by the folio, feems to us to improve the ftyle as well as the measure. P. 420. "I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, The |