For art and exercife (1) in your defence; That he cry'd out, 'twould be a fight indeed; If one could match you. (2) The Scrimers of their nation, He fwore, had neither motion, guard, nor eye, If you oppos'd 'em. Sir, this report of his That he could do nothing, but with and beg Laer. What out of this, my Lord? King. Laertes, was your father dear to you, Laer. Why afk you this ? King. Not that I think, you did not love your father, Dies in his own too much. What we would do, As there are tongues, are hands, are accidents; (1) (2) (3) in your defence; That is, in the fcience of defence. That in paffages of proof,] In tranfactions of daily experience. (4) For goodness, growing to a pleurify,] I would believe, for the honour of Shakespeare, that he wrote pletbory. But I obferve the dramatic writers of that time frequently call a fulness of blood a pleurify, as if it came, not from supà, but from plus, pluris. WARBURTON. (5) And then this fhould is like a Spendibrift's SIGH bonds That burts by eafing. But to th quick o' th' ulcer Laer. To cut his throat i' th' church. King. No place, indeed, fhould murder fanctuarife, The Frenchman gave you; bring you in fine together, (7) A fword unbated, and in (8) a pafs of Practice Laer. I will do't; And for the purpose I'll anoint my fword. bonds or mortages gives him a prefent relief from his straits, yet it ends in much greater diftreffes. The application is, if you neglect a fair opportunity now, when it may be done with ease and fafety, time may throw fo many difficulties in your way, that, in order to furmount them, you must put your whole fortune into hazard. WARBURTON. This conjecture is fo ingenious, that it can hardly be opposed, but with the fame reluctance as the bow is drawn against a hero, whofe virtues the archer holds in veneration. Here may be ap plied what Voltaire writes to the Empress: Le genereux François Te combat & t'admire. Yet this emendation, however fpecicus, is miftaken. The original reading is, not a spendthrift's figh, but a spendibrift sigh; a figh that makes an unneceffary waste of the vital flame. It is a notion very prevalent, that figbs impair the ftrength, and wear out the animal powers. (6) He being remifs, ] He being not vigilant or cautious. (7) A fword unbated,] i. e. nct blunted as foils are. Or as one edition has it embaited or envenomed. POPE. (8) a pafs of practice-] Practice is often by Shakespeare, and other old writers, taken for an infidious firatagem, or privy treafon, a fenfe not incongruous to this paffage, where yet I rather believe, that nothing more is meant than a thruft for exercise. So So mortal, that but dip a knife in it, Under the Moon, can fave the thing from death, King. Let's farther think of this; Weigh what convenience both of time and means When in your motion you are hot and dry, As make your bouts more violent to that end, SCENE X. Enter Queen.. How now, fweet Queen? Queen. One woe doth tread upon another's heel, Queen. There is a willow grows allant a Brook, But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them ;) (9) May fit us to our shape.]. May enable us to affume proper charafters, and to act our part. (1) blast in proof] This I believe, is a metaphor taken from a mine, which, in the proof or execution, fometimes breaks out with an ineffectual blaft. L 5 There ; There on the pendant boughs, her coronet weeds Or like a creature native, and indued Unto that element: but long it could not be, Laer. Alas then, fhe is drown'd! Qteen. Drown'd, drown'd. Laer. Too much of water haft thou, poor Ophelia, And therefore I forbid my tears. But yet It is our trick: Nature her custom holds, Let shame fay what it will, When these are gone, The woman will be out. Adieu, my Lord! I have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze, But that this folly drowns it. King. Follow, Gertrude. How much had I to do to calm his rage! Therefore let's follow. [Exit. Exeunt. (2) Which time she chaunted fnatches of old tunes,] Fletcher, in his Scornful Lady, very invidiously ridicules this incident. I will run mad firft, and if that get not pity, WARBURTON. ACT I ACT V. SCENE I. A CHURCH. Enter two Clowns, with Spades and mattocks. I CLOWN. S the to be buried in chriftian burial, that wilfully feeks her own falvation? 2 Clown. I tell thee, she is, therefore (3) make her graveftraight. The crowner hath fate on her, and finds it chriftian burial.. 1 Clown. How can that be, unless the drowned herfelf in her own defence?: 2 Clown. Why 'tis found fo. 1 Clown. It must be se offendendo, it cannot be else. For here lies the point; if I drown myself wittingly, it argues an act; and (4) an act hath three branches; it is to act, to do, and to perform. Argal, the drown'd herfelf wittingly. 2 Clown. Nay, but hear you, goodman Delver. 1 Clown Give me leave. Clown, here lies the water; Good: here ftands the man; Good.. If the man go to this water, and drown himfelf, it is, will he, nill he, he goes; mark you that: But if the water come to him, and drown him, he drowns not himself. Argal, he, that is not guilty of his own death, fhortens not his own life. (3) make ber Grave ftraight.] Make her grave from east to west in a direct line parallel to the church; not from north to fouth, athwart the regular line. This, I think, is meant. *Some, for whofe opinions I have great regard, think that ftraight is only immediately. My interpretation I have given with no great confidence, but the longer I confider it, the more I think it right. (4) an act bath three branches; it is to act, to do, and to perform.] Ridicule on fcholaftic divifions without diftinction; and of diftinctions without difference, WARBURTON. 2 Clorun. |