Or Cytherea's breath; pale primroses, That die unmarried, ere they can behold3 the Thus also, in the sixteenth Odyssey, 15, Eumæus kisses both eyes of Telemachus: σε Κύσσε δέ μιν κεφαλήν τε, και αμφω φάεα καλά, The same line occurs in the following Book, v. 39, where Penelope expresses her fondness for her son. Again, in an ancient MS. play of Timon of Athens, in the possession of Mr. Strutt the engraver: "O Juno, be not angry with thy Jove, "But let me kisse thine eyes my sweete delight." p. 6. b. Another reason, however, why the eyes were kissed instead of the lips, may be found in a very scarce book entitled A courtlie Controversy of Cupids Cautels: Conteyning Fiue tragicall Histories, &c. Translated out of French &c. by H. W. [Henry Wotton] 4to. 1578: "Oh howe wise were our forefathers to forbidde wyne so strictly unto their children, and much more to their wives, so that for drinking wine they deserved defame, and being taken with the maner, it was lawful to kisse their mouthes, whereas otherwise men kissed but their eyes, to showe that wine drinkers were apt to further offence.” The eyes of Juno were as remarkable as those of Pallas: 68 βοώπις πότνια Ηρη.” Homer. But (as Mr. M. Mason observes) "we are not told that Pallas was the goddess of blue eye-lids; besides, as Shakspeare joins in the comparison, the breath of Cytherea with the eye-lids of Juno, it is evident that he does not allude to the colour, but to the fragrance of violets." STEevens. So, in Marston's Insatiate Countess, 1613: "Those lips were hers that won the golden ball, Spenser, as well as our author, has attributed beauty to the eyelid: Again, in his 40th Sonnet: 3 Fairy Queen, B. II. c. iii. st. 25. "When on each eye-lid sweetly do appear "An hundred graces, as in shade they sit." MALone. -pale primroses, That die unmarried, ere they can behold &c.] So, in Pimlyco, or Runne Red-Cap, 1609: Bright Phoebus in his strength, a malady The flower-de-luce being one! O, these I lack, To make you garlands of; and, my sweet friend, To strew him o'er and o'er. FLO. What? like a corse? PER. No, like a bank, for love to lie and play on; Not like a corse: or if,-not to be buried, "The pretty Dazie (eye of day) Again, in Milton's Lycidas: the rathe primrose that forsaken dies." Mr. Warton, in a note on my last quotation, asks "But why does the Primrose die unmarried? Not because it blooms and decays before the appearance of other flowers; as in a state of solitude, and without society. Shakspeare's reason, why it dies unmarried, is unintelligible, or rather is such as I do not wish to understand. The true reason is, because it grows in the shade, uncherished or unseen by the sun, who was supposed to be in love with some sorts of flowers." Perhaps, however, the true explanation of this passage may be deduced from a line originally subjoined by Milton to that already quoted from Lycidas: "Bring the rathe primrose that unwedded dies, STEEVENS. -bold oxlips,] Gold is the reading of Sir T. Hanmer; the former editions have bold. JOHNSON. The old reading is certainly the true one. The oxlip has not a weak flexible stalk like the cowslip, but erects itself boldly in the face of the sun. Wallis, in his History of Northumberland, says, that the great oxlip grows a foot and a half high. It should be confessed, however, that the colour of the oxlip is taken notice of by other writers. So, in The Arraignment of Paris, 1584: 66 yellow oxlips bright as burnish'd gold." See Vol. IV. p. 379, n. 8. STEEVENS. But quick, and in mine arms. flowers: Come, take your Methinks, I play as I have seen them do In Whitsun' pastorals: sure, this robe of mine FLO. 6 Crowns what you are doing in the present deeds, That all your acts are queens. PER. O Doricles, Your praises are too large: but that your youth, And the true blood, which fairly peeps through it," But quick, and in mine arms.] So, Marston's Insatiate Countess, 1613: "Isab. Heigh ho, you'll bury me, I see. "Rob. In the swan's down, and tomb thee in my arms," Again, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre, 1609: 6 66 O come, be buried "A second time within these arms." MALONE. -Each your doing, &c.] That is, your manner in each act crowns the act. JOHNSON. 7 -but that your youth, And the true blood which fairly peeps through it,] So, Marlowe, in his Hero and Leander: Through whose white skin, softer than soundest sleep, "With damaske eyes the ruby blood doth peep. part of the poem that was written by Marlowe, was published, I believe, in 1593, but certainly before 1598, a Second The Do plainly give you out an unstain'd shepherd; You woo'd me the false way. FLO. I think, you have As little skill to fear, as I have purpose To put you to't.-But, come; our dance, I pray: Your hand, my Perdita: so turtles pair, That never mean to part. PER. I'll swear for 'em." Part or Continuation of it by H. Petowe having been printed in that year. It was entered at Stationers' Hall in September 1593, and is often quoted in a collection of verses entitled England's Parnassus, printed in 1600. From that collection it appears, that Marlowe wrote only the first two Sestiads, and about a hundred lines of the third, and that the remainder was written by Chapman. MALONE. • I think, you have As little skill to fear,] To have skill to do a thing was a phrase then in use equivalent to our to have a reason to do a thing. The Oxford editor, ignorant of this, alters it to: As little skill in fear. which has no kind of sense in this place. WARBURton. I cannot approve of Warburton's explanation of this passage, or believe that to have a skill to do a thing, ever meant, to have reason to do it; of which, when he asserted it, he ought to have produced one example at least. The fears of women, on such occasions, are generally owing to their experience. They fear, as they blush, because they understand. It is to this that Florizel alludes, when he says, that Perdita had little skill to fear.-So Juliet says to Romeo: "But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true You as little know how to fear that I am false, as, &c. MALONE. • Per. I'll swear for 'em.] I fancy this half line is placed to a wrong person. And that the King begins his speech aside: Pol. I'll swear for 'em, This is the prettiest &c. JOHNSON. We should doubtless read thus: I'll swear for one. POL. This is the prettiest low-born lass, that ever Ran on the green-sward: nothing she does, or seems, But smacks of something greater than herself; Too noble for this place. CAM. He tells her something, That makes her blood look out: Good sooth, she is The queen of curds and cream. CLO. Come on, strike up. DOR. Mopsa must be your mistress: marry, gar lick, To mend her kissing with.— Mop. Now, in good time! CLO. Not a word, a word; we stand2 upon our manners. Come, strike up. [Musick. i. e. I will answer or engage for myself. Some alteration is absolutely necessary. This seems the easiest, and the reply will then be perfectly becoming her character. RITSON. 1-He tells her something, That makes her blood look out:] The meaning must be this. The Prince tells her something that calls the blood up into her cheeks, and makes her blush. She, but a little before, uses a like expression to describe the Prince's sincerity: -your youth And the true blood, which fairly peeps through it, The old copy reads-look on't. STEEVENS. 2 THEOBALD. we stand &c.] That is, we are now on our behaviour. JOHNSON. So, in Every Man in his Humour, Master Stephen says: "Nay, we do not stand much on our gentility, friend." STEEVENS. 1 |
