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unlettered, or rathereft unconfirmed fashion, to infert again my haud credo for a deer.

Dull. I faid, the deer was not a haud credo; 'twas a pricket.

Hol. Twice fod fimplicity, bis cous; O thou monfter ignorance, how deformed doft thou look?

Nath. Sir, he hath never fed on the dainties that are bred in a book. He hath not eat paper, as it were; he hath not drunk ink. His intellect is not replenished. He is only an animal, only fenfible in the duller parts; (16) and fuch barren plants are fet before us, that we thankful fhould be for those parts, (which we tafte and feel, ingradare) that do fructify in us, more than He.

For as it would ill become me to be vain, indifcreet, or a fool;

So were there a patch fet on learning, to fee him in a school. But omne bene, fay I; being of an old father's mind, Many can brook the weather, that love not the wind.

Dull. You two are book-men; can you tell by your wit, What was a month old at Cain's birth, that's not five weeks old as yet?

Hol. Dictynna, good-man Dull; Dyinna, good-man Dull.

Dull. What is Diclynna?

(16) And fuch barren Plants are fet before us, that we thankful fhould be; which we tafe, and feeling are for thofe Parts that do fructify in us more than be.] If this be not a ftubborn Piece of Nonfenfe, I'll neve venture to judge of common Senfe. That Editors fhould take fuch Paflages upon content, is, furely, furprizing. The Words, 'ts plain, have been ridiculously, and ftupidly, transposed and corrupted. The Emendation I have offer'd, I hope, reftores the Author: At leaft, I am fure, it gives him Senfe and Grammar: and anfwers extremely well to his Metaphors taken from planting Ingradare, with the Italians, fignifies, to rife higher and higher; andare di grado in grado, to make a Progreffion; and fo at length come to fructify as the Poet expreffes it. Mr. Warburton.

Nath.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ABTOR, LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.

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Nath. A title to Phæbe, to Luna, to the Moon.

Hol. The moon was a month old, when Adam was

no more:

And rought not to five weeks, when he came to five-fcore. Th' allufion holds in the exchange.

Dull. 'Tis true, indeed; the collufion holds in the exchange.

Hol. God comfort thy capacity! I fay, the allufion holds in the exchange.

Duil. And I fay, the pollution holds in the exchange; for the moon is never but a month old; and I fay befide, that 'twas a pricket that the Princess kill'd.

Hol. Sir Nathaniel, will you hear an extemporal epitaph on the death of the deer and to humour the ignorant, I have call'd the deer the Princefs kill'd, a pricket.

Nath. Perge, good master Holofernes, perge; so it shall please you to abrogate fcurrility.

Hol. I will fomething affect the letter; for it argues facility.

The praifeful Princess pierc'd and prickt
A pretty pleafing pricket;

Some Jay, a fore; but not a fore,
'Till now made fore with fhooting.
The dogs did yell; put L to fore,
Then forel jumpt from thicket;
Or pricket fore, or else forel,
The people fall a booting.
If fore be fore, then L to fore
Makes fifty fores, O forel!
Of one fore I an hundred make,
By adding but one more L.

Nath. A rare talent!

Dull. If a talent be a claw, look how he claws him with a talent.

Hol. This is a gift that I have, fimple, fimple; a foolish extravagant spirit, full of forms, figures, thapes,

objects,

objefts, ideas, apprehenfions, motions, revolutions. Thefe are begot in the ventricle of memory, nourish'd in the womb of pia mater, and deliver'd upon the mellowing of occafion: but the gift is good in those in whom it is acute, and I am thankful for it.

Nath. Sir, I praife the Lord for you, 'and fo may my parishioners; for their fons are well tutor'd by you, and their daughters profit very greatly under you; you are a good member of the common-wealth.

लु

Hol. Mebercle, if their fons be ingenious, they fhall want no instruction: if their daughters be capable, I will put it to them. But vir fapit, qui pauca loquitur; a foul feminine faluteth us.

Enter Jaquenetta, and Coftard.

Jag. God give you good-morrow, mafter Parfon.
Hol. Mafter Parfon, quafi Perfon.

be pierc'd, which is the one

And if one fhould

Coft. Marry, mafter fchool-mafter, he that is likeft to a hogshead.

Hol. Of piercing a hogfhead, a good luftre of conceit in a turf of earth, fire enough for a flint, pearl enough for a fwine: "Tis pretty, it is well.

Jaq. Good mafter Parfon, be fo good as read me this letter; it was given me by Caffard, and fent me from Don Armatho: I beseech you read it.

Hol. Faufte, precor, gelidâ (17) quando pecus omne fub umbrâ.

Ruminat, and so forth. Ah, good old Mantuan, I may

(17) Nath. Faufte, precor, gelida] Though all the Editions concur to give this Speech to Sir Nathaniel, yet, as Dr. Thirlby ingenioully obferved to me, it is evident, it must belong to Holofernes, The Curate is employed in reading the Letter to himself; and while he is doing fo, that the Stage may not ftand ftill, Holofernes either pulls out a Book; or, repeating fome Verfes by heart from Man tuanus, comments upon the Character of that Poet, Baptifta Spag nolus, (firnamed Mantuanus, from the Place of his Birth;) was a voluminous Writer of Poems, who flourished towards the latter End of the 15th Century.

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