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ed as an object of laudable curiosity. Nothing history. The industry of his illustrators for the
could be more highly gratifying, than an account last forty years, has been such as probably never
of the early studies of this wonderful man, the was surpassed in the annals of literary investiga-
progress of his pen, his moral and social qualities, tion; yet so far are we from information of the
his friendships, his failings, and whatever else con- conclusive or satisfactory kind, that even the order
stitutes personal history. But on all these topics in which his plays were written rests principally
his contemporaries, and his immediate successors, on conjecture, and of some of the plays usually
have been equally silent; and if aught can here-printed among his works, it is not yet determined
after be discovered, it must be by exploring whether he wrote the whole, or any part. We
sources which have hitherto escaped the anxious are, however, indebted to the labours of his com-
researches of those who have devoted their whole mentators, not only for much light thrown upon his
lives, and their most vigorous talents, to revive his obscurities, but for a text purified from the gross
memory, and illustrate his writings.
blunders of preceding transcribers and editors:
and it is almost unnecessary to add, that the text
of the following volumes is that of the last correct.
ed edition of Johnson and Steevens.

It is equally unfortunate, that we know as little of the progress of his writings, as of his personal

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TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. Act V.- Scene 4.

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Boats. Heigh, my hearts; cheerly, cheerly, my hearts; yare, yare: take in the top-sail: tend to the master's whistle.-Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough!

Enter Alonso, Sebastian, Antonio, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, and others.

Alon. Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master? Play the men.

Boats. I pray now, keep below.

Ant. Where is the master, boatswain? Boats. Do you not hear him? You mar our labour! keep your cabins: you do assist the storm. Gon. Nay, good, be patient.

Boats. When the sea is. Hence! What care these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence: trouble us not.

Gon. Good; yet remember whom thou hast aboard.

Boats. None that I more love than myself. You are a counsellor; if you can command these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present,2 we will not hand a rope more; use your authority. If you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap.-Cheerly, good hearts.-Out of our way, I say.

[Exit.

fate, to his hanging! make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage! If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable. [Exeunt

Re-enter Boatswain.

Boats. Down with the top-mast; yare; lower, lower; bring her to try with main course. [A cry within.] A plague upon this howling! they are louder than the weather, or our office.

Re-enter Sebastian, Antonio, and Gonzalo. Yet again? what do you here? Shall we give o'er, and drown? Have you a mind to sink?

Seb. A pox o' your throat! you bawling, blasphemous, uncharitable dog!

Boats. Work you, then.

Ant. Hang, cur, hang! you whoreson, insolent noise-maker, we are less afraid to be drowned than thou art.

Gon. I'll warrant him from drowning; though the ship were no stronger than a nut-shell, and as leaky as an unstaunched3 wench.

Boats. Lay her a-hold, a-hold; set her two courses; off to sea again, lay her off.

Enter Mariners, wet.

Mar. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost! [Exeunt.

Boats. What, must our mouths be cold? Gon. The king and prince at prayers! let us assist them,

For our case is as theirs.

Seb. I am out of patience.

Ant. We are merely4 cheated of our lives by drunkards.

This wide-chapped rascal;-'Would, thou might'st
lie drowning,
The washing of ten tides!
Gon.
He'll be hanged yet;
Though every drop of water swear against it,
And gape at wid'st to glut him.

Gon. I have great comfort from this fellow: me-[A confused noise within.] Mercy on us!-We thinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; his split, we split !-Farewell, my wife and children!— complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Farewell, brother!—We split, we split, we split.—

(1) Readily. (2) Present instant.

(3) Incontinent. (4) Absolutely.

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