"-but thou shalt dear aby this blow." The folio reads, -abide it. STEEVENS. MALONE. 561. I am amaz'd, and know not what to say.] This line is not in the folio. MALONE. 563.thy knaveries willingly.] The quarto in "never look to have any action sort to your 584. honour." STEEVENS. -virtuous property,] Salutiferous. So he calls, in the Tempest, poisonous dew, wicked dew. 599. -damned spirits all, JOHNSON. That in cross-ways and floods have burial,] i. e. The ghosts of self-murderers, who are buried in cross-roads; and of those who being drowned, were condemned (according to the opinion of the ancients) to wander for a hundred years, as the rites, of sepulture had never been regularly bestowed on their bodies. That the waters were sometimes the place of residence for damned spirits, we learn from the ancient bl. let. Romance of Syr Eglamoure of Artoys, no date : "Let some preest a gospel saye "For doute of fendes in the flode." STEEVENS. The laying of ghosts in the red-sea is a circumstance sufficiently notorious. An account of the origin of these these notions may be seen in a note on the bishop of London's Lectures on the Hebrew Poetry, translated by Mr. Gregory. HENLEY. 606. 1 with the morning's love have oft made sport ;] Thus all the old copies, and I think, rightly. Tithonus was the husband of Aurora, and Tithonus was no young deity. So, in The Fawne, by J. Marston, 1606: "Aurora yet keeps chaste old Tithan's bed; "Yet blushes at it when she rises." Again, in Aurora, a collection of sonnets, by lord Sterline, 1604: "And why should Tithon thus, whose day grows late, "Enjoy the morning's love ?" Again, in Spenser's Faery Queen, B. III. c. 3. "As faire Aurora rising hastily, "Doth by her blushing tell that she did lye "All night in old Tithonus' frozen bed.” Again, in the Faithful Shepherdess of Beaumont and Fletcher : “O, lend me all thy red, "Thou shame-fac'd morning, when from Ti. thon's bed "Thou risest ever-maiden!" How such a waggish spirit as the King of the Fairies might make sport with an antiquated lover, or his mistress in his absence, may be easily understood. Dr. Johnson reads with all the modern editors, "I with the morning light," &c. STEEVENS. 641. Ho, ho, ho! coward, why comest thou not?] It may be remarked that this exclamation is peculiar to Puck. In the old Song printed by Peck, in which he relates all his gambols, he concludes every verse with Ho, ho, ho! He here forgets his assumed character. REMARKS. 647. for this. buy this dear,] i. e. thou shalt dearly pay Though this is sense, and may well enough stand, yet the poet perhaps wrote thou shalt 'by it dear. So, in another place, thou shalt aby it. So, Milton, "How dearly I abide that boast so vain.” 674. When thou wak'st, JOHNSON. Thou tak'st, &c.] The second line would be improved I think, both in its measure and construction, if it were written thus: When thou wak'st, See thou tak'st, True delight, &c. TYRWHITT. 682. Jack shall have fill, &c.] These three last lines are to be found among Heywood's Epigrams on three hundred Proverbs. STEEVENS. ACT IV. Line 1. I SEE no reason why the fourth act should begin here, when there seems no interruption of the action. In the old quartos of 1600, there is no divi sion of acts, which seems to have been afterwards ar. bitrarily made in the first folio, and may therefore be altered at pleasure. JOHNSON. 2. -do coy,] To coy is to sooth,to stroke. So, in the Arraignment of Paris, 1584: Plays with Amyntas' lusty boy, and coys him in the dales." Again, in Warner's Albion's England, 1602. B. VI. ch. 30. "And whilst she coys his sooty cheeks, or curls Again, in Sir A. Gorges's translation of Lucan, 19. 22. -neif, -] i. e. fist. Henry IV. act ii. "Sweet night, I kiss thy neif.” GREY. -cavalero Cobweb- - Without doubt it should be cavalero Pease-blossom; as for cavalero Cobweb, he had just been dispatched upon a perilous adventure. GREY. 30. the tongs-] The old rustick musick of the tongs and key. The folio has this stage direction. "Musicke, Tongs, Rurall Musicke.” STEEVENS. 42. In the former editions-and be always away.] What was she giving her attendants an everlasting dismission? No such thing; they were to be still upon duty. I am convinced the poet meant ; -and be all ways away. i. e. disperse yourselves, and scout out severally, in your watch, that danger approach us from no quarter. THEOBALD. 1 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. Heath would read:—and be always i' th' way. 44. STEEVENS. -the female ivy- -] Shakspere calls it female ivy, because it always requires some support, which is poetically called its husband. So Milton : -led the vine "To wed her elm: she spous'd about him twines "Her marriageable arms”. "Ulmo conjuncta marito." Catull “Platanusque cœlebs "Evincet ulmos. Hor. -the female ivy so STEEVENS, Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.] Though the ivy here represents the female, there is, notwithstanding, an evident reference in the words enrings and fingers to the ring of the marriage rite. 50. favours. HENLEY. sweet savours- -] The first edition reads STEEVENS. 91. Dance in duke Theseus' house triumphantly, And bless it to all FAIR posterity.] We should read: -to all FAR posterity. i. e. to the remotest posterity. 97. Then, my queen, in silence sad, WARBURTON. Trip we after the night's shade:] Mr. Theobald says, why sad? Fairies are pleased to follow night. He will have it fade; and so, to mend the rhime, spoils both |