Phrase call you it! Mr. Weber's South Sea of discovery, as the reader knows, is the index to Shakspeare; beyond that, all is terra incognita with him. Bonny-clabber is a word exceedingly common; and I could produce, if it were necessary, scores of examples of it, from our poet's contemporaries. It is still in use. Swift translates the lac concretum of Virgil by "bonny-clabber," that is, says he, "thick sour milk.” In allusion to this curdled state, it is called by Heath, who has the word in many places, "the Irish tough bonny-clabber." Our old writers usually understand it of stale whey or butter-milk. See Jonson, vol. v. p. 330. G. 62. W.54. Read: the losing of a daughter Admits not any pair like one of these. the losing of a daughter Admits not any pain, &c. G. 65. W.57.-Here are kingly bugs' words! Of these royal creatures I never heard before. Read: Here are kingly bug-words; i. e. high sounding, imperious, &c. G. 68. W.59.-Careful, "i. e. full of cares; see before, p. 30." Well advised. In matters of this doubtful kind, one cannot be too circumspect. G.70. W.61.-" Partage, i. e. partition; partage, Fr." : G. 71. W.61.-His wisdom and your care. Read His wisdom and our care. : Same page for counsel, read council; and for-join in treaty, which is simple nonsense in this place, read, join entreaty with me. G.72. W.62.-Your vow'd beadsman.] "A beadsman, in Catholic countries, is one who prays a certain number of prayers Read: for the welfare of another"- -this may be done, I hope, in Protestant countries" so called from the beads upon the rosary." He was so called," however, from bede, the Saxon word for prayer. 66 G. 73. W.63. G. 77. W.66. 66 Our news creeps, It comes so slow. Our news creeps ; G. 76. W.66.-You fool your piety Ridiculously. Ridiculously, indeed; but this is the editor's doing, not the poet's: the stop should be placed after piety. It comes too slow. sufferance. Sufferance is here improperly used for suffering.” It is used with strict propriety. Mr. Weber will never acquire a knowledge of the language from his indexes. G. 77. W.66. and the passionate duke Effeminately dolent. Dolent, in this place, means submitting to reproaches, from the Fr. dolent." Mr. Weber has read his French vocabulary almost as ill as his English one: it means here, and everywhere else, plaintive, piteous, full of woe. G. 78. W.67.-Doth interest this fatal quarrel. Another specimen of a good ear, and a correct eye! G. 82. W.71. And disavow my blood: Plantagenets! G.83. W.72.—If I would appear. Read: If I will appear! Warbeck repeats the words of Frion. The force of the retort depends upon them. G. 84. W.73.-" Exeunt Warbeck." The old copy reads Ex. Warbeck. But Mr. Weber sets all even in p. 79, where we have "Exit the king and Dalyell," and in p. 81, where the going out of the characters is omitted altogether. To make three attempts at accuracy, in the same scene, all different in their kind, and to fail in every one of them, argues a felicity of blundering rarely, if ever, attained. G. 85. W. 74.-Give me the hearts of England. G.88. W.77. Repair [we] Unto our council; we will soon be with you. The critic has a surprising note here on his own sagacity: "The old copy reads- Repair unto our council.'-But the king has been speaking to the ambassadors, and as he immediately dismisses them, he cannot be supposed to ask them to repair to his council. For this reason, the insertion of the word in brackets [we] was rendered absolutely necessary." Can any thing be clearer than the old reading? The king sends the ambassadors to his Council, and promises speedily to follow them. The insertion of Mr. Weber's "absolutely necessary we," makes nonsense of the whole speech. G. 88. W.77.-We could not have it better. Read: G. 92. W. 80.-Are in their expectation. G. 93. W.81.-As well as of affection. Read: As true as of affection. G. 101. W.86.-Bodnam and the whole country. G. 102. W.88. Read: herein stands the odds Subjects are men; on earth kings men and gods. herein stand the odds; Subjects are men on earth, kings men and gods. G.105. W.90.-All his party is left to taste This is incorrect, and does not give the speaker's meaning. Read, with the old copy, all his parties, and the construction is-" all his parties (partizans) were left to taste King Henry's mercy." G. 107. W.91.-Let him use tyranny. G.113. W.97. which of the rebels Has been the mayor of Cork? Read: The king speaks of the four culprits then before him. G. 113. W. 96.-Under your favours. Read: Under your good favours. G. 118. W. 100.-You will not know me, who I am? Read: G. 121. W. 102.-In worst of affliction. This spoils the verse. Read: G. 122. W. 103. In worst afflictions. the enemy of mankind Is powerful, but false, and falsehood confident. the enemy of mankind Is powerful, but false; and falschood's confident. Renew thy age, G. 125. W.105.-We wear a crown of peace. The old copy reads, We are a crown of peace. No doubt this reading was corrupted from that which I have No doubt! and we are blessed in the sagacity which recovered it. But to be serious-for the hopeless imbecility of the critic makes levity almost a crime-At the conclusion of a very beautiful speech, Huntley says to Warbeck, who is on the way to execution, "We are parted.” To this Warbeck replies, "We are. A crown of peace renew thy age, THE FANCIES, CHASTE AND NOBLE. V.117. G. 133. W. 117. Read : no servant here To some fair mistress, borrows for his care His lock, &c. borrows for his ear His lock, &c. This allusion is to the ribbon, or love-lock, worn as an ornament in the ear. G. 140. W. 124.-" Enter Octavio and Nitido." Yet Octavio is expressly said to enter in private. G. 141. W. 125. my thanks, sir, Owes to this just engagement. "As there is no possibility of extracting sense out of the last line, we must conclude that a previous one must have been lost." It had escaped Mr. Weber that our old writers sometimes used thanks (like means, &c.) with a verb singular. The sense is perfectly clear and simple-" My thanks are due, or owing, to this just engagement." T |
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