Annotations by Sam. Johnson & Geo. Steevens, and the Various Commentators, Upon The Merchant of Venice, Written by Will. Shakspere, Volume 1

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printed for, and under the direction of, John Bell, 1787 - 75 pages

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Page 23 - Fair laughs the morn, and soft the zephyr blows, While proudly riding o'er the azure realm In gallant trim the gilded vessel goes; Youth on the prow, and Pleasure at the helm; Regardless of the sweeping whirlwind's sway, That, hush'd in grim repose, expects his evening prey.
Page 50 - In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew And saw the lion's shadow ere himself And ran dismay'd away. Lor. In such a night Stood Dido with a willow in her hand Upon the wild sea banks and waft her love To come again to Carthage.
Page 55 - If you love music, hear it; go to operas, concerts, and pay fiddlers to play to you ; but I insist upon your neither piping nor fiddling yourself. It puts a gentleman in a very frivolous, contemptible light; brings him into a great deal of bad company; and takes up a great deal of time, which might be much better employed.
Page 53 - Touching musical harmony, whether by instrument or by voice, it being but of high and low in sounds a due proportionable disposition ; such notwithstanding is the force thereof, and so pleasing effects it hath in that very part of man which is most divine, that some have been thereby induced to think that the soul itself by nature is or hath in it harmony.
Page 22 - How superstitiously we mind our evils ! The throwing down salt, or crossing of a hare, Bleeding at nose, the stumbling of a horse, Or singing of a cricket, are of power To daunt whole man in us.
Page 53 - But if (fie of such a but!) you be born so near the dullmaking cataract of Nilus, that you cannot hear the planetlike music of poetry ; if you have so earth-creeping a mind, that it cannot lift itself up to look to the sky of poetry, or rather, by a certain rustical disdain, will become such a Mome, as to be a Momus of poetry...
Page 54 - Can any mortal mixture of earth's mould Breathe such divine enchanting ravishment? Sure something holy lodges in that breast, And with these raptures moves the vocal air To testify his hidden residence.
Page 39 - tis to serve A prince with body and soul. Exit. Bos. Here 's an example for extortion: what moisture is drawn out of the sea, when foul weather comes, pours down, and runs into the sea again.
Page 25 - Edition of 1600 has no distribution of acts, but proceeds from the beginning to the end in an unbroken tenour. This play therefore having been probably divided without authority by the publishers of the first folio, lies open to a new regulation if any more commodious division can be proposed.
Page 69 - It is no strange matter to here those dispute of equitie which are themselves most unjust ; and such as have no faith at all...

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