Trojans led to an application of their names not very honourable to them,"-learning and logic met together!— "the former being used for cheats and the latter for thieves." There is more of this deplorable stuff; but I cannot copy it: the result, however, is, that Meleander, the most respectable character in the piece, is a thief. G. 89. IV. 193.-Toss-pot. 'No uncommon name for a toper." Grammercy! G. 92. W. 195.-Enter Palador and Pelias. Read: Enter Palador, Amethus, and Pelias. This would not be worth noticing, were it not that Amethus is one of the speakers. G. 92. W. 195.-To say, to be great. Read: Read: To say as to be great. And whither. Or whither. I grieve to be reduced to notice such trifles; but there is no other way to escape the charge of capriciously altering the text. G. 97. W. 199.-The story of thy sufferings. Read: The story of my sufferings. The corruption makes nonsense of the text. G. 27. W. 200. Read: Come! to trial, if thou beest Eroclea: in my bosom I can find thee. ----- Come, to trial: if thou beest Eroclea, in my bosom I can find thee. The allusion is to the miniature which the prince wore, and which he here proposes to compare with the lady before him. G. 101. W.202.-With my sorrow. Read: With my sorrows. G. 102. W. 202. What folly! I would ever Solicit thy deserts. i. e. court thy deserts. Thamasta means plead, urge them (in a forensic sense) to her brother; "which she accordingly does in the very next page, and draws from him the following remark: “The ladies are turn'd lawyers, and plead handsomely!" Can Mr. Weber see nothing? G. 101. W. 203. Read: grace and goodness. grace or goodness. The examples of this corruption are innumerable. G. 103. W.204.-Are you consented? The sudden meeting of these two fair rivulets, Even this obscurity Mr. Weber has contrived to thicken by a note. "For with (he says) I suspect we should read within th' island," &c. The truth is, that he knows not what he is saying. Read: We must part The sudden meeting of these two fair rivulets, The "fair rivulets," as the prince beautifully calls the two weeping sisters, had rushed into each other's embraces, and he separates them by taking Eroclea into his own arms. His address to Cleophila follows. G. 108. W.209.-You took a goodly nap. G. 109. W.209.-Apply'd 't t'you. "The old copy reads, apply'd t'ee: this is remarkably harsh." What a blessing, that Ford should light on such a friend in need as Mr. Weber, to harmonize his discords! Whether Cadmus, in his serpent state,' could enunciate his dulcet emendation is doubtful; but assuredly no other living creature (serpent or not) could by any possibility effect it. G. 116. W.215.-Content. "Content was often used, in our author's age, for contentment." G.117. W.216.-A wife for him. This does not give the author's meaning, any more than his words. Read: A wife fit for him. "TIS PITY SHE'S A WHORE. G. 126. W.3.-Your noble allowance of these first fruits of my leisure, in the action. Mr. Weber raises a string of notable arguments on this passage. As it was the first piece, he says, that Ford brought out, it must have been written before the Sun's Darling, acted in 1623-4!-and why not before An ill Beginning has a good End, played in 1613? All this contradictory nonsense arises from inadvertence, and blindly blundering after Reed and Dodsley: the words, in the action, refer to Lord Peterborough, who had been present at the first representation of the tragedy, and applauded it. It does not follow that "the first fruits of the author's leisure" should necessarily be the first of his studies. The writer's drift (and he refers to it somewhat too ostentatiously) is to insinuate to his patron that he neglected no serious employ for "this idle trade!" G. 131. W. 11.-Government. i. e. decency of manners, evenness of temper. "So in Henry IV.-Let men say we be men of good government.” This quotation equals in happiness that which proved Meleander to be a thief, (p. xci.) and evinces the peculiar advantage of quoting illustrative passages from an Index. These men of decent manners and evenness of temper, are Gadshill, Peto, &c. “governed (as Falstaff says) by their chaste mistress the moon, under whom they-steal.” G. 132. W. 11.-Flows. The 4to reads floats. And why should it not? The word occurs three times, if not oftener, in this very volume; and is quite as much to the purpose as that which the editor has wantonly put in its place. G. 133. W. 14.-Scold like a cot-quean. "The meaning of this word is obvious. The first syllable cot, is an abbreviation of waistcoat, which was a dress peculiarly appropriated to prostitutes. Thus Hall, Fond Cœnis Who like a cot-quean freezeth at the rock, While his breecht dame doth man the foreign stock." So that Cœnis (of whose story poor Mr. Weber suspects nothing) was a strumpet, a kind of people who, with his leave, seldom freeze at the rock or wheel either. Cotquean, in Hall, is an uxorious husband; in Ford, a man with the habits of a brawling housewife. G. 134. W. 15.-Brave, my lord. This is wrong; the address is not to the speaker's lord, (who is absent,) but to his antagonist, then before him. Read: Brave my lord! i. e. such a dastard as you, defy my patron! The allusion is to a former speech. G. 139. W.20.-Partage. i. e. partition; so explained by Cotgrave! This, however, is by the bye, for Mr. Weber subsequently explains it himself, "Partage, i. e. partnership.” G.140. W.20.-Mr. Weber continues the scene in the street, and attributes the impropriety of it to a "strange inadvertence, or the fault of the scantiness of theatrical furniture," what particular furniture was wanted here, is not apparent :-the fact, however, is, (though he is pleased to say that no change could have taken place,) that the conversation in Ford's mind was transferred to Florio's house. I have therefore called it Scene III. G.145. W.26.—Scene III. An apartment in Florio's house. Read: Scene IV. The Street. G. 147. W.27.-Look ye, uncle, my brother told me, just now. Read: My barber told me just now. A far more likely person. G. 147. W.27.-Is't not true? Read: Is't not true, Poggio? G. 147. W.28.—And you are running hither? Nonsense. G. 147. W.28.-Should I not go abroad like other gallants? G. 148. W.29.-He hath no other will. Read: He hath no other wit. G. 150. W.31.-Oh, your wanton : G. 158. W.33.-Cunning. "The word cunning, at the time the play was written, had not acquired its present bad signification." |