IMO. I am sprighted with a fool 5; Frighted, and anger'd worse:-Go, bid my woman Search for a jewel, that too casually Hath left mine arm; it was thy master's: 'shrew me, If I would lose it for a revenue Of any king's in Europe. I do think, I saw't this morning: confident I am, Last night 'twas on mine arm; I kiss'd it": That I kiss aught but he. Ay; I said so, sir. If you will make't an action, call witness to't R. IMO. 5 I am SPRIGHTED with a fool;] i. e. I am haunted by a fool, as by a spright. Over-sprighted is a word that occurs in Law Tricks, &c. 1608. Again, in our author's Antony and Cleopatra: 6 66 Julius Cæsar, "Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted." STEevens. -a jewel, that TOO CASUALLY Hath left mine arm;] That hath accidentally fallen from my arm by my too great negligence. MALONE. 7 Last night 'twas on my arm; I kiss'd it :] Arm is here used by Shakspeare as a dissyllable. MALONE. I must on this occasion repeat my protest against the whole tribe of such unauthorized and unpronounceable dissyllabifications. I would read the now imperfect line before us, as I suppose it came from our author : 8 "Last night it was upon mine arm; I kiss'd it." STEEVENS. call witness To'T.] I cannot help regarding the redundant-to't, as an interpolation. The sense is obvious and the metre perfect without it. STEEVENS. 9 She's MY GOOD LADY ;] This is said ironically. "My good lady" is equivalent to-my good friend. So, in King Henry IV. Enter POSTHUMUS and PHILARIO. POST. Fear it not, sir: I would, I were so sure To win the king, as I am bold, her honour Will remain hers. PHI. What means do you make to him? Posr. Not any; but abide the change of time; Quake in the present winter's state, and wish That warmer days would come1: In these fear'd hopes, 1 I barely gratify your love; they failing, I must die much your debtor. PHI. Your very goodness, and your company, O'erpays all I can do. By this, your king Hath heard of great Augustus: Caius Lucius Will do his commission throughly: And, I think, He'll grant the tribute 2, send the arrearages, 3 Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance Is yet fresh in their grief. Part II.: " -- and when you come to court, stand my good lord, pray, in your good report." MAlone. 1 Quake in the present WINTER'S STATE, and wish That warmer days would come :] I believe we should read winter-state, not winter's state. M. MASON. 2 He'll grant the tribute,] See p. 9, n. 7. MALONE. 3 OR look-] This the modern editors had changed into E'er look. Or is used for e'er. So, Gawin Douglas, in his translation of Virgil: I do believe, POST. (Statist though I am none, nor like to be,) That this will prove a war; and you shall hear The legions, now in Gallia, sooner landed In our not-fearing Britain, than have tidings Of any penny tribute paid. Our countrymen Are men more order'd, than when Julius Cæsar Smil'd at their lack of skill, but found their cou rage Worthy his frowning at: Their discipline (Now mingled with their courages) will make known To their approvers", they are people, such sufferit he also, "Or he his goddes brocht in Latio." See also King John, Act IV. Sc. III. STEEVENS. 4 (Statist- i. e. Statesman. See note on Hamlet, vol. vii. p. 489. STEEVENS. 5 The LEGIONS,] Old copy-legion. Corrected by Mr. TheoSo, afterwards : bald. 6 "And that the legions now in Gallia are "Full weak to undertake our war," &c. MALONE. MINGLED with their courages)] The old folio has this odd reading: 66 Their discipline "(Now wing-led with their courages) will make known-." JOHNSON. "Their discipline (now wing-led by their courages)" may mean their discipline borrowing wings from their courage;' i. e. their military knowledge being animated by their natural bravery. tors. STEEVENS. The same error that has happened here being often found in these plays, I have not hesitated to adopt the emendation which was made by Mr. Rowe, and received by all the subsequent ediThus we have in the last Act of King John, wind, instead of mind; in Antony and Cleopatra, winds, instead of minds; in Measure for Measure, flawes, instead of flames, &c. MALONE. 7 To their APPROVERS,] i. e. To those who try them. WARBURTON. POST. The swiftest harts have posted you by land: And winds of all the corners kiss'd your sails, To make your vessel nimble 9. PHI. Welcome, sir. POST. I hope, the briefness of your answer made The speediness of your return. LACH. Your lady Is one of the fairest that I have look'd upon 9. POST. And, therewithal, the best; or let her beauty Look through a casement to allure false hearts 1, And be false with them. IACH. Here are letters for you. 'Tis very like. POST. Their tenour good, I trust. IACH. 2 PHI. Was Caius Lucius in the Britain court, 8 The swiftest harts have posted you by land, And winds of all the corners kiss'd your sails, To make your vessel nimble.] From this remark our author appears to have been conscious of his glaring offence against one of the unities, in the precipitate return of Iachimo from the court of Cymbeline. STEEVENS. 9 IS ONE THE fairest, &c.] So, p. 57: 66 And he is one "The truest manner'd-." The interpolated old copy, however, reads, to the injury of the metre: I 66 Is one of the fairest," &c. STEEVENS. or let her beauty Look through a casement to allure false hearts,] So, in Timon of Athens: "Let not those milk paps, "That through the window bars bore at men's eyes, 2 Phi. Was Caius Lucius, &c.] This speech in the old copy is given to Posthumus. I have transferred it to Philario, to whom it certainly belongs, on the suggestion of Mr. Steevens, who IACH. But not approach'd 3. POST. He was expected then, All is well yet. Sparkles this stone as it was wont? or is't not IACH. If I have lost it, I should have lost the worth of it in gold. Your lady being so easy. POST. Not a whit, Make not, sir, Your loss your sport: I hope, you know that we Must not continue friends. IACH. Good sir, we must, If you keep covenant: Had I not brought 4 The knowledge of your mistress home, I grant By both your wills. POST. If you can make't apparent That you have tasted her in bed, my hand, And ring, is yours: If not, the foul opinion You had of her pure honour, gains, or loses, Your sword, or mine; or masterless leaves both To who shall find them. IACH. Sir, my circumstances, justly observes that "Posthumus was employed in reading his letters." MALONE. 3 But not approach'd.] Sir Thomas Hanmer supplies the apparent defect in this line by reading : "But was not yet approach'd." STEEVENS. 4-knowledge-] This word is here used in its scriptural acceptation : And Adam knew Eve his wife :-" STEEVENS. 66 |