7. Ardour of my liver. The ancients supposed the liver to be the seat of the passions.

8. Corollary. A surplus, a crowning number or quantity. It means, Pring more than enough, rather than need one.' 9. Pertly. Alertly, briskly.

10. No tongue, all eyes; be silent. Speech was forbidden to those who were present at an incantation. Afterwards, Prospero again enjoins silence; and says, "Be mute, or else our spell is marr'd." In other plays of Shakespeare we meet with allusion to the same circumstance; as, in "Macbeth," when the Witch summons the apparition of the armed head, she says to Macbeth, "Hear his speech, but say thou naught."

11. Stover. Hay made of rank grass; used as fodder for cattle, and also as thatch. "Estovers" is the old law term for hay, straw, &c., from the old French estouvier.

12. Peonied and lilied brims. In the Folio this is printed "pioned and twilled brims," which has been interpreted to mean 'dug and begrimed," or "dug and ridged." Steevens suggested that it was a misprint for "peonied and lilied;" which reading presents a poetical picture of brilliant colouring that we have often heard both Keats and Leigh Hunt warmly admire. Some commentators have asserted that April is too early for peonies and lilies to bloom; but in Lord Bacon's Essay (published in 1597) "Of Gardens," where he gives a list of “things of beauty

Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son

Dove-drawn with her. Here thought they to have done
Some wanton charm upon this man and maid,
Whose vows are, that no bed-rite shall be paid
Till Hymen's torch be lighted; but in vain :
Mars's hot minion is return'd again,

Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows,
Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows,
And be a boy right out.

Cer.

Highest queen of state,

Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gait.

Enter JUNO.

Juno. How does my bounteous sister? Go with me To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be, And honour'd in their issue.

SONG.

Juno. Honour, riches, marriage-blessing, Long continuance, and increasing, Hourly joys be still upon you! Juno sings her blessings on you.

Cer.

Earth's increase, foison plenty,

Barns and garners never empty :

Vines, with clust'ring bunches growing;

Plants, with goodly burden bowing;

Spring come to you, at the farthest,

In the very end of harvest!
Scarcity and want shall shun you;
Ceres' blessing so is on you.

15

Fer. This is a most majestic vision, and Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold To think these spirits?

Pros.

Spirits, which by mine art

I have from their confines call'd to enact

My present fancies.

Fer.

Let me live here ever:

that may be then in season," and flowers that blossom in succes. sive months, he says, “In April follow the double white violet, the wall-flower, the stock-gilly flower, the cowslip, "flower-deluces, and lilies of all natures, rosemary flower, the tulip, the double piony, the pale daffodil, &c." It may be passingly remarked that Bacon spells the word piony, which is one form of "peony." Then, the line-"To make cold nymphs chaste crowns," seems to demand previous mention of flowers; and the epithet chaste" applies to the peculiar flowers in question, as is evidenced by the following points. Lyte, in his "Herbal," says, "One kind of peonie is called by some maiden, or virgin peonie." Pliny mentions the water-lily as a préserver of chastity; and Edward Fenton, in his "Secret Wonders of Nature" (1569), says, "The water-lily mortifieth altogether the appetite of sensuality, and defends from unchaste thoughts.” For these citations in support of our creed as to the right reading in this beautiful passage, we gladly avow our obligation to Mr. Hudson, in his note to the Boston Edition of Shakespeare. 13. Lass-lorn. Left by his lass.

14. Bosky acres. "Bosky" is woody; from the Latin boscus, and the Italian bosco, or boschetto, a little wood.

15. Harmonious charmingly. Charmingly" here, besides its usual acceptation of delightfully, means magically, as a witching spell, or charm.

Enter certain Nymphs.

You sunburnt sicklemen, of August weary,
Come hither from the furrow, and be inerry:
Make holiday: your rye-straw hats put on,
And these fresh nymphs encounter every one
In country footing.

Enter certain Reapers, properly habited: they join with the Nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof PROSPERO starts suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow, and confused noise, they heavily vanish.

Pros. [Aside] I had forgot that foul conspiracy Of the beast Caliban, and his confederates, Against my life: the minute of their plot

Is almost come.-[To the Spirits] Well done;Avoid,-no more.

16. So are a wonder'd father and a wife. "Wonder'd" means wondrously gifted. "Wife" is printed "wise" in the Folio; where the long "s" in the word might easily have been put by mistake for f.

17. Crisp channels. "Crisp" is curled; from the Latin crispus. This epithet, besides referring to the serpentine course of the rivulet, pictures the curl of the wave raised by a light wind. But the epithet "ever-harmless," in the previous line, applied to the "looks" of the river-nymphs, transcends all praise.

18. All which it inherit. "Inherit" was often used simply for "to possess," without reference to "inheritance," as we now use that word. Here, "inherit" is used in its strictly classical sense, from the Latin inhærere, to cleave to, belong to, adhere to. The meaning, therefore, of the passage is, 'The great globe itself, yea, all which adheres or belongs to it, shall dissolve.'

19. Leave not a rack behind. "Racke" is the word in the Folio; yet it has been altered to "wreck" by several editors, thereby impairing the poet's image. The word used by Shakespeare is explained by Lord Bacon, where he says, "The winds which wave the clouds above, which we call the rack," &c. In two other passages, Shakespeare himself uses the word precisely in this sense. In "Antony and Cleopatra," iv. 12, Antony

says:

"Sometime we see a cloud that's dragonish;
A vapour sometime like a bear or lion,
A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock,
A forked mountain or blue promontory
With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,

Fer. This is strange: your father's in some

passion
That works him strongly.

Mir.
Never till this day,
Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.
Pros. You do look, my son, in a mov'd sort,
As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit,1 shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind.19 We are such stuff

As dreams are made of," and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep.—Sir, I am vex'd:
Bear with my weakness; my old brain is troubled:
Be not disturb'd with my infirmity.

If you be pleas'd, retire into my cell,
And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk,
To still my beating mind.

Fer. Mir. We wish your peace. [Exeunt. Pros. Come with a thought.-[To them] I thank you."—Ariel, come!

But, as we often see, against some storm,

A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still,
The bold winds speechless," &c.

Thus Shakespeare illustrates his own passage here; and, were farther confirmation needful, observe how the word "rack "— the light scudding cloud of the upper region-accords with the words a few lines previously, "into air, into thin air." The same image is continued on; and "the cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples," are presented to the mind with a processional grandeur of succession, like the massive structure-shaped clouds that move across the firmament until they gradually disperse and melt into the thin vaporous scud of upper air-the "rack.

20. As dreams are made of. "Of" is printed "on" in the Folio; and one word was often substituted for the other in old writing. But it seems a pity to spoil the effect of a fine passage for the mere sake of retaining an antiquated form, which is now almost a vulgarism; especially as "on may have been a misprint for "of" here.

"

21. I thank you. This, which seems to be Prospero's reply to his children's affectionate valediction, is printed in the Folio, "I thank thee." But "thee" was often printed in mistake for "ye" or "you;" and was even occasionally used for a plural address.

So full of valour, that they smote the air
For breathing in their faces: beat the ground

For kissing of their feet; yet always bending
Towards their project. Then I beat my tabor;
At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears,
Advanc'd their eyelids, lifted up their noses,
As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears,
That, calf-like, they my lowing follow'd through
Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss, and
thorns,

Which enter'd their frail shins: at last I left them
I' the filthy mantled pool beyond your cell,
There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake
O'erstunk their feet.

Pros.
This was well done, my bird.
Thy shape invisible retain thou still:
The trumpery in my house, go, bring it hither,
For stale to catch these thieves. 24

22. To meet with was formerly used for counteract, or defeat by opposing measures. In "Cynthia's Revenge," 1613, we have:"You may meet

With her abusive malice, and exempt
Yourself from the suspicion of revenge."

23. When I presented Ceres. To "present" " was formerly used for "to represent," "to enact ;" therefore we here learn that Ariel performed the part of Ceres in the "vision” with which Prospero regaled the eyes of Ferdinand and Miranda.

24 For stale to catch these thieves. "Stale" is a fowling terin, meaning a decoy, lure, or bait.

25 Played the Jack. To "play the Jack" was a phrase for playing the rogue, or knave. There is also probable allusion to the Jack o' lantern, Will o' the wisp, or ignis fatuus.

Cal. Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not

Hear a foot fall: we now are near his cell.

Ste. Monster, your fairy, which you say is a harmless fairy, has done little better than played the Jack 25 with us.

Trin. Monster, I do smell all horse-pool; at which my nose is in great indignation.

Ste. So is mine.-Do you hear, monster? If I should take a displeasure against you, look

you,

Trin. Thou wert but a lost monster.

Cal. Good, my lord, give me thy favour still. Be patient, for the prize I'll bring thee to

Shall hoodwink this mischance: therefore speak softly;

All's hush'd as midnight yet.

Trin. Ay, but to lose our bottles in the pool,Ste. There is not only disgrace and dishonour in that, monster, but an infinite loss.

Trin. That's more to me than my wetting; yet this is your harmless fairy, monster.

Ste. I will fetch off my bottle, though I be o'er ears for my labour.

Cal. Prithee, my king, be quiet. See'st thou here,

This is the mouth o' the cell: no noise, and

enter.

Do that good mischief which may make this island
Thine own for ever, and I, thy Caliban,
For aye thy foot-licker.

Ste. Give me thy hand. I do begin to have bloody thoughts.

Trin. O King Stephano! O peer! 2 O worthy Stephano! look, what a wardrobe here is for thee! Cal. Let it alone, thou fool; it is but trash. Trin. Oh, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery."-O King Stephano!

Ste. Put off that gown, Trinculo; by this hand, I'll have that gown.

Trin. Thy Grace shall have it.

26. O King Stephano! O peer! This alludes to the old ballad, of which Iago sings a couple of stanzas in "Othello," ii. 3; where this royal gentleman's anxious economy in the article of wearing-apparel is stated.

27. A frippery was a shop where old clothes were sold. The vendor was called a "fripper;" and the reader who remembers the frippier in chap. xv. of Le Sage's "Gil Blas," will perceive that our word was derived from the French. Moreover, recollecting that worthy's protest ("I alone am the sole fripper in the world who has any moral conscience; I limit myself to a moderate charge, and content myself with a profit of tenpence in a penny-that is, a penny in tenpence") we are inclined to think frippier and fripon (spelt of old frippon, a scoundrel) are nearly allied in fact, if not in derivation.