have been what I am, had the maidenliest star in the firmament twinkled on my bastardizing. SCENE XV. Ingratitude in a Child. (6) Ingratitude! thou marble-hearted fiend, More hideous, when thou shew'st thee in a child, Than the fea-monster. ACT II. SCENE VI. Flattering Sycophants. That such a flave as this should wear a fword, Who wears no honesty: (7) such smiling rogues [as thefe,] Like (6) Ingratitude &c.] Ingratitude a marble hearted-fiend is more hideous and dreadful, when shewing itself in a child, than even that fea-monster, which is the emblem itself of impiety and ingratitude: by which monfter he means the Hippopotamus, or river-horse, "which, fays Sandys, in his travels, p. 105. fignify'd, Murder, Impudence, Violence and Injustice: for they say, that he killeth his fire, and ravisheth his own dam." Mr. Upton's al teration of, Than ith fea-monster, seems unneceffary: for the poet makes ingratitude, a fiend, a monster itself, and one more odious than even this hieroglyphical symbol of impiety. See Obfervations on Shakespear, p. 203. (7) such, &c.) The words as these, may be safely omitted without injuring the sense; they are flat and spoil the metre. The next lines are read thus in the old editions ; Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwaine, Atwaine is doubtless the genuine word, which was commonly used, fignifying, in two, afunder, in twain. And Mr. Upton, observing, that Shakespear sometimes strikes off a Syllable or more from the latter part of a word, would preferve intrince in the text, which he explains by intrinficate. 'Tis certain the author uses intrinficate, but I don't rememember ever to have met with intrince: See vol. I. p. 169. "This shortening of words is indeed too much the genius of our language;" and as the reader knows the fenfe of the word, and what the criticks would read, I have kept to the old editions, notwithstanding the quotation made by me Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods; Plain, blunt Men. This is some fellow, Who, having been prais'd for bluntness, doth affect SCENE VII. Description of Bedlam Beggars, While I may 'scape, I will preferve my self: and am bethought Brought near to beast: my face I'll grime with filth; me from Mr. Edwards, in the place just referr'd too. I forbear quoting any fimilar passages here: Horace and Juvenal abound with them, and Shakespear himself hath excellently painted the character in Polonius. See particularly Hamlet, Act 4. Sc 7. (8) Si ly] Some read filky: filly is not always taken in a bad fenfe amongst the old writers. The country gives me proof and president SCENE X. The faults of Infirmity, pardonable. SCENE XI. UNKINDNESS. Thy fifter's naught; oh Regan, she hath tied Sharp-tooth'd unkindness, like a vulture here. : [Points to his heart. SCENE XII. Offences mistaken. All's not offence that indifcretion (9) finds, And dotage terms so. VOL. II. G Rifing (9) Finds Finds is an allufion to a jury's verdict: and the word fo relates to that as well as to terms. We meet with the very fame expreffion in Hamlet, Act 5. Sc. I. Why, 'tis found fo. Shakespear uses the word in this sense in other places; The coroner hath fat on her, and finds it chriftian burial. Ib. As Rifing Paffion, I pr'ythee, daughter, do not make me mad, Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove. The Neceffaries of Life, few. (10) O, reafon not the need: our basest beggars Are in the poorest things fuperfluous; Allow not nature more than nature needs, Man's life is cheap as beafts. Lear As you like it. A. 4. S. 2. Leander was drown'd, and the foolish chroniclers [perhaps coroners] of that age found it was----Hero of Sestos." Edwards. (10) O reason, &c. The poets abound with sentiments similar to this: take the two following passages from Lucretius and Lucan. O wretched man, in what a mift of life, See LUCRET. В. 2. Behold Lear on the Ingratitude of his Daughters. Behold, ye fons of luxury, behold, ) See Lucan, B. 4. Rorve's tranfl. (11) Touch me, &c.] If you, ye gods have stirred my daughters hearts against me at lest let me not bear it with any unworthy tameness; but touch the with noble anger; let me refent it with such resolution as becomes a man.''---And "let not woman's weapons, water-drops, stain my man's cheeks." Canons of Crit. p. 78. See (12) That, &c.] See vol. 1. p. 110. This feems to have been imitated from the one or the other of these passages following: Haud quid fit fcio Sed grande quiddam eft. What it is I know not But fomething terrible it is -- Nefcio quid ferox Senec. Thyeft. Α. 2. Decrevit animus intus, & nondum fibi audet fateri. Medea. 1 know not what, my furious mind Hath inwardly determin'd, and still dares not Even to itself reveal. Magnum eft quodcunque paravi: Quid fit adhuc dubito. 'Tis fomething great I've inly meditated-- What it is, yet I'm doubtful. Ovid, Met. 6. |