Upon your heads) is nothing, but heart's forrow, He vanishes in thunder: then to foft mufick, enter the Shapes again, and dance with mops and mores, and carry out the table. Pro. [Afide.] Bravely the figure of this harpy haft thou Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring; 4 clear life] Pure, blameless, innocent. JOHNSON. So in Timon: "" -roots you clear heavens." STEEVENS. -with mops and mowes.] 5 So in K. Lear, and Flibbertigibbet of mopping and mowing." To mop and to move feem to have the fame meaning, i. e. to make mouths or wry faces. STEEVENS. 6 with good life,] This feems a corruption. I know not in what fenfe life can here be used, unlefs for alacrity, livelinefs, vigour; and in this fenfe the expreffion is harsh. Perhaps we may read, with good lift, with good will, with fincere zeal for my fervice. I fhould have propofed,-with good lief, in the fame sense, but that I cannot find lief to be a fubftantive. With good life may however mean, with exact prefentation of their feveral characters, with obfervation ftrange of their particular and distinct parts. So we fay, he acted to the life. JOHNSON. Thus in the 6th canto of the Barons' Wars, by Drayton : "Done for the last with fuch exceeding life "As art therein with nature feem'd at ftrife." Good life, however, in Twelfth Night, feems to be used for innocent jollity, as we now fay a bon vivant : "Would you (says "the Clown) have a love fong, or a fong of good life?" Sir Toby anfwers, "A love fong, a love fong;" Ay, ay, (replies Sir Andrew) "I care not for good life." It is plain, from the character of the last speaker, that he was meant to mistake the fenfe in which good life is used by the Clown. It may therefore, in the Tempeft, mean honeft alacrity, or chearfulness. Life feems to be used in the chorus to the fifth act of K. Henry V. with fome meaning like that wanted to explain the approbation of Profpero : Which cannot in their huge and proper life "Be here prefented." STEEVENS. Their several kinds have done: my high charms work, [Exit Profpero from above. Gon. I'the name of fomething holy, fir, why ftand you In this strange stare? Alon. O, it is monftrous! monftrous ! I'll feek him deeper than e'er plummet founded, Seb. But one fiend at a time, I'll fight their legions o'er. Ant. I'll be thy fecond. [Exit. [Exeunt. Gon. All three of them are defperate; their great guilt, Like poifon given to work a great time after, Now 'gins to bite the fpirits :-I do beseech you That are of fuppler joints, follow them swiftly, And hinder them from what this ecstasy May now provoke them to. Adri. Follow, I pray you. [Exeunt. 7bafs my trefpafs.] The deep pipe told it me in a rough bafs found. JOHNSON. So in Spenfer's Faery Queen, B. II. c. 12: 66 -the rolling fea refounding foft, "In his big base them fitly anfwered." STEEVENS. Like poifon given, &c.] The natives of Africa have been fuppofed to be poffeffed of the fecret how to temper poisons with fuch art as not to operate till feveral years after they were administered, and were then as certain in their effect, as they were fubtle in their preparation. STEEVENS. 9 this ecftaly] Ecftacy meant not anciently, as at prefent, rapturous pleasure, but alienation of mind. Mr. Locke has not inelegantly stiled it dreaming with our eyes open. STEEVENS. VOL. I. G ACT ACT IV. SCENE I. Profpero's cell. Enter Profpero, Ferdinand, and Miranda. Or a third of mine own life,] Thus all the impreffions in general; but why is the only a third of his own life? He had no wife living, nor any other child, to rob her of a fhare in his affection: fo that we may reckon her at least half of himself. Nor could he intend, that he loved himself twice as much as he did her; for he immediately fubjoins, that it was be for whom be liv'd. In Othello, when Iago alarms the fenator with the lofs of his daughter, he tells him: "Your heart is burst, you have loft half your foul." And dimidium anima mea was the current language with the Latines on fuch occafions. THEOBALD. In confequence of this ratiocination Mr. Theobald printed the text, a thread of my own life. I have restored the ancient reading. Profpero, in his reafon fubjoined why he calls her the third of his life, feems to allude to fome logical distinction of causes, making her the final caufe. JOHNSON. Though this conjecture be very ingenious, I cannot think the poet had any fuch idea in his mind. The word thread was for merly fpelt third; as appears from the following paffage : "Long maift thou live, and when the fifters fhall decree See comedy of Mucedorus, 1619. fignat. c. 3. HAWKINS. 66 TOLLET. The Or that for which I live; whom once again Were but my trials of thy love, and thou 2 Haft ftrangely ftood the teft: here, afore Heaven, I ratify this my rich gift: o Ferdinand, Do not fmile at me, that I boast her off, For thou shalt find she will outftrip all praise, Fer. I do believe it, Against an oracle. Pro. Then, as my 3 gift, and thine own acquifition Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: But If thou dost break her virgin knot, before With full and holy rite be minister'd, No fweet afperfion 5 fhall the Heavens let fall The late Mr. Hawkins has properly obferved that the word thread was anciently fpelt third. So in Lingua, &c. 1607; and I could furnish many more inftances: "For as a fubtle fpider closely fitting "In center of her web that fpreadeth round, The following quotation, however, fhould feem to place the meaning beyond all difpute. In Acolaftus, a comedy, 1529, is this paflage: "-one of worldly fhame's children, of his countenaunce, "and THREDE of his body." STEEVENS. 2 -ftrangely flood the teft:] Strangely is ufed by way of commendation, merveilleusement, to a wonder; the fenfe is the fame in the foregoing scene, with obfervation firange. JoHNSON. 3-my gift,-1 My guest, first folio. JOHNSON. 4 her virgin knot,] The fame expreffion occurs in Pericles Prince of Tyre, 1609: "Untide I fill my virgin knot will keepe." STEEVENS. 5 No fweet afperfion] Afperfion is here ufed in its primitive fenfe of Sprinkling. At prefent it is expreflive only of calumny and detraction. STEEVENS. That you fhall hate it both: therefore take heed, Fer. As I hope For quiet days, fair iffue, and long life, With fuch love as 'tis now; the murkieft den, The edge of that day's celebration, When I fhall think, or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd, Or night kept chain'd below. Pro. Fairly fpoke: Sit then, and talk with her, fhe is thine own.- Enter Ariel. Ari. What would my potent mafter? here I am. Pro. Thou and thy meaner fellows, your laft fervice Did worthily perform; and I must use you In fuch another trick: go, bring the rabble, O'er whom I give thee power, here, to this place : Incite them to quick motion; for I muft Bestow upon the eyes of this young couple Some vanity of mine art; it is my promife, And they expect it from me. Ari. Presently? Pro. Ay, with a twink. Ari. Before you can fay, 7 Come, and And breathe twice; and cry, fo, fo; Each one, tripping on his toe, Will be here with mop and moe: Do you love me, mafter? no. go, 6-the rabble,] The crew of meaner fpirits. JoHNSON. 7 -Come, and go, Each one, tripping on his toe,] So Milton : "Come, and trip it as you go "On the light fantastic toe.' STEEVENS. Pro. |