Ib. 1. 22. Unlike myself, thou hear'st me moralize. In the octavo edition of 1596 it is---unlike thyself. The original copy is right. Unlike thyself refers to the hunting of the boar, which Venus considers as a rude sport, ill-suited to the delicate frame of Adonis. To moralize, here means to comment, from moral, which our author generally uses in the sense of latent meaning. MALONE. Moralize is explained by the last line in the verse :-"For love can comment upon every woe." EDITOR. P. 31, l. 1. Where did I leave? i. e. Leave off. Venus, intent upon her lover, forgets what she was saying, and asks him, "Where did I leave off?" When the author, as usual, plays upon the word, by making Adonis reply, "No matter where, leave me." EDITOR. Ib. 1. 12. Die forsworn; i. e. having broken her oath of virginity. STEEVENS. Ib. 1. 14. Her silver shrine Read shine, which Mr. Malone says was formerly used as a substantive. Ib. 1. 22. Defeature. This word is derived from defaire, Fr. to undo. So in "The Comedy of Errors:" Strange defeatures in my face." STEEVENS. P. 32, 1. 2. Frenzies' woad. Read wood, which, in old language, signifies frantic. Ib. 1. 8. But in one minute's sight, &c. Read fight, according to the edition of 1596. The least of these maladies, after a momentary engagement, brings beauty under. Not being till lately possessed of the copy of 1596, in an edition of these poems I printed sight, the reading of the copy of 1600; but I then conjectured that fight was the true reading; and I now find my conjecture confirmed. MALONE. Many mistakes of this kind have occurred through the similitude of the long s (f) to the little ƒ (f); but the modern mode of printing (according to the present edi tion) which very properly abolishes the long s, will prevent such errata in future. EDITOR. In the oc Ib. 1. 10. Whereat the imperial gazer. tavo of 1596 we read the impartial gazer; but the sub sequent copies have it as Ib. l. 11. And done, above. Done was formerly used in the sense of wasted, consumed, destroyed. So in King Henry VI. P. I. "And now they meet where both their lives are done." In the West of England it still contains the same meaning. MALONE. Ib. 1. 17. The lamp that burns, &c. Ye nuns and vestals, says Venus, imitate the example of the lamp that profiteth mankind at the expense of its own oil. I do not apprehend that the poet had at all in his thoughts the torch of the loves, or the nocturnal meeting of either Hero and Leander, or any other persons. MALONE. Ib. 1. 22. In their obscurity. Read---in dark obscurity. P. 33. Or butcher's fire. Read---butcher-sire. P. 34, 1. 2. Leudeth unto danger. Read--leadeth on to danger. Ib. 1. 22. Ib. 1. 24. talk. P. 35, 1. 3. Of teen; i. e. of sorrow. Wanton calls attended. Read---wanton The dark lanes runs upace. This is according to modern editions; but in that of 1596 we read the dark lawnd. Lawnd and lawn (says Mr. Malone) were, in old language, synonymous. Ib. 1. 15. Or 'tonish'd. Read---'stonish'd. Ib. 1. 18. The fair discovery of her way. I would read discoverer; i. e. Adonis. STEEVENS. The old reading appears to me to afford the same meaning, and is surely more poetical. Our author uses a similar phraseology in Coriolanus :-- "Lest you should chance to whip your information;" i. e. informer. MALONE. Ib. 1. 23. Ay, me! Read---ah, me ! P. 36, l. 12. without, &c. And without audience. Read,-End Ib. 1. 15 and 16. Like shrill-tongu'd tapsters, &c. But the exercise of this fantastic humour is not so properly the character of wits as of persons of a wild and jocular extravagance of temper. To suit this idea, as well as to close the rhyme more fully, I am persuaded the poet wrote:-- Had Mr. Theobald been so familiar with ancient pamphlets as he pretended to have been, he would have known that the epithet fantastic is applied with singular propriety to the wits of Shakespeare's age. The rhyme, like many others in the same piece, may be weak, but the old reading is certainly the true one. P. 37, 1. 8. Musing, &c. Musing, in ancient language, is wondering. MALONE. Ib. 1. 12. Coasteth to the cry; i. e. she advanceth. Ib. 1. 23. Even so timorous, &c. Read--the timor ous, &c. P. 38, l. 13. Trembling extasy. Extasy anciently signified any violent perturbation of the mind. MA LONE. Mr. Malone means that it was formerly understood as the emotion of grief as well as joy. EDITOR. Ib. 1. 17. Wills them fear no more. read--bids them, &c. Other copies Ib. 1. 23. Will not further. Other copies have it--no further. P. 39, 1. 3. Is marred with delays. The ancient edition has it mated; i. e. compounded, or destroyed by delay. Ib. 1. 5. Full of respect, &c. i. e. full of circumspection and wise consideration. This is one of our author's nice observations. No one affects more wisdom MALONE. than a drunken man. Ib. 1. 11. Sadly scolding. Read---scowling. P. 41, 1. 2. She veil'd her eye-lids, or vail'd. She lower'd, or closed her eye-lids. Ib. 1. 19. Huntsman's hollow, or holla; i. e. shout. Ib. 1. 21. The dire imagination, &c. The edition of 1600 has--The dry, &c. The construction is, this sound of hope doth labour to expel the dire imagination, &c. MALONE. P. 42, 1. 12. With likely thoughts, &c. The edition of 1596 has---The likely, &c. the compositor having caught the word The from the line above. The correction was made in that of 1600. MALONE. L Ib. 1. 17 and 18. She 'cleeps, &c. Read---clepes. In the edition of 1596 it is---Imperious supreme, which had formerly (says Mr. Malone) the same meaning as imperial. Read---of all mortal things. Ib. 1. 21. When as I met, &c. When as and when were used indiscriminately by our ancient writers. Ma LONE. P. 43, 1.8. Her rash respect. Read---suspect ; i. e. suspicion. Ib. 1. 10. As Humbly doth insinuate. To insinuate meant formerly to sooth, to flatter: To insinuate with was the phraseology of Shakespeare's time. MALONE. Ib. 1. 11. Tells him of trophies, statues, tombs. Venus is here bribing Death with flatteries to spare Adonis, the editors could not help thinking of pompous tombs. But tombs are no honor to death, considered I much suspect as a being, but to the parties buried. our author intended, "Tells them of trophies, statues, domes." THEOBALD. The old copy is undoubtedly right; tombs are, in one sense, honors to death; in as much as they are so many memorials of his triumphs over mortals. Besides, the idea of a number of tombs naturally presents to our mind the dome, or building, that contains them: So that nothing is obtained by the change. MALONE. Our auIb. ib. And stories; i. e. tells stories of. thor has used this verb in The Rape of Lucrece, and in Cymbeline. MALONE. Ib. 1. 22. Grieves. Our author has violated gram. mar (trifles grieves) for the sake of rhyme. Though |