That feeds and breeds by a composture stolen Shakspeare knew that the moon was the caufe of the tides, [See The Tempest, Vol. III. p. 158,] and in that refpect the liquid furge, that is, the waves of the fea, rifing one upon another, in the progrefs of the tide, may be faid to refolve the moon into falt tears; the moon, as the poet chooses to state the matter, lofing fome part of her humidity, and the accretion to the fea, in confequence of her tears, being the caufe of the liquid furge. Add to this the popular notion, yet prevailing, of the moon's influence on the weather; which, together with what has been already stated, probably induced our author here and in other places to allude to the watry quality of that planet. In Romeo and Juliet, he speaks of her "watry beams." Again, in A Midsummer Night's Dream: 66 Quench'd in the chafte beams of the watry moon." Again, more appofitely in King Richard III: "That I, being govern'd by the watry moon, May bring forth plenteous tears, to drown the world." Salt is fo often applied by Shakspeare to tears, that there can be no doubt that the original reading is the true one: nor had the poet, as I conceive, dew, at all in his thoughts. So, in All's well that ends well: " your falt tears' head-.' Again, in Troilus and Creffida: "Diftafted with the falt of broken tears." Again, in King Richard III: "Thofe eyes of thine from mine have drawn falt tears." Again, more appofitely, in King Henry VI. Part II: 66 to drain Upon his face an ocean of falt tears." Mr. Tollet idly conjectures, (for conjecture is always idle where there is little difficulty,) that we fhould read-The main, i. e. the main land or continent. So, in King Henry IV. Part II. Act III. fc. i: "The continent melt itfelf into the fea." An obfervation made by this gentleman in Love's Labour's Loft, Vol. V. p. 298, had he recollected it, might have prevented him from attempting to disturb the text here: "No alteration fhould be made in thefe lines that destroys the artificial ftructure of them."-In the first line the fun is the thief; in the fecond he is himself plundered by that thief, the moon. The moon is fubjected to the fame fate, and, from being a plunderer, is herfelf robbed of moisture (line 4th and 5th) by the fea. MALONE. Cont. The laws, your curb and whip,' in their rough power I cannot fay for a certainty whether Albumazar or this play was firft written, as Timon made its earlieft appearance in the folio, 1623. Between Albumazar and The Alchymift there has been likewife a conteft for the right of eldership. The original of Albu mazar was an Italian comedy called Lo Aftrologo, written by Battista Porta, the famous phyfiognomift of Naples, and printed at Venice in 1606. The tranflator is faid to have been a Mr. Tomkis, of Trinity College, Cambridge. The Alchymift was brought on in 1610, which is four years before Albumazar was performed for the entertainment of King James; and Ben Jonfon in his title-page boldly claims the merit of having introduced a new subject and new characters on the stage: petere inde coronam « Unde prius nulli velarint tempora mufæ. The play of Albumazar was not entered on the books of the Sta- "The world's a theatre of theft: Great rivers * And in this world of ours, this microcofm, "And hid in flesh, nerves, bones, muscles, and finews, Puttenham, in his Arte of English Poefie, 1589, quotes fome one "La terre les eaux va boivant; Cont Rob one another. There's more gold: Cut throats; 3. THIEF. He has almost charm'd me from my 1. THIEF. 'Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advises us; not to have us thrive in our mystery." 2. THIEF. I'll believe him as an enemy, and give over my trade. Edit. fol. p. 507. The name of the wretched plagiarift ftigmatized by Puttenham, was John Southern, as appears from the only copy of his Poems that has hitherto been discovered. He is mentioned by Drayton in one of his Odes. See also the European Magazine, for June 1788. STEEVENS by a compofture-] i. e. compofition, compoft. STEEVENS. 3 The larus, your curb and whip,] So, in Measure for Measure: read: 5 64 "The needful bits and curbs for headstrong steeds." MALONE. nothing can you feal,] To complete the measure I would where nothing can you fteal,-. STEEVENS. 6 'Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advifes us; not to have Ss 2 * You are a ass, Sir! There are no notes numbered "I" anywhere. 1. THIEF. Let us firft fee peace in Athens: There is no time fo miferable, but a man may be true." [Exeunt Thieves. Enter FLAVIUS. FLAV. O you gods! Is yon defpis'd and ruinous man my lord? Desperate want made!" What viler thing upon the earth, than friends, Who can bring nobleft minds to basest ends! How rarely does it meet with this time's guise, When man was wifh'd to love his enemies: 9 • Let us firft fee peace in Athens: There is no time fo miferable, but a man may be true.] [Dr. Warburton divides this line between the two thieves.] This and the concluding little fpeech have in all the editions been placed to one speaker: But, it is evident, the latter words ought to be put in the mouth of the fecond thief, who is repenting, and leaving off his trade. WARBURTON. The fecond thief has juft faid, he'll give over his trade. It is time enough for that, fays the first thief: let us wait till Athens is at peace. There is no hour of a man's life fo wretched, but he always has it in his power to become a true, i. e. an honeft man. I have explained this eafy paffage, because it has, I think, been misunderstood. Our author has made Mrs. Quickly utter nearly the fame exhortation to the dying Falstaff. Now I bid him not think of 66 God; there was time enough for that yet." MALONE. What an alteration of honour has Defperate want made!] An alteration of honour, is an alteration of an honourable state to a state of difgrace. JOHNSON. 8 How rarely does it meet-] Rarely for fitly; not for seldom. WARBURTON. How curiously; how happily. MALONE. 9 When man was with'd to love his enemies:] We should read will'd. He forgets his Pagan fyftem here again. WARBURTON. Wish'd is right. It means recommended. See Vol. IV. n. 4; and Vol. VI. p. 417, n. 8. REED. P. 462, Grant, I may ever love, and rather woo Those that would mischief me, than thofe that do!2 He has caught me in his eye: I will present My honeft grief unto him; and, as my lord, - Still ferve him with my life.-My dearest master! TIMON comes forward from his cave. TIM. Away! what art thou? FLAV. Have you forgot me, fir?, TIM. Why doft afk that? I have forgot all men; Then, if thou grant'ft thou'rt man,' I have forgot thee. FLAV. An honeft poor fervant of yours. I know thee not: I ne'er had honeft man Then FLAV. The gods are witness, Ne'er did poor fteward wear a truer grief For his undone lord, than mine eyes for you. 2 Grant, I may ever love, and rather woo Thofe that would mischief me, than thofe that do!] It is plain, that in this whole speech friends and enemies are taken only for those who profefs friendship and profefs enmity; for the friend is fuppofed not to be more kind, but more dangerous than the enemy. The fenfe is, Let me rather woo or carefs those that would mischief, that profefs to mean me mifchief, than those that really do me mischief, under falfe profeffions of kindness. The Spaniards, I think, have this proverb: Defend me from my friends, and from my enemies I will defend myself. This proverb is a fufficient comment on the paffage. JOHNSON. 3 thou'rt man,] Old copy-thou'rt a man, STEEVENS. -that-] I have fupplied this pronoun, for the metre's fake. STEEVENS. 4 5knaves,] Knave is here in the compound fenfe of a fervant and a rafcal. JOHNSON. Ss3 |