I fhould not fee the fandy hour-glafs run, And not bethink me ftrait of dangerous rocks? Is fad to think upon his merchandize. Anth. Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it, Therefore, my merchandize makes me not fad. Anth. Fie, fie! Sola. Not in love neither? Then let's fay, you are fad, Because you are not merry: and 'twere as easy For you, to laugh, and leap, and fay, you are merry, 5 Andrew] The name of the fhip. JOHNSON. Vailing ber high top lover than her ribs.] In Bullokar's Englif Expofitory, 1616, to vail, is thus explained: "It means to put off the bat, to frike fail, to give fign of fubmiffion." So in Stephen Goffon's book, called Playes confuted in feveral Actions :They might have vailed and bended to the king's idol." So in Middleton's Blunt Master Constable, 1602. "I'll vail "my creft to death for her dear fake." So in the Fair Maid of the Weft, 1613, by Heywood: " it did me good "To fee the Spanish Carveil vail her top VOL. III. I Because Because you are not fad. Now, by two-headed Janus," That they'll not fhow their teeth in way of smile," Enter Baffanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano. Sal. Here comes Baffanio, your most noble kinf man, Gratiano and Lorenzo. Fare you well: Sola. I would have ftaid till I had made you merry, If worthier friends had not prevented me. Anth. Your worth is very dear in my regard. Baff. Good Signiors both, when shall we laugh? fay, when? You grow exceeding ftrange: muft it be fo? 7 Nerv, by two-headed Janus,] Here Shakespeare fhews his knowledge in the antique. By two-headed Janus is meant thofe antique bifrontine heads, which generally reprefent a young and fmiling face, together with an old and wrinkled one, being of Pan and Bacchus; of Saturn and Apollo, &c. These are not uncommon in collections of antiques: and in the books of the antiquaries, as Montfaucon, Spanheim, &c. WARBURTON. In the Merchant of Venice, we have an oath By two-head d Janus; and here, fays Dr. Warburton, Shakespeare fhews his knowledge in the antique: and fo does Taylor the water-poet, who defcribes Fortune," Like a Janus with a double-face." 8 FARMER. -peep through their eyes,] This gives us a very picturesque image of the countenance in laughing, when the eyes appear half fhut. WARBURTON. 9-their teeth in way of fmile,] Becaufe fuch are apt enough to fhew their teeth in anger. WARBURTON. Sal Sal. We'll make our leifures to attend on yours. We two will leave you; but, at dinner-time, Anıb. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; Gra. Let me play the Fool: 9 With mirth and laughter, let old wrinkles come; Sleep when he wakes, and creep into the jaundice Let me play the Fool;] Alluding to the common comparison of human life to a ftage-play. So that he defires his may be the fool's or buffoon's part, which was a conftant character in the old farces: from whence came the phrase, to play the fool. WARBURTON. If they should speak, would almost damn thofe ears,' •2 Lor. Well, we will leave you then till dinner time! I must be one of thefe fame dumb wife men, For Gratiano never lets me fpeak. Gra. Well, keep me company but two years more, Thou shalt not know the found of thine own tongue Anth. Fare well: I'll grow a talker for this gear. Gra. Thanks, 'faith; for filence is only commend, able In a neat's tongue dry'd, and a maid not vendible. [Exeunt Gra. and Loren: Anth. Is that any thing now? 3 i Baff. Gratiano fpeaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in ali Venice: his reafons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff; "you' fhall feek all day ere you find them; and when you have them they are not worth the search. —would almost damn thofe ears,] Several old editions have it, dam, damme, and daunt. Some more correct copies, damn. The author's meaning is this; That fome people are thought wife, whilft they keep filence; who, when they open their mouths, are fuch ftupid praters, that the hearers cannot help calling them fools, and fo incur the judgment denounc'd in the Gofpel. THEOBALD. I'll end my exhortation after dinner.] The humour of this confifts in its being an allufion to the practice of the puritan preachers of thofe times; who being generally very long and tedious, were often forced to put off that part of their fermon called the exportation, till after dinner. WARBURTON. 3 Is that any thing now? All the old copies read, is that any thing now? I fuppofe we fhould read, is that any thing new? JOHNSON. Anth Anth. Well, tell me now, what lady is the fame, Baff. 'Tis not unknown to you, Anthonio, Anth. I pray you, good Baffanio, let me know it; My purfe, my perfon, my extreamest means Baff. In my fchool days, when I had loft one shaft, I fhot his fellow of the felf-fame flight The self-fame way, with more advited watch, -like a WILFUL youth.] This does not at all agree with what he had before promifed, that what followed fhould be pure innocence. For wilfulness is not quite fo pure. We should read WITLESS, i. e. heedlefs; and this agrees exactly to that to which he compares his case, of a school-boy; who, for want of advijed quatch, loft his first arrow, and fent another after it with more atWARBURTON. tention. But wilful agrees not at all with it. Dr. Warburton confounds the time past and prefent. He has formerly loft his money like a wilful youth, he now borrows more in pare innocence, without difguifing his former fault, or his prefent defigns. JOHNSON. That |