a sanguine, but a faint and languid, hope-" sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought"), as a disease, and to talk of its cure. A passage in Twelfth Night, &c. where a similar phraseology is used, may serve to strengthen this interpretation, while at the same time it shews that there is here no corruption in the text: "Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, "The appetite may sicken, and so die.” MALONE. I believe that Solomon, upon this occasion, will be found the best interpreter." Hope deferred maketh the heart sick." HENLEY. 53. Of very expert and approv'd allowance ;] I read, Very expert, and of approv'd allowance. JOHNSON.. Expert and approv'd allowance is put for allow'd and approv'd expertness. This mode of expression is not unfrequent in Shakspere. STEEVENS. 70. And in the essential vesture of creation, Does bear all excellency -] Such is the read ing of the quartos; for which the folio has this: And in the essential vesture of creation Do's tyre the ingeniuer. Which I explain thus, Does tire the ingenious verse. This is the best reading, and that which the author substituted in his revisal. JOHNSON. The reading of the quarto is so flat and unpoetical, when compared with that sense which seems meant to have been given in the folio, that I heartily wish some emendation could be hit on, which might entitle it to a place a place in the text. I believe the word tire was not introduced to signify-to fatigue, but to attire, to dress. The verb to attire, is often so abbreviated. The essential vesture of creation tempts me to believe it was so used on the present occasion. I would read something like this: And in the essential vesture of creation Does tire the ingenuous virtue. i. e. invests her artless virtue in the fairest form of earthly substance. See Merchant of Venice, act v. It may, however, be observed, that the word ingener did not anciently signify one who manages the engines or artillery of an army, but any ingenious person, any master of liberal science. So, in Ben Jonson's Sejanus, act i. sc. 1. “No, Silius, we are no good ingeners, "We want the fine arts," &c. Ingener, therefore, may be the true reading of this passage: and a similar thought occurs in the Tempest, act iv. sc. 1. "For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise, "And make it halt behind her." In the argument of Sejanus, Jonson likewise says,' that his hero "worketh with all his ingene," apparently from the Latin ingenium. STEEVENS. Perhaps the poet wrote: Does tire the ingene ever. This is very near the word exhibited by the folio. Eij MALONE. The The reading of the folio, though incorrectly spelled, appears to have been, Does tire the engineer; which is preferable to either of the proposed amendments; and the meaning of the passage would then be, "One whose real perfections were so excellent, that to blazon them would exceed the abilities of the ablest masters." The sense attributed to the word tire, according to this reading, is perfectly agreeable to the language of poetry. The objection to the reading of ingener, is, that although we find the words ingine, inginer, and inginous in Jonson, they are not the language of Shakspere; and I believe, indeed, that Jonson is singular in the use of them. MONCK MASON. Does tire the ingenieur.] Whoever shall reject uncommon expressions in the writings of Shakspere, because they differ either from the exact rules of orthography, or from the unsettled mode of spelling them by other writers, will be found to deprive him no less of his beauties, than that ornithologist would the peacock, who should cut out every eye of his train because it was either not circular, or else varied from some imaginary standard.—Ingenieur is no doubt of the same import with ingener or ingeneer, though perhaps differently written by Shakspere in reference to ingenious, and to distinguish it from ingeneer, which he has elsewhere used in a military sense. Mr. M. Mason's objection, that it is not the language of Shakspere, is more than begging begging the question; and to affirm that Jonson is singular in the use of ingine, inginer, and inginous, is as little to the purpose. For we not only have those expressions in other writers, but others from the same root, as ingene, engene, &c. in Holinshed, and Sir T. Moore; and Daniel uses ingeniate : Th' adulterate beauty of a falsed cheek HENLEY. 76. Traitors ensteep'd-] Thus the folio and one of the quartos. The first copy reads-enscerped, of which every reader may make what he pleases. Perhaps enscerped was an old English word borrowed from the French escarpe, which Shakspere, not finding congruous to the image of clogging the keel, afterwards changed. STEEVENS. The gutter'd rocks, &c. Traitors ensteep'd to clog the guiltless keel, ] A simi lar idea occurs in one of Gay's ballads: How can they say that Nature Has nothing made in vain! And leave the maid to weep. Mr. Steevens's difficulty respecting ensteep'd, would, perhaps, have been removed, if he had but recollect ed the passage of the fourth act, where Othello alludes to the fate of Tantalus. Had it pleas'd Heaven To try me with affliction; had he rain'd All kind of sores, and shames on my bare head; HENLEY. 77. Tempests themselves, high seas, and howling winds, As having SENSE of beauty, do omit Their mortal natures, letting go safely by The DIVINE Desdemona.] How much is this in the spirit of Lucretius, when he thus apostrophises Venus: Te, Dea, te fugiunt venti, te nubila cali, Adventumque tuum ; -tibi rident æquora ponti, Placatumque nitet diffuso lumine cælum. HENLEY. 87. Make love's quick pants in Desdemona's arms,] Thus the folio. The quarto with less animation: And swiftly come to Desdemona's arms. STEEVENS. 89. And bring all Cyprus comfort!] This passage is only found in the quartos. STEEVENS. 105. See for the news.] The first quarto reads, So speaks this voice. STEEVENS. 114. In faith, too much ;] Thus the folio. The first quarto thus: I know too much; I find it, I; for when, &c. STEEVENS. 122. Saints in your injuries, &c.] When you have |