Ib. 1. 13. My pupil pen. This expression may be considered as a slight proof that the poems before us were our author's earliest compositions. STEEVENS. Ib. l. 16. To give away yourself, keeps yourself still. To produce likenesses of yourself, (i. e. children) will be the means of preserving your memory. MALONE. Ib. 1. 19. Where fill'd. Read-were fill'd. P. 11, I. 12 and 13. And having climb'd, &c. Per haps our author had the Sacred Writings in his thoughts. "In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course. It goeth forth from the uttermost part of the heaven, and runneth about to the end of it again, and there is nothing hid from the MALONE. Weary care. heat thereof." Ib. 1. 16. Ib. 1. 18. Read---weary car. Ib. 1. 19. P. 12, I. 14. Read Low track. Read---tract. Which used lives th' executor to be. Which, us'd, lives thy executor to be. Ib. l. 15. Those hours, &c. Hours is almost always used by Shakespeare as a dissyllable. MALONE. Ib. 1. 17. Very fume. Read--very same. Ib. 1. 18. And that unfair, which fairly doth excel. And render that which was once beautiful no longer fair. To unfair, I believe, is a verb of our author's coinage. MALONE. Ib. 1. 22. Barrenness every where. The quarto edi tion, 1609, reads---bareness. P. 13, 1. 3. Ragged hand. Ragged was often used as an approbrious term in the time of our author. MA LONE. Ib. 1. 7. That use, &c. MALONE. Use here signifies usance. Ib. 1. 18. Music to hear; i. e. Thou, whom to hear, is music, Why, &c. I have sometimes thought Shakespeare might have written---Music to ear; i. e. Thou, whose very accent is music to the ear. MALONE. The repetition of the verb hear :- "Why heur'st thou music sadly?" is a sufficient proof that Shakespeare wrote---music to hear; particularly as the succeeding line abounds (poetically) in repetitions :-- "Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy." EDITOR. Ib. 1. 24 and 25. They do but sweetly chide thee &c. These melodious sounds seemingly reproach thee, who, being single, art offended with that harmony resulting from unions, (each string being husband to another) which invite thee to marriage. Confounds is here, disagrees with. EDITOR. P. 14, 1. 3. bling sire, &c. Resembling fire, &c. Read---Resem Ib. 1. 10. Like a makeless wife. As a widow bewails her lost husband. Make and mate were formerly synonymous. MALONE. Ib. 1. 18. The us'rer. Read---user. P. 15, 1. 17. For store; i. e. to be preserved for use. MALONE. NOTES. Ib. 1. 19. She gave the more. Read---she gave thee more; this being evidently a misprint in the old copy. On a survey of mankind, you will find, that nature, however liberal she may have been to others, has been still more bountiful to you. MALONE. Ib. 1. 26. Are silver'd o'er with white. This is an emendation by Mr. Tyrwhitt. Other copies readAll silver'd, &c. and the old copy-Or silver'd, &c. which was certainly a misprint. P. 16, 1. 10. Save breed, &c. Except children, whose youth may set the scythe of time at defiance, and render thy own death less painful. MALONE. Ib. 1. 22. Smoothing tongue. soothing tongue. Other copies read- This sonnet is among Shakespeare's sonnets, with some variations; but was printed in the "Passionate Pilgrim" in the manner we have given it. Do suggest me still; i. e. do tempt me P. 17, l. 3. still. MALONE. Ib. 1. 7. Fair pride. Thus it is in the "Passionate Ib. 1. 9 and 10. My better, &c. My worser, &c. The worser, &c. Ib. 1. 10. Friend. Read---fiend. Ib. 1. 12. For being both to me. In the Sonnets we read---But being both from me, &c. and in l. 14, instead of---The truth I shall not know,---we read more poetically---Yet this shall I ne'er know, &c. P. 18, 1. 2 and 3. That on this earth doth shine, &c. Thus the "Passionate Pilgrim." The following is the reading in "Love's Labour's Lost:" "Which on my earth dost shine, "Exhal'st," &c. Ib. 1. 12. Making a compliment. Read---couple ment; i. e. Union. Ib. 1. 14. First-horne. Read---first-born. Ib. 1. 15. In this huge rondure hems. a round. Rondeur, Fr. Rondure is Ib. 1. 19. As those gold candles fix'd in heaven's air ; i. e. the stars. P. 19, l. 2 and 3. As an unperfect actor, &c. From the introductory lines of this Sonnet it may be conjectured, that these poems were not composed till our author had arrived in London, and became conversant with the stage. He had, perhaps, himself experienced what he here describes. MALONE. It is highly probable that our author had seen plays represented before he left his own country, by the servants of Lord Warwick. Most of our ancient noblemen had some company of comedians, who enrolled themselves among their vassels, and sheltered themselves under their protection. STEEVENS. The seeing a few plays exhibited by a company of strollers in a barn at Stratford, or in Warwick castle, would not, however, have made Shakespeare acquaint. ed with the feelings of a timid actor on the stage. has never been supposed that our author was himself a player till he came to London. It Whether the lines be fore us were founded on experience, or observation, can not now be ascertained. What I have advanced is merely conjectural. MALONE. Ib. 1. 5. NOTES. Whose strength abundant. Other copies read---Whose strength's abundance, &c. Ib. 1. 6. Forgot. Read--forget, Ib. 1. 10. O! let my looks, &c. The old copy reads ---my books; the above being an emendation by an anonymous correspondent. is The context, I think, shews that the old copy right. The poet finding that he could not sufficiently collect his thoughts to express his esteem by speech, requests that his writings may speak for him. So afterwards : "O learn to read what silent love hath writ "" Had looks been the author's word, he hardly would have used it again in the next line but one. MALONE. Ib. 1. 15. To hear what eyes belong, &c. Read -To hear with eyes belongs, &c. Ib. 1. 19, Time's sorrow I behold. Other copies read-time's furrows, &c. The above is an emenda. tion by Dr. Sewell, Ib. 1. 20. My days should expiate. I do not com. prehend how the poet's days were to be expiated by death. Perhaps he wrote :-- 66 My days should expirate" i. e. bring them to an end. I am sure I have met with the verb, I would supply, though I have no example of it to offer in support of my conjecture. Shakespeare, however, delights to introduce words with this termination. Thus we meet with---festinate and conspirate in " 'King Lear;" combinate in "Measure for Measure;” and ruinate in « King Henry VI.” STEE VENS. |