Vio. Excellently done, if God did all. Oli. 'Tis in grain, sir; 'twill endure wind and weather. F Vio. 'Tis beauty truly blent," whose red and white If you will lead these graces to the grave, I am not satisfied with this emendation. We may read, "Such a one I was. This presence, is 't not well done?" i. e. this mien, is it not happily represented? Similar phraseology occurs in Othello: "This fortification, shall we see it?" Steevens! This passage is nonsense as it stands, and necessarily requires some amendment. That proposed by Warburton would make sense of it; but then the allusion to a picture would be dropped, which began in the preceding part of the speech, and is carried on through those that follow. If we read presents, instead of present, this allusion will be preserved, and the meaning will be clear. I have no doubt but the line should run thus: "Look you, sir, such as once I was, this presents." Presents means represents. So Hamlet calls the pictures he shews his mother: "The counterfeit presentment of two brothers." She had said before-" But we will draw the curtain, and shew you the picture," and concludes with asking him, if it was well done. The same idea occurs in Troilus and Cressida, where Pandarus, taking off her veil, says: "Come draw this curtain, and let us see your picture." M. Mason. I suspect, the author intended that Olivia should again cover her face with her veil, before she speaks these words. Malone. 5 'Tis beauty truly blent, i. e. blended, mixed together. Blent is the ancient participle of the verb to blend. So, in A Looking Glass for London and England, 1617; the beautiful encrease "Is wholly blent." Again, in Spenser's Fairy Queen, B. I, c. 6: 66 for having blent My name with guile, and traiterous intent." Steevens. If you will lead these graces to the grave, And leave the world no copy.] How much more elegantly is this thought expressed by Shakspeare, than by Beaumont and Fletcher in their Philaster: 66 I grieve such virtue should be laid in earth, Shakspeare has copied himself in his 11th Sonnet: Oli. O, sir, I will not be so hard-hearted; I will give out divers schedules of my beauty: It shall be inventoried; and every particle, and utensil, labelled to my will: as, item, two lips indifferent red; item, two grey eyes, with lids to them; item, one neck, one chin, and so forth. Were you sent hither to 'praise me?7 Vio. I see you what you are: you are too proud; But, if you were the devil, you are fair. My lord and master loves you; O, such love Could be but recompens'd, though you were crown'd The nonpareil of beauty! Oli. How does he love me? 8 Vio. With adorations, with fertile tears, Again, in the 3d Sonnet: "Die single, and thine image dies with thee." Steevens. Again, in his 9th Sonnet: "Ah! if thou issueless shalt hap to die, "The world will hail thee like a makeless wife; "O that you were yourself! but, love, you are Malone. 7 -to 'praise me?] i. e. to appraise, or appretiate me. The foregoing words, schedules, and inventoried, shew, I think, that this is the meaning. So again, in Cymbeline: "I could then have looked on him without the help of admiration; though the catalogue of his endowments had been tabled by his side, and I to peruse him by items." Malone. Malone's conjecture is ingenious, and I should have thought it the true reading, if the foregoing words, schedule and inventoried, had been used by Viola: but as it is Olivia herself who makes use of them, I believe the old reading is right, though Steevens has adopted that of Malone. Viola has extolled her beauty so highly, that Olivia asks, whether she was sent there on purpose to praise her. M. Mason. 8 ― with fertile tears,] With, which is not in the old copy, was added by Mr. Pope to supply the metre. Tears is here used as a dissyllable, like fire, hour, swear, &c. "With adoration's fertile tears," i. e. with the copious tears that unbounded and adoring love pours forth. Malone. 9 With groans that thunder love, with sighs of fire.] This line is worthy of Dryden's Almanzor, and, if not said in mockery Oli. Your lord does know my mind, I cannot love him: Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble, Vio. If I did love you in my master's flame, Oli. Why, what would you? Vio. Make me a willow cabin at your gate, And sing them loud even in the dead of night; of amorous hyperboles, might be regarded as a ridicule on a passage in Chapman's translation of the first book of Homer, 1598: "Jove thunder'd out a sigh,” or, on another in Lodge's Rosalynde, 1592: "The winds of my decpe sighes "That thunder still for naughts," &c. Steevens. So, in our author's Lover's Complaint "O, that forc'd thunder from his heart did fly!" Malone. 1 In voices well divulg'd,] Well spoken of by the world. So, in Timon: "Is this the Athenian minion, whom the world Malone. 2 Write loyal cantons of contemned love,] The old copy has cans tons; which Mr. Capell, who appears to have been entirely unacquainted with our ancient language, has changed into canzons.— There is no need of alteration. Canton was used for canto in our author's time. So, in The London Prodigal, a comedy, 1605: "What-do-you-call-him has it there in his third cantom." Again, in Heywood's Preface to Britaynes Troy, 1609: " in the judicial perusal of these few cantons," &c. Malone. 3 Holla your name to the reverberate hills,] Í have corrected, reverberant. Theobald. Mr. Upton well observes, that Shakspeare frequently uses the adjective passive, actively. Theobald's emendation is therefore And make the babbling gossip of the air Oli. You might do much: What is your parentage? Vio. Above my fortunes, yet my state is well: I am a gentleman. Oli. Get you to your lord; I cannot love him: let him send no more; I thank you for your pains: Love make his heart of flint, that you shall love; Above my fortunes, yet my state is well: I am a gentleman. -I'll be sworn thou art; [Exit. Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit, Even so quickly may one catch the plague? unnecessary. B. Jonson, in one of his masques at court, says: which skill, Pythagoras "First taught to men by a reverberate glass Steevens. Johnson, in his Dictionary, adopted Theobald's correction. But the following line from T. Heywood's Troja Britannica, 1609, canto xi. st. 9, shows that the original text should be preserved: 4 "Give shrill reverberat echoes and rebounds." H. White. the babbling gossip of the air-] A most beautiful expression for an echo. Douce. 5 I am no fee'd post,] Post, in our author's time, signified a messenger. Malone. • soft! soft! Unless the master were the man.] Unless the dignity of the master were added to the merit of the servant, I shall go. too far, and disgrace myself. Let me stop in time. Malone. Perhaps she means to check herself by observing,―This is unbecoming forwardness on my part, unless I were as much in love with the master as I am with the man. Steevens. VOL. III. With an invisible and subtle stealth, To creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be. Mal. Re-enter MALVOLIO. Here, madam, at your service. Oli. Run after that same peevish messenger, Oli. I do I know not what: and fear to find [Exit. 7 The county's man:] County and count in old language were synonymous. The old copy has countes, which may be right: the Saxon genitive case. Malone. 8 -to flatter with his lord,] This was the phraseology of the time. So, in King Richard II: "Shall dying men flatter with those that live." Many more instances might be added. Malone. 9 Mine eye &c.] I believe the meaning is: I am not mistress of my own actions; I am afraid that my eyes betray me, and flatter the youth without my consent, with discoveries of love. Johnson. Johnson's explanation of this passage is evidently wrong. It would be strange indeed if Olivia should say, that she feared her eyes would betray her passion, and flatter the youth, without her consent, with a diseovery of her love, after she had actually sent him a ring, which must have discovered her passion more strongly, and was sent for that very purpose.-The true meaning appears to me to be thus: She fears that her eyes had formed so flattering an idea of Cesario, that she should not have strength of mind sufficient to resist the impression. She had just before said: "Methinks, I feel this youth's perfections, "To creep in at mine eyes." Which confirms my explanation of this passage. M. Mason. I think the meaning is, I fear that my eyes will seduce my understanding; that I am indulging a passion for this beautiful youth, which my reason cannot approve. Malone. |