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Gra. Thanks, i'faith; for silence is o

commendable

In a neat's tongue dried, and a maid not v

dible.

[Exeunt Gra. and Lor

Anth. Is that any thing now? 2

Bass. Gratiano speaks an infinite deal nothing,3 more than any man in all Veni His reasons are as two grains of wheat hid two bushels of chaff; you shall seek all d ere you find them; and, when you have the they are not worth the search.

Anth. Well; tell me now, what lady is t

same

To whom you swore a secret pilgrimage, That you to-day promis'd to tell me of? Bass. 'Tis not unknown to you, Anthoni How much I have disabled mine estate,

2 Is that any thing now ?] Does what he has j said amount to any thing, or mean any thing? STEEVE

Anthonio asks; Is that any thing now? and B sanio answers, that, Gratiano speaks an infinite d of nothing, the greatest part of his discourse not any thing. TYRWHITT.

Mr. Steevens's explanation is supported by a p sage in Othello:

Can any thing be made of this?" MALON 3 Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing,] T is a description of a very common character in lif though I think not fairly applicable to the pers who was capable of making the speech just befo delivered by him. MRS. GRIFFITH.

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And, if it stand, as you yourself still do,
Within the eye of honour, be assur'd,
My purse, my person, my extremest means,
Lie all unlock'd to your occasions.

Bass. In my school-days, when I had lost one shaft,8

I shot his fellow of the self-same flight
The self-same way, with more advised watch,
To find the other forth; and by advent'ring

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both,9

I oft

And, if it stand, as you yourself still do, Within the eye of honour,] If it be of such a nature as that honour may be supposed to keep a continual watch over it, or rather, perhaps, -if it be such as needs not, at any time, shrink from the view of honour. E.

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when I had lost one shaft, &c.] This thought occurs also in Decker's Villanies discovered by Lanthorne and Candle-light, &c. 4to. bl. 1. " And

yet I have seene a Creditor in prison weepe when "he beheld the Debtor, and to lay out money of "his own purse to free him he shot a second arrow

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to find the first." I learn from a MS. note by Oldys, that of this pamphlet there were no less than eight editions; the last in 1638. I quote from that of 1616. STEEVENS.

This method of finding a lost arrow is prescribed by P. Crescentius in his treatise de agricultura, lib. 10. cap. xxviii. and is mentioned in Howel's Letters, vol. 1. p. 183. edit. i655. 12mo. DOUCE

9 To find the other forth; and, &c.] In order to give a more perfect form to this verse, most of the modern editors, before Mr. Steevens, read it thus;

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I oft found both I urge this childhood proof, Because what follows is pure innocence.

I owe you much; and, like a wilful youth,2
That which I owe, is lost :3 but if you please
To shoot another arrow that self way

Which you did shoot the first, I do not doubt,
As I will watch the aim, or to find both,
Or bring your latter hazard back again,
And thankfully rest debtor for the first.

Anth. You know me well; and herein spend but time,

To wind about my love with circumstance; And, out of doubt, you do me now more wrong,

In

"To find the other forth; by vent'ring both," &c. And Mr. Capell, for the same purpose, omits the word forth, and leaves the rest of the line unaltered. Forth here must be interpreted-abroad, aloof, at a distance. E.

II urge this childhood proof, &c.] I bring as an example in proof of the probable success of the proposed expedient, one of the practices of childhood, because my designs, as to every thing to come, are as innocent and harmless as any of the purposes of youth in this kind of boyish amusement.

E.

2 like a wilful youth,] He has formerly lost his money like a wilful youth; he now borrows more in pure innocence, without disguising his former fault, or his present designs. JOHNSON.

3 That which I owe, is lost :] i. e. "That which, "like a wilful youth, I owe, is lost." Though the inversion may, perhaps, appear somewhat harsh, no other construction of the sentence is compatible either with sense, or grammar. E.

VOL. I.

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In making question of my uttermost, Than if you had made waste of all I have Then do but say to me what I should do, That in your knowledge may by me be do And I am prest unto it :4 therefore, speak Bass. In Belmont is a lady richly left,5 And she is fair, and, fairer than that wor Of wond'rous virtues; sometimes from her

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-prest unto it:] Prest may not here si impressed, as into military service, but ready. Fr. So, in Casar and Pompey, 1607: "What must be, must be; Cæsar's prest for Again, in Hans Beer-pot, &c. 1618:

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-your good word

"Is ever prest to do an honest man good. I could add twenty more instances of the word used with this signification. STEEVENS.

5 In Belmont is a lady richly left,] The gall and spirit of this speech are very delightful, calculated to excite ardent wishes for the succe Bassanio's project, whose character, notwithstan a few stains which the incautious prodigality of y may seem to have imparted to it, appears e where under the brightest and most engaging col

6 and fairer than that word,] The mea is, that simply to declare that she was fair, w commendation not adequate to the perfection of beauty. Perhaps these words are to be consid as having a relation to those which follow; she was to be esteemed fairer in the possessio those wond'rous virtues which adorn her mind, in that of so many personal charms. E. -sometimes from her eyes] tions; but it certainly ought to be,

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So all the sometime,

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