If this prove true, they'll pay for't: by mine ho nour, I'll geld them all; fourteen they fhall not fee, To bring falfe generations: they are co-heirs ; And I had rather glib myself, than they Should not produce fair issue.4 LEON. Ceafe; no more. You fell this bufinefs with a fenfe as cold ferendo fingula fingulis. The fecond is of the age of nine, and the third is fome five years old. The fame expreffion, as Theobald has remarked, is found in K. Lear: "For that I am, fome twelve or fourteen moonshines, "Lag of a brother." The editor of the fecond folio reads-fons five; ftartled probably by the difficulty that arifes from the fubfequent lines, the operation that Antigonus threatens to perform on his children, not being commonly applicable to females. But for this, let our, author anfwer. Bulwer in his Artificial Changeling, 1656, shows ́it may be done. Shakspeare undoubtedly wrote fome; for were we, with the ignorant editor above-mentioned, to read—sons five, then the fecond and third daughter would both be of the fame age; which, as we are not told that they are twins, is not very reasonable to suppose. Befides; daughters are by the law of England co-heirs, but fons never. MALONE. And I had rather glib myself. &c.] For glib I think we should read lib, which, in the northeru language, is the same with geld. In The Court Beggar, by Mr. Richard Brome, A& IV. the word lib is used in this fenfe :" He can fing a charm (he fays) fhall make you feel no pain in your libbing, nor after it: no toothdrawer, or corn-cutter, did ever work with fo little feeling to a patient." GREY. So, in the comedy of Fancies Chafte and Noble, by Ford, 1638: "What a terrible fight to a lib'd breech, is a fow-gelder?" Though lib may probably be the right word, yet glib is at this time current in many counties, where they fayto glib a boar, to ~glib a horfe. So, in St. Patrick for Ireland, a play by Shirley, 1640: "If I come back, let me be glib'd." 5 -I fee't, and feel't,] The old copy-but I do fee't, and feel't. I have followed Sir T. Hanmer, who omits thefe exple As you feel doing thus; and fee withal We need no grave to bury honesty; There's not a grain of it, the face to fweeten LEON. What! lack I credit? tives, which ferve only to derange the metre, without improving the fenfe. STEEVENS. 6 -1 fee't, and feel't, 1 As you feel doing thus; and fee withal The inftruments that feel.] Some ftage direction feems neceffary in this place; but what that direction fhould be, it is not easy to decide. Sir T. Hanmer gives-Laying hold of his arm; Dr. Johnfon-friking his brows. STEEVENS. As a ftage direction is certainly requifite, and as there is none in the old copy, I will venture to propose a different one from any. hitherto mentioned, Leantes, perhaps, touches the forehead of Antigonus with his fore and middle fingers forked in imitation of a SNAIL'S HORNS; for thefe, or imaginary horns of his own like them, are the inftruments that feel, to which he alluded.-There is a fimilar reference in The Merry Wives of Windfor, from whence the dire&ion of friking his brows feems to have been adopted :-" he fo takes on,fo curfes all Eve's daughters, and fo buffets himself on the forehead, crying, Peer out, peer out!"-The word lunes, it fhould be noted, occurs in the context of both paffages, and in the fame fenfe. HENLEY. I fee and feel my disgrace, as you, Antigonus, now feel me, on my doing thus to you, and as you now fee the inftruments that feel, i. c. my fingers. So, in Coriolanus: 66 all the body's members "Rebell'd againft the belly; thus accus'd it:- -where, the other inftruments "Did fee, hear, devise, inftru&t, walk, feel," &c. Leontes muft here be supposed to lay hold of either the beard or arm, or fome other part, of Antigonus. See a fubfequent note in the laft fcene of this act. MALONE. 1. LORD. I had rather you did lack, than I, my Upon this ground: and more it would content me LEON. Why, what need we Calls not your counfels; but our natural goodness : Or seeming so in skill,) cannot, or will not, ANT. And I wifh, my liege, You had only in your filent judgement tried it, LEON. How could that be? Camillo's flight, Either thou art moft ignorant by age, Or thou wert born a fool. Added to their familiarity, (Which was as grofs as ever touch'd conjecture, 7which, if you- Relifh as truth,] The old copy reads-a truth. Mr. Rowe made the neceffary correction-as. STEEVENS. Our author is frequently inaccurate in the conftruction of his fentences, and the conclufion of them do not always correfpond with the beginning. So before, in this play : 66 --who, if I "Had fervants true about me, they would do that," &c. The late editions read-as truth, which is certainly more gram. matical; but a wish to reduce our author's phrafeology to the modern standard, has been the fource of much errour in the regulation of his text. MALONE. That lack'd fight only, nought for approbation, But only feeing, all other circumftances 8 Made up to the deed,) doth pufh on this proceeding: Yet, for a greater confirmation, (For, in an act of this importance, 'twère 9 Of ftuff'd fùfficiency: Now, from the oracle They will bring all; whofe fpiritual counfel had, Shall ftop, or fpur me. Have I done well? 1. LORD. Well done, my lord. LEON. Though I am fatisfied, and need no more Than what I know, yet fhall the oracle Give reft to the minds of others; fuch as he, Come up to the truth: So have we thought it good, ANT. [Afide.] To laughter, as I take it, [Exeunt. If the good truth were known. 9 2 nought for approbation, But only fecing. Approbation, in this place, is put for proof. JOHNSON. - fluff'd fufficiency:] That is, of abilities more than enough. JOHNSON. Left that the treachery of the two, &c.] He has before declared, that there is a plot against his life and crown, and that Hermione is federary with Polixenes and Camillo. JOHNSON. The fame. The outer Room of a Prifon. Enter PAULINA and Attendants. PAUL. The keeper of the prifon, call to him; Re-enter Attendant, with the Keeper. You know me, do you not? KEEP. And one whom much I honour. PAUL. Conduct me to the queen. For a worthy lady, Pray you then, KEEP. I may not, madam; to the contrary I have express commandment. 1 PAUL. Here's ado, To lock up honefty and honour from The accefs of gentle vifitors!-- Is it lawful, Pray you, to fee her women? any of them? Emilia? |