P. 39. 16. Any frange beaft there makes a man ;] I cannot but think this fatire very juft upon our countrymen who have been always very ready to make denifons of the whole tribe of the Pitheci, and compliment them with the Donum Civitatis, as appears by the names in ufe. Thus Monkey, which, the Etymologifts tell us, comes from Monkin, Monikin, homunculus. Baboon, from Babe, the termination denoting addition and increment, a large Babe. Mantygre fpeaks its orignal, And when they have brought their firnames with them from their native country, as Ape, the common people have as it were christened them by the addition of Jack-an-Ape. WARB.* Ibid.] Notwithstanding all this parade of learning, I believe nobody but Mr. Warburton would have thought of this fatire upon our countrymen; which is a mere blundering conceit of his own: it is neither just in itself, nor has he the least ground for it from the text. Nay, I will undertake that it may be deduced as fairly from any paffage in the Divine Legation; as from this of Shakespeare, rightly underftood. The fatire, is levelled at their extravagant curiosity; not their adopting the tribe of the pitheci, or monkeys: to which, moreover, this fifb, as Trinculo calls Caliban, could not very properly be referred. As for his inftances of the donum civitatis; as, in order to fhew his reading, he calls it; let monkey be derived from the Teutonic, MON: They are not the English only, who derive the name of this animal from thence; (if they indeed do:) the Italian mono, and the Spanish munneca, are from the fame fountain; and it is probable, that our monkey is derived from this laft. If baboon comes (as Skinner says, it perhaps may) from BABE; the French babouin, and the Italian babbuino procede from thence too; and there is no reafon for any reflection on the English, particularly, on that account. As for his mantygre, which, he says, fpeaks its original; it does fo, but in a language, which Mr. Warburton feems not to understand; MANTICORA (which we corruptly call mantygre) is an Indian word; whether original with them, or derived in part from the Arabic, as fome, or the Teutonic, as others hold, does not concern the prefent question: the Greeks and Romans both adopted it; and whether we borrowed it from these or the Indians, we are not anfwerable for the propriety of its derivation. I wonder Mr. Warburton, when his hand was in, did not complete his donum civitatis; and that after he had chriftened his ape, (a ftrange expreffion, by the way, for a clergyman!) he did not derive it from APA, as little children call it, before they can pronounce PAPA. CAN. OF CRIT.* Ibid. makes a man.] That is, makes a man's fortune. So in Midfummer-Night's Dream-we are all made men. JOHNS. P. 40. D. 14. Have we devils here ?-falvages and men of Inde ?-your four legs;] All this is a pleafant ridicule of Maundeville's relations in his voyages, who pretended to have traveled, "Thro' an enchanted vale, clepen the Vale of Devils, which vale (says he) is alle fulle of develes, and hathe bene alle weys; and men feyn there, that it is on of the entrees of helle." The fame author likewife, in his account of the falvages and men of Inde, has tranfcribed, as of his own knowledge, all the fables of Pliny, concerning men with long ears, one eye, one foot, without heads, &c. WARB.* P. 41. 1. 15. His forward voice now is to fpeak well of his friend. The facetious Author of Hudibras feems to have had this paffage in his eye, in one part of his description of Fame. Two trumpets fhe doth found at once, But both of clean contrary tones, We know not only this can tell; L. 16.] For Spatter read utter. THEOB.* REV. & CAP. L. 30. Moon-calf?] It was imagined that the moon had an ill influence on the infant's understanding. Hence ideots were called moon-calves? Ibid.] I do not know what for afferting that ideots were fpeare gives him none here. WARB.* authority Mr. Warburton has called moon-calves; but ShakeStephano was not yet enough acquainted with Caliban, to judge what influence the moon might have on his understanding; but he gives him the name of moon-calf from his ill-shaped figure. Moon-calf, partus lunaris-Datur et Teut. Monkalb―Mola, feu caro informis, &c. Skinner. CANONS.* P. 43. 1. 2. I afraid of him? a very fhallow monster.It is to be obferv'd, Trinculo is not charg'd with any fear of Caliban; and therefore this feems to come in abruptly; but in this confifts the true humour. His own confciousness, that he had been terribly afraid of him, after the fright was over, drew out this brag. This seems to be one of Shakefpeare's fine touches of nature: for that Trinculo had been horribly frighten'd at the monster, and shook with fear of him, while he lay under his gaberdine, is plain, from what Caliban fays, while he is lying there? Thou doft me yet but little harm; thou wilt anon, I know by thy trembling. THEOB. L. 6. Kifs thy foot.] A fneer upon the Papifts for kiffing the Pope's pantofle. GRAY. L. 30. Young scamels from the rock.] I can no where elfe meet with fuch a word as fcamel, which has poffefs'd all the editions. Shakespeare muft certainly either have wrote fhamois (as Mr. Warburton and I have both conjectur’d) i. e. young kids: or fea-malls. The fea-mall, or fea-mew (according to Willoughby,) is that bird, which is call'd larus cinereus minor; it feeds upon fifh, and frequents the banks of lakes. It is not impoffible, but our Poet might here intend this bird. Or, again, (and which comes near to scamel, in the traces of the letters) Ray tells us of another bird, call'd the flannel, (the same with the tinnunculus, among the Latins, and xexpis amongst the Greeks ;) of the bawk fpecies. It is no matter which of the three readings we embrace, so we take a word fignifying the name of fomething in nature. Ibid.] We should read shamois, i. e. young kids, THEOB. WARB. Ibid.] This word has puzzled the commentators. Mr. Holt, who wrote notes upon this play, obferves that limpets are in fome places called fchams; therefore I have fuffered fcamels to ftand. JOHNSON. Ibid.] Theobald substitutes shamois for fcamels; which laft word, he fays, has poffeffed all the editions. I am inclined to retain fcamels: for in an old will, dated 1593, I find the bequest of "a bed of fcammel-colour," i. e. of the colour of an animal fo called, whose skin was then in ufe for dress or furniture. This, at least, fhews the existence of the word at that time, and in Shakespeare's sense. WARTON. P. 45. 1. 5. Leaft bufy when I do it.] This reading, I prefume, to be Mr. Pope's; for I do not find it authoriz'd by the copies: The two first folio's read; Moft bufy leaft, when I do it. 'Tis true, this reading is corrupt; but the corruption is fo very little remov'd from the truth of the text, (bufy-lefs) that I can't afford to think well of my own fagacity for having difcover'd it. THEOB. P. 46. L. 17. Of every creature's beft.] Alluding to the picture of Venus by Apelles. JOHNSON. P. 48. 1. 8. Surpriz'd withal.] Read, surpriz'd with all. CAPELL.* L. 14. Servant-monfter.] The part of Caliban has been esteem'd a signal inftance of the copioufnefs of ShakeSpeare's invention; and that he had fhewn an extent of genius, in creating a person which was not in nature. And for this, as well as his other magical and ideal characters, a just admiration has been paid him. I can't help taking notice, on this occafion, of the virulence of Ben Jonson, who, in the induction to his Bartlemer Fair, has endeavour'd to throw dirt, not only at this fingle character, but at this whole play. "If there be never a fervant monster in the fair, who can help "it, (he says,) nor a neft of anticks? He is loth to make "nature afraid in his plays, like thofe that beget tales, temI pefts, and fuch like drolleries, to mix his head with other mens heels." Shakespeare, as the tradition runs, was the person who first brought Jonfon upon the ftage; and this is the ftab we find given in requital for fuch a fervice, when his benefactor was retreated from the scene. A circumftance, that ftrangely aggravates the ingratitude. But this furly faucinefs was familiar with Ben; when the public were ever out of humour at his performances, he would revenge it on them, by being out of humour with those pieces which had beft pleafed them.-I'll only add, that his conduct in this was very contradictory to his cooler profeffions, "that if men would impartially look towards the "offices and functions of a Poet, they would easily conclude "to themselves the impaffibility of any man's being the good "Poet, without firft being a good man.' THEOB.* P. 50. 1. 18. What a pied ninny's this?] This line should certainly be given to Stephano. Pied ninny alludes to the ftriped coat worn by fools, of which Caliban could have no knowledge. Trinculo had before been reprimanded and threatened by Stephano for giving Caliban the lie, he is now supposed to repeat his offence. Upon which Stephano cries out, What a pied ninny's this?-thou fcurvy patch! Caliban now feeing his master in the mood that he wished, inftigates him to vengeance. JOHNSON. CAPELL.* I do befeech thy greatness give him blows. P. 50.1..26. T'll go further.] No farther. P. 55. 1. 13. Pro. Praife in departing.] This is a farcasm. They were praifing the mufic and attendance of this vifionary entertainment: but their commendations were too hafty, for the banquet was prefently fnatched from them: fo that the mufic was only a prelude to a mockery. Profpero therefore fays, "Stay your praises till you have ended your enter tainment. Praife in departing. The phrafe alludes to the cuftom of guests praifing their entertainment when they rise from the banquet. WARB. L. 24. Each putter out of five for one.- -] By changing of to on, I think, I have fet the text right; and will therefore now proceed to explain it. Mr. Warburton observed to me, that this was a fine piece of conceal'd fatire on the voyagers of that time, who had just discovered a new world; and, as was very natural, grew most extravagant in displaying the wonders of it. That, particularly, by each putter out of five for one, was meant the adventurers in the difcovery of the Weft Indies who had for the money they advanc'd and contributed, 20 per cent-Dr. Thirlby did not a little affift this explanation by his concurrence, and by inftructing me, that it was usual |