Or that for which I live; whom once again For thou shalt find she will outstrip all praise, Fer. Against an oracle. I do believe it, Pro. Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter: but If thou dost break her virgin knot before With full and holy rite, be minister'd, Fer. As I hope For quiet days, fair issue, and long life, With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den, The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion Mine honour into lust, to take away The edge of that day's celebration, When I shall think, or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd, Or night kept chain'd below. Pro. Fairly spoke. Sit then, and talk with her; she is thine own.- 9 Then, as my GIFT,] "Gift" is misprinted guest in the folios: no doubt the old spelling was guift, (as indeed it is spelt six lines above in the folio 1623,) and hence the error. 1 No sweet aspersion-] "Aspersion," as Stevens remarks, is here used in its primitive sense of sprinkling. Enter ARIEL. last service Ari. What would my potent master? here I am. In such another trick. Go, bring the rabble, And they expect it from me. Ari. Pro. Ay, with a twink. Presently? Ari. Before you can say, "Come," and " "go," And breathe twice; and cry, “so so;" Each one, tripping on his toe, Will be here with mop and mow. Do you love me, master? no? Pro. Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach, Till thou dost hear me call. Well I conceive. Ari. [Exit. Pro. Look, thou be true. Do not give dalliance Too much the rein: the strongest oaths are straw To the fire i' the blood. Be more abstemious, Or else, good night, your vow. Fer. I warrant you, sir; The white-cold virgin snow upon my heart Abates the ardour of my liver. Pro. Well. Now come, my Ariel! bring a corollary, Rather than want a spirit: appear, and pertly.— No tongue, all eyes; be silent. A Masque. Enter IRIS. [Soft music. Iris. Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and peas; VOL. I. F Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep, Which spongy April at thy hest betrims, To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom groves, Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves, Being lass-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard1; Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace, Enter CERES. Cer. Hail, many-colour'd messenger, that ne'er Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers 2 thatch'd with STOVER,] "Stover" is coarse grass, with which farmbuildings are sometimes covered. In the North of England "stover" is the general name for fodder for cattle during the winter. See Holloway's General Provincial Dictionary. 3 The banks with pioned and twilled brims,] This is the old text, and we cannot discover any unintelligibility in it, taking "pioned" as dug, (a sense in which it is used by Spenser, and with the same etymology as pioneer) and "twilled" as ridged, or made up in ridges, a sense it yet bears with reference to some kinds of linen: these ridges are produced by intermingling the threads; and hence, perhaps, the origin of the word in the Fr. touiller: the "pioned and twilled brims" are therefore the brims which are dug and ridged. Steevens would understand "pioned" to have reference to the flower called a piony, and suggested the substitution of lilied for "twilled." Thy pole-clipt vineyard;] Referring to the mode in which the vines dip or embrace the poles by which they are supported. For the word to "clip" see Vol. iii. p. 533; Vol. viii. pp. 52. 98. 391, &c. 5 My bosky acres, &c.] “Bosky” is woody. The word occurs in the same sense in Milton's "Comus." Rich scarf to my proud earth; why hath thy queen Summon'd me hither, to this short-graz'd-green"? Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate, And some donation freely to estate On the bless'd lovers. Cer. Tell me, heavenly bow, If Venus, or her son, as thou dost know, Do now attend the queen? since they did plot Be not afraid: I met her deity Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son Some wanton charm upon this man and maid, Mars's hot minion is return'd again; Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows, Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, And be a boy right out. Cer. Highest queen of state, Great Juno comes: I know her by her gait. Enter JUNO'. Jun. How does my bounteous sister? Go with me, To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be, And honour'd in their issue. To this short-GRAZ'D green ?] Rowe printed it short-graz'd, and it stands short-gras'd in the folios, 1623 and 1632; but the two later folios have "shortgrass'd," which may be right, as "graze” and “grazing" are elsewhere so spelt in the first folio. 7 Enter Juno.] She appears in the air during the first speech of Iris; and there the stage-direction, in the folio, 1623, is "Juno descends." She was probably let down slowly by some machine, and did not reach the stage, until Iris and Ceres were concluding their speeches. SONG. Juno. Honour, riches, marriage, blessing, Cer. Earth's increases, foison plenty, Fer. This is a most majestic vision, and Harmonious charmingly. May I be bold To think these spirits? Pro. Spirits, which by mine art I have from their confines call'd, to enact My present fancies. Fer. Let me live here ever: So rare a wonder'd father, and a wise, Makes this place Paradise'. [JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment. Pro. Sweet now, silence! 8 Earth's increase,] Until the time of Theobald the whole song was given to Juno: the old stage-direction is "they sing," and it is evident that here Ceres takes up the air. In the folio, 1632, the line stands "Earth's increase, and foison plenty;" but the conjunction is not only quite needless, but gives the measure a jigging air, in all probability intended to be avoided by the poet. 9 So rare a wonder'd father, and a WISE, MAKES this place Paradise.] This is the reading of every old copy, from which modern editors have varied, without notice, by printing wife for "wise," and Make for "Makes." It needs no proof that "So rare a wonder'd father, and a wise," was the phraseology of Shakespeare's time. I owe the suggestion of this restoration to the Rev. Mr. Barry. |