"So on the tip of his subduing tongue "That he did in the general bosom reign "Many there were that did his picture get, To serve their eyes, and in it put their mind; Like fools that in the imagination set The goodly objects which abroad they find Of lands and mansions, theirs in thought assigned; "So many have, that never touched his hand, Sweetly supposed them mistress of his heart. III., where he supposes the same mistake occurred. In that passage we did not receive the proposed correction; nor do we think it necessary to receive it here. Can is constantly used by the old writers, especially by Spenser, in the sense of began; and that sense, began for additions, is as intelligible as came for additions. For is used in the sense of as. 1 There is a similar sarcastic thought in Timon, where the mis anthrope, addressing himself to the gold he had found, says, "Thou 'lt go, strong thief, When gouty keepers of thee cannot stand." My woful self, that did in freedom stand, "Yet did I not, as some my equals did, Demand of him, nor being desiréd yielded ; Finding myself in honor so forbid, With safest distance I mine honor shielded: Experience for me and many bulwarks builded Of proofs new-bleeding, which remained the foil Of this false jewel, and his amorous spoil. "But ah! who ever shunned by precedent "Nor gives it satisfaction to our blood, The one a palate hath that needs will taste, • For further I could say, This man's untrue, And knew the patterns of his foul beguiling; Heard where his plants in others' orchards grew, Saw how deceits were gilded in his smiling; Knew vows were ever brokers to defiling; Thought1 characters and words, merely but art, "And long upon these terms I held my city, That's to you sworn, to none was ever said; "All my offences that abroad you see ; Are errors of the blood, none of the mind They sought their shame that so their shame did find, "Among the many that mine eyes have seen, Not one whose flame my heart so much as warmed, Or my affection put to the smallest teen,3 Or any of my leisures ever charmed: Harm have I done to them, but ne'er was harmed, Kept hearts in liveries, but mine own was free, And reigned, commanding in his monarchy. 1 Malone - and he is followed in all modern editions puts a comma after thought, and says, "It is here, I believe, a substantive." Surely thought is a verb. We have a regular sequence of verbs heard -saw- - knew thought. How can thought be art? the art is in the expression of the thoughts by "characters and words." He who said "words were given us to conceal our thoughts" is a better commentator upon the passage than Malone. 2 Acture is explained as synonymous with action. 3 Teen, grief. VOL. VIII. 29 "Look here what tributes wounded fancies sent me, Of paléd pearls, and rubies red as blood; Figuring that they their passions likewise lent me In bloodless white and the encrimsoned mood. Encamped in hearts, but fighting outwardly. "And lo! behold these talents' of their hair, "The diamond, why 't was beautiful and hard, "Lo! all these trophies of affections hot, 1 Talents is here used in the sense of something precious. 2 Impleached, interwoven. 3 Invised, invisible "O then advance of yours that phraseless hand, "Lo! this device was sent me from a nun, "But O, my sweet, what labor is 't to leave The thing we have not, mastering what not 5 strives? Paling the place which did no form receive, “O pardon me, in that my boast is true; The accident which brought me to her eye, 1 Suit. "The noble suit in court" is, we think, the suit made to her in court. Mr. Dyce says suitors. 2 Havings. Malone receives this as accomplishments; Mr. Dyce as fortune. 3 Blossoms, young men ; the flower of the nobility. 4 Of richest coat, of highest descent. 5 Paling. In the old copy, playing. Malone's cmendation of paling is sensible as well as ingenious. |