Spleen, violent hurry, tumul- Spot, stain or disgrace. Sprag, or spackt, apt to learn. Strive, to confess, to call to Square, compass, comprehen confession. Shut up, to conclude. Side-sleeves, long sleeves. Siege, stool, seat, rank. sion, or complement. Sight, the perforated part of a Squire, a square or rule. belmet. Sightless, unsightly. Sign, to shew, to denote. Slly, simple or rustic. Suy, sooth, plain, simple truth. Single, weak, debile, small, ved of duplicity or guile. Stat-a-pace, cinque-pace, a dance. Sir, the designation of a parson. Sar-reverence, a corruption of save-reverence. Sith, since. Suthence, thence. Sizes, allowances of victuals. Sol, spot, turpitude, reproach. Solely, alone. Solicit, courtship. Salcit, to excite. Soliciting, information. Solidares, an unknown coin. Sooch, sweetness. Sort, a company, a pack, ranks Sort and suit, figure and rank. So fearing, soul-appalling, Suci, to declare or publish. Soud, soundly. Sowi, to pull by the ears. Staggers, delirious, perturba tion. Stale, a bait or decoy to catch birds. Stale, a pretence. to allure. Sand, to withstand, to resist. Standing bowls, bowls elevated on feet. Stannyal, the common stonehawk. Star, a scar of that. appearance. Subtle, smooth, level. Thread, fibre or part Thread, to pass through.. Three-man-beetle, an implement used for driving piles. Three-pile, rich velvet. offi-Thrift, a state of prosperity. Throes, emits as in parturition. Thrum, the extremity of a weaver's warp. Thrum med, made of coarse woollen cloth. Tib, a strumpet. Tickle, ticklish. Tickle-brain, some strong li Sumpter, a horse that carries necessaries on a journey. Superfluous, over-clothed. Superstitious, serving with superstitious attention. Supposed, counterfeited, imagined. Sure, safe, out of danger, surely. Sur-reined, over-worked, or ridden. Suspire, to breathe. Swaggerer, a roaring, fighting fellow. Swart or swarth, black, or dark brown. Swarth or swath, as much grass or corn as a mower cuts down at one stroke of his scythe. Swashing, noisy, bullying, Swath, the dress of a new-born child. State, a chair with a canopy Sway, the whole weight, mo over it, State, standing. State, official state, dignity. Sticklers, arbitrators, judges, uzed. Stigmatic, one on whom nature Stock, a term in fencing. Stoop, a measure somewhat more than half a gallon. Stover, a kind of thatch. Stoup, a kind of flagon. mentum. Sweeting, a species of apple. Swinge-bucklers, rakes, rioters. Swoop, the descent of a bird of prey. quor. Tight, handy, adroit. Tilth, tillage. on. Tire, to be idly employed on. Tired, adorned with ribands. Tod, to yield or produce a tod, or twenty-eight pounds. Tokened, spotted as in the plague. Toll, to enter on the toll-book. Tolling, taking toll. Tomboy, a masculine, forward girl. Topless, that which has nothing above it, supreme. Topple, to tumble. Table, the palm of the hand Touch, sensation, sense, feelextended. Table, a picture. Tabourine, a small drum. Take-in, to conquer, to get the to an account. Take-up, to levy. or cow. ing. Touch, exploit or stroke. Toward, in a state of readiness. fancies,freaks of imagination. Toze, to pull or pluck. Trace, to follow. Trade, a custom, an established habit. Tradition.traditional practices. Traditional, adherent to old customs. Trail, the scent left by the passage of the game. Traitress,a term of endearment. Tranect, a ferry. Translate, to transfer, to explain. Tame, ineffectual. provoke. Tartar, Tartarus, the fabled place of future punishment. Strachy, probably some kind of Task, to keep busied with scru domestic office. Straight, immediately. Strict, hard. Strive, to contend. Stuck, a thrust in fencing. See Stuff, substance or essence. Sowter, perhaps the name of a Stuffed, plenty, more than Speed, measured. Specialty, particular rights. Sed, the fate decided. Speed, event. bars, &c. enough. Subscribe, to agree to. Subscribe, to yield, to surrender. Subscription, obedience. Sperr, to shut up, defend by Submerged, whelmed under water. ples. Tasked, taxed. Taurus, sides and heart in medical astrology. Tawdry, a kind of necklaces tution. rect. Travel, to stroll. Traverse, a term in military exercise. Traversed, across. sons. Trenched, cut, carved. Trick, smeared, painted, in he- Turly good, or turlupin, a species of gipsy. Turn, to become acescent. Twigging, wickered. Vail, to condescend to look, to Vain, light of tongue, not vera- Valance, fringed with a beard. Vantage, convenience, oppor- Vast, waste, dreary. Vaunt, the avant, what went before. Vaward, the fore part. Velure, velvet. Unbated, not blunted. practised. Uncape, to dig out, a term in Unclew, to draw out, exhaust. Unconfirmed, unpractised in Undertaker, one who takes Underwrite, to subscribe, to Venew, a bout, a term in fenc- Under-wrought, under-working. Vengeance, mischief. course. Ventages, the holes of a flute. Vice, to advise. Vie, to contend in rivalry. Viewless, unseen, invisible. servant. Virginalling, playing on the Vixen, or fixen, a female fox. Umber, a dusky yellow-colour- Unaneled, without extreme Unavoided, unavoidable. ed, undetermined. cares. Unhouseled, not having received the sacrament. Unimproved. not guided by knowledge, or experience. Union, a species of pearl. Unkind, contrary to kind, or nature. Unmastered, licentious. owner. Unpregnant, not quickened. Untruth,disloyalty, treachery. Up-spring, upstart. Whittle, a species of knife. Whooping, measure or reckon ing. Urchins, nedge-hogs, or per- Wide, remotely from, wide of haps fairies. Waft, to beckon. Watch, a watch-light, Welkin, the colour of the sky, Well-found, of acknowledged Wen, swollen excrescence. Unrespective, inattentive to Whelked,varied with protuber consequences. Unrest. disquiet. ances. Whe'r, whether. Unrough, smooth-faced, un- Where, whereas. Unsisted, untried. at rest. Unsmirched, clean, not defiled. Untempering, not tempering, mon use. Untrimmed, undressed. the mark. winter. Wittol, knowing, conscious of. Wood, crazy, frantic. Woolward, a phrase appro- Words, dispute, contention. Worm, a serpent. Worship, dignity, authority, Wound, twisted about. Wrung, pressed, strained. Yarely, readily, nimbly. frothy. Whiffler, an officer who walks Yeasty, or yesty, foaming or Whiles, until. Whitsters, bleachers of linen. Yeild, to inform of, condescend to. Yeild, to reward. Zany, a buffoon, a merry an- THE TEMPEST. THERE was no edition of this play previous to the first folio of the Author's works, in 1623.-It was one of the very latest of his productions: Mr. Malone supposes it to have been written in the year 1611;-but it was most probably produced in the latter part of 1612, or the beginning of 1613, as we find from Mr. Vertue's MSS, that it "was acted by John Heming and the rest of the King's company, before Prince Charles, the Lady Elizabeth, and the Prince Palatine Elector, in the beKing of the year 1613."-The Prince Palatine was married to the Lady Elizabeth in February 1613, and this exquisite poems, which relates the loves of a young prince and princess, and introduces a pageant of spirits to crown them with Honour, riches, marriage-blessing, was not improbably composed on the occasion of their royal baptials; as we know that it made a part of the splendid fesuvities in celebration of them. Mr. Malone imagines in this lay a reference to the shipwreck of Sir George Somers on the Island of Bermuda. I cannot follow him in tracing the resemblance. It is difficult to perceive the connexion between tempest in the Mediterranean and a hurricane in the Atlante-or between the wreck of an English ship, with her crew of adventurous navigators, on the coast of Bermuda, and the loss of an Italian vessel, conveying the king of Naples and the Duke of Milan from a royal marriage in Tunis, on an imagmary island, near the coast of Africa.-The only circumstance I can discover in the accounts of Sir George Somers's shipwreck, which Shakspeare appears to have had in his mind in writing this play, is the only circumstance that Lode of the commentators have noticed, though it is related a volume to which they have all referred, viz. Stith's Hutary of Virginia-The assumption of royal authority by Stephano, and the scenes between that character and Caliban and Trinculo, may have been suggested by the event related in the following passage.-When Sir George Somers left the Island of Bermuda in the year 1609, "Christopher Carter, Edward Waters, and Edward Chard remained behind. Sir George's vessel being once out of sight, these three lords, and sole inhabitants of all these island's, began to erect their Jatle commonwealth, with equal power and brotherly regency, band az a house, preparing the ground, planting their corn, and such seeds and fruits as they had, and providing other Lecessaries and conveniences. Then making search among the crannies and corners of those craggy rocks, what the acean, from the world's creation, had thrown up among them, This besides divers smaller pieces, they happened upon the largest block of Ambergris that had ever been seen or heard of in one lump. It weighed fourscore pounds, and is said, itself alone, besides the others, to have been then worth nine or ten thousand pounds. And now being rich, they grew so rioty and ambitious, that these three forlorn men, above three thousand miles from their native country, and with ittle probability of ever seeing it again, fell out for the superiority and rule; and their competition and quarrel grew so high, that Chard and Waters, being of the greater spirit, had appointed to decide the matter in the field. But Carter wisely stopped their arms, choosing rather to bear with such trouble. some rivals, than, by being rid of them, to live alone."Stith's Virginia, p. 120.-If Shakspeare in composing his play had any recollection of the above event, The Tempest could not have been written till after the year 1612, when the story was brought to England by Captain Matthew Somers. gentleman was nephew of Sir George Somers; he accompanied his uncle both in his first and second visit to the Bermudas, and, after his death on the Island, returned to England with the body. Collins the poet informed Thomas Warton, that the subject of this play was taken from a novel called Aurelio and Isabella; but this information has proved to be incorrect. The memory of Collins became confused in his last melancholy illness, and he probably gave the name of one novel for another.A circumstance which he added, may perhaps lead to the discovery of the real tale:-the principal character of the romance, answering to Shakspeare's Prospero, was a chemical necromancer, who had bound a spirit, like Ariel, to perform his services.-Mr. Boswell relates, that a friend of his had met with an Italian novel which corresponded with Collins's description. Malone, Steevens, and Blackstone have discovered, in the following words from the Induction to Ben Jonson's Bartholomer Fair-"If there be never a servant-monster in the fair, who can help it?" an allusion to the character of Caliban, and another proof of that malignity against our Author which they have chosen to impute to the great contemporary and personal friend of Shakspeare.-This subject is fully discussed in the Life prefixed to Harness's edition, and only mentioned here, to shew on how slight authority this absurd falsehood has been propagated; and as another instance to prove, that to the theories of a commentator, as to the dreams of jealousy, "trifles light as air, are confirmations strong as proofs of holy writ." Ant. Where is the master, Boatswain? Boats. Do you not hear him? You mar our labour; Keep your cabins: you do assist the storm. Gon. Nay, good, be patient. Boats. When the sea is. Hence! What care these roarers for the name of king? To cabin: silence trouble us not. You Gon. Good; yet remember whom thou hast aboard. Boats. None that I more love than myself. are a counsellor; if you can command these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more ; use your authority. If you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap.-Cheerly, good hearts.-Out of our way, [Exit. say. Gon. I have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good fate, to his hanging! make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage! If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable. [Exeunt. Re-enter Boatswain. Mira. More to know Did never meddle with my thoughts. lower, Boats. Down with the topmast; yare; lower; bring her to try with main-course. [4 cry within.] A plague upon this howling! they are louder than the weather, or our office. Re-enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and Gonzalo. Yet again? what do you here? Shall we give o'er, and drown? Have you a mind to sink? Seb. A pox o' your throat! you bawling, blasphemous, íncharitable dog! Boats. Work you, then. Ant. Hang, cur, hang! you whoreson, insolent noise-maker, we are less afraid to be drowned than thou art. Gon. I'll warrant him from drowning; though the ship were no stronger than a nut-shell, and as leaky as an unstanched wench. Boats. Lay her a-hold, a-hold: set her two courses off; to sea again, lay her off. Enter Mariners wet. Mar. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost! [Exeunt. Boats. What, must our mouths be cold? Gon. The king and prince at prayers! let us asFor our case is as theirs. [sist them, Seb. I am out of patience. [drunkards.Ant. We are merely cheated of our lives by This wide-chapped rascal;-'Would, thou might'st The washing of ten tides! [lie drowning, Gon. He'll be hanged yet; Though every drop of water swear against it, [A confused noise within.]-Mercy on us! We split, SCENE II. The Island: before the Cell of PROSPERO. Enter PROSPERO and MIRANDA. Mira. If by your art, my dearest father, you have Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them: The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch, But that the sea, mounting to the welkin's cheek, Dashes the fire out. O, I have suffer'd With those that I saw suffer! a brave vessel, Who had no doubt some noble creatures in her, Dash'd all to pieces. O, the cry did knock Against my very heart! Poor souls! they perish'd. Had I been any god of power, I would Have sunk the sea within the earth, or e'er It should the good ship so have swallowed, and The freighting souls within her. Pro. Be collected; No more amazement: tell your piteous heart, There's no harm done. Mira. Pro. O, woe the day! No harm. I have done nothing but in care of thee, Pro. 'Tis time I should inform thee further. Lend thy hand, comfort. The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touch'd Pro. My brother, and thy uncle, call'd Antonio,pray thee, mark me,-that a brother should Be so perfidious !—he whom, next thyself, Of all the world I lov'd, and to him put The manage of my state; as, at that time, Through all the signiories it was the first, And Prospero the prime duke; being so reputed In dignity, and, for the liberal arts, Without a parallel: those being all my study, The government I cast upon my brother, And to my state grew stranger, being transported, And rapt in secret studies. Thy false uncleDost thou attend me? |