Being lafs-lorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard, Bids thee leave thefe; and with her fov'reign grace, Enter Ceres. Cer. Hail, many-colour'd meffenger, that ne'er Who, with thy faffron wings, upon my flowers Cer. Tell me, heav'nly bow, If Venus or her fon, as thou do'st know, Iris. Of her fociety Be not afraid; I met her deity Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her fon Some wanton charm upon this inan and maid, Whofe vows are, that no bed-right shall be paid 'Till Hymen's torch be lighted; but in vain Mars's hot minion is return'd again; Her wafpifh-headed fon has broke his arrows; Swears, he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, And be a boy right-out. Cer. High Queen of state, Great Juno, comes; I know her by her gate. Juno defcends and enters. Jun. How does my bounteous fifter? go with me To blefs this twain, that they may profp❜rous be, And honour'd in their iffue. Jun. Honour, riches, marriage bleffing, Juno fings her bleffings on you: Fer. This is a most majestic vision, and Pro. Spirits, which by mine art I have from their confines call'd to ena& (26) Fer. (25) Earth's Increafe.] All the editions, that I have ever feen, concur in placing this whole fonnet to Junor but very abfurdly, in my opinion. I believe, every accurate reader, who is acquainted with poetical hiftory, and the diftinct offices of thefe two goddeffes, and who then seriously reads over our Author's lines, will agree with me, that Ceres's name ought to have been placed where I have now prefix'd it. (26) I have from all their confines] This all is obtruded upon us by the nice ears of our modern editors, who were for helping the verfe, upon a fuppofition that the accent in confines muft needs be upon the first fyllable. But the practice of our Poet is against them; and therefore I have reftor'd him to his own reading. See As you like it. Act 2. Sc. I. And yet it irks me, the poor dappled fools; K. Jobna Fer. Let me live here ever; So rare a wonder'd father, and a wife, Pro. Sweet now, filence: Juno and Ceres whisper feriously; There's fomething elfe to do; hufh, and be mute, Juno and Ceres whisper, and fend Iris on employment. Iris. You nymphs, call'd Nayads, of the winding brooks, With your fedg'd crowns, and ever harmless looks, Leave your crifp channels, and on this greenland Answer your fummons, Juno does command: Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate A contract of true love; be not too late. Enter certain Nymphs. You fun-burn'd ficklemen, of August weary, K. John. A&t 4. This kingdom, this confine of blood and breath, And Hamlet. Th' extravagant and erring spirit hyes And in his poem entitled, In Praise of his Love. Which fhould example where your equal grew. Shipping myself from the Sigaan shore, Whence unto thefe confines my course I bore. And, I believe, in every other paffage throughout his works, where he has used this word, the accent is conftantly on the last fyllable. Enter certain reapers, properly habited; they join with the nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof, Profpero ftarts Juddenly, and speaks; after which, to a frange, hollow and confufed noife, they vanish heavily. Pro. I had forgot that foul confpiracy Of the beaft Caliban, and his confed'rates, Against my life; the minute of their plot Is almost come. Well done, avoid; no more. Fer. This is ftrange; your father's in fome paffion That works him strongly. Mir. Never 'till this day Saw I him touch'd with anger, fo diftemper❜d. -Sir, Fam vext; Bear (27) Bear with my weakness, my old brain is troubled:] There is the appearance of fomething very extraordinary, in this great emotion of anger fo difcoverable in the behaviour of Profpero, on the fudden recollection of Caliban's plot: And the admirable reflection, which he makes, upon the infignificancy of human things, fully fhews it: for thinking men are never under greater oppreffion of mind, than when they make fuch kind of reflections. And yet, if we turn to the caufe of this difturbance, there is nothing that one could imagine, at first view, could occafion it: the plot of a contemptible savage, and. two drunken failors, whom he had abfolutely in his power! It could be no apprehenfion of danger then, that could cause it. But, reflecting more attentively, we fhall find, (agreeably to our Poet's wonderful knowledge of nature,) there was fomething in the cafe, with which. great minds are most deeply affected; and that is, the refentment of ingratitudes Bear with my weakness, my old brain is troubled: Be not disturbed with my infirmity; If thou be pleas'd, retire into my cell, And there repofe; a turn or two I'll walk, Fer. Mira. We wish your peace. [Exe. Fer, and Mir. Profpero comes forward from the Cell; enter Ariel to him. Ari. Thy thoughts I cleave to; what's thy pleafure? Pro. Spirit, We must prepare to meet with Caliban. Ari. Ay, my commander; when I prefented Ceres, Pro. Say again, where didft thou leave these varlets? Ari. I told you, Sir, they were red hot with drinking; So full of valour, that they fmote the air my tabor, For breathing in their faces; beat the ground ingratitude. He recall'd to his mind the obligations this Caliban lay under for the inftructions he had receiv'd from him, and the conveniences of life he had taught him to use. But these reflections of Caliban's ingratitude would naturally recall to mind his brother's: and then these two, working together, were very capable of producing all the diforder of paffion here reprefented. That these two, who had receiv'd at his hands the two beft gifts that mortals are capable of, when rightly apply'd, regal power and the use of reason; that thefe, in return, fhould confpire against the life of the donor, would certainly afflict a generous mind to its utmost bearing. As thefe reflections do fo much honour to that furprifing knowledge of human nature, which is fo apparently our Author's mafferpiece, it cannot, fure, be thought unneceffary to fet them in a proper light. Mr. Warburton. |