Or on the beached margent of the fea, No (7)—want their winter here.] The concluding word is, certainly, a very dragging expletive: and though I have not ventur'd to difplace it, I fcarce believe it genuine. I once fufpected it should be -want their winter chear; i. e. their jollity, usual merry-makings at that season. Mr. Warburton has ingeniously advanced a more refin'd emendation; which I'll fubjoin with his own reasoning, in confirmation. "Is it an aggravating circumftance of the miferies here recapitu "lated, that the wretched fufferers want their winter? On the contrary, in the descriptions of the happiness of the golden age, it "was always counted an addition to it, that they wanted winter. It "feems as plain to me as day, that we ought to read : want their winters-beried; ❝i. e. prais'd, celebrated; an old word: and the line, that follows, "fhews the propriety of it here. The thing is this; The winter is "the feafon for rural rejoicings on several accounts; because they "have got their fruits in, and have wherewithal to make merry. "(And therefore, well might fhe fay, * The human mortals want their winters bereid. "when she had defcribed the dearths of the season, and the fruitless "toil of the husbandman.) Then the g loominefs of the season, and "the vacancy of it, encourage them to it; and laftly, which is "principally intimated here, (notwithstanding the impropriety of "the fentiment, as it is circumftanc'd) fince Chriftianity, this season, "on account of the birth of the author of our faith, is particularly * devoted to feftivity: and to this custom, be affured, hymn or carel " bleft alludes, I fhould No night is now with hymn or carol bleft; From our debate, from our dissention; Ob. Do you amend it then, it lies in you. Queen. Set your heart at rest, The fairy-land buys not the child of me. I should undoubtedly have advanced this conjecture into the text, could I have ever traced the word in any of Shakespeare's writings; but I think, he rather feems fond of ballow'd, CHAUCER and SPENCER, I know, both ufe berie, very frequently: from the latter I'll produce a paffage, where in one couplet it is joined with bymn and carol, as here in our Author; Tho' wouldeft thou learn to carol of love, And bery with hymns thy laffes glove. Would Follying (her womb then rich with my young squire) And see our moon-light revels, go with us; [Exeunt Queen and her train. Ob. Well, go thy way: thou shalt not from this grove, "Till I torment thee for this injury. My gentle Puck, come hither; thou remember'ft And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin's back, Pack. I remember. Ob. That very time I faw, but thou could'st not, Flying between the cold moon and the earth, Cupid alarm'd: a certain aim he took (9) At Would imitate;] Following what? She did not follow the ship whofe motion fhe imitated; for that failed on the water, he on the land. And if by following, we are to understand, copying; it is a mere pleonafm, that meaning being included in the word imitate. From circumftances in the context, there is great reason to think our Author wrote, follying, i. e. wantoning, in sport and gaiety; fo the eld writers ufed fallity for foolishness; and both words are from, and in the fenfe of folatrer, to play the wanton. And this admirably agrees with the action, for which the is here commended, and with she context ;-full often has she goffip'd by my fide, and, When we bave laugh'd to fee, &c. Mr. Warburton. (9) Cupid all arm'd;] Surely, this prefents us with a very unclaffical image. Where do we read or fee, in ancient books, or monu ments, At a fair veftal, throned by the west, And loos'd his love-fhaft fmartly from his bow, In maiden meditation, fancy free. Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound; Fetch me that flow'r; (the herb I fhew'd thee once) Puck. I'll put a girdle round about the earth Ob. Having once this juice, I'll watch Titania when he is asleep, The next thing which the waking looks upon, [Exit. ments, Cupid arm'd more than with his bows and arrows? and with thefe we for ever see him arm'd. And these are all the arms he had occafion for in this prefent action; a more illuftrious one, than any, his friends, the clafficks, ever brought him upon. The change I make is so small, but the beauty of the thought fo great, which this alteration carries with it, that, I think, we are not to hesitate upon it. For what an addition, is this to the compliment made upon this Virgin Queen's celibacy, that it alarm'd the power of love? as if his empire was in danger, when this Imperial Votrefs had declared herself for a fingle life: fo powerful would her great example be in the world.Queen Elizabeth could not but be pleafed with our Author's addrefs upon this head. Mr. Warburton. I'll make her render up her page to me, Enter Demetrius, Helena following him. The one I'll flay; the other ilayeth me. (11) Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more. Dem. Do I entice you? do I fpeak you fair? Tell you, I do not, nor I cannot, love you? Hel. And ev'n for that do I love thee the more; The more you beat me, I will fawn on you: What worfer place can I beg in your love, Dem. Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit: For I am fick, when I do look on thee. Hel. And I am fick, when I look not on you. (10) I am invifible.] I thought proper here to obferves that, as Oberon, and Puck his attendant, may be frequently obferved to fpeak, when there is no mention of their entering; they are defigned by the Poet to be fuppofed on the stage during the greatest part of the remainder of the play; and to mix, as they pleafe, as fpirits, with the other actors; and embroil the plot, by their interpofition, without being feen, or heard, but when to their own purpose. (11) The one I'll stay, the other stayeth me.] Thus it has been in all the editions hitherto: but Dr. Thirlby ingeniously faw, it must be, as I have corrected in the text. VOL. 1. F Dem |