Whilft the heavy ploughman fnores, Whilft the fcritch-owl, fcritching loud, That the graves, all gaping wide, By the triple Hecat's team, wrote in As You Like It 'Tis like the howling of Irish wolves against the moon:"-the expreffion is found, that Marston has ufed inftead of bebowls." In courting Phebe, thou barkeft with the wolves of Syria against the moon." See also Spenfer's Faery Queen, b. i. c. v. f. 30. MALONE. I fordone.] i. e. overcome. So, Spenfer, Faery Queen, b. i. c. x. f. 33: "And many fouls in dolours had foredone." Again, in Jarvis Markham's English Arcadia, 1607: fore-wearied with striving, and fore-done with the tyrannous rage of her enemy." Again, in the ancient metrical Romance of Sir Bevis of Hampton, bl. 1. no date : "But by the other day at none, "These two dragons were foredone." STEEVENS. 2 I am fent with broom before, To fweep the duft behind the door.] Cleanliness is always neceffary to invite the refidence and the favour of fairies: "Thefe make our girls their flutt'ry rue, "By pinching them both black and blue, "And put a penny in their fhoe "The houfe for cleanly fweeping. Drayton. JOHNSON. Enter Enter King and Queen of Fairies, with their train. By the dead and drowsy fire: Hop as light as bird from brier; Tit. First, rehearse this fong by rote: SONG and DANCE. Ob. Now, until the break of day, To To faveep the duft behind the door is a common expreffion, and a common practice in large old houses; where the doors of halls and galleries are thrown backward, and feldom or never shut. FARMER. 7 Through this boufe give glimmering light,] Milton perhaps had this picture in his thought: "Glowing embers through the room "Teach light to counterfeit a gloom." Il Penferofo. So Drayton : "Hence Shadows feeming idle shapes "Of little frifking elves and apes, "To earth do make their swanton Scapes, I think it fhould be read: Through this houfe in glimmering light. JOHNSON. Now until, &c.] This fpeech, which both the old quartos give to Oberon, is in the edition of 1623, and in all the following, printed as the fong. I have reftored it to Oberon, as it apparently contains not the bleffing which he intends to bestow on the bed, but his declaration that he will blefs it, and his orders to the fairies how to perform the neceffary rites. But where then is the fong?-I am afraid it is gone after many other things of greater value. The truth is that two fongs are loft. The feries 134 To the best bride-bed will we, So fhall all the couples three And the blots of nature's hand Shall upon their children be.- And each feveral chamber bless, 2 Through this palace, with fweet peace : Ever fhall it fafely reft, And the owner of it bleft. Trip of the scene is this; after the fpeech of Puck, Oberon enters, and calls his fairies to a fong, which fong is apparently wanting in all the copies. Next Titania leads another fong, which is indeed loft like the former, though the editors have endeavoured to find it. Then Oberon difiiffes his fairies to the dispatch of the ce remonies. The fongs, I fuppofe, were loft, because they were not inferted in the players' parts, from which the drama was printed. JOHNSON, 9 Nor mark prodigious,] Prodigious has here its primitive signification of portentous. So, in K. Richard III : "If ever he have child, abortive be it, "Prodigious, and untimely brought to light." STEEVENS. -take bis gate;] i. e. take his way, or direct his feps. So, in Spenfer's Faery Queen, b. i. c. 8: "And guide his weary gate both to and fro." Again, in a Scottish Proverb: "A man may fpeer the gate to Rome." Again, in the Mercers' Play, among the Chester collection of. Whitfun Myfteries, p.:. "Therfore go not through his cuntrey, "Nor the gate you came to day." STEEVENS. Ever fhall it fafely reft,] This is an arbitray deviation (first introduced by Mr. Pope) from the old copies, which readin fafety. By Puck. Trip away; Meet me all by break of day. [Exeunt King, Queen, and train. If we fhadows have offended, Think but this, (and all is mended) Now to 'fcape the ferpent's tongue Give me your hands, if we be friends", And Robin fhall reftore amends. By printing the line thus: "E'er fhall it in safety rest," any change becomes unneceffary. MALONE. Exit 7. 3 [Exeunt King, &c.] Since the former part of this play was printed off, I have been informed that the originals of Shakfpeare's Oberon and Titania, are to be fought in the ancient French romance of Huon de Bordeaux. STEEVENS. 4 unearned luck.] i. e. if we have better fortune than we have deserved. STEEVENS. 5 Now to fcape the ferpents tongue,] That is, if we be difmiffed without hiffes. JOHNSON. So, in J. Markham's English Arcadia, 1607: "But the nymph, after the custom of diftreft tragedians, whofe first act is entertained with a fnaky falutation, &c." STEEVENS. Give me your hands,] That is, Clap your hands. Give us your applaufe. JOHNSON. 7 [Exit.] Of this play there are two editions in quarto; one printed for Thomas Fisher, the other for James Roberts, both in 1600. I have used the copy of Roberts, very carefully collated, as it seems, with that of Fisher. Neither of the editions approach to exactnefs. Fisher is fometimes preferable, but Roberts was followed, though not without fome variations, by Hemings and Condel, and they by all the folios that fucceeded them. Wild and fantastical as this play is, all the parts in their various modes are well written, and give the kind of pleasure which the author defigned. Fairies in his time were much in fashion; common tradition had made them familiar, and Spenfer's poem had made them great. JOHNSON. NOTE ON The human mortals want their winter here, &c. act II. fc. ii. p. 36. From beere, (for fo the first folio fpells the word) fir Thomas Hanmer by an easy alteration formed cheere, which furely deferves to be admitted into the text, as it affords much better sense than either of the emendations proposed by the two learned commentators who fucceeded him. Their winter cheer," means those fports with which country people are wont to beguile the winter's evening. -or as it is expreffed in the next line, "hymns and carols." Dr. Johnfon has written a long note to prove this paffage confufed and unintelligible; but on a clofer view, I believe it will be found perfectly clear." Titania's account of this calamity (fays he) is not fufficiently confequential. Men find no winter, therefore they fing no hymns; the moon provoked at this omiffion, alters the feafons-that is, the alteration of the seasons produces the alteration of the feafons." But itis not furprifing that no confequence fhould be found, where no confequence was intended. -No night is now with hymn or carol beft, is not an illation from the preceding line, (The human mortals want, &c.) but put in appofition with it.-The next line, Therefore the moon, &c. has no connection with-No night is now, &c. It does not refer to the omiffion of hymns or carols, but of the fairy rites, which were disturbed in confequence of Oberon's quarrel with Titania.The moon is with peculiar propriety reprefented as incensed at the ceffation-not of the Chriftian carols, (as Dr.Warburton thinks) or the heathen rites of adoration, (as Dr. Johnfon fuppofes) but of those sports which have been always reputed to be celebrated by her light. The whole paffage then flands thus.-Titania begins with faying: And never fince the middle fummer's fpring, Met we -But with thy brawls thou haft difturb'd our fport. She then particularly enumerates the feveral confequences that have flowed from this contention.- -The whole is divided into four claufes ; the first ending with the word-continents, -the fecond with the word-bleft,- -the third with-abound, -the fourth with which. 1. Therefore the winds. www -their continents: |