But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy Enter Puck. Puck. Through the forest have I gone, On whofe eyes I might approve All the power this charm doth owe: 9 Near to this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.] Mr. Theobald and fir T. Hanmer, for the fake of the measure, leave out this lack-love. I have only omitted the words to and this. STEEVENS. The old copy has not to. Might we not therefore adhere to it, and at the fame time preserve the measure, by printing the line thus: Near this lack-love, this kill-court'fy. "They all ftrain court'fy, who fhall cope him first." When When thou wak'ft, let love forbid Enter Demetrius and Helena running. [Exit. Hel. Stay, though thou kill me, fweet Demetrius. thus. Hel. O, wilt thou darkling leave me1? do not fo. [Exit Demetrius. For beafts, that meet me, run away for fear : fake. Lyf. And run through fire I will, for thy fweet [Waking. Tranfparent Helena! nature here fhews art, That through thy bofom makes me fee thy heart. Where is Demetrius? Oh, how fit a word Is that vile name, to perifh on my fword! Women of Abington, 1599: wilt thou darkling leave me?] So, in the Tavo Angry we'll run away with the torch, and leave them to fight darkling." The word is likewife ufed by Milton. STEEVENS. my grace.] My acceptableness, the favour that I can gain. JOHNSON. Hel Hel. Do not fay fo, Lyfander; fay not so: What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though? Yet Hermia ftill loves you: then be content. Who will not change a raven for a dove? And leads me to your eyes; where I o'erlook Hel. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? Good troth, you do me wrong, good footh, you do, But fare you well: perforce I must confefs, 3 Not Hermia, but Helena I love.] The first folio has: [Exit. 4 touching now the point of human skill,] i. e. my fenfes being now at their utmost height of perfection. So, in K. Henry VIII: "I have touch'd the highest point of all my greatness.” STEEVENS. 5 Reafon becomes the marshal to my will,] That is, My will now follows reafon. JOHNSON. So, in Macbeth: "Thou marshal'ft me the way that I was going." STEEVENS. Lyf. Lyf. She fees not Hermia :-Hermia, fleep thou And never may'ft thou come Lyfander near! To pluck this crawling ferpent from my breaft! [Exit. 6 -true gentleness;] Gentleness is equivalent to what, in modern language, we fhould call the Spirit of a gentleman. PERCY. thofe they did deceive;] The folio reads-that did deceive. MALONE. 7 8 And you-] Instead of you, the elder folio reads yet. Mr. Pope firft gave the right word from the quarto 16co. STEEVENS. 9 Speak, of all loves;-] f all loves is an adjuration more than once ufed by our author. So, Merry Wives, &c. act ii. fc. 8: -to fend her your little page, of all loves." 66 STEEVENS. 1 Or death, or you, &c.] The folio 1623, and the quarto 1600, inftead of the first or, read either. STEEVENS. ACT АСТ III. SCENE II. The Wood. 2 Enter Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout, and Starveling. The Queen of Fairies lying afleep. Bot. Are we all met? Quin. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearfal: This green plot fhall be our stage, this hawthorn brake our tyring-house; and we will do it in action, as we will do it before the duke. Bot. Peter Quince, Quin. What fay'ft thou, bully Bottom ? Bot. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby, that will never pleafe. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himfelf; which the ladies cannot abide. How anfwer you that? 1 Snout. By'rlakin 3, a parlous fear, Star. In the time of Shakspeare, there were many companies of players, fometimes five at the fame time, contending for the favour of the publick. Of thefe fome were undoubtedly very unfkilful and very poor, and it is probable that the defign of this fcene was to ridicule their ignorance and the odd expedients to which they might be driven by the want of proper decorations. Bottom was perhaps the head of a rival house, and is therefore honoured with an afs's head. JOHNSON. 2 Enter Quince, &c.] The two quartos 1600, and the folio, read only, Enter the Clowns. STEEVENS. 3 By'rlakin, a parlous fear.] By our ladykin, or little lady, as ifakins is a corruption of by my faith. The former is ufed in Prefton's Cambyfes: "The clock hath ftricken vive ich think by laken." Again, in Magnificence, an ancient folio interlude, written by Skelton, and printed by Raftell: "By our lakin, fyr, not by my will." Parlous |