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And future ages groan for this foul act.

Richard II. A. 4, S. 1,

There is not a dangerous action can peep out his head but I am thrust upon it: Well, I cannot last ever but it was always yet the trick of our English nation, if they have a good thing, to make it too Henry IV. P. 2, A. 1, S. 2.

common.

Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As by our hands, and this our present act,
You fee we do; yet fee you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done :
Our hearts you fee not, they are pitiful.
Julius Cæfar, A. 3, S. 1.
But wherefore do you droop? why look you fad?
Be great in act, as you have been in thought;
Let not the world fee fear, and fad distrust,
Govern the motion of a kingly eye.

I.

King John, A. 5, S. 1,

If thou didst but confent

To this most cruel act, do but despair,

And, if thou want'ft a cord, the smallest thread
That ever fpider twisted from her womb,
Will ferve to ftrangle thee. K. John, A. 4, S. 3:
What we oft do beft,

By fick interpreters, once weak ones, is
Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft,
Hitting a groffer quality, is cry'd up

For our beft act.

Henry VIII. A. 1, S. 2.

We must not ftint

Our neceffary actions, in the fear

I

1 By fick, &c.] The modern editors read, or weak ones; but once is not unfrequently ufed for fometime, or at one time or other, among our ancient writers.

STEEVENS.

The disjunctive particle or is certainly wrong; once is not, in this place, to be taken in the sense which Mr. S. would willingly affix to it. The meaning is, "interpreters who are at once fick and weak." We may read, perhaps,

"By fick interpreters and weak ones, is"

A. B.

Το

To cope malicious cenfurers; which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a veffel follow

That is new trimm'd.

My lords, I care not,

Henry VIII. A. i, S. 2.

if my actions

Were try'd by every tongue, every eye faw 'em,
Envy and bafe opinion fet against 'em,

I know my life so even.

Henry VIII. A. 3, S. 1.

I have done as you have done; that's what I can: Induc'd, as you have been; that's for my country: He, that has but effected his good will,

Hath overta'en mine act. Coriolanus, A. 1, S. 9. Go to them, with this bonnet in thy hand;

And thus far having ftretch'd it (here be with them), Thy knee buffing the ftones, for in fuch business Action is eloquence, and the eyes of the ignorant More learned than the ears. Coriolanus, A. 3, S. 2. Why, univerfal plodding prifons up

The nimble fpirits in the arteries;

As motion, and long-during action, tires
The finewy vigour of the traveller.

Love's Labour Loft, A. 4, S. 3.

We are oft to blame in this

'Tis too much prov'd-that, with devotion's vifage, And pious action, we do fugar o'er

The devil himself.

Hamlet, A. 3, S. 1.

Hear me profefs fincerely:-Had I a dozen fons, each in my love alike, and none lefs dear than thine and my good Marcius-I had rather have eleven die nobly for their country, than one voluptuoufly furfeit out of action. Coriolanus, A. i, S. 3.

ACTOR.

POL. The actors are come hither, my lord.

HAM. Buz, buz!'

POL. Upon mine honour,

B3

Hamlet, A. 2, S. 2.
ADVAN-

1 Buz, buz !] Mere idle talk; the buz of the vulgar. JOHNSON.

Buzzer

ADVANTAGE.

Thus fays my king :-Say thou to Harry of England, though we feemed dead, we did but fleep: Advantage is a better foldier, than rafhnefs; Tell. him, we cou'd have rebuked him at Harfleur; but that we thought not good to bruise an injury, till it were full ripe. Henry V. A. 3, S. 6.

ADVERSITY.

A wretched foul, bruis'd with adverfity,
We bid be quiet, when we hear it cry;

But were we burden'd with like weight of pain,
As much or more, we should ourselves complain.
Comedy of Errors, A. 2, S. 1.

Sweet are the uses of adverfity;

Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,

Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.

As you like it, A. 2, S. 1.

AFFECTION S.

-When his headstrong riot hath no curb, When rage and hot blood are his counsellors, When means and lavish manners meet together,

Buzzer, in a subsequent scene of this play, is used for a busy talker.

"And wants not buzzers to infect his ear." It is therefore probable, from the answer of Polonius, that buz was used, as Dr. Johnson fuppofes, for an idle rumour, without foundation. MALONE.

When Hamlet fays "buz, buz!" he cannot mean by it mere idle talk, because he had already been informed by Guildernstern that the players were actually arrived. I understand the expreffion thus: The Prince is vexed at the officious intrusion of Polonius into his prefence, and exclaims, "buz, buz!-now fhall I be tormented with your chattering." Polonius mistaking Hamlet, and thinking that he doubts the truth of his news, replies upon mine honour,"

A. B.

O, with

O, with what wings fhall his affections fly,
Towards fronting peril and oppos'd decay!
Henry IV. P. 2, A. 4. S. 4.

I faw Baffanio and Anthonio part:

Baffanio told him, he would make some speed
Of his return; he answer'd-Do not fo,

And even there, his eye being big with tears,
And with affection wond'rous fenfible

He wrung Baffanio's hand, and fo they parted.
Merchant of Venice, A. 2, S. 8.
What he hath taken away from thy father per-force,
I will render thee again in affection; by mine honour,
I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn
monster.
As you like it, A. 1, S. 2.
My wife comes foremost; then the honour'd mould
Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand
The grandchild to her blood.
All bond and privilege of nature,
Let it be virtuous to be obftinate. Coriolan. A. 5,
-Brave conquerors !-for fo you are,

But, out, affection! break!

That war against your own affections,
And the huge army of the world's defires.

S. 3.

Love's Labour Loft, A. 1, S. 1.

If drawing my fword against the humour of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take defire prifoner, and ransom him to any French courtier for a new devised court'fy.

Have a free way.

Love's Labour Loft, A. 1. S. 2.

-Befeech you, let her will

"I therefore beg it not

To please the palate of my appetite;

I

Nor

I therefore beg it not

To please the palate of my appetite;

Nor to comply with heat, (the young affects,
In me defunct) and proper fatisfaction;

But, &c.]

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Nor to comply with heat, (the young

In me defunct) and proper fatisfaction;

affects,

But to be free and bounteous to her mind:

And heaven defend your good fouls, that you think
I will your serious and great business fcant,
For fhe is with me.

Othello, A. 1, S. 3.

I remember, one faid, there were no fallets in the lines, to make the matter favoury; nor no matter in the phrase, that might indite the author of affection: but called it an honeft method; as wholesome as fweet, and by very much more handsome than fine.

Hamlet, A. 2, S. 2.

O, she, that hath a heart of that fine frame,
To pay this debt of love but to a brother,
How will she love, when the rich golden fhaft
Hath kill'd the flock of all affections elfe
That live in her!

Twelfth Night, A. 1. S. 1. Very many notes have been written on these seemingly difficult lines, but without discovering the poet's meaning. A very flight change will give fufficient clearness to the paffage, and confiftency to Othello's speech. I read,

(the young affects,

In me conjunct), &c.

The meaning will therefore be,-I beg it not to comply with heat, nor yet in confideration of the young affections (alluding to his recent marriage), which may very naturally be fuppofed to be conjunct, or joining, in this my request; but, &c. A. B.

2 There were no fallets in the lines.] Such is the reading of the old copies. I know not why the latter editors have adopted the alteration of Mr. Pope, and read, nofalt, &c. STEEVENS.

"No fallets in the lines" is nonfenfe; and no falt in the lines is not right. The poet has here, as is very common with him, adopted a French word, viz. faletés, i. e. fmut, or fmuttiness. Dire des faletés, is, to talk lewdly. Saletes having been at first printed without the accent, was read faletes, and thence arose the mistake.

A. B.

3indite the author of affection.] i. e. Convict the author of being a fantastical, affected writer. STEEVENS.

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"Affection" is not, in this place, I believe, affected or fantafti"cal. "No matter in the phrase that might indite the author of "affection," feems to mean, that he was a cold, uninterefting writer, that he did not speak from the heart. A. B

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