To see you so attired; sworn, I think, 4 sworn, I think, To show myself a glass.] i. e. one would think that in putting on this habit of a shepherd, you had sworn to put me out of countenance; for in this, as in a glass, you shew me how much below yourself you must descend before you can get upon a level with me. The sentiment is fine, and expresses all the delicacy, as well as humble modesty of the character. WARBURTON. Dr. Thirlby inclines rather to Sir T. Hanmer's emendation, which certainly makes an easy sense, and is, in my opinion, preferable to the present reading. But concerning this passage I know not what to decide. JOHNSON. Dr. Warburton has well enough explained this passage according to the old reading. Though I cannot help offering a transposition, which I would explain thus: "In every mess have folly, and the feeders Digest it with a custom, (sworn I think,) "To see you so attired, I should blush "To show myself a glass." i. e. But that our rustick feasts are in every part accompanied with absurdity of the same kind, which custom has authorized, (custom which one would think the guests had sworn to observe,) I should blush to present myself before a glass, which would show me my own person adorned in a manner so foreign to my humble state, or so much better habited than even that of my prince. STEEVENS. I think she means only to say, that the prince, by the rustick habit that he wears, seems as if he had sworn to show her a glass, in which she might behold how she ought to be attired, instead of being "most goddess-like prank'd up." The passage quoted in p. 344, from King Henry IV. Part II. confirms this interpretation. In Love's Labour's Lost, vol. iv. p. 341, a forester having given the Princess a true representation of herself, she addresses him :-" Here, good my glass." Again, in Julius Cæsar: 66 I, your glass, "Will modestly discover to yourself, Again, more appositely, in Hamlet: 66 he was indeed the glass, "Wherein the noble youth did dress themselves." Florizel is here Perdita's glass. Sir T. Hanmer reads― swoon, instead of sworn. There is, in my opinion, no need of change; FLO. I bless the time, When my good falcon made her flight across PER. Now Jove afford you cause! To me, the difference forges dread; your great ness Hath not been us'd to fear. Even now I tremble To think, your father, by some accident, Should pass this way, as you did: O, the fates! How would he look, to see his work, so noble, Vilely bound up'? What would he say? Or how and the words " to shew myself," appear to me inconsistent with that reading. Sir Thomas Hanmer probably thought the similitude of the words sworn and swoon favourable to his emendation; but he forgot that swoon in the old copies of these plays is always written sound or swound. MALONE. 5 When my good FALCON made her flight across Thy father's ground.] This circumstance is likewise taken from the novel: " And as they returned, it fortuned that Dorastus (who all that day had been hawking, and killed store of game,) incountered by the way these two maides." MALONE. 6 To me the DIFFERENCE forges dread ;] Meaning the difference between his rank and hers. So, in A Midsummer-Night's Dream : 7 "The course of true love never did run smooth, "But either it was different in blood-." M. MASON. his work, so noble, Vilely bound up?] It is impossible for any man to rid his mind of his profession. The authorship of Shakspeare has supplied him with a metaphor, which, rather than he would lose it, he has put with no great propriety into the mouth of a country maid. Thinking of his own works, his mind passed naturally to the binder. I am glad that he has no hint at an editor. JOHNSON. The allusion occurs more than once in Romeo and Juliet : "This precious book of love, this unbound lover, "To beautify him only lacks a cover.” Again: "That book in many eyes doth share the glory, STEEVENS, Should I, in these my borrow'd flaunts, behold FLO. Apprehend Nothing but jollity. The gods themselves, Humbling their deities to love, have taken The shapes of beasts upon them: Jupiter Became a bull, and bellow'd; the green Neptune A ram, and bleated; and the fire-rob❜d god, Golden Apollo, a poor humble swain, As I seem now: Their transformations Were never for a piece of beauty rarer; Nor in a way so chaste: since my desires Run not before mine honour; nor my lusts Burn hotter than my faith. PER. O but, sir 1, Your resolution cannot hold, when 'tis Oppos'd, as it must be, by the power o' the king: One of these two must be necessities, Which then will speak; that you must change this purpose, Or I my life. FLO. Thou dearest Perdita, 8 The gods themselves, Humbling their deities to love,] This is taken almost literally from the novel: "The Gods above disdaine not to love women beneath. Phoebus liked Daphne; Jupiter lo; and why not I then Fawnia? One something inferior to these in birth, but far superior to them in beauty; born to be a shepherdesse, but worthy to be a goddesse." Again: "And yet, Dorastus, shame not thy shepherd's weed.-The heavenly gods have sometime earthly thought; Neptune became a ram, Jupiter a bull, Apollo a shepherd they gods, and yet in love;-thou a man, appointed to love." MALone. 9. Nor IN A way-] Read :-Nor any way. RITSON. "Nor in a way so chaste." It must be remembered that the transformations of gods were generally for illicit amours; and consequently were not "in a way so chaste" as that of Florizel, whose object was to marry Perdita. A. C. 1 O but, DEAR sir,] In the oldest copy the word-dear, is wanting. STEEVENS. With these forc'd thoughts, I pr'ythee, darken not The mirth o' the feast: Or I'll be thine, my fair, Or not my father's: for I cannot be Mine own, nor any thing to any, if I be not thine: to this I am most constant, coming : Lift up your countenance; as it were the day We two have sworn shall come. PER. O lady fortune. Stand you auspicious! Enter Shepherd, with POLIXENES and CAMILLO, disguised; Clown, MOPSA, DORCAS, and Others. FLO. See, your guests approach: Address yourself to entertain them sprightly, And let's be red with mirth. SHEP. Fye, daughter! when my old wife liv'd, upon This day, she was both pantler, butler, cook; here, At upper end o' the table, now, i' the middle; With labour; and the thing, she took to quench it, 2 With these FORC'D thoughts,] That is, thoughts far-fetched, and not arising from the present objects. M. MASON. Come, quench your blushes; and present yourself That which you are, mistress o' the feast: Come on, And bid us welcome to your sheep-shearing, PER. Welcome, sir! [To PoL. It is my father's will, I should take on me The hostess-ship o' the day :-You're welcome, sir! [TO CAMILLO. Give me those flowers there, Dorcas.-Reverend sirs, For you there's rosemary, and rue; these keep POL. PER. Sir, the year growing ancient, 3 That which you are, MISTRESS O' THE FEAST:] From the novel: "It happened not long after this, that there was a meeting of all the farmers' daughters of Sicilia, whither Fawnia was also bidden as mistress of the feast." MALONE. 4 For you there's ROSEMARY, and RUE; these keep SEEMING, and SAVOUR, all the winter long: GRACE, and REMEMBRANCE, be to you both,] Ophelia distributes the same plants, and accompanies them with the same documents. "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. There's rue for you: we may call it herb of grace." The qualities of retaining seeming and savour, appear to be the reason why these plants were considered as emblematical of grace and remembrance. The nosegay distributed by Perdita with the significations annexed to each flower, reminds one of the ænigmatical letter from a Turkish lover, described by Lady M. W. Montagu. HENLEY. "Grace, and remembrance." Rue was called herb of Grace. Rosemary was the emblem of remembrance; I know not why, unless because it was carried at funerals. JOHNSON. Rosemary was anciently supposed to strengthen the memory, and is prescribed for that purpose in the books of ancient physick. STEEVENS. |