Prince. That Julius Cæfar was a famous man; With what his valour did enrich his wit, His the formal-wife antiquity, and has endeavoured to fupport this capricious and violent alteration of the text by a very long note, which I have not preferved, as in my apprehenfion it carries neither conviction, nor information with it. To accommodate the next line to his read ing, he altered the punctuation of it thus: like the formal-wife antiquity, I moralize;-two meanings in one word. which has been adopted, I think, improperly, by the fubfequent editors, who yet did not adopt the reading to strengthen which this alteration was made. The Vice, Iniquity, cannot with propriety, be faid to moralize in general; but in the old Moralities he, like Richard, did often “moralize two meanings in one word," Our authour has again ufed moralize as a verb active in his Rape of Lucrece: "Nor could fhe moralize his wanton fight, "More than his eyes were open to the light." In which paffage it means, " to interpret or inveftigate the latene meaning of his wanton looks," as in the prefent paffage, it fignifies either to extract the double and latent meaning of one word or fentence, or to couch two meanings under one word or fentence. So moral is ufed by our authour in Much ado about Nothing, for a fecret meaning.There is fome moral in this Benedictus." See Vol. II. p. 265, n. 7; and Vol. V. p. 601, n. 5. The word which Richard ufes in a double fenfe is live, which in his former fpeech he had ufed literally, and in the present is ufed metaphorically. Mr. Mason conceives, because what we now call a motto, was formerly denominated the mot or word, that word may here fignify a whole fentence. But the argument is defective. Though in tournaments the motto on a knight's thield was formerly called The word, it never at any period was called "One word." The Vice of the old moralities was a buffoon character, [See Cot grave's Dict. "Badin, A foole or Vice in a play.-Mime, A vice, foole, jefter, &c. in a play."] whofe chief employment was to make the audience laugh, and one of the modes by which he effected his purpose was by double meanings, or playing upon words. In thefe moral reprefentations, Fraud, INIQUITY, Covetousness, Luxury, Gluttony, Vanity, &c. were frequently introduced. Mr. Upton in a differtation which, on account of its length, is annexed at the end of this play, has fhewn, from Ben Jonson's Staple of News, and the Devil's an Afs, that Iniquity was fometimes the Vice of the Moralities. Mr. Steevens's note in the fubfequent page, fhews, that he was not always fo. The formal Vice perhaps means, the forewd, the fenfible Vice.VOL. VI. L15 His wit fet down, to make his valour live: Prince, An if I live until I be a man, In the Comedy of Errors, "a formai man" feems to mean, one in his fenfes; a rational man. Again, in Twelfth Night, Vol. IV. p. 56. "this is evident to any formal capacity." MALONE. This alteration [of Dr. Warburton's] Mr. Upton very justly cenfures. Dr. Warburton, has, in my opinion, done nothing but correct the punctuation, if indeed any alteration be really neceffary. See the differtation on the old vice at the end of this play. To this long collection of notes, may be added a question, to what equivocation Richard refers? The pofition immediately preceding, that fame lives long without characters, that is, without the help of letters, feems to have no ambiguity. He must allude to the former line: So young, fo wife, they say, do ne'er live long, in which he conceals under a proverb, his design of haftening the prince's death. JOHNSON. • From the following stage-direction, in an old dramatick piece, entituled, Hiftrismaftix, or the Player whipt, 1610, it appears, that the Vice and Iniquity were fometimes diftinct perfonages: "Enter a roaring devil, with the Vice on his back, Iniquity in one hand, and Juventus in the other." The devil likewife makes the diftinction in his first speech: "Ho, bo, bo! these babes mine are all, "The Vice, Iniquitie, and Child Prodigal." The following part of this note was obligingly communicated by the Rev. Mr. Bowle, of Idmeftone near Salisbury. "I know no writer who gives fo complete an account of this obfolete character, as archbishop Harfnet, in his Declaration of Popish Impoftures, p. 114, Lond. 1603: It was a pretty part (he tells us) in the old church-playes, when the nimble Vice would fkip up nimbly like a jackanapes into the devil's neck, and ride the devil a courfe, and belabour him with his wooden dagger, till he made him roare, where at the people would laugh to fee the devil fo vice-haunted.' STEEVENS. 8 of this conqueror;] For this reading we are indebted to Mr. Theobald, who probably derived it from the original edition in 1597. All the fubfequent ancient copies read corruptly-of his conqueror. MALONE. Glo. Glo. Short fummers lightly have a forward fpring. [Afide Enter YORK, HASTINGS, and the Cardinal. Buck. Now, in good time, here comes the duke of York. Prince. Richard of York! how fares our loving brother? Glo. How fares our coufin, noble lord of York? York. And therefore is he idle? Glo. O, my fair coufin, I muft not fay fo. York. Then is he more beholding to you, than I. my heart. 9 Short fummers lightly have a forward fpring.] That is, short fummers are ufually preceded by a forward fpring; or in other words, and more appofitely to Glofter's latent meaning, a premature fpring is ufually followed by a fhort fummer. MALONE. -lightly- Commonly, in ordinary courfe. JOHNSON. So, in the old proverb: "There's lightning lightly before thunder." See Ray's Proverbs, p. 130, edit. 3. Again, in Ben Jonfon's Cynthia's Revels: "He is not lightly within to his mercer." STEEVENS. -dread lord;-] The original of this epithet applied to kings has been much difputed. In fome of our old ftatutes, the king is called Rex metuendiffimus. JOHNSON, 2 Too late be died;] i. e. too lately, the lofs is too fresh in our memory. WARBURTON. So, in our authour's Rape of Lucrece : I did give that life, "Which the too early, and too late hath spill'd." Again, in King Henry V : "The mercy that was quick in us but late," &c. MALONE. VOL. VI. L16 York. York. Of my kind uncle, that I know will give; And, being but a toy, which is no grief to give3. Glo. A greater gift than that I'll give my coufin. York. A greater gift! O, that's the fword to it? Glo. Ay, gentle coufin, were it light enough. York. O then, I fee, you'll part but with light gifts; In weightier things you'll fay a beggar, nay. Glo. It is too weighty for your grace to wear. York. I weigh it lightly, were it heavier*. Glo. What, would you have my weapon, little lord? York. I would, that I might thank you as you call me. Glo. How? York. Little. Prince. My lord of York will still be crofs in talk ;— Uncle, your grace knows how to bear with him. York. You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me :— Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me ; Because that I am little like an ape 5, He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders. Buck. 3 which is no grief to give.] Which to give, or the gift of which, induces no regret. Thus the authentick copies, the quarto, 1598, and the first folio. A quarto of no authority changed grief to gift, and the editor of the fecond folio capriciously altered the line thus: And being a toy, it is no grief to give. MALONE. 4 I weigh it lightly, &c.] i. e. I should still efteem it but a trifling gift, were it heavier. WARBURTON. So, in Love's Labour's Left, A& V. fc. ii: "You weigh me not,-O that's, you care not for me." STEEV. 5 Becaufe that I am little like an ape,] The reproach seems to confift in this at country fhews it was common to fet the monkey on the back of fome other animal, as a bear. The duke therefore, in calling himself ape, calls his uncle bear. JOHNSON, To this custom there feems to be an allufion in Ben Jonfon's Mafque of Gipfies: "A gypfy in his shape, "More calls the beholder, Than the fellow with the ape,' "Or the ape on bis fhoulder." Again, in the first part of the eighth liberal fcience, entituled Art adulandi, &c. devised and compiled by Ulpial Fulwel, 1576: "-thou haft an excellent back to carry my lord's ape." York alfo alludes to the hump on Glofter's back, which was com modious for carrying burthens, as it ferved instead of a porter's knot. STEEVENS. I don't Buck. With what a sharp-provided wit he reasons ! So cunning, and fo young, is wonderful. Glo. My gracious lords, will't please you pass along? ลา To meet you at the Tower, and welcome you. York. Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghoft; Glo. Nor none that live, I hope. Τ Prince. An if they live, I hope, I need not fear. A But come, my lord, and, with a heavy heart, Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower, [Exeunt Prince, YORK, HAST. Card. and Attendants. Buck. Think you, my lord, this little prating York... Was not incenfed by his fubtle mother, 6 To taunt and fcorn you thus opprobriously? Glo. No doubt, no doubt: O, 'tis a parlous boy; Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable7; I don't believe that the reproach is what Dr. Johnfon fuppofes, or that York meant to call his uncle a bear. He merely alludes to Richard's deformity, his high shoulder, or hump-back, as it is called. That was the fcorn he meant to give bis uncle. In the third act of the Third Part of K. Henry VI. the fame thought occurs to Richard himfelf, where defcribing his own figure, he fays, "To make an envious mountain on my back, Where fits deformity, to mock my body." MASON. 5 My gracious lord,] For the infertion of the word gracious, I am answerable. Glofter has already used the fame addrefs. The defect of the metre fhews that a word was omitted at the prefs. MALONE. needs will have it fo.] The word needs was added, to complete the metre, by Mr. Theobald. MALONE. 6 Was not incenfed- i. e. incited. So, in Much ado about Nothing: "how Don John your brother incenfed me to flander the lady here." MASON. -capable; here, as in many other places in these plays, means intelligent, quick of apprehenfion. See p. 504, n. 5. MALONE. He's |