Vail to her mistress Dian;3 still With the dove of Paphos might the crow All praises, which are paid as debts, record, when he sings at first low to himself, before he becomes master of his song and ventures to sing out. The word is in constant use with bird-fanciers at this day." MALONE. 3 - with rich and constant pen Vail to her mistress Dian;] To vail is to bow, to do homage. The author seems to mean-When she would compose supplicatory hymns to Diana, or verses expressive of her gratitude to Dionyza. We might indeed read-Hail to her mistress Dian; i. e. salute her in verse. STEEVENS. I strongly suspect that vail is a misprint. We might read: Wail to her mistress Dian. i. e. compose elegies on the death of her mother, of which she had been apprized by her nurse, Lychorida. That Dian, i. e. Diana, is the true reading, may, I think, be inferred from a passage in The Merchant of Venice; which may at the same time perhaps afford the best comment on that before us: "Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn; "With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear, Again, in A Midsummer-Night's Dream: "To be a barren sister all your life, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon." MALONE. With absolute Marina:] i. e. highly accomplished, perfect. So, in Antony and Cleopatra: Again, in Green's Tu Quoque, 1614: "from an absolute and most complete gentleman, to a most absurd, ridiculous, and fond lover." MALONE. Vie feathers white.] See note on The Taming of a Shrew, Vol. IX. p. 89, n. 1. STEEVENS. And not as given. This so darks The pregnant instrument of wrath Vie feathers white. 8 The sense requires a transposition of these words, and that we should read: SO With the dove of Paphos might the crow I have adopted Mr. M. Mason's judicious arrangement. This so darks STEEVENS. In Philoten all graceful marks,] So, in Coriolanus: 66 - and their blaze "Shall darken him for ever." Again, ibidem: 7 - You are darken'd in this action, sir, "Even by your own." MALONE. with envy rare,] Envy is frequently used by our ancient writers, in the sense of malice. See Vol. XVI. p. 301, n. 2. It is, however, I believe, here used in its common acceptation. MALONE. 8 • The pregnant instrument of wrath-] Pregnant, in this instance, means prepared, instructed. It is used in a kindred sense in Measure for Measure. See Vol. VI. p. 191, n. 5. Pregnant is ready. So, in Hamlet : STEEVENS. "And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee,-." MALONE. Prest for this blow." The unborn event I do commend to your content:1 Only I carry winged time3 Post on the lame feet of my rhyme; Which never could I so convey, Unless your thoughts went on my way. Dionyza does appear, With Leonine, a murderer. [Exit, Prest for this blow.] Prest is ready; pret, Fr. So, in The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet, 1562: "I will, God lendyng lyfe, on Wensday next be prest "To wayte on him and you See note on The Merchant of Venice, Vol. VII. p. 243, n. 2. MALONE, The unborn event I do commend to your content:] I am not sure that I understand this passage; but so quaint and licentious is the phraseology of our Pseudo-Gower, that perhaps he means-I wish you to find content in that portion of our play which has not yet been ex hibited. Our author might indeed have written consent, i. e. co-operation, your assistance in carrying on our present delusion. STEEVENS. Only I carry-] Old copy-carried. STEEVENS. Tale: "I winged time-] So, in the Chorus to The Winter's "Now take upon me, in the name of time, "To use my wings." Again, in King Henry V: "Thus with imagin'd wing our swift scene flies, "Than that of thought." MALONE. SCENE I. Tharsus. An open Place near the Sea-shore. Enter DIONYZA and LEONINE. DION. Thy oath remember; thou hast sworn to do it :* 'Tis but a blow, which never shall be known. Thou canst not do a thing i'the world so soon, To yield thee so much profit. Let not conscience, Which is but cold, inflame love in thy bosom,5 4 Thy oath remember; thou hast sworn to do it:] Here, I think, may be traced the rudiments of the scene in which Lady Macbeth instigates her husband to murder Duncan : "I have given suck, and know "How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me; "I would, while it was smiling in my face, "Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, inflame love in thy bosom,] The first quarto reads"Let not conscience which is but cold, in flaming thy love bosome, enflame too nicelie, nor let pitie," &c. The subsequent impressions afford no assistance. Some words seem to have been lost. The sentiment originally expressed, probably was thisLet not conscience, which is but a cold monitor, deter you from executing what you have promised; nor let the beauty of Marina enkindle the flame of love in your bosom ;-nor be softened by pity, which even I, a woman, have cast off.-I am by no means satisfied with the regulation that I have made, but it affords a glimmering of sense. Nearly the same expression occurred before: That have inflam'd desire in my breast-." I suspect, the words enflame too nicely were written in the margin, the author not having determined which of the two Inflame too nicely; nor let pity, which LEON. I'll do't; but yet she is a goodly crea ture.6 DION. The fitter then the gods should have her." Here Weeping she comes for her old nurse's death." expressions to adopt; and that by mistake they were transcribed as a part of the text. The metre, which might be more commodiously regulated, if these words were omitted, in some measure supports this conjecture: "Nor let pity, which ev'n women have cast off, We might read: inflame thy loving bosom: MALONE. With Mr. Malone's alteration, however, the words will bear the following sense:-Let not conscience, which in itself is of a cold nature, have power to raise the flame of love in you, raise it even to folly.-Nicely, in ancient language, signifies foolishly. Niais, Fr. Perhaps, indeed, the passage originally stood thus: Let not conscience, Which is but cold, inflame love in thy bosom; Nor let that pity women have cast off, Melt thee, but be a soldier to thy purpose. Enflame too nicely-and-which even, are the words I omit. I add only the pronoun-that. STEEVENS. 6 VIII: 66 but yet she is a goodly creature.] So, in King Henry and yet my conscience says "She's a good creature." STEEVENS. but yet she is a goodly creature. Dion. The fitter then the gods should have her.] So, in King Richard III : "O, he was gentle, mild, and virtuous.- Here STEEVENS. Weeping she comes for her old nurse's death.] Old copy: |