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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 bruife 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 fhould ourselves complain.

Comedy of Errors, A. 2, S. 1.

Sweet are the uses of adversity;

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 counfellors, When means and lavish manners meet together,

Buzzer, in a fubfequent 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 ufed, 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 Guildernftern that the players were actually arrived. I understand the expreffion thus:-The Prince is vexed at the officious intrufion 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," &c. 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 foremoft; then the honour'd mould
Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand
The grandchild to her blood. But, out, affection!
All bond and privilege of nature, break!
Let it be virtuous to be obftinate. Coriolan. A.

-Brave conquerors !-for fo you are,

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

5,

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 ranfom him to any French courtier for a new devised court'fy.

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Nor to comply with heat, (the young affects,
In me defunct) and proper fatisfaction;
But to be free and bounteous to her mind:

And heaven defend your good fouls, that you think your ferious and great bufinefs fcant,

I will
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 phrafe, that might indite the author of affection': but called it an honeft method; as wholesome as fweet, and by very much more handfome than fine.

Hamlet, A. 2, S. 2.

O, fhe, 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 shaft
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 difcovering the poet's meaning. A very flight change will give fufficient clearnefs to the paffage, and confiftency to Othello's fpeech. 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 requeft; 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. Saletés having been at first printed without the accent, was read faletes, and thence arose the miftake.

3

A. B.

indite the author of affection.] i. e. Convict the author of being a fantastical, affected writer. STEEVENS. "Affection" is not, in this place, I believe, affected or fantafti"cal. "No matter in the phrafe 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.

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A. B

AFFLICTION

AFFLICTION.

Tell my friends,

Tell Athens, in the fequence of degree,
From high to low throughout, that whofo please
To ftop affliction, let him take his hafte,

Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe,
And hang himself.

-Had it pleas'd heaven

Timon, A. 5, S. 2.

To try me with affliction; had he rain'd

All kind of fores, and fhames, on my bare head,
Steep'd me in poverty to the very lips;

Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes;
I should have found in fome place of my foul
A drop of patience.

Othello, A. 4, S. 2.
-O, you mighty Gods!

This world I do renounce; and, in your fights,
Shake patiently my great affliction off:

If I could bear it longer, and not fall

To quarrel with your great opposeless wills,
My fnuff, and loathed part of nature, should
Burn itself out.

-Henceforth, I'll bear

Affliction, till it do cry out itself,

Enough, enough, and die.

Lear, A. 4, S. 6.

Lear, A. 4, S. 6.

Winter's Tale, A. 4, S. 3.

Prosperity's the very bond of love;

Whose fresh complexion, and whofe heart together,

Affliction alters.

What's gone, and what's paft help,

Should be paft grief: Do not receive affliction

At my petition, I beseech you!

I think, affliction may fubdue the check,

Winter's Tale, A. 3, S. 2.

But not take in the mind.

Winter's Tale, A. 4, S. 3.

Nay,

-Nay, forfooth, my friends,

They that must weigh out my afflictions',
They that my truft muft grow to, live not here.

King Henry VIII. A. 3, S. 1.

A G E.

The fixth

age fhifts

Into the lean and flipper'd pantaloon;

With spectacles on nofe, and pouch on fide;
And his big manly voice,

Turning again towards childish treble, pipes

And whistles in his found.

As you like it, A. 2, S. 7.

AIR.

When he speaks,

The air, a charter'd libertine, is still,

And the mute wonder lurketh in men's ears,
To steal his sweet and honey'd sentences.

Henry V. A. 1, S. 1.
Thou art

As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,
As is a winged meffenger of heaven
Unto the white, up-turned wond'ring eyes

I

weigh out my afflictions.] This phrafe is obfcure. To weigh out, is, in modern language, to deliver by weight; but this fenfe cannot be here admitted. To weigh is likewife to deliberate upon, to confider with due attention. This may perhaps be meant. Or the phrase, to weigh out, may fignify to counterbalance, to counteract with equal force. JOHNSON. STEEVENS

To weigh out, is the fame as to outweigh.

I understand the paffage thus: The Queen would infinuate that fhe is the child of affliction, as we would fay; and that such she must be content to remain. She at the fame time hints, however, that her friends, who in fuch a cafe would weigh out, or apportion her afflictions, and who would confequently make them as eafy and light as poffible, were abfent; and that she has nothing to hope for from the Cardinals, who would rather endeavour to heap misfortunes on her head.

A. B.

Of

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