Upon advice, hath drawn my love from her; I now am full resolv'd to take a wife, And turn her out to who will take her in: DUKE. There is a lady, sir, in Milan, here", VAL. Win her with gifts, if she respect not words; 6 And, WHERE] Where for whereas. It is often so used by our old writers, particularly in the preambles of ancient acts of parliament. MALONE. - sir, IN MILAN, here,] It ought to be thus, instead of -in Verona, here: for the scene apparently is in Milan, as is clear from several passages in the first act, and in the beginning of the first scene of the fourth act. A like mistake has crept into the eighth [fifth] scene of Act II. where Speed bids his fellow-servant Launce welcome to Padua. POPE. The old copy has "There is a lady in Verona here," And the circumstance that the word Verona exactly suits the metre, which is not the case with Milan, seems to indicate that this was an oversight of the youthful authour. Mr. Pope, to make out the verse, was obliged to add sir; but it is very unlikely that the compositor should have made two blunders of so different a kind in one line. However, to prevent the confusion that would arise from the introduction of Verona here, I have reluctantly followed all the other editions in adopting this emendation. MALONE. 8 the fashion of the time-] The modes of courtship, the acts by which men recommended themselves to ladies. JOHNSON. Dumb jewels often, in their silent kind, More than quick words, do move a woman's mind. DUKE. But she did scorn a present that I sent her1. 9 Win her with GIFTS, if she respect not wORDS; Dumb jewels often, in their silent kind, More than quick words, do move a woman's mind.] An earlier writer than Shakspeare, speaking of women, has the same unfavourable (and, I hope, unfounded) sentiment: "Tis wisdom to give much; a gift prevails, "When deep persuasive oratory fails." Marlowe's Hero and Leander. Our poet had probably read the popular poem recently before he composed this play. See the next page: "Would serve to scale another Hero's tower, "So bold Leander would adventure it.” See also p. 10, n. 6. To this note in Mr. Steeven's last two editions some passages have been added, for which I am not answerable. I know not where they came from. MALONE, Again, in the First Part of Jeronymo, 1605: though written much earlier: 66 let his protestations be "Fashioned with rich jewels, for in love "Great gifts and gold have the best tongues to move. "To bind it fast: oh, I know women's hearts "What stuff they are made of, my lord; gifts and giving, "Will melt the chastest seeming female living." REED. In the fourth of the preceding lines spare is undoubtedly an errour of the press in the old edition of Jeronymo, for swear. MALONE. I-SENT HER.] Mr. Steevens, to produce (as he says) "a more accurate rhyme," would read-that I sent, Sir; and Mr. J. M. Mason, with the same view, leaving the first line as it now stands, would read in that which follows,-what best content her, i. e. those gifts which best content her. I know not which of these suggestions is most exceptionable. He who has observed the laxity of ancient rhymes will not suspect any errour in the text; only three lines lower we find the word you repeated as rhyme; which might have cautioned Mr. Steevens against tampering with the old copy on the ground of too great a similarity of the rhymes. So, in the Tempest: Hourly joys be still upon you, "Juno sings her blessings on you." MALONE. VAL. A woman sometime scorns what best con tents her: Send her another; never give her o'er; faces. That man that hath a tongue, I say, is no man, And kept severely from resort of men, That no man hath access by day to her. VAL. Why then I would resort to her by night. DUKE. Ay, but the doors be lock'd, and keys kept safe, That no man hath recourse to her by night. VAL. What lets2, but one may enter at her window? DUKE. Her chamber is aloft, far from the ground; And built so shelving, that one cannot climb it Without apparent hazard of his life. VAL. Why then, a ladder, quaintly made of cords, To cast up, with a pair of anchoring hooks, Would serve to scale another Hero's tower, So bold Leander would adventure it. 2 What LETS,] i. e. what hinders. So, in Hamlet, Act I. Sc. IV.: "By heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets me." STEEVENS. DUKE. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, Advise me, where I may have such a ladder. VAL. When would you use it? pray, sir, tell me that. DUKE. This very night; for love is like a child, That longs for every thing that he can come by. VAL. By seven o'clock I'll get you such a ladder. DUKE. But hark thee; I will go to her alone; How shall I best convey the ladder thither? VAL. It will be light, my lord, that you may bear it Under a cloak, that is of any length. DUKE. A cloak as long as thine will serve the turn? VAL. Ay, my good lord. DUKE. Then let me see thy cloak; I'll get me one of such another length. VAL. Why, any cloak will serve the turn, my lord. DUKE. How shall I fashion me to wear a cloak ?— I pray thee, let me feel thy cloak upon me.What letter is this same? What's here ?-To Silvia? And here an engine fit for my proceeding! I'll be so bold to break the seal for once. [Reads. My thoughts do harbour with my Silvia nightly; And slaves they are to me, that send them flying: O, could their master come and go as lightly, Himself would lodge, where senseless they are lying. My herald thoughts in thy pure bosom rest them3; While I, their king, that thither them importune, Do curse the grace that with such grace hath bless'd them, Because myself do want my servants' fortune: I curse myself, for they are sent by me*, 3 My herald thoughts in thy pure bosom, &c.] i. e. the thoughts contained in my letter. See a subsequent note in this scene, on the words, "Even in the milk-white bosom of thy love." 4 MALONE. FOR they are sent -] For is the same as for that, since. JOHNSON. That they should harbour where their lord should be. What's here? Silvia, this night I will enfranchise thee: "Tis so; and here's the ladder for the purpose.— Bestow thy fawning smiles on equal mates; Thank me for this, more than for all the favours, Longer than swiftest expedition Will give thee time to leave our royal court, Be gone, I will not hear thy vain excuse, But, as thou lov'st thy life, make speed from hence. [Exit DUKE. 5 Merops' son,) ] Thou art Phaëton in thy rashness, but without his pretensions; thou art not the son of a divinity, but a terræ filius, a low-born wretch; Merops is thy true father, with whom Phaeton was falsely reproached. JOHNSON. This scrap of mythology Shakspeare might have found in the spurious play of K. John, 1591: 66 as sometime Phaeton, "Mistrusting silly Merops for his sire." Or in Robert Greene's Orlando Furioso, 1594: "Why, foolish, hardy, daring, simple groom, "Follower of fond conceited Phaëton," &c. STEEVENS. 6 But if thou linger in my territories, Longer than swiftest expedition Will give thee time to leave our royal court, By heaven, my wrath shall far exceed the love I ever bore my daughter, or thyself. Be gone, I will not hear thy vain excuse, But, as thou lov'st thy life, make speed from hence.] So, as Mr. Boaden suggests to me, in King Lear: |