Until a king be by; and then his state [Music. Ner. It is your music, madam, of the house. Por. designed to signify that the man who, to a general inability to perceive the beauty and excellence of virtue, or moral order, adds such an unfeeling hardness and ferocity of mind as renders him unfit to be 66 -mov'd with concord of sweet sounds," may then be considered as consummately vicious, capable of the most atrocious actions, and "fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;" music in the first line being understood metaphorically, and the concord of sweet sounds in the latter, interpreted literally. Thus, the faculty of being roused or softened by the relation and proportion of musical sounds is considered as forming a kind of barrier or limitation to the possible extent of human depravity, and the evil affections of the heart. But whatever objections may be raised against these particular lines upon rigid philosophical principles, it cannot, I think, be denied that, considered in a poetical point of view, the whole passage, collectively taken, is extremely beautiful, and eminently distinguished by a happy choice of terms, by originality of thought and energy of expression. While ever, therefore, the bounty of providence shall continue to confer, upon so large a portion of the human race, the rapturous enjoyments communicated by the taste for this elegant and enchanting art, so long, probably, will it be read, felt, and recited, with warm admiration, and undiminished applause. E W Methinks, it sounds much sweeter th When neither is attended; and, I think The nightingale, if she should sing by without respect;] Not absolutel but relatively good as it is modified by circum J The sense is-Nothing is good without a to the propriety of the circumstances in wh introduced. HEATH. Without respect had to something else. 5 The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark tendency of this remark to illustrate the fe proposition, "Nothing is good, I see, without respec is not very obvious; she would, however, derstood to say that in the hurry, no tumult of the day, neither being then attend is a matter of no importance whether the cro sing, which is resorted to as a confirmation went before. The case, however, is some strongly put; the lark, which sings only is sometimes listened to, and, when that never fails to be considered as a musician perior to the crow: What follows as to the gale and wren, is more evidently to the P When every goose is cackling, would be thought No better a musician than the wren. How many things by season season'd are mion,6 And would not be awak'd. [Music ceases. Lor. 6 Peace! how the moon sleeps with Endymion,] Thus the old copies. For the emendation now made I am answerable. The oddness of the phrase, "How *the moon would not be awak'd!" first made me suspect the passage to be corrupt; and the following lines in Romeo and Juliet, suggested the emendation, and appear to me to put it beyond a doubt: "Peace, hoa! for shame! confusion's cure lives not "In these confusions." Again, in As you like it, Act 1. "Peace, hoa! I bar confusion." Again, in Measure for Measure : Again, ibid: "Peace, hoa, be here!" 66 In Antony and Cleopatra the same mistake, I think, has happened. In the passage before us, as exhibited in the old copies, there is not a note of admiration after the word awak'd. Portia first enjoins the music to cease, Peace, hoa!" and then subjoins the reason for her injunction; "The moon," Mr. Tyrwhitt seems to be of opinion that the interjection Ho was formerly used to command a cessation &c, Lor. That is the voice, Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. Por. He knows me, as the blind man knows the cuckow, By the bad voice. Lor. Dear lady, welcome home. Por. We have been praying for our husbands' welfare,7 Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Are they return'd? Lor. Madam, they are not yet; But there is come a messenger before, Por. a cessation of noise, as well as of fighting. See Cant. Tales of Chaucer, vol 4, p. 230. MALONE. Mr. Malone's is an excellent correction, but nothing contained in his note serves to explain the reasonableness of Portia's observation: The moon is reported by mythologists to have descended from her sphere when she paid a visit to Endymion upon Mount Latmos, but she is at present brightly shining over their heads. Mr. Capell after the words "And would not be awak'd," has the following stage direction[observing Lor. and Jes.] which induces one to suspect that he considered the remark as having a relation to them, who are dicovered reposing upon a bank, and rise as Portia approaches. 7 E. - for our husbands' welfare,] In Theobald, Hanmer, Johnson, &c. it is "husbands' healths, which has been formed from an imperfect reading of one of the quartos, viz. husband health. In that above, husbands is the antecedent to which. E. Por. Go in, Nerissa, Give order to my servants, that they take trumpet: We are no tell-tales, madam; fear you not. Por. This night, methinks, is but the daylight sick, It looks a little paler; 'tis a day, Bass. 8 A tucket] Toccata, Ital. a flourish on a trumpet. STEEVENS. 9 Enter Bassanio, &c.] If the interval between the conclusion of the former Act and the present Scene be such as has been already stated, Bassanio must have altered his intention expressed in these words, Act 4, Scene 1. "And in the morning early will we both Speed toward Belmont," by beginning his journey at night, or even sooner. Gratiano towards the close of this Scene observes that" it is now but two hours to day." This conduct is more conformable to a prior declaration of Bassanio just before his departure from Belmont; till I come again, "No bed shall e'er be guilty of my stay, "Nor rest be interposer 'twixt us twain.” At |