A D V A N T A G E. Thus says my king :-Say thou to Harry of EngJand, though we seemed dead, we did but sleep: Advantage is a better foldier, than rashness; Tell hiin, we cou'd have rebuked him at Harfleur ; but that we thought not good to bruise an injury, till it were full ripe.

Henry V. A. 3, S. 6.

A D V ERSITY.
A wretched soul, bruis’d with adversity,
We bid be quiet, when we hear it cry;
But were we burden’d with like weight of pain,
As much or more, we should ourselves complain.

Comedy of Errors, A. 2, S. I.
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 counsellors, When means and lavish manners meet together,

Buzzer, in a subsequent 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 used, as Dr. Johnson supposes, for an idle rumour, without foundation.

MALONE. When Hamlet says " buz, buz!” he cannot mean by it mere idle talk, because he had already been informed by Guildernstern that the players were actually arrived. I understand the expreffion thus:-The Prince is vexed at the officious intrusion of Polonius into his presence, 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 shall his affections fly,
Towards fronting peril and oppos’d decay !

Henry IV. P.2, A. 4. S. 4. I faw Baflanio and Anthonio

part :
Bassanio 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 wondrous fenfble
He wrung Bassanio's hand, and so they parted.

Merchant of Venice, A. 2, S. 8. What he hath taken away from thy father per-force, I will render three 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 foremost; 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 obstinate. Coriolan. A. 5, S. 3.

-Brave conquerors !-for fo you are,
That war against your own affections,
And the huge army of the world's desires.

Love's Labour Loft, A. I, S. 1. If drawing my sword against the humour of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take desire prisoner, and ransom him to any French courtier for a new devised court'sy.

Love's Labour Loft, A. I. S. 2.

-Beseech you, let her will
Have a free way. "I therefore beg it not
To please the palate of my appetite ;

Nor

Nor to comply with heat, (the young affects,
In me defunct) and proper satisfaction ;
But to be free and bounteous to her mind :
And heaven defend your good souls, that you think
I will your serious and great business scant,
For she is with me.

Othello, A, I, S. 3. I remember, one said, there were no fallets in the lines ", to make the matter favoury; nor no matter in the phrase, that might indite the author of affections : but called it an honest method; as wholesome as sweet, and by very much more handsome than fine.

Hamlet, A. 2, S. 2. O, she, 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 else That live in her! Twelfth Night, A. 1. S. 1.

Very many notes have been written on these seemingly difficult lines, but without discovering the poet's meaning. A very flight change will give sufficient clearness to the passage, and consistency to Othello's speech. 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 consideration of the young affections (alluding to his recent marriage), which may very naturally be supposed to be conjunct, or joining, in this my request; 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, no falt, &c.

STEEVENS. “No fallers in the lines" is nonsense; 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

smuttiness. Dir des saletés, is, to talk lewdly. Saletés having been at first printed without the accent, was read saletes, and thence arose the mistake.

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 fantastic “ cal. “No matter in the phrase that might indite the author of

affection," seems to mean, that he was a cold, uninteresting writer, that he did not speak from the heart.

A. B AFFLICTION

3

AFFLICTION.

Tell my friends,
Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree,
From high to low throughout, that whoso please
To stop affliction, let him take his haste,
Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe,
And hang himself.

Timon, A. 5, S. 2.
-Had it pleas’d-heaven
To try me with affliction; had he rain'd
All kind of sores, and shames, 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 some place of my soul
A drop of patience.

Othello, A. 4, S. 2.
O, you mighty Gods !
This world I do renounce; and, in your sights,
Shake patiently my great affliction off:
If I could bear it longer, and not fall
To quarrel with your

great opposeless wills, My snuff, and loathed part of nature, should Burn itself out.

Lear, A. 4, S. 6.
-Henceforth, I'll bear
Affliction, till it do cry out itself,
Enough, enough, and die. Lear, A. 4, S. 6.
Prosperity's the very bond of love;
Whose fresh complexion, and whose heart together,
Affliction alters.

Winter's Tale, A. 4, S. 3.
What's gone, and what's past help,
Should be past grief: Do not receive affliction
At my petition, I beseech you !

Winter's Tale, A. 3, S. 2.
I think, affliction may subdue the check,
But not take in the mind.

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

1

Nay; forfooth, my friends,
They that must weigh out my afflictions',
They that my trust must grow to, livé not here.

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

AGE.
The fixth

age

shifts Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon; With spectacles on nose, 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.

A I R.

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 messenger of heaven
Unto the white, up-turned wond’ring eyes

I

weigh out my afli&tions.] This phrase is obscure. To weigh out, is, in modern language, to deliver by weight; but this fenfe cannot be here admitted. To weigh is likewise to deliberate upon, to consider with due attention. This may perhaps be meant. Or the phrase, to weigh out, may fignify to counterbalance, to counteract with equal force.

JOHNSON. To weigh out, is the same as to outweigh.

STEEVENS. I understand the passage thus: The Queen would insinuate that she is the child of affiction, as we would say; and that such she must be content to remain. She at the same time hints, however, that her friends, who in such a case would weigh out, or apportion her afli&tions, and who would consequently make them as easy and light as possible, were absent; and that she has nothing to hope for from the Cardinals, who would rather endeavour to heap misfortunes on her head,

A. B.

Of