So virgin-like without? Lo, here she comes. Enter IMOGEN. I am ignorant in what I am commanded.1 Pis. Madam, here is a letter from my lord. All but in that!-Good wax, thy leave :-Bless'd be, His duty was to survey the lands of the ward after office found, [i. e. after an inquisition had been made to the king's use] and to return the true value thereof to the court, &c. "In cognoscendis rimandisque feudis (says Spelman) ad regem pertinentibus, et ad tenuras pro rege manifest andas tuendasque, operam navat; Escaetori ideo adjunctus, omnibusque nervis regiam promovens utilitatem." He was therefore, we see, the Escheator's associate, and hence Shakspeare, with his usual licence, uses the word for a confederate or associate in general. The feudal vassal was not called a feodary, but a feodatary and feudatory. In Latin, however, feudatarius signified both Malone. 1 I am ignorant in what I am commanded.] i. e. I am unpractised in the arts of murder. Steevens. So, in King Henry IV, Part I: 2 "O, I am ignorance itself in this." Malone. Tyrwhitt. let that grieve him,] I should wish to read: Of my lord's health, of his content,—yet no; That we two are asunder, let that grieve him! Tyrwhitt wishes to amend this passage by reading no, instead of not, in the first line; but it is right as it stands, and there is nothing wanting to make it clear, but placing a stop longer than a comma, after the word asunder. The sense is this:-"Let the letter bring me tidings of my lord's health, and of his content; not of his content that we are asunder-let that circumstance grieve him; but of his content in every shape but that. M. Mason. 3 For it doth physick love;] That is, grief for absence keeps love in health and vigour. Johnson. So, in The Winter's Tale: "It is a gallant child; one that, indeed, physicks the subject, makes old hearts fresh." Steevens. You bees, that make these locks of counsel! Lovers, Justice, and your father's wrath, should he take me in his dominion, could not be so cruel to me, as you, O the dearest of creatures, would not even renew me with your eyes. Take notice, that I am in Cambria, at MilfordHaven: What your own love will, out of this, advise you, follow. So, he wishes you all happiness, that remains loyal to his vow,5 and your, increasing in love, 3 Bless'd be, LEONATUS POSTHUMUS. You bees, that make these locks of counsel! Lovers, Though forfeiters you cast in prison, yet You clasp young Cupid's tables.] The meaning of this, which had been obscured by printing forfeitures for forfeiters, is no more than that the bees are not blessed by the man who forfeiting a bond is sent to prison, as they are by the lover for whom they perform the more pleasing office of sealing letters. Steevens. 4 Justice, &c.] Old copy-Justice, and your father's wrath, &c. could not be so cruel to me as you, O the dearest of creatures, would even renew me with your eyes. This passage, which is probably erroneous, is nonsense, unless we suppose that the word as has the force of but. "Your father's wrath could not be so cruel to me but you could renew me with your eyes." M. Mason I know not what idea this passage presented to the late edi. tors, who have passed it in silence. As it stands in the old copy. it appears to me unintelligible. The word not was, I think, omitted at the press, after would. By its insertion a clear sense is given: Justice and the anger of your father, should I be discovered here, could not be so cruel to me, but that you, O thou dearest of creatures, would be able to renovate my spirits by giving me the happiness of seeing you. Mr. Pope obtained the same sense by a less justifiable method; by substituting but instead of as; and the three subsequent editors adopted that reading. Malone. Mr. Malone reads" would not," and I have followed him. Steevens. that remains loyal to his vow, &c.] This subscription, to the second letter of Posthumus, affords ample countenance to Mr. M. Mason's conjecture concerning the conclusion of a former one. See p. 36, n. 1. Steevens. 6 and your, increasing &c.] We should, I think, read thus-and increasing in love, Leonatus Posthumus,-to make it VOL. XVI. I O, for a horse with wings!-Hear'st thou, Pisanio? May plod it in a week, why may not I Glide thither in a day?-Then, true Pisanio, (Who long'st, like me, to see thy lord; who long'st,- For mine 's beyond beyond,7) say, and speak thick, How we may steal from hence; and, for the gap How many score of miles may we well ride Pis. One score, 'twixt sun, and sun, plain, that your is to be joined in construction with Leonatus, and not with increasing; and that the latter is a participle present, and not a noun. Tyrwhitt 7 For mine 's beyond beyond,] The comma, hitherto placed after the first beyond, is improper. The second is used as a substantive; and the plain sense is, that her longing is further than beyond; be yond any thing that desire can be said to be beyond. Ritson. So, in King Lear: 8 "Beyond all manner of so much I love you." Steevens. speak thick,] i. e. croud one word on another, as fast as possible. So, in King Henry IV, Part II: "And speaking thick, which nature made his blemish, 9 - from our hence-going, And our return,] i. e. in consequence of our going hence and returning back. All the modern editors, adopting an alteration made by Mr. Pope,-Till our return. In support of the reading of the old copy, which has been here restored, see Coriolanus, Act II, sc. i, Vol. XIII. Malone. 1 Why should excuse be born or e'er begot?] Why should I contrive an excuse, before the act is done, for which excuse will be neces: sary? Malone. Madam, 's enough for you; and too much too. Imo. Why, one that rode to his execution, man, Could never go so slow: I have heard of riding wagers,2 Where horses have been nimbler than the sands That run i' the clock's behalf:3. ery : But this is fool Go, bid my woman feign a sickness; say She'll home to her father: and provide me, presently, A riding suit; no costlier than would fit A franklin's housewife.4 Pis. Madam, you're best consider.5 Imo. I see, before me, man, nor here, nor here, Nor what ensues; but have a fog in them, That I cannot look through. Away, I pr'ythee; 2 6 of riding wagers,] Of wagers to be determined by the speed of horses. Malone. 3 That run the clock's behalf:] This fantastical expression means no more than sand in an hour-glass, used to measure time. Warburton. 4 A franklin's housewife.] A franklin is literally a freeholder, with a small estate, neither villain nor vassal. Johnson. See Vol. VIII, p. 198, n 5. Steevens. 5 Madam, you 're best consider.] That is, "you'd best consider." M. Mason. So afterwards, in sc. vi: "I were best not call." Malone. 6 I see before me, man, nor here, nor here, Nor what ensues; but have a fog in them, That I cannot look through. The lady says: "I can see neither one way nor other, before me nor behind me, but all the ways are covered with an impenetrable fog." There are objections insuperable to all that I can propose, and since reason can give me no counsel, I will resolve at once to follow my inclination. Johnson When Imogen speaks these words, she is supposed to have her face turned towards Milford; and when she pronounces the words, nor here, nor here, she points to the right and to the left. This be ing premised, the sense is evidently this:-"I see clearly the way before me; but that to the right, that to the left, and that behind me, are all covered with a fog that I cannot penetrate. There is no more therefore to be said, since there is no way accessible but that to Milford.”—The passage, however, should be pointed thus: "I see before me, man;-nor here, nor here, What ensues means what follows; and Shakspeare uses it here, somewhat licentiously, to express what is behind. M. Mason. Do as I bid thee: There's no more to say; SCENE III. [Exeunt. Wales. A mountainous Country, with a Cave. Bel. A goodly day not to keep house, with such Gui. Arv. Hail, heaven! Hail, heaven! Bel. Now, for our mountain sport: Up to yon hill, Your legs are young; I'll tread these flats. Consider, When you above perceive me like a crow, That it is place, which lessens, and sets off. And you may then revolve what tales I have told you, 7 Stoop, boys:] The old copy reads-Sleep, boys:-from whence Sir T. Hanmer conjectured that the poet wrote-Stoop, boys-as that word affords an apposite introduction to what follows. Mr. Rowe reads-See, boys,-which (as usual) had been silently copied. Steevens. Perhaps Shakspeare wrote-Sweet boys; which is more likely to have been confounded by the ear with "Sleep, boys," than what Sir T. Hanmer has substituted. Malone. 8 Night: 66 may jet i. e. strut, walk proudly. So, in Twelfth how he jets under his advanced plumes." Steevens. Their impious turbans on,] The idea of a giant was, among the readers of romances, who were almost all the readers of those times, always confounded with that of a Saracen. 9 Johnson. 1 This service is not service, &c.] In war it is not sufficient to do duty well; the advantage rises not from the act, but the accep tance of the act. Johnson. As this seems to be intended by Belarius as a general maxim. |