Draws us a profit from all things we see: 4 not merely confined to services in war, I have no doubt but we should read: That service is not service, &c. M. Mason. This service means, any particular service. The observation relates to the court as well as to war. Malone. 2 The sharded beetle-] i. e. the beetle whose wings are enclosed within two dry husks or shards. So, in Gower, De Confessione Amantis, Lib. V, fol. 103, b: "That with his swerd, and with his spere, "He might not the serpent dere: Gower is here speaking of the dragon subdued by Jason. Steevens. See Vol. VII, p. 137, n. 3. Cole, in his Latin Dict. 1679, has— "A shard or crust-Crusta;" which in the Latin part he interprets" a crust or shell, a rough casing; shards." "The cases (says Goldsmith) which beetles have to their wings, are the more necessary, as they often live under the surface of the earth, in holes, which they dig out by their own industry." These are undoubtedly the safe holds to which Shakspeare alludes. Malone. The epithet full-wing'd applied to the eagle, sufficiently marks the contrast of the poet's imagery; for whilst the bird can soar towards the sun beyond the reach of the human eye, the insect can but just rise above the surface of the earth, and that at the close of day. Henley. 3 attending for a check;] Check may mean, in this place, a reproof; but I rather think it signifies command, controul. Thus, in Troilus and Cressida, the restrictions of Aristotle are called Aristotle's checks. Steevens 4 than doing nothing for a babe;] [Dr. Warburton reads-bauble.] i. e. vain titles of honour gained by an idle attendance at court. But the Oxford editor reads-for a bribe. Warburton. The Oxford editor knew the reason of this alteration, though his censurer knew it not. Of babe some corrector made bauble; and Sir Thomas Hanmer thought himself equally authorised to make bribe. I think babe can hardly be right. It should be remembered, however, that bauble was anciently spelt bable; so that Dr. Warburton in reality has added but one letter. A bauble was part of the insignia of a fool. So, in All's Well that Ends Well, Act IV, sc. v, the Clown says: Prouder, than rustling in unpaid-for silk: Such gain the cap of him, that makes them fine, Gui. Out of your proof you speak: we, poor un fledg'd, Have never wing'd from view o' the nest; nor know not "I would give his wife my bauble, sir." It was a kind of truncheon (says Sir John Hawkins) with a head carved on it. To this Belarius may allude, and mean that honourable poverty is more precious than a sinecure at court, of which the badge is a truncheon or a wand. So, in Middleton's Game at Chess, 1623: "Art thou so cruel for an honour's bable?" As, however, it was once the custom in England for favourites at court to beg the wardship of infants who were born to great riches, our author may allude to it on this occasion. Frequent complaints were made that nothing was done towards the education of these neglected orphans. Steevens. I have always suspected that the right reading of this passage is what I had not in a former edition the confidence to propose: Richer than doing nothing for a brabe; Brabium is a badge of honour, or the ensign of an honour, or any thing worn as a mark of dignity. The word was strange to the editors, as it will be to the reader; they therefore changed it to babe; and I am forced to propose it without the support of any authority. Brabrium is a word found in Holyoak's Dictionary, who terms it a reward. Cooper, in his Thesaurus, defines it to be a prize, or reward for any game. Johnson. A babe and baby are synonymous. A baby being a puppet or plaything for children, perhaps, if there be no corruption, a babe here means a puppet:-but I think with Dr. Johnson that the text is corrupt. For babe Mr. Rowe substituted bauble. Doing nothing in this passage means, I think, being busy in petty and unimportant employments: in the same sense as when we say, melius est otiosum esse quam nihil agere. The following lines in Dryden's Owle, 4to. 1604, may add, how. ever, some support to Rowe's emendation, bable or bauble: "Which with much sorrow brought into my mind "Their wretched soules, so ignorantly blinde, "When even the greatest things, in the world unstable, Clyme but to fall, and damned for a bable." Malone. 5 Yet keeps his book uncrossd:] So, in Skialetheia, a collection of Epigrams, &c. 1598: "Yet stands he in the debet book uncrost." Steevens. no life to ours.] i. e. compared with ours. So, p. 78: "Thy mind to her is now as low," &c. Steevens. That have a sharper known; well corresponding Arv. What should we speak of, When we are old as you? when we shall hear Bel. How you speak!" And felt them knowingly: the art o' the court, The fear 's as bad as falling: the toil of the war, A pain that only seems to seek out danger I' the name of fame, and honour; which dies i'the search; And hath as oft a slanderous epitaph, As record of fair act; nay, many times, Doth ill deserve by doing well; what's worse, 7 To stride a limit.] To overpass his bound. Johnson. In the preceding line the old copy reads-A prison, or a debtor, &c. The correction was made by Mr. Pope. Malone. 8 What should we speak of.] This dread of an old age, unsupplied with matter for discourse and meditation, is a sentiment natural and noble. No state can be more destitute than that of him, who, when the delights of sense forsake him, has no pleasures of the mind. Johnson. 9 How you speak!] Otway seems to have taken many hints for the conversation that passes between Acasto and his sons, from the scene before us. Steevens. Was not far off: Then was I as a tree, Whose boughs did bend with fruit: but, in one night, Shook down my mellow hangings, nay, my leaves, Gui. Uncertain favour! Bel. My fault being nothing (as I have told you oft) But that two villains, whose false oaths prevail'd Before my perfect honour, swore to Cymbeline, I was confederate with the Romans: so, Follow'd my banishment; and, this twenty years, This rock, and these demesnes, have been my world: Where I have liv'd at honest freedom; paid More pious debts to heaven, than in all The fore-end of my time.-But, up to the mountains; And we will fear no poison, which attends In place of greater state.1 I'll meet you in the valleys. [Exeunt GUI. and ARV. How hard it is, to hide the sparks of nature! These boys know little, they are sons to the king; They think, they are mine: and, though train'd up thus meanly I' the cave, wherein they bow,2 their thoughts do hit 1 And we will fear no poison, which attends In place of greater state.] The comparative-greater, which violates the measure, is surely an absurd interpolation; the lowbrow'd cave in which the princes are meanly educated, being a place of no state at all. Steevens. "Fictilibus; tunc illa time, cum pocula sumes Juv. Malone. 2 though train'd up thus meanly I' the cave, wherein they bow,] The old editions read: l' the cave, where on the bowe; which, though very corrupt, will direct us to the true reading, [as it stands in the text.]-In this very cave, which is so low that they must bow or bend in entering it, yet are their thoughts so exalted, &c. This is the antithesis. Belarius had spoken before of the lowness of this cave: "A goodly day! not to keep house, with such The roofs of palaces; and nature prompts them, 3 "Whose roof's as low as ours! Stoop, boys: This gate "Instructs you how to adore the heavens: and bows you "To morning's holy office." Warburton This Polydore,] The old copy of the play (except here, where it may be only a blunder of the printer,) calls the eldest son of Cymbeline, Polidore, as often as the name occurs; and yet there are some who may ask whether it is not more likely that the printer should have blundered in the other places, than that he should have hit upon such an uncommon name as Paladour in this first instance Paladour was the ancient name for Shaftsbury. So, in A Meeting Dialogue-wise between Nature, the Phoenix, and the Turtle-dove, by R Chester, 1601: "This noble king builded fair Caerguent, "Now cleped Winchester of worthie fame; "That after-ages Shaftsburie hath to name.' Steevens. I believe, however, Polydore is the true reading. In the pages of Holinshed, which contain an account of Cymbeline, Polydore [i. e. Polydore Virgil] is often quoted in the margin; and this probably suggested the name to Shakspeare. Malone. Otway (see p. 87, n. 9,) was evidently of the same opinion, as he has so denomiated one of the sons of Acasto in The Orphan. The translations, however, of both Homer and Virgil, would have afforded Shakspeare the name of Polydore. Steevens. 4 The younger brother, Cadwal,] This name is found in an ancient poem, entitled King Arthur, which is printed in the same collection with the Meeting Dialogue-wise, &c. quoted in the preceding note: 66 Augisell, king of stout Albania, In this collection one of our author's own poems was originally printed. Malone. See Mr. Malone's edition of our author's works, Vol. X, p. 341, n. 9. Steevens. |