This is the only way in which, I think, the construction of the following passage in Paradise Lost can be made out:

"Adam the goodliest man, of men since born "His sons; the fairest of her daughters Eve."

372. "With what his valour did enrich his wit, "His wit set down, to make his valour

live."

There is a harshness of construction in the first of these lines, that occasions some obscurity, owing to the distant precedence of the preposition with," from "wit," which, in natural arrangement, it ought to follow :

"What his valour did enrich his wit with, "His wit set down," &c.

Or

"That with which his valour did enrich his wit."

388.

SCENE II.

My lord, I hold my life as dear as yours."

There is no such ellipsis here as Mr. Steevens talks of:

"I hold my life as dear as (you do) yours."

The sense is, simply, "I consider my life to be as precious as yours is."

401.

SCENE IV.

The rest that love me, rise and follow me."

In the Third Part of King Henry VI. Act 4, Clarence says—

"You that love me, and Warwick, follow me."

411. "I did; with his contract with Lady Lucy."

"Contract," the noun, as well as the verb, has, I believe, invariably this accent throughout these works.

413. "I did infer, your lineaments

.

Being the right idea of your father, "Both in your form," &c.

I do not recollect any mention, either historical or poetical, of the duke of York's being deformed, as Gloster is represented to be.

417.

"And pardon us the interruption

"Of thy devotion and right Christian zeal."

In this distich we have a striking instance of the freedom with which the sound of conjoining vowels is shortened, or extended, to suit the measure of the verse.

A lady

"So fair, and fasten'd to an empery," &c. Also in Titus Andronicus, and other places. 421. "As the ripe révenue and due of birth." "Revenue" is not always thus accentuated: "That no revénue hast, but thy good spirits."

Hamlet.

The first quarto reads preferably, I think :

"As my ripe revenue, and due by birth." 423. "I give a sparing limit to my tongue." A narrow bound.

"Yet know, whe'r you accept our suit or no."

"Whether," undoubtedly, in other places, is contracted, if not in the letters, at least in the prosody, to the quantity of a monosyllable; but here, in the quarto, it is at full length, and the unnecessary cacophonous," know," has not a place in the line :

Yet, whether you accept our suite or no."

427.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

This dead-killing news.'

This phrase, which may be classed with "filling-full, means, I suppose, killing effectually, or at once-killing on the spot.

432. "Rude ragged nurse! old sullen playfellow.

Ragged," for " rugged," occurs elsewhere; as in King Henry IV. Second Part:

in

And Gray seems to have had this passage his thoughts, when he thus apostrophized adversity:

"Stern rugged nurse !"-

1

I am inclined to think that the harshness of which Dr. Johnson complains here will not generally be insisted on. The tower, once animated and apostrophised by a mother, going to deposit her babes there, might naturally enough be called by her a rugged nurse, cradle, or play-fellow : for infants will play; and what they play with may, without much violence, be called a play-fellow. Iron-witted fools."

434.

Creatures who, either from habits of cruelty, or dulness of sentiment, are fortified against compunction, and unsusceptible of reflection. "Unrespective" is inconsiderate.

435. "The deep-revolving witty Buckingham."

"Witty" is used ironically. This shallow fool, who thinks himself profound and wise.

Mr. Steevens says, "witty" here means judicious-but I believe it is quite the reverse; and Richard, in another place, calls him the "dullbrain'd Buckingham."

This is one of those seeming hypermeters which, by the ready accord of the component vowels, are, at least in blank verse, rather a grace than a blemish. This Milton knew, and he has made free and most happy use of the licence.

445. "Come to me, Tyrrel, soon, at after supper."

At the time when supper shall be over. The phrase, I believe, is local or provincial.

SCENE IV.

449. "Rest thy unrest," &c.

Repose thy weariness. It is quaintly expressed, and perhaps suggested the ludicrous passage in Chronon-hoton-thologos:

66

Fatigu'd with the tremendous toils of war, "Himself he unfatigues with gentle sleep." 451. "O, Harry's wife, triumph not in my

"3 woes.

This seems to be the proper accentuation of the verb " to triumph," and Milton so applies it: "Who now triumphs, and in the excess of joy," Paradise Lost.

&c.

452. "Earth gapes, hell burns, fiends roar, saints pray."

The deficiency of this line, which wants a foot, makes it probable that something has been lost. It is in vain, perhaps, to conjecture what that was; but it might have been to this effect: "Earth gapes, heaven lowers, hell burns, fiends roar, saints pray."

The line which follows

"To have him suddenly convey'd from hence," has, to avoid the rhyme, I suppose, been altered, and impaired, from the quarto, which reads: "To have him suddenly convey'd away."