quainted with them than myself: no more then remains, to qualify you fully and effectually to take my place, but that your worth, i. e. integrity, moral excellence be added, in the public estimation, to your acknowledged abilities. "For common justice, you are as pregnant in, "As art and practice hath enriched any, "That we remember." This is such verbal concord as an ostler uses, when, boasting of his experience, he says, I wish I had as many guineas as I have curried a horse. Some arrangement like this is necessary "For common justice, you are as pregnant in "As any, most enrich'd by art and practice "That we remember," &c. 66 192. There is a kind of character in thy life, That, to the observer, doth thy history Fully unfold." The progress of thy life has marked upon thy countenance and exterior, a character, which clearly denotes what thou art. 193. "As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd." The hypermeter might be obviated in this man "We had them not; spirits are not finely touch'd, "But to fine issues; nor nature never lends.” This is not a double negative, as Mr. Steevens calls it; "nor" is the appropriate negative conjunction, as it is also in the passage quoted for similar censure from Julius Cæsar "There is no harm intended to your person, "Nor to no Roman else." 194. "Both thanks and use." "Use," here, is equivocal; exercise or application, and usance or interest. "To one that can my part in him advértise.” To one that can already declare or make known all those precepts which I would impart to him: in this sense advertisement seems to be used in Much ado about Nothing: "My griefs cry louder than advertisement." 197. "I thank you; fare you well." This hemistic appears to be interpolation: the Duke had already taken his leave; and the words of Escalus seem only intended to follow him. "And it concerns me." I believe we should read, as it concerns me. To this hemistic perhaps was added "And would learn." G 2 SCENE II. 203. "Is there a maid with child by him?" Cl. "No, but there's a woman with maid by him." How can a woman with child be said to be with maid? Perhaps the child unborn is called maiden, as a flower, before its leaves are unfolded, is so termed. "As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown." But I suspect that a quibble is intended; a woman with-made by him, i. e: made by him according to the sense in which to make or to do has already been used. 204. "All houses in the suburbs.” Mr. Tyrwhitt proposes that we should read bawdy-houses; but in this colloquy between the bawd and her tapster, the distinction seems superfluous; and there is, perhaps, more humour and character in its omission: no other kind of houses was in the clown's thoughts. SCENE III. 208. " Propagation of a dower.” Entailment, I suppose, fixed possession: we suspended the ceremony of marriage only for the purpose of making secure the possession of Julietta's fortune. 209. "Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness." The meaning seems to be, whether it be an error, the result of inexperience and a hasty view or glimpse of the duties of his new office, &c. 211. -In her youth, "There is a prone and speechless dialect." Prone, I believe, here, means spontaneous, apt, intuitive, congenial, natural, as in King Henry VIII. Act 1, 66 prone to mischief," i. e. naturally or habitually addicted to it. "Speechless dialect." Thus in Troilus and Cressida, "There lurks a still and dumb-discussive devil." 212. Who I wou'd be sorry should be thus foolishly lost." It should be which I would be, instead of who, or else shou'dst, instead of shou'd. SCENE IV. 213. "Can pierce a complete bosom.” Complete has the same accentuation in Hamlet. "That thou, dead corse, again in cómplete steel." 216. "We bid this be done, "When evil deeds have their permissive pass, "And not the punishment. Qui non prohibet cum prohibere potest, jubet. LORD CHEDWORTH. "More" here is adverbial, and the placing it between the adjective pronoun and the substan-' tive is very uncouth.-See Much ado about Nothing, Thy much misgovernment." 66 SCENE V. you." 219. "Not to be weary with Weary," "for tedious, prolix. "Make me not your story." I am inclined to think that Mr. Steevens's first interpretation of this passage is the true one, "Make me not a person in your ludicrous drama." 224. "To give fear to use.' To annex terror to the commission of that act, for which Claudio was condemned. Use has the same meaning in other places, as in Othello, "He hath used thee." 227. ACT II. SCENE I. -Rather cut a little, "Than fall, and bruise to death.” Mr. Steevens is right in annexing the active |