P. 305, c. 2, 1. 51. Enter Servilius. It may be observed that Shakspeare has unskilfully filled his Greek story with Roman names. JOHNSON, Id. l. 56. "Derive much,"-MALONE; who prints this speech as prose. P. 306, c. 1, 1. 6. Knock me down with 'em:] Timou quibbles. They present their written bills; he catches at the word, and alludes to the bills or battle-axes, which the ancient soldiery carried, and were still used by the watch in Shakspeare's time. Id. 1. 32. "Ullorxa all:"-MALONE; who does not explain the meaning of this strange word. SCENE V. Id. l. 58. setting his fate aside,] i. e. putting this action of his, which was pre-determined by fate, out of the question. Id. 1. 66. And with sober and unnoted passion He did behave his anger, ere twas spent. &c.] The sense of this passage (however perversely expressed on acount of rhyme) may be this: "He managed his anger with such sober and unnoted passion [i. e. suffering, forbearance], before it was spent, [1. e. before that disposition to endure the insult he had received, was exhausted] that it seemed as if he had been only engaged in supporting an argument he had advanced in conversation. Id. 1. 68. You undergo too strict a paradox,] You undertake a parodox too hard. Id. l. 76. — -that man can breathe,] i. e. can utter. Id. c. 2. 1. 7. what make we Abroad? What do we, or what have we to do in the field? Id. 1. 19. "the fellow.-MALONE. Id. 1. 24. sin's extremest gust;] Gust means rashness. The allusion may be to a sudden gust of wind. So we say, it was done in a sudden gust of passion. Id. 1 25. --by mercy, 'tis most just.] i. e. I call mercy herself to witness, that defensive violence is just. JOHNSON Id. l. 67. I should prove so base,] Base for dishonoured. Id. 1. 79. And, not to swell our spirit ] i, e. not to put ourselves into any tumour of rage, take our definitive resolution. P. 307, c. 1, 7. 9. Mr. Malone omits ha! - for every grize of fortune- Grist for step or degree. Id. I. 49. fang mankind!] i. e seize, gripe. Id. l. 54. no idle votarist.] No insincere a inconstant supplicant. Gold will not serve m instead of roots. Id. l. 54 Id. you clear heavens !] This may meat either ye cloudless skies, or ye deities exemp from guilt 1. 70. To the April day again.] The Apri day does not relate to the widow, but to the other diseased female, who is represented a the outcast of an hospital. She it is what gold embalms and spices to the April day again: ie gold restores her to all the fresh ness and sweetness of youth. Id. 1. 73. Do thy right nature.] Lie in the eart where nature laid thee. Id. l 74. Thou'rt quick,] Thou hast life motion in thee. P. 309. c. 1, l. 35. If Thou wilt not promise, &c.] that is, how ever thou may'st act, since thou art a man hated man, I wish thee evil. Id. c 2, 13. "But set them down”—MALONE Id. 16. -bastard.] An allusion to the tale o Edipus. Id. I 18 Swear against objects;] Against ohjert is, against objects of charity and compassiou Id. 1. 38. I'll trust to your conditions :) I will trus to your inclinations, or rather vocations. P. 309, c. 2, l. 56. Nor sound his quillets:] Quillets are subtilties. Id. l. 86. hoar the flamen,] This may mean,Give the flamen the hoary leprosy. Id. 1. 60. that his particular to foresee,] The metaphor is apparently incongruous, but the sense is good. To foresee his particular, is to provide for his private advantage, for which he leaves the right scent of public good. ld. 1. 68. And ditches grave you all!] To grave is to entomb. The word is now obsolete, though sometimes used by Shakspeare and his contemporary authors. P. 310, c. 1, . 10. Whose-infinite breast-] means whose boundless surface. Id. 7. 14. - eyeless venom'd worm.] The serpent, which we, from the smallness of his eyes, call the blind-worm, and the Latins, cæcilia. ld. l. 15. below crisp heaven-ji. e. curled, bent, hollow. Id 1 25. Dry up thy marrows, vines, and plowtorn leas;] The sense is this: O nature! cease to produce men, ensear thy womb; but if thou wilt continue to produce them, at least cease to pamper them: dry up thy marrows, on which they fatten with unctuous morsels, thy rines, which give them liquorish draughts, and thy plow-torn leas. fd. t. 41. the cunning of a carper] i. e. the insidious art of a critic. Id. c. 2, l. 4. What a knave too?] Timon had Just called Apemantus fool, in consequence of what he had known of him by former acquaintance; but when Apemantus tells him that he comes to vex him. Timon determines that to ver is either the office of a villain or a fool; that to rer by design is villany, to vex without design is folly. He then properly asks Apemantus whether he takes delight in vexing, and when he answers, yes, Timon replies,What! a knave too? I before only knew thee to be a fool, but now I find the likewise a knave. JOHNSON. Id. 1. 9. is crown'd before:] Arrives sooner at high wish; that is, at the completion of its wishes. JOHNSON. Id. 1. 13. Worse than the worst, content.] Best states contentless have a wretched being, a being worse than that of the worst states that are content. JOHNSON. Shak Id. 1. 15. by his breath,] By his breath means in our author's language, by his voice or speech, and so in fact by his sentence. speare frequently uses the word in this sense. It has been twice used in this play. Id. 1. IS. Hadst thou, like us,-] There is in this speech a sullen haughtiness, and malignant dignity, suitable at once to the lord and the man-hater. The impatience with which he bears to have his luxury reproached by one that never had luxury within his reach, is natural and graceful. JOHNSON. Id. l. 24. Id. 1. 18 -first swath.] From infancy. Swath is the dress of a new-born child. Id. 1. 20. passive drugs of it-] or drudges. -precepts of respect,] The icy precepts of respect" mean the cold admonitions of cautious prudence, that deliberately weighs the consequences of every action. Id. 1. 28. -than I could frame employment ;] i. e. frame employment for. Shakspeare frequently writes thus. Id. L. 43. Thou hadst been a knave, and flatter er.) Dryden has quoted two verses of Virgil to show how well he could have written satires. Shakspeare has here given a specimen of the same power by a line bitter beyond all bitterness, in which Timon tells Apemantus, that he had not virtue enough for the vices which he condemns. I have heard Mr. Burke commend the subtilty of discrimination with which Shakspeare distinguishes the present character of Timon from that of Apemantus, whom to vulgar eyes he would now resemble. JOHN SON. Id. l. 78. -for too much curiosity ;] i. e. for too much finical delicacy. P. 311, c. 1, 7. 32. -the unicorn. &c] The account given of the unicorn is this: that he and the lion being enemies by nature, as soon as the lion sees the unicorn he betakes himself to a tree: the unicorn in his fury, and with all the swiftness of his course, running at him, sticks his horn fast in the tree, and then the lion falls upon him and kills him. Id. 1. 38. were remotion; i. e. removal from place to place; or perhaps, remoteness. Id. 1. 54. Thou art the cap, &c.] The top, the principal. The remaining dialogue has more malignity than wit. JOHNSON. Id. c. 2, l. 11. 0 thou touch of hearts!] Touch, for touchstone. Id. l. 61. In limited professions.] Regular, orderly professions, Id. l. 74. by a composture-] i. e. composition, compost. P. 312, c. 1, . 20. What an alteration of honour has Id. Desperate want made!] An alteration of honour, is an alteration of an honourable state to a state of disgrace. 1. 23. flow rarely does it meet-How curiously how happily. Id. 1. 24. When man was wish'd-] i. e. recommended. Id. 1. 26. Grant. I may ever love; and rather woo Those that would mischief me, than those that do! It is plain, that in this whole speech friends and enemies are taken only for those who profess friendship and profess enmity; for the friend is supposed uot to be more kind, but more dangerous than the enemy. The sense is, Let me rather woo or caress those that would mischief, that profess to mean me mischief, than those that really do me mischief, under false professions of kindness. The Spaniards, I think. have this proverb: Defend me from my friends, and from my enemies I will defend myself. This proverb is a sufficient comment on the passage. Jonsson. Id 1. 34. "Thou'rt a man,”—MALONE. Id. 1. 55. It almost turns My dangerous nature wild.] To turn wild, is to distract. An appearance so unexpected, says Timon, almost turns my savageness to distraction. Id. 1. 58. You perpetual," &c.-MALONE. |