And mar mens' spurring. Crack the lawyer's voice, Nor found his quillets fhrilly. (9) Hoar the Flamen And (9) Hoar, &c.] Mr. Upton, plainly perceiving there was fomething wrong in this paffage, proposes to read,, Hoarfe the Flamen. e. make hoarfe: for to be hoary claims reverence: this, not only the poets but the fcripture teaches us: Levit. xix. 32. Thoufhalt rife up before the boary head." Add to this, that boarfe, is here moft proper, as oppofed to folds. The poet could never mean "Give the Flamen the hoary leprofy that folds; boar, in this fenfe, is fo ambiguous, that the conftruction hardly admits it, and the opposition plainly requires the other reading." See Crit. Obfervations, p. 198. Though I must confefs Mr. Upton's conjecture very ingenious, and acknowledge with him, "boar, as it ftands, can never be Shakespear's word; yet neither can I think bourfe to be fo: tho' perhaps it may feem unreasonable. in me to condemn it, without being able to offer a better in its place. But I am apt to imagine there is a word by fome means or other flipt out of the text, and wanted where I have placed the afterisk. Nor found his quillets fhrilly. the hoar Flamen That fcolds,,&&c. What the word fo löft is, or how it must be fupplied, can be Nor found his quillets fhrewdly. Scald the boar Flamen And not believes himself. . Thus, that part of the Flamen, which procures him reverence, his hoary head would fuffer, and thus the punishments are varied. But this is only guefs-work; and yet in fuch cafes we have a better right to proceed in the daring work of alteration, than where an author's text is corrupt only to our feeble imagina- tions. “ And not believes himself. Down with with the nose, Of him, that his particular (10) to foresee Smells from the gen'ral weal. Make curl'd-pate ruffians And let the unfcarr'd braggarts of the war SCENE V. Timon's Reflections on the Earth. That nature being fick of man's unkindness, Never prefented-O, a root-dear thanks! (12) Dry up thy marrows, veins, and plough-torn leas, Whereof (10) To forefce.] As men by forefacing, provide for, and take care of their affairs, Shakespear ufes the word in that fenfe, "of him that to forefee, [provide for and fee after] his own particular advantage, &c." (r1) Crifp-crifpus, crispatus, curled; alluding to the clouds, that appear curled, and to which he gives that epithet in the Tempeft. To ride On the curled clouds. (12) Dry up.] Mr. Warburton reads here. Dry up thy barrow'd veins, and plough-torn leas: and the Oxford editor. Dry Whereof ingrateful man with liq'rish draughts, Timon's Difcourfe with Apemantus. From change of fortune. Why this fpade? this place ? Thy flatt'rers yet wear filk, drink wine, lie foft; Be thou a flatt'rer now, and seek to thrive Dry up thy meadows, vineyards, plough-torn leás. The Oxford editor has fome ground for his criticism, for I find in the folio, marrows, vines, &c. and for Mr. Warburton's, there is indeed fomething to be faid, tho' he muft obferve, the metaphor is not kept up by his alteration (for 'tis to keep up the metaphor he alters) except another flight emendation be made of kas into limbs! (13) Weeds.] This was woods, till altered by Mr. Warburton: we may obferve, Apimantus frequently reproaches Timon with his change of garb. That have out-liv'd the eagle, page thy heels, To cure thy o'er-night's furfeit ? Call the creatures, Whose naked natures live in all the spight Of wreakful heav'n, whose bare unhoufed trunks, Answer mere nature; bid them flatter thee: Tim. Thou art a flave, whom fortune's tender arm Freely command; thou wouldst have plung'd thy felf The mouths, the tongues, the eyes, the hearts of mea Do on the oak, have with one winter's brush On Gold. O, thou sweet king-killer and dear divorce 'Twixt natural fon and fire! thou bright defiler And mak'ft them kifs! that speak'st with every tongue, SCENE VII. Timon to the Thieves. Why fhould you want? behold the earth hath roots; The bounteous hufwife nature on each bush Tim. Nor on the beafts themselves, the birds and fishes: In limited profeffions. Rafcals, thieves, Here's gold. Go, fuck the subtle blood o' th' grape, Till the high fever seeth your blood to froth, And fo 'fcape hanging. Truft not the physician, His antidotes are poifon, and he flays More than you rob; (16) takes wealth and life together: Do villany, do, fince you profefs to do't, Like workmen; I'll example you with thievery. The (15) Whose blush, &c.] The imagery here is exquifitely beau tiful and fublime; and that ftill heightened by allufion to a fable and cuftom of antiquity, viz. the ftory of Danae and the golden fhower; and the ufe of confecrating to a god or goddefs, that which, from a fimilarity of nature, they were fuppofed to hold in efteem. Warburton. (16) Takes wealth and life together; Oxford edit. vul. Take wealth and live together. |