" their muskets; so that, 'till the middle of the "last Century, the musketeers always fupported their " pieces when they gave fire, with a Rest stuck " before them into the ground, which they call'd " fetting up their Rest, and is bere alluded to. "There is another quibbling allufion too to the Ser" jeant's office of arresting. But what mast wants " animadverfion is the morris-pike, which is " without meaning, impertinent to the fense, and " falfe in the allufion; no pike being used among the " dancers so called, or at least not fam'd for much " execution. In a word, Shakespeare wrote "A MAURICE pike. " i. e. a pikeman of Prince Maurice's army. He " was the greatest general of that age, and the " conductor of the Low-Country wars against “Spain, under whom all the English Gentry and " Nobility were bred to the service. Being fre“ quently overborn with numbers, he became famous " for bis fine retreats, in which a stand of pikes is " of great service. Hence the pikes of his army be" came famous for their military exploits." Mr.W. What a deal of skimble-skamble stuff is bere to alter the poet's words? - This Morris-pikechanged into a Maurice-pike, i. e. a pikeman of Prince Maurice's army, puts me in mind of an explanation in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II. "The nine-men's morris is fill'd up with mud. "The nine-men's morris.] A kind of rural "chefs." Mr. W. Nothing like it. I have writ the following in my Shakespeare, 21 The nine-men's morris.] i. e. The place where the Morisco, or Morrice dance was won't to be performed by nine-men is filled up with mud, so that they must leave their sport: nine-men's morris; in the same manner as a Three-men Beetle, i. e. what requires three men to use it; a Three-men song, a song to be sung by three men. But where ever I turn my eye, I fee fuch alterations and gloffes as never were matched before. The note following" This rural chess" is as void of true logick, as learning. The whole runs thus in Shakespeare, “The nine-mens morris is fill'd up with mud, “ No night is now with hymn or carol blest.” THEIR winter emphatically, and the reason is given in the following verse; "They want here THEIR “winter, because no night, &c.” [N. B. here is turned into heried.] So the Latins sometimes use the pronoun suus. Ovid. Met. IV, 373. Vota suos habuere deos. THEIR Gods, emphatically; i. e. favorable, propitious, &c. So again in King Henry V. Att V. " And all our vinyards, fallows, meads and " hedges, : "Defective in THEIR natures grow to wildness" Sua deficiuntur naturâ. They were not defective in their crescive nature, for they grew to wildness : but they were defective in THEIR proper and favorable natures, which was to bring forth food for man. [This place too is altered, and natures is changed into nurtures.] 4 I am led insensibly, from my design of raising a little innocent mirth in my reader, by the many errors I meet in my way. -Let us then return. In the Winter's Tale, Act I. "Nine changes of the watry star hath been " throne "Without a burthen.” So 'tis printed in Mr. Theobald's edition, and right. Meaning very plainly, The Shepherd's note hath been, &c. i. e. The Shepherd hath noted, observed nine changes of the moon, &c.But turning to Mr. W's edition. [pag. 279.] I Scarcely believed my own eyes when I red, "Nine changes of the watry star hath been "(The shepherd's note,) fince we have left our "Throne "Without a burthen." " The Shepherd's note.] i. e. I use the Shepherd's note." Mr. W. Most wonderful Grammarian, and profound Astronomer ! How poetical is Shakespeare! The Shepherd has noted nine changes of the watry star. How filly and ungrammatical this commentator ! Nine CHANGES HATH BEEN, &c. (I use the Shepherd's reckoning.) You do; and who does not ? And must I send our Critic again to his Bible ?" And let them [viz. the Sun and MOON] be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years." Gen. I, 14. THE above “rural chess" may be matched with another note on a passage in Measure for Measure, At IV. "Duke. There is written in your brow, " Provost, bonesty and constancy; If I read it not “ truly, my ancient skill beguiles me, but in the boldness of my cunning, I will lay myself in hazard. " Lay myself in hazard.] Metaphor from chefs "play" Mr. W. Shakespeare bimfelf would have better instructed our commentator, bad he attended to him : “ K. Henry. When we have matched our " rackets to these balls, "We We will in France, by God's grace, play a fet, « Shall strike bis father's crown into the HA "ZARD." Thus too Drayton in his description of the Battaile of Agincourt. "I'le send bim balls and rackets if I live, "That they fuck racket shall in Paris fee, "When over lyne with bandies 1 shall drive "As that, before the set be fully done, "France may perhaps into the HAZARD runne." THE two following notes are really below our editor's writing, (I compliment him when I say so.) One of them is in the Tempest, Act II. where Triculo finding the monster Caliban says, "were I in " England now, as once I was, and bad but this " fish painted, not an holiday-fool there but would " give a piece of filver. There would this monster " make a man; any strange beast there makes a " man; when they will not give a doit to relieve "a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to fee a dead "Indian." "Any strange beast there makes a man ;] I " cannot but think this fatire very just upon our coun"trymen: who have been always very ready to make " Denisons of the whole tribe of the Pitheci, and "compliment them with the donum civitatis, as " appears : |