I believe no change is necessary. If, instead of being repeated, the word appear be understood, as, by an obvious ellipsis, it may, the sense will be sufficiently clear. HENLEY! 72. She had just cause.] The first and second folio read-she had just such cause.

91. Affront his eye.] To affront, is to meet.

121.

-Sir, you yourself.

REED.

Have said, and writ so ;] The reader must observe, that so relates not to what precedes, but to what follows that, she had not been—equall'd. JOHNSON. 1.255. Your choice is not so rich in worth as beauty,] The king means, that he is sorry the prince's choice is not in other respects as worthy of him as in beauty.

332.with clipping her.--] i. e.

her. So, Sidney:

JOHNSON.

embracing

1

He, who before shun'd her, to shun such

harms,

"Now runs and takes her in his clipping arms."

333.

STEEVENS,

weather-beaten

-] Thus the modern -weather-bitten. Hamlet

editors. The old copy

says: "The air bites shrewdly;" and the Duke, in As You Like It" when it bites and blows.” Weather-bitten, therefore, may mean, corroded by the weather.

STEEVENS,

Weather

3

Weather-beaten was introduced, I think, improperly, by the editor of the third folio.

MALONE.

-the old shepherd, which stands by, like a weatherbitten conduit] Conduits, representing a human figure, were heretofore not uncommon. One of this kind, a female form, and weather-bitten, still exists at Hod-, desdon in Herts. Shakspere refers again to the same sort of imagery in Romeo and Juliet :

"How now? a conduit, girl? what still in tears ? "Evermore showering ?"

369.

HENLEY.

-most marble, there--] i. e. most petri-,

fied with wonder.

STEEVENS.

I rather think marble here means hard-hearted, un

feeling.

MALONE This explanation may be right, So, in Antony and

Cleopatra:

STEEVENS.

"I am marble constant." 376. that rare Italian master, Julio Romano ;-] Mr. Theobald says: All the encomiums put together, that have been conferred on this excellent artist in painting and architecture, do not amount to the fine praise here given him by our author. But he is ever the unluckiest of all criticks when he passes judgment on beauties and defects. The passage happens to be quite unworthy Shakspere. 1st, He makes his speaker say, that was Julio Romano the God of nature, he would outdo Nature. For this is the plain meaning of the words, had he himself eternity, and could put breath into his work, he would beguile nature of her custom. edly, He makes

makes of this famous painter, a statuary; I suppose confounding him with Michael Angelo; but, what is worst of all, a painter of statues, like Mrs. Salmon of her wax-work. WARBURTON.

Poor Theobald's encomium on this passage is not very happily conceived or expressed, nor is the passage of any eminent excellence; yet a little candour will clear Shakspere from part of the impropriety imputed to him. By eternity he means only immortality, or that part of eternity which is to come; so we talk of eternal renown and eternal infamy. Immortality may subsist without divinity; and therefore the meaning only is, that if Julio could always continue his labours, he would mimick nature.

JOHNSON. I wish we could understand this passage, as if Julio Romano had only painted the statue carved by another. Ben Jonson makes Doctor Rut, in the Magmetick Lady, act v. sc. 8. sày :

-all city statues must he painted,

"Else they be worth nought i'their subtile judg

"ments."

Sir Henry Wotton, in his Elements of Architelüre, mentions the fashion of colouring even regal statues for the stronger expression of affection, which he takes leave to call an English barbarism. Such, however, was the practice of the time: and unless the supposed statue of Hermione were painted, there could be no ruddiness upon her lip, nor could the

veins verily seem to bear blood, as the poet expresses it afterwards. TOLLET.

Sir H, Wotton could not possibly know what has been lately proved by Sir William Hamilton in the MS. accounts which accompany several valuable drawings.of the discoveries made at Pompeii, and presented by him to our Antiquary Society, viz. that it was usual to colour statues among the ancients. In the chapel of Isis, in the place already mentioned, the image of that goddess had been painted over, as her robe is of a purple hue. Mr. Tollet has since informed me, that Junius, on the painting of the ancients, observes from Pausanias and Herodotus, that sometimes the statues of the ancients were coloured after the manner of pictures. STEEVENS.

There were other notices on this subject (and one of them in particular referring to Plato, not less to the purpose than any thing in Junius) intended for a note on this text, but suppressed; nor without reason; for Shakspere was not likely to have learnt from Pausanias, Herodotus, or Plato, that, of which Warburton was so grossly ignorant. He nevertheless must have known that it was customary both before, and in his own time, to paint in their proper colours the monumental portraits on the tombs of the great. -That of Lord Surrey the poet, in the chancel at Framlingham, is particularly deserving a stranger's attention. HENLEY. 378. of her custom,] That is, of her trade, -would draw her customers from her.

JoHNSON.

389. Who would be thence, that hast the benefit of access? -] It was, I suppose, only to spare his own labour that the poet put this whole scene into narrative; for though part of the transaction was already known to the audience, and therefore could not properly be shewn again, yet the two kings might have met upon the stage, and, after the examination of the old shepherd, the young lady might have been re'cognised in sight of the spectators. JOHNSON. 440. franklins say it,] Franklin is a freeholder, or yeoman, a man above a villain, but not a gentleman. JOHNSON. 448. tall fellow of thy hands.] Tall, in that time, was the word used for stout.

JOHNSON. The rest of the phrase occurs in Gower De Confessione Amantis, lib. v. fol. 114.

"A noble knight eke of his honde."

A man of his hands had anciently two significations. It either meant an adroit fellow who handled his weapon well, or a fellow skilful in thievery. Phraseology like this is often met with. So, in Acolastus, a comedy, 1529:

"Thou art a good man of thyne habite."

STEEVENS.

554. Come, follow us: we'll be thy good masters.] The clown conceits himself already a man of conse'quence at court. It was the fashion for an inferior, or suitor, to beg of the great man, after his humble commendations, that he would be good master to him. Many letters written at that period run in this style..

Thus