That feeds and breeds by a compofture ftolen From general excrement: each thing's a thief; Shakspeare knew that the moon was the cause of the tides, [See The Tempest, Vol. IV. p. 158,] and in that refped the liquid furge, that is, the waves of the fea, rifing one upon another, in the progress of the tide, may be faid to refolve the moon into falt tears; the moon, as the poet chooses to flate the matter, lofing fome part of her humidity, and the accretion to the fea, in consequence of her tears, being the cause of the liquid furge. Add to this the popular notion, yet prevailing, of the moon's influence on the weather: which, together with what has been already stated, probably induced our author here and in other places to allude to the watry quality of that planet. In Romeo and Juliet, he speaks of her " walry beams." Again, in A Midfummer Night's Dream: Quench'd in the chafte beams of the watry moon." Again, more appofitely in King Richard 111: "That, I, being govern'd by the watry moon, May bring forth plenteous tears, to drown the world." Salt is fo often applied by Shakspeare to tears, that there can be no doubt that the original reading is the true one: nor had the poet, as I conceive, dew, at all in his thoughts. So, in All's well your fall tears' head—.” Again, in Troilus that ends well: 66 and Griffida: Diftafted with the fall of broken tears.”” Again, in King Richard 111: "Those eyes of thine from mine have drawn falt tears." Again, more appolitely, in King Henry VI. Part II: to drain “Upon his face an ocean of falt tears." Mr. Tollet idly conjectures, (for conjecture is always idle where there is little difficulty,) that we should read-The main, i. e. the main land or continent. So, in King Henry IV. Part II. A& III. fc. i: The continent melt itfelf into the fea." An obfervation made by this gentleman in Love's Labour's Loft, Vol. VII. p. 29%, had he recollected it, might have prevented him from attempting to diflurb the text here: No alteration (hould be made in thefe lines that deftroys the artificial ftru&ture of them."- In the fift line the fun is the thief; in the fecond he is himself plundered by that thief, the moon. The moon is fubje&ed to the fame fate, and, from being a plunderer, is herfelf robbed of moisture (line 4th and 5th) by the fea. MALONE. The laws, your curb and whip, 3 in their rough power Have uncheck'd theft. Love not yourselves; away; I cannot fay for a certainty whether Albumazar or this play was firft written, as Timon made its earlieft appearance in the folio, 1623. Between Albumazar and The Alchymift there has been likewife a conteft for the right of eldership. The original of Albumazar was an Italian comedy called Lo Aftrologo, written by Battifta Porta, the famous phyfiognomift of Naples, and printed at Venice in 1606. The tranflator is faid to have been a Mr. Tomkis, of Trinity College, Cambridge. The Alchymift was brought on in 1610, which is four years before Albumazar was performed for the entertainment of King James; and Ben Jonson' in his title-page boldly claims the merit of having introduced a new subje& and new characters on the ftage: "-petere inde coronam "Unde prius nulli velarint tempora mufæ.". The play of Albumazar was not entered on the books of the Stationers' Company till April 28, 1615. In Albumazar, however, fuch examples of thievery likewise occur: The world's a theatre of theft: Great rivers "Where (left it fhould be found) turn'd to red nectar, "And hid in flesh, nerves, bones, mufcles, and finews, STEEVENS. Puttenham, in his Arte of English Poefie, 1589, quotes fome one of a reasonable good facilitie in tranflation, who finding certaine of Anacreon's Odes very well tranflated by Roufard the French poet - comes our minion, and tranflates the fame out of French into English:" and his ftri&ures upon him evince the publication. Now this identical ode is to be met with in Ronfard; and as his works are in few hands, I will take the liberty of tran feribing it: La terre les eaux va boivant; L'arbre la boit par fa racine, "La mer falée boit le vent, Et le foleil boit la marine. Rob one another. There's more gold: Cut throats; All that you meet are thieves: To Athens, go, Break open shops; nothing can you steal, But thieves do lofe it: Steal not lefs,5 for this I give you; and gold confound you howfoever! Amen. [TIMON retires to his cave. 3. THIEF. He has almoft charm'd me from my profeffion, by perfuading me to it. 1. THIEF. 'Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advises us; not to have us thrive in our myftery. 6 2. THIEF. I'll believe him as an enemy, over my trade. "Le foleil eft beu de la lune, Pourquoy douc ne boirons-nous pas ?" and give Edit. fol. p. 507: FARMER. The name of the wretched plagiarist ftigmatized by Puttenham, was John Southern, as appears from the only copy of his Poems that has hitherto been difcovered. He is mentioned by Drayton in one of his Odes. See alfo the European Magazine, for June 1788. 2 by a compofture-]i. e. compofition, compoft. 3 4 read: 5 STEEVENS. STEEVENS. The laws, your curb and whip,] So, in Measure for Measure: แ moft biting laws, "The needful bits and curbs for headftrong fteeds." MALONE. nothing can you feal,] To complete the measure I would where nothing can you fleal,- STEEVENS. Steal not lefs,] Not, which was accidentally omitted in the old copy, was inferted by Mr. Rowe. MALONE. 6 'Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advifes us; not to have us thrive in our mystery.] The reason of his advice, fays the thief, is malice to mankind, not any kindness to us, or defire to have`us thrive in our myflery, JOHNSON. 1. THIEF. Let us firft fee peace in Athens: There is no time fo miferable, but a man may be true. Enter FLAVIUS. FLAV. O you gods! 6 [Exeunt Thieves. Is yon defpis'd and ruinous man my lord? And wonder of good deeds evilly bestow'd! What an alteration of honour has Desperate want made!' What viler thing upon the earth, than friends,' Who can bring nobleft minds to basest ends! How rarely does it meet with this time's guife, When man was wifh'd to love his enemies:9 8 6 Let us firft fee peace in Athens: There is no time fo miferable, but a man may be true.] [D. Warburton divides this line between the two thieves. This and the concluding little fpeech have in all the editions been placed to one speaker: But, it is evident, the latter words ought to be put in the mouth of the fecond thief, who is repenting, and leaving off his trade. WARBURTON. The fecond thief has juft faid, he'll give over his trade. It is time enough for that, fays the first thief: let us wait till Athens is at peace. There is no hour of a man's life fo wretched, but he always has it in his power to become a true, i. e. au honeft man. I have explained this eafy paffage, because it has, I think, been mifunderstood. Our author has made Mrs. Quickly utter nearly the fame exhortation to the dying Falstaff. Now I bid him not think of God: there was time enough for that yet." MALONE. 7 What an alteration of honour has Defperate want made! ] An alteration of honour, is an altera. tion of an honourable flate to a ftate of difgrace. JOHNSON. How rarely does it meet ] Rarely for fitly; not for feldom. WARBURTON. How curiously; how happily. MALONE. 9 When man was wish'd to love his enemies:] We should read will'd. He forgets his Pagan fyftem here again. WARBURTON. Wish'd is right. It means recommended. See Vol. VI. p. 288, n. 4; and Vol. IX. p. 237, n. 8. REED. Grant, I may ever love, and rather woo 2 Those that would mifchief me, than those that do ;* TIMON comes forward from his cave. TIM. Away! what art thou? FLAV. thee. FLAV. An honeft poor fervant of yours. TIM I know thee not; I ne'er had honeft man FLAV. 5 Then The gods are witness, Ne'er did poor fteward wear a truer grief For his undone lord, than mine eyes for you, Grant, I may ever love, and rather woo The Thofe 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 profefs friendship and profess enmity; for the friend is supposed not to be more kind, but more dangerous than the enemy, feuse is, Let me rather wow or caress those that would mischief, that profefs to mean me mischief, than those that really do me mischief, under falfe profeffions of kindness. The Spaniards, I think, have this proverb: Defend me from my friends, and from my enemies I will difend myself. This proverb is a fufficient comment on the paffage. |
