Duke. I would not die so wretchedly. Marg. Out of a garret-window I will let down then; you But say the rope be rotten; 'tis huge high too. Duke. Have you no mercy? Marg. Now you are frighted thoroughly, And find what 'tis to play the fool in vice,42 42 And find what 'tis to play the fool in folly, And see with clear eyes your detested folly, Duke. And I'll be your true servant, Marg. may kiss a stranger, Enter Leon, Juan, Alonzo, Sanchio, Caca- Leon. How do you, my lord? Pray, Sir, be comforted; I have forgot all, one, they never prosper. Leon. Who's this? the devil in the vault? [it. And as lovingly drunk, as tho' he had studied lady! Kiss my sweet face, and make thy husband cuckold! An ocean of sweet sack! Shall we speak trea son? And see with clear eyes your detested folly.] I have often had occasion to observe, that by a slight cast of the printer's eye, words that belong only to one line are repeated in the preceding or following one, and in that case they frequently exclude words that may be totally different in all their letters. This, I believe, has happened in the lines referr'd to, where the same word ends both; and as it does not make absolute nonsense in either conjecture, cannot easily determine to which it belongs. If the reader thinks playing the fool in folly not a justifiable expression, he will chuse to discard it from the first, and then sin or vice may supply the vacancy; but as I think the expression not unjustifiable, the following seems to me to bid fairest for having been the original, Play THE FOOL in FOLLY is a poor expression at any rate. We think Mr. Seward's first conjecture, of discarding the word in the first line, happier than his second, which he seems most inclined to adopt. Enter Perez and Estifania. Leon. Who's this? my Mahound cousin? 43 (For there's no talking in the open air) [you, Leon. I must laugh a little, And now I've done. Coz, thou shalt live with me, [us. My merry coz; the world shall not divorce Thou art a valiant man, and thou shalt never Will this content thee? [want. Perez. I'll cry, and then I'll be thankful, Indeed I will, and I'll be honest to you: I'd live a swallow here, I must confess. Wife, I forgive thee all, if thou be honest, At thy peril, I believe thee excellent.44 43 My Mahound cousin. Estif. If I prove otherwise, let me beg first. Leon. Hold, this is yours; some recompence for service: Use it to nobler ends than he that gave it. Duke. And this is yours, your true commission, Sir. Now you are a captain. Leon. You're a noble prince, Sir; Juan Sir, I shall wait upon you thro' all Altea. Yes, indeed, good brother; I have two ties, my own blood, and my misMarg. Is she your sister? Leon. Yes, indeed, good wife, [tress. And my best sister; for she prov'd so, wench, When she deceiv'd you with a loving husband, Altea. I would not deal so truly for a stranger. Marg. Well, I could chide you; But it must be lovingly, and like a sister.I'll bring you on your way, and feast you nobly, (For now I have an honest heart to love you) And then deliver you to the blue Neptune. My Termagant coz.] In an old play, called Ram Alley, or Merry Tricks, Tafata says, I am so haunted With a swaggering captaine, that sweares (God bless us) • Like a very Tarmagant,' &c. And Bishop Hall's Satires begin thus: Hamlet says, 'I could have such a fellow whipt for o'er-doing Termagant, Termagant likewise occurs in King and No King. See note 31 on that play. ++ At thy peril, I believe thee excellent. Estif. If I prove otherways, let me beg first. ·R. Hold, this is yours, some recompence for service.] The latter end of Perez's speech and Estifania's answer have some difficulties in them. I suppose the Poets meant to make Perez say, that he believ'd his wife honest at her peril, because, if he found her otherways he would severely punish her. She answers; let me first beg my bread before I prove otherways. The latter part of the speech, I think, evidently belongs to Leon, who gives Estifania part of the money which, by her assistance, he had got from Cacafogo. Seward. 45 And now a soldier, gentlemen, we all rejoice in't.] I at first corrected this line thus, And now a soldier, gentlemen. Omnes. We all rejoice in't. But this, as well as the old corrupt text, makes three redundant syllables to the verse. The observation of this immediately discovered a more probable corruption, viz. that the word gentlemen, only denotes the speakers, and is not a part of Leon's speech. Mr. Seward therefore reads, And now a soldier. Gentl. We all rejoice in't; Seward. but we think his first correction was right. Three redundant syllables often, very often, occur in the plays of our Authors and their cotemporaries, and even in Rowe, THE LAWS OF CANDY. A TRAGI-COMEDY. This Play is supposed to have been the joint production of our Poets; and is one of the few which are not totally ascribed to Fletcher by the panegyrists. Its first publication was in the folio of 1647. It has lain long dormant; and, we believe, never received any alteration. Whose insolence, and never-yet-match'd pride, sume But in her only name, the proud Erota.] It is difficult, by any Etymology, to reconcile this name and character to each other. From Epws can only be derived the attributes of love; and from Hw those of greatness, on which insolence and pride are indeed not uncommon, though not constant, attendants. Passionate griefs.] i. e. Griefs proceeding from love. |
