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For the Monthly Magazine. 
@nivicaL REMARKS On SHAKESPEARE, 
MivsummMer Nicut’s Dream. 
Act I. Scene 1s 
My gracious duke, 
This man hath witched the bosom of my 
child 5 
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her 
rhimes, 
Y rhimes, seem to be meant some 
kind of metrical charms, and not 
merely love-verses, which Lysander is af- 
terwards charged with singing by moon- 
light at Hermia’s window. So Rosalind, 
in As You Like It, Act iii. Scene 6. * 
vas never so be-rhimed since Pytha- 
oras’s time, when I was an Irish rat, 
which I hardly remember.” 
The human mortals want their winter here, 
&e. Act HI. Scene 2. 
& Shakespeare, without question, wrote,” 
says Dr. Warburton, ‘ winter heryed,” 
that is, praised or celebrated. The word 
is to be found in Spenser’s Calendar. 
Sir Thomas Hanmer, with far superior 
judgment, proposes to read “ winter 
cheer.” And Dr. Johnson, yet more 
happily, ‘* wonted year ;” though he still 
thinks Titania’s account confused and in- 
consequential; and, therefore, in imitas 
tion of Scaliger’s experiment upon the 
Gallus of Virgil, he ventures upon a 
transposition of the lines, containing, it 
must be allowed, much display of inge- 
nuitys There is, however, no occasion 
for carrying critical temerity so far. Ti- 
tania enumerates the various calamities 
with which the earth was afflicted, in 
consequence of the quarrel stibsisting he- 
tween her and Oberon; and apparently 
closes the account with observing, that 
*¢the human mortals want their wonted 
year.” She immediately adds, not by 
way of consequence, but as resuming the 
subject : 
“* No night is now with hymn or carol blest, 
-Therefore the Moon, the governess of floods, 
Pale in her anger washes all the air, 
And through this distemperature we see 
‘The seasons alter,” &c. : 
‘That is, weare perpetually disturbed with 
thy brawls; therefore, our hymns and 
carols are neglected: therefore, the moon, 
the governess of foods, is offended : there- 
fore, no: longer adored, and pale in her 
anger, she washes all the air: therefore, 
. the seasons alter, &c. Here is surely a 
regular series of deductions. Dr. J. 
supposes the devotion of the human, not 
of the fairy, race, to suffer interruption; 
aud his construction is, “ Men find no 
4 
Critical Remarks on Shakespeare. 
(March 1, 
winter; therefore, they sing nu hymns; . 
therefore, the moon, provoked by this 
omission, alters the seasons;”—that is, 
the alteration of the seasons produces 
the alteration of the seasons. This is 
clearly erroneous. 
** The honey-bags steal from the humble 
bees, 
And for wax-tapers crop their waxen thighs, 
And light them at the fiery glow-worm’s 
eyes.” et TIT. Scene 1. 
«<T know not,” says Dr. Johnson, ‘* how 
Shakespeare, who commonly derived his 
knowledge of nature from his own obser- 
vation, happened to place the glaw- 
werm’s light in bis eyes, which is only in 
his tail.” But is it not evident that 
Shakespeare purposely sacrificed, in this 
instance, physical accuracy of descrip- 
tion to poetical effect? Who would ad- 
vise, or could approve of, any alteration ? 
And what poor duty cannot do, 
Noble respect takes it in might, not merit. 
At V. Scene 1. 
The meaning is, that a generous mind 
takes the laborious effort, or endeavour, 
to please in liewof merit. Dr. Jobnson 
proposes to read, “ takes not in might but 
merit.” This is plausible, but it is not 
Shakespearian phraseology. ; 
This drama exhibits an extraordinary 
mixture of humour and invention, of 
poetry and pathos, of negligence and 
absurdity. We may conjecture, from 
the utle of Midsummer Nighv’s Dream, 
bestowed upon it by the author, that 
Shakespeare himself was not insensible of 
its wild and fautastical complexion. Yet 
it contains scenes of distinguished excel- 
lence, and many passages which the in- 
spiration of the highest genius only could 
dictate. 
MeErcnant or VENICE 
Act IV. Scene 1. 
For Affections, 
Masters of passion, sway it to the mood 
Of what it likes or loaths. 
This passage has been deemed very diflie 
cult, and it has given rise to numerous 
alterations and conjectures. Mr. Ma- 
lone’s is the last and best. He under« 
stands, by affection, the disposition of the 
mind; and, by passion, corporal sensation; 
that is, the inclinations of the mind go-~ 
vern the acts of the body. A similar 
distinction prevails in a passage in All’s 
Well that Ends, Well. 
Come, come, disclose 
The stgte of your affections; for your pase 
Slons 
Have to the full appeached.”” 
Make 
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