CYMBELINE.

405. "

ACT I. SCENE I.

I think, the king

"Be touch'd.".

This ungrammatical use of the subjunctive, instead of the indicative form of the verb, occurs pretty often in these works.

406. "That most desir'd the match."

The match with Cloten.

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I do not think,

"So fair an outward, and such stuff

within,

"Endows a man but he."

"He" should be changed to him.

"I do extend him, sir, within himself."

This expression, which Dr. Warburton condemned as insufferable nonsense, has been defended, by explaining "extend" in a legal sense -to estimate or value. This is plausible and ingenious; yet I cannot help thinking that the phraseology is merely the offspring of that inveterate fondness for antithesis and paradox so often displayed in these works. Mr. Malone adduced, in confirmation of the legal meaning, the recurrence of the word in a subsequent scene

"The approbation of those that weep this lamentable divorce under her colours, are wonderfully to extend him," &c. But "extend" here unquestionably implies magnifies, aggrandizes, or draws out his qualities beyond their real value.

SCENE II.

411. "After the slander of most step-mothers." The slander under which most step-mothers

lie.

With what patience

"Your wisdom may inform you."

Concord requires the repetition of the preposition "with," after "inform you."

412.

Not comforted to live,

"But that there is this jewel in the world, "That I may see again."

Only comforted in this reflection.

I never do him wrong,

"But he does buy my injuries, to be friends."

Pays dear for my offences; whenever I do him wrong, instead of shewing anger, or exacting atonement, he treats me with fresh kindness, and, to win my complacency, he pays me, for the injuries I do him, that which I ought to offer as the price of his forgiveness.

413. "This diamond was my mother's: take it, heart."

We sometimes find "diamond" a trisyllable. "This díámond he greets your wife withal."

Macbeth.

"You gentle gods, give me but this I have."

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Confirm my possession with your sanction and approbation: thus in the Second Part of King Henry VI. Well, lords, we have not got that which we have." i. e. It is not formally and securely settled on us.

"And sear up my embracements from a next "With bonds of death."

It is very plausibly proposed by Mr. Eccles, that, for "sear up" we should read "seal up" and this pretty well agrees with Mr. Henley's suggestion, which I take to be the true one, and which had occurred to me before I read his note. 415." Avoid!"

A verb neuter, for begone.

-Thou heapest

"A year's age on me!"

This cannot mean the addition, merely, of one year to the king's age, a remark of no sort of force; but, by "a year's age," I plied, an accumulation of years, many years; if suppose is imso, the apostrophe should follow the plural termimation," a years' age." The phrase, thus admitted, is only consonant to a few, a many, &c. But Hanmer's reading is, perhaps, right:

"A year's

416. "

Thou heapest many

year's age on me."

A touch more rare

"Subdues all pangs, all fears."

An affliction, a touch of distress more exquisite. The same thought occurs in King Lear:

Where the greater malady is lodg'd

"The lesser is scarce felt."

419.

SCENE III.

Enter Cloten and Lords.

I do not think that this Scene is of Shakspeare's writing. B. STRUTT.

420. "A passable carcass.'

A carcass that may be entered or passed through without injury, such as Macbeth supposed his own to be:

"As easy may'st thou the entrenchant air "With thy keen sword impress, as make me bleed."

427.

SCENE V.

Are wonderfully to extend him.”

Mr. Eccles, with much perspicuousness and ingenuity, proposes :

"

"And wonderfully do extend him," &c.

Be it but to fortify her judgment."

i. e. To support or justify the choice she had

made.

429. "Debtor to you for courtesies, which I will be ever to pay, and yet pay still."

This sentiment has been adopted by Milton: "The debt immense of endless gratitude, "So burthensome, still paying, still to owe."

Paradise Lost,

430.

"Rather shunned to go even with what I
heard, than in my every action to be
guided by others' experiences."

The expression is imperfect, but the sense is, I was rather disposed to cavil with the opinions of others, than to regulate my conduct by their experience.

"A contention in public, which may, without contradiction, suffer the report."

As it was public and notorious it cannot be misrepresented this I take to be the meaning: Dr. Johnson says, "Which undoubtedly may be publicly told."

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432. If she went before others I have seen, as that diamond of yours out-lustres many

I have beheld, I could not but believe she excelled many."

I am glad to see that Mr. Steevens has renounced the tenaciousness with which he formerly contended for the old reading; but I prefer Dr. Warburton's ejection of the negative particle to Mr. Malone's introduction of but; and I perceive not the least difficulty in the sense, which that emendation affords, nor any possibility of extracting a meaning from the construction which Mr. Steevens before maintained. Iachimo could not be so unreasonable as to deny that the lady whom Posthumus extols may exceed the ordinary rate of female beauty and accomplishment-he only contends, generally, that the ladies of Italy surpass those of Britain, and that whatever may be the worth of Imogen, there is yet to be found another woman who outvalues her. What can be clearer than this argument? If she went before others

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