That there are none love perfectly indeed,
But those that hang or drown themselves for love,"
says _Julio_, anticipating Butler's
"But he that drowns, or blows out's brains,
The Devil's in him, if he feigns."
He also anticipated La Rochefoucauld and Byron in their apophthegm concerning woman's last love. In "The Devil's Law-Case," _Leonora_ says:
"For, as we love our youngest children best,
So the last fruit of our affection,
Wherever we bestow it, is most strong,
Most violent, most unresistible;
Since 'tis, indeed, our latest harvest-home,
Last merriment 'fore winter."
In editing Webster, Mr. Hazlitt had the advantage (except in a single doubtful play) of a predecessor in the Rev. Alexander Dyce, beyond all question the best living scholar of the literature of the times of Elizabeth and James I. If he give no proof of remarkable fitness for his task, he seems, at least, to have been diligent and painstaking. His notes are short and to the point, and--which we consider a great merit--at the foot of the page. If he had added a glossarial index, we should have been still better pleased. Mr. Hazlitt seems to have read over the text with some care, and he has had the good sense to modernize the orthography, or, as he says, has "observed the existing standard of spelling throughout." Yet--for what reason we cannot imagine--he prints "I" for "ay," taking the pains to explain it every time in a note, and retains "banquerout" and "coram" apparently for the sake of telling us that they mean "bankrupt" and "quorum." He does not seem to have a quick ear for scansion, which would sometimes have assisted him to the true reading. We give an example or two:
"The obligation wherein we all stood bound
Cannot be concealed [_cancelled_] without great
reproach."
"The realm, not they,
Must be regarded. Be [we] strong and bold,
We are the people's factors."
"Shall not be o'erburdened [_overburdened_] in
our reign."
"A merry heart
And a good stomach to [a] feast are all."
"Have her meat serv'd up by bawds and
ruffians." [_dele_ "up."]
"Brother or father
In [a] dishonest suit, shall be to me."
"What's she in Rome your greatness cannot awe,
Or your rich purse purchase
Promises and threats." [_dele_ the second "your."]
"Through clouds of envy and disast [rous] change."
"The Devil drives; 'tis [it is] full time to go."
He has overlooked some strange blunders. What is the meaning of
"Laugh at your misery, as foredeeming you
An idle meteor, which drawn forth, the earth
Would soon be lost i' the air"?
We hardly need say that it should be
"An idle meteor, which, drawn forth the earth, would," &c.
"_For_wardness" for "_fro_wardness," (Vol. II. p. 87,) "tennis-balls struck and ban_ded_" for "ban_died_," (Ib. p. 275,) may be errors of the press; but:
"Come, I'll love you wisely:
That's jealousy,"
has crept in by editorial oversight for "wisely, that's jealously." So have:
"Ay, the great emperor of [_or_] the mighty Cham";
and:
"This wit [_with_] taking long journeys";
and:
"Virginius, thou dost but supply my place,
I thine: Fortune hath lift me [_thee_] to my chair,
And thrown me headlong to thy pleading bar";
and:
"I'll pour my soul into my daughter's belly, [_body_,]
And with my soldier's tears embalm her wounds."
We suggest that the change of an _a_ to an _r_ would make sense of the following:--
"Come, my little punk, with thy two compositors,
to this unlawful painting-house,"
[printing-house,] which Mr. Hazlitt awkwardly endeavors to explain by this note on the word _compositors_:--"i.e. (conjecturally), making up the composition o
