Being lass-lorn; 2 thy pole-clipt vineyard:3 This bank, with pioned and twilled brims, is described, as trimmed, at the behest of Ceres, by spongy April, with flowers, to make cold nymphs chaste crowns. These flowers were neither peonies nor lilies, for they never blow at this season, but "lady-smocks all silver white," which, during this humid month, start up in abundance, on such banks, and thrive like oats, on the same kind of soil:- "Avoine touillée croist comme enragée."-That OU changes into W, in words derived from the French, is apparent in cordwainer, from cordouannier, and many others. Henley. Mr. Henley's note contends for small proprieties, and abounds with minute observation. But that Shakspeare was no diligent Botanist, may be ascertained from his erroneous descriptions of a Cowslip, (in the Tempest and Cymbeline,) for who ever heard it characterized as a bell-shaped flower, or could allow the drops at the bottom of it to be of a crimson hue? With equal carelessness, or want of information, in The Winter's Tale, he enumerates "lilies of all kinds," among the children of the spring, and as contemporaries with the daffodil, the primrose, and the violet; and in his celebrated song, (one stanza of which is introduced at the beginning of the fourth act of Measure for Measure, he talks of Pinks" that April wears." It might be added, (if we must speak by the card,) that wherever there is a bank there is a ditch; where there is a ditch there may be water; and where there is water the aquatic lilies may flourish, whether the bank in question belongs to a river, or a field. These are petty remarks, but they are occasioned by petty cavils.—It was enough for our author that peonies and lilies were well known flowers, and he placed them on any bank, and produced them in any of the genial months, that particularly suited his purpose. He, who has confounded the customs of different ages and nations, might easily confound the produce of the seasons. That his documents de Re Rusticâ were more exact, is equally improbable. He regarded objects of Agriculture, &c. in the gross, and little thought, when he meant to bestow some ornamental epithet, on the banks appropriated to a Goddess, that a future critic would wish him to say their brims were filthily mixed or mingled, confounded or shuffled together; bedirted, begrimed, and besmeared. Mr. Henley, however, has not yet proved the existence of the derivative, which he labours to introduce, as an English word; nor will the lovers of elegant description wish him much success in his attempt. Unconvinced, therefore, by his strictures, I shall not exclude a border of flowers, to make room for the graces of the spade, or what Mr. Pope, in his Dunciad, has styled "the majesty of mud." Steevens. 1 and thy broom groves,] Broom, in this place, signifies the Spartium scoparium, of which brooms are frequently made. Near Gamlingay in Cambridgeshire, it grows high enough to con Where thou thyself dost air: The queen o' the sky, Bids thee leave these; and, with her sovereign grace, Enter CERES. Cer. Hail, many-coloured messenger, that ne'er Who, with thy saffron wings, upon my flowers 4 Rich scarf to my proud earth; Why hath thy queen Summon'd me hither, to this short-grass'd-green?5 Iris. A contract of true love to celebrate; And some donation freely to estate On the bless'd lovers. Cer. Tell me, heavenly bow, If Venus, or her son, as thou dost know, ceal the tallest cattle as they pass through it; and, in places where it is cultivated, still higher a circumstance, that had escaped my notice, till I was told of it by Professor Martyn, whose name I am particularly happy to insert among those of other friends, who have honoured and improved this work by their various communications. Steevens. 2 Being lass-lorn;] Lass-lorn is forsaken of his mistress. So, Spenser: 3 - "Who after that he had fair Una lorn." Steevens. thy pole-clipt vineyard;] To clip is to tavine round or embrace. The poles are clipped or embraced by the vines. Vineyard is here used as a trisyllable. Steevens. 4 My bosky acres, &c.] Bosky is woody. Bosky acres are fields divided from each other by hedge-rows. Boscus is middle Latin for wood. Bosquet, Fr. So, Milton: "And every bosky bourn from side to side." Again, in K. Edward, I. 1599: 5 "Hale him from hence, and in this bosky wood to this short-grass'd green?] The old copy reads shortgras'd green. Short-graz'd green means grazed so as to be short. The correction was made by Mr. Rowe. Steevens. Her and her blind boy's scandal'd company I have forsworn. Iris. Of her society Be not afraid; I met her deity, Cutting the clouds towards Paphos; and her son Whose vows are, that no bed-rite shall be paid, Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows, Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, And be a boy right out. Cer. Highest queen of state, Great Juno comes; I know her by her gait. Enter JUNO. Jun. How does my bounteous sister? Go with me, To bless this twain, that they may prosperous be, And honour'd in their issue. SONG. JUNO. Honour, riches, marriage-blessing, 6 Highest queen of state, Great Funo comes; I know her by her gait.] Mr. Whalley thinks this passage a remarkable instance of Shakspeare's knowledge of ancient poetic story; and that the hint was furnished, by the Divum incedo Regina of Virgil. John Taylor, the water-poet, declares, that he never learned his Accidence, and that Latin and French were to him Heathen Greek; yet, by the help of Mr. Whalley's argument, I will prove him a learned man, in spite of every thing he may say to the contrary: for thus he makes a gallant address his lady; "Most inestimable magazine of beauty? in whom the port and majesty of Juno, the wisdom of Jove's brain-bred girle, and the feature of Cytherea, have their domestical habitation." Farmer. So, in The Arraignement of Paris, 1584: "First statelie Juno, with her porte and grace." Chapman also, in his version of the second Iliad, speaking of Juno, calls her the goddesse of estate." Steevens. Cer. Earth's increase," and foison plenty,3 Vines, with clust❜ring bunches growing; Fer. This is a most majestic vision, and Pro. Spirits, which by mine art 7 Earth's increase, and foison plenty, &c.] All the editions, that I have ever seen, concur in placing this whole sonnet to Juno; but very absurdly, in my opinion. I believe every accurate reader, who is acquainted with poetical history, and the distinct offices of these two goddesses, and who then seriously reads over our author's lines, will agree with me, that Ceres's name ought to have been placed, where I have now prefixed it. Theobald. And is not in the old copy. It was added by the editor of the second folio. Earth's increase, is the produce of the earth. The expression is scriptural: "Then shall the earth bring forth her increase, and God, even our God, shall give us his blessing." PSALM lxvii. Malone. This is one among a multitude of emendations which Mr. Malone acknowledges to have been introduced by the editor of the second folio; and yet, in contradiction to himself, in his Prolegomena, he depreciates the second edition, as of no importance or value. Fenton. 8 - foison plenty;] i. e. plenty to the utmost abundance; foison signifying plenty. See p. 54. Steevens. 9 Harmonious charmingly:] Mr. Edwards would read: "Harmonious charming lay." For though (says he) the benediction is sung by two goddesses, it is yet but one lay or hymn. I believe, however, this passage appears, as it was written by the poet, who, for the sake of the verse, made the words change places. We might read (transferring the last syllable of the second word to the end of the first) "Harmoniously charming." Ferdinand has already praised this aerial Masque, as an object of sight; and may not improperly or inelegantly subjoin, that the charm of sound was added to that of visible grandeur. Both Juno and Ceres are supposed to sing their parts. Steevens. A similar inversion occurs in A Midsummer Night's Dream:" "But miserable most to live unlov'd." Malone. I have from their confines call'd, to enact Fer. Let me live here ever; So rare a wonder'd father,1 and a wife, Make this place Paradise. [JUNO and CERES whisper, and send IRIS on employment. Pro. Sweet now, silence; Juno and Ceres whisper seriously; There's something else to do: hush, and be mute, Iris. You nymphs, call'd Naiads, of the wand'ring brooks, With your sedg'd crowns, and ever-harmless looks, Enter certain Nymphs. You sun-burn'd sicklemen, of August weary, Enter certain Reapers, properly habited: they join with the Is almost come.—[To the Spirits.] Well done;-avoid; 1 -no more. — a wonder'd father,] i. e. a father able to perform, or produce such wonders. Steevens. 2 Leave your crisp channels,] Crisp, i. e. curling, winding, Lat. crispus. So, Henry IV. Part I. Act I. sc. iv. Hotspur, speaking of the river Severn: "And hid his crisped head in the hollow bank." Crisp, however, may allude to the little wave or curl (as it is commonly called) that the gentlest wind occasions on the surface of waters. Steevens. |