ACT V. SCENE I. Belmont. A Grove, or green Place, before T' Enter Lorenzo and Jeffica. LORENZO. HE moon fhines bright-In fuch a night as this, Did Thisbe fearfully o'er-trip the dew; Lor. In fuch a night, ; Stood Dido with a willow in her hand Jef. In fuch a night, Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs, That did renew old Efon. Lor. In fuch a night, Did Jeffica fteal from the wealthy Jew, And with an unthrift love did run from Venice, As far as Belmont. Jef. And in fuch a night, Did young Lorenzo fwear, he lov'd her well; Lor. And in fuch a night, Did pretty Jeffica (like a little fhrew) Slander her love, and he forgave it her. Jef. I would out-night you, did no body come; But hark, I hear the footing of a man. 13 Enter Enter Stephano. Lor. Who comes fo faft, in filence of the night? Lor. A friend? what friend? your name, I Mef. Stephano is my name, and I bring word, Lor. Who comes with her? Mef. None, but a holy hermit, (1) and her maid. -I pray you, is my mafter yet return'd? Lor. He's not, nor have we yet heard from him. But go we in, I pray thee, Jeffica, And ceremoniously let us prepare Some welcome for the mistress of the house. Enter Launcelot. Laun. Sola, fola, wo ha, ho, fola, fola ! Lor. Who calls? pray Laun. Sola! did you fee Mafler Lorenzo and Mistress Lorenza? fola, fola ! Lor. Leave bollowing, man: here. Laun. Sola! where? where? Lor. Here. Laun. Tell him, there's a poft come from my mafter with his horn full of good news. My mafter will be here ere morning. Lor. Sweet love, let's in, and there expect their coming. And yet no matter why fhould we go in ? [Exit Stephano. (1) None but a boly hermit,] I do not perceive the ofe of this hermit, of whom nothing is feen or heard afterwards. The Poet had firft planned his fable fonte other way, and inadvertently, when he changed his fcheme, retained fomething of the original defign. How How fweet the moon-light fleeps upon this bank! Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubims; But (2) with PATTERNs of bigbt gold ;] We fhould read PATTENS: a round broad plate of gold born in heraldry. WARBURTON. Pattens is the reading of the first folo, and patients of the quarto. Patterns is printed first in the fol. 1632. (3) Such barmony is in immortal fouls!] But the harmony here defcribed is that of the fpheres, fo much celebrated by the antients, He fays, the maileft orb fings like an angel; and then fubjins, such barmony is in immortal fouls: But the harmony of angels is not here meant, but of the orbs. Nor are we to think, that here the poet alludes to the notion, that each orb has its intelligence or angel to direct it; for then with no propriety could he fay, the orb fung like an angel he should rather have faid, the angel in the orb fung. We must therefore correa the lines thus ; Such harmony is in immortal founds : e. in the mufick of the fpheres. WARBURTON, This pallage is oofcare. Immortal found; is a harth combination of words, yet Miton uits a parallel expreffi ›n. Spiri us et rapidos qui circinat igneus orbes, It is proper to exhibit the lines as they ftand in the copies, 1. II. III. IV. without any variation, for a change has been filently made, by Rowe, and adopted by all the fucceeding. editors. Such barmony is in immortal fouls, But while this muddy vefture of decay Doth grofly clofe in it, we cannot bear it. That the third is corrupt must be allowed, but it gives reason to fufpect that the original was, Doth grofly clofe it in. Yet I know not whether from this any thing better can be produced than the received reading. Perhaps harmony is the power of I 4 perceiving But whilft this muddy vefture of decay Jef. I'm never merry, when I hear sweet mufick. Lor. The reafon is, your fpirits are attentive; ; [Mufick. Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud, Let no fuch man be trufted-Mark the mufick. perceiving barmony, as afterwards, Mafick in the foul is the quality of being moved with concord of sweet founds. This will fomewhat explain the old copies, but the fentence is ft li imperfect. Diana is the Moon, (4) wake Diana with a hymn ;) who is in the next fcene reprefented as fleeping. (5) The man that hath no musick in himself, Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet fards,] The thought here is extremely fine: As if the being affected with mufick was only the harmony between the internol (mufick in himself and the external mufick [concord of facer foun:is ;] which were mutually affected like unifon ftrings. This whole fpeech could not chufe but pleafe an Englife audience, whofe great paffion, as well then as now, was lowe of mufick. Jam vero video naturam (fays Erafmus in praise of Folly) ut fingulis natioribus, ac pene civitatibus, communem quandım infeviffe Philautiam: Atque hinc fieri, ut BRITANNI præter alia, Formam, MUSICAM, & lautas Menfas propriè fibi vindicent. WARBURTON. Enter Enter Portia and Neriffa at a diftance. Por. That light we fee, is burning in my hall: -How far that little candle throws his beams! So Thines a good deed in a naughty world. Ner. When the moon fhone, we did not fee the candle. Por. So doth the greater glory dim the less : Ner. Silence beftows the virtue on it, Madam. To their right praife, and true perfection? Lor. That is the voice, Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. [Mufick ceafess Por. He knows me, as the blind man knows the cuckow, By the bad voice.. Lor. Dear lady, welcome home. Por. We have been praying for our husband's healths,, Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Are they return'd? Lor. Madam, they are not yet; But there is come a meffenger before, Por. Go, Neria, |