When well-apparel'd April on the heel men are The author of THE REMARKS obferves, that young 66 perpetually ufed for yeomen in old writings. See particularly the Legends of Robin Hood and Adam Bell. So in a fubfequent fcene of this very play, yew trees are in the old editions called yong trees." EDITOR. The following paffage from Chaucer's Romaunt of the Rofe, will fupport the prefent reading, and fhew the propriety of Shakspeare's comparifon for to tell Paris that he fhould feel the fame fort of pleasure in an affembly of beauties, which young folk feel in that feafon when they are moft gay and amorous, was furely as much 25 the old man ought to say: "That it was May, thus dremid me, Romaunt of the Rose, v. 51, &c.” Our author's 98th Sonnet may alfo ferve to confirm the reading of the text: "From you have I been abfent in the fpring, "When proud-picd April drefs'd in all his trim, "Hath put a fpirit of youth in ev'ry thing." Again, in Tancred and Gifmund, a tragedy, 1592: "Tell me not of the date of Nature's days, Such, among A view of many, mine, being one, May ftand in number, though in reckoning none.] The first of thefe lines I do not underftand. The old folio gives no help; the paffage is there, Which one more view. I can offer nothing better than this: Within your view of many, mine, being one, A very flight alteration will restore the cleareft fenfe to this paffage. Shakspeare might have written the lines thus Search Come, go with me :-Go, firrah, trudge about Serv. Find them out, whose names are written here? It is written that the fhoemaker fhould meddle with his yard, and the tailor with his last, the fisher Search among view of many: mine, being one, May stand in number, though in reckoning none. i. e. Among the many you will view there, search for one that will pleafe you. Chufe out of the multitude. This agrees exactly with what he had already faid to him: 66 Hear all, all fee, "And like her moft, whofe merit moft fhall be." My daughter (he proceeds) will, it is true, be one of the number, but her beauty can be of no reckoning (i. e. eftimation) among those whom you will fee here. Reckoning for eftimation, is used before in this very scene: "Of honourable reckoning you are both." STEEVENS. The reading of the text, on which Mr. Steevens has founded a very probable conjecture, is that of the first quarto. And his interpretation is fully fupported by a paffage in Measure for Meafure: our compell'd fins "Stand more for number than accompt" i. e. estimation. There is alfo, I believe, an allufion to an old proverbial expreffion, that one is no number." So, in Decker's Honeft Whore, Part II: 66 66 66 to fall to one, is to fall to none, "For one no number is." MALONE. Find them out, whofe names are written here?] The quarto, 1597, adds: “And yet I know not who are written here: I must to the learned to learn of them; that's as much as to say, the tailor, &c." STEEVENS. find thofe perfons out, Whofe names are written there.] Shakspeare has here closely followed the poem already mentioned: "No lady fair or foul was in Verona town, MALONE. C 4 with with his pencil, and the painter with his nets; but Enter Benvolio, and Romeo. Ben. Tut, man! one fire burns out another's burning, One pain is leffen'd by another's anguish; One defperate grief cures with another's languish: Rom. 3 Your plantain leaf is excellent for that. Rom. For your broken fhin. 2 2 Tut man! one fire burns out another's burning Take thou fome new infection to thy eye, And the rank poifon of the old will die.] Thus, in the fame poem: "Ere long the townish dames together will refort; "With fo fast fixed eye perhaps thou may'st behold, "As out of a plank a nail a nail doth drive, "So novel love out of the mind the ancient love doth rive." MALONE. Your plantain leaf is excellent for that.] Tackius tells us, that a toad, before the engages with a spider, will fortify herself with fome of this plant; and that, if fhe comes off wounded, the cures herself afterwards with it. Dr. GREY. The fame thought occurs in Albumazar, in the following lines: "Help, Armellina, help! I'm fall'n i' the cellar : "Bring a fresh plantain leaf, I've broke my fhin." Again, in The Cafe is Alter'd, by Ben Jonfon, 1609, a fellow who has had his head broke, fays: "Tis nothing, a fillip, a device : fellow Juniper, prithee get me a plantain." The plantain leaf is a blood-ftauncher, and was formerly ap plied to green wounds. STEEVENS. Ben. Ben. Why, Romeo, art thou mad? Rom. Not mad, but bound more than a mad-manis; [He reads the lift.] Signior Martino, and his wife, and daughters; County Anjelm, and his beauteous fifters; The lady widow of Vitruvio; Signior Placentio, and his lovely nieces; Mercutio, and his brother Valentine; Mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters; My fair niece Rofaline; Livia; Signior Valentio, and his coufin Tybalt; Lucio, and the lively Helena. A fair affembly; Whither fhould they come? Rom. Whither? to fupper? Serv. To our house. Ram. Whofe house?. Rom. Indeed, I should have afk'd you that before. Serv. Now I'll tell you without afking: My Master is the great rich Capulet; and if you be not of the houfe of Montagues, I pray, come and crufh a cup of wine. Reft you merry. Ben. 4-to Supper?] Surely thefe words, to fupper, must belong to the fervant's answer in the next speech : To fupper, to our houfe. STEEVENS. s-crush a cup of wire. This cant expreffion feems to have" been once common among low people. I have met with it often in the old plays. So in the Tavo Angry Women of Abington, 1599: Fill the pot, hoftefs. &c. and we'll crush it." Again, Ben. At this fame ancient feaft of Capulet's Rom. When the devout religion of mine eye- Ben. Tut! tut! you faw her fair, none elfe being by, Herfelf pois'd with herself in either eye: But in those crystal fcales, let there be weigh'd Your lady's love against fome other maid That I will fhew you, fhining at this feast, And the fhall fcant fhew well, that now fhews beft, Rom. I'll go along, no fuch fight to be fhewn, But to rejoice in fplendor of mine own. [Exeunt. SCENE III. A room in Capulet's house. Enter lady Capulet, and Nurfe. La. Cap. Nurfe, where's my daughter? call her forth to me. Again, in Hoffman's Tragedy, 1631: "we'll crush a cup of thine own country wine." Again, in the Pinder of Wakefield, 1599, the Cobler fays: "Come, George, we'll crush a pot before we part." We still fay, in cant language to crack a bottle. STEEVENS. 6 -let there be weigh'd Your lady's love againft fome other maid] But the comparifon was not betwixt the love that Romeo's miftrefs paid him, and the perfon of any other young woman; but betwixt Romeo's miftrefs herself, and fome other that fhould be matched against her. The poet therefore must certainly have wrote: Your lady-love against some other maid. WARBURTON. Four lady's love is the love you bear to your lady, which in out language is commonly used for the lady herself. REVISAL. Nurfe |
