Beat mine, in whoop’d-at odds.—
II.v.1 (155,9) musick, moody food] [The mood is the mind, or mental disposition. Van Haaren’s panegyrick on the English begins, Groot-moedig Volk, great-minded nation.] Perhaps here is a poor jest intended between mood the mind and moods of musick.
II.v.41 (l57,4) Not like a formal man] [Formal, for ordinary. WARB.] Rather decent, regular.
II.v.103 (161,8) Thou art not what thou’rt sure of!] For this, which is not easily understood, Sir Thomas Hanmer has given,
That say’st but what thou’rt sure of!
I am not satisfied with the change, which, though it affords sense, exhibits little spirit. I fancy the line consists only of abrupt starts.
Oh that his fault should make a knave
of thee,
That art—not what?—Thou’rt
sure on’t.—Get thee
hence.
That his fault should make a knave of thee that art—but what shall I say thou art not? Thou art then sure of this marriage.—Get thee hence.
Dr. Warburton has received Sir T. Hanmer’s emendation.
II.v.115 (161,9) Let him for ever go] She is now talking in broken sentences, not of the messenger, but Antony.
II.vi.24 (163,2) Thou canst not fear us] Thou canst not affright us with thy numerous navy.
II.vi.28 (163,3) But since the cuckow builds not for himself] Since, like the cuckow, that seizes the nests of other birds, you have invaded a house which you could not build, keep it while you can.
II.vii.1 (167,6) some o’ their plants] Plants, besides its common meaning, is here used for the foot, from the Latin.
II.vii.14 (167,9) a partizan] A pike.
II.vii.16 (167,1) To be call’d into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to move in’t, are the holes where eyes should be, which pitifully disaster the cheeks] This speech seems to be mutilated; to supply the deficiencies is impossible, but perhaps the sense was originally approaching to this.
To be called into a huge sphere, and not to be seen to move in it, is a very ignominious state; great offices are the holes where eyes should be, which, if eyes be wanting, pitifully disaster the cheeks.
II.vii.88 (170,2) thy pall’d fortunes] Palled, is vapid, past its time of excellence; palled wine, is wine that has lost its original spriteliness.
II.vii.102 (171,3) Strike the vessels] Try whether the casks sound as empty.
II.vii.116 (171,4) The holding every man shall bear] Every man shall accompany the chorus by drumming on his sides, in token of concurrence and applause. [Theobald had emended “beat” to “bear”] (1773)
III.i.1 (173,6) Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck] Struck alludes to darting. Thou whose darts have so often struck others, art struck now thyself. (1773)