You have too much respect upon the world: They loose it, that do buy it with much care. Loose should be lose.

P. 147.-9.-403.

Lor. I must be one of these same dumb wise men,
For Gratiano never lets me speak.

Gra. Well, keep me company but two years more
Thou shalt not know the sound of thine own tongue.
Ant. Farewell: I'll grow a talker for this gear.

As anciently, when less precision was observed in orthography, g and j were often used indiscriminately, having, in many instances, the same power, I would read, I'll grow a talker for this jeer (supposing it to have been originally written geer), that is, for this bantering expostulation. I cannot think that year is the right reading. Of this conjecture, however, I am not confident.

Ibid.-404.

Gra. Thanks, i'faith; for silence is only commendable
In a neat's tongue dried, and a maid not vendible.

Ant. Is that any thing now?

[Exeunt Gratiano and Lorenzo.

Bass. Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing, more
than any man in all Venice.

The old reading, now, is certainly right..

P. 149.-10.-406.

Then do but say to me what I should do,
That in your knowledge may by me be done
And I am prest unto it.

I do not assent to Mr. Steevens's explanation.

P. 150.-11.-407.

Ant. Thou know'st, that all my fortunes are at sea,

Nor have I money, nor commodity

To raise a present sum.

Mr. Malone has changed nor for neither, not much to the advantage of the verse.

He is always careful to provide a sufficient number of discords.

P. 156.-18.—414.

Shy. If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.

I cannot agree with Mr. Henley.

P. 157.-18.-415.

Ant. Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow,
By taking, nor by giving of excess,

Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend,
I'll break a custom.

Ripe is the true reading.

P. 166.-25.-426.

Laun. My conscience says,―no; take heed honest Laun-
celot; take heed honest Gobbo; or, as aforesaid, honest
Launcelot Gobbo; do not run, scorn running with thy
heels.

I heartily agree with Mr. Malone.

Ibid.-427.

Away! says
the fiend, for the heavens; rouse up a brave
mind, says the fiend, and run.

Might we not point thus? Away says the fiend; for the heavens (i. e. for heaven's sake) rouse up a brave mind, says the fiend, and run.

P. 167.-26.—428.

7

Laun. [aside] O heavens, this is my true begotten
father! who, being more than sand-blind, high-gravel
blind, knows me not.-I will try conclusions with him.

I do not see why we should not read try conclusions.

Laun.

P. 168.-26.428.

marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew's house.

Gob. By God's sonties, 'twill be a hand way to hit.

I take God's sonties to be God's innocents, santes,

P. 168.-27.-429.

Laun. Well, let his father be what he will, we talk of
young master Launcelot.

Gob. Your worship's friend, and Launcelot, sir.

This is rightly explained by Malone.

P. 169.-27.-430.

Laun. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your son:
Give me your blessing.

I cannot discover the frequent references that Mr. Henley speaks of.

P. 176.—33.—438.

Laun. Adieu!-tears exhibit my tongue.-Most beautiful Pagan,-most sweet Jew! If a Christian do not play the knave, and get thee, I am much deceived.] I am very strongly of opinion with the igno rant editor of the 2d folio, that we ought to read, did. In this I am confirmed by the passage in the 3d Act, to which Mr. Malone refers. I shall patiently submit to whatever imputation of folly and absurdity the avowal of this opinion may expose me.

Lor.

P. 177.-34.439.

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Laun. An it shall please you to break up this, it shall
seem to signify.

I do not perceive here any allusion to carving. Every one knows what it is to break up a letter. So in the Winter's Tale: Break up the seals, and read...

P. 180.-36.442.

Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum,
And the vile squeaking of the wry-neck'd fife,

Clamber not you up to the casements then.

I would read, actively, the wry-neck fife, i. e. the fife that wries the neck of him, who plays on it.

P. 187.-42.-451.

Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgement old,
Your answer had not been inscrol'd:
Fare you well; your suit is cold.

I would read this answer for the reasons given by Dr. Johnson, which appear to me unanswerable.

P. 193.-48.-459.

There be fools alive, I wis,
Silver'd o'er; and so was this.
Take what wife you will to bed,
I will ever be your head:
So begone, sir, you are sped.

I wonder Mr. Malone did not omit the word sir, as it was supplied by the editor of the 2d folio, and inform us that gone is here a dissyllable. Shakespeare certainly sometimes makes words which are now pronounced as one syllable (as your, hour, &c.) dissyllables: but I think not so frequently as Mr. Malone supposes.

I

P. 200.-54.-468.

O! these naughty times

Put bars between the owners and their rights;
And so, though yours, not yours.—Prove it so,

Let fortune go to hell for it,-not I.

Mr. Heath has explained this rightly, and Warburton has mistaken it. Grammar certainly requires that we should read me for I, according to the correction of the Oxford Editor; but we know that Shakespeare is frequently ungramma

tical, and that an error of this kind is no proof

of a corruption.

P. 204.-57.-472.

Thus ornament is but the guiled shore
To a most dangerous sea.

Guiled means possessing guile.

P. 205.-58.-472.

But thou, thou meager lead,

Which rather threat'nest, than dost promise aught,
Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence,
And here choose I.

I think Warburton has altered the right word.

Ibid.-473.

O love, be moderate, allay thy ecstasy,

In measure ruin thy joy, scant this excess.

I think rain is clearly the right word.

Bass.

P. 211.-64.-481.

Here is a letter, lady;

The paper as the body of my friend,

And every word in it a gaping wound,
Issuing life-blood.

I do not believe the Author wrote is the body. I think Mr. Steevens is clearly right.

Thou naughty gaoler, that thou art so fond
To come abroad with him at his request.

I am not clear that fond in this place means foolish, I rather take it to signify desirous, in the sense in which we use it when being requested to do a thing we dislike, we say we are not fond of it. If it be objected that this sense requires a different construction, and that it should be so fond of going, it may be answered, that a much later and more correct writer than Shakespeare has used this form of construction; which. I admit to be improper: "Should such a one, too