Re-enter Guard, with a Clown bringing a basket. GUARD. This is the man. CLEO. Avoid, and leave him. [Exit Guard. Haft thou the pretty worm of Nilus' there, That kills and pains not? CLOWN. Truly I have him: but I would not be the party that should defire you to touch him, for Fleeting is inconftant. So, in Greene's Metamorphofis, 1617: to fhow the world the was not fleeting." See Vol. X. P. 511, n. 7. STEEVENS. Our author will himfelf furnish us with a commodious interpretation of this paffage. I am now "whole as the marble, founded as the rock," and no longer changeable and fluctuating between different purposes, like the fleeting and inconftant moon, 7 "That monthly changes in her circled orb." MALONE. the pretty worm of Nilus-] Worm is the Teutonick word for ferpent; we have the blind-worm and flow-worm still in our language, and the Norwegians call an enormous monster, seen fometimes in the northern ocean, the fea-worm. JOHNSON. So, in The Dumb Knight, 1633: "Thofe coals the Roman Portia did devour, "Are not burnt out, nor have th' Ægyptian worms Again, in The Tragedy of Hoffman, 1631: I'll watch for fear "Of venomous worms." See Vol. X. p. 109, n. In the Northern counties, the word worm is ftill given to the ferpent fpecies in general. I have feen a Northumberland ballad, entituled, The laidly Worm of Spindlefton Heughes, i. e. The loathfome or foul ferpent of Spindlefton Craggs; certain rocks fo called, near Bamburgh Castle. Shakspeare ufes worm again in the fame fenfe. See the Second part of King Henry VI: "The mortal worm might make the sleep eternal." PERCY. Again, in the old verfion of The New Testament, Acts xxviii. "Now when the barbarians fawe the worme hang on his hand," &c. TOLLET. his biting is immortal; those, that do die of it, do feldom or never recover. CLEO. Remember'ft thou any that have died on't? CLOWN. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yefterday: a very honest woman, but fomething given to lie; as a woman should not do, but in the way of honesty: how fhe died of the biting of it, what pain fhe felt, -Truly, she makes a very good report o' the worm: But he that will believe all that they fay, shall never be faved by half that they do:" But this is most fallible, the worm's an odd worm. CLEO. Get thee hence; farewell. CLOWN. I wish you all joy of the worm. CLEO. Farewell. [Clown fets down the basket. CLOWN. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind. CLEO. Ay, ay; farewell. CLOWN. Look you, the worm is not to be trufted, but in the keeping of wife people; for, indeed, there is no goodness in the worm. 8 But he that will believe all that they fay, shall never be faved by half that they do:] Shakspeare's clowns are always jokers, and deal in fly fatire. It is plain this must be read the contrary way, and all and half change places. WARBURTON. Probably Shakspeare defigned that confufion which the critick would difentangle. STEEVENS. will do bis kind.] The ferpent will act according to his nature. JOHNSON. So, in Heywood's If you know not Me you know Nobody, 1633: "Good girls, they do their kind.” Again, in the ancient black letter romance of Syr Tryamoure, no date : "He dyd full gentylly his kinde." STEEVENS. Again, in The Tragicall Hyftory of Romeus and Juliet, 1562: For tickle Fortune doth, in changing, but her kind." MALONE. CLEO, Take thou no care; it shall be heeded. CLOWN. Very good: give it nothing, I pray you, for it is not worth the feeding. CLEO. Will it eat me? CLOWN. You must not think I am so fimple, but I know the devil himself will not eat a woman: I know, that a woman is a difh for the gods, if the devil dress her not. But, truly, thefe fame whorefon devils do the gods great harm in their women; for in every ten that they make, the devils mar five. CLEO. Well, get thee gone; farewell. CLOWN. Yes, forfooth; I wish you joy of the worm. Re-enter IRAS, with a robe, crown, &c. [Exit. CLEO. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have Immortal longings in me: Now no more To praise my noble act; I hear him mock 2 Immortal longings in me:] This expreffion appears to have been tranfplanted into Addifon's Cato: "This longing after immortality." STEEVENS. 3 Yare, yare,] i. e. make hafte, be nimble, be ready. So, in the old bl. romance of Syr Eglamoure of Artoys: Ryght foone he made him yare." See alfo Vol. III. p. 5, n. 3. STEEVENS. A preceding paffage precifely afcertains the meaning of the word: 66 -- -to proclaim it civilly, were like "A halter'd neck, which does the hangman thank To excufe their after wrath: Hufband, I come: I give to baser life.—So, have you done? The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch,' Which hurts, and is defir'd. Doft thou lie ftill? If thus thou vanifheft, thou tell'st the world It is not worth leave-taking. CHAR. Diffolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I may fay, The gods themselves do weep! CLEO. This proves me base: If the first meet the curled Antony, 6 He'll make demand of her; and spend that kifs, Which is my heaven to have.-Come, mortal wretch,' [to the afp, which she applies to her breast. 2 I am fire, and air; my other elements I give to bafer life.] So, in King Henry V." He is pure air and fire; and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him." "Do not our lives, (fays Sir Andrew Aguecheek,) confift of the four elements?" MALONE. 3 Have I the afpick in my lips?] Are my lips poifon'd by the afpick, that my kiss has destroyed thee? MALONE. 4 Doft fall?] Iras muft be fuppofed to have applied an afp to her arm while her mistress was fettling her dress, or I know not why she should fall fo foon. STEEVENS. s—a lover's pinch,] So before, p. 453: "That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black." STEEVENS. 6 He'll make demand of her;] He will enquire of her concerning me, and kiss her for giving him intelligence. JOHNSON. 7 Come, mortal wretch,] Old copies, unmetrically: · Come, thou mortal wretch,—. STEEVENS. With thy fharp teeth this knot intrinficate CHAR. CLEO. 8 O eastern star! Doft thou not fee my baby at my breast, - Peace, peace! O, break! O, break! That fucks the nurse afleep?" CHAR. CLEO. As fweet as balm, as foft as air, as gentle,O Antony !-Nay, I will take thee too : [Applying another afp to her arm. [Falls on a bed, and dies. What should I stay 8 -afs Unpolicied!] i. e. an ass without more policy than to leave the means of death within my reach, and thereby deprive his triumph of its nobleft decoration. STEEVENS. 9 That fucks the nurse afleep?] Before the publication of this piece, The Tragedy of Cleopatra, by Daniel, 1594, had made its appearance; but Dryden is more indebted to it than Shakspeare. Daniel has the following addrefs to the afp: "Better than death death's office thou dischargeft, "That with one gentle touch can free our breath; "And in a pleafing fleep our foul enlargeft, Making ourselves not privy to our death. "Therefore come thou, of wonders wonder chief, Dryden fays on the fame occafion: 66 Welcome thou kind deceiver! |