"rained, and hailed; the fky loft its tranfpa rent hue, grew dufky, thick and gloomy, "fo that we had no other light than that of "the flashes of lightning, and rending of the "clouds. The hurricanes, flaws, and fudden "whirlwinds, began to make a flame about us; by the lightnings, fiery vapours, and "other aerial ejaculations. Oh how our looks "were full of amazement and trouble, while "the faucy winds did rudely lift up above us "the mountainous waves of the main. Believe me it feemed to us a lively image of the Chaos, where fire, air, fea, land, and all "the elements were in refractory confusion. 1. Sc. 2. P. 7. Than Profpero master of a full-poor cell.] Probably he wrote Profpro a diffyllable. Anor. Id. Ib. The direful spectacle of the wreck which touch'd-] The final vowel of spectacle fhould 'tis likely be melted down here before a vowel. So that fpectacle of fhould make together but three fyllables. Anon. P. 8. Obey, and be attentive, can't thou remember ry Thou makes the verfe too long, and may vewell be left out. Anon. Ib. p. 9. And Profpero the Prime Duke being fo reputed] Profpro, as before, a diffyllable, and b’ing a monofyllable. Anon. Ib. Set all hearts i'th' ftate] Thofe words 'th' ftate, look like an excrefcence, and may very well be left out. Anon. Sc. iii. The yards and bolt-fprit would I flame diftinctly, then meet and join.] In the folio edition 1632. 'tis bore-fprit, but wrong. Id. Ib. Jove's lightnings the precurfers] The latter part of Ariel's fpeech is high bombaft, and feems to have been taken from fome buskin writer of that time by way of ridicule. Id. Ib. Ariel. Not a foul But felt a fever of the mind &c.] A feaver of the madde in folio of 1632. The correction is right. Id. Ib. p. 16. What is the time? Ari. Paft the mid feason. Pro. At least two glaffes] This should seem more properly spoke by Ariel. For why fhould Profpero ask the time of the day, if he knew it better than Ariel? Ibid. me, fay.] Where was the born? Speak, tell Speak, tell me, in the folio edition of 1632. Say, added by Sir Thomas Hanmer, for which fuppofe he had his reafons. Id. Ib. p. 17. For mischiefs manifold and forceries terrible.] This verse labours, it may be relieved several ways, either by ftriking out forceries, or putting it in the place of mischiefs; or by reading many for manifold; or what I think is more like Shakespeare, by leaving out and. Anon. Id. Ib. Thou waft a fpirit too delicate To act her earthly and abhorr❜dcommands.] Earthy in old folio of 1632. Id. Ib. Ari. Pardon Mafter. I will be correfpondent to command, And do my fp'riting gently.] Do my fpryting, folio 1632. Id. Ib. Do fo, and after two days] There wants here, a foot and a half to make up the verfe. It may be supplied by the word Ariel, a trifyllable, as presently after. Anon. Id. Ib. p. 18. Be fubject to no fight, but mine: invifible] Id. Ib. Miranda of Caliban. I do not love to look on.] Look on't. folio 1632. Pro. Come forth I fay, there's other business for thee. Come thou tortoife when] Come fhould be ftruck out to make this an hemiftic, or perhaps it fhould be read, I fay, come forth, to complete the verfe. Anon. Sir Thomas Hanmer has here left out Come thou tortoife when, but added it a line or two below. "Thou poisonous flave got by the devil him " felf "Upon 13 Upon thy wicked dam; come forth thou "tortoife." Sc. iv. Profpero to Caliban. Pro. I endow'd thy purpofes With words that made them known but thy vile race.] Vild race in folio edit. of 1632. The word vild used probably for vile in Shakespeare's time, as it is I think by Spenfer, who fpeaking of the behaviour of the witch's fon to Florimel, fays, "Sometimes the fquirrel wild "He brought to her in bonds, as conquered "To be her thrall, his fellow-fervant vild. Book 3. Canto 7. 17. and Stanz. 15. Sc. iv. p. 21. Caliban to Profpero Cal. You taught me language, and my profit on't Is I know how to curfe, the red plague rid you Shakespeare has a fimilar expreffion. Coriolanus, Act iv. fc. 1. p. 514. "Now the red peftilence ftrike all trades in "Rome," The red plague, or peftilence might be fo call'd from the red croffes fet probably upon the doors of infected perfons in Shakespeare's time. In preceding plagues they fometimes made ufe of black croffes. In November 18th 1547. the first year of the reign of King Edward the fixth, there was a proclamation that a black cross should be fet upon the door of the infected perfon, [See Strype's memorial of the reformation, mation, vol. 2. p. 60.] I have not the directions given in that cafe in fubfequent plagues before the year 1636, and then 'twas ordered, "That every houfe vifited fhould be marked "with a red cross of a foot-long, in the middle " of the door, evident to be seen, with these " ufual printed Words, that is to fay, The Lord "bave mercy upon us, be fet close over the fame "crofs." [See Orders for health printed 1636.] The fame directions in (a) 1665. Or by the red plague, he might mean the dySentery or bloody flux, which when malignant, was attended with a peftilential fever, ravaged whole countries, and was called a plague, or peftilence by fome of our antient hiftorians. Anno 1411. Burdigala, ex dyfenteria [peftis in margine] pæne 14000 hominum periere, tantumque peftis [dyfenteria fcilicet] invaluit in Aquitania et Wafconia, quod vindemiatores, et uvarum calcatores in patriâ defecerunt. Ypodigma Neuftriæ a Thoma de Walfingham. Vid. Anglic. Normannic. &c. edit. a Camdeno p. 570. Vide etiam Tho. Otterbourne chron. reg. Angliæ edit. a T. Hearne, p. 268. (a) Quod ut expediam, præmonftrare opportet legem authoritate fupremâ fancitam adftringere, ut oftia domorum infectarum obferentur; utque Crux rubra equilateraliter, ad tres, quatuorve fpithamas appingatur cum fubfcriptione cenforiâ, fimul ac deprecatoria. Domine miferire noftri. ·Hodges de peftis nuperæ ortu et progressu. p. 8. Dr. Mede's difcourfe of peftilential contagion. 1722. p. 91. Id. Ib. |