Of the roes of these four kinds they make very great store of Icary or Caveary.” REED. Ben Jonson has ridiculed the introduction of these foreign delicacies in his Cinthia's Revels-" He doth learn to eat Anchovies, Macaroni, Bovoli, Fagioli, and Caviare," &c. Mr. Malone observes, that lord Clarendon uses the general for the people, in the same manner. And so by undervaluing many particulars (which they truly esteemed) as rather to be consented to than that the general should suffer." B. V. P. 530. STEEVENS. 584. cried in the top of mine-] i. e.. whose judgment I had the highest opinion of. WARBURTON. I think it means only that were higher than mine. JOHNSON. Whose judgment, in such matters, was in much REVISAL. "higher vogue than mine. Perhaps it means only-whose judgment was more clamorously delivered than mine. We still say of a bawling actor, that he speaks on the top of his voice. STEEVENS. To over-top is a hunting term applied to a dog when he gives more tongue than the rest of the cry. To this I believe Hamlet refers, and he afterwards menHENLEY. tions a CRY of players. 585. -set down with as much modesty] Modesty, for simplicity. 586. WARBURTON. there were no sallets, &c.] Such is the reading of the old copies. I know not why the later edi tors continued to adopt the alteration of Mr. Pope, and read, no salt, &c. Mr. Pope's alteration may indeed be in some degree supported by the following passage in Decker's Satiromastix: ". -a prepar'd troop of gallants, who shall distaste every unsalted line in their fly-blown comedies." Though the other phrase was used as late as in the year 1665, in a Banquet of Jests, &c. -for junkets, joci; and for curious sallets, sales.” STEEVENS. It was a remark attributed to Mrs. Warburton on the conversation of her bishop and bishop Hurd :— "that the oil of the latter with the vinegar of the former, made an exquisite sallad.” convict. 588. —that might indite the author-] Indite, for WARBURTON. -indite the author of affection :] i. e. convict the author of being a fantastical affected writer. STEEVENS. 589. but call'd it, an honest method;-] Hamlet is telling how much his judgment differed from that of others. One said, there was no salt in the linen, &c. but called it an honest method. The author probably gave it, But I called it an honest method, &c. JOHNSON. 590. -wholesome, &c.] This passage was recovered from the quartos by Dr. Johnson. STEEVENS. 596. The rugged Pyrrhus, &c.] Mr. Malone once observed to me, that a late editor supposed the speech uttered uttered by the Player before Hamlet, to have been taken from an ancient drama, entitled "Dido Queen of Carthage." I had not then the means of justify. ing or confuting his remark, the piece alluded to having escaped the hands of the most liberal and induftrious collectors of such curiosities. Since, however, I have met with this performance, and am therefore at liberty to pronounce that it did not furnish our author with more than a general hint for his description of the death of Priam, &c. unless with reference to -The whiff and wind of his fell sword The unnerved father falls, We read, ver. 23: And with the wind thereof the king fell down: And can make out a resemblance between So as a painted tyrant, Pyrrhus stood; And ver. 32. So leaning on his sword, he stood stone still. The greater part of the following lines are surely more ridiculous in themselves, than even Shakspere's happiest vein of burlesque or parody could have made them : "At last came Pirrhus fell and full of ire, "His harnesse dropping bloud, and on his speare With balles of wild fire in their murdering pawes, Giij "Which "Which made the funerall flame that burnt faire Troy: "All which hemd me about, crying, this is he. “Dido. Ah, how could poor Æneas scape their hands? "En. My mother Venus jealous of my health, "Convaid me from their crooked nets and bands: "Not mov'd at all, but smiling at his teares, up, "Treading upon his breast, strooke off his hands. "Dido. O end, Æneas, I can heare no more. "And in his eyelids hanging by the nayles, "Whereat "Whereat he lifted up his bedred lims, "Then from the navell to the throat at once, men: "So leaning on his sword he stood stone still, Act II. The exact title of the Play from which these lines are copied, is as follows: The | Tragedie of Dido | Queen of Carthage | Played by the Children of her [ Majesties Chappel. | Written by Christopher Marlowe, and | Thomas Nash, Gent. | Actors | Jupiter. | Ganimed. Venus. | Cupid. | Juno. | Mercurie, or | Hermes. | Æneas. | Ascanius. | Dido. | Anna. | Achates. | Ilioneus. Iarbas. | Cloanthes. | Sergestus. | At London, [ Printed, by the Widdowe Orwin, for Thomas Woodcocke, and are to be sold at his shop, in Paules Church-yeard, at the signe of the Blacke Beare. 1594. STEEVENS. |