His ears up pricked; his braided hanging mane His eye, which scornfully glisters like fire, Sometime he trots, as if he told the steps, Of the fair breeder that is standing by. What recketh he his rider's angry stir, He sees his love, and nothing else he sees, 1 Compassed, arched. 2 Mane is here used as a plural noun. In a note on Othello, Act 11. Sc. 1., Knight justifies the adoption of a new reading "The wind-shaked serge, with high and monstrous mane upon the belief that in this line we have a picture which was probably suggested in the noble passage of Job," Hast thou given the horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?" The passage before us shows that the image was familiar to the mind of Shakspeare, of the majesty of the war-horse erecting his mane under the influence of passion. 3 This is a faint echo of the wonderful passage in Job, "He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha!" 4 Holla. Ho is the ancient interjection, giving notice to stop. The word before us is certainly the same as the French hola, and is explained in Cotgrave's French Dictionary as meaning "enough soft, soft, no more of that." Look, when a painter would surpass the life, So did this horse excel a common one, In shape, in courage, color, pace, and bone. Round-hoofed, short-jointed, fetlocks shag and long, Broad breast, full eye, small head, and nostril wide, High crest, short ears, straight legs, and passing strong, Thin mane, thick tail, broad buttock, tender hide: Sometime he scuds far off, and there he stares; To bid the wind a base1 he now prepares, And whe'r he run, or fly, they knew not whether; For through his mane and tail the high wind sings, Fanning the hairs, who wave like feathered wings, He looks upon his love and neighs unto her; 1 In the game of base, or prison base, one runs and challenges another to pursue. "To bid the wind a base " is therefore to challenge the wind to speed. We have the same expression in the early play of the Two Gentlemen of Verona : "Indeed, I bid the base for Proteus." Then, like a melancholy malecontent, His testy master goeth about to take him; As they were mad unto the wood they hie them All swoln with chasing down Adonis sits, An oven that is stopped, or river stayed, 2 But when the heart's attorney once is mute, He sees her coming, and begins to glow, 1 Vails, lowers. 2 In Richard III. we have, "Why should calamity be full of words? The tongue, in the passage before us, is the attorney to the heart. And with his bonnet hides his angry brow; O, what a sight it was, wistly to view Now was she just before him as he sat, His tenderer cheek receives her soft hand's print, O, what a war of looks was then between them! Full gently now she takes him by the hand, Or ivory in an alabaster band; So white a friend engirts so white a foe: This beauteous combat, wilful and unwilling, Once more the engine of her thoughts began: "O fairest mover on this mortal round, Would thou wert as I am, and I a man, 1 My heart all whole as thine, thy heart my wound; For one sweet look thy help I would assure thee, Though nothing but my body's bane would cure thee." "Give me my hand," saith he; "why dost thou feel it?" "Give me my heart," saith she, "and thou shalt have it ; O, give it me, lest thy hard heart do steel it, "For shame," he cries; "let go, and let me go; hus she replies: "Thy palfrey, as he should, Welcomes the warm approach of sweet desire. Affection is a coal that must be cooled; Else, suffered, it will set the heart on fire: The sea hath bounds, but deep desire hath none, Therefore no marvel though thy horse be gone. 1 Malone explains this "thy heart wounded as mine is." 2 Grave, engrave. |