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"Undir the fonne he lokid, and anon, "He was ware of Arcite and Palamon, "That fought in breme, as it were bullis two "The brightè fwordis went faft too and fro, "So hideously that with the leftè stroke, "It femith that it would fell an oak.

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We will fair queen up to the mountain top, and mark the musical confufion of bounds and echo in conjunction.]

Hip. I was with Hercules, and Cadmus once, "Where in a wood of Crete they bay'd the bear With bounds of Sparta, never did I hear "Such gallant chiding for befides the groves, "The fkies, the fountains, every region near "Seem'd all one mutual cry; I never heard "So mufical a difcord, fuch fweet thunder.

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Thef. My bounds are bred out of the Spar66 tan kind

"So flew'd, fo fanded, and their beads are hung "With ears that fweep away the morning dew: "Crook-kneed, and dew-lap'd like Theffalian << bulls.]

This is a fine defcription of hunting, &r. and a pack of hounds: and none of our English writers upon that fubject, have come up to it, excepting the ingenious Mr. Somervile, who has borrow'd fome of his images.

"For much the Pack

"Rous'd from their dark alcoves, delight to

"stretch.

"And

"And bask in his invigorating ray: {The fun's.] Warn'd by the streaming light and merry wlark

"Forth rush the jolly clan; with tuneful "throats.i

"They carol loud, and in grand chorus join'd, "Salute the new-born day..

And again,

The Chace. Book 1. 129, &c.

"See there with count'nance blith,

"And with a courtly grin. the fawning hound "Salutes thee, cow'ring his wide, open nose Upward he curls, and his large floe-black

(6 eyes..

"Melt in foft.blandifhments, and humble joy; "His gloffy skin, or yellow-pied, or blue, "In lights or fhades, by nature's pencil drawn, "Reflects the various Tints; his ears and legs "Fleckt here and there; in gay enameld pride "Rival the fpeckled pard; his rush grown tail "Over his broad back bends in an ample arch, "On fhoulders clean, upright and firm he ftands,

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"His round cat-foot, ftraight hams, and widespread thighs,

"And his low-dropping cheft confefs his speed; "His ftrength, his wind, or on the steepy hill, Or far extended plain; in ev'ry part

"So well proportion'd that the nicer skill "Of Phedias himself, can't blame thy choice. Id. ib. 238, &c.

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Once more,

"But above all, take heed, nor mix thy hounds "Of diff'rent kinds, difcordant found shall grate

"Thy ears offended, and a lagging line "Of babling curs, difgrace thy broken pack. "But if th' Amphibious otter be thy chace, "Or ftately flag that o'er the woodland reigns; "Or if th' harmonious thunder of the field Delight thy ravifh'd ears; the deep-flew'd "hound

"Breed up with care, ftrong, heavy, flow, but " fure:

"Whose ears down-hanging from his thick "round head,

"Shall fweep the morning dew, whose clanging "voice

"Awake the mountain echo in her cell, "Andshake the forefts. Id. ib. 278, &c. Id. ib. But foft, what nymphs are thefe?] Thefeus expresses a furprize upon his first seeing the two duelifts, Palamon and Arcite.

"But what they werin, nothing he no wote." Knight's Tale. 1705.

..Id. ib.

Thef. No doubt they rose up early to observe the rite of May.]

"This mene I now by mighty Thefeus, "That for to huntin is fo defirous;.. "And namely at the Grete Hert in May." As above. Knight's Tale. 1675, &c.

Sc. 2. p. 153.

Thef. Come Hipolita] This is no part of a verfe, I fuppofe the author gave, Come my Hipolita (as alter'd by Sir Thomas Hanmer) we have the fame beginning of a verse in the first act scene 1.

Come my Hipolita, what cheer my love?
Anon.

Sc. 3. P. 154.

Bot.

The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not feen, man's hand is not able to tafte, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report what my dream was.]

These blunders are of the fame kind with thofe in a Comedy, Intitled Wily beguil'd, publifh'd in the year 1638.

"

I Pegg Pudding, promise thee William "Cricket,

"That I'le hold thee for mine own dear lilly, "While I have a head in mine eye, and a face " on my nofe,

"A mouth in my tongue, and all that a woman "fhould have,

"From the crown of my foot, to the foal of my head.

Sc. 4. p. 155. Enter Quince, Flute, Snout, and Starveling.]" Enter Quince, Flute, Thisby, Snout, and Starveling. Folio 1632.

Id. ib. A Paramour is God bless us, a thing of naught] Sir Thomas Hanmer says, it was nought in the old edition; and corrected by

F 3

Mr.

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Mr. Theobald, but 'twas a thing of naught. Fol. 1632.

Id. ib.

Flute, He could not have feap'd fixpence: a day, an the Duke had not given him fixpence a day for playing Pyramus.] Qu. Scraped?

Id. ib. Get frings to your beards.] An allufion probably to the whimsical fashions in wearing their beards in Shakespeare's time. See Taylor's Superbia Flagellum. Works, p. 333. Notes upon Hudibras, part 2. canto 1. 171.

Id. ib.eat no onions nor garlick, for we are to utter fweet breath.] See Horace's advice to Mecenas, Epod. 3.

Act. 5. fc. 1. p. 157.

Thef.

The Lunatick, the Lover and the Poet,

Are of imagination, all compact,

One fees more Devils than vaft Hell can bold;
The madman:] That is the madman.

1632.

Folio.

Id. ib. p. 158. Enter Lyfander, Demetrius, Hermia and Helena.] Enter Lovers, Lyfander, &c. Edit. 1632.

Id. ib. Thef.

Call Philoftrate.]

Call Egaus. Edit. 1632. and Egens anfwers to his name there, and every where else in that old edition.

Id. ib.

There is a brief bows many sports are

ripe.] rife. Folio 1632.

Id. ib.

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