So Fairfax, _His_ stall-worn _steed the champion
stout bestrode_. WARB.] On this note Mr. Edwards has been very lavish of
his pleasantry, and indeed has justly censured the misquotation of
_stall-worn_, for _stall-worth_, which means _strong_, but makes no
attempt to explain the word in the play. Mr. Seyward, in his preface to
Beaumont, has very elaborately endeavoured to prove, that an _arm-gaunt_
steed is a steed with _lean shoulders_. _Arm_ is the Teutonick word for
_want_, or _poverty_. _Arm-gaunt_ may be therefore an old word,
signifying, _lean_ for _want_, ill fed. Edwards's observation, that a
worn-out horse is not proper for Atlas to mount in battle, is
impertinent; the horse here mentioned seems to be a post horse, rather
than a war horse. Yet as _arm-gaunt_ seems not intended to imply any
defect, it perhaps means, a horse so slender that a man might clasp him,
and therefore formed for expedition. Hanmer reads,
--_arm-girt steed_.
I.v.50 (134,1) Was beastly dumb by him] Mr. Theobald reads _dumb'd_, put
to silence. _Alexas means_, (says he) _the horse made such a neighing,
that if he had spoke he could not have been heard_.
I.v.76 (136,3) Get me ink and paper: he shall have every day/ A several
greeting, or I'll unpeople Aegypt] By sending out messengers.
II.i (136,4) _Enter Pompey_, _Menecrates_, _and Menas_] The persons are
so named in the first edition; but I know not why Menecrates appears;
Menas can do all without him.
Pages:
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97