Upon a scroll-I burn, and weep, With lessons how t' observe, and eye her. She first consider'd which was better, To send it back, or burn the letter. Though nothing else, at least her sport, v. 349. Of all her sex most excellent] O Dido, primrose of perfection. 350 355 Cotton's Virgil Travestie, b. 1. (See Don Quixote, vol. 2, chap. 3, p. 45.) Ibid. The Knight's prolix superscription to his love-letter is in the fashionable style of the time: "These, for my honoured mother”— "To my most honoured uncle present these"-" To my most honoured good friend, these”—“ These, present with care and speed"—were common forms of expression. (ED.) v. 351. Then gave it to his faithless Squire] The quaint superscription of this famous letter, and the solema manner of the Knight's delivering it, with directions to his Squire, is very diverting: it puts me in mind of the like solemnity in Don Quixote, b. 3, chap. 11, p. 284, which if the reader pleases to compare with the scene before him, it may add to his diversion; and he will be pleased to find, that our Knight exactly adheres to the laws of knight-errantry. (Mr. B.) v. 352. With lessons how t' observe, and eye her] Don Quixote, when he sent his Squire Sancho to his Mistress Dulcinea del Toboso, (see third volume, chap. 10, p. 85) gives him the following directions. "Go then, auspicious youth, and have a care of being daunted, when thou approachest the beams of that refulgent sun of beauty-Observe and engrave in thy memory the manner of this reception; mark whether her colour changes upon the delivery of thy commission; whether her looks betray any emotion or concern when she hears my name. In She open'd it, and read it out, With many a smile and leering flout: And thus perform'd what she design'd. 360 short, observe all her actions, every motion, every gesture; for by the accurate relation of these things, I shall divine the secrets of her breast, and draw just inferences, so far as this imports to my amour." |