appear foul? takes virtuous copies to be wicked; like those that, under hot ardent zeal, would set whole realms on fire 3.

what he did; but it signifies puzzle him, outdo him at his own weapons. WARBURTON.

How the devil, or any other being, should be set clear by being puzzled and outdone, the commentator has not explained. When in a croud we would have an opening made, we say, "Stand clear," that is, "out of the way of danger." With some affinity to this use, though not without great harshness, to set clear, may be to set aside. But I believe the original corruption is the insertion of the negative, which was obtruded by some transcriber, who supposed crossed to mean thwarted, when it meant, exempted from evil. The use of crossing by way of protection or purification, was probably not worn out in Shakspeare's time. The sense of set clear is now easy; he has no longer the guilt of tempting man. To 66 cross himself" may mean, in a very familiar sense, to clear his score, to get out of debt, to quit his reckoning." He knew not what he did, may mean, he knew not how much good he was doing himself. There is no need of emendation.

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JOHNSON.

Clear

Perhaps Dr. Warburton's explanation is the true one. is an adverb, or so used; and Dr. Johnson's Dictionary observes, that to set means, in Addison, to embarrass, to distress, to perplex.-If then the devil made men politick, he has thwarted his own interest, because the superior cunning of man will at last puzzle him, or be above the reach of his temptations. TOLLET.

Johnson's explanation of this passage is nearly right; but I don't see how the insertion of the negative injures the sense, or why that should be considered as a corruption. Servilius means to say, that the devil did not foresee the advantage that would arise to himself from thence, when he made men politick. He redeemed himself by it; for men will, in the end, become so much more villainous than he is, that they will set him clear; he will appear innocent when compared to them. Johnson has rightly explained the words, " he crossed himself by it."-So, in Cymbeline, Posthumus says of himself

"That all the abhorred things o' the earth amend,
"By being worse than they." M. MASON.

The meaning, I think, is this:- "The devil did not know what he was about, [how much his reputation for wickedness would be diminished] when he made men crafty and interested; he thwarted himself by it; [by thus raising up rivals to contend with him in iniquity, and at length to surpass him ;] and I cannot but think that at last the enormities of mankind will rise to such

Of such a nature is his politick love.

This was my lord's best hope; now all are fled,
Save the gods only*: Now his friends are dead,
Doors, that were ne'er acquainted with their
wards

Many a bounteous year, must be employ'd
Now to guard sure their master.

a height, as to make even Satan himself, in comparison, appear (what he would least of all wish to be) spotless and innocent." Clear is in many other places used by our author and the contemporary writers, for innocent. So, in The Tempest: nothing but heart's sorrow,

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“And a clear life ensuing."

Again, in Macbeth:

"Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
"So clear in his great office-."

Again, in the play before us:

Again, in Marlowe's Lust's Dominion, 1657:

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- I know myself am clear

"As is the new-born infant." MALONE.

The devil's folly in making man politick, is to appear in this, that he will at the long run be too many for his old master, and get free of his bonds. The villainies of man are to set himself clear, not the devil, to whom he is supposed to be in thraldom.

RITSON.

Concerning this difficult passage, I claim no other merit than that of having left before the reader the notes of all the commentators. I myself am in the state of Dr. Warburton's devil,puzzled, instead of being set clear by them. STEEVENS.

3

-

takes VIRTUOUS COPIES to be wicked; like those, &c.] This is a reflection on the Puritans of that time. These people were then set upon the project of new-modelling the ecclesiastical and civil government according to scripture rules and examples; which makes him say, that under zeal for the word of God, they would set whole realms on fire. So, Sempronius pretended to that warm affection and generous jealousy of friendship, that is affronted, if any other be applied to before it. At best the similitude is an aukward one; but it fitted the audience, though not the speaker. WARBURTON.

4 Save the gods only:] Old copy-" Save only the gods." The transposition is Sir Thomas Hanmer's." STEEVENS.

And this is all a liberal course allows;

Who cannot keep his wealth, must keep his house 3.

SCENE IV.

The same. A Hall in TIMON'S House.

[Exit.

Enter Two Servants of VARRO, and the Servant of Lucius, meeting TITUS, HORTENSIUS, and other Servants to TIMON's Creditors, waiting his coming out.

VAR. SERV. Well met; good-morrow, Titus and Hortensius.

TIT. The like to you, kind Varro.

5 - keep his house.] i. e. keep within doors for fear of duns.

JOHNSON.

So, in Measure for Measure, Act III. Sc. II.: "You will turn good husband now, Pompey; you will keep the house."

STEEVENS.

LUC. SERV.

Not yet.

PHI. I wonder on't; he was wont to shine at se

ven.

LUC. SERV. Ay, but the days are waxed shorter with him :

You must consider, that a prodigal course
Is like the sun's; but not, like his, recoverable.
I fear,

"Tis deepest winter in lord Timon's purse;
That is, one may reach deep enough, and yet
Find little ".

PHI.

I am of your fear for that.

TIT. I'll show you how to observe a strange

Mark, how strange it shows,

Timon in this should pay more than he owes :
And e'en as if your lord should wear rich jewels,
And send for money for 'em.

HOR. I am weary of this charge, the gods can witness:

6 - a prodigal course

Is like the sun's ;] That is, like him in blaze and splendor. Soles occidere et redire possunt. Catull. JOHNSON. Theobald, and the subsequent editors, elegantly enough, but without necessity, read-" a prodigal's course.' We have the same phrase as that in the text in the last couplet of the preceding scene:

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"

And this is all a liberal course allows." Malone. 7 reach deep enough, and yet

Find little.] Still, perhaps, alluding to the effects of winter, during which some animals are obliged to seek their scanty provision through a depth of snow. STEEVENS.

8 I am weary of this charge,] this employment. JOHNSON.

That is, of this commission, of

I know, my lord hath spent of Timon's wealth,
And now ingratitude makes it worse than stealth.
1 VAR. SERV. Yes, mine's three thousand crowns:
What's yours?

LUC. SERV. Five thousand mine.

1 VAR. SERV. 'Tis much deep: and it should seem by the sum,

Your master's confidence was above mine;
Else, surely, his had equall'd'.

9 Else, surely, HIS had equall'd.] Should it not be, "Else, surely, mine had equall'd." JOHNSON.

The meaning of the passage is evidently and simply this: "Your master, it seems, had more confidence in lord Timon than mine, otherwise his (i. e. my master's) debt (i. e. the money due to him from Timon) would certainly have been as great as your master's (i. e. as the money which Timon owes to your master ;)" that is, my master being as rich as yours, could and would have advanced Timon as large a sum as your master has advanced him, if he, (my master) had thought it prudent to do so. RITSON.

The meaning may be, "The confidential friendship subsisting between your master [Lucius] and Timon was greater than that subsisting between my master [Varro] and Timon; else surely the sum borrowed by Timon from your master had been equal to, and no greater than, the sum borrowed from mine; and this equality would have been produced by the application made to my master being raised from three thousand crowns to five thousand."

Two sums of unequal magnitude may be reduced to an equality, as well by addition to the lesser sum, as by subtraction from the greater. Thus, if A has applied to B for ten pounds, and to C for five, and C requests that he may lend A precisely the same sum as he shall be furnished with by B, this may be done, either by C's augmenting his loan, and lending ten pounds as well as B, or by B's diminishing his loan, and, like C, lending only five pounds. The words of Varro's servant therefore may mean, Else surely the same sums had been borrowed by Timon from both our masters.'

I have preserved this interpretation, because I once thought it probable, and because it may strike others as just. But the true explication I believe is this (which I also formerly proposed). His may refer to mine. "It should seem that the confident friendship subsisting between your master and Timon, was greater than that subsisting between Timon and my master; else surely his sum, i. e. the sum borrowed from my master, [the last antecedent] had been as large as the sum borrowed from yours."