Mart. Look right, and look again. Boy. She plows the sea before her, And foams i' th' mouth. Boats. Of whence? Boy. I ken not yet, sir. Duke. Oh, may she prove of Naples ! We'll spit out fire as thick as she. Boy. Hoy! Master. Brave boy? Boy. Of Naples, Naples; I think of Naples, master; Methinks I see the arms. Master. Up, up another, And give more certain signs! Duke. All to your business! And stand but right and true Boats. Hang him that halts now! [Exit Sailor. Master. We'll spare her our main-top-sail; She shall not look us long, we are no starters. Down with the fore-sail too! we'll spoom3 before her. Mart. Gunner, good noble gunner, for my ho nour Load me but these two minions in the chase there;" Spoom.] A nautical term for sailing rapidly. The editors of 1750 and 1778, very reprehensibly alter the word silently to spoon. 4 in the chape.] The chape of a sword is no news, but I fancy that of a ship will be so to every curious reader. Chase is applicable either to the prow or stern of a ship, and 'tis no matter in which of these acceptations we understand it here.-Symp son, We have no doubt but Sympson has here hit on the right word, but not on its true acceptation; for no part of a vessel, we be lieve, bears the name of the chase. The chase, in the sea dialect, is a vessel pursued.-Ed. 1778. And load 'em right, that they may bid fair welcome, Sailor. [Above.] Hoy! Duke. Of whence now? Sailor. Of Naples, Naples, Naples! I see her top-flag, how she quarters Naples. Duke. Down! She's welcome to us! [Exeunt Master, Boatswain, Gunner, Sailors. Every man to his charge! Man her i' th' bow well, And place your rakers right.' Daughter, be sparing. Mart. I swear I'll be above, sir, in the thickest, And where most danger is I'll seek for honour. They have begun! hark, how their trumpets call us ! Hark, how the wide-mouth'd cannons sing amongst us ! Hark, how they hail! out of our shells for shame, sir! Sympson's amendment and explanation are just. There are, in all ships of war, two guns at the least placed in the bow, and two more in the stern, which are called the bow-chase, and the sternchase; the first are used against a vessel that is a-head, the other against a vessel that pursues.-Mason. 5. Place your rakers.] i. e. The guns with which the enemy's vessel is to be raked. Falconer, in his Marine Dictionary, says, "Raking a ship is the act of cannonading a ship on the stern, or head, so as that the balls shall scour the whole length of her decks; which is one of the most dangerous incidents that can happen in a naval action."-Ed. 1778. 6 Hark, how they sail.] I think we should read either call or hail, instead of sail.—Mason. Mason is undoubtedly right; and it is only wonderful that the previous commentators could suffer the nonsense of the old text to stand unnoticed. The, numerous corruptions of technical seaterms in the folios are not to be wondered at. Duke. Now fortune and my cause! [Exeunt. [Charge, trumpets and shot within. A sea fight. Enter Master and Boatswain. Master. They'll board us once again; they are tough and valiant. Boats. Twice we have blown 'em into th' air like feathers, And made 'em dance. Master. Good boys! fight bravely, manly! They come on yet; clap in her stern, and yoke'em." Enter Gunner. Gun. You shall not need; I have provision for 'em ; Let 'em board once again; the next is ours. 7 Yoke 'em.] Sympson supposes this corrupt, and imagines we should read RAKE 'em. YOKE 'em may mean, lying along-side of 'em, so as to fight with small arms; upon which the Gunner says, You shall not need; I have provision for 'em.-Ed. 1778. The old text is certainly right, and may be a direction to fasten the enemy's ship to their own by grappling-irons, which is constantly done in boarding. SCENE II. Another Part of the Ship, Enter Master, Boatswain following. Master. Down with 'em! stow 'em in! 'Tis brotherhood to fling 'em into th' sea. Enter Gunner. Gun. Pox fire 'em! They have smoked us; never such plumbs yet flew. Boats. They have rent the ship, and bored a hundred holes ; She swims still lustily. Master. She made a brave fight; and she shall be cured, And make a braver yet. Gun. Bring us some cans up; I am hot as fire. Enter Boy with three cans. Boats. I am sure I am none o' th' coolest. Gun. My cannons rung like bells. Here's to my mistress! The dainty sweet brass minion split their fore-mast; She never fail'd. Master. Ye did all well and truly, Like faithful honest men. Boats. But is she rich, master? [Trumpet, flourish. Enter Duke wounded, MARTIA, Sailors, and VIROLET Prisoner. Master. Rich for my captain's purpose howso ever, And we are his.-How bravely now he shews, Heated in blood and anger!-How do you, sir?". Not wounded mortally, I hope? Duke. No, master; But only wear the livery of fury.→ I am hurt, and deep. Master. My mistress too? Mart. A scratch, man; [Aside. My needle would ha' done as much.--Good sir, Be provident and careful! Duke. Pr'ythee, peace, girl; This wound is not the first blood I have blush'd in. Ye fought all like tall men; my thanks among ye, That speaks not what my purse means, but my tongue, soldiers. - Now, sir, to you that sought me out, that found me, That found me what I am, the tyrant's tyrant; You that were imp'd, the weak arm to his folly, You are welcome to your death! 9 8. You fought like tall men.] Tall, in this and numerous other instances, means stout, brave. In Shakspeare's time, it seems to have been considered as an affected phrase, but appears afterwards to have got into very common use. 9 You that were imp'd, the weak arm to his folly.] That is, you who were set forth, or put on this enterprise by him; a metaphor from the technical phrase of imping a hawk, or inserting feathers in his wings artificially, instead of those he had lost in a combat. |