away their wings." Can any thing be more ridiculous? Mermaids are half women and half fishes: where then are their wings? or what pos sible use could they make of them if they had any? The Sirens which Julian speaks of were partly women and partly birds: so that,,the pol lusion," as good-man Dull hath it, by no means ,,holds in the exchange.",,The quarrels between Mary and Elizabeth had the same cause and the same issue." That is, they contended for prece dency, and Elizabeth overcoming took away the others wings. The secret of their contest for precedency should seem to have been confined to Dr. Warburton: It would be in vain to enquire after it in the history of the time. The Queen of Scots, indeed, flew for refuge to her treacherous rival, (who is here again the mermaid of the alle gory, alluring to destruction, by her songs or fair speeches,) and wearing, it should seem, like a cherubim, her wings on her neck, Elizabeth, whọ was determined she should fy no more, in her eagerness to tear them away, happened inadver tendly to take off her head. The situation of the poct's mermaid, on a dolphin's back,,,evidently marks out that distinguishing circumstance in Mary's fortune, her marriage with the dauphin of France." A mermaid would seem to have but a strangely aukward seat on the back of a dolphin; but that, to be sure, is the poet's affair, and not the commentator's: the latter, however, is certainly answerable for placing a Queen on the back of her husband: a very extraordinary situation one would think, for a married lady; and of which I only recollect a single instance, in the common print of,,a poor man loaded with mischief.“ Mermaids are supposed to sing, but their dulcet

and harmonious breath must in this instance to suit the allegory, allude to those great abilities of genius and learning," which rendered Queen Mary,,the most accomplished Princess of her age." This compliment could not fail of being highly agreeable to the,,fair Vestal.",,By the rude sea is meant Scotland incircled with the ocean, which rose up in arms against the regent, while she [Mary] was in France. But her return home quieted these disorders: and had not her strange ill conduct afterwards more violently inflamed them, she might have passed her whole life in peace." Dr. Warburton whose skill in geography, seems to match his knowledge of history and acuteness in allegory, must be allowed the sole merit of discovering Scotland to be an island. But, as to the disorders of that country being quieted by the Queen's return, it appears from history to be full as peaceable before as it is at any time after that event. Whether, in the revival or continuance of these disorders, she, or her ideot husband, or fanatical subjects were most to blame, is a point upon which doctors still differ; but, it is evident, that, if the enchanting song of the commentators mermaid civilized the rude sea for a time, is was only to render it, in an instant, more boisterous than ever: those great abilities of genius and learning, which rendered her the most accomplished Princess of her age, not availing her among a parcel of ferocious and enthusiastic barbarians, whom even the lyre of Orpheus had in vain warbled to humanize. Brantome, who

accompanyed her, says she was welcomed home by a mob of five or fix hundred ragamuffins, who, in discord with the most execrable instruments, sung psalms (which she was supposed to

312 NOTES TO THE MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DR.

dislike) under her chamber window:,,He! adds he, quelle musique et quel repos pour sa nuit !« However, it seems,,there is great justness and beauty in this image, as the vulgar opinion is, that the mermaid always sings in storms.",,This vulgar opinion," I am persuaded, is peculiar to the ingenious commentator; as, if the mermaid is ever supposed to sing, it is in calms, which presage storms. I can perceive no propriety in calling the insurrection of the Northern Earls the quarrel of Queen Mary, unless in so far as it was that of the religion she professed. But this perhaps is the least objectionable part of a chimerical allegory of which the poet himself had no idea, and which the commentator, to whose creative fancy it owes its existence, seems to have very justly characterized in telling us it is ,,out of nature;" that is, as I conceive, perfectly groundless and unnatural. RITSON.

END OF THE THIRD VOLUME.