Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/355

[ 339 ] 41., 1611:

Dr. Warburton thinks that there is in this tragedy a atirical alluion to the intitution of the order of Baronets, which dignity was created by king James I. in the year 1611:

"Amongt their other prerogatives of honour," (ays that commentator) "they [the new-created baronets] had an addition to their paternal arms, of an hand gules in an ecutcheon argent. And we are not to doubt but that this was the new heraldry alluded to by our author; by which he ininuates, that ome then created had hands indeed, but not hearts; that is, money to pay for the creation, but no virtue to purchae the honour."

Such is the obervation of this critick. But by what chymitry can the ene which he has affixed to this paSS undefinedage, be extracted from it? Or is it probable, that Shakpeare, who has more than once condecended to be the encomiat of the unworthy founder of the order of Baronets, who had been peronally honoured by a letter from his majety, and ubtantially benefited by the royal licence granted to him and his fellow-comedians, hould have been o impolitick, as to atirize the king, or to depretiate his new-created dignity?

Thee lines appear to me to afford an obvious meaning, without uppoing them to contain uch a multitude of alluions:

Of old, (ays Othello) in matrimonial alliances, the heart dictated the union of bands; but our modern junctions are thoe of bands, not of hearts.

On every marriage the arms of the wife are united to thoe of the huband. This circumtance, I believe, it was, that uggeted heraldry, in this place, to our author. I know not whether a heart was ever ued as an armorial enign, nor is it, I conceive, neceary to enquire. It was the office of the herald to join, or, to peak technically, to quarter the arms of the new-married pair. Hence, with his uual