' What the
satirist
says is, 'The time will come when she
will beg to have wardship of thee as an idiot.
will beg to have wardship of thee as an idiot.
John Donne
32-3.
_A time to come, &c.
_ I have adopted Grosart's
punctuation and think his interpretation of 'beg' must be the right
one--'beg thee as an idiot or natural. ' The O. E. D. gives: '? ? 5a. _To
beg a person_: to petition the Court of Wards (established by Henry
VIII and suppressed under Charles II) for the custody of a minor, an
heiress, or an idiot, as feudal superior or as having interest in the
matter: hence also fig. _To beg_ (any one) _for a fool_ or _idiot_: to
take him for, set him down as. _Obs. _' Among other examples is, 'He
proved a wiser man by much than he that begged him. Harington, _Met.
Ajax_ 46.
' What the satirist says is, 'The time will come when she
will beg to have wardship of thee as an idiot. If you continue she
will take you for one now. '
l. 35. _Besides, her<s>. _ My reading combines the variants. I think
'here' must be wrong.
PAGE =407=. AN ELEGIE.
PAGE =408=, l. 5. _Else, if you were, and just, in equitie &c. _ This
is the punctuation of _H39_, and is obviously right, 'in equitie'
going with what follows. He has denied the existence or, at least, the
influence of the Fates, and now continues, 'For if you existed or had
power, and if you were just, then, according to all equity I should
have vanquish'd her as you did me. ' Grosart and the Grolier Club
editor follow _1635-54_, and read:
Else, if you were, and just in equity, &c.
Chambers accepts the attempt of _1669_ to amend this, and prints:
True if you were, and just in equity, &c.
punctuation and think his interpretation of 'beg' must be the right
one--'beg thee as an idiot or natural. ' The O. E. D. gives: '? ? 5a. _To
beg a person_: to petition the Court of Wards (established by Henry
VIII and suppressed under Charles II) for the custody of a minor, an
heiress, or an idiot, as feudal superior or as having interest in the
matter: hence also fig. _To beg_ (any one) _for a fool_ or _idiot_: to
take him for, set him down as. _Obs. _' Among other examples is, 'He
proved a wiser man by much than he that begged him. Harington, _Met.
Ajax_ 46.
' What the satirist says is, 'The time will come when she
will beg to have wardship of thee as an idiot. If you continue she
will take you for one now. '
l. 35. _Besides, her<s>. _ My reading combines the variants. I think
'here' must be wrong.
PAGE =407=. AN ELEGIE.
PAGE =408=, l. 5. _Else, if you were, and just, in equitie &c. _ This
is the punctuation of _H39_, and is obviously right, 'in equitie'
going with what follows. He has denied the existence or, at least, the
influence of the Fates, and now continues, 'For if you existed or had
power, and if you were just, then, according to all equity I should
have vanquish'd her as you did me. ' Grosart and the Grolier Club
editor follow _1635-54_, and read:
Else, if you were, and just in equity, &c.
Chambers accepts the attempt of _1669_ to amend this, and prints:
True if you were, and just in equity, &c.
