St. Lucia, March, 1851.
_Shakspeare's Designation of Cleopatra_ (Vol. iii., p. 273.).--I fully
agree with your correspondent S. W. SINGER that an imperfect
acquaintance with our older language has been the weak point of the
commentators, but at the same time I think they have been equally guilty
of an imperfect acquaintance with the history and character of
Cleopatra, and one at least of a careless reading of the text; otherwise
it appears incomprehensible how, on the one hand, the words of the great
poet could have been so distorted; on the other hand, how Scarus could
be thought to allude, by the word "ribald," to Antony. On reference to
Rider's _Dictionary_, published in 1589, the very year in which Malone
places Shakspeare's first play, _First Part of Henry VI._, may be found
the word _Ribaud_, leno, a bawd, a pander; _Ribaudrie_, lascivia,
obscoenitas, impudicitia, Venus; and _Ribaudrous_, obscoenus, impudicus,
impurus.
_Hagge_, doubtless the word of Shakspeare, also may be found in Rider,
answering to the Latin _lamia_, _fascinatrix_, _oculo maligna mulier_.
Arguing from the above, what more appropriate term than "ribaudred
hagge" could be applied to Cleopatra, a queen celebrated for her beauty,
her cunning, her debauchery, nay, even adultery. The sister and wife of
Ptolemy Dionysius, she admitted Cæsar to her embraces, and by him had a
son called Cæsarion, and afterwards became enamoured of Antony, who,
forgetful of his connexion with Octavia, the sister of Cæsar, publicly
married her; thus causing the rupture between him and Cæsar, who met in
a naval engagement off Actium, where Cleopatra, "when 'vantage like a
pair of twins appeared," by flying with sixty sail, ruined the interest
of Antony, and he was defeated; and so were called forth the imprecatory
words of Scarus.
"Yond ribaudred Hagge of Egypt,
Whom leprosy o'ertake."