Note 151 — ACT II.
Reading edition
To understand sufficiently the beauty of this passage, it will be necessary that we comprehend every man to contain two selfs. I shall not attempt to prove this from philosophy, which the poets make so plainly evident.
One runs away from the other:
"Let me demand your majesty, Why fly you from yourself?"—"Duke of Guise."
In a second, one self is a guardian to the other:
"Leave me the care of me."—"Conquest of Granada."
Again:
"Myself am to myself less near."—Ibid.
In the same, the first self is proud of the second:
"I myself am proud of me."—"State of Innocence."
In a third, distrustful of him:
"Fain I would tell, but whisper it in my ear. That none besides might hear, nay, not myself."—"Earl of Essex."
In a fourth, honours him:
"I honour Rome, And honour too myself."—"Sophonisba."
In a fifth, at variance with him:
"Leave me not thus at variance with myself."—"Busiris."
Again, in a sixth:
"I find myself divided from myself."—"Medea." "She seemed the sad effigies of herself."—Banks. "Assist me, Zulema, if thou would'st be The friend thou seem'st, assist me against me."—"Alb. Q."
From all which it appears that there are two selfs; and therefore Tom Thumb's losing himself is no such solecism as it hath been represented by men rather ambitious of criticising than qualified to criticise.