s a curious piece indeed!" I then acquainted him with the
discovery made by Mr. Warburton of the Elusinian mysteries couched in
his sixth book. "What mysteries?" said Mr. Addison. "The Elusinian,"
answered Virgil, "which I have disclosed in my sixth book." "How!"
replied Addison. "You never mentioned a word of any such mysteries to
me in all our acquaintance." "I thought it was unnecessary," cried the
other, "to a man of your infinite learning: besides, you always told
me you perfectly understood my meaning." Upon this I thought the critic
looked a little out of countenance, and turned aside to a very merry
spirit, one Dick Steele, who embraced him, and told him he had been the
greatest man upon earth; that he readily resigned up all the merit of
his own works to him. Upon which Addison gave him a gracious smile, and,
clapping him on the back with much solemnity, cried out, "Well said,
Dick!"

I then observed Shakespeare standing between Betterton and Booth, and
deciding a difference between those two great actors concerning the
placing an accent in one of his lines: this was disputed on both sides
with a warmth which surprised me in Elysium, till I discovered by
intuition that every soul retained its principal characteristic, being,
indeed, its very essence. The line was that celebrated one in Othello--

PUT OUT THE LIGHT, AND THEN PUT OUT THE LIGHT. according to Betterton.
Mr. Booth contended to have it thus:--

Put out the light, and then put out THE light. I could not help offering
my conjecture on this occasion, and suggested it might perhaps be--

Put out the light, and then put out THY light. Another hinted a reading
very sophisticated in my opinion--

Put out the light, and then put out THEE, light, making light to be the
vocative case. Another would have altered the last word, and read--

PUT OUT THY LIGHT, AND THEN PUT OUT THY SIGHT. But Betterton said, if
the text was to be disturbed, he saw no reason why a word might not be
changed as well as a letter, and, instead of "put out thy light," you
may read "put out thy eyes." At last it was agreed on all sides to refer
the matter to the decision of Shakespeare himself, who delivered his
sentiments as follows: "Faith, gentlemen, it is so long since I wrote
the line, I have forgot my meaning. This I know, could I have dreamed
so much nonsense would have been talked and writ about it, I would
have blotted it out of my works; for I am sure, if any of these be my