UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
AT LOS ANGELES
THE
PLAYS
O F
WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.
VOL. IV.
THE
PLAYS
O F
WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.
VOLUME the FOURTH.
CONTAINING
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.
TWELFTH NIGHT.
WINTER'S TALE.
MACBETH.
LONDON,
Printed for C. Bathurft, W. Strahan, J. F. and C. Rivington,
J. Hinton, L. Davis, W. Owen, T. Gallon, E. Johnlon, S. Crowder,
B. White, T. Longman, B. Law, E. and C. Dilly, C. Corbett,
T. Cadell, H. L. Gardener, J. Nichols, J. Bew, J. Beecroft,
W. Stuart, T. Lowndes, J. Rohfon, T. 1'ayne, T. Becket,
F. Newbery, G. Robinfon, R. Baldwin, J. Wilhams, J. Ridley,
T. Evans, W. Davies, W. Fox, and J. Murray,
MDCCLXXVI1I.
30321
r IX
A L L's WELL
THAT
ENDS WELL.
VOL. IV, B Perfons
Perfons Reprefentec? J,
Xing of France.
Duke of Florence.
Bertram, Count o/Roufillon.
.Lafeu, an old Lord.
Parolles % a parafitical follower of Bertram ; a cozvarfi,
but vain, and a great pretender to valour.
Several young French Lords, that ferve with Bertram in
the Florentine war.
Servants to tjye Comte f 5
Countefs o/Roufillon, mother to Bertram.
Helena, daughter to Gerard de Narbon, a famous phy-
ficiatii fame timefince dead.
An old widow of Florence.
Diana, "Daughter to the widow.
-A! . '1- Neighbours and friends to the widow.
Lords, attending on the King ; Officers, Soldiers, &c.
SCENE lies partly in France, and partly in Tufcany^
1 The perfons were firft enumerated by Rtnve.
a Parolles.] I fuppofe we (hould write this name Paroles, i.e. a
creature made up of empty words. STEEVENS.
3 Viohnta only enters once, and then fhe neither fpeaks, nor ia
fpoken to. STEEVENS.
ALL'S WELL that ENDS WELL*.
ACT I. SCENE I.
'The Countefs of Roufillorfs boufe in France.
Enter Bertram, the Countefs af Roufillon, Helena, and
Lafeu, all in black.
Count. 5 In delivering my Ton from me, I bury a
fecond hufband.
Ber. And I, in going, madam, weep o'er my fa-
ther's death anew : but I muft attend his majefly's
* The ftory of ^//'j Well that Ends W~ell y or, as I fuppofe it to
have been fometimes called, Love's Labour Wonne, is originally
indeed the property of Boccace, but it came immediately to Shake- .
fpeare from Painter's Gilletta of Narbon, in the firft vol. of the
PalaceofPleafure, 410, 1566, p. 88. FARMER.
Shakefpeare is indebted to the novel only for a few leading cir-
cumftances in the graver parts of the piece. The comic bulinefs
appears to be entirely of his own formation. STEEVE.N'S.
5 In delivering my fan from me , ] To deliver from, in the
fenfe of giving />, is not Englifli. Shakelpcare wrote, in difle-
vering my fon from me The following words, too, I Inry a
I'icond biijlatui demand this reading. For to dijje<ver implies a
violent divorce ; and therefore might be compared to the burying a
bnjland\ which delivering does not. WAR .;CRTON.
Of this change I fee no need : tKe preient reading is clear, and,
perhaps, as proper as that which the great commentator would
iubftitwe ; for the king iUjJe-ven her foii from her, ihe only deli"
vers liim. JOHNSON.
B 2 command,
4 A L L's W E L t
command, to whom I am now 6 in ward, evermofe
in fubjedlion.
Laf. You fhall find of the king a hufband, ma-
dam \ you, fir, a father : He that ib generally is at
all times ebod, mult of neceffity hold his virtue to
you ; 7 whofe worthiness would ftir it up where it
wanted, rather than lack it where there is fuch abun-
dance.
Count. What hope is the*e of his majefty's amend-
ment ?
Laf. He hath abandonM his phy^cians, madam ;
under whole practices he hath perfecuted time with
hope ; and finds no other advantage in the procefs,
but only the lofing of hope by time.
Count. 8 This young gentlewoman had a father,
(O, that bad! how fad a paffage 'tis !) whofe fkill
was
6 in ivarj, ] Under his particular care, as my guar-
dian, till I come to age. It is now almoft forgotten in England,
that the heirs of great fortunes were the king's wards. Whether
the fame practice prevailed in France, it is of no great ufe to en-
quire, for Shakefpeare gives to all nations the manners of England.
JOHNSON.
Howell's fifteenth letter acquaints us that the province of Nor-
mandy was fubjeft to wardfliips, and no other part of France be-
fiues ; but the fuppofition of the contrary furnifhed Shakefpeare
with a reafon why the king compelled Roufillon to marry Helen.
TOLLET.
in iivzrv/,- ] The prerogative of ivardjblp is a branch of the
feudal law, and may as well be fuppofed to be incorporated with
the conftitution of France, as it was with that of England, till the
reign of Charles II. SIR J. HAWKINS.
7 whofe ivortbincfs wonld Jllr it itp ivhere it wanted ^ rather
than lack it where there is fuch abundance. ~\ An oppofition of term*
is vifibly defigned in this fentence ; tho' the oppolition is notfo vi-
fible, as the terms now ftand. Wanted ^and abundance are the op-
polites to one another ; but how is lack a contraft toj?/r up ! The
addition of a lingle letter gives it, and the very fenfe requires it.
Rezdjlack it. WAR BURTON.
8 Thisyottng gentkwoman\v2idi a father (O, that had ! hvwfaila
paflage 'tis /] Lafeu was fpeaking of the king's defperate condi-
tion : which makes the counteis recall to mind the deceafed Ge-
rard de Narbon, who, fhe thinks could have cured him. But ii>
ufing
THAT ENDS WELL. 5
was almoft as great as his honefty ; had it ftretch'd
fo far, it would have made nature immortal, and death
fhould have play'd for lack of work. 'Would, for
the king's fake, he were living ! I think, it would be
ihe death of the king's difeafe.
Laf. How call'd you the man you fpeak of, ma-
dam ?
Count. He was famous, fir, in his profeffion, and
it was his great right to be fo : Gerard de Narbon.
Laf. He was excellent, indeecj, madam ; the king
very lately fpoke of him, admiringly, and mourn-
ufing the word had, whick implied his death, ftie flops in the mid-
idle of her fentence, and makes a reflection upon it, which, accor-
ding to the prefent reading, is unintelligible. We muft therefore
believe Shakefpeare wrote (O that had ! how fad a prefage 'tis)
i.e. a. prefage that the 'king muft now expet no cure, lince fo fkil-
ful a perfon was himfelf forced to fubmit to a malignant diftemper.
WAR BUR TON.
This emendation is ingenious, perhaps preferable to the pre-
fent reading, yet fince pajjage may be fairly enough explained, I
have left it in the text. Paffage is any thing that paj/Jes, fo we now
fay, zpajjage of an author, and we faid about a century ago, the
paffages of a reign. When the countcfs mentions Helena's lofs of a
father, (he recollects her own lofs of a hulband, and flops to ob
ierve how heavily that word had pafles through her mind.
JOHNSON.
Thus Shakefpeare himfelf. See The Comedy of Errors, ad III.
fc. i:
" Now in the ftirring^T^rgr of the day."
So, in The Gamcjier, by Shirley, 1637 : " I'll not be witnefs
of your pajjages myfelf." i. e. of what pafles between you.
Again, in A Woman's a Weathercock, 1612 :
" never lov'd thefe prying liftening men
" That aflc of other's ftates a&ufatffages.
Again :
" I knew the pajjages 'twixt her and Scudamore."
Again, in the Dumb Knight, 165 3 :
have beheld
" Your vile and moll lafclvious pajjages."
Again, in the Englifh Intelligencer, a tragi -comedy, 1641 : ** two
philofophere that jeer and weep at fospaffaget of the world."
STEEVENS.
BS ingly:
6 A L L's W E L L
ingly : he was fkilful enough to have liv'd ftill, if
knowledge could have been fet up againfl mortality.
Ber. What is it, my good lord, the king lan-
guilhes of ?
Laf. Afiftula, my lord.
Ber. I heard not of it before,
Laf. I would, it were not notorious. Was this
gentlewoman the daughter of Gerard de Narbon ?
Count. His fole child, my lord ; and bequeathed to
my overlooking. J have thofe hopes of her good,
that her education promifes : her difpqfitions Ihe in-
herits, which makes fair gifts fairer : for 9 where an
unclean mind carries virtuous qualities, there com-
mendations go with pity, they are virtues and traitors
too;
9 where an. unclean mind carries virtuous qualities, there com~
mentations go with pity , they are 'virtues and traitors too j in her
they are the better for \hz\rjimplencfs ; Jhe derives her honefy, and-at-
cbieves her gooJncfs.] This obicure encomium is made ftill more
pbfcure by a flight corruption of the text. Let us explain the paf-
fage as it lies. By virtuous qualities are meant qualities of good
breeding and erudition ; in the fame fenfe that the Italians fay,
'qualita virtuofa ; and not moral ones. Qn this account it is, fhe
fays, that, in an ill mind, thefe virtuous qualities are virtues and
traitors ton: i. e. the advantages of education enable an ill mind
to go further in wickednefs than it could have done without them.
But, lays the countefs, in her they are the better for i\\e\r Jimplenefs,
"&\\t Jimpknefe is the fame with what is called hcncjly, immediately
after; which cannot be predicated of the qualities of education.
We mu ft certainly read &$*. jjmpbaefs t and then the fentence
is properly concluded. The countefs had faid, that virtuous qua-
lities are the worfe for an unclean mind, but concludes that Helen's
are the letter for her Jimplenefs, \. e. her clean, pure mind. She
then fums up the character, (he had before given in detail, in
thefe words, Jhe derives her honcjiy^ and atchieves her goodnefsy
i.e. fhe derives \\er bonejly, her. .faiplenfft* her moral character,
from her father and her anceftors ; but (he atchieves or wins her
gooa'fiefs, her virtue, or her qualities of good breeding and erudU
pon, by her own pains and labour. WAREURTOX.
This is likewife a plaufible but unneceflary alteration. Her vir-
tues are the better for their f.mplencff, that is, her excellencies are
tne better becaufe they are artlefs and open, without fraud, with-
out defign. The learned conmentator has well explained virtues,
but
THAT ENDS WELL. 7
too ; in her they are the better for their fimplenefs ;
fhe derives her honefty, and atchieves her goodnefs.
Laf. Your commendations, madam, get from her
tears.
Count. "Pis the beft brine a maiden can feafon her
praiie in. The remembrance of her father never ap-
proaches her heart, but the tyranny of her forrows
takes ' all livelihood from her cheek. No more of
this, Helena, go to, no more; left it be rather
thought you afFedt a forrow, than to have.
Net I do affect a forrow, indeed, but I have it too.
'Laf. Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead,
exceffive grief the enemy to the living.
Count. * If the living be enemy to the grief, the
excefs makes it foon mortal.
Tnit has not, I think, reached the force of the word traitors, and
therefore has not fhewn the full extent of Shakefpeare's mafterly
obfervation. Virtues in an unclean mind are virtues and traitors too.
Eftimable and ufeful qualities, joined with evil difpofition, give
that evil difpofition power over others, who, by admiring the
virtue, are betrayed to the malevolence. The Tatler, 'mention-
ing the (harpers oi his time, obferves, that fome of them are men
ot fuch elegance and knowledge, that a young man ivbo falls inta
their -ivay^ is betrayed as much by his judgment as his pajjlons.
JOHNSON.
Virtue, and virtuous, as I am told, flill keep this fignification in
the north, and mean ingenuity and ingenious. Of this fenfe per-
haps an inftance occurs in the eighth book of Chapman's Per/ion
of the Iliad:
" Then' will I to Olympus' top our vertuous engine bine?,
" And by it every thing (hall hang, &c."
Again, in Marlowe's T.amlurlainc., p. i. "1590,:
If the'e had made one poem's peiipd,
And all combin'd in beauties worthyncfie,
Yet (hould there hover in their rcftlefie heads
One thought, one grace, one wonder at the leaft,
Which into wort's no iiertue can digeil ." STEEVENS.
1 all livelihood'} i. e. all appearance of life. STEEVENS.
2 If the living be enemy to the grief, the excefs makes it foon mor-
tal.'} This feems very oblcure ; but the addition of a negative per-
fectly difpels ali the mift. If the living be not cnnriy, &c. excelfive
grid is an enemy to the living, fays Lalcu : Yes, replies the
B 4 countcls;
S A L L's W E L L
Eer. Madam, I defire your holy wiihes.
Laf. How underftand we that ?
Count. Be thou bleft, Bertram ! and fucceed thy
father
In manners, as in fhape ! thy blood, and virtue,
Contend for empire in thee ; and thy goodneis
Share with thy birth-right ! Love all, truft a few,
Do wrong to none : be able for thine enemy
Rather in power, than ufe ; and keep thy friend
Under thy own life's key : be check'd for filence,
But never tax'd for fpeech. What heaven more will,
3 That thee may furnifh, and my prayers pluck down,
Fall on thy head ! Farewell. My lord,
'Tis an unfeafon'd courtier, good my lord,
Advife him.
Laf. He cannot want the beft,
That fhall attend his love.
Count. Heaven blefs him ! Farewell, Bertram.
[Exit Countefs..
Eer. [To Helena.] 4 The beft wilhes, that can be forg'd
in your thoughts, be fervants to you ! Be comfortable
to my mother, your miftrefs, and make much of her,
Laf. Farewell, pretty lady : Yon mult hold the
credit of your father. [Exeunt Bertram and Lafeu.
countefs ; and if the living be not enemy -to the grief, [i. e. ftrive
to conquer'it,] the excefs makes it loon mortal. WARBURTON.
This emendation I had once admitted into the text, but re-
flored the old reading, becaufe I think it capable of an eafy expli-
cation. Lafeu fays, excejjive grief is the enemy of the living: the
countefs replies, If the living be an enemy to grief \ the excefs foon
makes it mortal : that is , if the living do not indulge grief ^ grief de-
Jlroys itfelfby its own excefs. By the word mortal I underftand that
which dies, and Dr. Warburton, that which deftroys, I think that
my interpretation gives a fentence more acute and more refined.
Let the reader judge. JOHNSON.
3 That tbec may furnijb, ] That may help thee with more
and better qualifications. JOHNSON.
4 The left wijbes, &c.] That is, may you be miftrefs of your
withes, and have power to bring them to effect. JOHNSON.
m
THAT ENDS WELL. 9
Hel Oh, were that all! I think not on my father;
5 And thefe great tears grace his remembrance more,
Than thofe I fhed for him. What was he like ?
I have forgot him : my imagination
Carries no favour in it, but Bertram's.
I am undone ; there is no living, none,
If Bertram be away. It were all one,
That I fliould love a bright particular ftar,
And think to wed it, he is fo above me :
6 In his bright radiance and collateral light
Mult I be comforted, not in his fphere.
The ambition in my love thus plagues itfelf :
The hind, that would be mated by the lion,
Muft die for love. 'Twas pretty, though a plague,
To fee him every hour ; to fit and draw
His arched brows, his hawking eye, his curls,
In our heart's table ; heart, too capable
Of every line and 7 trick of his fweet favour,
But now he's gone, and my idolatrous fancy
Muft fanSify his relicks, Who comes here ?
Enter Parolles.
One that goes with him : I love him for his fake ;
And yet I know him a notorious liar,
5 tbefe great tears] The tears which the king and coun-
tefs fhed for him. JOHNSON.
6 In bis bright radiance &c.J I cannot be united with him and
move in the famtfpherc, but miift be comforted at a diftance by the
radiance that fhoots on all fides from him. JoHNSONt
Milton, b. x ;
" from his radiant feat he rofe
" Of high collateral glory." STEEVENS.
7 i trick of bis fvjeet favour,] So, in King John : ** he hath
a trick of Coeur de Lion's face." Trifl feems to be fome peculi-
arity or feature. JOHNSON.
Triek is an exprellion taken from drawing, and is fo explained ia
another place. The preient inftance explains itfelf:
. . to fit and draw
His arched brows, &c.
and trick of his fweet favour.
f'ridj however, may mean peculiarity^ STEEVENS.
Think
*o A L L's W E L L
Think him a great way fool, folely a coward ;
Yet thefe fix'd evils fit fo fit in him,
That they take place, when virtue's fleely bones
Look bleak in the cold wind : withal, full oft we fee
* Cold wifdom waiting on fuperfluous folly.
Par. Save you, fair queen.
Hel. And you, monarch 9 .
Par. No.
HeL And no.
Par. Are you meditating on virginity ?
HeL Ay. You have fome ' ftain of loldier in you ;
let me alk you a queftion : Man is enemy to virgi-
nity ; how may we barricade it againft him ?
Par. Keep him out.
Hel. But he afiails ; and our virginity, though va-
liant, in the defence yet is weak : unfold to us fome
warlike refinance.
Par. There is none; man, fitting down before you,
tvill undermine you, and blow you up.
HeL Blefs our poor virginity from underminers, and
8 Cold vjlfdom waiting on fuperfluous folly."} Cold for naked ;
as fuperfluous for over-cloathed. This makes the propriety of the
antithefis. WAR BURTON.
9 Andyou monarch.] Perhaps here is fome allunon defigned to
Xuunschoi a ridiculous fantaflical character of the age of Shake-
fpeare. Concerning this perfon, fee the notes on Loves Labour
Loft, aft IV. fc. i. STEEVEN-S.
* ftxunoffoldicr' ] Stain for colour. Parolles was in red,
as appears from his being afterwards called red-taifd bumblebee.
WAR BURTON.
It does not appear from either of thefe expreffions, that Parolies
was entirely dreft in red. Shakefpeare writes only-fame jlain offol-
dier, meaning in one fenfe, that he had red breeches on, (which is
fufficiently evident from calling him afterwards red-tailed humMe-
T>ee,} and in another, that he was a difgrace to foldiery. Stain is
ufed in an adverfe fenfe by Shakefpeare, in Troilus and Crejfida :
*' nor any man an attaint, but he carries fcmcjtahi of it."
STEEVENS.
Stain rather for what we now fay tinfture, fome qualities, atleait
fuperficial, ofafoldier. JOHNSOX.
blowers
THAT ENDS WELL. u
blowers up ! Is there no military policy, how vir-
gins might blow up men ?
Par. Virginity being blown down, man will quick-
lier be blown up : marry, in blowing him down again,
with the breach yourfelves made, you lofe your city.
It is not politick in the commonwealth of nature, to
preferve virginity. * Lofs of virginity is rational inr
creafe ; and there was never virgin got, till virginity
was fir ft loft. That, you were made of, is metal to
make virgins. Virginity, by being once loft, may be
ten times found : by being ever kept, is ever loft:
'tis too cold a companion ; away with it.
HeL I will ftand for't a little, though therefore I
die a virgin.
Par. There's little can be faid in't ; 'tis againft the
rule of nature. To fpeak on the part of virginity, is
to accufe your mothers; which is molt infallible dif-
pbedience. 3 He, that hangs himfelf, is a virgin: vir-
ginity murders itfelf; and fhouldbe buried in high-
ways, out of all fanctified limit, as a defperate often-
drefs againft nature. Virginity breeds mites, much
like a cheefc; confumes itfelf to the very paring, and
* Lofs of 'virginity is rational incrcaft ; ] I believe we mould
read, national. TYRWHITT.
Rational increafe may mean the regular increafe by which ra-
tional beings are propagated. STEEVENS.
3 He t that hangs himfelf , is a virgin :] But why is he that hangs
himfelf a virgin f Surely, not for the reafon that follows ; Virgi-
nity murders itftlf. For though every virgin be a fuicide, yet every
filicide is not a virgin. A word or two are dropt, which introdu-
ced a eomparifon in this place ; and Shakefpeare wrote it thus :
as he , that hangs himfelf, fo is a virgin,
And then it follows naturally, 'virginity murders itfelf. By this
emendation, the Oxford editor was enabled to alter the text thus :
He that hangs hinifclf is like a virgin,
And this is his ufual way of becoming a critick at a cheap expence.
WARBURTON.
I believe moft readers will fpareboth the emendations, which I
do not think much worth a claim or a conteft. The old reading is
mere fpritely and equally juft. JOHNSON.
t
fo
n A L L's WELL
fo dies with feeding its own ftomach. Befides, virgi-
nity is peevifh, proud, idle, made of felf-love, which
is the moft inhibited fin 4 in the canon. Keep it not ;
you cannot chufe but lofe by't : Out with't : within
ten years it will make itfelf two 5 , which is a goodly in-
creafe ; and the principal itfelf not much the worfe :
Away with't.
Hel. How might one do, fir, to lofe it to her own
liking ?
Par. Let me fee : 6 Marry, ill, to like him that
ne'er it likes. 'Tis a commodity will lofe the glofs with
lying ; the longer kept, the lefs worth : off with't,
while 'tis vendible : anfwer the time of requeft.
Virginity, like an old courtier, wears her cap out of
fafhion ; richly fuited, but unfuitable : juft like the
brooch and the tooth-pick, which 7 wear not now : Your
date 8 is better in your pye and your porridge, than
in your cheek; And your virginity, your old virginity,
* inhibited Jin ] i.e. forbidden. So, in Othello:
< apraftifer
" Of arts inhibited zn& out of warrant."
So the firft folio. Theobald reads prohibited. STEEVENS.
5 within ten years it will make itfelf two, which is goodly
increafe; ] I think we fhould either read : within tenyears it
will make itfelf ten ; or, within two years it will make itfelf two,
Inftead of two, Mr. Toilet would read twelve. STEEVENS.
* Marry, ill, to likt him that ne'er it likes."] Parolles, in
anfwer to the quefh'on, how one Jhall lofe virginity to her own liking?
plays upon the word liking, and fays, Jhe muft do ill, for virginity,
to be fo loft, muft like him that likes not virginity. JOHNSON.
7 lubich wear not now: ] Thus the old copy, and rightly.
Shakefpeare often ufes the active for the paffive. The modern
editors read, " which we wear not now." TYRWHITT.
8 Tour date is better ] Here is a quibble on the word
date, which means both age, and a kind of candied fruit much
ufed in our author's time. So, in Romeo and Juliet :
" They call for dates and quinces in the paftry."
The fame quibble occurs in Troilus and CreJJida : " and then
to -be bak'd with no date in the pye, for then th~ man's date is out."
STEEVENS.
is
THAT ENDS WELL; 13
<s like one of our French wither'd pears : it looks ill,
it eats dryly; marry, 'tis a wither'd pear : it was for-
merly better ; marry, 9 yet, 'tis a wither'd pear j
Will you any thing with it ?
HeL l Not my virginity yet.
There mall your mafter have a thoufand loves,
A mother, and a miftrefs, and a friend,
Yoryet, as it ftood before, fir Thomas Hanmer reads yes*
JOHNSON.
1 Not my virginity yet.~\ This whole fpeech is abrupt, uncon-
ae&ed, and obfcure. Dr. Warburton thinks much of it fuppofi-
titious. I would be glad to think fo of the whole, for a^commenta-
tor naturally wifhes to reject what he cannot underftand. Some-
thing, which ftiould connect Helena's words with thofe of Parolles,
feems to be wanting. Hanmer has made a fair attempt by reading :
Not my -virginity yet You're for the court,
There jhallyour mafter, &c.
Some fuch claufe has, I think, dropped out, but ftill the firH
words want connection. Perhaps Parolles, going away after his
harangue, fold, ivillyou any thing with me ? to which Helen may
reply. 1 know not what to do with the paflage. JOHNSON.
I do not perceive fo great a want of connection as my predecef-
fors have apprehended ; nor is that connection always to be fought
for, in fo carelefs a writer as ours, from the thought immediately
preceding the reply of the fpeaker. Parolles has been laughing at
the unprofitablenefs of virginity, efpecially when it grows ancient,
and compares it to withered fruit. Helena, properly enough re-
plies, that hers is not yet in that ftate ; but that in the enjoyment of
Jier, his matter fhould find the gratification of all his molt romantic
wifhes. What Dr. Warburton fays afterwards, is faid at random,
as all pofitive declarations of the fame kind muft of neceflity be.
Were I to propofe any change, I would read^a/i/inftead of Jhall.
It does not however appear that this rapturous effufion of Helena
was defigned to be intelligible to Parolles. Its obfcurity, therefore,
may be its merit. It fufficiently explains what is palfing in the
mind of the fpeaker, to every one but him to whom fhe does not
mean to explain it. STEEVENS.
Perhaps we mould read : " Will you any thing with *?" i. c*
will you fend any thing with us to court ? to which Helena's an*
fwer would be proper enough -
" Not my virginity yet."
A fimilar phrafe occurs in Twelfth Night, at III. fc. i :
*' Tou'U nothing, madam, to my lord by me?"
TYRWHITT.
Aphce-
H A L L's W E L L
* A phoenix, captain, and an enemy,
A guide, a goddefs, and a fovereign,
A counfellor, a J traitrefs, and a dear ;
His humble ambition, proud humility,
His jarring concord, and his diicord dulcet,
His faith, his fweet difafter ; with a world
Of pretty, fond, adoptious chriftendoms *,
That blinking Cupid goffips. Now fhall he
I know not what he lhall : God fend him well ! ^
The court's a learning place ; and he is one .
* A phoenix, captain, &c.] The eight lines following friend, I
am perfuaded is the nonfenfe of fome foolifh conceited player;
What put it into his head was Helen's faying, as it ihould be read
for the future :
There Jliall your majtcr have a thouf and loves ~ t
A mother, and a miftrefs, and a friend.
/ know not what he Jhall God fend him ivelh
Where the fellow, finding a thoufa?id loves fpoken of, and only
three reckoned up, namely, a mother's, a miftrcfs's, and a. friend's,
(which, by the way, were all a judicious writer could mention ;
for there are but thefe three fpecies of love in nature) he would
help out the number, by the intermediate nonfenfe : and, becaule
they were yet too few, he pieces out his loves with enmities, and
makes of the whole fuch finilhed nonfenfe as is never heard out of
Bedlam. WAR BURTON.
3 a traitrefs, ] It feems that traitrefs was in that age a
term of endearment, for when Lafeu introduces Helena to the
king, he fays, Tou are like a traytor, but fuch traytors his majejly
does not much fear. JOHNSON.
I cannot conceive that traitrefs (fpoken ferioufly) was in any
age a term of endearment. From the prefent paiTage, we might as
well fuppole enemy (in the laft line but one) to be a term of en-
dearment. In the other paflage quoted, Lafeu is plainly fpeaking
ironically. TYRWHITT.
Traditora, a traitrefs, in the Italian language, is generally ufed.
as a term of endearment. The meaning of Helen is, that {he lhall
prove every thing to Bertram. Our ancient writers delighted in,
catalogues, and always characterize love by contrarieties.
STEEVENS.
4 chriftendoms,'} This word, which fignifies the collective
body of chriltianity, every place where the chriftian religion is
embraced, is furely ufed with much licence on this occafion.
STBEVENS.
Par.
THAT ENDS WELL. i$
Par. What one, i'faith ?
Hel. That I wifli well Tis pity .
Par. What's pity ?
Hel. That wiming well had not a body in't,
Which might be felt : that we, the poorer born,
Whofe bafer flars do fhut us up in wifhes,
Might with effects of them follow our friends,
5 And fhew what we alone muft think ; which never
Returns us thanks.
Enter Page.
Page. Monlieur Parolles, my lord calls for youv
[Exit page*
Par. Little Helen, farewel : if I can remember
thee, I will think of thee at court.
Hel. Monfieur Parolles, you were born under a
charitable ftar.
Par. Under Mars, L
Hel. I efpecially think, under Mars.
Par. Why under Mars ?
Hel. The wars have kept you fo under, that you
muft needs be born under Mars.
Par. When he was predominant.
Hel When he was retrograde, I think, rather.
Par. Why think you fo ?
Hel. You go fo much backward, when you fight.
Par. That's for advantage.
Hel. So is running away,, when fear propofes the
fafety : But the compofition, that your valour and
fear makes in you, 6 is a virtue of a good wing, and
I like the wear well.
Par.
s And fa what ive alone mujl think ', } And Jbevj by reali-
ties what we now muft only think. JOHNSON.
6 i s a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear we".} The
Integrity of the metaphor directs us to Shakefpeare's true reading;
which, doubflefs, was a good ming, i.e. mixture,, compofition ;
a word common to Shakefpcare and the writers of this age, and
taken
,6 A L L's W E L L
Par. I am fo full of bufinefles, I cannot anfwer
thee acutely : I will return perfect courtier ; in the
which, my inftru&ion fhall ferve to naturalize thee,
fo thou wilt be capable of courtier's counfel, and un-
deriland what advice fhall thruft upon thee; elfe thou
dieft in thine unthankfulnefs, and thine ignorance
makes thee away ; fareweh When thou haft leifure,
fay thy prayers ; when thou haft none, remember
taken from the texture of cloth. The M was turned the wrong
tvayatprefs, and from thence came the blunder. WARBURTON*
This conjecture I could wifh to fee better proved. This common
word ming I have never found. The firfl edition of this play ex-
hibits wing without a capital : yet, I confefs, that a virtue of d
good wing is an expreffion that I cannot underftand, unlefs by a
metaphor taken from falconry, it may mean, a virtue that willjly
high) and in the ftile of Hotfpur, " Pluck honour from the moon.'*
JOHNSON-.
Mr. Edwards is of opinion, that a virtue of a good wing refers
to his nimblenefs or fleetnefs in running away. The phrafe, how-
ever, is taken from falconry, as may appear from the following
paflagc in Marfton's Fawne , 1606: " 1 love my horfe after
a journeying eafinefs, as he is eafy in journeying ; my hawk for
the goodnefs of his wing, &c." Or it may be taken from drefs :
So, in Every Matt out of his Humour : " I would have mine fueh
a fuit without a difference; fuch fluff, fuch aw/g, fuch a fleeve,
&c." Mr. Toilet obferves, that a good wing iignifies a ftrong
wing in lord Bacon's Natural Hijlory, experiment 886: " Cer-
tainly many birds of a good wing (as kites and the like) would
bear up a good weight as they fly." There is, however, fuch a
Verb as ming. It is ufed by Tho. Drant, in his Tranjlation of one
ef the Epiftles of Horace :
" He beares the bell in all refpe&s who good with fweete
doth minge"
Again, Hid:
" She carves it fyne, and mings it thicke, &c.'*
And again, by fir A. Gorges, in his Tranjlation of Lucan t 1614 :
' which never mings
" With ot'her ftream, &c."
and often by Chaucer. STEEVENS.
The reading of the old copy is fupported by a paflage in K. Hen*
V. in which we meet with a fimilar expreffion : ** Though his af-
fedtions are higher mounted than ours, yet when they {loop, they
ftoop with the like iving." MALONB.
thy
THAT ENDS WELL. 17
thy friends : get thee a godd hufband, and ufe him
as he ufes thee : fo farcwcl. [Exit:
Hel. Our remedies oft in ourfelves do lie,
Which we afcribe to heaven : the fated fky
Gives us free fcope ; only, doth backward pull
Our flow defigns, when we ourfelves are dull.
7 What power is it, which mounts my love fo high ;'
That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye ?
8 The mighticfi fpace in fortune nature brings
To join like likes, and kifs like native things.
7 WbtttptwlSF is it, vabfcb mounts, my love fo hi<*b ;
That makes me fee ) 'and cannot feed mine eye ?] She meansj
by xvhat influence is my love directed to a perfon Ib much above me?
\vhy am I made to difcerri excellence, and left to long after it,
without the food of hope? JOHNSON. '
8 1 he iuigbtitft I pace in fortune nature brings
To join like likes, and kifs like native things^
Impojfille be Jt range attempts, to ihofc
That ivi'ig/.i their fuin hi fenfc ; an
What bath been, ]
All thefe four lines are obfcure, and, I believe, corrupt; I (half
propofe an emendation, which thole who can explain the prefect
reading, are at liberty to reject:
Through migbtiefljface in fortune nature brings
Likes to join likes, 'and kifs like native th'
That is, nature brings like qualities and difpolitions to meet through
any dijlaiice that fortune may have let between them / Q\c joins tlieiii
;ir.d makes them kifs like tbingt lorn together.
The next lines I read with Hanmer :
Imboffbtt be firan^c a: tempts to tbofe
Tfjtit weijth their pain infenfe, dAiU
What ha'n't leer., cannot in.
_Av:r attempts feem impoffi'ole to thofe who eil'.mate their .
or entcrprifes by fenfe, and believe that nothing can be but wl:;;t
they lee before them. JOHN-SOX.
Shakefpeare ufes one of thefc conteileJ phrafts in a different
fcnie, in JtM^jCMar:
" And il-il the mighty fpace of ouf larae honours
*' For fo much trafli -as mi^ht be gralped thus."
I have bflered this inltahce lor the ufe of any fucceeding com-
mentator who cvoi apply it to the paflage before us* Part of the
fan'e thought is lei's wnbigudufly exprefs'd in Ti:c-u :
" That Iblder'll clofe impoiribili'.ies,
*' And mak'it their. k:fs. STEEVENS.
VOL. IV. C Inv
i8 A L L's W E L L
Impoffible be ftrange attempts, to thofe
That weigh their pain in fenfe ; and do fuppofe>
What hath been cannot be : Whoever ftrove
To ihew her merit, that did mifs her love ?
The king's difeafe my projedt may deceive me,
But my intents are fix'd, and will not leave me.
\Exif.
SCENE II.
'The court of France.
Fkurifb cornets. Enter the king of France, with letter s^
and divers attendants.
King. The Florentines and 9 Senoys are by the ears;
Have fought with equal fortune, and continue
A braving war.
i Lord. So 'tis reported, fir.
King. Nay, 'tis moft credible ; we here receive it
A certainty, vouch'd from our coufm Auftria,
With caution, that the Florentine will move us
For fpeedy aid ; wherein our deareft friend
Prejudicates the bufinefs, and would fecm
To have us make denial.
I Lord. His love and wifdom,
Approv'd fo to your msjefty, may plead
For amplefl credence.
King. He hath arm'd our anfwer,
And Florence is deny'd before he comes :
Yet, for our gentlemen, that mean to fee
The Tufcan fervice, freely have they leave
To fland on either part.
9 Senoys ] The Sanefi t as they are term'd by Boccace,
. Painter, who translates him, calls them Senois. They were the
people of a fmall republick, of which the capital was Sienna. The
Florentines were at perpetual variance with them. S TEE YENS.
2 Lord,
THAT ENDS WELL. 19
2, Lord. It may well ferve
A nurfery to our gentry, who are lick
For breathing and exploit.
King. What's he comes here ?
Enter Bertram, Lafcu, and Parolks.
i Lord. It is the count Roufiilon % my good lord,
Young Bertram.
King. Youth, thou bear'it thy father's face ;
Frank nature, rather curious than in hafte,
Hath well composed thee. Thy father's moral parts
May'ft thou inherit too ! Welcome to Paris.
er. My thanks and duty are your majefty's.
King. I would I had that corporal foundnefs now,
As when thy father, and myfelf, in friendfhip
Firfl try'd our foldierfhip ! He did look far
Into the fervice of the time, and was
Difcipled of the bravefl : he lafled long;
But on us both did haggim age fteal on,
And wore us out of act. It much repairs me
To talk of your good father : In his youth
* He had the wit, which I can well obferve
to-
1 Roujttton, - ] The old cop}* reads Rojignoll.
STEEVEXS.
1 He bad the iu/V, ivhich I can ive II obferve
To- day in oar young lords ; but they may jejl,
Till their own fcorn return to them unnoted,
Ere they can hide their levity in honour* ]
1; e. Ere their titles can cover the levity of their behaviour, and
make it pafs for defert. The Oxford editor, not underftanding
this, alters the line to
Ere they can tye their levity iuilh his honour. WAR BUft TON.
I believe honour is not dignity of birth or rank, but acquired repu-
tation : Tour father, fays the king, had the fame airy flights ofj'a-
tirical u>/V, with the young lords of the prefent time, but they do not
what he did, hide their unnoted levity in honour, cover petty faults
ivith great merit.
This is an excellent obfervatiom Jocofe follies, and flight of-
fences are only allowed by mankind in him that overpowers them
by great qualifies. JOHNSON.
C 2 A paf-
lo A L L's W E L L
To-day in our young lords; bur they may jefr^
Till their own fcorn return to them unnoted,-
Ere they can hide their levity in honour.
3 So like a courtier, contempt nor bitternefs
Were in his pride or iharpneis ; if they \yerc,
His equal had awak'd them ; and his honour,
Clock to itfelf, knew the true minute when
Exception bid him fpeak, and, at that time,
4 His tongue obey'd his hand : who were below him
A paflage in the fecond aft of the Merry Wives of Wind/or , may
ferve to {hew, that Hanmer's change is needlefs :
" hiding mine honour in my neceffity." STEEVENS.
3 So like a courtier, contempt nor bitternefs
Were in his pride or fiarpnefs ; //"they ivcre,
His equal had aivaK' 'd them ; j
This paflage is fa very incorrectly pointed, that the author's mean-
ing is loft. As the text and ftops are reformed, thefe are moil
beautiful lines, and the fenfe is this " He had no contempt or
bitternefs ; if he had any thing that look'd like pride orjlwpnefs,
(of which qualities contempt and bitternefs are the excefies,) his
equal had awaked them, not his inferior : to whom he Icorn'd to
difcover any thing that bore the fhadow of pride cr lharpneis."
\YARBURTOX.
The original edition reads the firft line thus :
So like a courtier^ contempt nor bitternefs
The fenfe is the fame. Nor was ufed without reduplication. So,
in Mcafure for Meafure :
" More nor lefs to others paying,
" Than by felt-offences weighing."
The old text needs to be explained. He was fo like a courtier,
that there was in bis dignity of manner nothing contemptuous , and in
his keennefs of cu// nothing bitter. If bitternefs or contemptuoufnefs
ever appeared, they had been awakened by ibme injury, not of A
man below him, but of his c./ual. This is the complete image of
a well bred man, and fomeuhat like this Voltaire has exhibited his
hero Lewis XIV. JOHNSON-.
* His tongue obeyed his hand : ] We fiiould read :
His tongue obeyed the hand.
That is, the baiidoi h:s honour's clock , mewing the true minute when
exceptions bad him fpeak. JOHNSOX.
His is put for its; fo, in Othello:
" her motion
" Blufh'd at bcrfelf" inilead of itfelf. STEEVENS.
He
THAT ENDS WELL. 21
5 He us'd as creatures of another place ;
And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks,
6 Making them proud of his humility,,
In their poor praife he humbled : Such a man
Might be a copy to thele younger times ;
Which, follow'd well, would demonftrate them now
But goers backward.
Bcr. His good remembrance, fir,
Lies richer in your thoughts, than on his tomb ;
7 So in approot lives not his epitaph,
As in your royal fpeech.
5 He u? das creatures of another place ; ] i. e. He made allowances
for their conduct, and bore from them what he would not from one
or his own rank. The Oxford editor, not umlerflanding thcienfe,
has altered another place, to a ^rafter-race. WAR BURTON'.
6 Making them proud ot bis 'bumillt\<,
In their poor praife, he. bumbled - ]
But why were they proud of his humility ? It fhould be read and
pointed thus :
j\l(iki>i% them proud ; and his humility,
In their poor praljc, he humbled -
i. e. by condeiccnding to (loop to his inferiors, he exalted them
and made them proud; and, in the gracious receiving their poor
praife, he humbled even his humility. The fentiment is fine.
WAR EUR TON'.
Every man has lben the mca?i too often proud nf\\\e humility of
the great, and perhaps the great may fometimes be humbled in the
praifcs of the mean, of thofe who commend them without convic-
tion ordiicernment : this, however, is not fo common; the mean
are found more frequently than the gnat. JOHNSON.
7 So in approof lives not bis epitaph,
As in yon r royal fprcc'b.}
Epitaph for character. \V AK. EUR TON.
I fhould wifh to read :
dpprooffo lives not //; his epitaph,
As in your royal fpeech.
./Ipproof is approbation. If I (houM allow Dr. Warb&tafl'l inter-
pretation of Epitaph, which is more than c;m be reafoliably t.\-
pecled, I can yet find no (enfe in the prelcnt reading. JOHNSON.
W r e might, by a llit;ht tnnifpoiition, read :
So his appronf lives tint in epitaph.
certainly means approbation. So, in CiHtb-
"A
^^ A L Us WELL
* King. Would, I were with him ! He would al-
ways fay,
(Methinks, I hear him noxv ; his plaufive words
He fcatter'd not in ears, but grafted them
To grow there, and to bear) Let me not live,
Thus his good melancholy oft began,
On the cataftrophe and heel of paftime,
When it was out, let me not live, quoth he,
After my fame lacks oil, to be the faff
Of younger fpir its, whofe apprehenfive fenfes
All but new things difdain \ whofe judgments are
8 Mere fathers of their garments ; whofe conflancies
Expire before their fajhions : This he wiih'd :
I, after him, do after him wifh too,
Since I nor wax, nor honey, can bring home,
I quickly were diffolved from my hive,
To give fome labourer room.
2 Lord. You are lov'd, fir ;
They, that leafl lend it you, fhall lack you firft.
King. I fill a place, Iknow't, How long is't, count,
'* A man fo abfolute in my approof,
*' That nature hath referv'd fmali dignity
'* That he enjoys not."
Again, in Meafurcfor Meafure :
" Either of condemnation or approof." STEEVEKS.
Perhaps the meaning is this : His epitaph or infcription on his
tomb is not Jo much in approbation or commendation of him, as is your
royal fpeech. ToLLET.
b ^vchofe judgments are
Mere fathers of their garments ', ]
Who have no other ufe of their faculties, than to invent new modes
ofdreis. JOHNSON.
I have a fufpicion that Shakefpeare wrote metr feathers of
their garments ; i.e. whofe judgments are meerly farts ^and infig-
nificant parts) of their arcfs, worn and laid afide, as feathers are,
from the meer love of novelty and change. He goes on to fay,
that they are even lefs conftant in their judgments than in theii:
drefs :
their con ft,
r con fancies
Expire before their fnjbioru. TYRWHITT.
Since
THAT ENDS WELL. 23
Since the phyfician at your father's died ?
He was much fam'd.
Ber. Some fix months fince, my lord.
King. If he were living, I would try him yet ;
Lend me an arm ; the reft have worn me out
With feveral applications : nature and ficknefs
Debate it at their leifure. Welcome, count ;
My fon's no dearer.
Ber. Thank your majefty. [Flcurijh. Exeunt.
SCENE III.
A room In the count's palace.
Enter Countefs, Steward, and Clown 9 .
Count. I will now hear : what fay you of this gen-
tlewoman ?
9 Steward, and Clown.] A Clown in Shakefpeare is com-
monly taken for a licenfedjefter, or domeftick/W. We are not to
wonder that we find this character often in his plays, fince fools
were, at that time, maintained in all great families, to keep up
merriment in the houfe. In the pi&ureof fir Thomas More's fa-
mily, by Hans Holbein, the only fervant reprefented is Patifon
the/o/?/. This is a proof of the familiarity to which they were ad-
mitted, not by the great only, but the wife.
In fome plays, a lervant, or a ruftic, of remarkable petulance
and freedom of fpeech, is likewife called a down. JOHNSON.
This dialogue, or that in Twelfth Night , between Olivia and the
7<m's, feems to have been particularly cenfured by Cartwright,
in one of the copies of verfes prefixed to the works of Beaumont
and Fletcher.
" Shakefpeareto thee was dull, whofe beft jeft lies
" I* th' ladys queftions, and /vWs replies ;
*' Old fafhion'J wit, which walk'd from tov/n to town
" In trunk hofe, which our fathers call'd the Clown.'*
In the MS. regiiler of lord Stanhope of Harrington, treafurer of
the chamber to king James I. irom 161510 i6;6, are the follow-
ing entries: " Tom Derry, his majefty's fool, at 2 s. per diem,
i 1615. Paid John Mawe, for the diet and lodging ot Thomas
Derrie, her majefly's^V/?^, for 13 weeks, io/. iH/. 6d. 1616.
STEEVENS.
C 4 Stm.
A L Us W ELL
iv. Madam, the care I have had to ' even your
content, I wifh might be found in the calendar oi my
paft endeavours ; for then we wound our modefty,
and make foul the clearnefs of our defervings, when
of ourfelves we publilh them.
Count. What does this knave here ? Get you gone,
lirrah : The complaints, I have heard of you, I do not
all believe ; 'tis my flownefs, that I do not : for, I
know, you * lack not folly to commit them, and have
ability enough to make fuch knaveries yours.
Clo. 'Tis not unknown to you, madam, that I am a
poor fellow.
Count. Well, fir.
Clo. No, madam, 'tis not fo well, that I am poor;
though many of the rich are damn'd : But, if I may
1 to even your content, ] To aft up to your defires.
JOHNSON J
* you Jack not folly to comrnit them, and Lav e ability enough
*" nr.Kcfuch knaveries yours.] Well, but if he had folly to cojnmit
them, he neither wanted knavery, nor any thing el!e, fure, to
rtake them his ov:n ? This nonfenfe fliould be read, To make fuch
Knaveries Y AS E ; nimble, dextrous, i.e. Though you be fool enough
to commit knaveries, yet you have quicknefs enough to commit
them dextroufly : for this obiervation was to let us into his cha-
racter. But now, though this be fet right, and, I dare lay, in
Shakefpeare's own words, yet the former part of the fentence will
ftill be inaccurate you lack not folly to commit them. Them, what ?
the fenfe requires knaveries, but the antecedent referred to, is com-
plainL. But this was certainly a negligence of Shakefpeare's, and
therefore to be left as we find it. And the reader, who cannot lee
that this is an inaccuracy which the author might well commit, and
the other what he never could, has either read Shakefpeare very
little, or greatly mifpent his pains. The principal office of a cri'-
tick is to diftinguifh between thofe two things. But 'tis that branch
of criticifm which no precepts can teach the writer to difcharge,
or the reader to judge of. WAR BURTON.
After prernifmg that the accufative, them, refers to the precedent
word, complaints, and that, this by a metonymy of the eft'eft for the
caufe, ftands for the freaks which occaiioned thole complaints, the
fenle will be extremely clear. You are fool enough to commit thofe
irregularities you arc charged i^ith, ana yet net fo much fno I neither,
as to J'-fcredit the accufalicn Jy cny defcft in your ability. REVISAL,
have
THAT ENDS WE L L. 25
have your ladyfhip's good will to go to the world J ,
Ifbel the woman and I will do as we may.
Count. Wilt thou needs be a beggar ?
Go. I do beg your good will in this cafe.
Count. In what cafe ?
Go. In Ifbel's cafe, and mine own. Service is no
heritage : and, I think, I ihall never have the blcfl-
ing of God, till I have iifue of my body ; for, they
fay, beams are blcflings.
. Count. Tell me thy reafon why thou wilt marry.
Go. My poor body, madam, requires it : 1 am
driven on by the flelh ; and he muft needs go, that
the devil drives.
Count. Is this all your worship's reafon ?
Go. Faith, madam, I have other holy rcafons, fuch
as they are.
Count. May the world know them ?
Clo. I have been, madam, a wicked creature, as
you and all fleih and blood are ; and, indeed, I do
marry, that 1 may repent.
Count. Thy marriage, fooner than thy wickcdncfs.
Clo. I am out of friends, madam ; and I hope to
have friends for my wife's fake.
Count. Such friends are thine enemies, knave.
Clo. You are fhallow, madam, in great friends *;
for the knaves come to do that for me, which I am a
3 toga to the <:iw7,/, ] Thisphrnfe has already occurred
in Much Ailo about Nothing, and fignifies to be married: and thus,
in As you like //, Audrey lays : " it is no difhoneft delire, to
defire to be a woman of the iiwA/." S TEE YENS.
4 Clo. Tou arc J}jallo--jj, madam, in great friends ; for the knaves
cane to do that for me vjhicJj I am a 1'^eury of, ] This lalt fpeech,
I think, fliould be read thus :
ITou arc JJialloiv^ madam', my great friends',
TYRWHITT.
The meaning fecms to be, you are not cieeply Ikillcd in the
character or offices or great friends, JOHKSO.N.
weary
6 A L L's W E L L
weary of. He, that ears my land 5 , fpares my team,
and gives me leave to inn the crop : if I be his cuck-
old, he's my drudge : He, that comforts my wife, is
the cherifher of my flefh and blood; he, that cherifhes
my flefti and blood, loves my flelh and blood ; he,
that loves my flefh and blood, is my friend : ergo,
he that kifles my wife, is my friend. If men could
be contented to be what they are, there were no fear
in marriage; for young Charbon the puritan, and old
Poyfam the papift, howfoe'er their hearts are fever'd
in religion, their heads are both one, they may joul
horns together, like any deer i' the herd.
Count. Wilt thou ever be a foul-mouth 'd and ca-
lumnious knave ?
Clo. 6 A prophet, I, madam; and I fpeak the truth
the next way :
For I the ballad will repeat ,
Which men full true (ball find ;
5 that ears my land, ] To ear is to plough. So, in
Anthony and Cleopatra :
** Make the fea ferve them, which they ear and wound
" With keels of every kind," STEEVENS.
6 A prophet , /, madam; and I fpeak the truth the next way :] It
is a fupemition, which has run through all ages and people, that
natural fooh have fomething in them of divinity. On which ac-
count they were efteemed facred : travellers tell us in what efteein
the Turks now hold them ; nor had they lefs honour paid them
heretofore in France, as appears from the old word benct, for a
natural fool. Hence it was that Pantagruel, in Rabelais, advifed
Panurge to go and confultthe fool Triboulet as an oracle; which
gives occafion to a fatirical itroke upon the privy council of Fran-
cis the firft- -Par l t a^<ls, confeil, prediction des foh vos f$ai>ez
quants princes, feV. ont efte confcrvcz, &c. The phrafe -j'peak
the truth the next way, means dircfily ; as they do who are only
the inftruments or canals of others ; fuch as infpired perfons were
fuppofed to be. WAR BUR TON.
Nexfivay, is near eft -->.'oy. So, mK.Hfn.IV.Partl:
" 'Tis the next way to turn taylor, &c." STEEVENS.
fow
THAT ENDS WELL. 27
Tour marriage comes by deftiny 9
Tour cuckoo fmgs by kind 1 .
Count. Get you gone, fir ; I'll talk with you more
anon.
Stew. May it pleafe you, madam, that he bid He-*
len come to you ; of her I am to fpeak.
Count. Sirrah, tell my gentlewoman, I would fpeak
with her ; Helen I mean.
Clo. 8 Was this fair face the caufe, quoth Jhe, [Singing.
Why the Grecians facked 'troy ?
Fond done, done fond 9 ^
Was this king Priam's joy.
With thatJJjefighed asjhejlood,
With that foe jighe d asfoejlood ',
And gave this fenicnce then ;
7 -Jing 3 ly kind.'] I find fomething like t\vo of the lines of
this ballad in John Grange's Garden, 1577 :
" Content yourfelf as well as I, let reafon rule your minde,
" As cuckdldes come by deftinie, ib cuckovves fing by kinde."
STEEVENS.
8 Was this fair face the caufe, quoth Jfie y
Why the Grecians facked Troy ?
Fond done, fond done ;
Was this king Priam 'f^Vy.]
This is a ftanza of an old ballad, out of which a word or two arc
dropt, equally necetfary to make the fenfe and the alternate rhime.
For it was not Helen, who was king Priam's joy, but Paris. The
third line therefore fhould be read thus :
Fond done, fond done, for Paris, he. WARBURTON.
If this be a ftanza taken from any ancient ballad, it will proba-
bly in time be found entire, and then the refloradon may be made
with authority. STEEVENS.
8 fond done, is fooliihly done. So, in the Merchant of
<' Jailor, why art thou fofond
" To let this man abroad." STEEVENS.
1 With that jhefigbed as. fbe flood,}
At the end ot the line of which this is a repetition, we find
added in Italic characters the word bis, denoting, I fuppofe, the
necefli'y of its being repeated. Ths correfponding line was twice
printed, as it is here inferted, from the ancieat and only authentic
copy. STEEVENS.
Among
28 A L L's W ELL
Among nine bad if one be good,
2 Among nine bad if one be good,
'There s yet one good in ten.
Count. What, one good in ten ? you corrupt the
fong, firrah.
Clo. One good woman in ten, madam ; which is a
purifying o' the fong : Would God would ferve the
world fo all the year ! we'd find no fault with the
tythe-woman, if I were the parfon : One in ten,
quoth a' ! an we might have a good woman born but
every blazing ftar =, or at an earthquake, 'twould
mend the lottery well ; a man may draw his heart out,
ere he pluck one.
Count. You'll be gone, fir knave, and do as I com-
mand you ?
Clo. 4 That man mould be at a woman's command,
and
2 Among nine Lad if one l>e good,
There's yet one good in tcn.~\
This fecond ftanza of the ballad is turned to a joke upon the wo-
men : aconfeffion, that there was one good in ten. Whereon the
Countefs obferved, that he corrupted the fong, which fhews the
long faidj ^iinc good in ten.
If or.r be lad among ft nine good,
Torre's hit one lad in ten.
This relates to the ten fons of Priam, who all behaved themfelves
well but Paris. For though he once had fifty, yet at this un-
fortunate period ot his reign he had but ten ; Agatbon, Antipbon,
Dcipbobt'S, Dins, Heflor, Hclenus, Hippothom,, Pammon, Paris,
and Politcs. WAR BUR TON.
3 hut every blazing ftar, ] The old copy reads l-nt
ore every blazing ftar. S T EE v E \ s .
* Clo. That man, &c.] The clown's anfwer is obfcure. His
lady bids him do as he is commanded. He anfwers with the licen-
tious petulance ot his character, that If a man decs as a woman com-
}f:aKffs, it is likely he will do arnifs; that he does not amifs, being at
the command of a woman, he makes the eflect, not of his lady's
goodncfs, but of his own honefty, which, though not very nice or
puritanical, will do no hurt; and will not only do no hurt, but,
unlike the puritans, will comply with the injunctions of i'uperiors,
and wear fi\e.J'urplice of humility over tbcllack gc^-nof a big heart ;
\\ili
THAT ENDS WELL. 29
nnd yet no hurt done ! Though honcfty be no puri-
tan, yet it will do no hurt ; it will wear the furplicc
of humility over the black gown of a big heart. I
am going, forfooth : the bufinefs is for Helen to
come hither. [Exit.
Count. Well, now.
Stez;.\ I know, madam, yon love your gentlewoman
intirely.
Connr. Faith, I do: her father bequeath'd her tome;
and ihe herfelf, without other advantage, may law-
fully make title to as much love as fhe finds : there is
more owing her, than is paid ; and more fhall be paid
her, than ftie'll demand.
Stew. Madam, I was very late more near her than,
I think, Ihe wifh'd me: alone fhe was, and did com-
municate to herfelf, her own words to her own ears ;
Ihe thought, I dare vcw for her, they touch'd not
any (Iranger fenfe. Her matter was, fhe lov'd your
will obey commands, though not much pleafed with a ftate of
1 abjection.
Here is an allufion, violently enough forced in, to fatirize the
obftinacy with which the puritans refilled the ufeof the ecclefiaftical
habits, which was, at that time, one principal caufe of the breach
of union, and, perhaps, to inunuate, that the modeft purity of
the furplice was Ibmetimes .a cover tor pride. JOHNSON.
I cannot help thinking that we fhould read Though ho-
nefty be a puritan. TYRWHITT.
The averfion ot the puritans to a. furplice is alluded to in many of
the old comedies. So in the following inftances :
" She loves to act in as clean linen as any gentlewoman.
of her function about the town ; and truly that's the realbn that
your lincere puritans cannot abide a furplice, becaufe they lay 'tis
made ot the fame thing that your villainous 1m is committed in, of
your prophane holland." Cupid's WTjirlig(g\sef E. S 1616.
Again, in the Match at Midnight, 1633, by W. R.
" He has turnM my ftomach for all the world like Sipurita;*'* at
the fight ot a. furplice"
Again, in The Hollander, 16^:
" a puritan, who, becaufe he fuw a furplice in the church,
would needs hang himfelt in the bell-ropes." ST^EVJENS.
fon r
$0 A L L's W E L L
fon : * Fortune, Ihe faid, was no goddefs, that had
pur fuch difference betwixt their two eflates ; Love,
MO god, that would not extend his might, only
where qualities were level ; Diana, no queen of vir-
gins, that would fuffer her poor knight to be fur-
prifed without refcue in the firft alfault, or ranfom
afterward : This Ihe delivered in the moft bitter
touch of forrow, that e'er I heard a -virgin exclaim
in: which I held my duty, fpeedily to acquaint you
withal ; fithence, in the lofs that may happen, it con-
cerns you fomething to know it.
Count. You have difcharg'd this honeftly ; keep it
to yourfelf : many likelihoods inform'd me of this
before, which hung fo tottering in the balance, that
I could neither believe, nor mifdoubt : Pray you,
leave me : flail this in your bofom, and I thank you
for your honeft care : I will fpeak with you further
anon. [Exit Steward.
Enter Helena.
Count. Even fo it was with me, when I was young .*
If we are nature's 6 , thefe are ours ; this thorn
3 Fortune , Jbe faid, was no goddefs, &c. Love no god, &c
complained againft the queen of virgins, &c.] This pafiage Hands
thus in the old copies :
Love, no god, that would not extend his might only where qualities
tvere level, queen of virgins, that would fuffer her poor knight, &c.
'Tis evident to every fenfible reader that fomething muft hare
flipt out here, by which the meaning of the context is rendered
detective. The fteward is fpeaking in the very words he over,
heard or" the young lady ; fortune was no goddefs, fhe faid, for
one reafon ; love, no god, for another; what could (lie then
more naturally fubjoin, than as I have amended in the text ?
Diana, no queen of virgins, that ivouldfuffer her poor knight to ie
Jurprifed without rcfcuc, &C
For in poetical hiftory Diana was well known to prefide over
chajlity, as Cupid over love, or Fortune over the change or regula-
tion or our circumftances* THEOBALD.
6 If we are nature's, ] The old copy reads : If ever we are
nature's* STEEVEKS.
Doth
THAT ENDS WELL. 31
t)oth to our rofe of youth rightly belong ;
Our blood to us, this to our blood is born ;
It is the fhew and feal of nature's truth,
Where love's ftrong paffion is impreft in youth :
7 By our remembrances of days foregone,
8 Such were ourfaults,O! then we thought them none.
Her eye is iick on't ; I obferve her now.
Hel. What is your pleafure, madam ?
Count. You know, Helen,
I am a mother to you.
Hel. Mine honourable miftrefs.
Count. Nay, a mother ;
Why not a mother ? When I faid, a mother,
Methought you faw a ferpent : What's in mother,
That you flart at it ? I fay, I am your mother ;
And put you in the catalogue of thofe
That were enwombed mine : 'Tis often feen, '
Adoption flrives with nature ; and choice breeds
A native (lip to us from foreign feeds :
You ne'er opprefs'd me with a mother's groan,
Yet I exprefs to you a mother's care :
God's mercy, maiden ! does it curd thy blood,
To fay, I am thy mother ? What's the matter,
That this dilremper'd meffenger of wet,
The many-colour'd Iris, rounds thine eye ?
Why ? that you are my daughter ?
Hel. That I am not.
Count. I fay, I am your mother.
Hel. Pardon, madam;
The count Roufillon cannot be my brother :
I am from humble, he from honoured name ;
7 By our remembrances ] That ia, according to our recol-
lection. So xve fay, he is old by my reckoning. JOHNSO.V.
8 Such were our faults, or then we thought them none."] We {houid
read :
O ! then ive thought them none.
A rnotive for pity and pardon j agreeable to faft, and the indul-
gent charafter of the fpeaker. This was fent to the Oxford edito*,
and he altered O, lotho*. WARBURTON,
No
S 2. A L L's WELL
No note upon my parents, his all noble :
Ivly mafter, my dear lord he is ; and I
His fervant live, and will his varTat die :
He muft not be my brother.
Count. Nor I your mother ?
HcL You are my mother, madam ; 'Would yoil
were
("So that my lord, your fon, were not my brother)
Indeed, my mother ! 9 or were you both our mothers,
I care no more for, than I do for heaven,
So I were not his fiftcr : ' Can't no other,
But, I your, daughter, he muft be my brother ?
9 .- - or -:iv/-f \'ou both our mothers,
I care no more for, than I do for hcav'/i,
So I iverc not his Jijler : ]
The fecond line has not the leaft glimmering of fenfe. Helen, by
the indulgence and invitation of her miftrefs, is encouraged to dif-
cover the hidden caufe of her grief; which is the love of her mif-
trefs's fon ; and taking hold of her miftrefs's words, where (he bids
her call her mother, {he unfolds the rn.yf.cn: and, as fhe is difco-
vering it, emboldens herlelf by this reflection, in the line in quef-
tion, as it ought to be read in a parenthefis :
('/can no more fear, than I do fear bcav*n.)
i. e. I can no more fear to trull lo indulgent a miftrefs with thefe-
cret, than I can fear heaven, who has my vows for its happy iffue.
This break, in her difcovery, is exceeding pertinent and fine.
Here again the Oxford editor does his part. WAR BUR TON.
I do not much yield to this emendation ; yet I have not been
able to pleale myfelr with any thing to which even my own par~
tiality can give the preference.
Sir Thomas Hanmer reads :
Or --vercjcit loth our mother-,
1 cannot aik for more than that of heaven,
So I -xerc n.}t Lisfefter : can't be no other
A\ ay lyour daughter, but be ?nuji be ray brother ? JOHNSON.
" Were you both our mothers,
*' I care no more for, than I do for heaven,
*' So I were not his filter."
There is a deiigned ambiguity : I care no more for, is, I care as
much for. 1 w r i(h it equally. FARMER.
1 Can't no other,
But, I your daughter, he muft be M\' brother ?~\
The meaning is obfcur'd by the elliptical diction. Can it be no other
way, but if / ocjcar t?(iug'.>!cr he mujl l\ my brother ? JOHNSON.
THAT ENDS WELL. 3 f
Count. Yes, Helen, you might be my daughter-in-
law ;
God ihield, you mean it not ! daughter, and mother,
So flrive upon your pulfe : What, pale again ?
My fear hath catch'd your fondnefs : a Now I fee
The myftery of your lonelinefs, and find
3 Your fait tears' head. Now to all fenfe 'tis grofs,
You love my fon ; invention is afham'd,
Againit the proclamation of thy paffion,
To fay, thou dofl not : therefore tell me true ;
But tell me then, 'tis fo : for, look, thy cheeks
Confefs it one to the other ; and thine eyes
See it fo grofly fhewn in thy behaviours,
That in their kind they fpeak it ; only fin
And hellilh obftinacy tie thy tongue,
That truth fhould be fufpedted : Speak, is't fo ?
If it be fo, you have wound a goodly clue ;
If it be not, forfwear't : howe'er, I charge thee,
As heaven fhall work in me for thine avail,
To tell me truly.
Hel. Good madam, pardon me !
Now I fee
The niyftery of your lovelinefs, and find
Tour fait tears' bead. ]
The myitery of her lovelinefs is beyond my comprehenfion : the old
Countefs is faying nothing ironical, nothing taunting, or in re-
proach, that this word (hould find a place here ; which it could
not, unlefs farcaftically employed, and with fome fpleen. I dare
warrant the poet meant his old lady (hould fay no more than this:
** I now find the myftery of your creeping into corners, and weep-
ing, and pining in fecret." For this realbn I have amended the
text, lonelinefs. The Steward, in the foregoing fcene, where he
gives the Countefs intelligence of Helena's behaviour, fays :
Alone flie watf. and did communicate to hsrfelf her own words to
her o-iva ears. THEOBALD.
The late Mr. Hall had corrected this, I believe, rightly,
your lowlinefs. TYRWHITT.
I think Theobald's correction as plaufible. To chufe folitudc is
a mark of love. STEEVENS.
3 Tour fait tears* bead.'] The fource, the fountain of your rears,
the caufe of your grief. JOHNSON.
VOL. IV. D Count.
I
34 A L L's WELL
Count. Do you love my fon ?
Hel, Your pardon, noble miftrefs J
Count. Love you my fon ?
Hel. Do not you love him, madam ?
Count. Go not about ; my love hath in't a bond,
Whereof the world takes note : come, come, difclofe
The ftate of your affection ; for your paflions
Have to the full appeach'd.
Hel. Then, I confefs,
Here on my knee, before high heaven and you,
That before you, and next unto high heaven,
I love your fon :
My friends were poor, but honeft ; fo's my love :
Be not offended ; for it hurts not him,
That he is lov'd of me : I follow him not
By any token of prefumptuous fuit ;
Nor would I have him, 'till I do deferve him ;
Yet never know how that defert fhould be.
I know I love in vain, flrive againft hope;
Yet, in this 4 captious and intenible fieve,
I ftill pour in the waters of my love,
And lack not to lofe ftill 5 : thus, Indian-like,
Religious in mine error, I adore
The fun, that looks upon his worfhipper,
But knows of him no more. My deareft madam,
Let not your hate encounter with my love,
For loving where you do : but, if yourfelf,
Whofe aged honour cites a virtuous youth,
Did ever, in fo true a flame of liking,
Wifh chaflly, and love dearly, that your Dian
* captious and intenible fieve^ The word captltus I never
found in this lenfe ; yet I cannot tell what to fubftitute, unlefsr*-
rious for rotten, which yet is a word more likely to have been mif-
taken by the copyers than ufed by the author. JOHNSON.
The old copy reads intemlh fieve. STEEVENS.
5 And lack not to \okjl ill; ]
Perhaps we fhould read :
A:td lack not to \Q\ejlllL TYRWHITT.
Was
THAT ENDS WELL. 35
Was both herfelf and love ; O then, give pity
To her, whofe ftate is fuch, that cannot chufe
But lend and give, where fhe is fare to lofe ;
That feeks not to find that, her fearch implies,
But, riddle-like, lives fweetly where Ihe dies.
Count. Had you not lately an intent, fpeak truly,
To go to Paris ?
Net. Madam, I had.
Count. Wherefore ? tell true.
Hel. I will tell truth ; by grace itfelf, I fwear*
You know, my father left me fome prescriptions
Of rare and prov'd effects, fuch as his reading,
And manifeft experience, had collected
For general fovereignty ; and that he will'd me
In heedfulleft refervation to beftow them,
As 6 notes, whofe faculties inclufive were,
More than they were in note : amongft the reft,
There is a remedy, approv'd, fet down,
To cure the defperate languilhings, whereof
The king is render'd loft.
Count. This was your motive
For Paris, was it ? fpeak.
Hel. My lord your fon made me to think of this \
Elfe Paris, and the medicine, and the king,
Had, from the converfation of my thoughts,
Haply, been abfent then*
Count. But think you, Helen^
If you ihould tender your fuppofed aid,
He would receive it ? He and his phyficians
Are of a mind ; he, that they cannot help him,
They, that they cannot help : How fhall they credit
A poor unlearned virgin, when the fchools,
-notes*
, wboft faculties inclujtve- ] Receipts in which
greater "virtues were m70//than appeared to obfervation.
JOHNSON.
D 2 Em-
36 A L L's W E L L
EfnbowelFd of their do&rine 7 , have left ofT
The danger to itfelf ?
HeL 8 There's fomething hints,
More than my father's fkill, which was the greateft
Of his profeffion', that his good receipt
Shall, for my legacy, be fandtified
By the luckieft ftars in heaven : and, would your
honour
But give me leave to try fuccefs, I'd venture
The well-loft life of mine on his grace's cure,
By fuch a day, and hour.
Count, Doft thou believe't ?
Hel. Ay, madam, knowingly.
Count. Why, Helen, thou ihalt have my leave, and
love,
Means, and attendants, and my loving greetings
To thofe of mine in court ; I'll flay at home,
And pray God's bleffing into thy attempt 9 :
Be gone to-morrow ; and be fure of this,
What I can help thee to, thou Ihalt not mifs.
[Exeunt*
T Emlowcird of their dotirine, J i.e. exhaufted of their (kill.
So, in the old fpurious play of K. John :
" Back warmen, back; embowel not the clime."
STEEVENS.
8 There's fo?neth!ng in't
More than my father' 's Jkill *
that his good receipt &c.]
Here is an inference, [that'} without any thing preceding, to
which it refers, which makes the fentence vicious, and (hews that
we (hould read :
There's fomething hints
]\Iore than my father 1 s JJrill,
that bis good receipt
i. e. I have a fecret premonition orprefage. WARBURTOX.
9 -into thy attempt:} So the old copy. We might better
read unto thy attempt. STKEVENS.
ACT
THAT ENDS WELL. 37
ACT II. SCENE I.
he Court of France.
Enter the King, with young lords taking leave for the
Florentine war. Bertram and Parolles.
Flourifh cornets.
King. * Farewel, young lords^ thefe warlike prin-
ciples
Do not throw from you : and you, my lords, * fare-
wel :
Share the advice betwixt you ; if both gain all,
The gift doth flretch itfelf as 'tis receiv'd,
And is enough for both.
1 In all the latter copies thefe lines flood thus :
Fare-wel, young lords ; tbefe warlike principles
Do not thro-iv from you. Tou, my lords, farevucl ;
Share the advice betwixt you ; if both again t
The gift doth flre tch itfelf as 'tis received.
The third line in that ftate was unintelligible. Sir Thomas Han
mer reads thus :
Fare^velyoung lord, thefe warlike principles
Do not thro-'M front you ; you t tny lord, farewely
Share the advice betwixt vou ; if both gain all,
The gift doth flr etch itfelf as 'tis received \
And is enough for both.
The firft edition, from which the paflage is reftored, was fuffi-
cicntly clear ; yet it is plain, that the latter editors preferred a
reading which they did not underftand. JOHNSON.
* andyou, my lords, farewcl : ]
It does not any where appear that more than two French lords
.(befides Bertram) went to ferve in Italy ; and therefore I think the
king's fpeech fhould be correifted thus :
' Farewel, young lord ; thefe warlike principles
" Do not throw from you ; and you my lord, farewel ;"
what follows, (hews this correction to be neceflary :
44 Share the advice betwixt you ; if both gain all, &c."
TYRWHITT.
D 3 i Lord.
A L L's W E L L
"Pis our hope, fir, .
After well-enter'd foldiers, to return
And find your grace in health.
King. No, no, it cannot be ; and yet my heart
Will not confefs, he owes the malady
That does my life befiege. Farewel, young lords ;
Whether I live or die, be you the fons
Of worthy Frenchmen : 3 let higher Italy
(Thofe
(Thofe 'bated, that inherit but the fall
Of the loft monarchy) fee, &V.]
This is obfcure. Italy, at the time of this fcene, was under three
very different tenures. The emperor, as fucceflbr of the Roman
emperors, had one part ; the pope, by a pretended donation from
Conftantine, another ; and the third was compofed of free ftates.
Now by the laji monarchy is meant the Ro?na-i, the laft of the four
general monarchies. Upon the fall of this monarchy, in the
fcramble, feveral cities fet up for themfelves, and became free
ftates : now theie might be faid properly to inherit the fall of the
monarchy. This being premiied, let us now coniider fenfe. The
King fays, higher Italy ; giving it the rank of preference to
France ; but he corrects himfelf and fays, I except thofe from that
precedency, who only inherit the fall of the laft monarchy ; as all
the little petty ftates ; for inftance, Florence, to whom thefe vo^
luntiers were going. As if he had faid, J give the place of honour
to the emperor and the pope, but not to the free ftates.
WAR BUR TON.
The ancient geographers have divided Italy into the higher and
the lower, the Apennine hills being a kind of natural line of par-
tition ; the fide next the Adriatick was denominated the higher
Italy, and the other fide the lower : and the two feas followed tho
fame terms of diftin&ion, the Adriatick being called the upper fea,
and the Tyrrhene or Tufcan the lower. Now the Sennones or
Senois with whom the Florentines are here fuppofed to be at war,
inhabited the higher Italy, their chief town being Arminium,
jiow called Rimini, upon the Adriatick. HANMER.
Sir T, Hanmer reads :
Thofe baftards that inherit^ &c.
with this note :
Reflecting upon the abject and degenerate condition of the cities
and ftates which aroie out of the ruins of the Roman empire, the
laft of the four great monarchies of the world. HANMER.
Dr. Warburton's obfervation is learned, but rather too fubtle ;
Sir Tho. Hanmer's alteration is merely arbitrary. The paflage is
con fe fled \y
THAT ENDS WELL. 39
(Thofe 'bated, that inherit but the fall
Of the lafl monarchy) fee, that you come
Not to woo honour, but to wed it ; when
The braveft queftant Ihrinks, find what you feek,
That fame may cry you loud : I fay, farewel.
2 Lord. Health, at your bidding, ferve your ma-
jefty !
King. Thofe girls of Italy, take heed of them ;
They fay, our French lack language to deny,
If they demand : 4 beware of being captives,
Before you ferve.
Both. Our hearts receive your warnings.
King. Farewel. Come hither to me.
[The King retires to a couch.
1 Lord. Oh niy fvveet lord, that you will ftay be-
hind us !
Par. 'Tis not his fault ; the fpark
2 Lord. Oh, 'tis brave wars !
Par. Mofl admirable : I have feen thofe wars.
confefledly obfcure, and therefore I may offer another explanation.
I am of opinion that the epithet higher is to be underftood of fitu-
ation rather than of dignity. The fenfe may then be this, Let up-
per Italy, where you are to exercife your valour, fee that you come
to gain honour, to the abatement, that /j, to the dif^race and depref-
Jion of thofe that have now loft their ancient military fame, and in-
herit but the fall of the laji monarchy. To abate is ufed by Shake-
fpeare in the original fenfe of abatre, to deprefs, to Jink^ to dejetf,
\ofubdue. So, in Coriolanus :
" 'till ignorance deliver you,
" As moil <wated captives to fome nation
*' That won you without blows."
And bated is ufed in a kindred lenie in the Merchant of Penice :
" in a bondman's key,
" With bated breath and whiip'ring humblenefs.
The word has ftill the fame meaning in the language of the law.
JOHNSON.
4 Beware of being captives,
Before you ferve. ]
The word ferve is equivocal ; the fenfe is, Be not captives before
you ferve in the war. Be not captives before you arefolaiers.
JOHNSON.
D 4 Ber.
4 A L L's W E L L
Ber. I am commanded here, and kept a coil with ;
Too young, and the next year , and '/ too <w/y.
iW. An thy mind ftand to it, boy, fteal away
bravely.
Ber. I mall Hay here the forehorfe to a fmock,
Creaking my Ihoes on the plain mafonry,
'Till honour be bought up, and no fword worn,
But one to dance with ! By heaven, I'll fteal away.
1 Lord. There's honour in the theft.
Par. Commit it, count.
2 Lord. I am your acceflary ; and fo farewel.
Ber. 6 1 grow to you, and our parting is a tortur'd
body.
1 Lord. Farewel, captain.
2 Lord. Sweet monfieur Parolles !
Par. Noble heroes, my fword and yours are kin.
Good fparks and luftrous, a word, good metals :
5 You fnall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one
captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of war,
here on his finifter cheek ; it was this very fword en-
trench'd it : fay to him, I live ; and obferve his re-
ports for me.
2 Lord, We mail, noble captain,
5 / grciv to you, and our parting is a tortur'd body.] I read thus :
Our parting is the parting of a tortured body. Our parting is as the
difruption of limbs torn "From each other. Repetition of a word is
often the caufe of roiftakes : the eye glances on the wrong word,
and the intermediate pare of the ientence is .omitted. JOHNSON.
So, in K. Henry VIII. ad II. fc. iii :
<' it is a fufferance, panging
" As foul and body's fevering," STEEVENS.
c Youjhalljind in the regiment of the Spinii, one captain Spurio,
his cicatrice, with an emblem efivar here on bisjinifter cheek ',"] It is
lurprifmg, none of the editors could fee that a flight tranfpofhion
>vas abfoiutely neceflary here, when there is not common fenfe in
the paffage, as it Hands without fuch tranfpofition. Parolles only
means: " You fliall find one captain Spurio in the camp, with a
fca,r on his leit cheek, a mark pt war that my fword gave him."
THEOBALD.
Par.
THAT ENDS WELL. 41
Par. Mars doat on you for his novices ! what will
you do ?
Ber. Stay ; the king
Par. Ufe a more fpacious ceremony to the noble
lords; you have reftrain'd yourfelf within the lift of
too cold an adieu : be more expreffive to them ; for
7 they wear themfelves in the cap of the time, there
do mufter true gait, eat, fpeak, and move under the
influence of the moft received ftar ; and though the
devil lead the meafure, fuch are to be follow'd : after
them, and take a more dilated farewel.
Ber. And I will do fo.
Par. Worthy fellows; and like to prove moft
finewy fword-men. [Exeunt.
Enter Lafeu. [Lafeu kneels*
Laf. Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings.
King. I'll fee thee to Hand up.
7 they : iv 'ear tbemf elves in the cap of the time, there ', do mufter ^
true gait, &c.] The main obfcurity of this paflage arifes from the
miftake of a fingle letter. We {hould read, inftead of, do mufter^
to mufter. \ To ivear tbtmf elves in the cap of the time, fignifies to
be the foremofl in the fafhion : the figurativeallufionis to the gal-
lantry then in vogue, of wearing jewels, flowers, and their mif-
trefs's favours in their caps. there to nntfter true gait, lignifies
to aflemble together in the high road of the fafhion. All the reft is
intelligible and eaiy. WARBURTON.
I think this emendation cannot be faid to give much light to the
obfcurity of the paflage. Perhaps it might be read thus : They
do mufter with the true gaite, that is, they have the true military
Hep. Every man has obferved fomething peculiar in the ftrut of a
foldier. JOHNSON.
Perhaps we {hould read majler true gait. To majler any
thing, is to learn it perfectly. So, in the Firft Part ofK. Hen. IV;
" As if he majler d there a double Ipirit
<* Of teaching and of learning"
Again, in K. Hen. V :
" Between the promife of his greener days,
'* And thofe he majfors now."
In this laft inftance, however, both the quartos, viz, 1600, and
j6o8, read mu/len. STEEVEKS.
Laf.
4 z A L L's W E L L
Laf. Then here's a man
Stands, that has bought his pardon 8 . I would, you
Had kneel'd, my lord, to afk me mercy ; and
That, at my bidding, you could fo ftand up.
King. I would I had ; fo I had broke thy pate,
And afk'd thee mercy for't.
Laf. Goodfaith, 9 acrofs : but, my good lord,
'tis thus ;
Will you be cur'd of your infirmity ?
King. No.
Laf. O, will you eat
No grapes, my royal fox ? f yes, but you will,
My noble grapes, an if my royal fox
Could reach them : * I have feen a medecin,
That's able to breathe life into a flone ;
Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary
With fprightly fire and motion; whofe fimple touch
Is powerful to araife king Pepin, nay,
To give great Charlemain a pen in his hand,
And write to her a love-line.
King. What her is this ?
1 that has bought bis pardon.'} The old copy reads brought.
STEEVENS.
9 acrofs: ] This word, as has been already obferved, is
ufcd when any pafs of wit mifcarries. JOHNSON.
1 Tes, lutyou will, my nolle grapes ; an' if~\
Thefe words, my noUe grapes, feem to Dr. Warburton and Sir T.
Hanmer, to ftand fo much in the way, that they have filently
omitted them. They may be indeed rejected without great lofs,
but I believe they are Shakefpeare's words. Ton will eat, fays
Lafeu, no grapes. Tes, but you will catfuch noble grapes as I bring
you, if you could reach them, JOHNSON.
* / have feen a medecin,
That *s able to breathe life into a ft one ;
Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary]
Mr. Rich. Broom, in his comedy, intitled, The City Wit, or the
Woman ivears the Breeches, act IV. fc. i. mentions this among other
dances : ** As for corantoes, levoltos, jigs, meafures, pavins,
brawls, galiiards or canaries ; I fpeak it not fwellingly, but I fub-
fcribe to no man." Dr, GRAY.
14.
THAT ENDS WELL. 45
Laf. Why, do&or me ; My lord, there's one ar-
riv'd,
If you will fee her now, by my faith and honour,
If fcrioufly I may convey my thoughts
In this my light deliverance, I have fpoke
With one, that, in her fex, } her years, profeffion,
Wifdom, and conftancy, hath amaz'd me more
Than I dare blame my weaknefs 4 : Will you fee her,
(For that is her demand) and know her bufinefs ?
That done, laugh well at me.
King. Now, good Lafeu,
Bring in the admiration ; that we with thee,
May fpend our wonder too, or take off thine,
By wond'ring how thou took'ft it.
Laf. Nay, I'll fit you,
And not be all day neither. [Exit Lafeu.
King. Thus he his fpecial nothing ever prologues.
Laf. [Returns.'], Nay, come your ways.
[Bringing in Helena*
King. This hafte hath wings indeed.
Laf. N ay, come your ways ;
This is his majefly, fay your mind to him :
A traitor you do look like ; but fuch traitors
His majefly feldom fears : I am Creffid's uncle s ,
That dare leave two together ; fare you well. [Exit.
King. Now, fair one, does your bufmefs follow us ?
Hel. Ay, my good lord. Gerard de Narbon was
My father ; in what he did profefs, well found.
King. I knew him.
Hel. The rather will I fpare mypraifes toward him;
Knowing him, is enough. On his bed of death
3 leryears, profejfion,] JHy profejfion is meant her declaration
of the end and purpofe of her coming. WAR BUR TON.
4 Than I dare blame my lucakncfs :] This is one or Shakefpeare's
perplexed expreffions. To acknowledge how much fhe has afto-
nifhed me, would be to acknowledge a weaknefs ; and this I have
not the confidence to do. STEEYENS.
5 Orchid's uncle t ] I am like Pandarus. See Troilus and
ia, JOHNSON.
Many
44 A L L's W E L L
Many receipts he gave me ; chiefly one,
Which, as the dearefl iflue of his practice,
And of his old experience the only darling,
He bad me llore up, as a triple eye 6 ,
Safer than mine own two, more dear ; I have fo :
And, hearing your high majefly is touch'd
With that malignant caufe wherein the honour 7
Of my dear father's gift Hands chief in power,
I come to tender it, and my appliance,
With all bound humblenefs.
King. We thank you, maiden ;
But may not be fo credulous of cure,
When our moil learned dodtors leave us ; and
The congregated college have concluded,
That labouring art can never anfwer nature
From her inaidable eflate, I fay we mull not
So ftain our judgment, or corrupt our hope,
To proilitute our paft-cure malady
To empericks ; or to difiever fo
Our great felf and our credit, to efleem
A fenfelefs help, when help pafl fenfe we deem.
HeL My duty then lhall pay me for my pains :
I will no more enforce mine office on you ;
Humbly intreating from your royal thoughts
A modefl one, to bear me back again.
King. I cannot give thee lefs, to be call'd grateful :
Thou thought'ft to help me ; and fuch thanks I give,
As one near death to thofe that wifh him live :
But, what at full I know, thou know'fl no part ;
I knowing all my peril, thou no art.
HeL What 1 can do, can do no hurt to try,
Since you let up your reft 'gainft remedy :
* a triple )*,] i. e. a Mm/ eye." STEEVENS,
7 ivbercin the honour
Of my dear father's gift Jlands chief in po'ver^]
Perhaps we may better read :
wherein the power
Of my dear father' i giftjlands chief in honour, JOHNSON .
He
THA TENDS WELL. 45
He that of greateft works is finilher,
Oft does them by the weakeft minifter :
So holy writ in babes hath judgment mown,
When judges have been babes. Great floods have
flown
From fimple fources ; and great feas have dry'd,
When miracles have by the greateft been deny'd g .
Oft expectation fails, and molt oft there
Where moft it promifes ; and oft it hits,
Where hope is coldeft, and defpair molt fits.
King. I mult not hear thee ; fare thee well, kind
maid ;
Thy pains, not us'd, mult by thyfelf be paid :
Proffers, not took, reap thanks for their reward.
Hel. Infpired merit fo by breath is barr'd :
It is not fo with him that all things knows,
As 'tis with us that fquare our guefs by mows :
But moft it is prefumption in us, when
The help of heaven we count the adt of men.
Dear fir, to my endeavours give confent;
Of heaven, not me, make an experiment.
I am not an impoftor, that proclaim
9 Myfelf againft the level of mine aim ;
But know I think, and think I know moft fure,
My art is not paft power, nor you palt cure.
8 Wl)e* miracle* have by the great eft been deny'd,}
I do not fee the import or connexion of this line. As the next
line ftands without a correfpcmdent rhyme, I fufpect that fome-
thing has been loft. JOHNSON.
I point the paflage thus ; and then I fee no reafon to complain of
want of connection :
When judges have leen bales. Great floods, &c.
}yhen miracles have by the greateft leen denjyd.
5. e. miracles have continued to happen, while the wifeft men have
been writing againft the poffibility of them. STEEVENS,
9 Myfelf againjl the level of mine aim ;]
i. e. pretend to greater things than befits the mediocrity of my
condition. WAR BURTON.
I rather think that (he means to fay, / am not an impojlor that
proclaim one thing and defign another, that proclaim a cure and aim
at a fraud : I think what I fpsak. JOHNSON.
46 A L L's WELL
King. Art thou fo confident ? Within what fpaefi
Hop'lt thou my cure ?
Hel. The greateft grace lending grace r ,
Ere twice the horfes of the fun fhall bring
Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring ;
Ere twice in murk and occidental damp
Moift Hefperus hath quench'd his fleepy lamp ;
Or four and twenty times the pilot's glafs
Hath told the thievilh minutes how they pafs ;
What is infirm from your found parts fhall fly,
Health fhall live free, and ficknefs freely die.
King. Upon thy certainty and confidence,
What dar'it thou venture ?
Hel. Tax of impudence,
A ftrumpet's boldnefs, a divulged fhame *,
Traduc'd by odious ballads ; my maiden's name
, Sear'd
1 The great eft grace lending grace,]
1 fliould have thought the repetition of grace to have been fuper-
fluous, if the grace of grace had not occurred in the fpeech with
which the tragedy QrM&cbetk concludes. STEEVENS.
* a div ulgedjkame,
Iradufd by odious ballads j my maiden's name
Scared otberwife, no ivorfe ofworft extended^
With vilefl torture let my life be ended. ~\
This paffage is apparently corrupt, and how fhall it be rectified ?
I have no great hope of fuccefs, but fomething muft be tried. I
read the whole thus :
King. Wbat dar'Jl tbou venture f
Hel. Tax of l?npudence,
A fir-limpet's boldnefs ; a divulged Jbamc,
Traduced by odious ballads my maiden name ;
Sear'd otberwife, to worft ofworjl extended ;
With vilejt torture let my^ life be ended.
When this alteration firit came into my mind, I fuppofed Helen to
mean thus: Firft^ I venture what is deareit to me, my maiden re-
putation ; but if your diftruft extends my character to the ivnrjl of
the ivor/, and fuppofes me feared againit the fenfe of infamy, I
will add to the flake of reputation, the flake of life. This cer-
tainly is fenfe, and the language as grammatical as many other paf-
fages of Shakefpeare. Yet we may try another experiment :
Fear othcr'Mife to word of icorji extended ;
With vikji torture let nty life be ended.
Thar
THAT ENDS WELL. 47
Sear'd otherwife ; no worfe of worfl extended,
With vileft torture let my life be ended.
King. J Methinks, in thee fome blefled fpirit doth
fpeak ;
His powerful found, within an organ weak :
And
That is, let me aft under the greateft terrors poflible.
Yet once again we will try to find the right way by the glimmer
of Hanmer's emendation, who reads thus :
my maiden name
Sear'd ; otherwife the worft of worft extended, &c.
Perhaps it were better thus :
- my maiden name
Sear'd; otherwife the worft to worft extended;
With vileft torture let my life be ended. JOHNSON.
Let us try, if poffible, to produce fenfe from this paflage with-
out exchanging a fyllable. / would bear (fays (he) the tax of im-
pudence, which is the denotement of aftrumpet ; would en Jure ajbame
refulting from my failure in ivhat I have undertaken, and thence be-
come the fitbjcft of odious ballads ; let my maiden reputation be other*
wife branded \ and, no worfe of worft extended, i. e. provided no-
thing worfe is offered to me, (meaning violation) let my life be ended
with the worft of tortures. The poet for the fake of rhime has ob-
fcured the fenfe of the paflage. The worft that can befal a ntiman,
being extended tome, feems to be the meaning of the laft line.
STEEVENS.
The old copy reads not fear'd, butyivzrV. The impreffion in
my book is very faint, but that, I think, is the word. In the
fame line it reads not no, but ne, probably an error for the. I
would wifh to read and point the paflage thus :
- a divulged Jhame
Traduc'd by odious ballads my maiden's name ;
Sear'd otherwifc ; the worft of worft, extended
With vileft torture, let my life be ended.
5. e. Let my maiden reputation become the fubjeft of ballads
let it be otherwife mangled and (what is the ivorft of worft, the
eonfummation of mifery) my body being extended on the rack by the
moft cruel torture, let my life pay the forfeit of my prefumption*
MALONE.
3 Mtthinks, in thee fome blejjed fpirit doth fpeak
His powerful found, within an organ vjeahi\
To fpeak a found is a barbarifm : for to fpeak fignifies to utter an ar-
ticulate found, /. e. a voice. So, Shakefpeare, in Love's Labour
Loft, fays with propriety, And when love fpeaks the voice of all the
gods. To fpeak a found therefore is improper, though to utter a
Jottnd\$ not; becaufe the word utter may be applied either to an
articulate
4 S A L L's W E L L
And what impoffibility would flay
In common fenfe, fenfe faves another way.
Thy life is dear ; for all, that life can rate
Worth name of life, in thee hath eftimate 4 ;
5 Youth, beauty, wifdom, courage, virtue, all
That happinefs and 6 prime, can happy call :
Thou this to hazard, needs muft intimate
Skill infinite, or monftrous defperate.
Sweet practifer, thy phyfick I will try ;
That minifters thine own death, if I die.
Hel If I break time, or flinch in property
Of what I fpoke, unpitied let me die ;
articulate or inarticulate. Befides, the conduction is vicious with
the two ablatives, in thee, and, within an organ weak. The lines
therefore fliould be thus read and pointed :
Methinks, in thee fame blejjed fpirit dothfpeak :
His power full founds within an organ weak.
But the Oxford editor would be only fo far beholden to this emen-
dation, as to enable him to make fenfe of the lines another way,
whatever become of the rules of criticifm or ingenuous dealing :
\tpowerfulfounds within an organ weak* \VARBUR TON*.
The verb, dothfpeak, in the firil line, fhould be underflood to
be repeated in the conftruCtion of the fecond, thus :
His powerful found fpeaks within a weak organ. REVISAL.
This, in my opinion, is a very juft and happy explanation.
STEEVENS.
* in thee hath ejlimate :] Maybe counted among the gifts
enjoyed by them. JOHNSOV.
5 Touth, beauty, wifdom, courage, all ]
The verfe wants a foot. Virtue, by mifchance, has dropt out of
the line. WAR BUR TON.
* - prime, - ] Youth ; the fpring or morning of life.
JOHNSON.
Should not we read pride I Dr. Johnfon explains prime to
mean youth ; and indeed I do not fee any other plaufible interpre-
tation that can be given of it. But how does that fuit with the
context ? " You have all that is worth the name of life ; youth,
beauty, &c. all, That happinefs and youth can happy calh" -
Happinefs and pride, may iignify, I think, the pride of happinefs ;
the proudeft ftate of happinefs. So, in the Second Part of Henry IV.
att III. fc. i : the voice and echo , is put for the voice ofecbo> or, the
echoing voice. T Y R w H I T T .
And
THAT ENDS WELL.
And well deferv'd : Not helping, death's my fee ;
But, if I help, what do you promife me ?
King. 7 Make thy demand.
Hel. But will you make it even ?
King. Ay, by my fcepter, and my hopes of heaveni
Hel. Then lhalt thou give me, with thy kingly hand^
What hufband in thy power I will command :
Exempted be from me the arrogance
To chufe from forth the royal blood of France j
My low and humble name to propagate
With any branch or image of thy ftate 8 :
But fuch a one, thy vaflal, whom I. know
Is free for me to afk, thee to beftow.
King. Here is my hand ; the premifes obferv'd f
Thy will by my performance mail be ferv'd :
So make the choice of thine own time ; for I,
Thy refolv'd patient, on thee flill rely.
More fhould I queftion thee, and more I muft ;
Though, more to know, could not be more to truft;
From whence thou cam'ft, how tended on, But reft
Unqueftion'd welcome, and undoubted bleft.
Give me fome help here, ho ! If thou proceed
As high as word, my deed fhall match thy deed.
7 King. Make tf.y demand.
Hel. But will you make it even f
King. Ay, by my fccptcr, and my hopes 0/"help.]
The king could have but a \ery flight hope of /W/> from her, fcarce
enough to fwear by : and therefore Helen might fufpeft he meant
to equivocate with her. Befides, obterve, the greateft part of the
fcene is ftrictly in rhime : and there is no (hadow of real'on \vhyit
ihould be interrupted here. I rather imagine the poet wrote :
-4Vi by my fcepter, and my /jofes of heaven. TIURLBY.
8 With any branch or image of ' tlyjlat! ; ] Shakefpeare unquef-
tionably wrote impagc, grafting. Impe a graff, or flip, or fucker :
by which fl-.e means one of the fons of France. Caxton calls our
prince Arthur, that noble impe of fame. WAR.EURTOV.
fmanli farely the true reading, and may mean any reprefenta-
tive of thine ; i. e. any one who relembles you as being related
to your family, or as a prince reflects any part of your itate and
maielty. There is no fuch word as hnpagt. STEEVEXS.
VOL. IV. E SCENE
50 A L L's WELL
SCENE II.
Roujtllon.
Enter Countefs and Clown.
Count. Come on, fir; I lhall now put you to the
height of your breeding.
Clo. I will fhew myfelf highly fed, and lowly-
taught : I know my bufinefs is but to the court.
Count. But to the court ! why,, what place make
you fpecial, when you put off that with fuch con-
tempt ? But to the court f
Clo. Truly, madam, if God have lent a man any
manners, he may eafily put it off at court : he that
eannot make a leg, put off's cap, kifs his hand, and
fay nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap ;
and, indeed, fuch a fellow, to fay precifely, were
not for the court : but, for me, I have an anfwer
will ferve all men.
Count. Marry, that's a bountiful anfwer, that fits
all queftions.
Clo. It is like a barber's chair, that fits all but-
tocks 9 ; the pin-buttock, the quatch-buttock, the
brawn-buttock, or any buttock.
Count. Will your anfwer ferve fit to all queftions ?
Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an at-
torney, as your French crown for your taffaty punk,
as Tib's rufh for Tom's fore-finger ', as a pancake for
Shrove-
9 It is like a laser's chair, &c.] This expreffion is proverbial.
See Ray's Proverls. STEEVENS.
1 TiVsrufb for Tom's fore-finger, ~~\ Tom is the man, and
by Tib we are to underftand Taiitha the woman, and therefore,
more properly we might read Tom's rujhfor, &c. The allufion is
to an ancient practice of marrying with a rufli ring, as well in
other countries as in England. Breval, in his Antiquities of Paris^
mentions it as a kind of efpoufal ufed in France, by fuch perfons
as meant to live together ia a Hate of concubinage ; but in Eng-
land,
THAT ENDS WELL. 51
Shrove-tuefday, a morris for May-day, as the nail
to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a fcolding
quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the
friar's mouth ; nay, as the pudding to his ikin.
Count* Have you, I fay, an anfwer of fuch fitnefs
for all queflions ?
Clo. From below your duke, to beneath your cort-
flable, it will fit any queftion.
Count. It inuft be an anfwer of moil monftrous fize,
that muft fit all demands.
land, it was fcarce ever praftifed except by defigning men, for the
purpofe of corrupting thofe young women, to whom they pre-
tended love.
Richard Poore, bifhop of Salifbury, in his Conjlitittlons, ami-
12 1", forbids the putting of rnjb rings, or any the like matter, on
women's fingers, in order to the debauching them more readily :
and he infinuates as the reaibn for the prohibition, that there were
Ibme people weak enough to believe, that what was thus done in
jeft, was a real marriage.
But notwithihmding this cenfure on it, the practice was not abo-
lifhed ; for it is alluded to in a fong in a play written by fir Wil-
liam Davenant, called Tie Rivals: \
" I'll crown thee with a garland of draw then,
*' And I'll marry thee with a rujb ring"
Which fong, by the way, was firft fung by Mifs Davis ; {he acted
the part of Celania in the play ; and king Charles II. upon hear-
ing it, was fo plea fed with her voice and action, that he took her
from the ftage, and made her his miftrefs.
Again, in the fong called the Wincbefter H^eddhig, in D'Urfey's
Pilh to Purge. Melancholy y vol. i. p'tge 276:
*' Pert Strephon was kind to Betty,
*' And blithe as a bird in the fpring ;
** And Tommy was fo to Katy,
" And wedded her with a ruJJ) rinsr."
SIR J. HAWKINS,
7il>'s rufli for Tom's fore-finger, ^] In humorous oppofi-
iion to the regular form of matrimony, this may have been the
exadt ceremonial of an unlawful efpoufal. I conceive the fare*
fnger to moan the thumb in Romeo and Juliet ^ act I. fc. iv. as
the thumb muft be confidered the foremojl, where five fingers lire
faid to appertain to a Innd ; which hitter expreflion occurs in
Shakefpeare's Troilus ami CrefiJa, aftll. fc. ii :
tied." TOLLKT<
E a Clo.
5 2 A L L's W E L L
Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learnert
ihouid ipeak truth of it : here it is, and all that be-
longs to't : Afk me, if I am a courtier ; it fhall do
you no harm to learn.
Count. * To be young again, if we could : 1 will be
a fool in queflion, hoping to be the wifer by your
anfwer. I pray you, lir, are you a courtier ?
Clo. 3 O Lord, fir, There's a fimple putting
off: more, more, a hundred of them.
Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves
you.
Clo. O Lord, fir,, Thick, thick, fpare not me.
Count. I think, fir, you can eat none of this homely
meat.
Clo. O Lord, fir, Nay, put me to't, I war-
rant you.
Count. You were lately whip'd, fir, as I think.
Clo. O Lord, fir, Spare not me.
Count. Do you cry, O Lord, fa, at your whipping,
andjpare not me ? Indeed, your Lord* Ji>' is very
fequent to your whipping ; you would anfwer very
well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't.
Clo. I ne'er had wcrfe luck in my life, in my
O Lord, fir : I fee, things may ferve long, but not
ferve ever.
Count. I play the noble houfewife with the time, to
entertain it fo merrily with a fool
Clo. O Lord,, fir, Why, there't ferves well again.
a To be young again, ] The lady cenfures her own levity in
trifling with her jefler, as a ridiculous attempt to return back to
youth. JOHNSON.
3 O Lord, Jir, ] A ridicule on that foolifh expletive of
fpeech then in vogue at court. WAR BUR TON.
Thus Clove and Orange, in Every Man out of his Humour :
" You conceive me, fir ?" " O Lord, fir."
Clea-veland, in one of his fongs, makes his gentleman,
" Anfwer, OLord)fo! and talk play-look oaths."
FARMER-.
Count*
THAT ENDS WELL. 53
. An end, fir, to your bufinefs : Give Helen
this,
And urge her to a prefent anfwer back :
Commend me to my kinfmen, and my fon ;
This is not much.
Go. Not -much commendation to them.
Count. Not much employment for you : You im-
jderftand me ?
' Clo. Mod fruitfully ; I am there before my legs.
Count. Hafle you again. \JLxeunt.
SCENE III.
The Court of France.
Enter Bertram, Lafeu, and Parolles.
Laf. They fay, miracles are paft ; and we have
our philofophical perfons, to make modern and
familiar, things fupernatural and caufelefs. Hence
is it, that we make trifles of terrors; enfconclng our-
felves into foeming knowledge, when we ihould fub-
jnit ourfelves to an unknown fear*.
Par. Why, 'tis the rareft argument .of wonder., that
hath {hot out in our later times,
Ber. And fo 'tis.
Laf. To be relinquifh'd of the artifts,
far. So I fay ; both of Galen and Paracelfus 5 .
ij.
4 * unknown fear.] Fear is here the objeft of fear. JOHNSON.
5 Par. So I fay, both of Galen and Paracelfus.
Laf. Of all the learned and authentick fellows, ]
Sliakefpeare, as I have often obferved, never throws out his words
at random. Paracelfus, though no better than an ignorant and
knavish enthufiaft, was at this time in fuch vogue, even amongll
the learned, that he had almoft juftled Galen and the ancients out
of credit. On this account learned is applied to Galen ; and autbcn-
tick or fafhionable to Paracelfus. Sancy, in his Confi-JjionCatboll-
yuf, p. 501. Ed. Col. 1720, is made to fay ; " Je trouve la Ri vicre
j premier
4 A L Us WELL
Laf* Of all the learned and authentic fellows 6 ,
Par. Right, fo I fay.
Laf. That gave him out incurable,
Par. Why, there 'tis ; fo fay I too.
Laf. Not to be help'd,
Par. Right j as 'twere, a man affur'd of an
Laf. Uncertain life, and fure death.
Par. Juft, you fay well ; fo would I have faid.
Laf. I may truly fay, it is a novelty to the world,
Par. It is, indeed : if you will have it in fliewing 7 ,
you fhall read it in, What do you call there ?
Laf. A fhewiiig of a heavenly effedt in an earthly
adtor 8 .
Par. That's k I would have faid ; the very fame,
'Laf. 9 Why, your dolphin is not luftier : 'fore me
I fpeak in refped:
premier medecin, dc mcilleure humeur que ces gens la. II eft Ion Ga-
Icnifte, & tres ban Paracelnfte. // Jit que la doctrine dc Galien ejl
honorable^ & nonmefprifable pour la pathologie^ & profitable pour les
boutiques. L'autrc^ pourvcu que ce foit d; iirais preceptcs de Para-
celie, eft bonne a fuivre pour la verite, pour la fubtilite, pour
1'efpargne ; en fomme pour la Therapeutique." WARBURTON.
As the whole merriment of this fcene confifts in the pretenfions
of Parolles to knowledge and fentiments which he has not, I be-
lieve here are two paflages in which the words and fenfe are be-
ftowed upon him by the copies, which the author gave to Lateu.
I read this paflage thus :
Laf. To be relinquijbed of the art;Jls
Par. So I fay.
Laf. Both of Galen and Par ace Ifus, of all tie learned and autbcii"
tick fellows
Par. Right, Jo I fay. JOHNSON.
6 authentick fello-ivs, J The phrafc of the diploma is,
autkentice licentiatus. MUSGRAVE.
7 Par. It is indeed : If you will have it mjheiving, &c. ] We fhould
read, I think : " It is, indeed, if you will have it a fhewing you
fnall read it in what do you call there" - TYRWHITT.
8 AJbetuitig of a heavenly ejfeft, &c.] The title of fome pamph-
let here ridiculed. WARBURTON.
9 Wly, ynur dolphin 'is not luftier : ] By dolphin, is meant the
elaupbiit) the heir apparent, and hcpe of the cro'.vn of France. His
title is fo tranflated in all the eld books. STHEVEXS.
Par*
THAT ENDS WELL. 54
Par. Nay, 'tis ftrange, 'tis very ftrange, that is the
brief and the tedious of it ; and he is of -a moft faci-
norous fpirit ', that will not acknowledged tobe the
Laf. Very hand of heaven.
Par. Ay, fo I fay.
Laf. In a moft weak
Par. And debile minifter, great power, great tran-
fcendence : which fhould, indeed, give us * a farther
ufe to be made, than alone the recovery of the king ;
as to be
Laf. Generally thankful.
Enter King, Helena, and attendants.
Par. I would have faid it ; you fay well : Here
comes the king.
1 facinorous fpirit, ] This word is ufed in Hey wood's
JLngUJb Traveller, 1633 :
** And magnified for high facinorous deeds."
Facinorous is wicked. The old copy fpells the word facincrious ;
but as Parolles is not defigned for a verbal blunderer, I have ad-
hered to the common fpelling. STEEVENS.
z which Jhouul, ,indeed, give us a farther vfe to be made, &c.^
Between the words us and a farther, there feems to have been two
or three words dropt, which appear to have been to this purpofe
Jkould, indeed, give us [notice, that there is of this,] a farther vfe
to be made to that the paflage fhould be read with afleriflcs for
the future. WAR BURTON.
I cannot fee that there is any hiatus, or other irregularity of
language than fuch as is very common in thefe plays. I believe
Parolles has again ufurped words and fenle to which he has no
right ; and I read this paflage thus :
Laf. In a moft weak and dcbile minifter, great power, great tran-
fccndence ; which Jhould, indeed, give us a farther vfe to be made than
the mere recovery of the king.
Par. Ai to be
Laf. Generally thanlfnl. JOHNSON.
When the parts are written out for players, the names of the
characters which they are to reprefent are never fet down ; but
only the luft words of the preceding fpeech which belongs to their
partner in the fcene. If the plays ot Sluikefpeare were printed (as
there is good reafon to fufped) from thefe piece-meal tranfcripts,
how eafily may the miftake be accounted for, which Dr. Johnfon
has judiciouily ftrove to remedy ? STELVENS.
E 4 Laf.
56 A L LV WELL
Laf. Luftick, as the Dutchman fays ? : I'll like a
maid the" better, while I have a tooth in my head r
Why, he's able to lead her a corranto.
Par. Mort du Vinalgrei Is not this Helen ?
Laf. 'Fore God, I think fo.
King. Go, call before me all the lords in court.-
Siti my preferver, by thy patient's fide ;
And with this healthful hand, whofe banifh'd fenfo
Thou haft repeal'd, a fecond time receive
The confirmation of my promis'd. gift,
Which but attends thy naming.
Enter feveral Lords.
Fair maid, fend faith thine eye : this youthful parcel
Of noble bachelors ftand at my bellowing,
O'er whom both fovereign power and father's voice
I have to ufe : ' thy frank election make ;
Thou hafl power to chufe, and they none to forfake.
Hel. To each of you-on-e fair and virtuous miftrefs
Fall, when love plcafe ! marry, to each but one 4 !
Laf. I'd give bay cuftal 5 , and his furniture, '
My mouth no more were broken 6 than thefe boys',
And writ as little beard.
3 Luftick, as the Dutchman fays : ] Luftigh is the Dutch
word for lufty, chearful, pleafant. It is ufed in Hans 'Beer-pot's
Zwifiblc Comedy, 1618:'
can walk a mile or two
** As luftique as a boor"
Again, in the Witches of Lancajbire, by Hey wood and Broome,
" What all lujl'icli, all frolickfome !" STEEVENS.
* * marry, to each but one /] I cannot underftand this pafTage
in any other fenfe, than as a ludicrous exclamation, in confequence
of Helena's wifh. of one fair arid virtuous miftrefs to each of the
lords. If that be fo, it cannot belong to Helena: and might
properly enough be given to Parolles. TYRWHITT.
; s . ~ lay curt al ] i. e. a. bay, .dock'd horfe. STEEVENS,
6 My month no more were broken ]
A Ircken mouth is a mouth which has loft part of its teeth.
JOHNSON.
* Kins:,
THAT ENDS WELL. $7
King. Perufe them well :
Kot one of thofe, but had a noble father.
' Hel. Gentlemen,
Heaven hath, through me, reftor'd the king to health.
Ail We underftand it, and thank heaven for you.
Hel. I am a fimple maid ; and therein wealthieft,
That, I prbteft, I limply am a maid :
Pleafe it your majefty, I have done already :
The bluihes in my cheeks thus whifper me,
We blufh, that thou fioultfjl chufe, but be refits' d-,
Let the white death fit on thy cheek for ever 7 ,
Will neer come there again.
' King. Make choice ; and, fee,
Who Ihuns thy love, fliuns all his love in me.
Hel. Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly ;
And to imperial 8 love, that god moft high,
>o my fighs ftream. Sir, will you hear my fuit >
i Lord. And grant it.
Hel. Thanks, fir; all the reft is mute *.
Laf. I had rather be in this choice, than threw?
ames-ace 9 for my life.
' Hel. The honour, lit, that flames in your fair eyes,
Before I fpeak, too threatningly replies :
7 Let the white death Jtt on thy check for ever,"]
Ghakefpcare, I think, wrote dearth; i.e. want of blood, or more
figuratively barrennefs, want of fruit or iflue. WARBURTON.'
' The white death is the chlorojts. JOHNSON.
8 And to imperial Love, ] The old editions read impartial^
which is right. Love who has no regard to difference of condition,
but yokes together high and low, which was her cafe.
WAR EUR TON.
There is no edition of this play older than that of 1623, the
next is that of 1632, of which both read imperial: the fecond
reads itapgriatj&re. JOHNSON.
'" " // the reft is mute;] i.'e. I have no more to fay to you.
Go Hamlet : " the reft isjilcncc" STEEVENS.
9 ames-ace ] i. e. the loweft chance of the dice. So, in
the Ordinary, by Camvright : " may I at my hit Hake, &c.
throw amcf- ace thrice together." STEEVEN&.
>. .
Love
58 A L L's W E L L
Love make your fortunes twenty times above
Her that fo wiihes, and her humble love !
2 Lord. No better, if you pleafe.
Hel. My wiih receive,
Which great love grant ! and fo I take rhy leave.
Laf. Do all they deny her l ? An they were fons
of mine, I'd have them whipt ; or I would fend them
to the Turk, to make eunuchs of.
Hel. Be not afraid that I your hand Ihould take ;
I'll never do you wrong for your own fake :
Bleffing upon your vows ! and in your bed
Find fairer fortune, if you ever wed !
Laf. Thefe boys are boys of ice, they'll none of
her : fure, they are baftards to the Englifh ; the
French ne'er got them.
Hel. You are too young, too happy, and too good,
To make yourfelf a fon out of my blood,
4 Lord. Fair one, I think not fo.
Laf. z There's one grape yet, j I am fure, thy father
drunk wine. But if thou be'ft not an afs, I am a
youth of fourteen ; I have known thee already.
Hel. I dare not fay, I take you ; but I give
Me, and my fervice, ever whilil I live,
Into your guiding power. This is the man.
[To Bertram.
y/Laf. Do they all deny her f ] None of them have yet denied
lier, or deny her afterwards but Bertram. The fcene muft be fo
regulated that Lafeu and Parolles talk at a diftance, where they
may fee what pafles between Helena and the lords, but not hear it,
fo that they know not by whom the refufal is made. JOHNSON. ;
2 There's one grape yet, ' ] This fpeech the three lair, editors
have perplexed themfelves by dividing between Lafeu and Parol-
les, without any authority of copies, or any improvement of fenfe.
I have reftored the old reading, and ihould have thought no ex-
planation neceflary, but that Mr. Theobald apparently mifunder-
ftood it.
Old Lafeu having, upon the fuppofition that the lady was re-
fufed, reproached the young lords as bnysofice, throwing his eyes
on Bertram who remained, cries out, 'There is one yet into whom his
father put good blood, but I have known thee Icng enough to know
thsefor an afs. JOHNSON.
King,
THAT ENDS WELL. 59
King. Why then, young Bertram, take her, flic's
thy wife.
Set'. My wife, my liege? I lhall befeech your
highnefs,
In fuch a bufmefs give me leave to ufe
The help of mine own eyes.
King. Know'ft thou not, Bertram,'
What fhe hath done for me ?
er. Yes, my good lord ;
But never hope to know why I mould marry her.
King. Thou know'ft, Ihe has rais'd me from my
lickly bed.
Ber. But follows it, my lord, to bring me down
Muft anfwer for your railing ? I know her well ;
She had her breeding at my father's charge :
A poor phylician's daughter my wife ! Difdain
Rather corrupt me ever !
King. 'Tis only title thou difdain'ft in her, the
which
I can build up. Strange is it, that our bloods,
Of colour, weight, and heat, pour'd all together,
Would quite confound diftindtion, yet (land off
In differences fo mighty : If me be
All that is virtuous, (fave what thou diflik'ft,
A poor phyfician's daughter,) thou diilik'ft
Of virtue for the name : but do not fo :
3 From lowefl place when virtuous things proceed,
The place is dignify'd by the doer's deed :
Where great addition fvvells, and virtue none,
Jt is a dropfied honour : 4 good alone
Is
3 From Imveft place whence virtuous things proceed*]
This eafy correction (when) was prefcribcd by Dr. Thirlby.
THEOBALD.
4 ~ good alone
Is good without a name. Vilcncfs is fo : ]
The text is here corrupted into nonfenie. We fhould read :
good alone
Is good; and, with a name, vlkncfs is //.
f, e good is good, though there be no addition of title; and
vilencfa
60 A L L's W E L L
Is good, without a name ; vilenefs is fo :
The property by what it is Ihould go,
Not by the title. She is young, wife, fair s ;
In theie to nature flic's immediate heir ;
And
vilenefs is vilenefs, though there be. The Oxford editor, imder-
ihmding nothing of this, ftrikes out vilenefs, and puts in its place,
intfflf. W A R B u R T o N- .
The prefent reading is certainly wrong, and, to confefs the
truth, I do not think Dr. Warburton's emendation right; yet I
have nothing that I can propofe with much confidence. Of all
the conjectures that I can make, that -which lea ft difpleafes me is
this;
good alont,
Is good without a name ; Helen isfo ;
The reft tallows eafily by this change. JOHNSON.
without a name, vilenefs isfo,]
I would wifh to read :
-- good alone
Is good, without a name ; in vilencfs is fo :
i. . good alone is good unadorned by title, nay, even in the mean-
eft ftateit is fo. F'ilenefs does not always mean, moral turpitude, but
'humility of Jituation ; and, in this fenfe it is ufed by Drayton.
Shakeipeare, however, might have meant that external circum-
jbmcts have no power over the real nature ot things. Good alone
<i. e. by it felt" ) without a name (i. e. without the addition of ti-
tles) is good. Tilencfs is fo, (i. e. is itfelf.) Either of them i$
what its name implies :
The property by what it is fliould go,
Not by the title.
*' Let's write good angel on the devil's horn,
*' 'Tts not the devil's creft." Mcafnre for Mcafure.
3 . - .gfrg is young, wife, fair ;
In thefe, to nature Jhc's immediate heir i
-A.'ul thffe breed honour ; ]
The objection was, that Helen had neither riches nor title : to this
the king replies, (he's the immediate heir of nature, from whom
ine inherits youth, wifdom, and beauty. The thought is fine.
Tor by the immsdia-te heir to nature, we muft underftand one who
inherits wifdom and beauty in a fupreme degree. From hence it
appears &&% young is a faulty reading, for that does not, like wif-
dom and beauty, admit of different degrees of excellence; there-
fore flie could not, with regard to that, be laid to be the immedi-
ate heir of nature ; for in that fhe was only joint-heir with all the
.left of her fpecies, Befides, though wifdom and beauty may breed
T H A T E N D S W E L L. 6*
And thefe breed honour : that is honour's fcorn,
Which challenges itfelf as honour's born,
And is not like the fire : Honours beft thrive,
When rather from our acts we them derive
Than our fore-goers : the mere word's a flave,
Debauch'd on every tomb ; on every grave,
A lying trophy ; and as oft is dumb,
Where duft, and damn'd oblivion, is the tomb
Of hononr'd bones indeed. What fliould be faid ?
If thou.can'ft like this creature as a maid,
I can create the reft : virtue, and (he,
Is her own dower ; honour, and wealth, from me.
Her. I cannot love her, nor will flrive to do't.
honour, yttyotitb cannot be faid to do fo. On the contrary, it fs
age which has this advantage. It feems probable, that fome
ioolifli player, when he traiiicribed this part, not apprehending
the thought, and wondering to find youth not reckoned amongft
the good qualities of a woman when Ihe was propofed to a lore),
and not confidering that it was comprifed in the wordy}*//-, foifled
\\\ young, to the exclufion of a word much more to the purpofe.
For I make no queftion but Shakefpeare wrote :
She ii good, wife, fair.
For the greateft part of her encomium turned upon her virtue.
To omit this therefore in the recapitulation of her qualities, had
been againft all the rules of good fpeaking. Nor let it be objected
that this is requiring an exaclnefs in our author which- we flioufd
not expect. For he who could reafon with the force our author
doth here, (and we ought always to diftinguifh between Shake-
fpeare on his guard and in his rambles) and illuftrate that reafou-
ing with fuch beauty of thought and propriety of expreffion, could
never make ufe of a word which quite deftroyed the exac'tncfs of
his reafoning, the propriety of his thought, and the elegance at"
his expreffion. WAR BUR TON.
Here is a long note which I wifh had been morter. Goodis bet-
ter thanjfPirarft as it refers to honour. But flic is more the imme-
tt'uitc heir of nature with refpect to youth than yocdtu-fi.. To be hn-
mediate heir is to inherit without any intervening tranl'tnittcr : this
Hie inherits beauty :r:. t -j/ ( i/ely from nature, bur honour is tranl -
mitted by ancestors ; youth is received i.mmeAiate'y from ua'ur,' t
butgot&ufi may be conceived in part the gift of parents, or ths
crtl'tt of education. The alteration therefore Jofus ou one fide
what it gains on the other. JOHNSON. '
62 A L L's W E L L
King. Thou wrong'fl thyfelf, if thou fhould'ft ftrive'
to chufe.
Hel. That you are well reftor'd, my lord, I'm glad ;
Let the reft go.
King. 6 My honour's at the flake; which to defeat,-
I muft produce my power : Here, take her hand,
Proud fcornful boy, unworthy this good gift ;
That doft in vile mifprifion fhackle up
My love, and her defert ; that canft not dream,
We, poizing us in her defective icale,
Shall weigh thee to the beam ; that wilt not know,
It is in us to plant thine honour, where
We pleafe to have it grow : Check thy coritempt :
Obey our will, which travails in thy good :
Believe not thy difdain, but prefently
Do thine own fortunes that obedient right,-
Which both thy duty owes, and our power claims j
Or I will throw thee from my care for ever,*
Into the ftagp-ers 7 , and the carelefs lapfe
Of
6 My honour's at the Jlake ; ivhicb to defeat
/ muft produce my power : ]
The poor king of France is again made a man of Gotham, by our
unmerciful editors. For he is not to make ufe of his authority to
defeat, but to defend, his honour. THEOBALD.
Had Mr. Theobald been aware that the implication or clavfe of
the fentence (as the grammarians fay) ferved for the antecedent
" Which danger to defeat" there had been no need of his wit
or his alteration. FARMER.
Notwithftandmg. Mr. Theobald's pert cenfure of former editors
for retaining the word defeat, I fhould be glad to fee it reftored
again, as I am perfuaded it is the true reading. The French
verb defaire (from whence our defeat) fignifies *to free, to difem-
iarrafs, as well as to dejlroy. Defaire un nocud, is to untie a knot j
and in this fenie, I apprehend, defeat is here ufed. It may be
obferved, that our verb undo has the fame varieties of fignification ;-
and I fuppofe even Mr. Theobald would not have been much
puzzled to find the fenfe of this paflage, if it had been written ;
My honour's at the ftake ', which to undo. I mujl produce my power.
TYRWHITT.
7 Into the Jlaggers ,~ ] One fpecies of the fia^gcrs, or the
borfes* apoplexy , is a raging impatience which makes the animal dafh
himfelf
T H A T E N D S W E L L. 65
Of youth and ignorance; both my revenge and hate,
Looling upon thee in the name of juftice,
Without all terms of pity : Speak ; thine anfwer.
Ber. Pardon, my gracious lord ; for I fubmit
My fancy to your eyes : When I confider,
What great creation, and what dole of honour,
Flies where you bid it, I find, that flie, which late
Was in my nobler thoughts moft bafe, is now
The praifed of the king ; who, fo ennobled,
Is, as 'twere, born fo.
King. Take her by the hand,
And tell her, ilie is thine : to whom I promife
A counterpoize ; if not to thy eflate,
A balance more repleat.
Ber. I take her hand.
King. Good fortune, and the favour of the king,
Smile upon this contract; whofe ceremony
Shall feem expedient on the new-born brief 8 ,
And be perform'd to-night ; the folemn feaft
Shall more attend upon the coming fpace,
himfelf with definitive violence againft pofb or walls. To this
the allufion, I fuppofe, is made. JOHNSON.
Shakefpeare has the fame exprellion" in Cymbelinc^ where Pofl>
humus fays :
" Whence come thckJZaggcrs on me ?" STEEVENS.
8 whofe ceremony
Shall feum expedient on the new-lorn brief \
And be performed to-night ; ]
This, if it be at all intelligible, is at leaft obfcureand inaccurate.
Perhaps it was written thus :
what ceremony
Shall feem expedient on the new-born br!ef+
Shall be performed to-night ; the folemn feaft
Shall more attend ]
The Irufu the contraR of efpoufal, or the licence of the church.
The king means, What ceremony is neccflary to make this contract
a marriage, fhall be immediately performed; the reft may be de-
layed. JOHNSON.
Expecting
64 A L L's W E L L
Expecting abfent friends. As thou lov'ft her,
Thy love's to me religious ; elfe, does err.
[Exeunt all but Par oiks and Lafeu "
Laf. Do you hear, monfieur ? a word with you.
Par. Your pleafure, fir ?
Laf. Your lord and mafter did well to make his
recantation.
Par. Recantation ? My lord ? my mafter?
Laf. Ay ; Is it not a language, I fpeak ?
Par. A moft harfh one ; and not to be underftood
without bloody fucceeding. My mafter ?
Laf. Are you companion to the count Roufillon ?
Par. To any count ; to all counts ; to what is
man.
Laf. To what is count's man ; count's mafter is
of another ftile.
Par. You are too old, fir ; let it fatisfy you, you
are too old.
Laf. I muft tell thee, firrah, \ write man ; to
which title age cannot bring thee.
Par. What I dare too well do, I dare not do.
Laf. I did think thee, for two ordinaries ', to
be a pretty wife fellow ; thou didft make tolerable
vent of thy travel ; it might pafs : yet the fcarfs, and
the bannerets, about thee, did manifoldly difiuade me
from believing thee a vefTel of too great a burden. I
have now found thee ; when I lofe thee again, I care
not : yet art thou good for nothing but taking up * ;
and that thou art fcarce worth.
Par. Hadft thou not the privilege of antiquity
upon thee,
' The old copy has this fingular ftage dire&ion : ParoHes and
Lafeu Jtay behind, commenting of this wedding. SrEEVEKS.
1 for two ordinaries, ] While I lat twice with thee at
table. JOHNSON.
1 taking up ; ] To take up, is to contradift^ to call t9
t) as well as to pick off the grtund. JOHNSON,
THAT ENDS WEL L. tf $
Laf. Do not plunge thyfelf too far in anger, left
thou haften thy trial; which if Lord have mercy
on thee for a hen ! So, my good window of lattice,
fare thee well ; thy cafement I need not open, for I
look through thee. Give me thy hand.
Par. My lord, you give me moil egregious indig-
nity.
Laf. Ay, with all my heart ; and thou art worthy
of it.
Par. I have not, my lord, deferv'd it.
Laf. Yes, good faith, every dram of it ; and I will
aot bate thee a fcruple.
Par. Well, I fhall be wifer:
Laf. E'en as foon as thou can'fl, for thou haft to
pull at a fmack o'the contrary. If ever thou be'fi
bound in thy fcarf, and beaten, thou ihalt find what it
is to be proud of thy bondage. I have a defire to
hold my acquaintance with thee, or rather my know-
ledge ; that I may fay, in the default 5 , he is a man
I know.
Par. My lord, you do rile mofl infupportable vex-
ation.
Laf. I would it were hell-pains for thy fake, and
rhy poor doing eternal : for doing, I am part ; as I
will by thee, in what motion age will give me
leave 4 . [Exit.
Par.
3 in. tie default, ] That is, at a nc?J. JOHNSON'.
* for doing I am pcift : as I tx*/// by thce^ in what motion age
iuill give me leave.} Here is a line loft after pajl ; fo that it fiiould
be diftinguiflied by a break With afterifk?. The very words of the
loft line it is impoilible to retrieve; but the fenfe is obvious enough.
For Hoi ng I ampajl; age has deprived me of much of my force
and vigour, yet I have ftill enough to fliew the world I can do my-
lelf right, as I will ly thcc, in what motion [or in the beft manner]
age will give me leave. W.\ R r. r R T o x .
This fufpicion of chafm is groundlefs. The conceit which is fo
thin that it might well eicape a hairy reader, is in the word/ar/f, /
v.>n paft, as I \';ill be paft ly tbcc. JOHNSON.
VW. IV. Do!>< S ,
66 A L L's W E L L
Par. Well, thou haft a fon mall take this difgrace
off me 5 ; fcurvy, old, filthy, fcurvy lord ! Well,
1 muft be patient ; there is no fettering of authority.
I'll Beat him, by my life, if I can meet him with any
convenience, an he were double and double a lord.
I'll have no more pity of his age, than I would have
of I'll beat him, an if I could but meet him again.
Re-enter La feu.
Laf. Sirrah, your lord and matter's marry'd, there's
news for you ; you have a new miftrefs.
Par. I moft unfeigncdly befeech your lordfhip to
make foms refervation of your wrongs : He is my
good lord : whom I ferve above,, is my mailer.
Laf. Who ? God ?
Par. Ay, fir.
Laf. Thedevrl it is r that's thy matter. Why doft
thou garter up thy arms o' this fafhion ? dott make
hofe of thy fkeves ? do other fervants fo ? Thou vvert
bed fet thy lower part where thy nofe ftands. By
mine honour, if I were but two hours younger, Fd
beat thee : methinks, thou art a general offence, and
every man fhould beat thee. I think, thou waft cre-
ated for men to breathe themfelves upon thee.
Doing is here ufed obfcenely. So, in Mcafure for Mcafure :
' " Bawd. Well, what has he done?
" Clnvu. A woman."
Again, in Ben Jonfon's tranflation of a paflage in an Epigram of
Petronius :
" Jlre-'is rjl, &c. et fa'Ja -voluptas.
" Doing, a filthy pleafure is, and fhort."
Again, in The Fox:
" Do I not know if women have a will,
" They'll do, 'gainft all the watches in the world ?"
COLLINS,
5 Well, thou baft afonJhaU take this difgrace off me : ] This
the poet makes Parolles fpeak alone ; and this is nature. A cow-
ard ftiould try to hide his poltroonery even from himfelf. An ordi-
nary writer would have been glad of fuch an opportunity to bring
him to confeffion. WARBuaroif.
Par,
THAT ENDS WELL. 67
Par. This is hard and undeferved meafure, my
lord.
Laf. Go to, fir ; you were beaten in Italy for pick-
ing a kernel out of a pomegranate ; you are a vaga-
bond, and no true traveller : you are more faucy with
lords, and honourable perfonages, than 6 the heraldry
of your birth and virtue gives you commirHon. You
are not worth another word, elfe I'd call you knave.
I leave you. [Exit.
Enter Bertram.
Par. Good, very good ; it is fo then. Good, very
good ; let it be conceal'd a while.
Ber. Undone, and forfeited to cares for ever !
Par. What is the matter, fweet heart ?
Ber. Although before the folemnpriefll have fworn,
I will not bed her.
Par. What ? what, fweet heart ?
Ber. O my Parolles, they have married me :
I'll to the Tufcan wars, and never bed her.
Par. France is a dog-hole, and it no more merits
The tread of a man's foot : to the wars !
Ber. There's letters from my mother ; what the
import is,
I know not yet.
Par. Ay, that would be known : To the wars, my
boy, to the wars !
He wears his honour in a box unfeen,
7 That hugs his kickfy-wickfy here at home ;
Spending his manly marrow in her arms,
6 In former copies :
than the camxljjion of your birth and virtue gives you be*
;aldry.~\ Sir Tho. Hanmer reitored it. JOHNSON.
1 That hugs his kifkjy-iuickjy &c.]
Sir T. Hanmer, in his Glolfrry, obfcrves that liicKfy-vzlc'kfy is a
made word in ridicule and difdain of a wife. Taylor, the water-
poer, has -a poem in dil'dain of his debtcrt t intitled, a kickj^-
a Lerry come'tv.'an^. Dr. GRAY.
F a Which
68 A L L's W E L L
Which mould fuftain the bound and high curvet
Of Mars's fiery fteed : To other regions !
France is a liable ; we that dwell in't, jades;
Therefore, to the war !
Ber. It fhall be fo ; I'll fend her to my houfe,
Acquaint my mother with my hate to her,
And wherefore I am fled ; write to the king
That which I durft not fpcak : His prefent gift
Shall furnifh me to thofe Italian fields,
Where noble fellows ftrike : War is no ftrife
To the dark houfe % and the detefled wife.
Par. Will this capricio hold in thee, art fure ?
Ber. Go with me to my chamber, and advife me..
I'll fend her flraight away : To-morrow
I'll to the wars, fhe to her fingle fcrrow.
Par. Why, thefe balls bound; there's noife in it.
'tis hard ;
A young man, married, is a man that's marr'd :
Therefore away, and leave her bravely ; go :
The king has done you wrong ; but, hufli ! 'tis fo.
SCENE IV.
Enter Helena and Clown.
Kel. My mother greets me kindly ; Is fhe well- ?
Clo. She is not well; but yet fhe has her health:
8 To tljf <far\ ''-'VT-, ] The dark bojife is a houfe made gloomy
by difcoment. Milton lays of death and thet:;ig of hell preparing
to combat :
" So frown'd the mighty combatants, that hell
** Grew darker at their frown." JOHNSON.
perhaps this is the fame thought we meet with in K. Htnry I V".
only more folemnly exprefs'd :
" - he's as tedious
" As is a tired horle. a ratling if//>,
*' Worfe than a faivaly btmfe."
'J'hc old copy reaJs ti.^c^lf^ ui;e. SriiE^. .
flic's
THAT ENDS WELL. 69
fhe's very merry ; but yet (he's not well : but, thanks
be given, fhe's very well, and wants nothing i'the.
world ; but yet fhe is not well.
Hel. If fhe be very well, what does fhe ail, that
fhe's not very well ?
Clo. Truly, fhe's very well, indeed, but for two
things.
Hel What txvo things ?
6lo. One, that fhe's not in heaven, whither God
fend her quickly ! the other, that fhe's in earth, from
whence God fend her quickly !
Enter Parolles.
Par* Blcfs you, my fortunate lady !
Hel. I hope, fir, I 'have your good will to have mine
own good fortune?.
Par. You have my prayers to lead them on ; and
to keep them on, have them ttill. O, my knave !
How does my old lady ?
Clo. So that you had her wrinkles, and I her money,
I woujd fhe did a3 you fay.
Par. Why, I fay nothing.
Clo, Marry, yon are the wifer man ; for many a
man's tongue fhakes out his matter's undoing : 'To
fay nothing, to do nothing, to know nothing, and to
have nothing, is to be a great part of your title ;
which is within a very little of nothing.
Par. Away, thou'rt a knave.
Clo. You mould have faid, fir, before a knave,
thou art a knave; that is, before me thou art a knave :
this had been truth, fir.
Par. Go to, thou art a witty fool, I have found
thee.
Clo. Did you find me in yourfelf, fir ? or were you
taught to find me ? The fearch, fir, was profitable ;
and much fool may you find in you, even to the
world's pleafure, and the incrcafe of laughter.
F 3 Par.
70 A L L's W E L L
Par. A good knave, i'faith, and well fed.-
Madam, my lord will go away to-night ;
A very ierious bufinefs calls on him.
The great prerogative and right of love,
Which, as your due,, time claims, he does acknow-*
ledge ;
But puts it otfby a compell'd reflraint ;
"Whofe want, and whole delay, 9 is ftrew'd with fweets,
Which they diflil now in the curbed time,
To make the coming hour o'edlow with joy,
And pleafure drown the brim.
Hel What's his will elfe ?
Par. That you will take your inftant leave o'the
And make this hafte as your own good proceeding,
Strengthen'd with what apology you think,
May make it probable need ',
Hel. W T hat more commands he ?
Par. That, having this obtain'd, you prefently
Attend his further pleafure.
HeL In every thing I wait upon his will.
Par. I fhall report it fo. [Exit Parolles.
HeL I pray you. Come^ firrah. [To the Clo~;jn.
[Exeu;il.
SCENE V.
Enter Lafeu and Bertram.
Laf. But, I hope, your lordlhip thinks not him a
ibldier.
Ber. Yes, my lord, and of very valiant approof.
Laf. You have it from his own deliverance.
Ber. And by other warranted teftimony.
9 Wliofe went, and ivbefe delay, &c.j The fixeds with which
this want zrej?rei<:ed, I fuppofe, are compliments and profeffions
of kindnefs. JOHNSON.
* - probable need.] A fpecious appearance of necefiity.
JOHNSON.
Laf.
THAT ENDS WELL. yi
Laf. Then my dial goes not true ; I took this lark
for a bunting *.
Ber. I do affure you, my lord, he is very great in
knowledge, and accordingly valiant.
Laf. I have then finned againft his experience, and
tranfgrefs'd againft his valour ; and my ftatc that way
is dangerous, fince I cannot yet find in my heart to
repent : Here he comes ; I pray you, make us friends,
I will purfue the amity.
Enter Parolks.
Par. Thefe things ihall be done, fir,
Laf. I pray you, fir, who's his taylor ?
Par. Sir ?
Laf, O, I know him well : Ay, fir ; he, .fir, is a
good workman, a very good taylor.
Ber. Is fhe gone to the king ? [Afide to Parolks.
Par. She is.
Ber. Will Ihe away to-night ?
Par. As you'll have her.
Ber. I have writ my letters, cafketed my treafurc,
Given order for our horfes ; and to-night,
When I fhould take pofleffion of the bride,
And, ere I do begin, -
Laf. A good traveller is fomething at the latter end
of a dinner ; but one that lies three thirds, and ufes
a known truth to pafs a thoufand nothings with,
fhould be once heard, and thrice beaten. - God
fave you, captain.
Ber. Is there any unkindnefs between my lord and
y.co, monfieur?
* - a bunting.] This bird is mentioned in Lylly's Lo-vc'sMe-
iamorphojis, 1601 : " - but f.^reiters think all birds to be bunt-
/;^t. Barrett's Alvearie, or Quadruple Dictionary, 1580, gives this
account of it : " Terraneola et rul>etra, avisalaudae limilis, &c.
Dit r ta terrancola quod non in arboribur., led in terra verfctur ct
nidificet." The ibllo\\ ing proverb is in Ray's Collodion ; "
gofshawk beats not at a bunting"
F 4 Par.
7* A L L ? s W E L L
Par. I know not how I have deferv'd to run into
my lord's difpleafurc.
Laf. 3 You have made fhift to run into't, boots and
fpurs and all, like him that leapt into the cuflard j
and out of it you'll run again^ rather than fuffer
queflion for your refidence.
Ber. It may be, you have miftaken him, my lord.
Laf. And lhall do fo ever, though I took him at's
prayers. Fare you well, my lord : and believe this
of me, There can be no kernel in this light nut ; the
foul of this man is his clothes : truft him not in
matter of heavy confequence ; I have kept of them
tame, and know their natures.- Farewell, monfieur :
I have fpoken better of you, than you have or will
deferve at my hancj ; but we mult do good againft
evil. [Exit.
Par. An idle lord, I fwear.
'Ber. I think fo.
Par. Why, do you not know him ?
Ber. Yes, I know him well ; and commpn fpeech
<3ive him a worthy pafs. Here comes my clog.
Enter Helena.
Hel. I have, fir, as I was commanded from you,
Spoke with the king, and have procur'd his leave
3 Ton lave made Jlnft to run into't^ boots and fpurs and all, like
him that leapt into tfye cullard ;] This odd a'llufion is not introduced
without a view to fatire. It was a foolery prattifed at city enter-
tainments, whilit the jefter or zany was in vogue, for him to jump
into a large deep cuftard, fet for the purpofe, to fit on a quantity
i:f barren I'peftators to laugh, as our poet fays in his Hamlet. I dp
not advance this without fome authority ; and a flotation from
Ben Jonfon will very well explain it :
* He may perhaps, in tail of a fr.eriff's dinner
* Skip with a rhime o' th* table, from New-nothing,
And take his Almalne leap into a cujfard,
Shall make my lady mayorefs, and her fillers,
Laugh all their hoods over their fhoulders."
Devil's an Af>, aft I. fc. i. THEOBALD.
For
THAT ENDS WELL. 73
For prefcnt parting ; only, he defires
Some private fpcech with you.
Ber. I fhall obey his will.
You mufl not marvel, Helen, at my courfe,
Which holds not colour with the time, nor does
The miniftration and required office
On my particular : prepared I was not
For fuch a bufmefs ; therefore am 1 found
So much unfettled : This drives me to intreatyou,
That prefently you take your way for home ;
And rather mufe *, than alk, why I entreat you :
For my refpe&s are better than they feem ;
And my appointments have in them a need,
Greater than Ihews itfelf, at the firft view,
To you that know them not. This to my mother :
[Giving a letter.
'Twill be two days ere I fhall fee you ; fo
I leave you to ypur wifdom.
Hel. Sir, I can nothing fay,
But that I am your moft obedient fervant.
Ber. Come, come, no more of that.
Hel. And ever fhall
With true obfervance feck to eke out that,
Wherein toward me my homely itars have failM
To equal my great fortune.
Ber. Let that go :
My hafte is very great : Farewel ; hie home.
Hel. Pray, fir, your pardon.
Ber. Well, what would you fay ?
Hel. I am not worthy of the wealth I owe * ;
Nor dare I fay, 'tis mine ; and yet it is ;
But, like a timorous thief, moft fain would fleal
What law does vouch mine own.
Ber. What would you have ?
* Aud rather mufe, &c.] To mufe is to wonder. So, in Mac-
icfb : " Do not mufe at me my moft noble friends." STEEVENS.
5 the wealth I owe ; ] i.e. I own. STEEVENS,
Hel.
74 A L L's WELL
HcL Something; and fcarce fo much : nothing-,
indeed.
I would not tell you what I would ; my lord, 'faith,
yes;
Strangers, and foes, do funder, and not kifs.
Ber. I pray you, ftay not, but in hafte to horfc.
HeL 6 I fhall not break your bidding, good my
lord. [Exit Helena.
Ber. Where are my other men, monfieur ? Fare-
wel.
Go thou toward home ; where I will never come,
Whilft I can ihake my fword, or hear the drum :
Away, and for our flight.
Par. Bravely, coragio! [Exeunt,
ACT III. SCENE I.
The Duke 3 court in Florence.
Flour ffi. Enter the Duke of Florence, two French Lords^
with fohiiers.
Duke. So that, from point to point, now have
you heard
The fundamental reafons of this war ;
Whofe great deciiion hath much blood let forth
And more thirfts after.
* In former copies :
Hel. IJball not break your liiMing, good my lard :
\Vhere are my other men ? Monfieur, far e-vjel.
Ber. Go thou toward borne, ivhere I will never c ome. ]
What other men is Helen here enquiring after ? Or who is fiie flip-
pofed to afk for them ? The old Countefs, 'tis certain, did not lend
her to the court without fome attendants : but neither the Clown,
nor any of her retinue, are now upon the flage : Bertram, obferv-
ing Helen to linger fondly, and wanting to fliift her oft, puts on
a fhew of hafte, alks Parolles for his fen-ants, and then gives his
wife an abrupt difmrflion. THEOBALD.
I Lord.
THAT ENDS WELL. 75
1 Lord. Holy feems the quarrel
Upon your grace's part ; black and fearful .
On the oppofer.
Duke. Therefore we marvel much, our coufin
France
Would, in fojuft a bufinefs, fliut his bofom
Againft our borrowing prayers.
2 Lard. Good my lord,
The reafons of our ftate I cannot yield 7 ,
But like a common and an outward man %
That the great figure of a council frames
By felt-unable motion 9 : therefore dare not
Say what I think of it ; fince I have found
Myfelf in my uncertain grounds to fail
As often as I guefs'd.
Duke. Be it his pleafure.
2 Lord. But I am fure, the younger of our nature*,
That furfeit On their cafe, will, day by day,
Come here for phyfick.
Duke. Welcome lhall they be ;
And all the honours, that can fly from us,
Shall on them fettle : You know your places well;
When better fall, for your avails they fell :
To-morrow to the field. [Exeunt.
7 1 cannot yield,~\ I cannot inform you of the reafons.
JOHNSON.
8 an outward man,] i. e. one not in the fecret of aftairs.
WAR BUR TON.
So inward is familiar, admitted to fecrets. " I ivas an inward
of his." Meafure for Meafure. JOHNSON.
9 By felf- unable motion : ] We fhould read notion.
WAR BUR TON.
This emendation had been recommended by Mr. Upton.
STEEVENS.
-the younger of c
3. e. as we fay at prefent, cur young fillinvs. The modern editors
read nation. I have reitored the old reading. STEEVENS.
SCENE
}6 A L L's W E L L
SCENE II.
Rouftllon, in France.
Enter Countefs and Clown.
Count. It hath happened all as I would have had it,
fave, that he comes not along with her.
Clo. By my troth, I take my young lord to be a
very melancholy man.
Count. By what obfervance, I pray you ?
Clo. Why, he will look upon his boot, and ling;
mend the ruff, and fing ; aik queftions, and ling ;
pick his teeth, and fing : I know a man that had this
trick of melancholy, fold a goodly manor for a fong z .
Count. Let me fee what he writes, and when he
means to come.
Clo. I have no mind to Ifbel, fince I was at court :
our old ling and our Ifbels o'the country, are no-
thing like your old ling and your Ifbels o'the court :
the brain of my Cupid's knock'd out ; and I begin to
love, as an old man loves money, with no ftomach.
Count. What have we here ?
Clo. E'en that you have there. [Er/V,
Countefs reads a letter.
I have fent you a daughter-in-law : foe hath recovered
the king, and undone me. I have wedded her, not bedded
her ; and fworn to make the not eternal. Toujhall hear,
I am run awcy ; know it, before the report come. If there
be breadth enough in the world, I will hold a long difiance.
My duty to you.
Tour unfortunate fon,
BERTRAM,
1 ii fold a goodly man ar for a fang.] Thus the modern editors,-
The old copy reads hold a goodiy. Sec. The emendation however
feems neceflary. STEEVENS.
This
THAT ENDS WELL. 77
This is not well, rafh and unbridled boy,
To fly the favours of fo good a king ;
To pluck his indignation on thy head,
By the mifprizing of a maid too virtuous
For the contempt of empire.
Re-enter Clown.
Clo. O madam, yonder is heavy news within, be-
tween two foldiers and my young lady.
Count. What is the matter ?
Clo. Nay, there is fome comfort in the news, fome
comfort ; your fon will not be kill'd fo foon as I
thought he would.
Count. Why fhould he be kill'd ?
Clo. So fay I, madam, if he run away, as I hear
he does : the danger is in Handing to't; that's the lofs
of men, though it be the getting of children. Here
they come, will tell you more : for my part, I only
bear, your fon was run away.
Enter Helena, and two gentlemen.
1 Gen. Save you, good madam.
Hel. Madam, my lord is gone, for ever gone.
2 Gen. Do not fay fo.
Count. Think upon patience. Tray you, gentle-
men,
I have felt fo many quirks of joy, and grief,
That the firft face of neither, on the flart,
Can woman me unto't : Where is my fon, I pray
you?
2 Gen. Madam, he's gone to fervc the duke of
Florence :
We met him thitherward ; for thence we came,
And, after fome difpatch in hand at court,
Thither we bend again.
Hd. Look on this letter, madam ; here's my pafT-
port.
78 A L L's W L L
* When tJ:ou canft get the ring upon my finger, tvl-icfy ne-
ver JJoall come off, andfaeiv me a child begotten of thy
body, tk at lam father to, then call me hujland : but
infuch a Then I write a Never.
This is a dreadful fentence.
Count. Brought you this letter, gentlemen ?
1 Gen. Ay, madam ;
And, for the contents' fake, are forry for our pains*
Count. I pr'ythee, lady, have a better cheer ;
If thou cngroffeft, all the griefs are thine,
Thou robb'ft me of ^ moiety : He was my fon ;
But I do waih his name out of my blood,
And thou art all my child. Towards 'Florence is he ?
2 Gen. Ay, madam.
Count. And to be a foldier ?
2 Gen. Such is his noble purpofe : and, believe'C,
The duke will lay upon him all the honour
That good convenience claims.
Count. Return you thither ?
i Gen. Ay, madam, with the fwifteft wing of fpeed.
Hel. 'Till I have no wife, I have nothing in France.
'Tis bitter. [Reading.
Count. Find you that there ?
Hel. Ay, madam.
i Gen. 'Tis but the boldnefs of his hand, haply,
which
His heart was not confenting to.
Count. Nothing in France, until he have no wife !
There's nothing here, that is too good for him,
But only me ; and me deferves a lord,
3 When tljoucarfft get the ring upon my finger ', ] i. e. When
thou canft get the ring, which is on my finger, into thy policffion.
The Oxford editor, who took it the other way, to fignify, when
thou canft get it on upon my finger, very fagncioufly alters it to,
IVhen tbou canft git the ring from my finger. WAREURTOX.
I think Dr. \\ arburton's explanation fufficient, but I once read
it thus : When tbou canft get the ring upon thy fingc r, cv.6iV/6 xftvr
jball come <^"mine. JOHNSON.
That
T H A T E N D S W E L L. 79
That twenty fuch rude boys might tend upon,
And call her hourly, miftrefs. Who was with him?
i Gen. A fervant only, and a gentleman
Which I have fome time known*
Count. Parolles, was't not ?
i Gen. Ay, my good lady, he.
Count. A very tainted fellow, and full of wickednefs;
My fon corrupts a well-derived nature
With his inducement.
1 Gen. Indeed, good lady,
The fellow has a deal of that, too much,
Which holds him much to have >'.
Count. You are welcome gentlemen.
I will intreat you, when you fee my fon,
To tell him, that his fword can never win
The honour that he lofes : more I'll intreat you
Written to bear along.
2 Gen. We ferve you, madam,
In that and all your worthiefl affairs.
Count. * Not ib, but as we change our courtefies*
Will you draw near ? \_Exeunt Count ejs and gentlemen*
Hel. 'Till I have no wife, I have nothing in Frd/L'c.
Nothing in France, until he has no wife !
Thou ihalt have none, Roufillon, none in France,
Then haft thou all again. Poor lord ! is't I
That chafe thee from thy country, and expofe
* a deal of that) too much^
WHiicI} holds him mttch to have.]
That is, his vices (land him in (lead. Helen had before delivered
this thought in all the beauty of exprellion.
/ know him a notorious liar ;
Think hint a great way fool, fo'rty a coward \
Tct thefefxt evils Jit~f fit in hlm^
7 bat they take place, ivbile virtue's fiedy bones
Look bleak in the cold wind
But the Oxford editor reads :
Which 'bovcs him not much to have. WARBURTOV.
5 Not fa, &c.] The gentlemen declare that they are ir
the Countefs; fhe replies, No otherwife than as ihe returns the
fame offices ot "civility. JOH.NO.V.
Thofe
8o A L L's W E L L
Thofe tender limbs of thine to the event
Of the none-fparing war ? and is it I
That drive thee from the fportive court, where thou
Wail fhot at with fair eyes, to be the mark
Of fmoky mufkets ? O you leaden meffengers,
That ride upon the violent fpeed of fire,
Fly with faife aim ; move the ilill-piecing air c ,
That fings with piercing, do not touch my lord !
Whoever fhoots at him, I fet him there ;
Whoever charges on his forward breaft,
I am the caitiff, that do hold him to it ;
And, though I kill him not, I am the caufe
His death was fo effected : better 'twere,
I met the ravin lion when he roar'd
With lharp conftraint of hunger ; better 'twere,
That all the miferies, which nature owes,
Were mine at once : No, come thou home,Roufillori,
Whence honour but of danger wins a fear ;
As oft it lofes all ; I will be gone :
My being here it is, that holds thee hence ;
Shall I flay here to do't ? no, no, although
The air of paradife did fan the houfe
And angels offic'd all : I will be gone ;
* move the ftill -piercing air,
Thatjitigs with piercing, ]
The words are here oddly ftiuffled into nonfenfe. We fhould read :
pierce the iHll-moving air,
Thatjings with piercing, ,
i. e. pierce the air, which is in perpetual motion, and fuflfers ne
injury by piercing. WARBURTON.
The old copy reads the Kill-peering air.
Perhaps we might better read :
the ftill-piecing air.
i. e. the air that clofes immediately* This has been propofcd al-
ready, but I forget by whom. STEEVENS.
I have no doubt tinaX. jtiU-kitcing was Shakefpeare's word. But
the paflage is not yet quite found. We ihould read, I believe :
rove the Jt ill-piecing air.
i. fly at random through. The allufion is tojbooting atrovers'in
archery, which was fliooting without any p-^ticula.r aim.
TYRWHITT.
That
THAT ENDS WELL. Si
That pitiful rumour may report my flight,
To conlblate thine ear. Come, night ; end, day !
For, with the dark, poor thief, I'llftcal away. [*//.
SCENE III.
The Duke's court in Florence.
Flouri/h. Enter the Duke of Florence, Bertram, drum
and trumpets, foldiers, &V.
Duke. The general of our horfe thou art ; and we,
Great in our hope, lay our beft love and credence,
Upon thy promifing fortune,
Bcr. Sir, it is
A charge too heavy for my ftrength ; but yet
We'll itrive to bear it for your worthy fake,
To the extream edge of hazard 7 .
Duke. Then go forth ;
And fortune play upon thy profperous helm,
As thy aufpicious miflrefs !
Ber. This very day,
Great Mars, I put myfelf into thy file :
Make me but like my thoughts ; and I lhall prove
A lover of thy drum, hater of love. [Exeunt*
SCENE IV.
Rotation in France.
Filter Count efs and SttWGTa*
Count. Alas ! and would you take the letter of her ?
Might you not know, fhe would do as ihe has done,
By lending me a letter ? Read it again.
7 fa the extream edge of hazard.]
Milton has borrowed this expt dlion Par. Reg. B, i t
" You fee our danger on the utmojl tJgt
" " STEEVENS.
VOL. IV, G Stew.
$ A L L's W ELL
Stew. 7 am 8 St. Jaques' pilgrim,- thither gone ;
* Ambitions love bath fo in me offended,
That bare- foot plod I the cold ground upon.
With fainted vow my faults to have amended.
Write, write, that, from the bloody courfe of war ^
My dear eft mafier, your dear fon may bye ;
Blefs him at home in peace, wbilft I from far,
His name with zealous fervour fantlijy :
His taken labours bid him me forgive ;
/, bis dsfpigbtful 9 Juno, 'fait him forth
From courtly friends, with camping foes to live,
Wloere death and danger dog the heels ofzvorth *
He is too good and fair for death and me ;
Whom I myfelf embrace, to fet him free.
Ah, what {harp flings are in her miklefl words ! *
Rinaldo, you did never lack advice ' fo much,
As letting her pafs fo ; had I fpoke with her,
I could have well diverted her intents,
Which thus ihe hath prevented.
Stew. Pardon me, madam :
If I had given you this at over-night.
She might have been o'er-ta'en ; and yet Ihe writes,
Purfuit would be but vain.
Count. What angel lhall
Blefs this unworthy hufband ? he cannot 'thrive,
Unlefs her prayers, whom heaven delights to hear,
And loves to grant, reprieve him from the wrath
8 St. Jaques' pilgrim, } I do not remember any place fa-
mows for pilgrimages confecrated in Italy to St, James, but it is-
common to vifit St. James of Coinpoftella, in Spain. Another
faint might eafily have been found, Florence being fomewhat out
of the road from Roufillon to Compoftella. JOHNSON.
9 Juno, ] Alluding to the ftory of Hercules. JOHNSON.
1 lack advicey mwb^\ Advice, is difcrtiio* or thought.
JOHNSON.
Of
THAT ENDS WELL. 83
Of greateft jufticc. Write, write, Rinaldo,
To this unworthy hufband of his wife ;
Let every word weigh heavy of her worth,
That he does weigh too light : my greateft grief,
Though little he do feel it, fet down fharply.
Difpatch the moft convenient meffenger : -
When, haply, he fhall hear that fhe is gone,
He will return ; and hope I may, that ihe,
Hearing fo much, will fpeed her foot again,
Led hither by pure love : which of them both
Is deareft to me, I have no fkill in fenie
To make diftinclion : Provide this meffenger :
My heart is heavy, and mine age is weak ;
Grief would have tears, and forrow bids me fpcak.
[Exeunt.
SCENE V.
Without the walls of Florence*
A tucket afar off.
Enter an old Widow of Florence, Diana, Vwlcnta, and
Mariana, with other citizens.
Wid. Nay, come; for if they do approach th
we fhall lofe all the fight.
Dia. They fay, the French count has done moft
honourable fervice.
H'ui It is reported that he has ta'en their greateft
commander; and that with his own hand he flew the
duke's brother. We have loft our labour; they are
gone a contrary way : hark ! you may know by their
trumpets.
Mdr. Come, let's return again, and fuffice our-
fdvcs with the report of it. Well, Diana, takejiced
of this French carl : the honour of a maid is her name;
and no legacy is fo rich as honcfty.
G 2
84 At L's WELL
IVid, I have told my neighbour., how you have
been folicited by a gentleman lib companion.
Mar. I know the .knave ; hanghlm! one Parol-
les : a filthy officer he is in 1 tho^e fuggeftions for the
young earl. Beware of them y Dkna; their promifes,
enticements, oaths, tokens,: and all thefe engines of
luft, a are not the things they go under: many a maid
hath been feduced by them ; and the mifery is, ex-
ample, that fo- terrible (hews- in the wreck of maiden-
hood, cannot for all that difluaJg focceffion, but that
they are limed with the twigs that threaten them. I
hope, I need not to adviie you' further ; but, I hope,,
your own grace will keep you where you arc, though
there were no further danger known> but the madefy
which is fo loft.
Dia. Yon ihall not need to fear me,
Enter Helena, difgidfd like a pilgrim*
Wid. I hope fo. Look, here comes a pilgrim r
I know flic will lye at my houfe : thither they fend
one another : 1*11 queftion her.-
God fave you, pilgrim ! Whither are you bound ?
z are 'not the fkfngs they go under',-] Mr. Theobald explains
thefe words by, They, are not really fo true andfincere as in appear-
ance they feem to Is. He found fomething like this fenfe would fit
the paflage, but whether the words would fit the fenfe he feems not
to have confidered. The truth is, the negative particle fhould be
flruck out, and the words read thus are the things they go wider ;
ir c. they make ufe of oaths, promifes, &c, to facilitate their de-
fign upon us. The allufion is to the military ufe of covered-ways,
to facilitate an approach or attack ; and the fcene, which is a be'-
fieged city, and the perfons fpoken of who are foldiers, make the
phrafe very proper and natural. The Oxford editor has adopted
this correction, though in his ufual way, with a but ; and reads,
are but the things they go under* WAREURTOX.
I think Theobald's interpretation right ; to g
any thing is a known expreflion. The meaning is, they are not
interpretation right ; to go under the name of
the things for which their names would make them pals.
JOHNSON.
Rd.
THAT ENDS'WELL. 85
HeL To St, Jaqucs le grand.
Where do the palmers 5 lodge, 1 d bcfeech you ?
IVid. At the St. Francis here, befide the port.
HeL Is this the way ? [ A ,. . nyh afar off.
Wid. Ay, marry, is it. Hark you \
They come this \vay : If you will tarry,, h&ly pil-
grim,
But 'till the troops come by,
I will condud: you where you ihall be lodg'd;
The rather, for, I think, I know your hoftefs
As ample as myfelL
HeL Is it yourfclf ?
. If you Ihall pleafe fo, pilgrim.
. I thank you, and will Hay upon your leifure.
You came 9 I think, from France ?
HeL I did fo.
fyld. Here you ihall fee a countryman of yours,
That has done worthy fervice.
HeL His name, I pray you ?
Dia. The count Roufillon; K&ow you fuch a one ?
HeL But by the ear, that hears moft nobly of him;
His face I know not.
Dia. Whatfoe'er he is,
He's bravely taken here. He ftole from France,
As 'tis reported, for the king had married him
Againft his liking : Think you it is fo ?
HeL Ay, furely, mcer the truth ; I know his lady.
Dia. There is a gentleman, that ferves the count,
Reports but coarfely of her.
3 palmers ] Pilgrims that vifited holy plnces ; fo called
from a frufT, or bough of palm they were wont to carry, cfpecially
fuch as had vifited the holy places at Jerufalcm. " A pilgrim and
a palmer differed thus : a pilgrim had fome dwelling-place, a pal-
mer had none ; the pilgrim travelled to fome certain place, the
palmer to all, and not to any one in particular; the pilgrim nuift
.',(> at his own charge, \\\cpal,ncr mull profefs wilful poverty; the
pilgrim might give'ovcr his profeflion, the palmer muft be con-
itant." BLO.
G < HeL
86 A L L's W E L L
Hel. What's his name ?
Dia. Monfieur Parolles.
Hel. Oh, I believe with him,
In argument of praife, or to the worth
Of the great count himfelf, Ihe is too mean
To have her name repeated ; all her deferving
Is a referved honefty, and that
I have not heard examined 4 .
D hi. Alas, poor lady !
'Tis a hard bondage, to become the wife
Of a detelling lord.
fyld. A right good creature : wherefoe'er flie is,
Her heart weighs fadly s : this young maid might do her
A Ihrewd turn, if ihe pleas'd.
Hel. How do you mean ?
May be, the amorous count folicits her.
In the unlawful purpoie.
Wid. He docs, indeed ;
And brokes 6 with all that can in fuch a fuit
Corrupt the tender honour of a maid :
But ihe is arm'd for him, and keeps her guard
In honeflefl defence.
* examined.] That is, qucfiiorfd, doubted. JOHNSON*.
' 5 A right good creature : '-Mherefoetr Jhe /.',
Her heart weighs fadly : ]
It has been already obferved, that there is great reafon to' believe,
that when thefe plays were copied for the prefs, the transcriber
trailed to the ear, and not to the eye ; one perfon dictating, and
another tranfcribing. Hence, when we wifn to amend any cor-
rupted paflage, we ought, I apprehend, to look for a word fimilar
in found, rather than for one of a fimilar appearance to that
which we would correct.
The old copy exhibits this line thus :
I vyritK good creature ivbcrcfoe'erjlic is -
I would correcl :
A right good creature &c.
Mr. Rowe reads Ab ! right good creature ! Others, Ay right :
Good creature ! MILON-E.
Some change is necefiary ; and M;-. Malone's being the mofl
esfy, I have inferted it in the text. STEEVENS.
6 $:-ok:s r-J Deals as a broker, JOKNSOX.
Enter
THAT ENDS WELL. 87
Eater with drum and colours, Bertram, Parolles, Officers
and Soldiers attending.
Mar. The gods forbid elfe !
JVid. So, now they come :
That is Antonio, the duke's eldeft Ton ;
That, Efcalus.
Hel. Which is the Frenchman >
Dia. He ;
That with the plume : 'tis a moft gallant fellow ;
I would, he lov'd his wife : if he were honelter,
,He were much goodlier : Is't not a handfome gen-
tleman ?
Hel. I like him well.
Dia* 'Tis pity, he is not honeft : Yond's that fame
knave %
That leads him to thefe places ; were I his lady,
I'd poifon that vile rafcal.
Hel Which is he ?
Dia. That jack-an-apes with icarfs : Why is he
melancholy ?
Hel. Perchance he's hurt i* the battle..
Par. Lofe our drum ! well.
Mar. He's Ihrewdly vex'd at fomething : Look,
he has fpied us.
IVid. Marry, hang you !
[Exeunt Bertram, Parolles, &c.
Mar. And your courtefy, for a ring-carrier !
7 Tond's that fame kuave,
7 hat leads him to tbcfe places ; ]
What^fttt7 Have they been talking of brothels; or, indeed,
any particular locality ? I make no queftion but our author wrote :
That leads him to tbcfe paces.
i. e. fuch irregular fteps, to courfes of debauchery, to not loving
his wife. THEOBALD.
The places are, apparently, where he
brakes ivitb all, that can infticb afuit
Corrupt &c. STEEVENS.
G 4 if'U
83 A L L's W E L L
Wid. The troop is paft : Come, pilgrim, I will
bring you
Where you fliall hoft : of enjoin'd penitents
There's four or five, to great Saint Jaques bound,
Already at my houfe.
Hel. I humbly thank you :
Pleafe it this matron, and this gentle maid,
To eat with us to-night, the charge, and thanking,
Shall be for me ; and, to requite you further,
I will beftow fome precepts on this virgin,
Worthy the note.
Both* We'll take your offer kindly. [Exeunt.
SCENE VI.
Enter Bertram, and the two French Lords.
1 Lord. Nay, good my lord, put him to't ; let
him have his way,
2 Lord. If your lordfhip find him not a hilding,
hold me no more in your refpecl:.
i Lord. On my life, my lord, a bubble.
Bcr. Do you think, I am fo far deceiv'd in him ?
1 Lord. Believe it, my lord, in mine own direct
knowledge, without any malice, but to fpeak of him
as my kinfman, he's a moil notable coward, an infi-
nite and endlefs liar, an hourly promife-breaker, the
owner of no one good quality worthy your lordlhip's
entertainment.
2 Lord. It were fit you knew him ; left, repofing
too far in his virtue, which he hath not, he might, at
fome great and trufty bufinefs, in a main danger, fail
you,
Ecr. I would, I knew in what particular action to
try him.
2 Lord, None better than to let him fetch off his
drum, which you hear him fo confidently undertake
to do,
i Lord.
THAT ENDS WELL. 89
1 Lord. I, with a troop of Florentines, will fudden-
ly furprizc him ; fuch I will have, whom, I am lure,
he knows not from the enemy : we will bind and
hood-wink him ib, that he mall fuppofe no other but
that he is carried into the leaguer of the adverfaries,
when we bring him to our own tents : Be but your
lordfhip prefent at his examination ; if he do not, for
the promifc of his life, and in the highefl compul-
fion of bafe fear, offer to betray you, and deliver all
the intelligence in his power againft you, and that
with the divine forfeit of his foul upon oath, never
truft my judgment in any thing.
2 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch
his drum ; he fays, he has a ftratagem for't: '* when
your lordfhip fees the bottom of his fuccefs in't, and
to
8 when your lor dJJiip fees the bottom of bis fnccff< int, and to
wbat netai tbh counterfeit lump of ours --iv'/V be melted, if you give
hitu not Jf>b Drum's entertainment, your inclining cannnt he rcmov J (L"\
Lump of ours has been the reading of all the 'editions. Ore, ac-
cording to my emendation, bears a confonancy with the other
terms accompanying, (viz. metal, lump and melted) and helps the
propriety of the poet's thought : for lo one metaphor is kept up,
and all the words are proper and fuitablc to it. But, what is the
meaning of John Drum's entertainment ? Lafeu feveral times af-
terwards calls Parolles, Tom Drum. But the difference of the
ChrifHan name will make none in the explanation. There is au
old motly interlude, (printed in 1601) cull'd Jack Drums Enter-
tainment : Or, Tlie Comedy of Pafqull ami Katharine. In this,
Jack Drum is a fervantof intrigue, who is ever aiming at projects,
and always foil'd, and given the drop. And there is another old
piece (publifli'd in 1627) call'd, Apollo Jlrov ing, in which I find
thefe expreffioris :
' Tlwriger. Thou lozel, hath Slug infcfted you ?
" Why do you give fuch kind entertainment to that cobweb ?
" Scofas. It fliall have Tom Drum'' s entertainment; a rl.ip with u
fox- tail."
But both thefe pieces are, perhaps, too late in time, to come to
the ailiihmce ot our author: Ib we mult louk a little higher.
What is laid here to Bertram is to this eftcft : " My lord, ;is you
ha re taken this fellow [Parolles] into fo near a confidence, it, upon
his being found a counterfeit, you don't cafhierhim from your fa-
vour, then your attachment is not to be remov'd." I'll now
fubjoin
9 o A L L's WELL
to what metal this counterfeit lump of ore will 'be
melted, if you give him not John Drum ? s entertain-
ment, your inclining cannot be removed. Here he
-comes.
Enter Parolles.
1 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, hinder not the
luimour of his defign ; let him fetch off his drum in
any hand ".
Ber. How now, monfieur ? this drum flicks forely
in your difpofition.
2 Lord. A pox on't, let it go ; 'tis but a drum.
Par. But a drum ! Is't but a drum ? A drum fo loft \
There was an excellent command ! to charge in with
our horfe upon our own wings, and to rend our own
foldiers.
2 Lord. That was not to be blamed in the command
of the fervice ; it was a difcfter of war that Cxfar
himtelf could not have prevented, if he had been there
to command.
Ber. Well, we cannot greatly condemn our fuccefs :
fome difhonour we had, in the lois of that drum; but
it is not to be recovcr'd.
fubjoin ti quotation from Holingfhed. (of whofe books Shakefpeare
was a moft diligent reader) which will pretty well afcertain Drum's
hiftory. This chronologer, in his deicription of Ireland, fpeak-
ing of Patrick Scarfefield, (mayor of Dublin in the year 1551)
and of his extravagant hofpitality, fubjoins, that no ^uelt had ever
a cold or forbidding look from any part of his family : fo that b-s
porter or any other nff.cer, ditrjl not, for both bis cars, give the
jimple[l max, that refortcd to bls.bvufe, Tout Drum's entertainment ^
-vbicb is > to hale a man in by the head, and thrull him out by b,oth
the fhoulders. THEOBALD.
1 hi any "hand.~\ The tifual plirafe is at any hand, but/^/
aw I-and\\\\\ do. It is ufed in Holland's Pliny, p. 456. " he
muft be a free citizen of Rome in any hand" Again, p. 508,
555, and 546. STEEVE.NS.
Par.
THAT ENDS WELL. 9 r
Par. It might have been recover'd.
Ber. It might ; but it is not now.
Par. It is to be recover'd : but that the merit of
fervice is feldom attributed to the true and exact per-
former, I would have that drum or another, or kic
jacet.
Ber. Why, if you have a flomach to't, monfieur,
if you think your myftery in ftratagem can bring this
inftrumcnt of honour again into its native quarter, be
magnanimous in the enterprize, and go on ; I will
grace the attempt for a worthy exploit : if you fpecd
well in it, the duke lhall both fpeak of it, and ex-
tend to you what farther becomes his greatnefs, even
to the utinoft fyllable of your worthinefs.
Par. By the hand of a foldier, I will undertake it.
Ber. But you muft not now Dumber in it.
Par. I'll about it this evening : and * I will prc-
fently pen down my dilemma's, encourage myfelf in
my certainty, put myfelf into my mortal preparation,
and, by midnight, look to hear further from me.
Ber. May I be bold to acquaint his grace, you are
gone about it ?
Par. I know not what the fuccefs will be, my lord ;
but the attempt I vow.
Ber. I know, thou art valiant; and, to the * poffi-
bility of thy foldierlhip, will fubfcribc for thee.
Farewel.
* - I -vill prrfcntly pen Jo-vn my dilemma's - ] By this
word, Parolies is made to infinuate that he had feveral ways, all
equally certain of recovering his drum. Fur a illUmma is au ar-
gument thnt concludes both way?. WAR BURTON.
Shakefpcare might have found the word thus uied in Holinflicd.
STEKN K.NS.
3 - p>JFbility.tf$y$Mie)fiif t - J Dele tly: the icafc re-
quires it. WARI.URTON.
There is no occafion to omit this word. I ov// fulfil- He (lajs
Bertram) to the poflUv.lity ofyourfglditrjbip t He fuppreires that
he fliould not be fo willing to Vouch tor ito probability. STEEVI :;r.
9 2 A L L's W E L L
Par. 1 love not many words. [/{.v/r.
1 Lord. No more than a fifh loves water. Is not
this a ftrange fellow, mv lord ? that fo confidently
Teems to undertake this bufincfs, which he knows is
not to be done ; damns himlelf to do, and dares bet-
ter be damn'd than do't ?
2 Lord. You do not know him, my lord, as we
<k>: certain it is, that he will ileal himfelf into a man's
favour, and, for a week, efcape a great deal of difco-
x'eries ; but when you find him out, you have him
ever after.
Ber. Why, do you think, he will make no deed
at all of this, that fo fcrioufly he does addrcls him-
felf unto ?
2 Lord. None in the world; but return with an in-
vention, and clap upon you two or three probable
lies ; but we have almoit 4 imbofs'd him, you lhall
fee
* *ivc have almojl inibofsd him , ] To imlofi a deer is
to inclofe him in a wood. Milton ufes the fame word :
" Like that fell -begotten bird
*' In th' Arabian woods emboft,
*' Which no iecond knows or third." JOHNSON'.
It is probable that Shahefpeare was unacquainted with this word
In the fenfe which Milton affixes to it, viz. from emlofcare, ItaL
to enclofe in a thicker.
When a deer is run hard and foams at the mouth, in the lan-
guage of the field, he is i~a id to be cmbofsd. So, in the induction
to the Taming of the Shrew: ** the poor cur ib imbofi"
Again, in Albumazar :
" 1 am cmlofs'd
" With trotting all the ilreets."
Again, in Monfaur Thomas, 1639
" A boar embofid takes fantluary in his (hop,
" And twenty dogs ru(h after."
Again, in Swetnam Arraigiid, 1620:
" Had thou been running for a wager, Swafn ?
*' Thou art horribly .emboj'SJ"
Again, in Warner's Albion i England ^ 1602, b. vii. c. 36:
44 For lo, afar my chafed heart imboft and almoit Ipent.**
STEEVENS.
"Ta
THAT ENDS WELL. 93
fee his fall to-night ; for, indeed,, he is not for your
iordfhip's rcfpect.
1 Lord. We'll make you fome fport with the fox,
ere s we cafe him. He was firft fmok'd by the old
lord Lafeu : when his difguife and he is parted", tell
me what a fprat you fhall iind him ; which you mall
fee this very night.
2 Lord. 1 mult go look my twigs; he fhall be
caught.
Ber. Your brother, he fhall go along with me.
2 Lord. As't pleafe your lordihip : I'll leave you.
[Jb&
Ber. Now will I lead you to the houfe, and mew you
The lafs I fpoke of.
i Lord. But, you fay, flic's honeft.
Ber. That's all the fault : I fpokc with her butoncc,
And found her wondrous cold ; but I lent to her,
]?y this fame coxcomb that we have i r the win8,
Tokens and letters, which me did re-fend ;
And this is all I have done : She's a fair creature ;
Will you go fee her ?
i Ijord. With all my heart, my lord. \_Exeunt.
SCENE VII.
Florence. The Widow's loufe.
Enter Hehia, and Iftdoiv.
Hel. If you mifdoubt me that I am not fhe>
I know not how I (hall afiiire you further,
* But I lhall lofc the grounds I work upon.
" To know when a fhig is weary (as Markham's Cttuntrv Con-
tentments fay) you fhall fee him imbojl^ that is, foam-tig aiidy^i-iw-
i>ig about the mouth with a thick white troth, &c." TOI.LKT.
5 ere ive cafe him.~\ That is, before we ilrip him nuked.
* But IJhallloft the grounds I -.".w^ r.^0;;.]
1, e. by Jifcovering herfelf to the count. WAR BURTON'.
94 A L L's WE L L
Wid. Though my estate be fallen, I was well bora,
Nothing acquainted with thefe bufinefTes;
And would not put my reputation now
In any flaming adt.
Hel. Nor would I wifh you.
Firrt, give me truft, the count he is my hufband ;
.And, 7 what'to your fworn counfel I have fpoken,
Is fo, from word to word ; and then you cannot,
By the good aid that I of you fhall borrow,
Err in bellowing it.
Wid. I ihould believe you ;
For you have fhew'd me that, \vhich well approves
You are great in fortune.
HeL Take this purfe of gold,
And let me buy your friendly help thus far,
Which I will over-pay, and pay again,
When I have found it. The count he wooes your
daughter,
Lays down his wanton ficge before her beauty,
Relblves to carry her ; let her, in fine, confent,
As we'll diredt her how 'tis beft to bear it,
8 Now his important blood will nought deny
That fhe'll demand : A ring the county wears,
That downward hath fucceeded in his houfe,
From fon to fon, fome four or five defcents
Since the firfl father wore it : this ring he holds
In moft rich choice ; yet, in his idle fire,
To buy his will, it would not fecm too dear,
Howe'er repented after.
Wfid. Now I fee
The bottom of your purpofc.
7 'to your fiuorn counfd ] To your private knowledge,
after having required from you an oath of fecrecy. JOHNSON.
8 No-'.v bis important blood ivill nought dtny~\
Important here, and elfevvhere, \$intportu>iate. JOHNSON.
So, Spenferin the Fairy Queen, b. ii. c. vi. fr. 29 :
" And with important outrage him affailed."
Important from the Fr. Etnpertant. TYR \VHITT.
Hel.
t H A T E N D S W E L L. 95
Hel. You fee it lawful then : It is no more,
But that your daughter, ere (he feems as won,
Defires this ring ; appoints him an encounter ;
In fine, delivers me to fill the time,
Herfelf moft chaftly abfent : after this,
To marry her, I'll add three thoufand crowns
To what is part already.
IVid. I have yielded :
Inftrudt my daughter how me mall perfever,
That time, and place, with this deceit fo lawful,
May prove coherent. Every night he comes
With muficks of all forts, and fongs compos'd
To her unworthinefs : it nothing fteads us,
To chide him from our eaves ; for he perfiils,
As if his life lay on't.
Hel. Why then, to-night
Let us allay our plot ; which, if it fpeed,
9 Is wicked meaning in a lawful c!eed,
9 Is wicked ?nt aiiin^ In a lawful deed \
And lawful meaning in a lawful aft ;]
To make this gingling riddle complete in all its parts, we fhould
read the fecond line thus :
And lawful meaning in a wicked afl ;
The fenfe of the two lines is this : It is a wicked meaning becaufe
the woman's intent is to deceive : but a. lawful deed, becaufe the
man enjoys his own wife. Again, it is a lawful meaning becauib
done by her to gain her hulband's eflranged affe&ioa, but it is a
luicktd a& becaufe he goes intentionally to commit adultery. The
riddle concludes thus : Where both not fin and yet a finfulfafl. \, e.
Where neither of them fin, and yet it is a fmful fact on both fides;
which conclution, we fee, requires tUe emendation here made.
WAR BUR TO.V.
Sir Thomas Har.mcr reads in the fame fenfe :
Unlawful meaning in a lawful acl. JoHXSON.
I believe the following is the true f'gaificimou of the paflage.
Bertram's meaning is wicked in a lawful deed, and Helen's liic.m-
ing is lawful in a lawful act ; and neither of them fin : yet on his
part It wa.s a lintul fact, lor hii meaning was to commit adultery,
vl which he was innocent, as rhc l.;dy was his wife. Toj-i.tT.
And
96 A L L's W ELL
And lawful meaning in a lawful act ;
Where both not fin, and yet a fmful fad: :
But let's about it. [Exeunt*
ACT IV. SCENE I.
Part of the French camp in Florence.
Enter one of the French Lords, ivith five or fix Soldiers hi
ambifo.
Lord. He can come no other way but by this hedge*
corner : When you fally upon him, fpeak what ter-
rible language you will; though you underftand it
not yourielves, no matter : for we muft not feem to
underftand him ; unlefs fome one ainongft us, whom
we mult produce for an interpreter.
Sol. Good captain, let me be the interpreter.
Lord. Art not acquainted with him ? knows he not
thy voice ?
Sol. No, fir, I warrant you.
Lord. But what linfy-woolfy haft thou to fpeak to
us again ?
Sol. Even fuch as you fpeak to me.
Lord. He muft think us ' fome band of ftrangers
i'the adverfary's entertainment. Now he hath a fmack
of all neighbouring languages ; therefore we muft
every one be a man of his own fancy, not to know
what we fpeak one to another ; fo we feem to know,
is to know ftraight our purpofe : chough's language,
gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, in-
1 * ' fomt band of Jt rangers in the aJi'trfarlcs entertainment. ~\
That is, foreign troops in the entmfspay. JOHNSON.
terpreter,
THAT ENDS WELL. 97
tcrpreter, you muftfeem very politick. But couch*
ho ! here he comes ; to beguile two hours in a ileep,
and then to return and fwear the lies he forges.
Enter Parolles.
Par. Ten o'clock : within thefe three hours 'twill
be time enough to go home. What fhall I fay I have
done ? It muft be a very piaufive invention that carries
it : They begin to fmoke me ; and difgraces have of
b.te knock'd too often at my door. I find, my tongue
is too fool-hardy; but my heart hath the fear of Mars
before it, and of his creatures, not daring the reports
of my tongue.
Lord. This is the firft truth that e'er thine dwn
tongue was guilty of. \_Afide.
Par*, What the devil Ihould move me to undertake
the recovery of this drum ; being not ignorant of the
impoffibility, and knowing I had no fuch purpofe ? I
muft give myfelf foine hurts, and fay^ I got them in
exploit i Yet flight ones will not carry it. They will
fay, Came you off with fo little ? and great ones I
dare not give ; Wherefore ? what's the * inftance ?
Tongue, I muft put you into a butter-woman's
mouth, and buy another of J Bajazet's mule, if you
prattle me into thefe perils;
Lord. Is it poflible, he Ihould know what he is,
and be that he is ? [Afide.
^ the inftance? ] The proof. JOHNSON^
3 and buy m^filf another of Jlajazefs mule, ] We fliould
read, Baja-zct's mute, i. e. a Turkifh mute. So, in Henry V :
<s Either our hmory (hall vi\ti\ full mnutb
" Speak freely of our a6rs ; or ellc our grave,
'* Like Turkijb ?nute> mall have a tonguelefs mouth."
. WARBURTOX.
As a mule is as dumb by nature, as the mure is by art, the read-
ing may ftand. In one of our old Turkifti hiftories, there is a
pompous delcriptiou of Bajazet riding on a mult to the Divan.
, STEEVENS.
VOL. IV,' H Par.
5>8 A L L's W E L L
Par. I would, the cutting of my garments would
ferve the turn ; or the breaking of my Spanifh fword.
Lord. We cannot afford you fo. [AJide.
Par. Or the baring of my beard; and to fay, it was
in ftratagem.
Lord. 'Twould not do. [Afide.
Par. Or to drown my clothes, and fay, I was ftript.
Lord. Hardly ferve. [Afide.
Par. Though I fwore I leap'd from the window of
the citadel
Lord. How deep? \Afids.
Par. Thirty fathom.
Lord. Three great oaths would fcarce make that be
believ'd. \Afide.
Par. I would, I had any drum of the enemies' ; I
would fwear, I recover'd it.
Lord. You ihall hear one anon. \_Afide.
' Par. A drum now of the enemies ! \_Alarum within.
'Lord, fhroca movoujus, cargo, cargo, cargo.
All. Cargo, cargo, villianda par cor bo, cargo.
Par. Oh ! ranfom, ranfom : Do not hide mine
eyes. \hey feize him and blindfold him.
Inter. Bojkos thromuldo bojkos.
Par. I know you are the Muikos' regiment,
And Ilhall lofe my life for want of language :
If there be here German, or Dane, low Dutch,
Italian, or French, let him fpeak to me, I'll
Difcover that which lhall undo the Florentine.
Inter. Bojkos vauvado :
I underfland thee, and can fpeak thy tongue : >
Kerelybonto : Sir,
Betake thee to thy faith, for feventeen poniards
Are at thy bofom.
Par. Oh!
Inter. Oh, pray, pray, pray.
Manka revania dulche.
Lord. Ofcorbi dukhos volivorco.
Inter. The general is content to fpare thee yet ;
And,
THAT ENDS WELL. 99
And, hood-winkt as thou art, will leadthce on
To gather from thee : haply, thou may'ft inform
Something to fave thy life.
Par. Oh, let me live,
And all the fecrets of our camp I'll fhew,
Their force, their purpofes : nay, I'll fpeak that
Which you will wonder at.
Infer. But wilt thou faithfully ?
Par. If I do not, damn me.
Inter. Acordalinta.
Come on, thou art granted fpace. [Exit with Parolles.
. [AJhort alarum within.
Lord. Go, tell the count Roufillon, and my brother,
We have caught the woodcock, and wiltlceep him
muffled
'Till we do hear from them.
Sol. Captain^ I will.
Lord. He will betray us all unto ourfelves ; -
Inform 'em that..
Sol. So I will, fir.
Lord. Till then I'll keep him dark, and fafely
lock'd. [Exeunt;
SCENE II.
The Widow's houfe : .
Enter Bertram and Dianas
Ber. They told me, that your name was Fontitell;
Dia. No, my good lord, Diana,
Ber. Titled goddefs ;
And worth it, with addition ! But, fair foul,
In your fine frame hath love no quality ?
If the quick fire of youth light not your mind,
You are no maiden, but a monument :
When you are deadj you fhould be fucli a one
As you are now, for you are cold and item ;
And now you ihould be as your mother was,
When your fwcet felf wa$ got.
H a
ioo A L L's W E L L
Dm. She then was honefl.
Ber. So Ihould you be.
Dia. No:
My mother did but duty ; fuch, my lord,
As you owe to your wife.
Be r. 4 No more of that !
I pr'ythee, do not ftrive againft my vows :
I was compell'd to her; but I love thee
By love's own fweet conftraint, and will for ever
Do thee all rights of fervice.
Dia. Ay, fo you ferve us,
'Till we ferve you : but when you have our rofes,
You barely leave our thorns to prick ourfelves,
And mock us with our barenefs.
* No more of that!
I pr'ythee) do notjlrivc again/I my vows :
/ ivas compclfd to her ; ]
I know not well what Bertram can mean by entreating Diana not
to Jf rive againjl bis vows. Diana had juft mentioned his wife, fo
that the vows feem to relate to his marriage. In this fenfe not
Diana, but himfelf Drives againji bis vows. His vows indeed may
mean vo-ivs made to Diana ; but, in that cafe, to^rwt againjl^ is
notproperly ufed for to rejeft, nor does this fenfe cohere well with
bis firft exclamation of impatience at the mention of his wife. No
more of that ! Perhaps we might read :
1 pr'ythee do not drive againjl my vows.
Do not run upon that topick; talk of any thing elfe that I can leaf to
hear.
I have another conceit upon this paflage, which I would be
thought to offer without much confidence :
No more of that !
I pr'ythee do not fhrive againjl my voice
/ was compelled to her ; '
Diana tells him unexpectedly of his wife. He anfwers with per-
turbation, No moi v of that ! I pSytbec do wo/play the confeflbr
againjl my OWM conlent I was compelled to her.
When a young profligate finds his courrfhip fo gravely repreffed
by an admonition of his dnty, he very naturally defires the girl not
to take upon her the cilice of a confeilbr. JOHNSON.
jQgainjl his vows, I believe, means againjl his determined rtfolu-
tion never to cohabit with Helena', and this vow, or rcfolution^ he
had very flrongly exprefled in liis letter to her. STEEVENS.
Ber.
THAT ENDS WELL. 101
Ber. How have I fworn ?
Dia. 'Tis not the many oaths, that make the truth;
But the plain tingle vow, that is vow'd true,
5 What is not holy, that we fwear not by,
But take the Higheft to witnefs : Then, pray you, tell
me.
5 Wliat is not holy, that wefwear not by, j
Yes, nothing is more common than fuch kind of oaths. But Diana
is not here accufing Bertram for fwearing by a being not holy, but
for fwearing to an unholy purpofe ; as is evident from the preced-
ing lines :
3 Tis not the many oaths , that make the truth ;
But the plain fimple vtnv, that is vow'd true.
The line in queftion, therefore, is evidently corrupt, and fhould
be read thus :
What is not holy, that wefivear, not 'bides,
i. e. if we fwear to an unholy purpofe the oath abides not, but is
diflolved in the making. This is an aniwer to the purpofe. She
fubjoins the reafon two or three lines after :
this has no holding,
To fwear by him, whom I protejl to love,
That I will work againjl him*
i. e. that oath can never hold, whofe fubjecl is to offend and dif-
pleafe that being, whom, I profefs, in the aft of fwearing by him,
to love and reverence. What may have miiled the editors into the
common reading was, perhaps, miftaking Bertram's words above :
By love's o-Tivz Jweet conftraint
to be an oath j whereas it only lignifies, being conftrained ly lovt.
WARBURTON.
This is an acute and excellent conjecture, and I have done it the
due honour of exalting it to the text ; yet, methinks, there is
fomething yet wanting. The following words, but take the Higb*Ji
to ivitnrfs, even though it be underftood as an anticipation or af-
fumption in this fenfe, but now fuppofe that you take the Higheft
to ivitnefs, has not fufficient relation to the antecedent fentence.
I will propofe a reading nearer to the furface, and let it take its
.
Ber. Hotv have Ifivorn !
Diana. "Tis not the many oaths, that make the truth ; ,
But the plain finglc vo-iv, that is iwvV true.
Ber. What is not holy, that vjffivear not hy\
But take the High'Ji to witnefs.
Dinna. Then, p>-ay you tell rue,
Jf IJhoiihlfwar, &c.
H 3 Bertram
102 A L L's W E L L
6 If I fhould fwear by Jove's great attributes,,
I lov'd you dearly, would you believe my oaths,
When I did love you ill ? this has no holding*,,
TQ
Bertram means to enforce his fuit, by telling her, that he has
bound himfelf to her, not by the petty protections ufual among
lovers, but by vows of greater folemnity. She then makes a pro-
per and rational reply. JOHNSON.
I have replaced the old reading, being convinced that it is the?
true one, by the following paflage in the REVISAL.
" The fenfe is, We never fwear by what is not holy, but fwear
by, or take to vvitnefs, the Higheft, the Divinity. The tenor of
the reafoning contained in the rolloxving lines perfectly correfponds
with this ; If I Ihould fwear by Jove's great attributes, that I lov'd
you dearly, would you believe my oaths, when you found by ex-
perience that I loved you ill, and was endeavouring to gain credit
with you in order to feduce you to your ruin ? No, furely, but
you would conclude that I had no faith either in Jove or his attri-
butes, and that my oaths were mere words of courfe. For that
oath can certainly have no tye upon us, which we fwear by him
we profefs to love and honour, when at the fame time we give the
ftrohgeft proof of our dilbelief in him, by purfuing a courfe which
we know will offend and difhonour him. By not comprehending
the poet's fcope and meaning, Dr. Warburton hath been reduced
to the neceffity of fathering upon him fuch ftrange Englifh as this ;
*' What is not holy, that ^juejkvcar," to fignify, Jfivejkvear to
an unholy purpoje ; a fenfe thofe words will by no means bear.
" Not 'bides" to iignify, The oath is dijolvcd in the making ; a
meaning which can no more be deduced from the words than the
former.
As to the remaining words, " But take the High'Jl to wzVw/},"
they fo plainly and directly contradict Dr. Warburton's interpre-
tation; that it was utterly impracticable for him to reconcile them
to it, and therefore he hath very prudently parted them over with^
out notice." STEEVENS.
6 If I Jboitleif'joear ly Jove's great attrilutcs,~\
In the print of the old folio, it is doubtful whether it be jfove's
or Love's, the characters being not diftinguifhable. If it is read
Zy/7-w's, perhaps it may be fomething lefs difficult. I am full aj; 4
lofs. JOHNSON.
* , t/jis has no holding, &c. It may be read thus :
this has no holding,
To fwear by him whom I attcft to love,
That I will work againft him.
There is no conMence in expreiling reverence for Jupiter by
calling
THAT ENDS WELL. 103
7 To fwear by him whom I proteft to love,
That I will work againtf him : Therefore, your oaths
Are words, and poor conditions ; but unfeal'd ;
At leaft, in my opinion.
Ber. Change it, change it ;
Be not fo holy-cruel : love is holy ;
And my integrity ne'er knew the crafts,
That you do charge men with : Stand no more off,
But give thylelf unto my fick defire,
Who then recovers : fay, thou art mine, and ever
My love, as it begins, fliall fo perfever.
)ia. I fee, that men make hopes in fuch affairs %
That we'll forfake ourfelves. Give me that ring.
Ber. I'll lend it thee, my dear, but have no power
To give it from me,
calling him to attejl ruy love, and (hewing at the fame time, by
wfkig againjl him by a wicked pallion, that 1 h:ive no refpetl to
the name which 1 invoke. JOHNSON.
7 To fwear by him ivhon; I protc/l to love,
That I "Mill work agairift him : ]
This paiFage likewife appears to me corrupt. She fwears not by
him whom (lie loves, but by Jupiter. I believe we may read, to
fivear to him. There is, fays f he, no holding, no confiftency, in
fwearing to one that / love him, when I fwear it only to injure him.
JOHNSON.
8 I fee, that men make hopes in fuch affairs]
The four folio editions read :
make rope'^ in fuch a fcarre.
The emendation was introduced by Mr. Rowe. I find the word
fcarre in the Tragedy of Hoffman, 163 I :
" I know a cave, wherein the bright day's eye
" Look'd never but afcance, through a fmall cr
Or little cranny of the fretted fcarre :
fometimes liv'd &c."
mall creeke,
" There I have
Again : " Where is the villain's body ?
" Marry, even heaved over thefcarr, andfentafwimming&c."
A^ain : " Run up to the top of the dreadful fcarre. 1 '
Again : " I itood upon the top of the highyZw;r."
Ray fays, that zjlarrc is the cliff of a rock, or a naked rock on
the dry land, from the Saxon carre, cautes. He adds, that this
$yord gave denomination to the town of Scarbo -ovgb. STEEVENS.
H A Dia.
104 A L L's WELL
Dia. Will you not, my lord ?
/ter. It is an honour 'longing to our houfe,,
Bequeathed down from many anceftors ;
Which were the greateft obloquy i' the world
In me to lofe.
Dia. Mine honour's fuch a ring :
My chaftity's the jewel of our houfe,
Bequeathed down from many anceftors ;
Which were the greateft obloquy i'the world
In me to lofe : Thus your own proper wifdom
Brings in the champion honour on my part,
Againft your vain aflault.
Ber. Here, take my ring :
My houfe, mine honour, yea, my life be thine,
And I'll be bid by thee,
Dia. When midnight comes, knock at my chamber
window ;
I'll order take, my mother ihall not hear.
Now will I charge you in the band of truth,
When you have conquer'd my yet maiden bed,
Remain there but an hour, nor fpeak to me :
My reafons are moft ftrong; and you Ihall knowthem,
When back again this ring fhall be deliver'd :
And on your ringer, in the night, I'll put
Another ring ; that, what in time proceeds,
May token to the future our paft deeds.
Adieu, 'till then ; then, fail not 2 You have won
A wife of me, though there my hope be done.
Ber. A heaven on earth I have won, by wooing
thee. [Exit.
Dia. For which live long to thank both heaven and
me !
You may fo in the end.
My mother told me juft how he would woo,
^ As if fhe fat in his heart ; me fays, all men
Have the like oaths : he had fworn to marry me,
When his wife's dead ; therefore I'll lie with him,
THAT ENDS WELL. 105
When I am bury'd. 9 Since Frenchmen are fo braid,
Marry that will, I live and die a maid :
Only, in this difguife, I think't no fin
To cozen him, that would unjuftly win. [Exit*
SCENE III.
The Florentine camp.
Enter the two French Lords, and two or three Soldiers.
1 Lord. You have not given him his mother's let-
ter ?
2 Lord. I have delivered it an hour fince : there is
fomething in't that flings his nature ; for, on the
reading it, he chang'd almoft into another man.
9 Since Frenchmen are Jo braid,
Marry that ivitt, /'// live and die a maid{\
What ! becaufe Frenchmen were falfe, fhe that was an Italian,
\vould marry nobody. The text is corrupted ; and we fhould read :
Since Frenchmen arefo braid,
Marry ? em that w///, /'// live and die a Maid.
\. e. fince Frenchmen prove fo crooked and perverfe in their man-
ners, let who will marry them, I had rather live and die a maid,
than venture upon them. This fhe fays with a view to Helen,
who appeared fo fond of her hufband, and went through fo many-
difficulties to obtain him. WAR BUR TON.
The pafTage is very unimportant, and the old reading reafonable
enough. Nothing is more common than for girls, on fuch occa-
fions, to fay in a pet what they do not think, or to think for a
time what they do not finally refolve. JOHNSON.
JB raid does not fignify crooked at perverfe^ but crafty or deceitful.
So, in Greene's Never too Late, 1 6 1 6 :
' Dian rofe with all her maids,
" Blulhing thus at love his braids"
Chaucer ufes the word in the famefenfej but as the paflage where
it occurs in his Troilus and Crcjjida, is contefted, it may be necef-
fary to obferve, that Bjieb is an Anglo-Saxon word, fignifying
frays, ajius. Again, in Tho. Drant's Tranjlation of Horace i
E.pijlle3, where its import is not very clear :
" Profefling thee a friend, toplaie the ribbaldeat a Iradc"
In the Romauiit of the Rofe, 1336, Braid feems to mean forth-
with, or, at a jerk. There is nothing to anfwer it in the Fr. ex-
cept tantoji. SrEf VENS.
Jjard.
io6 A L L's W E L L
1 Lord f . He has much worthy blame laid uponhimj,
for fhaking ofFfo good a wife, and fo fweet a lady.
2 ZxW. Efpecially he hath incurred the everlafting
difpleafure of the king, who had even tun'd his boun-
ty to fing happinefs to him. I will tell you a thing,
but you fhall let it dwell darkly with you.
1 Lord. When you have fpoken it, 'tis dead, and I
am the grave of it.
2 Lord, He hath perverted a young gentlewoman
here in Florence, of a moil chafte renown ; and this
night he flelhes his will in the fpoil of her honour :
he hath given her his monumental ring, and thinks
Jiimfelf made in the unchafte compolition.
1 Lord. Now God delay our rebellion ; as w^ are
ourfelves, what things are we !
2 Lord. Merely our own traitors. And as in the
common courfe of all treafons, we ft ill fee them re-
veal themfelves, till they attain to their abhorr'd ends*;
fo he, that in this action contrives againft his own
nobility, * in his pro'per flream overflows himfelf.
I Lord. Is it not meant damnable in us, to be
1 i Lord."] The latter editors have with great liberality beftowed
lordfhip upon thefe interlocutors, who, in the original edition, are
called, with more propriety capt. E. and capt. G. It is true that
taptain E. is in a former fcene called lord E. but the fubordina-
tion in which they feem to aft, and the timorous manner in which
they converfe, determines them to be only captains. Yet as the
latter readers of Shakefpeare have been uled to find them lords, I
have not thought it worth while to degrade them in the margin.
JOHNSON.
G. and E. were, I beiieve, only put to denote the players who
performed thefe characters. In the lift of aftors prefixed to the
firft folio, I find the names of Gilburne and Eccleitone, to whom
thefe infignificant parts probably fell. MALO.VE.
* x. till they attain to their abhorred ends; ] This may
mean they are perpetually talking about the mifchief they intend
$o do, till thev have obtained an opportunity of doing it. STEEVENS.
3 in bis proper Jlrcavi a* erftc^v-, bimfclj^ That is, betrays his
rivnfccrets in his o<i':n talk. The reply (hews that this is the mean-
ing. JOHNSON.
trumpeters
THAT ENDS WELL. 107
trumpeters of our unlawful intents ? We ihall not
then have his company to-night ?
2 Lord. Not 'till after midnight ; for he is dieted
to his hour.
1 Lord. That approaches apace : I would gladly
have him fee his company anatomized; that he might
take a meafure of his own judgment 4 , wherein fo
curioufly he had fet this counterfeit.
2 Lord. We will not meddle with him till he come ;
for his prefence muft be the whip of the other.
1 Lord. In the mean time, what hear you of thefe
wars ?
2 Lord. I hear, there is an overture of peace. .
1 Lord. Nay, I affure you, a peace concluded.
2 Lord. What will count Roufillon do then ? will
he travel higher, or return again into France ?
1 Lord. I perceive by this demand, you are not al-
together of his counfel.
2 Lord. Let it be forbid, fir ! fo ihculd I be a
great deal of his act.
2 Lord. Sir, his wife, fome two months fince, fled
from his houfe ; her pretence is a pilgrimage to Saint
Jaques le grand; which holy undertaking, with moft
aufterefanctimony, Ihe accomplilh'd : and, there refid-
ing, the tendernefs of her nature, became as a prey to
her grief ; in fine, made a groan of her laft breath, and
now Ihe fings in heaven.
2 Lord. How is this juftified ?
1 Lord. The ftronger part of it by her own letters ;
which makes her (lory true, even to the point of her
death : her death itfelf, which could not be her office
to fay, is come, was faithfully confirm'd by the rector
of the place.
2 Lord. Hath the count all this intelligence ?
* he might take a meafure of hi* own j it clement, < * ] This
is a very juft and moral reafon. Bertram, by finding how errone-
pufly he has judged, will be lefs confident, aud more eafily moved
>y admonition. JOHNSON,
I Lord.
io8 A L L's WELL
1 Lord. Ay, and the particular confirmations, point
from point, to the full arming of the verity.
2 Lord. I am heartily forry, that he'll be glad of
this.
1 Lord. How mightily, fometimes, we make us
comforts of our lofles !
2 Lord. And how mightily, fome other times, we
drown our gain in tears ! the great dignity, that his
valour hath here acquired for him, mall at home be
encounter'd with a ihame as ample.
1 Lord. The web of our life is of a mingled yarn,
good and ill together : our virtues would be proud, if
our faults whip'd them not ; and our crimes would
(lefpair, if they were not cherifti'd by our virtues.-?-*,
Enter a Servant,
How now ? where's your matter ?
Serv. He met the duke in the flreet, fir, of whom
he hath taken a folemn leave ; his lordfhip will next
morning for France. The duke hath offered him
letters of commendations to the king.
2 Lord. They {hall be no more than needful there,
if they were more than they can commend.
Enter Bertram.
1 Lord. They cannot be too fweet for the king's
tartnefs. Here's his lordfhip now. How now, my
lord, is't not after midnight ?
Ber. I have to-nightdifpatch'd fixteen bufineffes, a
month's length a-piece, by an abftracl of fuccefs : I
have conge'd with the duke, done my adieu with his
neareft ; buried a wife, mourn'd for her ; writ to my
lady mother, lam returning; entertain'd my convoy;
and, between thefemain parcels of difpatch, effected
many nicer needs : the laft was the greateft, but that
J have not ended yet.
2 Lord. If the bufmefs be of any difficulty, and this
morning
THATENDSWELL. 109
morning your departure hence, it requires hafte of
your lordfhip.
Ber. I mean, the bufmefs is not ended, as fearing
to hear of it hereafter : But ihall we have this dialogue
between the fool and the foldier ? Come, 5 bring
forth this counterfeit module ; he has deceived me,
like a double-meaning propheficr.
2 Lord. Bring him forth : he has fat in the ftocfcs
all night, poor gallant knave.
Ber. No matter; his heels have deferv'd it, in
ufurping his fpurs fo long. How does he carry him-
felf?
1 Lord. I have told your lordfhip already; the
flocks carry him. But, to anfwer you as you would
be underflood; he weeps, like a wench that had fhed
her milk : he hath confefs'd himfelf to Morgan,
whom he fuppofes to be a friar, from the time of his
remembrance, to this very inftantdifafler of his fetting
i'the flocks : And what, think you, he hath confeft"?
Ber. Nothing of me, has he ?
2 Lord. His confeffion is taken, and it mall be read
(to his face : if your lordihip be in't, as, I believe
you are, you muft have the patience to hear it.
Re-enter Soldiers with Parolles.
Ber. A plague upon him ! muffled ! he can fay no-
thing of me ; hufli ! hufli !
i Lord. Hoodman comes ! Porto fartarofla.
Inter. He calls for the tortures ; What will you
fay without 'em ?
5 _,/,. f or th this counterfeit module ; ] This epithet is
improper to a module, which profeffes to be the counterfeit of an-
other thing. We fhould read medal. And this the Oxford editor
follows. WAR BURTON.
Module being the pattern of any thing, may be here iifed in that
fenfe. Bring forth this fellow, who, by counterfeit virtue pretend-
ed to make himfelf a /a^rw. JOHNSON.
no A L Us WELL
Par. I will confefs what I know without conflraint i
if ye pinch me like a pafty, I can fay no more.
Inter. Bo/ko chimurcho.
2 Lord. Boblibindo chicurmurco.
Inter. You are a merciful general : Our general
bids you anfwer to what I fliall aik you out of a note*
Par. And truly, as I hope to live.
Inter. Firft demand of him how many horfe the duke is
flrong. What fay you to that ?
Par. Five or fix thoufand ; but very weak and un-
ferviceable : the troops are all fcatter'd, and the com-
manders very poor rogues ; upon my reputation and
credit, and as I hope to live.
Inter. Shall I fet down your anfwer fo ?
Par. Do ; I'll take the facrament on't, how and
which way you will : all's one to him a .
Ber. What a paft-faving Have is this !
1 Lord. You are deceiv'd, my lord ; this is mon-
fieur Parolles, the gallant militarift, (that was his own
phrafe) that had the whole theorique of war in the knot
of his fcarf, and the practice in the chape of his dag-
ger.
2 Lord. I will never truft a man again, for keeping
his fword clean; nor believe he can have every thing
in him, by wearing his apparel neatly.
Inter. Well, that's fet down.
Par. Five or fix thoufand horfe, I faid, I will fay
true, or thereabouts, fet down, for I'll fpeak truth;
i Lord. He's very near the truth in this.
Ber. But I con him no thanks for't 7 , in the nature
he delivers it.
Par.
* aWs one to him. ] Thus the old copy. The modern edi-
tors read " all's one to me," but without authority. I be-
lieve thefe words fhould begin the next fpeech. They would
then appear as a proper remark made by Bertram on the aflertion
of Parolles. STEEVENS.
7 ' / etui biin no thanks for't ,--] i. c. I {hall not thank
him
THAT ENDS WELL. m
Par, Poor rogues, I pray you, fay.
Inter. Weil, that's fet down.
Par. I humbly thank you, fir : a truth's a truth,
the rogues are marvellous poor.
Inter. Demand of him, ofwbatftrengthtlocyarea-foot.
What fay you to that ?
Par. By my troth, fir, if I were to live this pre-
fent hour 8 , I will tell true. Let me fee : Spurio a
hundred and fifty, Sebaftian fo many, Corambus fo
many, Jaquesfo many; Guiltian, Colmo, Lodowick,
and Gratii, two hundred fifty each : mine own com-
pany, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred
and fifty each : fo that the mufter file, rotten and
found, upon my life, amounts not to fifteen thoufand
poll; half of the which dare notlhake the fnow from
off their caflbcks 9 , left they fhake themfelves to pieces.
Ber.
him in Studied language. I meet with the fame expreffion in Pierce
PtnnlkJJe his Supplication, &c.
" I believe he will con thfe little thanks for it"
Again, in Wily B egmled, 1613:
" I con mafter Churms thanks for this."
Again, in Any Thing far a S>uict Life : *' He would not trulr, you
with it, I con him thanks for it." To con thanks may, indeed, ex-
actly anfwer theFrenchyrtf-twV^r/. To con is to know. STEEVENS.
* if I were to live this prefent hour, &c.] I do not underftand
thispaifage. Perhaps (as an anonymous correfpondent obferves)
we fliould read :
" If I were to live lut this prefent hour." STEEVENS.
Perhaps he meant to fay if I were to die this prefent hour.
But fear may be fuppofed to occafion the miftake, as poor frighted
Scrub cries :
' Spare all I have, and take my life." TOLLET. , ,
9 off their Co/forks, ] CaJJbck fignifics a hotieman's loofe
coat, and is ufed in that fenfe by the writers of the age of Shake-
ipeare. So, in Every Man in his Humour, Brainworm fays " He
will never come within the fight of zcajjock or a mufquet reil again.'*
Something of the fame kind, likewile appears to have been part of
the drefs of ruilicks, in MmeJorus, an anonymous comedy, i59fc>
attributed by fome writers to Shakefpeare :
" Within my clofet there does hang a caJJbck,
t( Though bafe the weed is, 'twas a ihepherd's."
Nalh,
i iz A L L's W E L L
Bet: What lhall be done to him ?
i Lord. Nothing, but let him have thanks. De-
mand of him my conditions, and what credit I have
with the duke.
Inter. Well, that's fet down. Ton foall demand of
him, whether one captain Dumam be i'the camp, a French-
man ', what his reputation is with the duke, what his
valour, honefty, and expertnefs in wars ; or whether he
thinks, it were not pojfible with well-weighing fums of
gold to corrupt him to a revolt. What fay you to this ?
what do you know of it ?
Par. Ibefeech you, let meanfwer to the particular
of the interrogatories : Demand them fingly.
Inter. Do you know this captain Dumain ?
Par. I know him : he was a botcher's 'prentice in
Paris, from whence he was whip'd for getting the me-
riff's fool with child ; a dumb innocent, that could
not fay him, nay. [Dumain lifts up his hand in anger.
. Ber. Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; though
I know, his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls.
Inter. Well, is this captain in the duke of Flo
rence's camp ?
Par. Upon my knowledge, he is, and loufy.
Nafli, in Pierce Pennilcffe bis Supplication to the Devil, J9, fays J
" I lighted upon an old ftraddling ulurer, clad in a daraalk caffeck
edged with fur, &c." Again, in Lingua, or a Combat of the Tongue,
&c. 1607 : " Enter Memory, an old decrepid man in a velvet
cajfock." Again, in WTjetJlone s Promos and Cajjandra, 1578:
" I will not ftick to wear
" A blue caflbck."
On this occafion a woman is the fpeaker. So again^ Puttenham,
in his Art of Poetry, 1589 : " Who would not think it a ridi-
culous thing to fee a lady in her milk-houfe with a velvet gown,
and at a bridal in her cajjock of moccado?" In The Hollander, a
comedy by Glapthorne, 1640, it is again fpoken of as part of a
foldier's drefs :
" Here fir, receive this military cajjbck, it has feen fervice."
" This military cajjbck has, I fear, fome military
hangbys." STEEVEXS.
I Lord,
THAT ENDS WELL; 113
i Lord. Nay, look not fo upon me ; we lhall hear
t)f your lordfhip anon.
Inter. What is his reputation with the duke ?
Par. The duke knows him for no other but a poor
officer of mine; and writ to me the other day, to turn
him out o'the band : I think, I have his letter in
my pocket.
Inter. Marry, we'll fearch.
Par. In good fadnefs, I do not know; either it is
there, or it is upon a file, with the duke's other let-
ters, in my tent.
Inter. Here 'tis ; here's a paper ; Shall I read it to
you ?
Par. I do not know, if it be it, or no.
Ber. Our interpreter does it well.
i Lord. Excellently.
Inter. ' Dian. *T!oe count's a fool, and full of 'gola \
Par. That is not the duke's letter, fir ; that is an
advertifement to a proper maid in Florence, one Di-
ana, to take heed of the allurement of one count
Roufillon, a fbolifli idle boy, but, for all that, very
ruttilh : I pray you, fir, put it up again.
Inter. Nay, I'll read it firfc> by your favour.
Par. My meaning in't, I prc-teft, was very honeft
in the behalf of the maid i for I knew the young
count to be a dangerous and lafcivious boy; who is a
whale to virginity, and devours up all the fry it
finds.
Ber. Damnable, both fides rogue !
1 Dian. The count's a fool, and full of gold, ]
After this line there is apparently a line loit, there being ne
rhime that correfponds to gold. JOHNSON.
I believe this line is incomplete. The poet might hav*
v.'ritten : Dian.
T%e count's a fool, and full of ^oldtn ftore or orf ;
-ind this addition rhimes with the following alternate verles.
STEIiVENS.
Vox.. IV, I fkttrfrtijr.
ii4 A L L's W E L L
Interpreter reads the letter.
When fa /wears oaths, bid him drop gold, and take if ;'
After he f cores, he never pays the /core :
* Half won, is match well made ; match, and well make it $
He ne'er pays after-debts, take it before ;
And fay, afoldier, Dian, told thee this,
3 Men are to mellwith, boys are but to kifs :
For count of this, the count's a fool, I know it,
Who pays before, but not when he does owe it.
'Thine, as he vow'd to thee in thine ear,
PAROLLES*
Bcr.
* Half won, is match well nrade ; match, and well make it ;]
This line has no meaning that I can find. I read, with a very
flight alteration : Half won is match well made ; watch, and well
malic it. That is, a match well made is half wou ; watch, and
make it well.
This is, in my opinion, not all the error. The lines are mif-
placed, and mould be read thus :
Half won is match well made ; watch, and well make it ;
When hefwears oaths, lid him drop gold, and take it.
Sifter he J 'cores , he never pays the f core :
He ne'er pays after-debts, take it before.
And fay
That is, take his money, and leave him to himfelf. When the
players had loft the fecond line, they tried to make a eonnecYion
out of the reft. Part is apparently in couplets, arid the whole was
probably uniform. JOHNSON.
Perhaps we fliould read :
Half won is match well made, match an' we'll make it.
i. e. if we mean to make a match of it at all. STEEVENS.
3 Men are to mell with, boys are not to kifs :]
All the editors have obtruded a new maxim upon us here, that boys
are not to kifs. - Li via, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Tamer
Tanfd, is of a quite oppofite opinion :
" For boys were made for nothing but dry kiflcs."
And our poet's thought, I am perfuaded, went to the lame tune.
To-/f/7, is derived from the French word, melcr; to mingle.
THEOBALD.
So,
THAT ENDS WELL. 115
Ser. He fhall be whip'd through the army, with
this rhime in his forehead.
2 Lord. This is your devoted friend, fir, the ma-
nifold linguift, and the armipotent foldier.
Et'i\ I could endure any thing before but a cat, and
now he's a cat to me.
Inter* I ^perceive, fir, by our general's looks, we
fhall be fain to hang you.
Par. My life, fir, in any cafe : not that I am afraid
to die; but that, my offences being many, I would re-
pent out the remainder of nature : let me live, fir,
in a dungeon, i'the flocks, or any where, fo I may
live.
Inter. We'll fee what may be done, fo you confefs
freely; therefore, once more to this captain Dumain:
You have anfwer'd to his reputation with the duke,
and to his valour ; What is his honefty ?
So, in Avc verie Excellent and Dektfalill Treatife^ intltitUt
PHILOTCS, &c. 1603 :
*' But he na huflwnd is to mee,
" Then how could wee twa difagree
" That never had na melling"
" Na melting, miftrefs ? will you then
" Deny the manage of that man ?"
Again, in the Corpus Chrijli P/ay, acted at Coventry. MSS. Cotf.
reft. VIII. p. 122:
** A fayr yonge qwene herby doth dwelle,
" Both frech and gay upon to loke,
*' And a tall man with her doth melle,
*' The way into hyr chawmer ryght evyn he toke."
The argument of this piece is the Woman taken in Adultery.
STEEVENS.
The old copy reads :
Men are to well <wltl>, loys are not to kifs.
I do not fee any neceffity for change, nor do I believe that nny
oppofition was intended between the words well and kifs. The
advice of Parolles to Diana fimply is, to grant her favours to men
and not to boys. He himfdf calls his letter, 4 ** An advertifcment
to Diana to take heed of the allurements of one count Roufillon, a
foolifh tdje boy" MAI.OVE.
I 2 far.
1 1.6 'A L L's W ELL
Pai: He xvill fteal, fir, 4 an egg out of a cloifter;
for rapes and ravifhments he parallels Neffus. Hepro-
fefles no keeping of oaths ; in breaking them^ he is
ftronger than Hercules. He will lie, fir, with fuch vo-
lubility, that you would thin-k truth were a fool :
drunkennefs is his befl virtue ; for he will be fwine-
drunk ; and in his fleep he does little harm, fave to his
bed-cloaths about him; but they know his conditions,
and lay him in ftraw, 1 have but little more to fay,
fir, of his honcfty : he has every thing that an honeft
man fhould not have ; what an honeft man ihould
have, he has nothing.
i Lord. I begin to love him for this.
Ser. For this defcription of thine honcfty ? A pox
upon him for me, he is more and more a cat.
Inter. What fay you to his expertnefs in war ?
Par. Faith, fir, he has led the drum before the
Englilh tragedians, to belie him, I will not, and
more of his foldierfhip I know not ; except, in that
country, he had the honour to be the officer at a place
there call'd Mile-end, to inftruct for the doubling of
files : I would do the man what honour I can, but
of this I am not certain.
i Lord. He hath out-villain'd villany fo far, that
the rarity redeems him.
Rer. A pox on him I y he's a cat ft ill.
Inter.
* an Fgg out of a cloijler ; ] I know not that cL)>fier,
though it may etymologically fignify any tbin^Jlmt, is ufed by our
author, otherwiie than for a monajlcry, and therefore I cannot
guefs whence this hyperbole could take its original : perhaps it
means only this : He willjleal any thing, however trifling, from
.anyplace, however haly. ' . JOHNSON.
5 he's a catjlill.~\ That is, throw him how you will, he
lights upon his legs. JOHNSON.
Bertram has no fuch meaning. In a fpeech or two before, he
declares his averfion to a cat, and now only continues in the fame
opinion, and fays he hates Pafottes as much as a cat. The othe,r
explanation v.iii not do, as Parolles coul J not be meant by the cat,
which
THAT ENDS WELL. n 7
Inter. His qualities being at this poor price, I need
not to afk you, if gold will corrupt him to revolt.
Par. Sir, for a quart fecu he will fell the fee-fim-
ple of his falvation, the inheritance of it ; and cut
the intail from all remainders, and a perpetual fuccef-
iion for it perpetually.
Inter. What's his brother, the other captain Du~
main ?
2 Lord. 6 Why does he aik him of me ?
Inter. What's he ?
Par. E'en a crow of the fame ncft ; not altogether
fo great as the firft in goodnefs, but greater a great
deal in evil. He excels his brother for a coward, yet
his brother is reputed one of the beft that is : In a re-
treat he out-runs any lacquey ; marry, in coming on
he has the cramp.
Inter. If your life be faved, will you undertake to
betray the Florentine ?
Par. Ay, and the captain of his horfe, count Rou-
fillon.
which always lights 0:1 its legs, for Parolles is now in a fair way
to be totally disconcerted, STEEVENS.
I am ftill of my former opinion. The fame fpeech was applied
by king James to Coke, with refpeCt to his lubtilties of law, that
throw him which way we would, he could ftill like a cat light upon
his legs. JOHNSON.
I do not fee any neceflity for this explanation. The count had
faid, that formerly a cat was the only thing in the world which he
could not endure ; but that now, Parolles was as much the object
of his averfion, as that animal. After Parolles has gone through
his next 111! or" falfhoods, the count adtie, ' he's more and more
u cat" ftill more and more the object of my averfion than he
was. As Parolles proceeds ilill further, one of the Frenchmen
obferves, that the fingularity ot his impudence and villany redeems
his character. Not at all, replies the count; " he's a cat
{till ;" he is as hateful as ever. In this there appears to me
no difficulty. MA;
6 Wt.y does be afk him of me ?] This is nature. Every man is
<,n fuch occaiions more willing to hear his neighbour's character
fliun his own, JOHNSON.
I 3 Inte
n8 A L L's W E L L
Inter. Pll whifper with the general, and know his
pleafure.
Par. I'll no more drumming; a plague of all drums!
Only to feem to deferve well } and 7 to beguile the fup-
pofition of that lafeivious young boy the count, have
I run into this danger : Yet, who would have fuf-
pected an ambufh where I was taken? \_Afide.^
Inter. There is no remedy, fir, but you mull: die :
the general fays, you, that have fo traiteroufly difco-
vered the fecrets of your a'rmy, and made fuch pefti-
ferous reports of men very nobly held, can ferve the
world for no very honelt ufe ; therefore you muft die.
Come, headfman, off with his head.
Par. O Lord, fir ; let me live, or let me fee my
death !
Inter. That ihall you, and take your leave of all
your friends. \Unbin$ng him.
So, look about you ; Know you any here ?
Ber. Good-morrow, noble captain.
2 Lord. God blefs you, captain Parollcs.
i Lord. God fuve you, noble captain.
i Lord. Captain, what greeting will you to my lord
Lafeu ? I am for France.
i Lord. Good captain, will you give me a copy of
that fame fonnet you writ to Diana in behalf of the
count Roufillon ? an I were not a very coward, I'd
compel it of you ; but fare you well. [_Rxcunt.
Inter. You are undone, captain; all but your fcarf,
that has a knot on't yet.
Par. Who cannot be cruih'd with a plot ?
Inter. Jf you could find out a country where but
xvomen were that- had received fo much fhame, you
7 to leguile the fxppofition ] That is, to tkcelve tbeofi-
ti-or/ t to make the count think me a man that defirvcs w//.
JOHNSON.
might
THAT ENDS WELL. 119
might begin an impudent nation. Fare you well,
fir; I am for France too ; we fhall fpea&of you there.
[Exit.
Par. Yet am I thankful : if my heart were great,
'Tvvould burft at this : Captain 111 be no more ;
But I will eat and drink, and fleep as foft
As captain lhall : limply the thing I am
Shall make me live. Who knows himfelf a braggart,
Let him fear this ; for it will come to pafs,
That every braggart lhall be found an afs.
Ruft, fword ! cool, blirfhes ! and, Parolles, live
Safeft in fhame ! being fool'd, by foolery thrive ! L
There's place, and means, for every man alive. 3
I'll after them. [Exit.
SCENE IV.
Tbe Widffivs houfe at Florence.
Enter Helena, Widozv, and Diana.
HeL That you may well perceive I have not
wrong'd you,
One of the greateft in the chriftian world
Shall be my furety ; 'fore whofe throne, 'tis needful,
Ere I can perfect mine intents, to kneel :
Time was, J did him a defircd office,
Dear almoit as his life ; which gratitude
Through flinty Tartar's bofom would peep forth,
And anfwer, thanks : I duly am inform'd,
His grace is at Marfeillcs ; to which place
We have convenient convoy. You muft know,
1 am fuppofed dead ; the army breaking,
My hufband hies him home ; where, heaven aiding,
And by the leave of my good lord the king,
We'll be, before our welcome.
IPld. Gentle madam,
You never had a fcrvant, to whofe truft
Your bufmefs was more welcome.
I 4 HA
J33 A L Us W E L i.
Hd. Nor you, miflreis,
Ever a friend, whole thoughts more truly labour
To recompence your love ; doubt not, but heaver}
Hath brought me up to be your daughter's doxver,
As it hath fated her to be 8 my motive
And helper to a hufband. But O ftrange men !
That can fuch fvveet ufe make of what they hate,
9 When fauey tmfting of the cozen'd thoughts
Defiles the pitcny night ! fo lull doth play
With what it loaths, for that which is away :
But more of this hereafter : You, Diana,
Under my poor inftrudtions yet muft fuffer
Something in my behalf.
Dia. Let death and honefty
Go with your impofitions, I am yours
Upon your will to fuffer.
Hel. Yet, I pray you,
1 But with the word, the time will bring on fummei^
When briars fhall have leaves as well as thorns,
And
* wy motive] Motive for afliftant. WARBUSTOX.
* When faucy tr lifting of the cozen'd thoughts
Defies the' pitchy night!
1
i. . makes the perfon guilty of intentional adultery. But truft-
iiig a miirake cannot make any one guilty. \\ e ihculd read and
point the lines thus :
Wh-:n fancy, trvjting pf the cozen "d thought .^
Defiles the' pitchy night.
i. e. die^;:o', or imagination, that he lay with his miilrefs, though
it was, indeed, his wife, made him incur the guilt of adultery.
Nigfo, by the ancients, \vas reckoned odious, obfcene, and abo-
minable. The poet, alluding to this, fays, with great beauty,
Defile* the pitchy night, i. e. makes the night, more than ordinary,
abominable. WAK.BURTGX.
This conjecture is truly ingenious, but, I believe, the author
of it will hhnfel: think it unneceflary, when he recollects that
faucy may very properly ilgnify luxurious, and by confequencc
lafcivious. JOHNSON.
1 But with the word, the time vjill bring onfummer^
W}th the worj, i. e. in an infhnt of time. The Oxford editor
rtads (but what he means by it I know not) Bear ivith the word*
WAR BURTON,
The
THAT ENDS WELL. 121
And be as fweet as iharp. We mufi away;
* Our waggon is prepar'd, and time revives us :
' ell, that ends well : ilill the fine's the crown ;
e courfe, the end is the renown. [Exeunt.
$ C E N E V,
Rui'Jillon.
Enter Coiinnfi, Lafeu, and Clown.
Laf. No, no, no, your fon was mif-led with a
The meaning of this obfervation is, that as Irian hare fivett*
ycfs with their prickles, fo fhali thefe troubles he, recpmpeftied with
joy. JOHNSON.
z Our waggon is prepaid, and time revives us ; ]
The word revives conveys ib little fenfe, that it feems very liabk
t\> fufpicicn-
- and time revyes us ;
i. e. looks vis in the face, calls upon us to haften. WAR BURTON.
. The prefent reading is corrupt, and I am atraid the emendation
none ot the foundeft. I never remember to have feen the word
rcvye. One may as well leave blunders a.s make them. ' Why^
may we not read for a fbift, without much effort, the time invites
us? JOHNSON.
To iye and revye were terms at feveral ancient games at cards,
but particularly :\\,Gleek. So, in Greene's Art tf Coney-catching^
1592 : " I'll either win (omething or lyte fomething, therefore I'll
vie and revie every card at my plealure, till either yours or mine
come out; therefore izd, upon this card, my card comes firft."
Again : '' i lo they vie and revie till fome ten fhillings be on
the ftake &c." Again : " This, fielheth the Conie, and thefvveet-
nefs of gain makes him frolick, and none more ready to vie and
rcvie than he." Again : "So they vie and rcvie, and for once
that the Barnacle wins, the Conie gets five." Again, in the
Mufcs Elizium, by Drayton :
" fie and revie, like chapmen profter'd,
" Would't be rcceiv'd what you have offer'd."
Perhaps however, rciyu is not the true reading. Shakefpeare
might have written - time reviles us, i. e. reproaches us for
wailing it. Yet. time icvives us may mean, it roufes us. So,
Li another play ot our author :
*' i - 1 would revive the foldier's hearts,
{< Becau.ie 1 fovuiQ the.na ever as myfelf." STEEVEKS..
fnipt-
12* A L L's W E L L
fnipt-taffata fellow there; J whofe villainous faffron
xvould have made all the unbakM and doughy youth
of
' wbofc villainous faffron would have made all the unlaVd
and doughy youth of a nation in his colour : ] Parolles is vepre-
iented as an attested follower of the faftiion, and an encourager of
his matter to run into all the follies of it ; where he fays, Ufe a
more fpiicioits ccremmiy to the noble lords they wear themf elves in t!>t
cap of time aiul though the devil lead the meafure, fuch arc to be
followed. Here fome particularities of fafhionable drefs are ridi-
culed. Snipt-taffata needs no explanation ; but villainous fafron
is more obicure. This alludes to a fantaftic fafhion, then much
followed, of ufing yellow Jlarch for their bands and ruffs. So,
Fletcher, in his Queen of Corinth :
" Has he familiarly
*' Diflik'd your yellow ftarch ; or faid your doublet
" Was not exactly frenchified r"
And Jonfon's Devil's an Aft :
" Carmen and chimney-fweepers are got into the yellow
ftarch"
This was invented by one Turner, a tire-woman, a court-bawd ;
and, in all reipecb, of fo infamous a character, that her invention
deferred tjie name of villuinou* faffron. This wonr.: \\ \\\. , ^a-r-
wards, arnongft the mifcreaats concerned in the murder of Sir
Thomas Overbury, for which Ihe was hanged at Tyburn, and
would die in z yellow rvff oi her own invention : which made yel-
low ftarch fo odious, that it immediately went out of fafhion. 'Tis
this then to which Shakefpeare alludes : but ufing the word faffron
for yellow, a new idea prefented itfelf, and he purfues h'u- thought
under a quite different alluiion Whofe villainous faffron would
have made all tie unbak'd and doughy youths of a nation in his colour,
i. e. of his temper and difpofition. Here the general cuftom of
that time, of colouring pajie with faffron, is alluded to. So, in
the Ifttitcr's Tale:
" I rnuil have faffron to colour the warden pyes."
WARBCRTO.V.
Stubbs, in his Anatomic of Alufes, publifhed in 1595, (peaks of
ftarch of various colours :
" The one arch or piller wherewith the devil's kingdome of
great ruffes is underpropped, is a certain kind of liquid matter,
which they call jlartch, wherein the devjll hath learned them to
wafh and die their ruffes, which, Being drie, will ibmd ftiff and
inflexible about their neckes. And this ftartch they make of di-
vers fubftances, fometimes of wheate flower, ot branne, and other
graines : fometimes ot rootes, and fometimes of other thinges : of
*11 coliours and hues, as whice, redde, blewe, purple, and the like.'*
lu
THAT ENDS WELL. 123
of a nation in his colour : your daughter-in-law had
been alive at this hour ; and your fon here at home,
more advanced by the king, than by that red-tail'd
humble-bee I fpeak of.
Count. 4 I would, I had not known him! it was the
death of the moft virtuous gentlewoman, that ever
nature had praife for creating : if fhc had partaken of
my flcfti, and coft me the deareft groans of a mother,
I could not have owed her a more rooted love.
Laf. 'Twas a good lady, 'twas a good lady : we
may pick a thoufand fallads, ere we light on fuch
another herb.
Clo. Indeed, fir, me was the fwect-marjoram, of the
fallet, or, rather, the herb of grace.
Laf. They are not fallet-herbs, you knave, they
are nofe-herbs.
In The World tofs'J at Tcnn'a, a mafque by Middleton, 1620
the five Jlarcbes are perfonified, and introduced contciling for fu-
periority. Again, in Albizma-z.ar , 1610 :
" What price bears wheat andy^^/v//, that your band's fo
fKff^.d^/fow?"
Again, in Two Wife Men and all the reft Fofls, 1 6 1 9 :
" What's that about her neck ? a pancake, or a tanfey ?
" 'Tis a band ytfleyjjlarcli' d : how cum'it thou to
think it to be a tanfey r
" Becaufe it looks fojello-iv,"
Again ; ** t\i\sfajfroHniiig was never ufed but in Ireland for
body linen, to diflipate the company of creepers." Again, in the
Wonder of a Kingdom, 1636 :
" Garters, things, and ruff:
" Haft not xfajfron fliirt on too ?"
Again, in Heyvvood's If you know not Me, y Lno-M NobnJv t
1633 : ** have taken an order to \\'c&v ycllo-:v garters, pointy,
and flioe-tyings, and 'tis thoughtj'<*///>:i' will grow a cuilom."
'* It has been long ufed at Londpn."
It may be added, that in the year 1446, a parliament wa held
at Trim in Ireland, by which the natives were directed, among
other things, not to wear fliirt- (tamed \\~\\\\ /~uffro>:. STEVENS,
4 Iivould, I had not kno-ivu him / ] This dialogue ferves to
connect the incidents of Parollcs with the main plan of the play.
JOHNSO.Y.
Cto.
124 A L L's WELL*
CYt>. I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, fir, I have
not much fldll in grafs.
Laf. Whether doit thou pro fefs thy felf; a knave,
or a fool ?
Clo. A fool, fir, at a woman's fen-ice, and a knave
at a man's.
Laf. Your diftindtion ?
Ck. I would cozen the man of his wife, and do his
Service.
Laf. So you were a knave at his fervicc, indeed.
Go. And I would give his wife my bauble, fir, to
dp her fervice *.
Laf.
5 ' I would give his wife my bauble, fir, to Jo her fervice.]'
Part of the furniture of a fool, was a bauble, which though it be
generally taken to fignify any thing of fmall value, has a precife
and determinable meaning. It is, in ihort, a kind of truncheon
with a head carved on it, which the fool anciently carried in his
hand. There is a reprefentation of it in a picture of Watteau,
formerly in the colle&ion of Dr. Mead, which is engraved by
Baron, and called ComeJ/ens Italicns. A faint refemblance of it
may be found in the frontispiece of L. de Guernier to king Lear i*
Mr. Pope's edition in duodecimo. SIR J. HAWKINS.
So, in Marfton's Dutch Courtefan, 1 604 :
" if afoot, we muft bear his baulk"
Again, in The Two angry Women of Abington, 1559 : " "The fool
will not leave his bauble for the Tower of London." Again, ii^
Jack Drum'! Entertainment, 1601 :
" She is enamoured of the foot's bauble."
Again, in Sir W.'Davenant's Law againft Lovers :
" And fence againft his dart with a fool's bauble"
Again, in Sir W. Davenant's The Mans the Mafter, 1673 :
" Love ! is that fool's bauble in fafhion ftill ?"
In the STXJLTIFERA NAVIS, 1497, are feveral reprefentaticns of
this instrument, as well as in Cockc Lordle's Bate, printed by Wyn-
kyn de Worde. Again, in Lingtia, &c. 1607 : " It had been
better for you for to have found a fool 's coat and a bauble." Again,
in Lyte's Herbal: '* In the hollownefs of the faid flower (the great
blue wolf's bane) grow two fmall crooked hayres, fomewhat great
at the end, fafliioned like a fool's bablc." In the long, a<ft I. fc. ii.
of Volpone, we ought to read : '* Tongue and IciuUe" inftead of
" Tongue'and babble" " Free from flaughter," in the next line
but one, means that the fool was licenfed'to fpeak truth without
being hurt or flain for doing fo. An ancient proverb in Ray'*
collection ,
THAT ENDS WELL. 125
Laf. I will fubfcribe for thee; thou art both knave
and fool.
&o. At your fervice.
Laf. No, no, no.
Clo. Why, fir, if I cannot ferve you, I can ferve as
great a prince as you are.
Laf. Who's that ? a Frenchman ?
Clo. Faith, fir, he has an Englifti name 6 ; but his
7 phifnomy is more hotter in France, than there.
Laf. What prince is that?
Clo. The black prince, fir, alias, the prince of
darknefs; alias, the devil.
Laf. Hold thee, there's my purfe : I give thee not
this to fuggeft thee 8 from thy mailer thou talk'ft of ;
ferve him Sill,
Clo. 9 1 am a woodland fellow, fir, that always lov'd
collection, points out the materials of which thefe baubles were
made : " If every fool fhould wear a table, fewel would be dear."
See figure 12, in the plate at the end of the Second Part of King
H(nry IV. with Mr. Toilet's explanation. STEEVENS.
6 an Englijh name;-} The old copy reads malne.
STEEVENS.
7 his pblfaomy is more hotter in France than there. ~\ This is in-
tolerable nonfenfe. The ftupid editors, becaufe the devil was
talked of, thought no quality would fuit him but hotter. We
fhould read, more honoured. A joke upon the French people, as
if they held a dark complexion, which is natural to them, in more
eftimation than the Englilh do, who are generally white and fair.
WAR BUR TON.
This attempt at emendation is unneceflary. Thealhjfion is, in
all probability, to the Morbus Gallicus. STEEVENS.
b -- to fuggeft thee from thy majler - ] Thus the old copy.
The modern editors read - -feduce, but without authority. To
fuggejl had anciently the fame meaning. So, in Tic Two Gentle'
men of Verona :
" Knowing that fender youth is foon/uggeffeeF.
" I nightly lodge her in an upper tower/ _ S
_
9 lam a woodland fellow, fir, &c.] Shakefpcafe is but rarely
guilty of fuch impious trafh. And it is oblervabic^ that then he
always puts that into the n:o ith of his fools, which^'Tnow grown
the chara&eriftic of the tint gentleman. WAR BUK
a great
iz6 A L L's WELL
a great fire j and the mafter I fpeak of, ever keeps
good fire. But, fure, he is the prince of the world ',
let his nobility remain in his court. I am for the houfe
with the narrow gate, which I take to be too little for
pomp to enter : ibme, that humble themfelves, may ;
but the many will be too chill and tender; and they'll
be for the flowery way, that leads to the broad gate,
and the great fire.
Laj\ Go thy ways, I begin to be a-weary of thee ;
and I tell thee fo before, becaufe I would not fall out
with thee. Go thy ways ; let my horfes be well look'd
to, without any tricks.
Clo. If I put any tricks upon 'em, fir, they fliall be
jades' tricks,- which are their own right by the law of
nature. [Exit.
Ltif. A fhre\vd knave, and an * unhappy.
Count. So he is. 3 My lord, that's gone, made
himfclf much fport out of him : by his authority he
remains here, which he thinks is a patent for his fau-
cinefs ; and, indeed, he has no pace, but runs where
he will.
Laf. I like him well ; 'tis not amifs : and I was
about to tell you, Since I heard of the good lady's
death, and that my lord your fon was upon his re-
* Rut, fure, l-e is the prince of the world, ] I think we
fhould read But iince he is, &c. and thus Sir T. Hanmer.
1 - unhappy.'] That is, mlfchievoujly waggij}}, unlucky.
JoHNSOJf.
So, in HamUt :
" Though nothing fure, yet much unhappily." STEEVENS.
3 So he is, Myltri!, that's gone, made himfclf ?nuch fport out of
him ; ly bis authority be remains here, which he thinks is a patent
for his fauclneft ; and, indeed, he has no pace, but runs where he
Should not we read noplace, that is, \\ojlation, or iiffice'mthe.
family? TYRWHITT.
A pace is fc certain or prefcribed walk ; fo we fay of a man mean-
ly oblequiout, that he has learned his paces, and of a horte who
moves irregularly, that he has no paces. JOHNSON.
turn
THAT E&DS WELL*- 127
turn home, I mov'd the king my. mailer, to fpeak in
the behalf of my daughter; which, in the minority
of them both, his majefty, out of a felf-gracious re-
membrance, did firft propofe : his highnefs has pro-
mis'd me to do it : and, to Hop up the difpleafure he
hath conceiv'd againft your fon, there is no fitter mat-
ter. How does your ladyfhip like it ?
Count. With very much content, my lord, and I
\viih it happily effected.
Laf. His highnefs comes poft from Marfeilles, of
as able a body as when he numbered thirty; he will
be here to-morrow, or I am deceiv'd by him that in
fuch intelligence hath feldom fail'd.
Count. It rejoices me, that I hope I fllall fee him
ere I die. I have letters, that my fon will be here
to-night : I fliall befeech your lordfhip, to remain
with me till they meet together,
Laf. Madam, I was thinking, with what manners I
might fafely be admitted.
Count. You need but plead your honourable privi-
lege.
Laf. Lady, of that I have made a bold charter ;
but, I thank my God, it holds yet.
Re-enter Clown.
Clo. O madam, vender's my lord your fon with a
patch of velvet on's face : whether there be a fear
under't, or no, the velvet knows ; but 'tis a goodly
patch of velvet : his left cheek is a cheek of \yo pile
and a half, but his right cheek is wornJtiafe. >
Count. A fear nobly got, or a nobla alar, is a good
livery of honour : fo, belike, is that* 1
Go. But it is your 4 carbonado'd face. :
.;. Laf.
4 Hut it is your carlmado* d face*~\ Mr. Pope reads \k j eqrl-.>tado > cl,
which is right. The joke, fueh as it is, con lifts "jUjjie allufion
to a wound made with a carabine ; arms, which.H^ IV. ."hail
made famous, by bringing into ufe amongft his hone.
WAR BURTON".
iz8 A L L's W E L L
Laf. Let us go fee your Ton, I pray you ; I long 1
to talk ivith the young noble foldier.
Ck. 'Faith, there's a dozen of 'em, with delicate fine
hats, and moil courteous feathers, which bow the
head, and nod at every man. [Exeunt*
ACT V. SCENE L
The Court of France at Marfeilles.
Ent&r Helena, Widow, and Diana, with two Attendants.
Hel. But this exceeding polling, day and night,
Mufl wear your fpirits low : we cannot help it ;
But, iince you have made the days and nights as one,
To wear your gentle limbs in my affairs,
Be bold, you do fo grow in my requital,
As nothing can unroot you. In happy time j
Enter a gentle AJlringer * .
This man may help meJ:o his majefty's ear,
Carbonadoed means fcotched like a piece of meat for the grid-
iron, and is, I believe, the true reading. STEEVEXS.
5 Enter a gentle Aftrlngcr.} Perhaps a gentle Jir anger, i. e. a
ftranger of gentle condition, a gentleman. The error ot this con-
jecture which I have learn'd (fince our edition firft made its ap-
pearance, from an old book of Falconry, 1633,) fhould teach diffi-
dencetothofe who conceive the words which they donot underfland,
to be corruptions. An aftrlnger or aftringer is a falconer, and
fuch a character was probable to be met with about a court which
was famous for the leve of that diversion. So, in Hanihl:
" We'll e'en to it like French Falconers"
A gentle ajlringcr is a gentleman falconer. The word is derived
from ojlercus or anftcrcns^ a gofhawk ; and thus, fays Cowell in his
Law DiRionary .- " We ufually call a falconer who keeps that kind
of hawks, an tn^ringer" Agin, in the Book of Hawking, &c.
b. 1. no date : " Now bicaufe I Ipoke of ofircgicn, ye fhall under-
ftand that the ben called ojlrcgicn that keep gofshaukes or ter-
tels, &c, STEEVEXS.
If
THAT ENDS WELL. 129
If he would fpend his power. God fave you, fir.
Gent. And you.
HeL Sir, I have feen you in the court of France.
Gent. I have been fometimes there.
HeL I do prefume, fir, that you are not fallen
From the report that goes upon your goodnefs ;
And therefore, goaded with moft lharp occafions,
Which lay nice manners by, I put you to
The ufe of your own virtues, for the which
I lhall continue thankful.
Gent. What's your will ?
HeL That it will pleafe you
To give this poor petition to the king ;
And aid me with that (tore of power you have,
To come into his prefence.
Gent. The king's not here.
HeL Not here, fir ? ,
Gent. Not, indeed :
He hence remov'd laft night, and with more hafte
Than is his ufe.
IVuL Lord, how we lofe our pains !
HeL AlV 5 well, that ends well, yet ;
Though time feem fo adverfe, and means unfit.-
1 do befeech you, whither is he gone ?
Gent. Marry, as I take it, to Roufillon ;
Whither I am going.
HeL I do befeech you, fir,
Since you are like to fee the king before me,
Commend the paper to his gracious hand ;
Which, I prefume, lhall render you no blame,
But rather make you thank your pains for it :
I will come after you, with what good fpeed
6 Our means will make us means.
( ' Our meant -TLV'// make us means."}
Shakefpeare delights much in this kind of reduplication, feme-
times fo as to oblcure his meaning. Helena fays, they <uciil fellow
with fuch fteed as the meant which they have *w ill give them ability
;o t'Aev/. JOHNSON.
VOL. IV. K Gent.
130 A L L's WELL
Gent. This I'll do for you.
Hel And you fhall find yourfelf to be well thank'd,
What-e'er falls more. We muft to horfe again ;
Go, go, provide. [Exeitnt.
SCENE II.
Rou/illon.
tinier Clown and Parolles.
Par. Good Mr. Lavatch, give my lord Lafeu this
letter : I have ere now, fir, been better known to
you, when I have held familiarity with frefhef
clothes ; 7 but I am now, fir, muddy'd in fortune's
moat, and fmell fomewhat ftrong of her ftrong dif-
pleafure.
7 In former editions :
. but lam now, fir, muddy'd in fortune's mood, and fmell
fomewhat Jlrong of 'her Jlrong difpleafure.'} I believe the poet wrote,
hi fortune's moat; becaufe the clown in the very next fpeech re-
plies; Iivill henceforth eat no fifh of fortune*! buttering ; and again,
when he comes to repeat Parolles's petition to Lafeu, that hath
fall\n itrto the unclean fifh pond of her difpleafure, and, as be fays, is
muddy'd withal. And again, Pray you, fir, ufe the carp as you
may, "&c. In all which places, 'tis obvious a moat or a pond is the
alluBoh. Belides* Parolles fmelling ftrong, as he fays, of for-
tune's ftrong difpleafure, carries on the fame image ; for as the
moats round old feats were always replenifli'd with fifh, ib the
Clown's joke of holding his nofe, we may prefume, proceeded
from this, that the privy was always over the moat ; and there-
fore the Clown humouroufly fays, when Parolles is preffing him
to deliver his letter to lord Lafeu, Foh f pr'ytbee, Jland away j
a paper from fortune's clofeftool, to give to a nobleman f
WARBURTON.
Dr. Wdfburton's corre&ion may be fupported by a paflage in
the Alchemift :
" Subtle. Come alongrfrr,
*' I now muft fhew you Fortune's fri<vy lodgings.
' Face. Are they perfumed, and his bath ready ?
" 1 Sub. All.
44 Only the fumigation's fomewhat ftrong." FARMER*
Clo.
THAT ENDS WELL. 131
Clo. Truly, fortune's difpleafure is but fluttifh, if
it fmell fo ftrongly as thou fpeak'fl of: I will hence-
forth eat no fifh of fortune's buttering. Pr'ythee, al-
low the wind 8 .
Par. Nay, you need not to flop your nofe, fir ; I
fpake but by a metaphor.
Clo. Indeed, fir, if your metaphor ftink, I will
ftop my nofe ; or agamft any man's 9 metaphor. Pr'y-
thee, get thee further.
Par. Pray you, fir, deliver me this paper.
Clo. Foh ! pr'ythee, ftand away; A paper from
fortune's clofe-ftool to give to a nobleman ! Look,
here he comes himfelf.
Enter Lafeu.
Here is a pur of fortune's, fir> or of fortune's cat,
(but not a mufk-cat) that has fallen into the unclean
fifhpond of her difpleafure, and, as he fays, is mud-
8 allow the iivW.] i. e. ftand to the windward of me.
STSEVENS.
9 Indeed, fir, if your metaphor Jlink, I will Jl op my nofe ; or again/I
any man's metaphor. ] Nothing could be conceived with greater
humour or juftnefs of fatire, than this fpeech. The ufe of the
Jl inking metaphor is an odious fault, which grave writers often com-
"init. It is not uncommon to fee moral declaimers againit vice, de-
fcribe her as Hefiod did the fury Triilitia :
T)j{ IK Jt'(u> p.(J|a eeor
Upon which Longinus juftly obierves, that, inftead of giving a
terrible image, he has given a very natty one. Cicero cautions
well againft it, in his book de Or at. " Qttoniam b#c, fays he, vel
ftimma lans eft in verlis tramfercndh lit fcnfum feriat i</, quodtraxfl
latumjit) fuvicnJa ejl omnls turpitudo carutn rcrtun, ad yttos ear urn
anhnos qui auulunt Irahct fmllitudo. Nolo morte dfet Afriiani ca-
llratam rjjc rewfuHlcaftl. Nolo flercus curia did Glauciam. Our
poet himlelt is extremely delicate in this refpect ; who, through-
out his large writings, if you except a paflage in Hamlet, has
fcarce a metaphor tliut can offend the molt fqueamiffi reader.
\VARBURTO.V.
K 2 dy'd
132 A L L's WELL
dy'd withal : Pray you, fir, ufe the carp as you may ;
for he looks like a poor, decay'd, ingenious, foolifh,,
rafcally knave. ' I do pity his diftrefs in my i'miles
of comfort, and leave him to your lordfliip.
[Exit Clown,
Par. My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath
cruelly fcratch'd.
Laf. And what would you have me to do ? 'tis too
late to pare her nails now. Wherein have you play'cl
the knave with fortune, that me mould feratch you,
who of herfelf is a good lady, and would not have
knaves thrive long under her ? There's a quart <Fecu,
for you : Let the juftices make you and fortune
friends ; I am for other bufinefs.
Par. I beieech your honour, to hear me one fmglc
word.
Laf. You beg a fingle penny more : come, you
fhall ha't ; fave your word.
Par. My name, my good lord, is Parollcs.
Laf. You beg more than one word then z . Cox' my
paffion ! give me your hand : How does your drum ?
Par. O my good lord, you were the firft that found
me.
Laf. Was I, in footh ? and I was the fitft that loft
thee.
* 1 do pity his dlftrefs in my frailes of comfort, ] \Ve
ihould read, Jfmilies of comfort, fuch as the calling him for-
tune's cat, carp, &c. WARBURTON.
The meaning is, I teftify my pity for his diftrefs, by encou-
faging him with a gracious (mile. The old reading may ftand.
REVISAL.
DP^ Warburtoa's propofed emendation may be countenanced by
an entry on the books of the Stationers' Company, 1 595 : " A
booke of verie pythie Jtmilies, comfortable and profitable for all
men to reade." STEEVENS.
1 You leg more than one word then. ] A quibble is intended
on the word Parolks^ which hi French, is plural, and fignifies
MALONE.
Par.
THAT ENDS WELL. 133
Par. It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in fomc
grace, for you did bring me out.
Laf. Out upon thee, knave I doft thou put upon
me at once both the office of God and the devil ? one
brings thce in grace, and the other brings thee out.
[Sound trumpet s.~] The king's coming, I know by
his trumpets. Sirrah, inquire further after me ; I
had talk of you laft night : though you are a fool and
a knave, you mall eat 3 ; go to, follow.
Par. I praife God for you. [Exeunt*
SCENE III,
Flour iJJo. Enter King, Count efs, Lafiu^ Lords, Atten-
dants, &V.
King* We loft a jewel of her ; and our 4 efteem
Was made much poorer by it : but your fon,
As mad in folly, lack'd the fenfe to know
Her eftimation home s .
Count. 'Tis pad, my liege :
And I befeech your majefty to make it
Natural rebellion, done i'the blade of youth 6 ;
3 ' ' youjballeat;'] Parolles has many of the lineaments
of Falftaff, and feems to be the character which Shakefpeare de-
lighted to draw, a fellow that had more wit than virtue. Though,
juftice required that he fhould be dete&ed and expofed, yet hit
vices Jit fo fit in him that he is not at laft fuffered to tfarve.
JOHNSON.
* cftccm] Dr. Warburton, in Theobald's edition, altered
this word to eftate ; in his own he lets it iland and explains it by
worth or efiatf. But efteeni is here reckoning or cjl'ui'.atc. Since
the lofs of Helen with her virtues and qualifications^ our account is
funk ; what we have to reckon ourfelves king of, is nuch poorer thaii
before. JOHNSON.
5 home.} That is, completely, in its full extent. JOHNSON.
6 lladtofyputb ;] In t\\tjpri*g of early life y when the man
is yd green, Oilzn&fre iuit but ill with llatle^ and therefore Dr t
Warburton reads, lla^c of youth. JOHNSON.
K i When
134 A L L's WELL
When oil and fire, too ftrong for reafon's force,
O'erbears it, and burns on.
King. My honour 'd lady,
I have forgiven and forgotten all :
Though my revenges were high bent upon him, :
And watch'd the time to ftioot.
Laf. This I muft fay,
But firft I beg my pardon, The young lord
Did to his majefty, his mother, and his lady,
Offence of mighty note ; but to himfelf
The greateft wrong of all : he loft a wife,
Whofe beauty did aftonifh the furvey
Of richeft eyes 7 ; whofe words all ears took captive;
Whofe dear perfection, hearts that fcorn'd to ferve,
Humbly call'd miftrefs.
King, Trailing what is loft,
Makes the remembrance dear. Well, call him
hither;
We are reconciled, and the firft view ihall kill *
All repetition : Let him not a/k our pardon ;
The nature of his great offence is dead,
And deeper than oblivion we do bury
The incenfing relicks of it : let him approach,
7 O/" richeft eyes ; J Shakefpeare means that her beauty had
aftonifhed thofe, who, having feenthe greateft number of fair wo-
men, might be faid to be the ricbeft in ideas of beauty. So, in
As you like It : " to have feen much and to have nothing, is
to have rich eyes and poor hands." STEEVENS.
8 the fir/1 view Jbatt kill
All repetition :
77>e firft interview Jhall put an end to all recollection of tbc pa/?.
Shakefpeare is now haftening to the end ot the play, finds his mat-
ter fufficient to fill up his remaining fcenes, and therefore, as on
other fuch occafions, contracts his dialogue and precipitates his
action. Decency required that Bertram's double crime of cruelty
and difobedience, joined likevvife with fome hypocrify, fliould raife
more refentment; and that though his mother might eafily forgive
Jiim, his king (hould more pertinacioufly vindicate his own au-
thority and Helen's merit. Of all this Shakefpeare could not be
ignorant, but Shakefpeare wanted to conclude his play. JOHNSON.
A ftran-
THAT ENDS WELL. 135
A (tranger, no offender ; and inform him,
So 'tis our will he Ihould.
Gent. I fliall, my liege.
King. What fays he to your daughter ? have you
fpoke ?
Lfif. All that he is hath reference to your high-
nefs.
King. Then lhall we have a match. I have letters
fent me,
That fct him high in fame.
Enter Bertram.
Laf. He looks well on't.
King. I am not a day of feafon,
For thou may'ft fee a fun-fhine and a hail
In me at once : But to the brighteft beams
Diftradted clouds give way ; fo ftand thou forth,
The time is fair again.
Ber. My high-repented blames 9 ,
Dear fovereign, pardon to me.
King. All is whole;
Not one word more of the confumed time.
Let's take the inflant by the forward top ;
For we are old, and on our quick'it decrees
The inaudible and noifelefs foot of time
Steals, ere we can effedt them : You remember
The daughter of this lord ?
Ber. Admiringly, my liege : At firft
I ftuck my choice upon her, ere my heart
Durft make too bold a herald of my tongue :
Where the impreffion of mine eye enfixing,
-Contempt his fcornful perfpedtive did lend me, .
Which warp'd the line of every other favour;
9 My high-repented blames, ~\
High-repented blames, are faults repented of to the height, to the
.Vtnioft. Shukefpeare has blgb-fantajlical in the following play.
STEEVENS.
K 4 Scorn'd
I3 A L L's WELL
Scorn'd a fair colour, or exprefs'd it (lol'n ' j
Extended or contracted all proportions,
To a mofl hideous, object : Thence it came,
That fhe, whom all men prais'd, and whom myfelf,
Since I hare -loft, have lov'd, was in mine eye
The duft that did offend it,
King. Well excus'd ;
That thou doft love her, ftrikes fome fcores away
From the great compt : But lovs-, that comes too late,
Like a remorfeful pardon flowly carried,
1 Scorn'd a fair colour, or exprefs'd it JloFn ;]
Fir/}, it is to be obferved, that this young man's cafe was not in-
difference to the fex in general, but a very itrong attachment to
one ; therefore he could not fcorn a fair colour, for it was that
which had captivated him, But he might very naturally be faid
to do what men, ftrongly attached to one, commonly do, not al-
low beauty in any face but his miftrefs's. And that this was the
thought here, is evident :
i. From the latter part of the verfe :
or cxprefs* d it JloF n :
z'. From the preceding verfe :
WJiicb warped the line of every other favour ;
3. From the following verfes :
Extended or contra fled all proportions
To a moft hideous objefl :
Secondly, It is to be obferved, that he defcribes his indifference
for others in highly figurative expreffions. Contempt is brought
in lending him her perfpective-glafs, which dees its office proper-
ly by 'warping the lines ot all other faces ; by extending or contrail-
ing into a hideous object : or by (xprejjing or fhewing native red and
white as paint. But with what propriety of fpeech can this glafs
be faid tofcorn, which is an affe&ion of the mind ? Here then the
metaphor becomes mifcrably mangled ; but the foregoing obferva-
tion will lead us to the genuine reading, which is :
Scorch'd a fair colour , or exprefs'-d it JtoVn \
i.e. this glafs reprefented the owner as brown or tanned ; or, if
not fo, caufed the native colour to appear artificial. Thus he
fpeaks in character, and confidently with the reft of his fpeech.
The emendation reftores integrity to the figure, and, by a beauti-
ful thought, makes ti\z fcornful perjpcli<ve of contempt do the office
of a burning-glafs. WAR BUR TON'.
It was butjufl to infert this note, long as it is, becaufe thecom-
ir.entator feems to think it of importance. Let the reader judge.
JOHN-SON.
To
THAT ENDS WELL. 137
To the great fender turns a four offence,
Crying, That's good that's gone : our ralh faults
Make trivial price of ferious things we have,
Not knowing them, until we know their grave :
Oft our difpleafures, to ourfelves unjufl,
Deftroy our friends, and after weep their dull :
* Our own love waking cries to fee what's done,
While fhameful hate ileeps out the afternoon.
Be this fweet Helen's knell, and now forget her.
Send forth your amorous token for fair Maudlin :
The main confents are had ; and here we'll flay
To fee our widower's fecond marriage-day.
Count. 3 Which better than the firil, O dear hea-,
ven blefs !
Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, ceafe !
Laf. Come on, my fon, in whom my houfe's name
Muft be digefted, give a favour from you,
To fparkle in the fpirits of my daughter,
That ihc may quickly come. By my old beard,
And every hair that's on't, Helen, that's dead,
Was a fweet creature ; fuch a ring as this,
* Our oivn love ivaking &c.]
Thefe two lines I fliould be glad to call an interpolation of a player.
They are ill connected with the former, and not very clear or pro-
per in themfelves. I believe the author made two couplets to the
fame purpofe. Wrote them both down that he might take his
choice, and Co they happened to be both preferved.
fovjlccp I think we fliould ready??//. Love cries to fee what was
done while hatred./?/-//, and fuffered mifchief to be done. Or the
meaning may be, that hatred ftill continues to Jlerp at eafc, while
love is weeping ; and fo the prefent reading may ftand.
JOHNSON.
3 Which letter than the firft, O dear heaven, llejs !
Or, e'er tbev jnret, in me, O nature, ceafe !~\
I have ventur'd, aguinil the authorities of the printed copies, to
pa fix the Countefs's name to thcfe'two lines. The king appears,
indeed, to be a favourer of Bertram : but if Bertram fliould make
a bad hufband the fecond time, why fhould it give the king fuch
mortal pangs t A fond and difappointed mother might reasonably
not delire to live to fee fuch a day : and from her the wifli of dying,
ather than to behold it, come* with propriety. THLOEALD.
The
1 3 8 A L L's WELL
The laft that e'er fhe took her leave at court,
I faw upon her finger.
Ber. Her's it was not.
King. Now, pray you, let me fee it; for mine eye,
While I was fpeaking, oft was faften'd to't.
This ring was mine ; and, when I gave it Helen,
I bade her, if her fortunes ever flood
Neceffity'd to help, that by this token
I would relieve her : Had you that craft, to reave her
Of what Ihould ftead her moft ?
Ber. My gracious fovereign,
Howe'er it pleafes you to take it fo,
The ring was never her's.
Count. Son, on my life,
I have feen her wear it ; and ihe reckoned it
At her life's rate.
Laf. I am fure, I faw her wear it.
Ber. You are deceiv'd, my lord, Ihe never faw it :
In Florence was it from a cafemcnt thrown me 4 ,
Wrap'd in a paper, which contain'd the name
Of her that threw it : 5 noble Ihe was, and thought
* In Florence *jjas it from a cafemcnt thryv?n^\
Bertram ftill continues to have too little virtue to deferve Helen.
He did not know indeed that it was Helen's ring, but he knew
that he had it not from a window. JOHNSON.
5 noble Jhe was, and thought
I flood engag'd ; ]
I don't underftand this reading ; if we are to underftand> that fhe
thought Bertram engag'd to her in affeiftion, inlnared by her
' charms, this meaning is too obfcurely exprefs'd. The context
rather makes me believe, that the poet wrote :
noble JJ:e iivw, and thought
I flood ungag'd ;
i. e. unengag'd : neither my heart, nor perfon, difpos'd of.
THEOBALD.
The plain meaning is, when flie faw me receive the ring, flie
thought me engaged to her. JOHNSO.V.
The firft folio reads ingagd, which perhaps may be intend-
ed in the fame fenfe with the reading propofed by Mr. Theobald,
L e. not engaged ; as Shakefpeare in another place ufes gagd for
t*.gtged. Slcrchant of Venice ^ a&I. fc. i. TYRVVHITT.
I flood
THAT ENDS WELL. 139
I flood engag'd ; but when I had fubfcrib'd
To mine own fortune, and informed her fully,
I could not anfvver in that courfe of honour
As Ihe had made the overture, Ihe ceas'd,
In heavy fatisfa&ion, and would never
Receive the ring again.
King. Plutus himfelf,
That knows the tintt and multiplying medicine %
Hath not in nature's myftery more fcience,
Than I have in this ring : 'twas mine, 'twas Helen's,
Whoever gave it you : Then, if you know 7
That you are well acquainted with yourfelf,
Confefs 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement
You got it from her : fhe call'd the faints to furety,
That fhe would never put it from her finger,
Unlefs fhe gave it to yourfelf in bed,
(Where you have never come) or fent it us
Upon her great difafler.
Her. She never faw it.
King. Thou fpeak'fl it falfely, as I love mine ho-
nour ;
And mak'ft conjectural fears to come into me,
6 King. Plutus limfelf,
That kno-ivs the tin5l and multiplying medicine ^\
Plutus the grand alchemift, who knows the tinfture which confers
the properties of gold upon bafe metals, and the matter by which,
gold is multiplied, by which a fmall quantity of gold is made to
communicate its qualities to a large mafs of metal.
In the reign of Henry the fourth, a law was made to forbid all
men thenceforth to multiply gold t or ufe any craft of multiplication.
Of which law, Mr. Boyle, when he was warm with the hope of
tranfmutation, procured a repeal. JOHNSON.
7 77jea t if you know
That you are well acquainted with yourfilf,]
i. e. then if you be wife. A Itrangc way of expreffing fo trivial a
though! WARBURTON.
The true meaning of \\\\s Jlrangc expreffion is, If you kno--ju that
your faculties are fo found, as that you have the proper cotifcioufnefs
of \i>u/- o-ivn alio>is, and are able to recollect ;md relate what you
have done, tellmc^ &c. JOHNSON.
Which
i4o A L L's W E L L
Which I would fain mut out : If it fhould prove
That thou art fo inhuman, 'twill not prove Ib ;
And yet I know not : thou didfl hate her deadly,
And fhe is dead ; which nothing, but to clofe
Her eyes myfelf, could win me to believe,
More than to fee this ring. Take him away.
[Guards feixe Bertram.
My forc-pafl proofs, howe'cr the matter fall 8 ,
Shall tax my fears of little vanity,
Having vainly fear'd too little. Away with him;
We'll lift this matter further.
Ber. If you lhall prove
This ring was ever hers, you (hall as eafy
Prove that I huibanded her bed in Florence,
Where yet ftie never was. [Exit Bertram, gu&d&U
Enter a Gentleman.
King. I am wrap'd in difmal thinkings.
Gent. Gracious fovereign,
Whether I have been to blame, or no, I know not;
Here's a petition from a Florentine,
Who hath, for four or five removes, come fhort 9
To tender it herfelf. I undertook it,
Vanquifti'd thereto by the fair grace and fpeech
Of the poor fuppliant, who by this, I know,
* My fore -$aft proofs, bowe'er the matter fall,
Shall tax my fears of little vanity,
Having vainly fear'd too little. ]
The proofs which / have already had, are iufficient to fl'.evv that
my fears were not vain and irrational. I have rather been hither-
to more eafy than I ought, and have unrcafonally had too little fear.
JOHNSON.
9 Who hath for four or five removes, come Jljort~\
\Ve (hould read :
Who bath fame four or Jive removes come fieri.
So, in Kin? Lear :
' For that I zmfome twelve or fourteen moonfhines
*' Lag or a brother, WAR BUR TON.
Removes zrejcurnits or pi/l-Jtages. JOHNSON.
Is
T PI AT ENDS WELL. 141
Is here attending : her bufinefs looks in her
With an importing vifage ; and me told me,
In a fvveet verbal brief, it did concern
Your highnefs with herfelf.
The King reads.
Upon bis many protections to marry we, when hii
wife was dead, I blvjh to fay it, be won me. Now is the
count Ropjillon a widower ; his vows are forfeited to me,
and my honour's paid to him. He f ok from Florence, tak-
ing no leave, and I follow him to his country for juftice :
Grant it me, O king ; in you it bejl lies ; otberwife a ft-
ducer jlouri/hes, and a poor maid is undone.
DIANA CAPULET.
Laf. I will buy me a fon-in-law in a fair, and toll
for this. I'll none of him '.
King. The heavens have thought well on thee, Lafeu,
To bring forth this difcovery. Seek thefe fuitors :
Go, fpeedily, and bring again the count.
1 I will buy me afon-i/t-la--jc in a fair % and to\Aefor this.
ni none of him.
Thus the firft folio. ' The fecond reads :
/ iv ill buy me a fon-in-la-'M in afaire, andtoule him for this. Pll
none of him.
The reading of the firft copy feems to mean this : I'll buy me a
new fon-in-law, &c. and toll the bell tor this ; i. e. look upon him
its a dead man. The fecond reading, as Dr. Percy fuggefts, may
imply : I'll buy me a fon-in-law as they buy a horfe in a fair ;
.ml him, i. e. enter him on the tout or /o//-book, to prove I carru-.
honeftly by him, and afcertain my title to him. In a play called
The famout Hijlory of Tho. Stuktly, 1605, is an allutioa to this
?uftom :
*' Gov. I will be anfwerable to thee for thy horfet.
" Stuk. Doit thou keep a tolc -booth ? zounds, doft thou make
a borfe-cou<fcr of me ?"
Ir the reading of the fecond folio be the true one, we muft alter
the punctuation thus :
/ luillbuy me a fon-in-la~M in a fair, atnl toll bin: for this, Pll
ion< o him. Srtt v t ,\ i .
Enter
142 A L L's W L L
Enter Bertram, guarded.
I am afeard, the life of Helen, lady,
Was foully fnatch'd.
Count. Now, juftice on the doers !
King. I wonder, fir, fince wives are monftersto you 1 /
And that you fly them as you fwear them lordfhip,
Yet you defire to marry. What woman's that ?
Enter Widow, and Diana.
Dia. I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine,
Derived from the ancient Capulet ;
My fuit, as I do underftand, you know,
And therefore know how far I may be pitied.
Wid. I am her mother, fir, whole age and honour,
Both fuffer under this complaint we bring,
And both fhall ceafe J , without your remedy.
King. Come hither, count -, Do you know thefe
women ?
Ber. My lord, I neither can nor will deny
But that I know them : Do they charge me further ?
Dia. Why do you look fo flrange upon your wife ?
* 1 wonder, fir, ] Thispaffage is thus read in the firft folio :
1 wonder , fir, fir, wives are monjlcrs to yon,
And that you fly them, asyoufwear them lordjlnf,
Yet you defire to marry.
Which may be corrected thus :
I wonder, fir, fince wives are monjlem, &c.
The editors have made it wives are fo monftrous to you,
and in the next line fwear to them, inflead of /wear them lord'
Jhip. Though the latter phrafe be a little obfcure, it ihould not
have been turned out of the text without notice. I fuppofe lord-
Jbip is put for that proteflion, which the hulband in the marriage-
ceremony promifes to the wife. TYRWHITT.
I read with Mr. Tyrwhitt, whofe emendation I have placed in
the text. STEEVENS.
3 -JJiall ceafe, ] i.e. deceafe, die. So, m King Lear:
** Fall and ceafe." I think the word is ufed in the fame ienfe in
a former fcene in this comedy. STEEVENS.
Bcr.
T H A T E N D S \V E L L. 14.3
JSet'. She's none of mine, my lord,
Dia. If you fhall marry,
You give away this hand, and that is mine ; *
You give away heaven's vows, and thofe are mine ;
You give away myfelf, which is known mine ;
For I by vow am fo embody'd yours,
That fhe, which marries yon, muft marry me,
Either both, or none.
Laf. Your reputation comes too Ihort for my
daughter, you are no hulband for her. [To Bertram.
Ber. My lord, this is a fond and defperate creature,
Whom ibmetime I have laugh'd with : let your high-
heft
Lay a more noble thought upon mine honour,
Than for to think that I would fink it here.
King. Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to
friend,
'Till your deeds gain them : Fairer prove your ho-
nour,
Than in my thought it lies !
Dia. Good my lord,
Afk him upon his oath, if he does think
He had not my virginity.
King. What fay'ir, thou to her ?
Bcr. She's impudent, my lord ;
And was a common gamefter to the camp.
Dia. He does me wrong, my lord ; if I were fo,
He might have bought me at a common price :
Do not believe him : O, behold this ring,
Whofe high refpedt, and rich validity 5 ,
* Whoje b;gb rcfpcft, and rich validity,]
Validity is a very bad word for value , which yet I think Is its mean-
ing, vmlefs ir be eonfidered as making a contrail -valid. JOHNSON.
yal'ulity certainly means value. So, in K. Lear :
" No let's in fpace, validity^ and pleafure."
Again, in Twelfth-Night:
' Of what validity and pitch foever." STEEVENS.
Did
1 4 4 A L L's W E L L
Did lack a parallel ; yet, for all that,
He gave it to a commoner o'the camp,
If I be one.
Count. He blufhes, and 'tis it 6 :
Of fix preceding anceftors, that gem
Conferred by teftament to the fequent iiTue,
Hath it been ow'd, and worn. This is his wife $
That ring's a thoufand proofs*
King. Methought you faid,
You law one here in court could witncfs it.
Dia. I did, my lord> but loth am to produce
So bad an inftrument ; his name's Parolles.
Laf. I faw the mail to-day, if man he be.
King. Find him, and bring him hither.
Ber. What of him ?
He's quoted 7 for a moft perfidious flave,
With all the fpots o'the world tax'd and debofh'd * ;
Whofe nature fickens but to fpeak a truth 9 ;
Am I or that, or this, for what he'll utter,
That will fpeak any thing ?
King. She hath that ring of yours.
6 Count. Heilujbesj and 'tis It:}
The old copy has :
He bluJbeS) and 'tis hit.
Perhaps we fhould read :
He blu/het, and is hit. M ALONE.
7 His quoted for a moft perfidious Jlave , J
Quoted has the fame fenfe as noted. So, in Hamlet :
" I am forry that with better heed and judgment
*' I had not quoted him." STEEVENS.
* debofb'd;] See a note on the Tempeft, at III. fc. ii.
STEEVENS.
9 Wliofe nature Jickens but tofptak a truth :]
Here the modern editors read :
Which nature fokens ivlth :
A moft licentious corruption of the old reading, in xvhich the
punctuation only wants to be corrected. We fhould read, as here
printed :
Whofe nature Jickens ) but to fpeak a truth ;
i. e. enly to fpeak a truth. TYRWHITT.
THAT ENDS WELL. 145
Ber. I think, fhe has : certain it is, I lik'd her,
And boarded her i'the wanton way of youth :
She knew her diftance, and did angle for me,
Madding my eagernefs with her reibaint,
As ' all impediments in fancy's courfe,
Are motives of more fancy ; and, in fine,
Her infuit coming with her modern grace,
Subdu'd me to her rate : fhe got the ring ;
And I had that, which. any inferior might
At market-price have bought.
D'ui. I mud be patient ;
You, that turn'd off a firfl fo noble wife,
May jutfly diet me 2 . I pray you yet,
(Since you lack virtue, I will lofe a hu(band)
Send for your ring, I will return it home,
And give, me mine again.
Ber. I have it not.
King. "What ring was yours, I pray you ?
1 all impediments in fancy's courfe,
Are motives of more fancy : - ]
Every thing that obftrufls love is an occafion by which love is heigh-
tened. And) to conclude, "her felicitation concurring w&fi her fajhion-
able appearance, fhe got the ring.
I am not certain that I have attained the true meaning of the
word modern, which, perhaps, iignifies rather meanly pretty.
JOHNSON.
I believe modern means common. The fenfe will then be this
Herfolicitation concurring ivith her appearance of being common, i. e.
with the appearance of her being to be had as we lay at prefent.
Shakefpeare ufes the word modern frequently, and always in this
fenfe.
'* fcorns a modern invocation." K. John.
*' Full of wife faws and modern inttances." As you like it.
" Trifles, fuch as we prefent modern friends with."
" to make modern and familiar things fupernatural and
cnufelefs." STEEVENS.
* May juflly diet me. ] i.e. make me faft, by depriving me
(as Dcldemona fays) of " the rites for ivhich I love you"
COLLINS. .
VOL. IV. L Dia.
146 A L L's W E L L
Dia. Sir, much like
The fame upon your finger.
King. Know you this ring? this ring was his of late.
Dia. And this was it I gave him, being a-bed.
King. The ftory then goes falfe, you threw it him
Out of a cafement.
Dia. I have fpoke the truth.
Enter Parolles.
Be?: My lord, I do confefs, the ring was hers.
King. You boggle fhrewdly, every feather ftarts
you.
Is this the man you fpeak of ?
Dia. It is, my lord.
King. Tell me, firrah, but tell me true, I charge
you,
Not fearing the difpleafure of your matter,
(Which, on your juft proceeding, I'll keep off )
By him, and by this woman here, what know you?
Par. So pleafe your majefty, my matter hath been
an honourable gentleman; tricks he hath had in
him, which gentlemen have.
King. Come, come, to the purpofe ; Did he love
this woman ?
Par. 'Faith, fir, he did love her ; But how ?
King. How, I pray you ?
Par. He did love her, lir, as a gentleman loves a
woman.
King. How is that ?
Par. He lov'd her, fir, and lov'd her not.
King. As thou art a knave, and no knave : What
an equivocal companion is this ?
Par. I am a poor man, and at your majefty 's com-
mand.
Laf. He's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty
orator.
Dia. Do you know, he promis'd me marriage ?
Par, 'Faith, I know more than I'll fpeak.
King,
THAT ENDS WELL. 147
King. But wilt thou not fpeak all thou know'ft ?
Par. Yes, fo pleafc your majeity : I did go be-
tween them, as I faid ; but more than that, he loved
her, for, indeed, he was mad lor her, and talk'd of
Satan, and of limbo, and of furies, and I know not
what : vet I was in that credit with them at that time,
that I knew of their going to bed ; and of other mo-
tions, as promifing her marriage, and things that
would derive me ill will to fpeak of, therefore I will
not fpeak what I know.
Kitig. Thou haft fpoken all already, unlefs thou
canit fay tlu-y are marry'd : But thou art too fine in
thy evidence 5 ; therefore ftand afide. This ring, you
fay, was yours ?
Dhi. Ay, my good lord.
King. Where did you buv it ? or who gave it you ?
Dla. It was not given me, nor did I buy it.
King. Who lent it you ?
Dia. It was not lent me neither.
King. Where did you find it then ?
Dia. I found it not.
King. If it were yours by none of all thcfe ways^
How could you give it him ?
Dia. I never gave it him.
Laf. This woman's an eafy glove, my lord j Ihe
goes off and on at pleafurc.
King. The ring was mine, I gave it his firft wife.
Dia. It might be yours, or hers, for aught I know.
King. Take her away, I do not like her now ;
To prifon with her : and away with him.-
Unlefs thou tell'ft me where thou hadft this ring,
Thou dicft within this hour.
Dia. I'll never tell you.
King. Take her away.
3 JRut thou art too fine in fl-y e--iiicKcc ; ] Too fine t too
full of fine lie ; too artful. A French expreifion trap fine.
MALONE.
L a D'u.
I4 $ A L L's WELL
Dia. I'll put in bail, my liege.
King. I think thee now fome common cuftomer *.
Dia. By Jove, if ever I knew man, 'twas you.
King. Wherefore haft thou accus'd him all this
while ?
Dia. Becaufe he's guilty, and he is not guilty ;
He knows, I am no maid, and he'll fwear to't :
I'll fwear, I am a maid, and he knows not.
Great king, I am no {trumpet, by my life ;
I am either maid, or elie this old man's wife.
[Pointing to Lafeu.
King. She does abufe our ears ; to prifon with her.
Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail. Stay, royal fir ;
[Exit Widow.
The jeweller, that owes the ring is fent for,
And he ihall furety me. But for this lord, [To Bert.
Who hath abus'd me, as he knows himfelf,
Though yet he never harm'd me, here I quit him :
5 He knows himfelf, my bed he hath defil'd ;
And at that time he got his wife with child :
Dead though frie be, fhe feels her young one kick ;
So there's my riddle, One, that's dead, is quick.
And now behold the meaning.
Re-enter Widow, with Helena.
King. Is there no exorcift 6 ,
Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes ?
Is't real, that I fee ?
Hel. No, rny good lord ;
* - C7{ftomer."\ i.e. a common woman. So, \nOtbeUo:
" I marry her! what ? a cuftomer!^ STEEVENS.
5 He knows himfelf, &c. - ]
This dialogue is too long, fince the audience already knew the
whole tranlaftion ; nor is there any reafon for puzzling the king
and playing with his paffions ; but it was much eaiier thari to make
a pathetical : nterview between Helen and her huibaud, her mother,
and. the king. JOHNSOX.
//?,] This word is ufed not very properly for enchanter.
c-xorc
JOHNSON.
THAT ENDS WELL. 149
*Tis but a fliadow of a wife you fee,
The name, and not the thing.
Ber. Both, both ; oh, pardon !
HeL Oh, my good lord, when I was like this maid,
I found you wond'rous kind. There is your ring,
And, look you, here's your letter; This it fays,
W 'hen from wy finger you can get this ring,
And are by me with child, &c. This is done :
Will you be mine, now you are doubly won ?
Ber. If me, my liege, can make me know this clearly,
I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly.
HeL If it appear not plain, and prove untrue,
Deadly divorce ftep between me and you !
O, my dear mother, do I fee you living ?
[To the Countefs.
Laf. Mine eyes fmell onions, I fhall weep anon :
Good Tom Drum, lend me a handkerchief: [To Pa-
rolles.~] So, I thank thee ; wait on me home, I'll
make fport with thee : Let thy courtefies alone, they
are fcurvy ones.
King. Let us from point to point this ftory know,
To make the even truth in pleafure flow :
If thou be'lt yet a frefh uncropped flower, [To Diana,
Chufe thou thy hufband, and I'll pay thy dower;
For I can guefs, that, t by thy honefl aid,
Thou kept'ft a wife herfelf, thyfelf a maid.
Of that, and all the progrefs, more and lefs,
Refolvedly more leifure fliall exprefs :
All yet fcems well ; and, if it end fo meet,
The bitter paft, more welcome is the fweet.
Advancing :
The king's a beggar, now the play is done :
All is well ended, if this fuit be won,
That you exprefs content ; which we will pay >
Withjlrlfe to plcafe you, day exceeding day :
L 3 Ours
i 5 o A L L's W E L L, &c.
7 Ours be your patience tbm, and yours our parts ;
Tour gentle bands lend us, and take our hearts. [Exeunt.
7 Ours be your pat lend then^ and yours our parts ;~\
The meaning is : Grant us then your patience ; hear us without in-
terruption. ^Wtake our parts; that is, fuppovt and defend us.
This play has many delightful fcenes, though not fufficiently
probable, and fome happy characters, though not new, nor pro-
duced by any deep knowledge of human nature. Parolles is a
boafter and a coward, fuch as has always been the fport of the
fhge, but perhaps never raifed more laughter or contempt than in
the hands of Shakefpeare.
I cannot reconcile my heart to Bertram ; a man noble without
generality, and young without truth ; who marries Helen as a
coward, and leaves her as a profligate : when me is dead by his
xmkindnefs, fneaks home to a fecond marriage, is accufed by a
woman whom he has wronged, defends himfelt by falfehood, and
is difmifTed to happinefs.
The ftory of Bertram and Diana had been told before of Mari.
ana and Angelo, and, to confefs the truth, fcarcely merited to be
heard a fecond time. JOHNSON.
TWELFTH-NIGHT
O R,
WHAT YOU WILL.
L 4
Perfons Reprefented.
Orfino, Duke of Illyria.
Sebaftian, a young gentleman, brother to Viola,
Antonio, a fa-captain, friend to Sebaftian.
Valentine, i , ,. 7 T> / -
Q ' > Gentlemen, attending on we Duke,
Sir Toby Belch, uncle to Olivia.
Sir Andrew Ague-cheek, afoolffi knight, pretending to
Olivia.
A fe a- captain, friend to Viola.
Fabian, fervant to Olivia.
Malvolio, afantajlicaljleward to Olivia.
Clown, fer-vant to Olivia.
Olivia, a lady of great beauty and fortune, belov'd by the
Duke.
Viola, in love with the Duke.
Maria, Olivia'.* woman.
Prieft, Sailors, Officers, and other attendants.
SCENE, a city on the coajl of Illyria*
The firfl edition of this play is in the folio of 1623.
The perfons of the drama were firft enumerated, with all the cant
of the modern ftage, by Mr. Rowe. JOHNSOX.
TWELFTH-
TWELFTH-NIGHT^:
O R,
WHAT YOU WILL.
ACT I. SCENE I.
The Duke's Palace.
Enter the Duke, Curio> and Lords.
Duke. If mufick be the food of love, play on,
Give me excefs of it ; ' that, furfeiting,
The
1 There is great reafon to believe, that the ferious part of this
Comedy is founded on fome old tranilation of the feventh hiftory
in the fourth volume of Belief or eft's Hiftoires Tragiques. It ap-
pears from the books of the Stationers' Company, July 15, 1596,
that there was a verfion of " Epitomes des cent Hijloires Tra-
giqites, partie extrai&es des ates des Remains, et autres, &c."
JBelletoreft took the ftory, as ufual, from Bandello. The comic
fcenes appear to have been entirely the production of Shakefpeare.
Auguft 6, 1607, a Comedy called What you Will, (which is the
fecond title of this play) was entered at Stationers' Hall by Tho.
Thorpe. I believe, however, it was Marfton's play with that
name. Ben Jonfon, who takes every opportunity to find fault
with Shakefpeare, feems to ridicule the condudt of Twelfth-Night
in his Every Man out of his Humor, at the end of act III. fc. vi.
where he makes Mills fay ; " That the argument of his comedy
might have been of fome other nature, as of a duke to be in love
with a countefs, and that countefs to be in love with the duke's
fon, and the fon in love with the lady's waiting maid : lomefuch
srofs wooing, with a clotvn to their ferving man, better than be
thus near and familiarly allied to the time." STEEVENS.
* that, furfeiting,
The appetite mayjicken, andfo die. ]
There is an impropriety of exprelfiou in the prefent reiding of
this
154 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
The appetite may ficken, and fo die.
3 That ftrain again ; it had a dying fall :
O, it came o'er my ear like the Tweet fouth *,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing,
this fine paflage. We do not fay, that the appetite fikens and dies
through afurfeit ; but the fubjecl of that appetite. I am perfuad-
ed, a word is accidentally dropt j and that we Ihould read and
point the paflage thus :
that) forfeiting
The app'titc, love may Jickcn, andfo die. WAREURTON.
It is trub, we do not talk ot the death of appetite, becaufe we do
not ordinarily fpeak in the figurative language of poetry ; but
that appetite Jickens by afurfeit is true, and therefore proper.
JOHNSON.
3 T7jat jlraiti again. ; // had a dying fall:
O y it came o'er my ear like the fivect fouth)
That breathes upon a bank of violet s^
Stealing, and giving odour. ]
Amongit the beauties of this charming fimilitude, its exacl: pro.
priety is not the leaft. For, as a fouth wind, while blowing over
a violet-bank, wafts away the odour of the flowers, it, at the
fame time communicates its own fweetnefs to it ; fo the foft af-
fefting mufick, here defcribed, though it takes away the natural,
fweet tranquility of the mind, yet, at the fame time, it com-
municates a new pleafure to it. Or, it may allude to another
property of mufick, where the fame {trains have a power to ex-
cite pain or pleafure, as the ftate is, in which it finds the hearer.
Hence Milton makes the felf-famc {trains of Orpheus proper to
excite both the affections of mirth and melancholy, juft as the
mind is then difpofed. If to mirth, he calls for fuch mufick :.
That Orpheus' felf may heave his head
From golden {lumbers on a bed
Of heapt Elyfian flowers, and hear
Such {trains as would have won the ear
Of Pluto, to have quite fet free
His half-regain'd Eurydice." L? Allegro,
If to m ancholy
Or bid the foul of Orpheus {ing
Such notes as warbled to the ftring,
Drew iron tears down Pluto's cheek,
And made hell grant what love did feck." IlPenfcrofo.
WARBURTON.
Thekfelf-fame ftrains of Orpheus, as Mr. Edwards has likewife
obferved, are, in the firft initance, what are performed by another
perfon, when Orpheus is only a hearer ; in the fecond, Orpheus
fmgs
WHAT YOU WILT.. 155
Stealing, and giving odour. Enough; no more;
'Tis not fo fweet now, as it was before.
O fpirit of love, how quick and frefh art thou !
That, notwithftanding thy capacity
Receiveth as the fea, nought enters there,
Of what validity and pitch foever 5 ,
But falls into abatement and low price,
Even in a minute ! 6 fo full of fhapes is fancy,
That it alone is high-fantaftical.
Cur. Will you go hunt, my lord ?
Duke. What, Curio ?
Cur. The hart.
Duke. Why, fo I do, the noblefl that I have :
O, when my eyes did fee Olivia firft,
fmgs himfelf. Milton, in his ParaJlfe Loft, b. iv. ha< very fuc-
cci!> fully introduced the fame image :
" now gentle gales,
" Fanning their odoriferous wings, difpenfe
" Native perfumes, and whifper whence they ftole
" Thofe balmy fpoils." STEEVENS.
* the fweet fouth,] The old copy reads {vteetJ0u*J t
which Mr. Rowe changed into iviad t and Mr. Pope into />//>.
STEEVENS.
5 Of what validity and pitch foever,']
falulity is here ufed for value. So, in Aid Well that ends Well :
" O behold this ring,
" Whofe high refpeft and rich validity
"- Doth lack a parallel." MALONE.
6 -fo full ofjhapes is fancy,
That it alone is high fantaftical.]
This complicated nonfenfe fliould be rectified thus :
fo full ofjhapes infancy,
That it alone is hig\\t farita/tical,
L e. love is fo tull ot fhapes infancy, that the name of fan'ajlicnl
is peculiarly given to it alone.
But, for the old nonfenfe, the Oxford editor gives us his ne\v:
- fo full nfjbapes is fancy ,
And thou all o'er art high fantaftical,
fays the critic. WARBURTON.
Highfantajliccl, means no more than fantajlLal to the /'tight.
So, in Airs Well that cads Well:
'* My high-repented blames
'* Dear forercign, p:irdon me." STEEVENS.
Methought
! 5 6 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Methought, ftie purg'd the air of peftilence ;
That inftant was I turn'd into a hart 7 ;
And my defires, like fell and cruel hounds,
E'er fince purfue me. How now ? what news from
her?
Enter Valentine.
Vol. So pleafe my lord, I might not be admitted,
But from her hand-maid do return this anfvver :
The element itfelf, till feven years hence,
Shall not behold her face at ample view ;
But, like a cloiftrefs, fhe will veiled walk,
And water once a day her chamber round
With eye-offending brine : all this, to fcafon
A brother's dead love, which fhe would keep frefh.
And lading, in her fad remembrance.
Duke. O, fhe, that hath a heart of that fine frame,
To pay this debt of love but to a brother,
How will fhe love, when the rich golden fhaft
Hath kill'd the flock of all affedtions elfe
That live in her 8 ! when liver, brain, and heart,
Thefe
7 That inftant icas I turned into a hart ; ]
This image evidently alludes to the ilory of Afteon, by which
Shakefpeare feems to think men cautioned againft too great fami-
liarity with forbidden beauty. Acleon, who faw Diana naked,
and was torn in pieces by his hounds, reprefents a man, who in-
dulging his eyes, or his imagination, with the view of a woman
that he cannot gain, has his heart torn with incefi'ant longing.
An interpretation far more elegant and natural than that ot Sir
Francis Bacon, who, in his Wifdom of tbe Antients, fuppofes this
itory to warn us againft enquiring into the fecrets of princes, by
fhewing, that thofe who knew that which for reafons of flate is
to be concealed, will be deteded and deftroyed by their own fer~
vants. JOHNSON.
* O, Jbe, that bath a heart of that fine frame ^
To pay this debt of love but to a brother,
Ho'-v wlUjbt love, <vjbsn the rich golden fyaft
Hath kllVd the fleck of all affeSiions elfe
That live in her! }
Dr.
WHAT YOU WILL. 157
Thcfe fovereign thrones, are all fupply'd, and fill'd,
1 (Her fweet perfections) with one felf-famc king !
Away before me to fweet beds of flowers ;
Love-thoughts lie rich, when canopy 'd with bowers,
[Exeunt,
SCENE II.
Tbeflreet.
Enter Viola % a Captain, and Sailors,
Vio. What country, friends, is this ?
Cap. This is Illyria, lady.
Vio. And what fhould I do in Illyria ?
My brother he is in Elyfium.
Perchance, he is not drown'd : What think you*
failors ?
Cap. It is perchance, that you yourfelf were fav'd.
Dr. Hurd obfervcs, that Shno, in the Andrian of Terence^ reafons
on his fon's concern for CbrySs in the lame manner :
" Nonnunquam conlacrumabat : placuit turn id mihl.
*' Sic cogitabam : hie parvse confuetudinis
** Caufa hujus mortem tam fert familiariter :
** Quid fi ipfe amafiet ? quid mihi hie faciet patri ?"
- the flock of all a/eft Ions -
So, in Sidney's Arcadia: " - has the Jlock of unfpeakablc
virtues." STEEVENS.
9 Theie Sovereign thrones, - ]
We fhould read three fovereign thrones. This is exactly in the
manner of Slmkefpeare. So, afterwards, in this play, Thy tongue^
thy j ace, thy limbs, actions, andfpirit, do give thec fivefold bla-mm.
WARBUKTON.
We fhould read and point it thus : (O fvottt-perftSian ! )
WAR BURTON.
There is no occafion for this new pointing, as the poet does
not appear to have meant exclamation, /./tvr, brain, and heart,
are ;;Jmitted in poetry as the refidence of pajfiuns, judgment, and
fciitimcnti. Thele are what Shakeipeare calls, her fweet per fee*
tions, though he has not very clearly exprclled what he might de-
lign to have faid. STEEVENS.
a Enter iTiola, - ] Piola is the name of a lady in the fifth
book of Gowcr ik Confejfione Amantis. STESVEN s.
Ho.
158 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Vlo* O my poor brother ! and fo, perchance, may
he be.
Cap. True, madam : and, to comfort you with
chance,
AfTure yourfelf, after our ihip did fplit,
When you, and that poor number fav'd with you,
Hung on our driving boat, I faw your brother,
Molt provident in peril, bind himfelf
(Courage and hope both teaching him the practice)
To a firong maft, that liv'd upon the fea ;
Where, like Anon on the dolphin's back,
I faw him hold acquaintance with the waves,
So long as I could fee.
Vto. For faying fo, there's gold :
Mine own efcape unfoldeth to my hope,
Whereto thy fpeech ferves for authority,
The like of him. Know'll thou this country ?
Cap. Ay, madam, well ; for I was bred and born,
Not three hours travel from this very place.
Wio. Who governs here ?
Cap. A noble duke in nature, as in name J .
F~w. What is his name ?
Cap. Orfino.
Vw. Orfino ! I have heard my father name him :
He was a batchelor then.
Cap. And fo is now, or was fo very late :
For but a month ago I went from hence ;
And then 'twas frefh in murmur, (as, you know,
What great ones do, the lefs will prattle of)
That he did feck the love of fair Olivia.
Vio. What's ihe?
Cap. A virtuous maid, the daughter of a count
That dy'd fome twelve-month fince; then leaving her
3 A nolle duke in nature, as in name. ]
I know not whether the nobility of the name is comprifed in ///Y,
r in Qrfine, which is, I think, the name of a great Italian family.
, JOHNSON.
In
WHAT YOU WILL. 159
In the protection of his fon, her brother,
Who Ihortly alfo dy'd : for whofe dear love,
They fay, fhe hath abjur'd the fight
And company of men.
Ylo. O, that I ferv'd that lady ;
And might not be delivered to the world 4 ,
'Till I had made mine own occafion mellow,
What my eftate is !
Cap. That were hard to compafs ;
Becaufe fhe will admit no kind of fuit,
No, net the duke's.
Vio. There is a fair behaviour in thee, captain ;
And though that nature with a beauteous wall
Doth oft clofe in pollution, yet of thee
I will believe, thou haft a mind that fuits
With this thy fair and outward character.
I pray thee, and I'll pay thee bounteoufly,
Conceal me what I am ; and be my aid
For fuch difguife as, haply, fhall become
The form of my intent. I'll ferve this duke J ;
Thou lhalt prelcnt me as an eunuch to him,
It may be worth thy pains ; for I can ling,
And fpcak to him in many forts of muiick,
That will allow me very worth his fervice 6 .
4 Ami w'-^ht a at be deliver* J, &C.]
I wifli I might not be made public to the world, with regard'to the
fiatc of my birth and fortune, till I have gained a ripe opportunity
for my defign.
Viola feems to have formed a very deep defign with very little
premeditation : fhe is thrown by fliipwrcck on an unknown coaft,
hears that the prince is a batchelor, and refolves to fupplant the
lady whom he courts. JOHNSON.
5 1* II fine this duke ; ]
Viola is an excellent fchemer, never at a lofs ; if (he cannot ferve
the lady, fhe will ferve the duke. JOHNSON.
6 That will allow me ] To allow is to approve. So, in,
King Lear :
" if your Aveet fway
*' Alle-M obedience" STEEVEXS.
What
160 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
What elfe may hap, to time I will commit ;
Only ihape thou thy filence to my wit.
Cap. Be you his eunuch, and your mute I'll be :
When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not fee !
Vio. I thank thee : Lead me on. \_Exeum.
SCENE HI.
Olivia's houfe.
Enter Sir Toby, and Maria.
Sir To. What a plague means my niece, to take
the death of her brother thus ? I am fure, care's an
enemy to life 7 .
Mar. By my troth, Sir Toby, you muft come in
earlier o'nights ; your coufin, my lady, takes great
exceptions to your ill hours.
Sir To. Why, let her except, before excepted 8 .
Mar. Ay, but you muft confine yourfelf within
the modeft limits of order.
Sir To. Confine ? I'll confine myfelf no finer than
I am : thefe clothes are good enough to drink in, and
fo be thefe boots too ; an they be not, let them hang
themfelves in their own ftraps.
Mar. That quaffing and drinking will undo you :
I heard my lady talk of it yefterday ; and of a fooliih
knight, that you brought in one night here, to be her
wooer.
Sir To. Who ? Sir Andrew Ague-cheek ?
Mar. Ay, he.
7 * care's an enemy to l(fe.~\ Alluding to the old proverb,
Care ivitt kill a cat. STEEVENS.
8 Let her except, before excepted.} This fhould probably be,
*j before excepted : a ludicrous'uie of the formal lavo-phrafe.
FARMER.
Sir To.
WHAT YOU WILL. 261
Sir To. He's as tall a man 9 as any's in Illyria.
Mar. What's that to the purpofe ?
Sir To. Why, he has three thoufand ducats a year.
Mar. Ay, but he'll have but a year in all thefe du-
cats ; he's a very fool, and a prodigal.
Sir To. Fie, that you'll fay fo J he plays o'th' viol-
de-gambo *, and fpeaks three or four languages word
for word without book, and hath all the good gifts of
nature.
Mar. He hath, indeed, almoft natural : for, be-
iides that he's a fool, he's a great quarreller ; and, but
that he hath a gift of a coward to allay the guft he
hath in quarrelling, 'tis thought among the prudent,
he would quickly have the gift of a grave.
Sir To. By this hand, they are fcoundrels, and fub-
tractors, that fay fo of him. Who are they ?
Mar. They that add moreover, he's drunk nightly
in your company.
Sir To. With drinking healths to my niece; I'll
drink to her, as long as there's a pafiage in my throat,
9 as tall a man ] Tall means^a/, courageous. So, in
Wily Beguiled:
" Ay, and he is a tallfellov.^ and a man of his hands too."
Again :
" If he do not prove himfelf as tall a man as he."
STEEVENS.
1 vlol-Jc-gamljo, ] The <vio!-dc-gamlt> fecms, in our
author's time, to have been a very fafliionuble inftrumcnt. In The
Return from ParnaJJiiS) 1606, it is mentioned, with its proper de-
rivation :
" Her viol-de-gamto is her beft content,
" For 't-ivixt her legs fhe holds her inurnment." COLLINS.
So, in the induction to the Male-content , 1606 :
*' come fit between my legs here.
*' No indeed, coufin, the audience will then take me forav/W-
Je-gambo, and think that you play upon me."
In the old dramatic writers frequent mention is made of a cafe of
viols, confiding of the <v i ol -de- ?aml o^ the tenor arid the treble.
See Sir John Hawkins's Hljl.of Mufjd, vol. IV. p. 32. n. 338,
wherein is a defcription of a cafe, more properly termed a cbcjl of
viols. STEEVENS.
VOL. IV. M and
762 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
and drink in Illyria : He's a coward, and a coyftril %
that will not drink to my niece, till his brains turn
o'the toe like a parilh-top 3 . What, wench ? 4 Caftili-
ano volgo ; for here comes Sir Andrew Ague-face.
Enter
a a coyjlril, -] i. e. a coward cock. It may however
be a kejlrel, or a baftard hawk ; a kind or ilione hawk. So, in
Arden of Fever/bam, 1592:
** as dear
" As ever ccyftril bought fo little fport." STEEVENS.
A coyjlrll is a paltry groom, one only fit to carry arms, but not
to ufe them. So, in Holinflied's Defcription of England, vol, I.
p. 162 : " Cojlcreh, or bearers of the armes of barons or knights."
Vol. III. p. 248 : " So that a knight with his efquire and coijlrcll
with his two horfes." P. 272, "women, lackies and coifterels are
confidered as the unwariike attendants on an army." So again, irt
p. 127, and 217 of his Hi ft. ofScotlatid. For its etymology, fee
coujlllle and Coujtillier in Cotgrave's Dittionary. TOLLET.
3 like a parifh-top. j This is one of the cultoms now
laid afide. A large top was formerly kept in every village, to be
whipped in froily weather, that the peafants might be kept warm
by exercife, and.out of mifchief , while they could not work.
STEEVENS.
+ CaiViliano volgo:, ] We fliould rend volto. In En-
glifh, put on your Caftiiian countenance ; that is, your grave, fo-
lemn looks. The Oxford editor has taken my emendation r But,
by Caftilian countenance, he fuppofes it meant moil civil and court-
ly looks. It is plain, he underftands gravity and formality to be
civility and courtlinefs. WAR BUR TON.
Caftillano volgo ;] I meet with the word Caftilian and Co/lilians
in feveral of the old comedies. It is difficult to affign any peculiar
propriety to it, unlefs it was adopted immediately after the defeat
of the Armada, and became a cant term capricioufly expreflive of
jollity or contempt. The hojl, in the M. IF. of Wlndfor, calls
Caius a Caftitian-king Urinal ; and in the Merry Devil of Edmon-
ton, one of the characters fays : " Ha ! my CajHHan dialogues !"
In an old comedy called Look about ycu, \ 6co, it is joined with
another toper's exclamation very frequent in Shakefpeare :
" And Rlvo will he cry, and Caftik too."
So again, in Hey wood's Jav of Malta, 1633:
** Hey, Rivo Cajiiliano, man's a man."
Again, in the Stately Moral of the Three Lords of London, 1590 :
" Three Cavalieros Cajiitianes here &c."
Cotgrave, however, informs us, that Cajlllle not only fignifies
the nobleft part of Spain, but contention^ delate , trailing, alter ca-
WHAT YOU WILL. 165
Enter Sir Andrew*
Sir And. Sir Toby Belch! how now, Sir Toby
Belch?
Sir 'To. Sweet fir Andrew !
Sir And. Blefs yon, fair fhrew.
Mar. And you too, fir.
Sir To. Accofl, fir Andrew, accoft.
Sir And. What's that ?
Sir To. My niece's chamber-maid.
Sir And. Good miftrefs Accoft, I defire better ac-
quaintance.
Mar. My name is Mary, fir.
Sir And Good Mrs. Mary Accofl,
Sir To. You miftake, knight : accoft, is, front her,
"board her, woo her, ailail her.
Sir And. By my troth, I would not undertake her
in this company. Is that the meaning of accoft ?
tion. Us font en Caflille. Tbcre is ajarre letwixt them; and pren-
dre la Caflille pour autruy : To undertake another man's quarrel.
Mr.Maloneobferves, that CV*/?//ra feems likewifeto have been a
cant term forafinicalafte6ted courtier. So,inMarilon'sSW/m, 1599 :
" The abfolute Caft'dio,
w He that can all the points of courtfhip ftiew."
Again :
" Come, come, Caflilian, fkim thy poflet curd,
" Shew thy queere fubftance, worthlefs, moft abfurd.'*
Again :
*' Take ceremonious compliment from thee,
Alas, I fee CaftiliSs beggary."
Again :
Or (hall perfum'd Gaftitio cenfure thee."
Again :
" Ca/iilios, Cyprians, court-boyes, Spanifh blocki
*' Ribanded eares, Granada nether-flocks."
Again :
* When fome (lie golden-flop'd CaflHh,
** Can cut a manor a firings at Primero."
Thefe jiaflages Mr. Malone fuppofes to confirm Dr. Warburton'f
emendation, and Sir T. Hanmer's comment. Mariten, however,
leems to allude to the famous Balthafar Cafli%tioni y whofe moft ce-
Jcbrated work was // Cortiglano, or The Courtier. STEEVENS.
M 2 Mar.
i6 4 TWELFTH-NIGHT : OR,
Mar. Fare you well, gentlemen.
Sir To. Ai/thou let part fo r ilr Andrew, would
thou might'ft never draw fword again.
Sir And. An you part fo y miftreis, I would I- might
never draw fword again \ Fair lady, do you think
you have fools in hand ?
Mar. Sir, I have not you by the hand.
Sir And. Marry, but you ihall have ; and here's
siy hand.
Mar. Now, fir, thought is free : I pray you, bring,
your hand to the buttery-bar, and let it drink.
Sir And. Wherefore, fweet heart ? what's your me-
taphor ?
Mar* It's dry, fir s .
Sir Arid. Why, I think fo ; I am not fuch an afs,
but I can keep my hand dry. But what's your jeil ?
Mar. A dry jeft, fir.
Sir And. Are' you full of them ?
5 /A thy, Jir.~\ What is the jeft of dry anJ, I know not any
better than Sir Andrew. It may poffibly mean, a hand with no
money in it ; or, according to the rules of phyfiognomy, (he may
intend to infinuate, that it is not a lover's hand, a moiil hand
being vulgarly accounted a fign of an amorous confutation.
JoHN'SO!?.
** But to fay you had a dull eye, a {harp nofe (the vifible marks.
of a fhrew), a dry band, which is ihejign of a bad liver , as hefaid
you were, being toward a hujband too, this was intolerable."
Monfuur D' Olive, l6o6
Again, in Decker's Honeft Wljare^ 1635: " Of all dry-fifted
knights, I cannot abide that he fhould touch me." Again, in
Weftward-Hoe r by Decker and Webfter, 1606 : " Let her
marry a man of a melancholy completion, {he fr.all not be much-
troubled by him. My hufband has a band as dry as -his brains &c.'*'
The Chief Juftice likewife in the fecond part of K. Hen. IV. enu-
merates a dry hand among the charafterifticks of debility and age.
Again, in Antony and Cleopatra^ Charmian fays: " if an
oily palm be not a fruitful prognoftication, I cannot fcrntch mine
e;ir." All thefe paflages will ferve to conrirm Dr. Johnfon's latter
fuppolition. STEEVENS.
WHAT YOU WILL. 165
Mar. Ay, fir ,* I have them at my fingers' ends :
inarry, now I let go your hand, I am barren.
[ Ex it Maria.
Sir To. O knight, thou lack'it a cup of canary ;
When did I fee thee fo put down ?
Sir And. Never in your life, I think ; uniefs you fee
canary put me down : Methinks, ibmetimcs I have
no more wit than a chriflian, or an ordinary man has:
but I am a great eater of beef, and, I believe, that
does harm to my wit.
4$Vr To. No qucflion.
Sir And. An I thought that, Fd forfWear it. I'll
ride home to-morrow, fir Toby.
Sir To. Poitrguoy, my dear knight ?
Sir And. What is poitrquoy ? do, or not do ? I would
I had beftowed that time in the tongues, that I have
in fencing, dancing, and bear-baiting : O, had I
but followed the arts !
Sir To. Then hadft thou had an excellent head of
hair.
Sir And. Why, would that have mended my hair?
Sir To. Paft queilion ; for 6 thou feeft, it will not
curl by nature,
Sir And. But it becomes me well enough, does't
not ? ,
Sir To. Excellent ! it hangs like flax on a diftaff;
'and I hope to fee a houfewife take thee between her
legs, and fpin it off.
Sir And. Faith, I'll home to-morrow, fir Toby :
your niece will not be fecn ; or, if me be, it's four to
one lhe'11 none of me : the count himfclf, here hard
by, wooes her.
Sir To. She'll none 6'the count; flie'll not match
* In former copies ; 'tbtntfcc/t, it will ncfcool my nature."]
read : it wot not curl by nature. The joke is evident.
WAR BURTON*.
This emendation is Theobald's, though adopted without acknow-
ledgement by Dr. Warburton. STEEVENS.
M 3 above
1*6 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
above her degree, neither in eftate, years, nor wit; I
have heard her fwear it. Tut, there's life in't, man.
Sir And. I'll flay a month longer. I am a fellow
o'the ftrangeft mind i'the world ; I delight in mafques
and revels fometimes altogether.
Sir 'To. Art thou good at thefe kick-fliaws, knight ?
Sir And. As any man in Illyria, whatfoever he be,
tinder the degree of my betters ; 7 and yet I will not
compare with an old man.
Sir To. What is thy excellence in a galliard, knight ?
Sir And. 'Faith, I can cut a caper.
Sir To. And I can cut the mutton to't.
Sir And. And, I think, I have the back-trick, (im-
ply as ftrong as any man in Illyria.
Sir To. Wherefore are thefe things hid ? wherefore
have thefe gifts a curtain before them ? are they like
to take duft, like miftrefs Mall's picture 8 ? why doft
thou
7 and yet I luillnot compare <v:itb an old man.~\ This is
intended as a fatire on that common vanity of old men, in prefer-
ring their own times, and the paft generation, to the prelent.
WAR BURTON.
This firoke of pretended fatire, but ill accords with the cha-
racter of the foolifh knight. Ague-cbeeli^ though willing enough
to arrogate to himfelf fuch experience as is commonly the acquifi-
tion of age, is yet careful to exempt his perfon from being com-
pared with its bodily weakneis. In fhort, he would fay with Fal-
Jtaff: " / am old in nothing but my undc rjlanding" STEEVENS.
8 'miftrefs Mall's pitfure ? J The real name of the woman
whom I fuppofe to have been meant by Sir Toty, was Mary Frith.
The appellation by which fhe was generally known, vtz&Mall Cut-
purfe. She was at once A.nbermapbroJlte, a proftitute, a bawd, a bully,
a thief, a receiver of ftolen goods, &c. &c. On the books of the
Stationers' Company, Augurt 1610, is entered " A Booke
called the Madde Prancks of Merry Mall of the Bankiide, with
her walks in man's apparel, and to what purpofe. Written by-
John Day." Middleton and Decker wrote a comedy, of which fhe
is the heroine. In this, they have given a very flattering repre-
fentation of her, as they-obferve in their preface, that " it is the
excellency of a writer to leave things better than he finds them."
The title^ of this piece is Tie Roaring Girl, or, Mall Cut -pur fe\
af it bath been lately afted on the Fortune Stage, by the Prince bis
Players,
WHAT YOU WILL. 167
thou not go to church in a gal Hard, and come home
in a coranto ? my very walk Ihould be a jig ; I would
not fo much as make water, but in a fink-a-pace 9 .
What doft thou mean ? is it a world to hide virtues
in ? I did think, by the excellent conftitution of thy
leg, it was form'd under the ftar of a galliard.
Sir And. Ay, 'tis ftrong, and it does indifferent well
in a flame-colour'd flock '. Shall we fet about fome
revels ?
Sir To* What ftiall we do elfc ? were we not born
under Taurus ?
Players, 161 1. The frontifpiece toil contains a full length of her
in man's clothes, fmonking tobacco. Nat/j. Field, in his Amtmis
for Ladies, another comedy, 1059, gives the following character
of her :
" Hence lewd impudent,
I know not what to term thee, man or woman,
For nature, {haming to acknowledge thee
For either, hath produc'd thee to the world
Without a fex : Some lay that thou art woman,
Others, a man ; to many thou art both
Woman and man ; but I think rather neither ;
Or man, or horfc, as Centaurs old was ieign'd."
A life of this woman was likewife published, izmo, in, 1662, with
her portrait before it in a male habit ; an ape, a lion, and an eagle
by her. As this extraordinary perfonage appears to have partook
ot both fexes, the curtain which Sir Toly mentions, would not have
been uimeceflarily drawn before fuch a picture of. her as might
have been exhibited in an age, of which neither too much delicacy
cr decency was the chara&eriflick. STEEVENS.
ajink-a-pace. ] i.e. a cinque-pace ; the name of a
dance, the meafur-es whereof are regulated by the number five.
The word occurs eltewhere in our author. SIR J. HAWKINS.
1 Jlame-colour'ajlock. ] The old copy reads a dam\l
colour' djlock. Stocking were in Shakefpeare's time, called Jiocks.
So, in Jack Drum's Entertainment, 1601 :
" or would my iilk_/W fhould lofe his glofs elfe."
The fame folicitude concerning the furniture of the legs, makes
part of mailer Stephen's character in Kveiy Man in bis Humour :
" I think my leg would (how well in afilk hofe."
STE EVENS.
M 4 Sir
i68 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Sir And. Taurus ? that's fides and heart *.
Sir To. No, fir ; it is legs and thighs. Let me fee
thce caper: ha! higher: ha, ha! excellent!
[Exeunt.
SCENE IV.
The palace.
Enter Valentine, and Viola in man's attire.
Vol. If the duke continue thefe favours towards
you, Cefario, you are like to be much advanc'd ; he
hath known you but three days, and already you arc
no ftranger.
Vw. You either fear his humour, or my negligence,
that you call in queftion the continuance of his love :
Is he inconftant, fir, in his favours ?
Val. No, believe me.
Enter Duke, Curio, and attendants.
Vio. I thank you. Here conies the count.
Duke. Who faw Cefario, ho ?
Vio. On your attendance, my lord ; here.
Duke. Stand you a-while aloof. Cefario,
Thou know'ft no lefs but all ; I have unclafp'd
To thee the book even of my fecret foul :
Therefore, good youth, addrefs thy gait unto her;
Be not deny'd accefs, fland at her doors,
And tell them, there thy fixed foot lhall grow,
'Till thou have audience.
Vio. Sure, my noble lord,
If fhe be fo abandon'd to her forrow
As it is fpoke, Hie never will admit me.
-* Taurus ? tbafsjides and heart.'] Alluding to the medical aftro-
logy ftill preferved in almanacks, which refers the affeclions of
particular parts of the body, to the predominance of particular
conftellations. JOHNSON.
Duke.
WHAT YOU WILL. ify
Duke. Be clamorous, and leap all civil bounds,
Rather than make unprofited return.
V"io. Say, I do fpeak with her, my lord; What then?
Duke. O, then, unfold the paffion of my love,
Surprize her with difcourfe of my dear faith :
It ihall become thee well to aft my woes ;
She will attend it better in thy youth,
Than in a nuncio of more grave afpeft.
Vio. I think not fo, my lord.
Duke. Dear lad, believe it;
For they Ihall yet belye thy happy years,
That fay, thou art a man : Diana's lip
Is not more fmooth, and rubious ; thy fmall pipe
Is as the maiden's organ, flirill, and found,
And all is femblative a woman's part J .
I know, thy conftellation is right apt
For this affair : Some four, or five, attend him ;
All, if you will ; for I myfelf am befi,
When lead in company : Profper well in this,
And thou fhalt live as freely as thy lord,
To call his fortunes thine.
Vio. I'll do my beft,
To woo your lady : [_ExitDuke.~\ yet, a barrful ftrife +!
Who-e'er I woo, myfelf would be his wife. [Exeunt*
SCENE V.
Olivias loufe.
Enter Maria and Clown.
Mar. Nay, either tell me where thou haft been, or
I will not open my lips, fo wide as a brittle may enter,
3 a woman's part. ,]
That is, thy proper part in a play would be a woman's. Women
were then perfonated by boys. JOHNSON.
4 - a barrful Jlrifc .']
i. e. a conteft full of impediments. STEEVENS.
in
3 7 o TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
in way of thy excufe : my lady will hang thee for
thy abfence.
Go. Let her hang me : he, that is well hang'd in
this world, needs fear no colours s .
Mar. Make that good.
Clo. He ihall fee none to fear.
Mar. A good lenten 6 anfwer : I can tell thee where
that faying was born, of, I fear no colours.
Clo. Where, good miitrefs Mary ?
Mar. In the wars ; and that may you be bold to
fay in your foolery.
Clo. Well, God give them wifdom, that have it; and
thofe that are fools, let them ufe their talents.
Mar. Yet you will be hang'd, for being fo long ab-
fent, or be turn'd away ; Is not that as good as a hang-
ing to you ?
Clo, Marry, a good hanging prevents a bad mar-
riage; 7 and, for turning away, let fummer bear it out.
Mar.
5 fear no colours."} This exprefiion frequently occurs in
the old plays. So, in Ben Jonfon's Sejanus. The perfons con-
verling are Sejanus, and Eudemus the phylician to the princefs
J-avia:
* c Sef. You miniiler to a royal lady then.
'* E'uJ. She is, my lord, and fair.
*' Se>- That's underftood
'* Of all their fex, who are or would be (b j
'* And thofe that would be, phyfick foon can make 'em :
** For thofe that are, their beauties fear no colours."
Again, in the Two Angry Women of Abington^ 1599 :
44 are you difpofed, fir ?
" Yes indeed : I fear no colours ; change fides, Richard."
STEEVENS.
*-! lenten anfiver: ] A lean, or as we now call it, a dry
anfwer. JOHNSON.
Sure a lenten anfwer, rather means a JJ-ort and (pare one, like
the commons \nlent. So, in Hamlet : " what lenten. enter-
tainment the players {hall receive from you." STEEVENS.
7 ...... and for turning away, let fummer bear it out.] This
feems to be a pun from the nearnefs in the pronunciation of turn-
ing away and turning of <wbey.
I found this obfervation among fome papers of the late Dr.
Letherland,
WHAT YOU WILL, 171
Mar. You are refolute then ?
Cto. Not fo neither; but 1 am refolv'd on two points.
Mar. That, if one break, the other will hold ; or,
if both break, your gafkins fall.
Clo. Apt, in good faith ; very apt ! Well, go thy
way ; if fir Toby would leave drinking, thou wert as
witty a piece of Eve's fiefh as any in Illyria.
Mar. Peace, you rogue, no more o'that ; here
comes my lady : make your excufe wifely, you were
bell. [Exit.
Enter Olivia? and Malvolio.
Clo. Wit, and't be thy will, put me into good
fooling ! Thofe wits, that think they have thee, do
very oft prove fools; and I, that am furc I lack thee,
may pafs for a wife man : For what lays Quinapa-
lus ? Better a witty fool, than a foolilh wit 8 .
God blefs thee, lady !
Oli. Take the fool away.
Clo. Do you not hear, fellows? take away the lady.
Oil. Go to, you're a dry fool ; I'll no more of you :
bc-fides, you grow difhoneft.
Cio. Two faults, Madonna 9 , that drink and good
Letherlarid, for the perufal of which, I am happy to have an op-
portunity of returning my particular thanks to Mr. Glover, the
author of Medea and LconiJas, by whom, before, I had been obli-
ged only in common with the fen of the world,
I am yet of opinion that this note, however fpecious, is wrong,
the literal meaning being eafy and appofite. For turning away , let
fummer bear it out. It is common tor uniettled and vagrant ferv-
ing-men, to grow negligent of their bulinefs towards futnmer ;
and the fenfe of the paifage is: If I am turned away^ the advan-
tages of the approaching Jummer ivi!! bear out, or fupport all the in-
conveniences of tlifmijjion ; for I Jliall find employment in every Jleld t
and lodging under every hedge. STEEVENS.
8 Better a witty fool, than a fonliJJj ivif. ] Hall, in
his Chronicle, (peaking of the death of Sir Thomas More, lays,
*' that he knows not whether to call him a faolijfj wife man^ or a
r M : fe fooliJJ) nia/i." JOHNSON.
9 Madonna, ] Ita!. miftrefs, dame. So, La MaJdona. t
by way of pre-eminence, the BleJJcd /7'^/V/. STEEVENS.
counfcl
172 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
counfel will amend: for give the dry fool drink, then
is the fool not dry ; bid the difhoncft man mend him-
felf ; if he mend, he is no longer diihoneft; if he can-
not, let the botcher mend him : Any thing, that's
mended, is but patch'd : virtue, that tranfgrefles, is
but patch'd with fin ; and fin, that amends, is but
patch'd with virtue: If that this fimple fyllogifm will
ferve, fo; if it will not, What remedy ? as there is no
true cuckold but calamity, fo beauty's a flower : the
lady bade take away the fool ; therefore, I fay again,
take her away.
OK. Sir, I bade them take away you.
Clo. Mifprilion in the higheft degree ! Lady, Cu-
cullus nonfacit monacbum; that's as much as to fay, I
wear not motley in my brain. Good Madonna, give
me leave to prove you a fool.
Oli. Can you do it ?
Clo. Dexterouily, good Madonna.
Oli. Make your proof.
. Clo. I mufl catechize you for it, Madonna; Good
my moufe of virtue, anfwer me.
Oli. Well, fir, for want of other idlenefs, I'll bid^
your proof.
Clo. Good Madonna, why mourn'ft thou ?
Oli. Good fool, for my brother's death.
Clo. I think, his foul is in hell, Madonna.
Oli. 1 know his foul is in heaven, fool.
Clo. The more fool you, Madonna, to mourn for
your brother's foul being in heaven. Take away the
fool, gentlemen.
Oli. What think you of this fool, Malvolio ? doth
he not mend ?
Mai. Yes ; and fliall do, till the pangs of death
lhake him : Infirmity, that decays the wife, doth ever
make the better fool.
Clo. God fend you, fir, a fpeedy infirmity, for the
better encreafing your folly ! fir Toby will be fworn,
that
WHAT YOU WILL; ?73
that I am no fox ; but he will not pafs his word for
two pence that you are no fool.
Oil. How fay you to that, Malvolio ?
Mill. I marvel your ladyfhip takes delight in fuch
a barren rafcal ; I faw him put down the other day
with an ordinary fool, that has no more brain than a
flone : Look you now, he's out of his guard already;
imlefs you laugh and minuter occafion to him, he is
gagg'd. I proteft, I take thefe wife men, that crow
Ib at thefe fet kind of fools, no better than the fools*
zanies.
OIL O, you are fick of felf love, Malvolio, and
tafte with a diftemper'd appetite : to be generous,
guiltlefs, and of free difpofition, is to take thofc
things for bird-bolts, that you deem cannon-bullets :
There is no iiander in an allow'd fool, though he do
nothing but rail ; nor no railing in a known difcreec
man, though he do nothing but reprove.
Clo. l Now Mercury indue thee with leafing, for
thou fpeak'ft well of fools !
Enter Maria.
Mar. Madam, there is at the gate a young gentle*
man, much defires to fpeak with you.
Oli. From the count Orlino, is it ?
1 Notv Mercury indue tbee with leafing, for tbou fyeaPft well of
fools /] This is a ilupid blunder. We fhould read, with pleafing,
i. c. with eloquence, make thee a gracious and powerful fpeaker,
for Mercury was the god of orators as well as cheats. But the firlt
editors, who did not underftand thephrafe, indue thte with plcaf-
iu.g , made this foolifh correction ; more excufable, however, thaji
the lail editor's, who, when this emendation was pointed out tx>
him, would make one of his own ; and fo, in his Oxford edition,
reads, with learning ; without troubling himfelf to fitisty the
reader how the firft editor Ihould blunder in a word fo cafy to be
underftood as learning^ though they well might in the word pleaf-
ing, as it is uied in this place. WAR BURTON.
I think the prefent reading more humourous. May Mercury
teach tbee to /:r, face thou tlejl in favour off^oli, JOH.NSON.
I 7 4 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Mar. I know not, madam ; 'tis a fair young man/
and well attended.
Oli. Who of my people hold him in delay ?
Mar. Sir Toby, madam, your kinfman.
OH- Fetch him off, I pray you ; he fpeaks nothing
but madman ; Fie on him ! Go you, Malvolio : if it
be a fuit from the count, I am fick, or not at home ;
what you will, to difmifs it. [_Rxlt Maholw.~\ Now
you fee, fir, how your fooling grows old, and people
dillike it.
Clo. Thou haft fpoke for us, Madonna, as if thy
cldert fon ihould be a fool : whofe fcull Jove cram
with brains, for here comes one of thy kin has a moft
weak pia mater !
Enter Sir Toby.
OIL By mine honour, half drunk. W r hat is he at
the gate, coufin ?
Sir To. A gentleman.
Oli. A gentleman ? What gentleman ?
Sir To. * 'Tis a gentleman here A plague o'thefc
pickle-herring ! How now, fot ?
Clo. Good Sir Toby,
OK. Coufin, coufin, how have you come fo early
by this lethargy ?
* 'T'is a gentleman. Here ] He had before faid it was a
gentleman. He was afked what gentleman ? and he makes thi
reply ; which, it is plain, is corrupt, and (hould be read thus :
'7?j a gtntleman-\&\t.
5. e. feme lady's eldeft fon juft come out of the nurfery ; for this
was the appearance Viola made in men's clothes. See the cha-
racter Malvolio draws of him prefently after. WAR EUR TON.
Can any thing be plainer than that Sir Toby was going to de-
fcribe the gentleman, but was interrupted by the effe&s of his
pickle-herring f I would print it as an imperfect lentence. Mr.
Edwards has the fame obfervation. STEEVEXS.
Mr. Steevens's interpretation may be right : yet Dr Warburton's
reading is not fo ftrange, as it has been reprefemed. In Rroome's
Jovial Crew, Scentwell fays to the gypiies : " We mull find &
young gentlewoman-heir among you." FARMER.
WHAT YOU WILL. 17^
Sir "To. Lechery ! I defy lechery : There's one at
the gate.
Oli. Ay, marry ; what is he ?
Sir To. Let him be the devil, an he will, I care
not : give me faith, fay I. Well, it's all one. [Exit.
OIL What's a drunken man like, fool ?
Clo. Like a drown'd man, a fool, and a madman :
one draught above heat J makes him a fool ; the fe-
cond mads him ; and a third drowns him.
Oil. Go thou and feek the coroner, and let him fit
o' my coz ; for he's in the third degree of drink, he's
drown'd : go, look after him.
Clo. He is but mad yet, Madonna ; and the fool
ihall look to the madman. [Exit
Re-enter Malvolio.
Mai. Madam, yond young fellow fwears he will
fpeak with you. I told him you were fick ; he takes
on him to underfland fo much, and therefore comes
to fpeak with you : I told him you were afleep ; he
ieems to have a fore-knowledge of that too, and there-
fore comes to fpeak with you. What is to be faid to
him, lady ? he's fortified againft any denial.
Oli. Tell him, he fhall not fpeak with me.
Mai. He has been told fo ; and he fays, he'll *ftand
at
3 above heat - ] i. e. above the ftate of being warm in a
proper degree. STEEVEXS.
* - Jtand at your door like afierlfipoft,] It was thecuf-
tom. for that officer to have large pojls let up at his door, as an in-
dication of his office. The original of which was, that the king's
proclamations, and other public a&s, might be affixed thereon by
way of publication, So, Jonfon's Every Man out of bis Humour:
" --- put off
" To the lord Chancellor's tomb, or the Shrives fojls. rt
So again, in the old play called Lingua:
" Knows he how to become a fearlet gown, hath he a pair of
frefli pofti at his doorr" WAX BUR TON.
Dr. Letherland was of oph.ion, thu: " by this pofl is meant a
pvft
176 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
at your door like a ftieriff 's poll, and be the fuppprtrf
to a bench, but he'll fpeak with you.
OU. What kind of man is he ?
Mai. Why, of man kind.
OU. What manner of man ?
Mai. Of very ill manner ; he'll fpeak with you>
\vill you, or no.
On. Of what perfonage, and years, is he ?
Mai. Not yet old enough for a man, nor young
enough for a boy ; as a fquaih is before 'tis a peafcod,
or a codling when 'tis almoft an apple : 'tis with him
e'en {landing water, between boy and man. He is
.very well-favour'd, and he fpeaks very Ihrewifhly ;
one would think, his mother's milk were fcarce out of
him.
On. Let him approach : Call in my gentlewoman.
Mai. Gentlewoman, my lady calls. [Exit*
Re- enter Maria.
OH. Give me my veil: come, throw it o'er my face;
We'll once more hear Orfmo's embafly.
Enter Viola.
Via. The honourable lady of the houfe, which is
flie?
jsoft to mount his horfe from, a horfeblock, which, by thecuftom
cf the city, is ftill placed at the flieriff's door."
In the Contention for Honour and Riches, 3. mafque by Shirly,
1633, one of the competitors ivvears
" By the Shric^ves poft, &c."
Again, in A Woman never vex'd, Com. by Rowley, 1632 j
" If e'er I live to fee \hcejber iff of London,
" I'll gild thy painted pofts cum privilegio."
Again, in Cyntbias Revels, by B. Jonfon :
" The provident painting of his pojls, againft he fliould hav$
been pra;tor."
Again, in Hey wood's Englijh Traveller, 1633 :
*' What brave carv'd /<?/?.?? who knows but here
* In time, fir, you may keep JQVX Jbrivalty ?"
STEEVEXS.
on.
WHAT YOU WI.LL. 177
Oil. Speak to me, I mall aniwer for her ; Your
will ?
Vio. Moil radiant, exquifite, and unmatchable beau-
ty, I pray yon, tell me, if this be the lady of the
houfe, for I never faw her : I would be loth to caft-
away my fpeech ; for, befides that it is excellently
well penn'd, I have taken great pains to con it. Good
beauties, let me fuftain no fcorn ; 5 1 am very comp-
tiblej even to the ieaft fmifter ufage.
Oli. Whence came you, fir ?
Vio. I can fay little more than I have ftudied, and
that queflion's out of my part. Good gentle one,
give me modeft aflurance, if you be the lady of the
houfe, that I may proceed in my fpeech.
Oil. Are you a comedian ?
Vio. No, my profound heart : and yet, by the very
fangs of malice, I fvvcar, I am not that I play. Are
you the lady of the houfe ?
OIL If I do not ufurp myfelf, I am.
Vio. Moft certain, if you are me, you do ufurp
yourfelf ; for what is yours to bcftow, is not yours to
referve. But this is from my commiffion : I will on
with my fpeech in your praife, and then Ihew you the
heart of my meflage.
OIL Come to what is important in't : I forgive you
the praife.
Vio. Alas, I took great pains to ftudy it, and 'tis
poetical.
OIL It is the more like to be feign'd ; I pray you,
keep it in. I heard, you were faucy at my gates; and
allow'd your approach, rather to wonder at you thaa
s to hear you. If you be not mad, be gone ; if you
5 1 am very compt'Me^ ] ComptlUe for ready to call to
account. WAR BURTON.
Viola feems to mean iuft the contrary. She begs (lie may not
be treated with fcorn, "becaufu fhc is very fubmiifive, even to
lighter marks of reprchenfiou. STEEVENS.
VOL. IV. N have
i 7 3 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
have reafon, be brief : 'tis not that time of the moon
with me, to make one in fo 6 flopping a dialogue.
Mar. Will you hoift fail, fir ? here lies your \vayv
Vio. No, good fwabber ; I am to hull here a little
longer 7 . Some mollification for your 8 giant, fweet
lady.
9 OIL Tell me your mind.
Vio. I am a mefTenger.
OIL Sure, you have fome hideous matter to deliver,
xvhen the courtefy of it is fo fearful. Speak your
office.
Vio. It alone concerns your ear. I bring no over-
ture of war, no taxation of homage ; I hold the olive
in my hand : my words are as full of peace as matter.
Oil. Yet you began rudely. What are you ? what
wbuld you ?
Vw. The rudenefs, that hath appeared in me, havtf
6 -flipping ] Wild, frolick, mad. JOHNSO.V.
So, in K. Henry IV. P. 1 :
I " The flipping king, he ambled up and down &c. rt
STEEVEVS.
7 . I am to hull ken ] To lull means to drive to and
fro upon the water, without fails or rudder. So, in the Noble
Soldier , 1634 :
" That all thefe mifchiefs foflwith flagging fail."
STEEVEKS.
8 Some mollification for your giant,* ] Ladies, in romance^
re guarded by giants, who repel all improper or troublefome ad-
vances. Viola, feeing the waiting-maid fo eager to oppofe her
meflage, intreats Olivia to pacify her giant. JOHNSON.
Viola likewife alludes to the diminutive iize of Maria, who is
called on fubfequent occafions, little villain, youngeft ivren of
nine, &c. STEEVENS.
>Vio. Tell me your mind, I am a mejfinger. ] Thefe word*
muft be divided between the two fpeakers thus :
Oli. Tell me your mind.
Vio. / am a taffjingcr.
Viola growing troublefome, Olivia \vould difmifs her, and there-
fore cuts her fhort with this command, T'ell me your mind. The
other, taking advantage of the ambiguity or the word mind, which
fignifies either bufinefs or inclination?, replies as if flic had uied it
iu the latter fenfe, I am a mtfltHgtr* WARBURTOX.
I learn'd
WH A T YOU WILL. i 79
I learn'd from my entertainment. What I am, and
what I would, arc as fecret as maiden-head : to your
ears, divinity ; to any other's, prophanation.
OIL Give us the place alone : [Exit Maria.~\ we will
hear this divinity. Now, fir, what is your text ?
Vio. Moft fwcet lady,
OIL A comfortable doctrine, and much may be
faid of it. Where lies your text ?
Vio. In Orfino's bofoin.
Oil. In his bofom ? in what chapter of his bofom ?
Vio. To anfwer by the method, in the firft of his
heart.
Oil. O, I have read it ; it is herefy. Have you
no more to fay ?
Flo. Good madam, let me fee your face.
Oil. Have you any commiffion from your lord to
negotiate with my face ? you are now out of your
text : but we will draw the curtain, and fhew you the
picture. ' Look you, fir, fuch a one I was this pre-
fent : Is't not well done ? [Unveiling.
Vio. Excellently done, if God did all.
Oli. 'Tis in grain, fir; 'twill endure wind and
weather.
Vio. J Tis beauty truly blent % whofe red and white
Nature's
1 Look you, Jir, fucb a one /was this prefent : is't not well
Jonef] This is nonfenle. The change of was to wear, I think,
clears all up, and gives the expreffion an air of gallantry. Viola
prefles to fee Olivia's face : The other at length pulls off her veil,
and fays : IVe 'Mill drcrw the curtain, anJJbew you the picture. I
wear this complexion to day, I may wear another to morrow ; jo-
cularly intimating, that fhe^te/ffW. The other, vext at the jeft,
fays, " Excellently doiit^ if God did all." Perhaps, it may be
true, what you fay in jeft; otherwife 'tis an excellent face. 'Tis
ingrain, &c. replies Olivia. WARLURTON.
I am not fatisfied with this emendation. She fays, I was this
prefent, inftead of faying I am ; becaufe ihe had once fhewn her-
lelf, and perfonates the beholder, who is afterwards to :nake the
relation. STEEVENS.
a 'Tis leauty trufy blent, ] 5. e. blended, mix'd together:
N 2 Blent
iSo TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Nature's own fweet and cunning hand laid on :
Lady, you are the cruell'ft fhe alive,
3 If you will lead thefe graces to the grave,
And leave the world no copy.
OH. O, fir, I will not be fo hard hearted ; I will
give out diverfe fchedules of my beauty : It ihall be
inventoried ; arrd every particle, and utenfil, labell'd
to my will : as, itern, two lips indifferent red ; item,
two grey eyes, with lids to them ; item, one neck,
one chin, and fo forth. Were you" fent hither to 'praife
me * ?
Vio. I fee you what yon are : you are too proud y
But, if you were the devil, you are fair.
My lord and matter loves you ; O, fuch love
Could be but recompens'd, though you were crown'd
The non-parcil of beauty !
OH. How does he love me ?
Flo. With adorations, with fertile tears,
Blfnt is the antient participle of the verb to blend. So, in a Look-
ing Glafs for London and En gland \ 1617 :
" the beautiful encreafe
" Is wholly blent."
Again, in Spenfer's Faery Qucin^ b. i. c. 6 :
" for having blent
*'. My name with guile, and traiterous intent." STEEVE\S.
3 If you iv ill lead thefe graces to the grave ^
And leave tie ivorld no copy.~\
How much more elegantly is this thought exprefled by Shake-
fpeare, than by Beaumont and Fletcher in their Pbilafter?
" I grieve fuch virtue fliould be laid in earth
" Without an heir."
Shakefpeare has copied himfelf in his i ith fonnet :
" She carv'd thee for her feal, and meant thereby
*' Thou fhould'ft print more, nor let that copy die."
Again, in the $d fonnet :
" Die finglc, and thine image dies with thee."
SXEEVEN'S.
4 IfarcyorifeHtbit/jertflprAifeme?] The foregoing words
fcbeJulfAnA. inventoried, ftiev/, I think, that this ought to be printed:
" Were you ftnt hither to 'praife me ?
i. e. to appretiate or appraife me. MAI.OKE*
With
WHAT YOU WILL. iSi
5 With groans that thunder love, with fighs of fire.
OK. Your lord does know my mind, I cannot love
him :
Yet I fuppofe him virtuous, know him noble,
Of great eftate, of frclh and ftainlefs youth ;
In voices well divulg'd, free, Jearn'dj and valiant,
And, in dimenfioii, and the fhape of nature.,
A gracious perfon : but yet I cannot love him ;
He might have took his anfwer long ago.
Vlo. If I did love you in my matter's flame,
With fuch a fuffering, fuch a deadly life,
In your denial I would find no fenfe,
I would not underiland it.
Oli.. Why, what would you ?
Vio. Make me a willow cabin at your .gate,
And call upon my foul within the houfe ;
Write loyal cantos of contemned love,
And ling them loud even in the dead of night ;
f Haloo your name to the reverberate hills,
And make the babling goffip of the air
Cry out, Olivia ! O, you ihould not reft
Between the elements of air and earth.,
But you ihould pity me.
This line
5 With groans that ihunder love, withJighsoffireC\
lis line is worthy of Dryden's Almanzor, and if not faid in
.mockery of amorous hyperboles, might be regarded as a ridicule
On a paffage in Chapman's tranllation of the firll book of Hoiiicr^
1598:
" Jove thunder 1 d out ajtgb',"
0r, on another in Lodge's Rnfalynde, i 592 :
" The winds of my deepe lighes
" That thunder ftill for noughts, &c. w STEEVENS.
6 Halloo yow name to the reverberate hills,']
J have corrected, revcrlerant. THEOBALD.
Mr. Upton well obferves, that Shnkefpeare frequently ufes thr
adjective paffive, afti-vely. Theobald's emendation is therefore
iinneceflary. B. Jonfon in one of his mafques at court, fays :
" which fkill, Pythagoras
" Firfl taught to men by a reverberate glafs." STEEVENS.
N 3 Qli f
i8 2 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
OIL You might do much : What is your parent-*
age ?
Flo. Above myfortunes, yet my flate is well :
I am a gentleman.
OIL Get you to your lord ;
I cannot love him : let him fend no more ;
Unlefs, perchance, you come to me again,
To tell me how he takes it. Fare you well :
I thank you for your pains : fpend this for me.
Vio. I am no fee'd poft, ladv ; keep your purfc j
My mafter, not myfelf, lacks recompence,
Love make his heart of flint, that you fhall love ;
And let your fervour, like my mailer's, be
Plac'd in contempt ! Farevvel, fair cruelty. [E.v;/,
OIL What is your parentage ?
Above my fortunes, yet my fate is well:
I am a gentleman. Fll be fworn thou art ;
Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, adlions, and fpirit,
Do give thee five-fold blazon : Not too fait; loft !
foft!
Unlefs the matter were the man. How now ?
Even fo quickly may one catch the plague ?
Methinks, I feel this youth's perfections,
"With an invifible and fubtle ftealth,
To creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be,;
What, ho, Malvolio!
Re-enter Malvolio*
Mai. Here, madam, at your fervice.
OIL Run after that fame pcevifh nieflenger,
The county's man : he left this ring behind him.
Would I, or not ; tell him, I'll none of it.
Defire him not to flatter with his lord,
Nor hold him up with hopes ; I am not for him ;
If that the youth will come this way to-morrow,
I'll give him rcafons for't. Hye thee, Malvolio.
Mai Madam, I will. [Exit.
OIL
WH AT YOU WILL. 183
Oil. I do I know not what ; and fear to find
7 Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind.
Fate, Ihew thy force : Ourfelvcs we do not owe ;
What is decreed, muft be ; and be this fo ! [Exif.
A C T II. S C E N E I.
Enter Antonio and Sebaftian.
Ant. Will you ftay no longer ? nor will you not,
that I go with you ?
Self. By your patience, no : my ftars Ihine darkly
over me ; the malignancy of my fate might, perhaps,
-diilcmper yours \ therefore I Ihall crave of you your
leave, that I may bear my evils alone : It were a bad
recompence for your lov.e, to lay any of them on you.
Ant. Let me yet know of you, whither you are
bound.
Seb. No, in footh, fir ; my determinate voyage is
meer extravagancy. But I perceive in you fo excel-
lent a touch of modefty, that you will not extort from
me what I am willing to keep in ; therefore it charges
me in manners the rather 8 to exprefs myfelf : You
muft know of me then, Antonio, my name is Sc-
baftian, which I call'd Rodorigo; my father was that
Sebaflian of Mcflaline 9 , whom I know, you have
heard
7 Mine eye &c.] I believe the meaning is ; I am not miftrefs
of my own a&ions, I am afraid that my eyes betray me, and
flatter the youth without my coufent, with discoveries of love.
JOHNSON'.
8 to exprefs niyfdf: - ] That is, to reveal myfclf.
JOHNSON.
9 - MeJJaUne t - ] Sir Thomas Hanmer very judicioufly
offers to read Mttin. an illand in the Archipelago ; but Shake-
N 4 f P ear
1 84 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
heard of : he left behind him, myfelf, and a fitter,
both born in an hour; If the heavens had beenpleas'd,
would we had fo ended ! but you, fir, alter'd that ;
for, fome hour before you took me from the breach
of the fea, was my fifter drown'd.
Ant. Ahs, the day !
Seb. A lady, fir, though it was faid fhe much rc-
fembled rne ? was yet of many accounted beautiful :
but, though I could not, l with fuch eflimable wonder,
over-far believe that, yet thus far I will boldly pub-
lifh her, fhe bore a mind that envy could not but call
fair : fhe is drown'd already, fir, with fait water,
though I feem to drown her remembrance again with
more.
Ant. Pardon me, fir, your bad entertainment,
Seb. O good Antonio, forgive me your trouble.
Ant. If you will not murther me for my love, let
me be your fervant.
Seb. If you will not undo what you have done.,
that is, kill him whom you have recover'd, deiire it
not. Fare ye well at once : my bofom is full of kind-
nefs ; and 1 am yet fo near the manners of my mother.,
that upon the leaft occafion more, mine eyes will tell
tales of me. I am bound to the count Orfmo's court :
farevvel. [Exit.
fpeare knew little of geography, and was not at all folicitous about
orthographical nicety. The fame miftake occurs in the con-
cluding fcene of the play :
" Of Mcjjaline ; Sebaftian was my father." STEEVENS.
1 with/neb eftimable wonder , ] Thefe words Dr. War-
burton calls an interpolation of the players, but what did the players
gain by it ? they may be fometimes guilty of a joke without the
concurrence of the poet, but they never lengthen a fpeech only
to make it longer. Shakefpeare often confounds the active and
pallive adjectives. Eflimable Bonder is cjlccming wnJtr, or v.-oj-
Jcr and ejfccm. The meaning is, that he could not venture to
think fo highly as others of his filter. JOHXSON,
Thus Milton ufes uncxprefi-je notes for unexprrjjing, in his hymn
on the Nativity. MALONE.
Aftt.
WHAT YOU WILL. 184
Ant. The gcntleneis of all the gods go with thee !
J hare many enemies in Orfmo's court,
Elfe would I very fhortly fee thee there :
Put, come what may, I do adore thee fo,
That danger mall feem fport, and I will go, [v;V,
SCENE II.
Enter Viola and Malvolio, at fever al doors,
Mai. Were not you even now with the countcfs
Olivia ?
Vio. Even now, fir ; on a moderate pace I have
nnce arrived but hither.
Mai. She returns this ring to yon, fir ; you might
have faved me my pains, to have taken it away your-
felf. She adds moreover, that you mould put your
lord into a defperate affurance me will none of him ;
And one thing more ; that you be never fo hardy to
come again in his affairs, unlefs it be to report your
lord's taking of this. Receive it fo.
Vio. She took the ring of me, I'll none of it.
Mai. Come, fir, you peevimly threw it to her ; and
her will is, it mould be fo return'd : if it be worth
(looping for, there it lies in your eye ; if not, be it his
that finds it. [Exit.
Vio. I left no ring with her : What means this lady ?
Fortune forbid, my outfide have not charm'd her !
She made good view of me ; indeed fo much,
That, lure *, methought ' her eyes had loft her tongue,
For
a tkaf, fare, ] Sure has been added, to complete the
rerfe. STEEVENS.
3 . i i. her eyes bad loft her tongue,]
This is nonfenfe : we fliould read :
her eyes bad croft her tongue^
Alluding to the notion of the fafcination of the eyes ; the effects
of which were called crqfltng. WAREURTOX.
That the fafcination of the eyes was called croffing, ought tohaTe
been proved. But however tliat be, the prelcnt reading has not
only
186 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
For Ihe did fpeak in ftarts diftraftcdly.
She loves me, fare ; the cunning of her paffion
Invites me in this churlim mcffenger.
None of my lord's ringi why, he lent her none,
I am the man ; If it be fo, (as 'tis)
Poor lady, fhe were better love a dream.
Difguifc, I fee, thou art a widkednefs,
Wherein 4 the pregnant enemy does much.
How eafy is it, for the proper fa-lfe *
In
only fenfe but beauty. We fay a man lofts his company when
they go one way and he goes another. So .Olivia's tongue loft her
eyes ; her tongue was talking of the duke, and her eyes gazing
on his mefienger. JOHNSON.
+ the pregnant enemy ] Is, I believe, the dexterous
fiend, or enemy of mankind. JOHNSON.
Pregnant is certainly dextrous, or ready. So, in Hamlet : ' ' How
pregnant fometimes his replies are !" STEEVENS.
5 How eafy is it, for the proper falfe
In women's ivaxen hearts to fct their forms /]
This is obfcure. The meaning is, how eafy is difguife to women ;
how eafily does their <^r falfebooa, contained in their waxen
jchangeable hearts, enable them to allume deceitful appearances !
The two next lines are perhaps tranfpoied, and (hould be read thus :
Forfuch as <we are made, iffuch v:e be,
Alas, our frailty is the caufe, not ive. JOHNSON*.
I am not certain thitt this explanation is juft. Viola has been
condemning thofe who difguife themfelves, becaufc Olivia had
fallen in love with a fpe.cious appearance. How eafy is it, fhe
adds, for thofe who are at OVCQ proper (i. e. fair in their appear-
ance) and/rt^7', (i.e. deceitful) to make an impreffion on the hearts
of women? The proper falfe is certainly a leis elegant expreilion
than the fair deceiver, but feems to mean the fame thing. A
proper man, was the ancient phrafe for a hanJfomc man :
* 4 This Ludovico is a proper man." Othello,
The proper falfe may be yet explained another way. Shakefpeare
Ibmetimes ufes proper for peculiar. So, in Othello:
*' In my defunft and a proper fatisfadion."
The proper falfe will then mean thofe who are pec uliarly falfc,
through premeditation and art. To fct their forms means, to plant
their images, /. e. to make an impreffion on their eafy minds.
Mr. Tynvhitt concurs with me in the firlt fuppofition, and adds
" inftead of tranfpoling thele lines according to Dr. Johnfon's
u;;i;ec"ture, I am rather inclined to read the latter thus ;
* For iuch as we are made of t fuch we be."
So,
WH AT YOU WI LL. 187
Jn women's waxen hearts to let their forms !
Alas, our frailty 6 is the caufe, not we ;
For, fuch as we are made, if luch we be.
How will this fadge 7 ? My mafter loves her
And I, poor monfter, fond as much on him;
And fhe, miftaken, leems to dote on me :
What will become of this ? As I am man,
My ftate is de-fpcrate for my mailer's love ;
As I am woman, now alas the day !
What thriftlefs fighs ihall poor Olivia breathe ?
D time, thou mult untangle this, not I ;
Jt is too hard a knot for .me to untye. [.v// t
SCENE III,
Olivia's boufe*
Enter Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew.
Sir To. Approach, fir Andrew ; not to be a-bed
after midnight, is to be up betimes j and dilucuh
furgere, thou know'ft,
JSo, in the Tempeft :
*' we are fuch fluff
" As dreams are made of." STEE'VF.:NS.
For, ft:fb as vje are made, ifju\:b -7W be.~\
i, e. if, fuch as we are made for, luch we be. MALONE.
6 our frailty ] The old copy reads O frailty.
STEEVENS.
7 How will this fadge ? ]
TofaJge, is to fait, to Jit. So, in Decker's comedy of Old For-
tunatus, 1600 :
*' I fliall never faJge with the humour, becaufe I cannot lie.' 1
So, in our author's Love's Labour's Loft :
" We will have, if \h\sf aclgc not, an antick."
iSo, in Mother Bombie, I ^94 :
" I'll have thy advice, and if it^/s^r, thoufhalt eat."
*' But how will hfacigc in the end ?"
' All this /T.^YJ well""
" \Ve are ab.out a mauer of li^erdcnuin, liow will this
-- STEEVENS.
Sir
i&S TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Sir And. Nay, by my troth, I know not: but I"
know, to be up late, is to be up late.
Sir To. A falfe conclufion ; I hate it as an un-
ll'd can : To be up after midnight, and to go to
bed then, is early ; ib that, to go to bed after mid-
night, is to go to bed betimes. Does not our life
confitl of the four elements ?
Sir And. 'Faith, fo they fay ; but, ? I think, it rar
ther confifts of eating and drinking.
Sir To. Thou art a fcholar ; let us therefore eat and
drink. Marian^ I fay ! a ftoop 9 of wine \
Enter Ckivn.
Sir And. Here comes the fool, i 'faith.
do. How now, my hearts ? Did you never fee the
picture of we three ?
S/r To. Welcome, afs. Now let's haye a catch.
Sir And. * By my troth, the fool has an excellent
breaft.
* I think, it rather conjijls of fating anef drinking.'] A ridicule
.on the medical theory of chat time, which iuppofed health to eon--
lift in the juil temperament and balance of thde elements in the
human frame. WARB-URTON..
9 -akftoop ] i.e. a c up. So, \i\Otbcllo:
" Come lieutenant, I have a.jloop of wine." STEEVENS,
1 By my troth* the fool has an excellent breaft. ] Breaft, voice.
JSrtatb has been here propofed : but many inftances may be
brought to juftify the old reading beyond a doubt. In the ftatutes
of Stoke-college, founded by archbifliop Parker, 1535, Strype's
Parker, p. 9 : "Which faid querifters, after their breaftj are
changed, &c." that is, after their voices are broken. In Fiddes*
Life of J'J'olfcy, Append, p. 128: " Singingmen
In Tufler's Httjbandric, p. 155. edit. P. S
The better hrjf, the lelTer reft,
" To ferve the queer .now there now heere."
in this piece, called The Author's Life, tells us that he was
a choir-boy in the collegiate chapel of Wallingford caftle ; and
that, on account of the excellence of his voice, he was fucceffively
removed to various choirs. WAR TON-.
B. Jonfon ufes the word brcttjt in the fame manner, in his Majijue
efGyfJies, p. 623, edit. 1692. In an old play called the 4 P's t
written by j. Hey wood, 15^9) is this pafiage;
" Poticary.
WHAT YOU WILL. i& 9
breaft. I had rather than forty (hillings I had fuch a
kg ; and fo fvveet a breath to fing, as the fool has.
In looth, thou waft in very gracious fooling la ft nighty
when thoii fpok'ft of Pigrogrornitus, of the Vapians
paffing the equinoctial of Queubus; 'twas very good,
TL faith. I fen-t thee fix-pence for thy leman ; Had'it
it*?
Clo.
" Poticary. I pray you, tell me cm you fing ?
*' Peifler. Sir, I have fome light irrfinging.
*' Poticary. But is your breajl any thing fweet ?
" Pedlar. Whatever my Ircetft is, my voice is m.iet.'*
In Tie Pilgrim of B. and Fletcher, the fool fays :
" Let us hear him ling ; he has a fine breafl"
Again, in Middleton's Woman beware Women :
" Yea, the voice too, fir.
" Ay, and a fweet Ireaft too, my lord, I hope."
Again :
" Her father prais'd her Ireaft ; (he'd voice forfootta;
* I marvell'd Ihe fung fo fmall "
Again, in the Martial Maid of B. and Fletcher :'
" Sweet-foea/ted as the nightingale or throfh.' r
I fuppofe this cant term to have been current among the mufi-
cians of the age. All profeffions have in fonie degree their jargon ;
and the remoter they are from liberal fcience, and the lefs conle-
quentiai to the general interefts of life, the more they ilri veto hide
themlelves behind affected terms and barbarous phraleology.
STEEVENS.
a / feat tbee fix-pence far thy lemon; bad'Jlit?] But the
Clown was neither pantlcr, nor butler. The poet's word was cer-
tainly miltaken by the ignorance of the printer. I have reflored,
leman, i. e. I fent thee fix-pence to fpend on thy miftrefs.
THEOBALD.
I receive Theobald's emendation, becaufe I think it throws a
light on the obfcurity of the following fpeech.
Leman is frequently ufed by the ancient writers, and Spenfer
in particular. So again, in The Noble Soldier, 1634. :
" Fright him as he's embracing his new leman.'*
The money was given him for his leman, \. e. his miftrefs. He
fays he did impeticoat the gratuity, i. e. he gave it to \\\s petticoat
companion ; for (fays he) Mafoolio's nofe is no wbipjlock, i. e. Mal-
volio may fmell out our connexion, but his fulpicion will not
prove the inftrument of our puniflunent. My m : Jlrefi has a white
hand, and the myrmidons are no lottk-ah houfes, i. c. my miftrefs is
handfome, but the houfes kept by officers of juftice, are no places
to
i 9 o TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Clo. J I did impeticoat thy gratuity; for MalvolioV
nofe is no whip-iloek : My lady has a white handy
and the Myrmidons are no bottle-ale houfes.
Sir Andt Excellent ! Why, this is the beft fooling/
when all is done. Now, a fong.
Sir !70; Come on j there is fix-pence for you : let's
have a fong.
Sir And. There's a teflril of me too : if one knight
give a
Clo. Would you have a love-fong, or a fong of
good life 4 ?
Sir.
to make merry aha entertain her atj Such may be the meaning
of this whimfical fpeech. A ivhlpjlock is, I believe, the handle of
a whip, round which a ft rap ot leather is ufually twitted, and is
fometimes put for the whip itfelf. So, in Albiunazar^ 1616 :
" out, Carter,
" Hence dirty wblpjlock '*
Again in the Two Angry Women of Abington, 1599 :
'* the coaeh-man lit !
*' His duty is before you to iland,
" Having a lufty ivbipjiock in his hand.'*
The word occurs again in The Span'ify Tragedy, 1605 :
" Bought you a whiftle and a ivbipjiock too."
Again, fu Gafcolgne :
" caft c MbipJtoch to clout his flioon.'*
Again, in The Downfal of Robert Earl of Huntittgton t 1 60 1 :
" I would knock my wbipjiock on your addle pate."
Again, in the Tkvo Nolle Kinfmcn, by B. and Fletcher :
*' Phoebus when
' f He broke his ivhipjlock, and exclaim *d igafcu
*' The horfes of the fun " STEEVEXS,
3 I didimpeticos &c.] This, fir T. Hanmef tells us, is the
fame with i/npockct tly gratuity. He is undoubtedly right ; but
^e muft read : / did impeticoat //;; gratuity. The fools were
kept in long coats, to which the allulion is made. There is yet
much in this dialogue which I do not underftand. JOHNSON.
Figure 1 2 in the plate of the Morris-dancers, at the end of
K.Hen. IV. P. II. fufficiently proves that pc ttlcoats were not al-
lays a part of the drefs of fools or jejlers, though they were of
ideots, lor a reafon which I avoid to offer. STEEVENS.
4 gf good life ?] I do not fuppofe that by a fong of good
life, the Clown means a fong of a moral turn ; though iir Andrew
anfwers
WHAT YOU WILL. 191
Sir 70. A love-fong, a love-long.
Sir And. Ay, ay ; I care not for good life.
Clown rings-.
O miftrefs mine, where arevou roaming ?
O, flay and bear ; your true love's cowing}
That ca fifing both high and low :
Trip no further ; pretty jweeting ;
Journeys end In lovers' meeting,
Every wife man's fan doth knvx*
Sir And. Excellent good, i'faith !
Sir Toi Good, good.
Clo. What is love ? 'tis nor hereafter
Prefent mirth hath prefent laughter ;
What's to come, isftill unfurc :
5 In delay there lies no plenty ;
* Then come kifs me, fweet and twenty,
Youth's a fluff will not endure.
Sir
tnftvers to it in that (ignification, Good life, 1 believe, is harm*
lefs vbirth or jollity. It may be a Gallicifm : we call a jolly felknV
a ban vivaut. STEEVENS.
5 In delay tlere lies no plenty ;] This is a proverbial faying cor-
rupted ; and fliould be read thus :
In decay there lies no plenty.
A reproof of avarice, which Itores up perirtiable fruits till they
decay. To thefe fruits the poet, humouroufly, compares youth or
virginity j which, he fays, is zJJnff^ill not endure. WARBURTON.
I believe delay is right. JOHNSON.
Delay is certainly right. No man will ever be worth much, who
delays the advantages offered by the prefent hour, in hopes that the
future will offer more. So, in K. Rich. III. aft IV. fc. iih
" Delay leads impotent and fnail-pac'd beggary."
Again, in K. Henry VI. P. I :
" Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends."
Again, in a Scots proverb : " After a delay comes a let."' Se
Kelly's Collection, p. 52. STEEVENS.
6 Then come kifs me, fiveet, and /cu?y,]
This line is obfcure ; we might right read :
Come, a kifs then, fixeet and twenty .
Vet I know not whether the prefent reading be not right, for in
fotne
192, TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR/
Sir And. A mellifluous voice, as lam a true knighiV
5VV To. A contagious breath.
Sir And. Very fweet and contagious, i'faith.
Sir To. To hear by the nofe, it is dulcet in conta-
gion. But fhall we 7 make the welkin dance indeed ?
Shall we rouze the night-owl in a catch, that will
8 draw three fouls out of one weaver ? fliall we do
that?
fome counties fweet and twenty, whatever be the meaning, is a
phrafe of endearment. JOHNSON.
So, in Wit of a Woman, 1604 :
" Sweet and twenty : all fweet and fweet." STEEVENS*
Again, in Rowley's When you fee Me you know Me^ 1632:
" God ye good night and twenty , fir."
Again, in the Merry Wives ofWmdfor:
*' Good even and twenty." MALOXE.
7 - make the welkin dance ] That is, drink till the fty
feems to turn round. JOHNSOX.
Thus, Mr. Pope .'
44 Ridotta fips and dances, till fiie fee'
" The doubling luftres dance as raft as fhe." STEEVEXS.
* 'draw three fouls out of one weaver ? - ] Our author re-
prcfents weavers as much given to harmony in his time. I have
fhewn the caufe of it elfewhere. This expreffion of the power of
inufick, is familiar with our author. Much ado about Nothing i
Now- is his foul ravffied. Is it not jl range that Jheep's-guts jhould
le fouls out of men's bodies?" - Why, he fays, three fouls, is be-
caufe he is fpeaking of a catch in three parts. And the peripatetic
bale fouls out of
caufe he is fpeak
philofophy, then in vogue, very liberally gave every man three
fouls. The vegetative or plaftic, the animal, and the rational*
To this, too, |onfon alludes, in his Pocta/ler : " What, will I
turn Jkark upon my friends'? or my friends 1 friends? I f corn, //with
my three fouls." By the mention of thefe three, therefore, we
may fuppofe it was Shakefpeare's pvirpofe, to hint to us thofe fur-
prizing effecb of mufick, which the ancients fpeak of. When
they tell us of Amphion, who moved flones and trees ; Orpheus
and Arion, who tamed favage beajls ; and Timotheus, who go-
verned, as he pleafed, the pajjions of his human auditors. So noble
an obfervation has our author conveyed in the ribaldry of this buf-
foon character. WAR EUR TON.
In a popular book of the time, Carew*s tranflation of Huarte*s
Trial of Wits, 1594: there is a curious chapter concerning the
three fouh) " vegetative^ fenjit-ve, and rcafonable" FARMER.
Sir
WHAT YOU WILL. 193
Sir And. An you love me, let's do't ; I am a dog
at a catch.
do. By'r lady, fir, and fonie dogs will catch well.
Sir And* Moft certain : let our catch be, 'Thou knave.
Clo. Hold thy peace, tbou knave, knight? I fhail be
conftrain'd in't to call thee knave, knight.
Sir And. Tis not the firft time I haVe conftrain'd
one to call me knave* Begin, fool ; it begins, Hold
tby peace.
Clo. I ihall never begin, if I hold my peace.
Sir And. Good, i'faith ! come, begin.
[fbeyfmg a catcb 9 ,
Enter hfaria*
Afar. What a catterwauling do you keep here ? If
my lady have not call'd up her fteward, Malvolio,
and bid him turn you out of doors, never truft me.
Sir
9 Tljcyjing a catch.] This catch is loft. JOHNTSOV.
A catch is a fpecies of vocal harmony to be fung by three or
more perfons ; and is fo contrived that though each lings pre-
cifcly the fame notes as his fellows, yet by beginning at ftated
periods of time from each other, there refu Its from the perform-
ance a harmony of as many parts as there are fingers. Compofi-
tions of this kind are, in ftriclnefs, called Canons in the unijon ; and
as properly, Catches, when the words in the different parts are
made to catch or anfwer each other. One of the moil remarkable
examples of a true catch is that of Purcel, Lefs llv good honrft
lives, in which, immediately after one pcrfon has uttered the'fe
words : " What need we fear the Pope?" another "in the courfe
of his finding fills up a reft which the firft makes, with the words,
" The devil."
The catch above-mentioned to be fung by fir Toby, fir An-
drew, and the Clown, from the hints given of it, appears to be
fo contrived as that each of the lingers calls the other knave in
turn ; and for this the clown means to apologize to the knight,
when he fays, that he fliall be conftrained to call him knave. I
have here fubjoined the very catch, with themufical notes to which
VOL. IV, O it
i 94 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Sir To. My lady's a Catalan ', we are politicians-;
Malvolio's a z Peg-a-Ramfey, and Three merry men
be we.
Am
it w.-rs fung in the time of Shakefpeare, and at the original per-
formance "of this Comedy.
A 3 voc.
Hold thy peace and I pree thee hold thy peace
1
Et E
E=
i
_, . ,
f-
3
V4*
H-T-
P i
-> r
-H
i H
thou knave, thou knave: hold thy peace thou knave.
The evidence of its authenticity is as follows : There is extant 3
book entitled, " PAMMELlA, Mujfdes Mifcellanie, or mixed-
Varictie of pie a Cant Roundelays and delightful catches of 3. 4. 5. 6*
7. 8. 9. 10. parti in one,"" Of this book there are at leaft two edi-
tions, the fecond printed in 1618. In 1609, a fecond part of
this book was publifhed with the title of DEUTEROMELIA >
and in this book is contained the catch above given.
SIR J. HAWKINS.
1 ' a Cataian^ ] It is in vain to feek the precife mean-
ing of this term of reproach. I have attempted already to explain
it in a note on the Merry Wives of WiuJfor. I find it uled again
in Love and Honour, by fir W. Davenant, 1649 :
" Hang him, bold Cataian" STEEVEXS.
* Peg-a-Rawfcy, ] I do not underitand. Tilly -vally
was an interjection of contempt, which fir Thomas More's lady
is recorded to have had very often in her mouth. JOHNSON.
In Durfey's Pills to purge Melancholy is a very obicene old fong,
entitled Feg-a^Ramfcy. See alfo Ward's Lives of the Profejori
ofGrejbam College, p. 207. PERCY.
Tilly i' alley is u fed as an interjection of contempt in the old play
of Sir John Oldcajlle ; and is likewiie a character in a comedy en-
titled Lady Al'unony*
Nafli mentions Peg ofRamfcy among fereral ether ballads, viz,
Roger <?,
W H A T Y O U W I L L. 195
Am not I confanguineous ? am I not of her blood ?
Tilly valley', lady ! There dwelt a man in Babylon *, la-
dy, lady! [Singing.
C/o.
Rogero, Bajiltno, TnrMony, All the flowers of the Broom, Pepper is
black, Green Sleeves, Peggie Ramfie. It appears from the fame
author, that it was likewife a dance performed to the mulic of a
long ot that name. STEEVENS.
Pcg-a-Ramfey'] Or Peggy Ramfay, Is the name of fome old
fong ; the following is the tune to it.
Peggy Ram fey.
H
:f:
m
Jfefe
p
s
H"" 1
-4
-*-
i
3
SIR J. HAWKINS.
Three merry men be we, is likewife a fragment of fome old long,
which I find repeated in Wejiward Hoe, by Decker and Web-
fter, 1607, and by B. and Fletcher in The Knight of the Burning
Pcjllc :
" Three merry men
" And three merry men
" And three merry men be civ."
Again, in The Bloody Brother of the fame authors :
" Three merry boys, and three merry boys,
" And three merry boys are we,
" As ever did fing, three parts in a firing,
** All under the triple tree."
Again, in Ram-alley, or Merry Tricks, 1611 :
" And three merry men, and three merry men,
" And three merry men be we a'." STEEVENS.
three merry men tve be.] This is a conclufion common to
many old fongs. Oae of the moil humorous that I can recollect
is the following :
" The wife men were but feaven, nor more fliall be for
me;
*' The mufeswere but nine, the worthies three times three ;
*' And three merry boyes, and three merry boyes, and
three merry boyes are wee.
O 2 " The
196 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Clo. Beftirew me, the knight's in admirable fooling,
Sir And. Av, he does well enough, if he be dii-
pos'd, and fo do I too ; he does it with a better
grace, but I do it more natural.
Sir To. O, tke twelfth day of December, *&!*'?&
Mar. For the love o'God r peace.
Enter Mah'olio*
Mai. My matters, are you mad ? or what are you ?
Have you no wit, manners, nor honefty, but to gab-
*' The venues they were feven, and three the greater bee ;
* 4 The Csefars they were twelve, and the fatall fillers three.
** And three merry girles, and three merry girles, and
three merry girles are wee."
There are ale-houfes in fome of the villages in this kingdom,
that have the fign of" the Three Merry Boys : there was one at
Highgate in my memory. SIR J. HAWKINS.
three merry men be <wt.~\ May, perhaps, have been taken
originally from the long of Robin Hood ami the Tanner. Old Sal'
lads, vol. I. p. 89 :
" Then Rabin Hood took them by the hands,
" With a bey, &cc.
" And danced about the oak-tree ;
" For three merry men, and three merry men r
" And three merry men we be" TYRWHITT.
3 Tilly valley, lady ! There dwelt a man in Babylon, lady, lady.]
Malvolio's ufe of the word lady brings the ballad to fir Toby's re-
membrance : Lady, lady, is the burthen, and mould be printed as
fuch. My very ingenious friend, Dr. Percy, has given a itanza
of it in his Reliques of Ancient Poetry, vol. I. p. 204. Juft the fame
may be faid, where Mercutio applies it, in Romeo and Juliet Y
aclll. fc. iv. FARMER.
I found what I once fuppofed to be a part of this fong, in All's
loft by Lujl, a tragedy by William Rowley, 1633 :
14 There was a nobleman of Spain, lady, l?-dy v
' ' That ivcnt abroad and came not again
" To bii poor lady.
*' Oh, cruel age, tobf* one brother^ lad}Y ^y*
*' Shall ft orn to look upon another
" Of his poor lady" STEEVENS.
* There dwelt a ?nan in Babylon Lady, lady.} This fong r
or, at leaft, one with the fame burthen, is alluded to in B. Jonfoivs
tic Lady, vol. IV. p. 449 :
4< Com. As true it is, lady, lady i'the fong." TYRWHITT..
blc
WHAT YOU WILL. 197
ble like tinkers at this time of night ? Do ye make
an ale-houfe of my lady's houfe, that ye fqueak out
your 5 coziers' catches without any mitigation or re-
morfe of voice ? Is there no refpeft of place, per-
fons, nor time in you ?
Sir To. We did keep time, fir, in our catches.
SnecknpM
Mill. Sir Toby, I muft be round with you. My
lady bade me tell you, that, though flic harbours you
as her kinfman, fhe's nothing ally'd to your di~foi>
ders. If you can feparate yourfelf and your mifde-
5 coolers - ] A cozier is a taylor, from coudrc to few,
part, coufu, French. JOHNSON.
The word is ufed by Hall in his Vir^idemiarum, lib. iv> fat. 2.
" Himfelr goes patch'd like ibine bare Cottyer,
" Leit he might ought his future ftock impair."
STEE-VENS.
6 - Sued up!~\ The modern editors fee m to have regarded
this unintelligible exprellion as the delignation of a hiccup. It is
however ufed in B. and Fletcher's Knight of the Burning Pejlle, as
it fliould feem, on another occaiion :
- " Ic: thy father go J "neck /., he ihall never come between.
a pair of flieets with me again while he lives.**
Again, in the fame play :
- " Give him his money, George, and let him gofneck up"
Again, in Hey wood's Fair Maid of the Weft, 1631 :
" She {hall not rife : go let your mAetJiuck up."
Again, in Wily Reguiled: " And if my miftrefs v/ould be ruled by
him, Sophos 'might go fnick up" Again, in the Fleirc^ 1615:
" if not let thorn y/y/V/t ;/*."
Again, in Blurt Maficr ConJIMe , 1602:
" I have been believed of your betters, marry fnlck up"
Again, in The tv-o Angry Women of Abington, 1599:
" - if they be not, let them gofuick'up."
Again, in Chapman's May Day, 161 1 :
" - being a magnifico, flie {lull go///-V^c /."
Pcrh.ips in the two former of thefe inltances, the words may be
corrujned. In Hen. IV. P. I. Falttaff fays : " The Prince is a
Jack, a Siieaft-cjip." i. c. one \vhorakes his glafs in a fneaking man
ner. I think we might fafely ve-A&fneak cup, at leaft, in iir To-
by's reply to Malvolio. I fliould not however omit to mention
that / . b a nortli country cxprt'lFion tor latch the door.
O 3 mcanors,
198 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
meanors, you are welcome to the houfe ; if not, an
it would pleafe you to take leave of her, Ihe is very
willing to bid you farewel.
Sir To. 7 Farewell dear heart, fmce I mull needs be
gone.
Mai. Nay, good fir Toby.
Clo. His eyes dojbcjj bis days are almoft done.
Mai. Is't even fo ?
Sir To. But I will never die.
Clo. Sir Toby, there you lie.
Mai. This is much credit to you.
Sir To. Shall I bid him go ? [Singing.
Clo. What an if you do ?
Sir I'D. Shall I bid him go, and (pare not ?
Clo. O no, no, no, no, you dare not.
Sir To. Out o'tune, fir, ye lie. Art any more
than a fteward ? 8 Doll thou think, becaufe thou art
virtuous, there ihall be no more cakes and ale ?
Clo. Yes, by Saint Anne ; and ginger fhall be hot
i'the mouth too.
Sir To. Thou'rt i'the right. Go, fir, rub your
chain with crums 9 : A ftoop of wine, Maria !
Mai.
7 Farewel, dear heart, &c.] This entire fong, with fome vari-
ations, is publifhed by Dr. Percy, in the firft volume of his Rell-
tjues of Ancient Englijlj Poetry. STEEVENS.
8 Dojl tbou think, bccanfe thou art virtuous, there flail lie
no more cakes and ale?] It was the cuftom on holidays or faints'
days to make cakes in honour of the day. The Puritans called
this, fuperilition, and in the next page Maria fays, that Malvolio
is fometimes a kind of Puritan. See, Quarlous's^a-0/ of Rabbi
Bufy, aft I. fc. iii. in Ben Jonfon's Bartholomew Fair.
LETHERLAXD.
- rub your chain 'with crums: ] I fuppofe it fhould be
read rub your chin ivitb crams, alluding to what had been faid
before that. Malvolio was only a lleward, and confequently din-
ed after his lady. JOHNSON-.
That ftewards anciently wore a chain as a mark of fuperiority
over other fen-ants, may be proved from the following paflage in
the Martial Maid of B. and Fletcher :
" Doft thou think I fhall become the Jlcv.wd's chair? Will
not thefe {lender haunches fhe\v well in a chain ? "
Again ;
WHAT YOU WILL. 199
Mai. Miftrefs Mary, if you priz'd my lady's fa-
vour at any thing more than contempt, you would not
give means for this uncivil rule ' ; fhe ihall know of
it, by this hand. \Exlt.
Mar. Go fhake your ears.
Sir And. 'Twere as good a deed, as to drink when a
man's a hungry, to challenge him to the field ; and
Again :
" Pia. Is your chain right ?
*' Bob. It is both right and juft, fir;
*' For though I am .a_/V-:iwv/, I did get it
" With no man's wrong."
The beft method of cleaning any gilt plate, is by rubbing it with
crumf, Xnlh, in his piece entitled Have with you to Saffron U'al-
Jcn, i ^95, taxes Gabriel Harvey with " having Jlolen a nobleman's
iteward's chain, at bis lord's in/tailing at Windfor."
Again, in Middleton's comedy of A "Mad World my Majlers, 1608 :
" Gag th-.it gaping rafcal, though he be my grandiire's chief
gentleman in the chain of gold."
To conclude with the molt appofite inftance of all. See, Web-
fter's Dutcbefs ofMalfy, 1623 :
*' Yes, and thechippings of the buttery fly after him
" To /lower bis gold chain" STEEVKNS.
1 rulr- ] Rule is method of lite, fo mifrule is tumult
and riot. JOHNSON.
A' .-.'/<, on this occafion, is fomething Icfs than common method
of life. It occafionally means the arrangement or conduct of a
feftival or merry-making, as well as behaviour in general. So, in
the 2Jth foug of Drayton's Polyolbion:
" Call in a gallant round about the hearth they go,
'* And at each paufe they kifs ; was never feen Inch rule
" In any place but here, at bon-fire or at yeulc."
Again, in Heywood's Rnglijb Traveller, 16^3 :
*' What guefts we harbour, and what rule we keep."
Again, in Ben Jonfon's Talc of a 'Ti<!> :
" And let him in the (locks for his ill rule" '
In this laft inltance it fignifies behaviour*
There was formerly an officer belonging to the court, called
J.nrd of M'f,-nlt>. So, in Decker's Satiromajlix : '* I have fome
coufins-gerraan at court fliall beget you the rcvcrfion of the mafter
of the king's revels, or clie be lord "of his Mifndc now at Chrift-
JT.::S." So, in tlie Return from Parnajfits, 1606 : *' We are fully
bent to be lords of Mifrule in the world s wild heath." In the
country, at all periods of feftivity, an oflkerof the fame kind wad
elc&ed. STEEVEKI.
O 4 then
oo TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
then to break promife with him, and make a fool of
him.
Sir To. Do't, knight ; I'll write thee a challenge ;
or I'll deliver thy indignation to him by word of
mouth.
Mar. Sweet fir Toby, be patient for to night ;
iince the youth of the count's was to-day with my
lady, ihe is much out of quiet. For monfieur Mal-
volio, let 'me alone with him : if I do not gull him
into a nay word % and make him a common recrea-
tion, do not think I have wit enough to lie flraight
in my bed : I know, I can do it.
Sir To. PoiTefs us \, pofTefs us ; tell us fomething
of him.
Mar. Marry, fir, fometimes he is a kind of pu-
ritan.
Sir And. O, if I thought that, I'd beat him like a
dog.
Sir To. What, for being a puritan ? thy exquifite
reafon, dear knight ?
Sir And. I have no exquifite reafon for't, but I
have reafon good enough.
Mar. The devil a puritan that he is, or any thing
conftantly but a time-pleafer ; * an affedtion'd afs,
that cons ftate without book, and utters it by great
fwarths : the belt perfuaded of himfelf, fo cram'd, as
he thinks, with excellencies, that it is his ground of
faith, that all, that look on him, love him ; and on
that vice in him will my revenge find notable caufe
to work.
* a nayword, ] A nqyivordis what has been fince called
a byc-ivorJ, a kind of proverbial reproach. STEEVENS.
3 Pofieft us, ] That is, inform us, tell us, make us matters
pf the matter. JOHNSON.
4 an affeftion'd afs, ] AffeRion'd, for full of affection.
WARBURTON.
Affettion'd means ajfefleJ. In this fenfe, I believe, it is ufed
in Hamlet " no matter in it that could indite the author of
ajfcfilon," i. e. affectation. STEEVEKS.
Sir
W H A T Y O U W I L L. 201
Sir To. What wilt thou do ?
Mar. I will drop in his way fome obfcure epiftles
of love ; wherein, by the colour of his beard, the
lhape of his leg, the manner of his gait, the expref-
fure of his eye, forehead, and complexion, he ihall
find himfelf mofl feelingly perfonated : i can write
very like my lady, your niece ; on a forgotten matter
we can hardly make diftinclion of our hands.
Sir To. Excellent ! I fmell a device.
Sir And. I have't in my nofe too.
Sir To. He Ihall think, by the letters that thou wilt
drop, that they come from my niece, and that Ihe
is in love with him.
Mar. My purpofe is, indeed, a horfe of that
colour.
Sir And. And your horfe now would make him
an afs s .
Mar. Afs, I doubt not.
Sir And. O, 'twill be admirable.
Mar. Sport royal, I warrant you : I know, my
phyfick will work with him. I will plant you two,
and let the fool make a third, where he Ihall find the
letter ; obferve his conftruction of it. For this night,
to bed, and dream on the event. Farewel. [Exit.
Sir To. Goodnight, Penthefilea 6 .
Sir And. Before me, (he's a good wench.
Sir To. She's a beagle, true-bred, and one that
adores me ; What o'that ?
Sir And. I was ador'd once too.
Sir To. Let's to-bed, knight. Thou had'ft need
fend for more money.
5 Sir And. Ami your borfe <KV &c.] This conceit, though
bad enough, (hews too quick an apprehenfion for/r AnJrcvj. It
fliould be given, I believe, to//- Toly ; us well as the next fhorc
ipcech : O, 'twill Ic admirable. Sir AndiTM does not ufually give
his own judgment on any thing, till he has heard that of fome
other perfon. TYRWHITT.
6 Psntbcjilca.] \. e. araazon. STEEVENS.
Sir
202 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Sir And. If I cannot recover your niece, I am a
foul way out.
Sir To. Send for money, knight ; if thou haft her
not i'the end, call me Cut 7 .
Sir And. If I do not, never truft me, take it how
you will.
Sir To. Come, come ; I'll go burn fome fack, 'tis
too late to go to bed now : come, knight ; come
knight. [Exeunt*
SCENE IV.
The Duke's Palace.
Enter Duke, Vtcla, Curio, and oilers.
"Duke. Give me fome mufic : Now, good mor-
row, friends :
Now, good Cefario, but that piece of fong,
That old and antique fong we heard laft night :
'Methought, it did relieve my paffion much ;
More than light airs, and recollected 8 terms,
7 call me Cut.] So, in a Woman* s a Weathercock , 1612 :
*' If I help you not to that as cheap as any man in England, call
me Cut." This contemptuous diftincYion is likewife preferred in
the Merry Wives of Wine/for :
" He will maintain you like a gentlewoman
" Ay, that I will, come cut and long-tail, under the degree
of a 'fquire."
The allufion in both places is to a cut or curtail dog. By the
laws ot the foreft, the dog of an unqualified perlon was dock'd,
while that of a gentleman was allowed the benefit of his tail.
Again, in the Two Angry Women of Aldington, 1599 :
" I'll meet you there ; if I do not, call me Cut."
This exprefBon hkew;fe occurs feveral times in Hey wood's If you
know not me \ou know Nobinly, i6;r, fecond part. STEEVKXS.
8 recdlefted ] Studied. WAREURTOX,
I rather think that recollefted fignifies, more nearly to its pri-
mitive fenfe, recalled, repeated, and alludes to the practice of
compofers, who often prolong the fong by repetitions, JOHNSOX.
Of
WHAT YOU WILL. 203
Of thefe moftbriik and giddy-paced times :
Come, but one verfe.
Cur. He is not here, fo pleafe your lordmip, that
fhould fing it.
Duke- Who was it ?
Ci'.r. Fefte, the jefter, my lord ; a fool, that the
lady Olivia's father took much delight in : he is
about the houfe.
Duke. Seek him out, and play the tune the while.
[Exit Curio. \_Mi>Jick.
Come hither, boy ; If ever thou fhalt love,
In the fvveet pangs of it, remember me :
For, fuch as I am, all true lovers are ;
Unitaid and fkittifh in all motions elfe,
Save, in the conilant image of the creature
That is belov'd. How doit thou like this tune ?
V~io. It gives a very echo to the feat
Where love is thron'd.
Duke. Thou doll fpeak mafterly :
My life upon't, young though thou art, thine eye
Hath ftay'd upon fome favour that it loves ;
Hath it not, boy ?
Vio. A little, by your favour 9 .
Duke. What kind of woman is't ?
Flo. Of your complexion.
Duke. She is not worth thee then. What years,
i'faith >
Vio. About your years, my lord.
Duke. Too old, by heaven ; Let Hill the woman
take
An elder than herfelf ; fo wears ihe to him,
So fways fhe level in her hufband's heart.
For, boy, however we do praife ourfelves,
Our fancies are more giddy and unfirm,
9 favour.] The word favour ambiguoully ufed. JOHNSON.
More
2<H TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
More longing, wavering, fooner loft and worn ',
Than women's are.
Vio. I think it well, my lord.
Duke. Then let thy love be younger than thyfelf,
Or thy affection cannot hold the bent :
For women are as rofes ; whofe fair flower,
Being once difplay'd, doth fall that very hour.
Vio. And fo they are : alas, that they are fo ;
To die, even when they to perfection grow 1
Re-enter Curio, and Clown.
Duke. O fellow, come, the fong we had lafl night :
Mark it, Cefario; it is old, and plain:
The fpinilers and the knitters in the fun,
And the free * maids that weave their thread with
bones,
Do ufe to chaunt it ; it is filly footh J ,
And dallies with the innocence of love 4 ,
Like the old age 5 .
Clo. Are you ready, fir ?
Duke. Ay; pr'ythee, fing. [Mufick.
1 ' ' lojl and ivorn , ~\
Though loft and ivorn may mean loft and worn out, yet loft and
wen being, I think, better, thcie two words coming ufnally and
naturally together, and the alteration being very flight, I would
.fo read in this place with fir T. Hanmer. JOHNSON-.
* ' frt e ] is, perhaps, vacant , unengaged^ eajy in mind.
JOHNSON.
3 filly footb^] It is plain, fimple truth. JOHNSON.
4 And dallies with the innocence of love ^\
Dallies has no fenfe. We (hould read, tallies t i. e. agrees with ;
is of a piece with. WAR BUR TON.
To dally is to play harmlefsly. There is no need of change. So,
aft III. " They that dally nicely with words."
Again, in Swetnam Arraigned ^ 1620:
" he void of fear
" Dall'fd with danger. "
Again, injir W. Davenant's Allovive, 1629: " Why doft thou
dally thus with feeble motion ?" STEEVENS.
5 oldage.} The old age is the ages />/?, the times of limplicity.
JOHNSON.
SONG.
WHAT YOU W I L L. 205
SONG.
Come away, come away, death y
And in fad cyprefs let me be laid;
Fly azvay, Jfy away, breath ;
/ amjlain by a fair cruel maid.
Myjhrowd of white, flack all with ytw,
Oy prepare it 4
My part of death no one fo true
Didfrare it \
Not a flower, not aflozverjweet y
On my. black cvffin let there bejlrown ;
Not a friend, not a friend greet
My poor LWpfe, where my banes Jhall le thrown :
A thoufand thoufand Jighs tofave>
Lay me, O ! where
Sad true-love never find my grave,
To weej) there.
Duke. There's for thy pains,
Clo. No pains, fir ; I take pleafure in finging, fir.
Duke. I'll pay thy pleafure then.
Clo. Truly, fir, and pleafure will be paid, one time
or other.
Duke. Give me now leave to leave tliee.
Clo. Now, the melancholy god protedt thee; and the
taylor make thy doublet of changeable taffata, for thy
mind is a very opal 7 ! I would have men of fuch
conflancy
6 My part of death no one fu true
Didjhare it,]
Though death is a fart in which every one a As hlsjbare, yet of all
thcfc adtors no one isfo true as I. JO-HNSOX.
7 a very opal ! ] A precious itone of ahnoft all co^
lours. POPE.
So, Milton dcfcribinc: the walls of heaven :
" With ofaltaw'rs, and battlements adorn'J."
The efial is a gem which varies its appearance as it is viewed
m
206 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
conftancy put to fea, 8 that their bufmefs might be
every thing, and their intent every where ; for that's
it, that always makes a good voyage of nothing.
Farewel. [Exit.
Duke. Let all the reft give place.- [Exeunt.
Once more, Cefario,
Get thee to yon fame fovereign cruelty :
Tell her, my love, more noble than the world,
Prizes not quantity of dirt? lands ;
The parts that fortune hath beftow'd upon her,
Tell her, I hold as giddily as fortune ;
9 But 'tis that miracle, and queen of gems,
That nature pranks her in, attracts my foul.
Flo.
in different lights. So, in the Mufes* Eliziumfiy Dray ton :
" With opals more than any one
" We'll deck thine altar fuller,
" For that of every, precious ftone
" It doth retain fome colour."
" In the opal (fays P. Holland's translation of Pliny's Nat. Hljl.
b. xxxvii. c. 6.) you fliall fee the burning fire of the carbuncle or
rubie, the glorious purple of the amethyft, the green fea of the
cmeraud, and all glittering together mixed after an incredible
manner." STEEVENS.
that their lujinefs might be every thing, and their intent every
where ; ] Both the preferva'tion of the antithefis, and the recovery
of the fenfe, require we fhould read,- and their intent no
where. Becaufe a man who fuffers himfelf to run with every
wind, and fo makes his bufmefs every where, cannot be faid to
have any intent ; for that word fignifies a determination of the
mind to fomething. Belides, the conclulion of making a good
voyage out of nothing, directs to this emendation. WAREURTOX.
An intent every where, is much the fame as an intent no where,
as it hath no one particular place more in view than another.
REVISAL.
9 But 'tis that miracle, and queen of getns,
That nature pranks her in, ]
What is that miracle, and queen of gems ? we are not told in this
reading. Befides, what is meant by nature pranking her in a mi-
rack ? -We fnould read :
But 'tis that miracle, and queen of gems ,
That nature pranks , her mind, -
WHAT YOU WILL. 207 ,
l r io. But, if Ihe cannot love you, fir ?
Duke. I cannot be fo anfwer'd '.
Vio. 'Sooth, but you mufl.
Say, that fome lady, as, perhaps, there is,
Hath for your love as great a pang of heart
As you have for Olivia : you cannot love her;
You tell her fo ; Muft ihe not then be anfwer'd ?
Duke. There is no, woman's fides,
Can bide the beating of fo flrong a<pafiion,
As love doth give my heart : no woman's heart ,
So big, to hold fo much ; they lack retention.
Alas, their love may be call'd appetite,
No motion of the liver, but the palate,
That fufTcr furfeit, cloyment, and revolt;
But mine is ail as hungry as the fea,
And can cligeft as much : make no compare
Between that love a woman can bear me ?
And that I owe Olivia.
Vio. Ay, but I know,
Duke. What doft thou know ?
Vio. Too well what love women to men may owe :
In faith, they are as true of heart as we.
My father had 'a daughter lov'd a man,
As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman,
I fhould your lordihip.
Duke. And what's her hiflory ?
Vio. A blank, my lord : She never told her love,
X.e. what attracts tny foul, is not her fortune, but her minJ, that
miracle and queen of gems tbat nature pranks, i.e. fctsout, adorns.
WARBURTO\.
The miracle and qnscn of gems is her beauty, which the commen-
tator might have found without fo emphatical an enquiry. As to
her mind, he that (hould be captious would fay, that though it
may be formed by nature it mull \>^ pranked by education.
Shnkefpeare does not fay that nature pranks, her in a miracle, but.
in the miracle vf gems, that is, in a gem miraculoufiy beautiful.
JOHNSON".
1 I cqnnot Icfo anfi^er 1 il.~\
The folio reads, /> cannot be, &c. STEEVENS.
But
208 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
But let concealment, like a worm i'the bud %
Feed on her damafk cheek : fhe pin'd in thought ;
And, with a green and yellow melancholy,
3 She fat like patience on a monument,
Smiling at grief. Was not this love, indeed ?
We
4 like a worm i'the bud,]
So, in the <;th formet of Shakefpeare :
" Which, like a canker in the fragrant role,
" Doth fpot the beauty of thy budding name.'*
STEEVENS,
3 She fat like patience on a monument ,
Smiling at grief . ]
Mr. Theobald fuppofes this might poffibly be borrowed from
Chaucer :
" And her lefulis wonder difcrctlie
'" Dame pacience yjittinge there I fonde
" lHtb face pale, upon a hill of fondc ."
And adds : ' ' If he was indebted, however, for the firjl rude draught ,
bow amply has he repaid that debt, in heightening the pi 1 ure ! HfW
much docs the green and yellow melancholy tranfcend the eld bard's
pale face; the monument his hill of fand." 1 hope this critic
does not imagine Shakefpeare meant to give us a pifture of the
face of patience, by his green and yelloiu melancholy ; becaufe, h
fays, it tranfcends the paleface of patience given us by Chaucer.
To t\\ro\v patience into a fit of melancholy, would be indeed very
extraordinary. The green andyellovj then belonged not to patience ,
but to her who fat like patience. To give patience a pale face y
was proper : and had Shakefpeare defcribed her, he had done it
as Chaucer did. But Shakefpeare is fpeaking of a marble ftatue
of patience ; Chaucer, of 'patience herfelf. And the two repre-
fentatioris of her, are in quite different views. Our poet, fpeak-
ing of a defpairing lover, judicioufly compares her to patience ex-
ercifed on the death of friends and relations ; which affords him
the beautiful picture of patience on a, monument. The old bard
fpeaking of patience herfelf, directly, and not by comparifon, as
judicioufly draws her in that circumitance where fhe is moltexer-
cifed, and has occafion for all her virtue ; that is to fay, under
the loff~es of JJiifnvrcck. And now we fee why fhe is represented
y& fitting on a hill of fand, to defign the fcene to be the fea-fhore.
li is finely imagined ; and one of the noble firnplicities of that ad-
mirable poet. But the critic thought, in good earneft, that
Chaucer's invention was fo barren, and his imagination fo beg-
garly, that he was not able to be at the charge of a monument for
his goddefs, but left her, like a ftroller, funning herfelf upon a
heap of fand. WAREURTO.V.
This
WHAT YOU WILL. 209
\Ve men may fay more, iwear more : but, indeed,
t)urfhovvs arc more than will ; for flill we prove
Much in our vcr.vs, but little in our love.
Duke, jiiut clj \1 ;.hy lifter of her love, my boy ?
ViO. I am all the daughters of my father's houie*,.
This celebrated irrage was not improbably firft fketched out in
the old play ot Perlck-s. I think, Shukeipeare's hand may he
fometiir.es feen in the latter part ot it, and there only : two or
three paflages, which he was unwilling to lofe, he has tranfplant-
ied, with fon.e alteration, into his own plays.
" She fat like patience en a monument,
" Smiling at grief."
In Pericles: " Thou (Mariana) deft look like patience gazing
on kind's graves, and foiling extremity out of aft."
Thus a little before, Mariana afks the bavjd, " Are you a wo-
man r" Bfr.'.-i 1 . * k T A'hat would you have me to be, if not a woman r"
Mar. " An hone/I ^jjoman, cr not a woman." Somewhat limi-
lar to the dialogue between lagn and Othello, relative to Cajjio :
'* I think, that he is boncft.
" Men fhould be what they feem,
" Orthofe that be not, would they might feem none."
Again, " She fiarves the ears (lie feeds, (lays Pericles,} and make*
them hungry, the more fhe gives them fpeech."
So, in HemJet:
" As if increafe of appetite had grown
" By what \tfed on." FARMER.
* / c.m -all the daughters of my father's houfe^
'' all the brothers too ; ]
This ,vas the moft artful aniwer that could be given. The quef-
tion was of fuch :; nature, that to have declined the appearance of
a UIIM -..rfwer, muit have railed fuipicion. This has the appear-
ance of a uireft anfwer, that the Jljhr died of her love ; {lie (who.
patted for a man) faying, fhe was all the daughters of her father's
houfe. But the Oxford editor, a great enemy, as fhould feem, to
all equivocation, obliges her to aniwer thus :
She'j all the (laughters of my father' s houfe y
And I am all the ions
But if it fhould be afked now, how the duke cr.me to take this for
an anfwer to his qu-ftion, to be fure the editor can tell us,
WARBURTON.
Such another equivoque occurs in Lylly's Galathea, -1592 i
*' my father hud but one daughter, and therefore I could
have no filler." STEEVENS.
VOL. IV. P
zio TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
And all the brothers too ; and yet I know not :
Sir, lhall I to this lady ?
Duke. Ay, that's the theme.
To her in hafte ; give her this jewel ; fay,
My love can give no place, bide no denay 5 . [Exeunt.
SCENE V.
Olivias garden.
Enter Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Fabian.
Sir To. Come thy ways, fignior Fabian.
Fab. Nay, I'll come ; if I lofe a fcruple of this
fport, let me be bo i I'd to death with melancholy.
Sir To. Would'ft thou not be glad to have the
niggardly rafcally Iheep-biter come by fome notable
ilia me ?
Fab. I would exult, man : you know, he brought
me out of favour with my lady, about a bear-baiting
here.
Sir To. To anger him, we'll have the bear again ;
and we will fool him black and blue : Shall we nor,
fir Andrew ?
Sir And. An we do not, it is pity of our lives.
Enter Maria.
Sir To. Here comes the little villain : How now,
my nettle of India 6 ?
Mar.
s Ude no denay.]
Denay is denial. To denay is an antiquated verb fometimes ufed by
Holinfhed : fo, p. 620 : " the date of a cardinal which was
naied and denaled him." Again, in Warner's Allions En^land^
1602, b. ii. ch. 10 :
" thus did fay
*' The thing, friend Battus, you demand, not gladly I
Jenay." STEEVEXS.
6 nettle of India 2~\ The poet muft here mean a zoophyte,
railed the Urtica Marina^ abounding in the Indian leas.
" Quse
WHAT YOU WILL. zi'i
Mar. Get ye all three into the box-tree : Malvo-
lio's coming clown this walk; he has been yonder i'the
fun, praclifmg behaviour to his own lhadow, this half
hour : obierve him, for the love of mockery ; for,
I know, this letter will make a contemplative idcot
of him. Clofe, inthenameof iefting! Lie thou there ;
for here comes the trout that mult be caught with
tickling.
[They bide tbemfehes. Maria throws down a letter^ and
[Exit.
Enter Malvol'o.
Mai "Pis but fortune ; all is fortune. Maria once
told me, Ihe did aired: me ; and I have heard hc-rfclf
come thus near, that, fhould fhe fancy, it fhould be
one of my complexion. Befides, fhe ufes me with a
more exalted refpctfr, than any one elfe that follows
her. What Ihould I think on't ?
Sir 5T0. Here's an over-weening rogue !
Fab. O, peace ! Contemplation makes a rare tur-
" Qua? tafta totius corporis pruritum quendam excitat, unde
romen vrtica eft fortita." Wolfgang. Frar.gii Hijl. Animal.
" Urticez marina: omnes pruritum quendam movent, ct acri-
raonia fua i-enerem extinftam et fopitam excitant."
Johnftoni Hift. Nat. dc Exang. Aquat. p. 56.
Perhaps the fame plant is alluded to by Greene in his GarJ of
Fancy, 1608 : " the^uvr of India pleafant to be feen, but
whofo fmelleth to it, feeleth prrfent fmart." Again, in his Ma-
millla, i $93 : " Confider, the herb of India is of pleafant fmell,
but whofo cometh to Kfeeletbprcjentfmart" Again, in P. Hol-
land's tranllation of the gth book of Pliny's Nat. Hift. " As for
thofe nettle^ there be of them that in the night raunge to and fro t
and Hkewife change their colour. Leares they carry of a fleihy
lubftance, and of flefli they feed. Their qualities is to raife an
itching fmart." The old copy, however, reads mettle of Indla^
which may mean, my girl of gold, my precious girl; and this is
probably the true reading. The change, which 1 have not dil-
turbed, waa made by Mr. Rowe. STEEVEX*.
P 2 kev-
2i2 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
kcv-cock of him; how he jets 7 under his advanced
plumes !
Sir And. 'Slight, I could fo beat the rogue :
Sir To. Peace, I fay.
Mel. To be count Malvolio ;
Sir To. Ah, rogue!
Sir And. Piftolhim, piftol him-
Sir To. Peace, peace !
Mai. There is example for't ;. 8 the lady of the-
ftrachy married the yeoman of the wardrobe.
Si,
jets] To jet is to ftrut, to- agitate the body by a.
proud motion. So, in Arden of Fcverjl->am, i^gz;.
44 Is now become the fteward of the houie,.
" And bravely jets it in a filken gown."
A^airs, in B-uJJy D'Amlois, 1640:
" To jet in others' plumes fo haughtily."' STEEVF.N'S.
* - the lath ef the Strachy- ] We fhould read Tracfy,-.
i.e. Thrace ; for fo the old Englifh writers called it. Maaceviiie
fays : t4 As Trachye and Macedoignc, of the ivbicb Aiifandre was
kyng" It was common to ufe the article tbe before names or"
places : and this was no improper inflance, where the &ene was in
Illyria. WAS BUS TON.
"What we mould read is hard to fay. Here is an allufion to fome;
old itory which I have not yet difcovered. JOHNSOX.
Straccio (fee Torriano's and Altieri's diclionarits) fignifies clouts
and tatters, and Torriano in his grammar, at the eud of his dic-
tionary, fays that Jlraccln was pronounced ilrati -hi. So that it is
probable that Shnkefpeare's meaning was this, that the lady of the
queen's wardrobe", had married a yecrnan of the king's, who was
vaftly inferior to her. SMITH.
Such is Mr. Smith's note ; but it does not appear that Strac/.y
was ever an EngHili word, nor will the meaning given it by the
Italians be of any ufe on the prefent occaiion.
Perhaps a letter has been mi {placed, and we ought to read-~
Jlarcby ; i.e. the room in which linen underwent the once moft
complicated operation ot Jlai-clhig. I do not know that fuch a word
exifts ; and yet it would not be unanalogically tormed from the*
fubftantivey?rt;-(7\ In Harftietfs Declaration, 1603, we meet with
" a yeoman ot thej^rna-ry ;" 5. e. wardrobe; and in the Nortb-
xw'ierlandHoufeboLl Boojc, ir.trfeiy is fpelt, nurcy. Starchy, there-
fore, for Jiarcbcry may be admitted. In R:.';.-:co and Juliet, the
place where pajic was made, is called the p.-f y. The lady who
WHAT YOU W I L L. 213
'Sir And. Fie on him, Jezebel !
Fiib. O, peace ! now he's deeply in ; look, how
imagination blows him '.
Mai. Having been three months married to her,
fitting in my flate,
Sir To. ' O for a -Hone-bow, to hit him in the eye !
Mai. Calling my officers about me, in my branch'd
velvet gown ; having conic from a day-bed % where
I have left Olivia fieeping.
iS'/V To. Fire and brimilone'!
iiadthe care of the linen, may be fignificzntly oppoied to the^>-
man, i.e. an inferior officer of the wardrobe. \\ hile \bz five dif-
ferent coloured jiar.cba were worn, fuch a term might have been
current. In the year '561, a Dutch woman profeffed to tench this
art to our fair country-women. ^ Her ufual price (fays Stowe)
was four or five pounds to teach them how to Jlarcb, and twenty
(hillings how to leeth Jlarcb.''* The alteration was luggeited to
me by a typographical error .in The WorU tcfid at Ter.nh, 1620,
by Middle to n and Rowley ; \\\\vcejiracbcf is printed torj'arc/jes.
I cannot fairly be accufeu of having dealt much in conjectural
emendation, and therefore leel the Ids reluctance to hazard a guels
on this defperate paflage. STEEVENS.
s liases bi-t:.'] i. e. puffs him up So, in Antbony and Cleopatra:
** on her breail
*' There is a vent of blood, and fomething MKW."
- STEEVENS.
1 -ftone-lctv, ] That is, a crofs-bow, a bow which
ilioots ftones. Jon.\so\'.
This inftrun-.ent is mentioned again in Marftori's Dittcb. Cour-
tcCiifi, 1601; ** whoever will hit the mark of profit, muft, like
thole who (hoot in Jloae-bows, wink with one eye." Again, iuB.
and Fletcher's King and no Kin* :
'* children will ihortly take him
" Fora wall, and let d\<:\r fane- bows in his forehead."
Again, in Pbilajlcr: ** He fliall .flioot in .a Jtotic-boiv tor me."
STEEVEXS.
1 - cane ils~':n from a day -bed, ] Spenfer, in the firft
canto of the third book of his Faery ^ucen y has dropped a ftrokeof
iutire on this !a/y fafiiion :
" So was that chamber clad in goodly wize,
** And round about it many bt<k were dight,
*' As u'hihune \v;is the antique worldcs guize,
*' i>on>e-ibr nittimfly cafe, fome for delight." STEEVENS.
P Fab.
2i 4 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Fab. O, peace, p. ace!
Mai. And then to have the humour of flate : and
after a demure travel of regard, telling them, I know
my place, as I would they Ihould do theirs, ^to aik
for my kinfrmn Toby :
Sir To. Bolts and ihackles !
Fab. O, peace, peace, peace ! now, now.
Mai. Seven of my people, with an obedient ftart,
make out for him : I frown the while; and, perchance,
wind up my watch ', or play with fome rich jewel.
Toby approaches ; curtfi; s there to me :
Sir To- Shall this fellow live ?
Fab. Though our lilence be drawn from us with
cars, yet peace 4 ,
Mai
3 wind up my watch, ] In our author's time watches
were very uncommon. When Guy Faux was taken, it was urged
as a circumftance of fufpicion that a watch was tound upon him.
JOHNSON.
In the Antipodes, a comedy, 1638, are the following pafiages :
** your project againft
" The multiplicity of pocket watches."
Again :
*' when every puny clerk can carry
" The time o' th' day in his breeches."
Again, in the Alcbemifi :
" And I hrd lent my watch laft night to one
" That dines to day at the flieriff's." STEEVE.VS.
4 Though cur filcnce be drawn from us with cares, J i. e. though
it is the great^ft pain to us to keep lilence. Yet the Oxford editor
has altered it to :
Though our filence be drawn from us ly the ears.
There is fome conceit, I fuppofe, in this, as in many other of
his alteration, yet it crten lies ib deep that the reader has reafon to
wifh he cculd have explained his own meaning. WAR BUR TON.
I believe the true reading is : Though our Jjlence be drawn from
us with carts, yet peace. In the Two Gentlemen of Verona, one of
the Clowns fays : " I have a mijlrefs, but who that is, a team of
horfes fi.-all net pluck from me. :> So, in this piny : " Oxen an
Lvaiarcpcs will not bring them together. JOHNSON.
The old reading is cars, as I have printed it. It is well known
that cars and carts have the fame meaning." STEEVENS.
If I were to fuggeft a word fn the place of car a, which I think
WHAT YOU WILL. 215
Mai. 1 extend my hand to him thus, quenching
my familiar fmile with an auftere regard of controul :
Sir To. And does not Toby take you a blow o'the
li-ps then ?
Mai. Saying, Coufin Toby, nry fortunes having caft
me on your niece, give me this prerogative ofjpeecb ;
Sir To. What, what ?
Mai. You mv.ft amend your drunkennefs.
Sir To. Out, fcab !
Fab* Nay, patience, or we break the finews of our
plot.
Mai. Be/ides, you Wiifte the treafure of your time with a
fooli//} knight ;
Sir And. That's me, I warrant you.
Mai. One Sir Andrew ;
Sir And. I knew, 'twas I ; for many do call me
fool.
Mai. What employment have we here s ?
[Taking tip the letter.
Fab. Now is the woodcock near the gin.
Sir To. Oh peace ! and the fpirit of humours in-
timate reading aloud to him !
Mai. By my life, this is my lady's hand : thefe
be her very C*s, her i7's, and her 5*'s; and thus makes
fhe her great P's 6 . It is, in contempt of queflion,
her hand.
Sir
is a .corruption, it ftiould be cables. It may be worth remarking,
perhaps, that the leading ideas ot Malvolio, in his humour ofjlate,
bear a itrong reiemblsmce to thofe of Alnafchar in the Arabian
Nigbfs Entertainments. Some of the exprelfions too are very li-
milar. TYRWHITT.
5 What tmploynunt have ive here ?~\ A phrafc of that time, equi-
valent to our common fpeech of What's to do here. The Ox-
ford .editor, not attending to this, alters it to,
What implement have ive here?
By which happy emendation, he makes Malvolio to be in the plot
againft himfelf ; or how could he know that this letter was an /;-
pument made ufe of to catch him ? WARSURTOX.
6 her great P's. ] In the direction of the letter which
P .. Malvolio
2i6 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Sir And. Her C's, her L r 's, and her 2"s : Why
that ?
Mai. To the unknown belovd, this, and my good
w'foes : her very phrafes ! By your leave, wax.
Soft ! and the impreilure her Lucrece, with which ihe
ufes to feal : 'tis my lady : To whom ihould this be ?
Fab. This wins him, liver and all.
Mai. Jove knows, I love :
But who ?
Lips do not move,
No man muft know. - <,
No man mujl know. What follows ? the numbers
alter'd ! No man mvfi knowz if this ihould be thee,
Malvolio ?
Sir To. Marry, hangthee, brock 7 !
Mai. I may command, where I adore :.
But jilence, like a Lucrece knife,
With bloodlefs (iroke my 'heart doth gore ;
M. O. A. I. dothjwjy my life.
Fab. A "fuftian riddle !
Sir To. -Excellent wench, fay I.
Mai. M. 0. A. I. doth fway my life. Nay, butfirft,
let me lee, let me fee, let me fee.
Fab. What a diih of poifon has ihe drefs'd him !
Sir To. And with what wing the 8 ilannyel checks
at it!
Mai.
Malvolio reads, there is neither a C, nor a P., to be found.
STEEVENS.
There may, however, be words in the direction which he does
net read. To formal directions of two ages ago were often added
thefe words, Humbly Prefent. JOHNSON.
It would puzzle the learned commentaror to difcover a C in the
words which he fuppofes to have been added. STEEVENS.
7 Ir^k!] i.e. badger. Recalls Malvolio fo, becaufe he
is likely to be hunted and perfecuted like that animal. To badger
a man, is a phraie ilili in ufe for making a fool of him. STEEVJ.XS.
8 -Jlaaxyel ] The name of a kind of hawk is very judici-
onfly put here for ajlalliort, by fir Thomas Hanmer. JOHNSON.
To check, fays Latham in his book of Falconry, is " when crows,
rooks,
WHAT YOU WILL. 217
Mai. I may command where I adore. Why, flie may
command me ; I ferve her, ihe is my lady. Why,
this is evident to any 9 formal capacity. There is no
cbftruction in this ; And the end ; What Ihould
that alphabetical pofition portend ? if I could make
that referable ibmething in me, Softly ; M. O
A. /.
Sir 0. O, ay ! make up that ; he is now at a cold
fccnt.
l\iby Sowtcr ' will cry upon't, for all this, though
it be as rank as a fox %
Mai. M, Malvolio; M, why, that begins
my name.
Fab. Did not I fay, he would work it out ? the
cur is excellent at faults.
Mai. My But then there is no confonancy in the
fequel; that fuffers under probation: A Ihould foU
low, 'but O does.
Fab. And ihall end, I hope %
Sir
rooks, pies, or other birds, coming in view of the havvke, fhe for-
faketh her natural llight, to fly at them." TheJZannyelis the com-
rnon ftone-hawk which inhabits old buildings and rocks ; in the
jNorth ca.l\edjtanc-bil. 1 have this information from Mr. Lambe'a
notes on the ancient metrical hiilory of the battle of Floddon.
STEEVENS.
9 formal capacity. ] Formal, for common. WARBURTON.
Formal capacity,} i. e. any one in his fenfes, any one whofe ca-
pacity 'is notdif-:;rrangedoroutof/0;v. So, in the Comedy of Error* :
" Make of him a formal man again."
In Xleafurefir Mcafnrc :
"" The : e hiformal women." STEEVENS.
1 ^V-.-vr ] Sifter is here, I fuppofe, the name of a hound.
Sotv/erty, however, is often employed as a term of abufe. So, in
Like -TV/// tn Like, Jcc. i j8; :
" Youfoivtcrfy knaves, ftioxv you all your manners at once ?"
Afwfer was a coblcr. So, in Greene's Card of Fancy, 1608 :
*' It Apeiicb thut cunning painter fuffer the greafyyiw/er
to take a view of his curious work, &c." STEEVENS.
a as rank as a fox,~\ Sir Thomas Hanmer reads, not at
rank. The other editions, thnn^h it be as rank. JOHNSON.
3 ^ndOJliall end, I bope.~\ By O is here meant what we now call
a btm''cn collar. JOHNSON.
ii8 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Sir To. Ay, or I'll cudgel him, and make him
cry, 0.
Mai. And then I comes behind.
Fab. Ay, an you had an eye behind you, you
might fee more detraction at your heels, than for-
tunes before you.
Mai. M. 0. A. I. This fimulation is not as the
former : and yet, to crufh this a little, it would bow
to me, for every one of thefe letters is in my name.
Soft; here follows profe. If this fall into tky hand,
revolve. In myjlars I am above thee ; but be not afraid
of greatnefs : Some are born great *, fame atchicve great-
nefs, and fome have greatnefs thruft upon them. Thy
fates open their hands ; let thy blood and fpirit embrace
them. And, to inure thyfelf to what thou art like to be y
caft thy humble Jlough, and appear frejh. Be oppofite
with a kinjman, furly with fervants : let thy tongue tang
arguments of ft ate ', put thyfelf into the trick of Angularity :
She thus advifes the?, thatfighs for thee. Remember who
commended thy yellow ftockings 4 ; and wi/Wd to fee thee
ever
I believe he means only, // Jball end ix/ghitig, in difappoint-
n?ent. So, fomevyhere elfe :
" How can you fall into fo deep an Ob?"
So, in Decker's Honcft Whore, fecond part, 1630: " the brick
honfe of Caitigation, the fchool where they pronounce no letter
well but O/" Again, in Hymen's Triumph, by Daniel, 1623:
" Like to an O, the character of woe."
Again, in Greene's Groats-worth of Wit, 1625 :
*' comparing every round circle to a groaning O"
Again, in the fecond canto of the Barons' Wars, by Drayton :
" With the like clamour and confufed O,
' To the dread fhock the defp'rate armies go." STEEVENS.
* are born gre at. ] The old copy reads are become great.
STEEVENS.
* i*~~jeBtmJlttKagSi ] Before the civil wars, yellow flock-
hio;s were much worn. In Davenant's play, called The Wits y
act IV. p. 208. Works fol. 1673:
" You faid, my girl, Mary Queafie by name, did find your
uncle's yello*ivjtockings in a porringer ; nay, and you faid fhe flole
them." Dr. PERCY.
So Middleton and Rowley in their mafque entitled Tbc World
Toj's V at Tennis, 1620, where the five diifereut-coloured ftarches
WHAT YOU WILL. 219
ever crofs-garter* d J : I fay-, remember. Go to ; thou art
made, if thou dcfireft to be fo ; if not, let me fee thee ajlciv-
ard Jlill, the fellow of fervants, and not worthy to touch
fortune's fingers. Farewel. She, that would alter fer-
vices with thee i 'The fortunate-unhappy. Day-light and
are introduced as ilriving for fuperiority. Yellow Jlarcb fays to
white :
*.' iince (he cannot
" Wear her own linen yellow, yet flie fiiows
" Her love to't, -and makes him wtaryelfav bofe?*
So, in Heyvvood's If you KHHW not me you know nobody :
" Many of our young married men have ta'en an order to wear
yellow garters, points and (hoe-tyings, and 'tis thought jW/ow will
grow a cuftom."
Again, in Decker's Match me in London, 1631 :
" becaufe you wear
" A kind ui yellow flocking"
Again, in his Honeft H'ljore, fecond part, 1630: " What
flockings have you put on this morning, madam ? if they be not
yellow, change them." The yeomen attending the earl of Arun-
del, lord Windfor, and Mr. Fulke Greville, who alfifted at an en-
tertainment performed before Q^ Elizabeth, on the Monday and
Tuefday in Whitfun-week 1581, were drefled \njellow iuorftcd
/lockings. The book from which I gather this information, was
published by Henry Goldweli, gent, in the fame year. STEEVENS.
5 crojs-garttrtl : ] So, in the Lover's Melancholy, 1639:
" As rare an old youth as ever walked crqfs-garterteU"
Agajn, in a Wffmatfs a Weathercock, 1612 :
" Yet let me fay and iwearin a crofi garter,
" Pauls never lliew'd to eyes a lovelier quarter."
Very rich garters were anciently worn below the knee. So, in
Warner's ALMons England, b. ix. ch. 47 :
" Garters of liftes ; but now oijilk, fome edged deep with
gold."
It appears, however, that the ancient puritans afFefted this fafhion.
Thus Barton Holyday, ipeaking of the ill fuccefs of his TEXNQ-
TAMIA, lavs :
" Had there appear'd fome {harp crofs-garter'a 1 man
" Whom their loud laugh might nick-nainiB^*n/dur t
" C.is'd up in factions breeches, and fmall rufte,
*' That hates the furplice, and defies the cuffe.
" Then, &c.
Jn a former fcene Malvolio was faid to be an affeder of puritanifm.
STEEVENS.
champian
izo TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
champian difcovers not more 6 : this is open. I wilj
be proud, I will read politic authors, I will baffle
iir Toby, I will walh off grofs acquaintance, I will
\)Z point- de-vice, the very man 7 . I do not now fool
myielf to let imagination jade me ; for every reafon
excites to this, that my lady loves me. She did com-
mend my yellow {lockings of late, Ihe did praife my
leg being crofs-garter'd ; and in this Ihe manifefls
herfelf to my love, and, with a kind of injunction,
drivcs.me to thefc habits of her liking. I thank my
ftars, I am happy* I will be ftrange, flout, in yel-
low flockings, and crofs-garter'd, even with the fwift-
nefs of putting on. Jove, and my flars be praifed !
Here is yet a poflfcript. Thou canjl notchv.fe but know
.who I am. If thou entertainejl my love, let it appear in.
thy failing i thy fmiles become thee well: therefore in my
prefence Jlill fm'de , dear my fweet y I pr'ythee. Jove, I
thank thee. I will fmile; I will do every thing that
thou wilt have me. [Exit,
* ivith thee. The fortunate and happy day -light and champian
Jifcovers no more:"] Wrong pointed : We fhould read : ^ith tbee t
tJje fortunate, and happy. Day-light and champian dif cover no more:
i. e. broad day and an open country cannot make things plainer.
WAS EUR TON\
The folio, which is the only ancient copy of this play, reads,
the fortunate-unhappy, and fo I have printed it. The fortunate-un-
happy feeins to be the fubfcription of the letter. STEEVENS.
7 I will be point-de-vice, the we ry man. - ] This phrafe
is of French extraction a points-devifez. Chaucer ufes it in the
Romaunt of the Rfij'r :
^ ** Her noie was wrought at point-device"
i. e. with the ntmoft poffible exa&ncfs.
Again, \\\ K. Edward \. 1599:
** That \ve may have our garments point-device"
Again, in Warner's Atiions England, 1602, b. xiii. c. 76 :
" And, underftandingly, of all difcourfeth point-device.''*
Jvaftril, in the Alchemijl, calls his fitter Punk devife : and again,
in the Tale of a Tul, aft III. fc. vii :
and if the dapper prieir.
t as cunning
" As I was in m lie.
.
Be but as cunning ^fl/a/ in his
"
WHAT YOU WILL, 221
Fab. I will not give 'my part of this fport fora pen-
fion of thoufands to be paid from the Sophy.
Sir To. I could marry this wench for this device ;
Sir And. So could I too.
Sir To. And afk. no other dowry with her, but fuck
another jelt.
Enter Afarij+
Sir And. Nor I neither.
Fab. Here comes my noble gull-catcher.
Sir To. Wilt thou let thy foot o'my neck?
Sir And. Or o'mhie either ?
Sir To. Shall I play my freedom at tray-trip % and
become thy bond-Have ?
Sir
8 tray-trip, ] The word tray -trip I do not underftand.
JOHNSON.
Tray-trip is mentioned in Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful
Lad)/, 1616:
" Reproving him at 'tray-trip, fir, for fwearing."
Again, in GJaptberne's Wit in a Conf.abk, 1639 :
" mean time, you may play at tray -trip or cockall, for
black puddings."
Since our firft imprellion of this work, I found, from an old
MS. note to a copy of fir W. Davenant's comedy of the ff'ltSf
1637, that tray-trip was a game at cards : the paflage to which it
referred was this :
" My watch are above, at trea-trip, fora black pudding &c."
Again :
** With lanthorn on Hall, at trea-trip we play,
" For ale, chcefe, and pudding, till it be day &c."
STEEVENS,
tray-tr:l>, ] A p;ame much in vogue in our author's days :
It is (til! retained among the lower clafs of young people in the Weft
of Engknd ; and was, I apprehend, the fame as now goes under
the name of Scotch-hop, which was phiy'd either upon level ground
marked out with chalk in the form of fq-mres or diamonds, or up-
on a chequered pavement. Jaiper Maine in the City Match evi-
dently alludes to the latter :
" Aur. Marry a fool, in hope to be a lady -may orefs ?
" Plot. Why, fitter, I
** Could name good ladies that are fain to find
" Wit for themfelves, and knights too.
" A*r.
222 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Sir And. I'faith, or I either ?
Sir To. Whv, thou haft put him in fuch a dream,
that, when the image of it leaves him, he mull run
mad.
Alar. Nay, but fay true, does it work upon him ?
Sir To. Like aqua-vitse with a midwife 9 .
Mar. If you will then fee the fruits of the fport,
mark his fii ft approach before my lady : he will come
to her in yellow {lockings, and 'tis a colour fhe ab-
hors ; and crofs-garter'd, a fafhion me detefls ' ; and
he will fmile upon her, which will now be fo unfuit-
ableto her difpofition, being addicted to a melancholy
as Ihe is, that it cannot but turn him into a notable
contempt : if you will fee it, follow me.
Sir To. To the gates of Tartar, thou moll excel-
lent devil of wit !
Sir Aid. I'll make one too. [Exeunt.
" Aur, I have heard
" Of one u'hofe hufband was fo meek, to be
*' % For need her gentleman-uftier, and while fhe
*' Made viiits above ftairs, would patiently
" Find himfelf bufinefs at tre-trlp i'th' hall."
See Dodfley's Old Plays, vol. X. p. 28.
It is not improbable, that, in the fimplicity or Shakefpeare's time,
even a young nobleman might pique himfelf upon his activity at
Scotch-hop, or tray-trip. And from the paflage cited from Maine
it is clear the game might be play'd by one only. HAWKINS.
The following paflage might incline one to believe that tray-trip
was the name of fome game at tables, or draughts. " There is
great danger of being taken fleepers at tray-trip, if the king fvveep
luddenljv* Cecil's Correfpondence, lett. x. p. 126. Ben Jonfoii
joins tray-trip with mum-cbance. Alcbimljl, p. 126. vol. Ill:
" Nor play with coftar-mongers at mum-chance, tray-trip"
TYRWHITT.
9 aqua vita ] Is the old name otjlrong --Maters.
JOHNSON.
1 crofs-garter'd, afajlnonfie detcjls ; ] Sir Thomas Over-
bury, in his character of a footman without gards on his coat, re-
prefents him as more upright than any crojj's-garter'd gentlemaa-
ufher. FARMER.
ACT
WHAT YOU WILL. 225
ACT III. SCENE I.
Oliv/a's garden.
Eater Viola, and Gloivn.
Vio. Save thee, friend, and thy mufick : Doft thou:
live z by thy tabor ?
Clo. No, fir, I live by the church.
Vio. Art thou a churchman ?
Clo. No luch matter, fir ; I do live by the church :
for I do live at my houfe, and my houfe doth fland
by the church.
Vio. So thou may'ft fay, the king lies by a beg-
gar, if a beggar dwell near him ; or, the church
Hands by thy tabor, if thy tabor ftand by the
church.
Clo. You have faid, fir. To fee this age ! A fen-
tence is but a cheveril glove 3 to a good wit ; How
quickly the wrong iide may be turned outward'!
Vio. Nay, that's certain ; they, that dally nicely
with words, may quickly make them wanton.
Clo. I would therefore, my filter had had no name,
fir.
Vio. Why, man ?
Clo. Why, fir, her name's a word; and to dally
with that word, might make my filler wanton : But,
indeed, words are very rafcals, fince bonds difgrac'd
them.
1 ly thy tabor? Clown. Ne, Jlr, I live by the church.] The
Clo<wn y I fuppofe, wilfully miftakes his meaning, and anfwers, as
if he bad been afked whether he lived by they?gvz of the tabor, the
ancient defignation of a mufic fhop. STEEVENS.
3 a chcveril glove ] i. c. a glove made of kid leather:
cbevreau, Fr. So, in Jtomco and Juliet : " a wit of cheveril "
Again, in a proverb in Ray's collection : " He hath a confcience
like a cbevereVs (kin." STEHVENS.
Ho.
24 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Vto. Thy reafon, man ?
Clo. Troth, fir, I can yield you none without!
words ; and words are grown fo falfc, I am loth td
prove reafon with them.
Vto. I warrant, thou art a merry fellow, and careft
for nothing.
Clo. Not fo, fir, I do care for fomething : but in
my confcience, fir, I do not care for you ; if that be
to care for nothing, fir, I would it would make you
invisible.
Flo. Art not thou the lady Olivb's fool ?
Clo. No, indeed, fir; the lady Olivia has no folly:
fhe will keep no fool, fir, 'till {he be married ; and
fools are as like hufbands, as pilchards are to her-
rings, the hufband's the bigger : I am, indeed, not
her fool, but her corrupter of words.
Vio. I faw thee late at the'ccunt Orfino's.
Clo. Foolery, fir, does walk about the orb, like the
fu-n ; it fhines every where. I would be lorry, fir,
but the fool mould be as oft with your mailer, as
with my miilrefs : I think, I faw your vvifdom there;
Vio. Nay, an thou pafs upon me, I'll no more with
thee. Hold, there's expences for thee.
Clo. Now Jove, in his next commodity of hair,
fend thee a beard !
Flo. By my troth, I'll tell thee ; I am almofl fick
for one; though I would not have it grow on my chin*
Is thy lady within ?
Clo. Would not a pair of thefe have bred, fir ?
Vto. Yes, being kept together, and put to life.
Clo. I would play lord Pandavus 4 of Fhrygia, fir,
to bring a Crefiida to this Troilus.
Vio. I undcrftandyou, fir; 'tis well begg'd.
Clo. The matter, I hope, is not great, fir, beg-
ging but a beggar ; Crefiida was a beggar. My lady
* ' lord Panjarus > ~\ See our author's play of Troilus and
Crejfida. JOHNSON.
II
WHAT YOU WILL. 225
!s within, fir. I will confter to them whence you
come; who you are, and what you would, is out of
my welkin : I might fay, element; but the word is
over-worn. [Exit.
Vio. This fellow is wife enough to play the fool ;
And, to do that wel), craves a kind of wit :
He muft obijerve their mood on whom he jells,
The quality of the perfonsj and the time ;
And, like the haggard % check at every feather
That comes before his eye. This is a pra<ftiee>
As full of labour as a wife man's art :
For folly, that he wifely (hews, is fit;
But wife men's folly fail'ii 6 , quite taints their wit*
s the boggart^ ] The hawk called the haggard, if not well
trained and watched, will fly after every bird without diftaiction.
STEEVEXS. -
'the meaning may be, that he rnuft catch every opportunity, as
the wild hawk rtrikes every bird. But perhaps it might be icad
more properly :
Not like the haggard.
He muft chufe perfons and times, and obferve tempers, he mu(t
fly at proper game, like the trained hawk, and not fly at large
like the unreclaimed haggard, to feize all that comes in his way.
JOHNSON.
6 But wife men's folly fall* H," - ]
Sir Thomas Hanmer reads, folly Jbfvjht JOHNSON.
The lit'it folio reads : But -.:' iff men's folly falne, quite tairit their
wit. From whence I fliould eonjedture, that Shakefpeare poffi-
bly wrote :
But wife men, folly-fain, quite taint their <w/V
i.e. wile men, fallen into folly. TYRWHITT.
The fenfe is : But wife mt^s folly, when it is once fatten into ex-
\ravagancc, overpowers their Jijcrction. REVISAL.
I explain it thus : The foily which he fhews with proper adap-
tation to perfons and times, is fit, has its propriety, and therefore
produces no centure ; but the folly of wife men when it falls or
happens, taints their wit, deftroys the reputation of their judg-
ment. JOHNSON*
VOL. IV. O v Enter
2i6 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR r
Enter Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew*
Sir And. Save yon, gentleman 7
Flo. And you, fir.
Sir TV. Dieu vous garde, monfieur.
Vio. Et vous ai'JJi \ votre fervttcf.r.
Sir To. I hope, fir r you are; and I am yours,
Will yon encounter the houfe ? my niece is defirous
you fliould enter, if your trade be to her.
Vio. I am bound to your niece, fir : I mean, fhe
is the lift 8 of my voyage.
Sir To. Tafte your legs, fir 9 , put them to motion.
Vio. My legs do-better understand me, fir, than I
underfland what you mean by bidding me tafte my
legs.
Sir To. I mean, to- go, fir, to enter.
Vio. I will anfwer you with gait and entrance : But
we are prevented.
7 In former editions :
Sir To. Save you, gentleman.
Vio. And you, Jlr.
Sir And. Dieu voits garclc\ iitonjicur.
Vio.- Et vous aujjl ', votreferviteur.
Sir And. / hope, fir, you are ; and I am yours. }
I have ventured to make the two knights change fpeeches in this
dialogue with Viola ; and, I think, not without good reafon. It
were a prepofterous forgetfulnefs in the poet, and out of all pro-
bability, to make fir Andrew not only fpeak French, but under-
Hand what is laid to him in it, who in the fait ad did not know-
the Englifli of Pourquoi. THEOBALD.
8 -the lift ] Is the 0a,v</, limit, far tleft point.
Jonxsox.
* Tafteyour legs, Jir, &c.j Perhaps this expreffion was em-
ployed to ridicule the fantaiHc ufe of a verb, which is man}' times
as quaintly introduced in the old pieces, as in this play, or in Tie.
true "Tragedies of Marius and Sc>lla, \ 594. :
" A climbing tow'r that did not tajle the wind."
Again, in Chapman's verfion of the 21 it Odyfley :
** . ni now began
* To taftc the bow, the lharp fnaft took, tugg'd hard."
iixs.
Enter
WHAT YOU WILL. 227
Enter Olivia and h'laria.
Moft excellent accomplim'd lady, the heavens rain
odours on you !
Sir Audi That youth's a rare courtier ! Rain odours !
well.
Flo. My matter hath no voice^ lady, but to your
own moil pregnant and vouchfafed ear 1 .
Sir And-. Odours, pregnant > and vouchfafed: I'll
get 'em all three ready *.
OIL Let the garden door be Unit, and leave me to
my hearing*
[Exeunt Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria*
Give me your hand, fir.
Flo. My duty* madam^ and moft humble fervice*
Oli. What is your name ?
ViOk Cefario is your fervant's name^ fair princefs<
Oli My fervant, fir ! 'Twas never merry world,
Since lowly feigning was call'd compliment i
You are fcrvant to the count Orfino, youth.
Vio* And he is yours, and his mult needs be yours j
Your fervant's fervant is your fervant* madam.
Oli. For him, I think not on him: for his thoughts,
*\Vould they were blanks, rather than fill'd with me !
Vio. Madam, I come to whet your gentle thoughts
On his behalf:
Oli. O, by your leave* I pray you ;
I bade you never fpeak again of him :
But, would you undertake another fuit,
I had rather hear you to folicit that,
Than mufick from the fpheres*
Vlo* Dear lady,
* moft pregnant ar.d <voucbfafed earJ\ Pregnant fof ready*
WARBURTON.
Pregnant is a word 3n this writer of very lax fignificatioa* It
tnay here mean liberal, JOHNSON.
It means ready , as in Meafure for Kfeafure, adT: I. fe. i.
STEEVENS.
* all thru ready.] The old copy reads all three already.
SlEJiVENS.
2 Oli.
228 TWELFTH-NIGHT:. OR,
OIL Give me leave, I befeech you : I did fend,
After the laft enchantment, (you did hear) *
A ring in chafe of you ; fo did I abuie
Myfclf, my fcrvant, and, I fear me, you :
Under your hard conftrudtion muft I fit,
To force that on you, in a fha'meful cunning,
Which you knew none of yours : What might you
think ?
Have you not fet mine honour at the flake,
And baited it with all the unmuzzled thoughts
That tyrannous heart can think ? To one of your re-
ceiving J
Enough is Ihcwn ; a Cyprus 4 , not a bofom,
Hides my poor heart : So let me hear you fpeak.
fto. I pity you.
OIL That's a degree to love.
Via, No, not a grice 5 ; for 'tis a vulgar proof,
That very oft we pity enemies.
OIL Why then, methinks, 'tis time to fmile again:
O world, how apt the poor arc to be proud !
If one fliauld be a prey, how much the better
To fall before the lion,, than the wolf > [Clock jlrikes.
* Afti-.r the laft enchantment, (you did hear)]
Nonfenfe. Read and point it thtls :
After the lajl mcJk&uttuttt you did here,
i. e. after the enchantment your prefence wqrked in my affeion.
WAR BUR TON.
The prefent reading is no more nonfenfe than the emendation.
JOHNSON.
5 to one cfyour receiving]
5. e. to one of your ready apprebwjion, ! She confiders him as an arch
page. WAR BURTON.
* - a cypms, - ] Is a tranfparent fluff. JOHNSON.
So, in "No ivit like a Woman* s, by Miildleton : " I have thrown
a yprefi over my face for fear of fun-burning." STEEVENS.
5 - a grice ;] - ] Is a, fief, fonietimes written greefe from
Jegrc;, French. JOHNSON.
So, in Othello :
" Which, as tgrlfe ftep, may hdp thefe lovers,"
The
WHAT YOU WILL. 219
The clock upbraids me with the waftc of time.-
Be not afraid, good youth, I will Rot have you :
And yet, when wit and youth is come to harvoft,
Your wife is like to reap a proper man :
There lies your way, due welt.
Vio. Then weftward-hoe 6 :
Grace, and good difpofition, attend your ladyihip !
You'll nothing, madam, to my lord by me ?
Oli. Stay:
I pr'ythee, tell me, what thoa think'ft of me.
Vio. That you do think, you are not what you are.
OIL If I think fo, I think the fame of you.
Vto. Then think you right ; I am not what I am.
OH. 1 would, you were as I would have you be !
Via. Would it be better, madam, than I am,
I wilh it might ; for now I am your fool.
Oli. O, what a deal of fcorn looks beautiful
In the contempt and anger of his lip t
A murd'rous guilt fhcws not itfelf more foon
Than love that would feem hid : love's night is noon.
Ce&rioj by the roles of the fpring,
By maidhood, honour, truth, and every thing,
I love thee fo, that, maugre 7 all thy pride,
Nor wit, nor reafon, can my paflion hide.
Do not extort thy rea/ons from this claufe,
For, that I woo, thou therefore haft no caufe :
But, rather, rcaibn thus with reafon fetter :
Love fought is good, but given unibught, is better.
Vio. By innocence I fwear, and by my youth,
J have one heart, one bofom, and one truth,
* Tlcn weftward-hoe :] This is the name of a comedy by J.
Decker, 1607. He was affifted in it by Webller, and it was act-
ed with great fuccefs by the children of Pauls, on whom Shake-
fpeare has beftowed luch notice in Hamlet, that we may be lure
they were rivals to the company patronized by himfelf.
STEEVENS,
7 maugre ] i. e. in fpite of. So, in David and Bsth-
fobe, 1599:
* Maogrt the fons of Ammon and of Syria." STEEVENS.
0.3 And
230 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
* And that no woman has ; nor never none
Shall miftrefs be of it, fave I alone 9 .
And fo adieu, good madam ; never more
Will I my matter's tears to VQU deplore,
OIL Yet come again ; for thou, perhaps, may'$
move
That heart, which now abhors, to like his love.
\_Exeunti
SCENE II,
An apartment in Olivias koufe.
Enter Sir Toby, Sir Andrew^ and Fabian.
Sir And. No, faith, Til not Hay a jot longer.
Sir To. Thy reafon, dear venom, give thy reafon,
Fab. You muft needs yield your reafon, fir Andrew.
Sir And, Marry, I faw your niece do more favours
to the count's ferving-man, than ever ihe bellowed
upon me; I faw't i'the orchard.
Sir To. Did fhe fee thce the while, old boy; tell me
that ?
Sir And. As plain as I fee you now,
Fab. This was a great argument of love in her to-!
\vards you.
Sir And. 'Slight ! will you make an afs o' me ?
Fab. I will prove it legitimate, fir, upon the oath?
of judgment and reafon.
Sir To. And they have been grand jury-men, fince
before Noah was a failor.
Fab. She did fhew favour to the youth in your fight,
only to exafperate you, to awake your dormoufe var
8 And that no woman has ; ]
And that heart and bofom I have never yielded to any woman.
" JOHNSOX.
9 fave I alone. ]
Thefe three words fir Thomas Hanmer gives to Olivia probably
oKXSON.
lour a
WHAT YOU WILL. 231
four, to put fire in your heart, and briraftonc in your
liver : You fheuld then have accofted her.; and with
ibme excellent jefts^ fire-new from the mint, you
ihould hare bang'd the youth into dum'bnefs. This
was look'd for at your hand, and this was baulk'd '.
the double gilt of this opportunity you let time wafh
off, and you are now -fail'd into the north of my lady's
opinion; where you will hang like an icicle on a
Dutchman's beard, unlefs you do redeem it by fome
laudable attempt, cither of valour, or policy.
Sir And. And't be any way, it mutt be with valour ;
for policy I hate: I Iiad as lief be a Brownift ', as
a politician.
Sir To. Why then, build me thy fortunes upon the
bafts of valour. Challenge rne the count's youth to
ifight with him * ; hurt him in eleven places.; my niece
iliall take note of it : and aflure thyfelf, there is no
1 * *as.llcf lf a Brownift, ] The Jttvwnifts were fo
<alled from Mr. Robert Browne., a noted fcparadft in queen Eli-
zabeth's reign. [See Strype's Annals of^veen Elizabeth, vol. HI.
p. 15, 16, &c.] In his lite of Whitgift, p. 323, he informs us,
that 2?rvHi>xe, in the year 1589, " went off from the reparation
and came into the communion of the church."
This Browne was deicended from an ancient and honourable fa-
jnily in Rutlandfhire ^ his grandfather Francis, had a charter
granted him by king Henry VIIL and confirmed by aft of parlia-
ment ; giving him leave to " put on his cap in the prefcnc e of the
king, or bis heirs, or any lord fpiritual or temporal in the laiul t and
3iot to tin i~t nfj , but for his o c Mn cafe and pleafure"
Neul's Hifiory of New England, vol. I. p. 58, GRAY.
The Broivnijls feem, in the time of our author, to have been
the conilant objects of popular fatire. In the old comedy of Ram-
alley, 161 1, is the following ftrok-e at them :
" of a new iecl, and the good profeflbrs, will, like the
Browiiji, frequent gravel-pits fhordy, for they ule woods and ob-
icure holes already."
Again, in I*ove ami Honour, by iir \V. Davcnant:
" Go kils her: by this hand, a Brawny* i^
" More amorous " STKEVENS.
a Challenge me the count's youth to fight -ivitb him ; ] This
is nonfenfe. We fl.ould read, I believe : Challenge me the
'* joutL ; go, fght with him; hurt h:fn y &c. TYK.WHITT.
Q. 4 4o\v-
S3* TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
love-broker in the xvorld can more prevail in man's
commendation with woman, than report of valour.
Fab. There is no way but this, fir Andrew.
Sir And. Will either of you bear me a challenge to
him ?
Sir To. Go, write it in a martial hand * ; be curft and
brief : it is no matter how witty, fo it be eloquent,
and full of invention ; 4 taunt him with the licence of
ink : if thou tkou'Jl him fome thrice, it lhall not be
amifs ; and as many lies as will lie in thy meet of pa-
per, although the meet were big enough for the bed
of Ware in England, fet 'em down, go* about it.
Let there be gall enough in thy ink; though thou
write with a goofe-pen, no matter ; About it.
3 In a martial band; } Martial hand, feems to be a
cnrelefs fcrawl, fuch as fliewed the writer to negleft ceremony.
Curf, is petulant, crabbed - a curd cur, is a dog that with little
provocation fnarls and bites. JOHNSON'.
4 taunt him with the licence of ink : if thou thou'ft him fame
thrice, ] There is no doubt, I think, but this paflage is one of
thole in which our author intended tofliew his relpeft for fir Wal-
ter Raleigh, and a delegation of the virulence of his profecutors.
The words quoted, feem to me directly levelled at the attorney-
general Coke, who, in the trial of lir Walter, attacked him with
air the following indecent expreflions : " All that he did was by
thy ifijligatien^ thou <zvj&<r ; for /thou five, thou fray tor!" (Here,
by the way, are the poet's three thou's.) " You are an odious man."'
" Is he bafe? I return it into thy throat, on his behalf." " O
damnable athctft!" 11 Thou art a irionfteri thou hajl an Englijb
fftcC) but a SpaniJJ} heart."- *' Thou haft a Spanijb heart) and thy ~
feffart afpidcr of hell.'" " Go to, I ivil! lay thee on thy lack for
the confident'jl traitor that ever came at a bar, &c." Is not here
all the licence of tongue, which the poet fatyrically prefcribes to
fir Andrew's ink ? And how mean an opinion Shakefpeare had of
thefe petulant inveftives, is pretty evident from his clofe of this
fpeech : Let there be gall enough in thy ink ; though thou ivrite it
ivit/j a goofe-pen no matte*. A> keener lafh at the attorney for a
fool, than all the contumelies the attorney threw at the prifonerj
as a iuppofed traitor ! THEOBALD.
The lame expreffion occurs in Shirley's Opportunity, 1640:
" Does he than me ?
* 4 How would he domineer an he were duke !"
STEEVENS.
WHAT YOU WILL. 233
Sir And. Where (hall I find yon ?
Sir To. We'll call thee at the Cubiculo : Go.
[Exit Sir Andrew*
Fab. This is a dear manakin to yon, fir Toby.
Sir To. I have been dear to him, lad j fome two
thousand ftrong, or fo.
Fab. We fliall have a rare letter from him ; but
you'll not deliver't.
Sir To. Never truft me then; and by all means flir
on the youth to an anfxver. I think, oxen and wain-
ropes cannot hale them together. For Andrew, if he
were open'd, and yon find fo much blood in his liver
as will clog the foot of a flea, I'll eat the reft of the
Anatomy.
Fab, And his oppofite, the youth., bears in his vii
fage no great preiage of cruelty,
Enter Maria.
Sir To. s Look, where the youngeft wren of nine
comes.
Mar. If you defire the fpleen, and will laugh your-
felves into flitches, follow me: yon' gull Malvolio is
turned heathen, a very renegade ; for there 1 is no
chriftian, that means to be fav'd by believing rightly,
can ever believe fuch impoffible paffages of groHhefs,
He's in yellow ftockings.
Sir To. And crofs-garter'd ?
Mar. Mod villainoufly ; like a pedant that keeps
a ichool i'thc church. ^-1 have dogg'd him, like his.
murthcrer : He does obey every point of the letter
5 Look, where the youngejl ivrcn of?iinc comes."] The women's
parts were then lifted by boys, fometimes fo low in ftature, that
there was occanon to obviate the impropriety by fuch kind of ob-
lique apologies. WARBURTON.
The ~jc>-ffi generally lays nine or ten eggs at a time, and the laft
hatch'd ot all birds are ufually the fmalleii and weakelt of the
brood, The old copy, however, reads tvrea of mine.
STE^VENS.
that
234 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
that I dropp'd to betray him. He does fmile his face
into more lines, than is in the new map, with the
augmentation of the Indies : you have not feen fuch
a thing as 'tis ; I can hardly forbear hurling things at
him. I know, my lady will flrike him 6 ; if Ihe do,
he'll fmile, and take't for a great favour.
$r 'To. Come, bring us, bring us where he is.
[Exeunt,
SCENE III.
Enter Antonio and Sebqftian.
Seb. I would not, by my will, have troubled you;
But, fince you make your pleafure of your pains,
I will no further chide you.
Ant. I could not flay behind you ; my defire,
More lharp than filed ftecl, did fpur me forth ;
And not all love to fee you, (though fo much,
As might have drawn one to a longer voyage)
But jealoufy what might befal your travel,
Being ikillefs in thefe parts ; which to a ftranger,
Unguided, and unfriended, often prove
Rough and unhofpitable : My willing love,
The rather by thefe arguments of fear,
Set forth in your purfuit.
Scb. My kind Antonio,
I can ao other anfwer make, but, thanks 7 ,
And
' 7 it'itnv jrty lady w/7/ ftrike him', - J We may fuppofe,
that in an age when ladies -{truck their fervants, the box on the ear
xvliich queen Elizabeth is faid to have given to the earl of Eflex,
was not regarded as a tranfgreilion againlt the rule's of cojnraon
behaviour. STEEVENS.
7 In former editions :
/ can no other anfiver male tut thanks^
jind thanks : and ever-oft goad turns
Arc Jkrtfflcd off with fucb un current pay ;
The fccond line is too fhort by a whole foot. Then, who evef
heard
WHAT YOU WILL, 235
And thanks, and ever : Oft good turns
Arc iliufflcd off with fuch uncurrent pay :
But, were my worth, as is my confcience, firm,
You fliould find better dealing. What's to do ?
Shall we go lee the reliques of this town s ?
Ant, To-morrow, fir ; belt, firft, go fee your lodg-
ing,
Seb. I am not weary, and 'tis long to night ;
I pray you, let us fatisfy our eyes
With the memorials, and the things of fame,
That do renown this city.
Ant. 'Would, you'd pardon me ;
I do not without danger walk thefe fleeets :
Once, in a fea-fight, 'gainft the duke his gallles,
I did fome fervice ; of fuch note, indeed,
That, were I ta'en here, it would fcarce be anfwer'd.
Seb. Belike, you flew great number of his people,
Ant. The offence is not of fuch a bloody nature ;
Albeit the quality of the time, and quarrel,
Might well have given us bloody argument.
It might have iince been anfwer'd in repaying
heard of this goodly double adverb, ever-oft^ which feems to have
as much propriety as, always- fometimesf As I have reitored the
pavThge, it is very much in our author's manner and mode of ex-
pi elfion. So, in Cymlelinc :
" Since when I have been debtor to you for eourtefics,
which I will be ever to pay, and yet payy////."
And in All's Well that Ends Well:
' And let me buy your friendly help thus far,
" Which I will o-<cr-pay, and/vry again
" When I have found it." THEOBALD.
My reading, which is
And thanks and ever : oft good turns
is fuch as is found in the old copy, only altering the punctuation,
which every editor mull have done in his turn. Theobald has
fompleted the line, as follows :
** And thanks and ever thanks and of t good turns."
STEEVENS.
T would read : And thanks again, and ever. TOLLET.
h the reliques of this to-ivn ?~\ I fuppofe he means the re-
lids of faint S) or the remains of ancient f.ibricks. STEEVENS.
What
236 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
What we took from them ; which, for traffick's fake.
Molt of our city did : only myfelf flood out :
For which, if I be lapfed in this place,
I ihall pay dear.
Seb. Do not then walk too open.
Ant. it doth not fit me. Hold, fir, here's my purfe;
In the fouth fuburbs, at the Elephant,
Is belt to lodge : I will toefpeak our diet,
Whiles you beguile your time, and feed your know*
ledge,
With viewing of the town ; there fliall you have me,
Seb. Why I your purfe ?
Ait. Haply, your eye lhall light upon fome toy
You have defire to purchafe ; and your ftore,
I think, is not for idle markets, fir.
Seb. I'll be your purfe-bearer, and leave you fof
An hour.
Ant. To the Elephant.'
fob. I do remember.
SCENE IV,
Olivia s koufe.
Enter Olivia and Maria.
Oli. I have fent after him : 9 He fays, he'll come ^
How lhall I feaft him ? what beftow of him ?
9 In former editions :
I Lave fent after him : He fays he'll come',
From whom could my lady have any fuch intelligence ? Her fer-
vant, employed upon this errand, was not yet return'd; and,
when he does return, he brings word, that the youth would hard-
Jy be intreated back. I am perfuaded, (he was intended rather
to be in fufpenfe, and deliberating with herfelf : putting the fup-
polition that he would come ; and afldng herfelf, in that cafe,
how (he fhould entertain him. THEOBALD.
he fays he*ll come ;] i. e, I fuppofe now, or admit now,
he fays he'll come; which Mr. Theobald, not underftanding,
akers unneceflarily to, fay l:c TI-/// ccme j in which the Oxford
editor has followed him, WA&BURTOK.
For
WHAT YOU W I L L. 337
For youth is bought more oft, than begg'd, or bor-
row 'd.
I fpeak too loud.
Where is Malvolio ? he is fad, and civil,
And fuits well for a fervant with my fortunes ;
Where is Malvolio ?
' Mar. He's coming, madam ; but in very flrange
manner.
He is Cure, poffeft, rnadam.
OIL Why, what's the matter ? does he rave ?
Mar. No, madam,
He does nothing but fmile : your ladyfhip were bell
To have fome guard about you, if he come,
For, fure, the man is tainted in his wits.
OIL Go call him hither. I'm as mad as he.
Enter Malvolio.
If fad and merry madnefs equal be.
How now, Malvolio ?
Mai. Sweet lady, ho, ho. [Smiks fantajlicdly.
OIL Smil'ft thou ?
I fent for thee upon a fad occafion.
Mai. Sad, lady ? I could be fad : This does make
fome obftruction in the blood, this crofs-gartering ;
But what of that ? if it pleafe the eye of one, it is
with me as the very true fonnet is : Pleafe one y and
pleafe all.
OIL Why, how doft thou, man ? what is the mat-
ter with thee ?
Mai. Not black in my mind, though yellow in my
Jfgs : It did come to his hands, and commands fhali
be executed. I think, we do know the fweet Roman
hand.
OIL Wilt thou go to bed, Malvolio ?
Mai. To bed ? ay, fvvoct heart ; and I'll come to
OIL God comfort thee ! \Vhy dofi thou fmile fo,
and kifs thy hand fo oft f
Mar.
238 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Mar. How do you, Malvolio ?
Mai. At your requefl ? Yes ; Nightingales anfvvcf
daws.
Mar. Why appear you with this ridiculous bold-
nefs before my lady ?
Mai. Be not afraid of greatnefs : 'Twas well writ*
OIL What meaneft thou by that, Malvolio ?
Mai. Some are born great,
OK. Ha?
Mai. Some atcbleve greatnefs,
Oli. What fay'ft thou ?
Mai. Andfome have greatnefs thritjl upon them.
Oil. Heaven reflore thee !
Mai. R emember, who commended tJyydlozvJloi 'kings ; *
Oli. Thy yellow {lockings ?
Mai. And wiflfd to fee thee croft-garter* d.
Oil. Crofs-garter'd ?
Mai. Go to : thou art made, iftbou dcfirejl to be fo ; *
Oli. Am I made ?
Mai. If not, let me fee thee afervant Jlill.
Oil. Why, this is a very midfummer madnefs '. .
Enter Servant.
Ser. Madam, the young gentleman of the count
Orfmo's is returned ; I could hardly entreat him
back : he attends your ladylhip's pleaiure.-
Oli. I'll come to him. Good Maria, let this fel-
low be look'd to. Where's my coufin Toby ? let
fome of my people have a fpeeial care of him ; I
would not have him mifcarry for the half of my
dowry. [Exit.
Mai. Oh, ho ! do you come near me now ? no-
worfe man than fir Toby to look to me ? This con-
1 mldfumm'er maffnefs.'] Hot weather often turns the brain,-
which is, I fuppofe, alluded to here. JOHNSON.
*Tismidfummer moon ivith you, is a proverb in Ray's collection,
fignifying you are mad. S TEE YENS.
cura
WHAT YOU WILL.
furs directly with the letter : fhe fends him on pur-
pofe, that I may appear ftubborn to him ' f for fhe in-
cites me to that in the letter. Caft tby bumble Jlough,
fays fhe ; be oppofite with a kinfman 9 furly ivitb jer-
vants, let tly tongue tang i ivith arguments of ft ate,
put tbyj'elf into the trick of fi/igularity ; and, confe-
quently, fcts down the manner how ; as, a fad face,
a reverend carriage, a flow tongue, in the habit of
lome fir of note, and fo forth. I have lim*d her 3 :
but it is Jove's doing, and Jove make me thankful !
And, when fhe went away now, Let this fellow be look'd
to : Fellow 4 \ not Malvolio, nor after my degree,
but fellow. Why, every thing adheres together ;
that no dram of a fcruple, no fcruple of a fcruple, no
ebftacle, no incredulous or unfafe circumftance,,
What can be faid ? Nothing, that can be, can come
between me and the full profpcct of my hopes.
Well, Jove, not I, is the doer of this, an<j he is to
>e thanked.
Re-enter Maria, 'With Sir Toby and Fabian.
Sir To. Which way is he, in- the name of fanctity ?
If all the devils in hell be drawn in little, and Legion
himielf pofleft him, yet 111 fpeak to him.
Fab. Here he is, here he is : How is't with- you,-
fir ? how is't with you, man ?
Mai Go off; I difcard you ; let me enjoy rny pri-
vate ; go off.
Mar. Lo, how hollow the fiend fpeaks within him !-
* le t thy tongue tang, &c.] Here the old copy reads langcr ;
but it (hould be tang, as I have corrected it from the letter which,
Maivolio reads in a former fcene. STEEVHNS.
The fecund folio reads tang, TYRU HITTV
3 7 have limd Lcr, ] I have entangled or caught
her, as a bird is caught with birdlime. [OHNSON.
4 Feil:>--.'j ! ] This word, which originally fignified
companion, was not yet totally degraded to its prefent me::nin ;
and Malvolio takes it in the favourable fetile. JOHNSON.
did
TWELFTH-NIGHT:
did not I tell you ? fir Toby, my lady prays you t<>
have a care of him.
Mai. Ah, ha ! does fhe fo ?
$/> jTo. Go to, go to , peace, peace, we muft deal
gently with him ; let me alone* How do you, Mal-
volio ? hoxv is't with you ? What man ! defy the de-
vil : conlider, he's an enemy to mankind*
Mai. Do you know what you fay ?
Mar. La you [ an you fpeak ill of the devil,
how he takes it at heart ! Pray God, he be not be-
witch'd !
Fab. Carry his water to the wife woman*
Mar. Marry, and it mall be done fo-morrow morn-
ing, if I live. My lady would not lofe him for more
than I'll fay.
Mai. How nowj mitlrefs ?
Mar. O lord !
Sir To. Pr'ythee, hold thy peace, this is riot the
way : Do you not fee, you move him ? let me alone"
with him.
Fab. No way but gentlcnefs ; gently, gently : the
fiend is rough, and will not be roughly us'd.
Sir To. Why, how now, my bavvcoek ? how doft
thou, chuck ?
Mai. Sir?
Sir To. Ay, biddy, come with me. What man !
'tis not for gravity to play at cherry-pit 5 with fatan :
Hang him, foul collier 6 !
Mir*
* cherry -pit ] Cherry-pit is pitching cherry- ftones into
a little hole. Nafh, fpeaking of the paint on ladies' faces, fays :
*' You may play at cherry-pit in their cheeks." So, in a comedy
called The IJJr of Gwils, 16 1 1 : " if fhe were here, I would have
a bout at cobnut or cherry -pit." So, in The Witch of Edmonton : " I
have lov'd a witch ever fince I play'd at cherry-pit" STEEVENS*
6 -Hang him, foul collier !\ Collier was, in our author's timd,
n term of the highefl reproach. So great were the impofitions
practifed by the venders of coals, that R. Greene, at the conclufioti
ef
WHAT YOU WILL. 241
Mar. Get him to fay his prayers ; good fir Toby,
get him to pray.
Mai. My prayers, minx ?
M?r. No, 1 warrant you, he will not hear of god
linefs.
Mai. Go, hang yourfelves all ! you are idle ihallow
things : I am not of your element ; you mall know
rriore hereafter. [.r;V.
Sir To. Is't pomble ?
Fab. If this were play'd upon a ftage now, I could
condemn it as an improbable fiction.
Sir To. His very genius hath taken the infection of
the device, man.
Mar. 'Nay, purfue him now; left the device take
air, and taint.
fab. Why, we mall make him mad, indeed.
Mar. The houfe will be the quieter.
Sir To. Come, we'll have him in a dark room, and
bound. My niece is already in the belief that he is
jnad ; we may carry it thus, for our pleafurc, and his
penance, till our very paftime, tired out of breath,
prompt us to have mercy on him : at which time, we
will bring the device to the bar, and crown thee for
a finder 7 of madmen : But fee, but fee.
of his Notable Difcovery of Cozenage, 159?, has publiftied what
he calls, A fhafant Difcoveryof the Cofinage of Colliers.
STEEVEXS.
The devil is called Collier for his blacknefs ; Like w/// to lite^
fays the Devil to the Collier. JOHKSON.
7 a finder of madmen : ] This is, I think, an allullon
to the voitch-faiikrs, who were very bufy. JOHNSON.
crown tbee for a finder, rather feems to be an allufion
to coroners. It is furely a fatire on thofe officers, who fo often
bring in felf-murder, lunacy, to which title many other offences
have to the full as juft pretenfions. STEEVENS,
VOL. IV. R Enter'
24 2 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Enter Sir Andrew.
Fab. More matter for a May morning *.
" Sir And. Here's the challenge, read it ; I warrant.,
there's vinegar and pepper in't.
Fab. Is't Ib fawcy ?
Sir And. Ay, is't ? I warrant him : do but read.
Sir To. Give me. [Sir Toby reads.
Touth, whatfoever thou art^ thou art but afiurvy fel-
low.
Fab. Good, and valiant.
Sir To. Wonder not, nor admire not in thy mind, why
I do call thee fo y for I will (hew thee no reajbnfort.
Fab. A good note : that keeps you from the blow
of the law.
Sir To. Thou com'ft to the lady Olivia, and in my fight
Jhc ufes thee kindly : but thou Heft in thy throat, that is not
the matter I challenge thee for.
Fab. Very brief, and exceeding good fenfe-lefs.
Sir To. I will way-lay tkze going home ; where if it be
thy chance to kill me,
Fab. Good.
Sir To. Thou k'ill*ft me like a rogue and a villain.
Fab. Still you keep o'the windy fide of the law :
Good.
Sir To. Fare thee well; And God have mercy upon one
of our fouls ! He may have mercy upon mine 9 ', but my hope
8 More matter for a May morning.] It was ufual on the firft of
May to exhibit metrical interludes of the comic kind, as well as
the morris-Jam-e^ of which a plate is given at the end of the firfl
part of K. He nry IV. with Mr. Toilet'* obfervations on it.
STEEVEXS.
* Ht may have mercy upim miue ', ] We may read : He
may have mercy upnp. thine, but my hope is better. Yet the pailage
may \\ell enough ftand without alteration.
It were much to be wifued that Shakefpeare in this and fome
other pafiages, had not ^ventured fo near profan^nefs. JOHNSON.
is
WHAT YOU WILL. 243
is better, andjb look to tbyfdf. Thy friend, as thou ufejl
kirn, and thy favor n enemy, ANDREW AGUE-CHEEK.
Sir To. If this letter move him not, his legs cannot :
I'll give't him.
Mar. You may have very fit occafion for't ; he is
now in fome commerce with my laSy, and will by
and by depart
Sir To. Go, fir Andrew; fcont me for him at the
corner of the orchard, like a bum-bailiff: To foon as
ever thou feeft him, draw ; and, as thou draw'ft,
fwear horribly : for it comes to pafs oft, that a terri-
ble oath, with a fwaggering accent fharply twang'd
off, gives manhood more approbation than ever proof
itfelf would have earn'd him. Away.
Sir And. Nay, let me alone for fwearing. [Exit.
Sir To. Now will not I deliver his letter : for the
behaviour of the young gentleman gives him out to
be of good capacity and breeding ; his employment
between his lord and my niece confirms no lefs; there-
fore this letter, being fo excellently ignorant, will
breed no terror in the youth, he will find it
comes from a clodpole. But, fir, I will deliver his
challenge by word of mouth ; let upon Ague-cheek
a notable report of valour ; and drive the gentleman,
(as, I know, his youth will aptly receive it) into a
moil hideous opinion of his rage, fkiil, fury, and im-
petuofity. This will fo fright them both, that they
will kill one another by the look, like cockatrices.
Enter Olivia and Viola.
Fab. Here he comes with your niece : give them
way, 'till he take leave, and prefently after him.
Sir To. I will meditate the while upon fome horrid
meffage for a challenge. [Exeunt.
Oli. I have {aid too much unto a heart of itone,
And laid mine honour too unchary out :
There's fomething in me, that reproves my fault ;
R 2 But
244 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
But fuch a headftrong potent fault it is,
That it but mocks reproof.
Vio. With the fame haviour that your paffion bearsy
Goes on my maker's grief.
Oil. Here, wear this 'jewel for me, 'tis my picture;,
Refufe it not, it hath no tongue to vex you :
And, I befeech you, come again to-morrow.
What ihall you afk of me, that I'll deny ;
That honour, fav'd, may upon aiking give ?
Vio. Nothing but this, your true love for my
matter.
Oli. How with mine honour may I give him that,.
Which I have given to you ?
Vio* I will acquit you.
OH. Well, come again to-morrow: Fare thee well;,
A fiend, like thee, might bear my foul to hell. [Exit*
Re-enter Sir 'Toby, and Fabian.
Sir To. Gentleman, God fave thee.
Vio. And you, fir..
Sir To. That defence thou haft, betake thee to't r:
of what nature the wrongs are thou haft done him, I
know not ; but thy intercepter % full of defpight,,
bloody as the hunter, attends thee at the orchard'
end : difmount thy tuck,, be yare in thy preparation,
for thy affailant is quick, ikilful and deadly.
Via* You miftake, fir; I am fure, no man hath
any quarrel to me; my remembrance is very free and
clear from any image of offence done to any man.
Sir To. You'll find it otherwife, I allure you : there-
1 wear this jewel for me, ] Jewel does not properly
iigniiy a -fingle-jr/s, but any precious ornament or fuperfkiity.'
JOHN SDK.
So, in Markham's Arcadia, 1607: " She gave "him :i very
fine .jewel, wherein was let i mo.fi. rich diamond." See alfo,
Warton's - Hift. of Englljl Poetry, vol. I. p. 121. STEEVENS.
* tby intercepter,-] Thus the old copy. The modern
editors read interpreter, bTtSYiiNs.
fore,
WHAT YOU WILL. 245
, if you hold your life at any price, betake you to
guard ; for your oppofite hath in him what
youth, itrcngth, fkill, and wrath, can furniih man
withal.
Flo. I pray you, fir, what is he .?
Sir To. He is knight, dubb'd with unhack'd J ra-
pier,
3 He is knigJjf, thill? d --with whack" 1 d rapier , and on carpet confe-
deration; ] That is, he is no foldier by profetfion, not a knight
banneret, dubbed in the field of battle, but, on carpet conjidera-
tion, at a feltivity, or on fome peaceable occafion, when knights
receive their dignity kneeling not on the ground, as in war, but
on a carpet. This is, I believe, the original of the contemptuous
term a carpet knight, who was naturally held in fcorn by the men
of war. JOHNSON,
There was an order of knighthood of the appellation of
KNIGHTS of the CARPET, though few, or no perlons (at Jeaft
among thofe whom I have consulted) feem to know any thing
about it, or even to have heard of it. I have taken fome memo-
randa concerning the inftitution, and know that William lord
Burgh (of Starborough caftle in the county of Surry, father to
Thomas lord Burgh, deputy of Ireland, and to fir John Burgh
who took the great Caracca (hip in i 592) was made a Knight of
the Carpet, at Weftminller, on the 2d of October, 1553, the day-
after Queen Mary's coronation : and I met with a lift of all who
were made fo at the Came time, in Strype's Memorials, vol. Ill*
Appendix, p. 1 1.
See Anftis's Obfervations on the Knighthood of the Bath, (Lond.
1725) p. 50. " Upon the acceffion of Queen Mary to the throne,
a commiflion was granted to the earl of Arundel, empowering him
to make knights, but WITHOUT any additional title, within two
days after the date of that patent : which were the two days pre-
ceding her coronation. In purfuance hereof, we find the 'names
iii the knights created by him, according to the ftated form of
creating knights of the Bath ; and the variety of the ceremonieg
uied, (o ditlmctly related, that it particularly deferv.es to be con-
fulted in the appendix."
So that Mr. Anftis plainly con riders them as being only a fpecies
f Knights of the Bath, though without any additional title.
If fo, the appellation ot Knights of the Carpet might be only
popular] nor their ftritf or proper title. This, however, was fuf-
fk-icnt to induce Shakefpeare (who wrote whilft they were com-
rnonly fpokcn of by fuch an appellation) tQ ///! that term, in con"
inijl to a knighthoo'd cocferred upon a real lbidie r , ffs a rewai'd of
valour,
R 3 For
246 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
pier, and on carpet confideration ; but he is a devil in
private brawl: fouls and bodies hath he divorc'd three;
and his incenfement at this moment is fo implacable,
that fatisfaclion can be none but by pangs of death
and fepulcher : hob, nob 4 , is his word; give't, or
take't.
Vlo. I will return again into the houfe, and defire
fome conduct of the lady. I am no fighter. I have
heard of fome kind of men, that put quarrels pur-:
pofely on others to tafte their valour ; belike, this is
a man of that quirk,
Sir fo. Sir, no ; his indignation derives itfelf out
of a very competent injury; therefore, get you on, and
give him his defire. Back you fhall not to the houfe,
unlefs you undertake that with me, which with as
much fafety you might anfwer him : therefore, on, or
ilrip your fword Hark naked ; for meddle you muft 5 ,
that's certain, or forfwear to wear iron about you.
For this valuable note I am happy to confefs my obligations
to fir JAMES BURROW, of the Temple, F, R, S, and F. S. A.
Greene ufes the term Carpet-knights, in contempt of thofe of
whom he is fpeaking; and in The Downfal of Rolert Earl of Hunt
tington, 1601, it is employed for the fame purpofe :
; " foldiers come away,
" This Carpet-knight fits carping at our fears."
Again, \\\Elicfto Libidinofo, a novel, by John Hinde, 1606:
" Deiire took inceftuous Pelight captive, and little Cupid, like
a valiant Carpet-lutight, flew into Venus his mother's bofom."
In Barrett's Alvearie 1 580 : " thofe which do not exercife
themfelves with fome honeft affaires, but ferve abhominable and
filthy idlenels, are as we ufe to call them, Carpet-knightes."
B. anteO. Again, among iir John Harrington'? Epigrams, b. iv,
ep. 6. Of Merit and Demerit:
" That captaines in thofe days were not regarded,
" That only Carpet-knights were well rewarded."
The old copy reads unhatch'd rapier. STEEVENS.
* bob, nob,_ ] This adverb is corrupted from hap ne ha fa
as would ne would, will tie will; that is, let it happen or not ; an4
fignifies at random, at the mercy of chance. See Johnfon's Die-,
tionary. STEEVENS.
5 meddle you mujt, ] Meddle is here perhaps ufed in the
fame fenie as the Fr. meler. To mix in fight is a phrafe ufed by
guf beil Englifh poets. STEEVENS.
WHAT YOU WILL. 247
Vio. This is as uncivil, as flrange. I befcech you,
do me this courteous office, as to know of the knight
what my offence to him is ; it is fomething of my neg-
ligence, nothing of my purpofe.
Sir To. 1 will do fo. Signior Fabian, flay you by
this gentleman till my return. [Exit Sir 'Toby.
Vio. Pray you, fir, do you know of this matter ?
Fab. I know, the knight is incens'd againft you,
even to a mortal arbitrement ; but nothing of the cir-
cumftance more,
Vio. I beieech you, what mariner of man is he ?
Fab, Nothing of that wonderful promife, to read
him by his form, as you are like to find him in the
proof of his valour. He is, indeed, fir, the moft
ikilful, bloody, and fatal oppofite that you could
poffibly have found in any part of Illyria: Will you
walk towards him? I will make your peace with him,
if I can.
Vio. I fhall be much bound to you for't : I am one,
that had rather go with fir prieft, than fir knight : I
care not who knows fo much of my mettle. [Exeunt*
Re-enter Sir tfoby, with Sir Andrew.
Sir To. Why, man, he's a very devil 6 ; I havetiot
feen fuch a virago 7 . I had a pafs with him, rapier,
fcabbard,
* Why, man, he's a very devil, &C.] Ben Jonfon has imitated
this Icene in the Silent Woman. The behaviour of fir John Daw,
and fir Amorous la Foole, is formed on that of Viola and Ague-
cheek. STEEVENS.
7 . . / have not feen fuch a virago. ] firago cannot be
properly ufed here, unlefs we fuppofe fir Toby to mean, I never
faw one that had fo much the look of woman with the prowefs of
man. JOHNSON.
The old copy reads ~>firago. A virago always means a fe-
male warrior, or, in low language, a fcold, or turbulent woman.
In Heywood's Golden. Age, i6ri, Jupiter enters "like a nymph
or virago ;" and fays : *' I may pals tor a bona-roba, a rouuceval,
a virago, or a good' manly lafs." If Shakefpeare (who knew Vi-
K 4 ola
i 4 8 TWELFTH-NIGHf : OR,
fcabbnrd, and all, and he gives me the ftuck 8 in with
fuch a mortal motion, that it is inevitable ; and on
the anfwer, he pays you asfurely as your feet hit the
ground they flep on : They fay, he has been fencer
to the Sophy.
Sir And. Pox on't, I'll not meddle with him.
Sir To. Ay, but he will not now he pacified : Fa-
bian can fcarce hold him yonder.
Sir And. Plague on't ; an I thought he had been
valiant, and fo cunning in fence, I'd have fcen him
damn'd ere I'd have challeng'd 'him. Let him let
the matter flip, and I'll give him my horfe, grey
Canilet.
Sir To. I'll make the motion : Stand here, make a
good fhcw on't ; this fhali end without rhe perdition
of fouls : Marry, I'll ride your horfe as well as I ride
you.
Re-enter Fabian and Viola.
I have his horfe to take up the quarrel ; I have per-
fuaded him, the youth's a devil, [To Fabian.
Fab. He is as horribly conceited of him ; and pants,
and looks pale, as if a bear were at his heels,
Sir To. There's no remedy, fir, he will fight with
you for's oath fake : marry, he had better bethought
him of his quarrel, and he finds that how fcarce to be
worth talking of : therefore draw for the fupportance
of Ms vow j he protcfts, he will not hurt you.
h fo be a woman, though ilr Toby did not) has made no blun*
der, Dr. fohnfon has fupplied the only obvious meaning of the
word. Firngif may however be a ludicrous term of Shakefpeare's
coinage. STEEVEVS.
8 - t&e ftuck- - ] The jtuck is a corrupted abreviation of
the^0av;/rt, an Italian term in fencing So, in the Return from
farnajj'u;, i6c6 : 4 ' Here's a rellmv, Judicio, that carried the
deadly ^flflfc in his pen." Again, in Mariton's Mai-content, 1604 :
*' The clofe flock, O mortal <kc." Again, in Antonio's Revenge^
t'6o2 :
*' I \vcu!d pafs oa him v/ith a mortal f:cck." STEEVENS.
WHAT YOU WILL. 249
Via. Pray God defend me ! A little thing would
fnake me tell them how much I lack of a man.
Ftib. Give ground, if you fee him furious.
Sh- TO. Come, fir Andrew, there's no remedy ; the
gentleman will for hi^honour's fake, have one bout
with you : he cannot 9 by the duello avoid it : but he
has promis'd me, as he is a gentleman and a foldier,
lie will not hurt you. Come on ; to't. [They draw,
Sir And. Pray God, he keep his oath !
Enter Antonio.
Vio. I do allure you, 'tis againft my will.
Ant. Put up your fvvord ; If this young gentleman
"Have done offence, I take the fault on me ;
If you offend him, I for him defy you. [Drawing.
Sir To. You, fir ? why, what are you ?
Ant. One, fir, that for his love dares yet to do more
Than you have heard him brag to you he will.
SirTo. Nay, if you be an undertaker ', I am for you. 1
[Draws.
9 ly the duello ] i. e. by the laws of \hzdudlo, which,
in Shakclpeare's time, were fettled with the utmoft nicety.
STEEYENS.
1 Nay, if you be an undertaker, ] But why was an under"
taker fo oflfenfive a chara&er ? I believe this is a touch upon the times y
which may help to determine the date of this play. At the meet-
ing of the parliament in 1614, there appears to have been a very
general perfuafion, orjealoufy at leaft, that the king had been in-
duced to call a parliament at that time, by certain perfons, who
bad undertaken, through their influence in the houfe of commons,
to carry things according to his majefty's wifhes. Thefe perfon
were immediately ftigmatized with the invidious name of under-
taken ; and the idea was fo unpopular, that the king thought it
necellary, in two fet fpeeches, to deny pofitively (how truly, i*
another "queilion) that there had been any fuch undertaking. Parl.
Hift. vol. V. p. 2 77, and 286. Sir Francis Bacon alfo (then attorney-
general) made an artful, apologetical fpeech in the houfe of com-
mons upon the fame fubjedt ; when the houfe (according to the title
of the fpeech) ivai in great heat, and much troubled about the under'
hixcfs. Bacon's Works, vol. II. p. 236. 410 edit. TYRWHITT,
Enter
z$o TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Enter Officers.
Fab. 6 good fir Toby, hold ; here come the of,
ficers.
Sir To.. I'll be with you anon.
V~w. Pray, fir, put your fword. up, if you pleafe.
[T0 Sir Andrew.
Sir And. Marry, will I, fir; and, for that I pro~
mis'd you, I'll be as good as my word : He will bear
you eafily, and reins well. .
1 Off. This is the man ; do thy office.
2 Off. Antonio, I arrefl thee at the fuit of count
Orfino.
Ant. You do miftake me, fir.
1 Off. No, fir, no jot; I know your favour well,
Though now you have no fea-cap on your head.
Take him away; he knows, I know him well.
Ant. I muflobey. This comes with feekingyouj
But there's no remedy; I fhall anfwer it.
What will you do ? Now my neceffity
Makes me to afk you for my purfe : It grieves me
Much more, for what I cannot do for you,
Than what befals myfelf. You Hand amaz'd ;
But be of comfort.
2 Off. Come, fir, away.
Ant. I muft intreat of you fome of that money.
Vio. What money, fir ?
For the fair kindnefs you have fhew'd me here,
And, part, being prompted by your prefent trouble,
Out ot my lean and low ability
I'll lend you fomething : my having is not much ;
I'll make divifion of my prefent with you :
Hold, there's half my coffer.
Ant. Will you deny me now ?
Is't poffible, that my deferts to you
Can lack perfuafion ? Do not tempt my mifery,
Left that it make me fo unfound a man,
As
WHAT YOU WILL. 251
.As to upbraid you with thofe kindneffcs
That I have done for you,
Vw. I know of none ;
Nor know J you by voice, or any feature ;
I hate ingratitude more in a man,
Than lying, vainnefs, babling drunkcnnefs,
Or any taint of vice, whole itrong corruption
Inhabits our frail blood.
Ant.. O heavens themfelves !
2 'Off. Come, fir, I pray you, go,
Ant. Let me fpeak a little. This youth that you
fee here,
I fnatch'd one half out of the jaws of death ;
Relieved him with fuch fandtity of love,
And to his image, which, methought, did prorhife
lyloft venerable worth, did I devotion.
i Off. What's that to us r the time goes by ;
away.
Ant. But, oh, how vile an idol proves this god!
Thou haft, Sebaitian, done good feature ihame.
In nature there's no blemilh, but the mind ;
None can be call'd deform'd, but the unkind :
Virtue is beauty ; but the beauteous evil
Are empty trunks, o'erflourifh'd by the devil %
i Off, The man grows mad ; away with hirrr.
Come, corne, iir.
Ant. Lead me on. [Exit Antonio with Officers.
1 d* erflourifi? d ly the efevil.] In the time of Shakefpeare,
trunks, which are now depofited in lumber-rooms, or other ob-
fcure placet, were part of the furniture of apartments in which
company was received. I have Teen more than one of thefe, ns
old as "the time of our poet. They were richly ornamented on
the tops and fides with fcroll work, emblematical devices, &c,
and were elevated on feet. Shakefpeare has the fame expreffion in
ftleafurc for Meafitre :
" . your title to him
" Dotlv1iW/-i/& the deceit " STEEVENS.
Vio.
252 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Vw. Methinks, his words do from fuch paffionfly,
That he believes himfelf ; fo do not I J .
3' rove true, imagination, oh, prove true,
That I, dear brother, be now ta'en for you!
Sir To. Come hither, knight; come hither, Fabian ;
We'll whifper o'er a couplet or two of moflfage faws,
Vw. He nam'd Sebaftian : I my brother know
Yet living in my glafs j even fuch, and fo,
In favour was my brother ; and he went
Still in this fafhion, colour, ornament,
For him I imitate : Oh, if it prove,
Tempers are kind, and fait waves frefh in love !
Sir 70. A very difhonefl paltry boy, and more a
coward than a hare : his difhonefty appears, in leavr
ing his friend here in neceflity, and denying him j
and for his cowardihip ? afk Fabian.
Fab. A coward, a mpft devout coward, religious
in it.
Sir And. 'Slid, Fll after him again, and beat him.
Sir To- Do, cuff him foundly, but never draw thy
/word.
Sir And. An I do not, - [.r// Sir Andrew*
Fab. Come, let's fee the event.
Sir To. I dare lay any money, 'twill be nothing
yet, [Exeunt,
3 - fo Jo not 7.]
This, I believe, means, I do not yet believe myfelf, when, from
this accident, I gather hope of my, brother's lite. JOHNSON.
ACT
WHAT YOU WILL. z $
ACT IV. S C E N E I.
Enter Sebaftian and Clown.
Clo. Will you make me believe, that I am not fent
for you ?
Seb. Go to, go to, thou art a foolifh fellow ;
Let me be clear of thee.
Clo. Well held out, i'faith \ No,. I do not know
you ; nor I am not fent to you by my . lady, to bid
you come fpcak with her ; nor your name is not ma-
iler Cefario ; nor this is not my nofe neither. no-
thing, that is fo, is fa.
Seb* I pr'ythee, vent thy folly fomewhere elfe ;
Thou know'ft not me,
Clo. Vent my folly f He has heard that word of
fome great man, and now applies it to a fool. Vent
my folly ! I am afraid this great lubber* the world
will prove a cockney.! pr'ythee now, ungird thy
ftrangenefs, and tell me what I lhall vent to my lady;
Shall I vent to her, that thou art coming ?
Seb. I pr'ythee, foolifh Greek 5 , depart from me;
There's money for thec ; if you tarry longer,
I fhall give worfe payment.
Clo. By my troth, thou haft an open hand : Thefe
4 / am afraid this great luller ] That is, affe&ation
and foppery will overfpread the world. JOHNSON.
5 IfSytbee, foolljl) Greek, - ] Greek, was as much as to fay
Imvd or pander. He underftood the Clown to be afting in that
office. A bawdy-houle was called Corinth, and the frequenters of
ir Corinthians, which words occur frequently in Shajcefpeare, efpc-
cially in Timon of Athens^ and Hen, IV. Yet the Oxford editor
alters it to Geek. WA&BUR ro^'
wife
254 TWELFTH-NIGHT: Ofc,
wife men, that give fools money, get themfelves a good
report after fourteen years' purchafe 6 .
Enter Sir Andrezv, Sir Toby, and Fabian.
Sir And. Now, fir, have I met you again ? there's
for you. [Striking Sebqftiant
Seb. Why, there's for thee, and there, and there :
Are all the people mad ? [Beating Sir Andrew*
Sir To. Hold, fir, or I'll throw your dagger O'er
the houfe.
CIo. This will I tell my lady ftfaight : I would not
be in fome of your coats for two pence. [Exit Clown 1 .
Sir To. Come on, fir ; hold* [Holding Sebaftian.
Sir And. Nay, let him alone, I'll go another way
to work with him ; I'll have an aftion of battery
againft him, if there be any law in Illyria : though I
ftruck him firft, yet it's no matter for that*
Seb. Let go thy hand.
Sir To. Come, fir, I will not let y6u go. Come,
my young foldier, put up your iron : you are well
ilelh'd ; come on.
6 -get tkemf elves a good report after fourteen years' purcbafr.']
This feems to carry a piece of fatire upon monopolies, the crying
grievance of that time. The grants generally '.vere for fourteen
years : and the petitions being referred to a committee, it was
fir/petted that money gained favourable reports from thence.
WjJBBCKTOBT.
Perhaps four teen years' fitrcbafe was in Shakefpeare's time, the
higheft prica for land. Lord Bacon's EJjiij on Ufuty mentions
Jixfeen years purchafe. " I will not give more than according to
fifteen years purchafe, faid a dying ufurer to a clergyman, who ad-
vifed him to ftudy for a purchafe of the kingdom of heaven.'*
TOLLET.
This pailage may be confidered as a further corroboration of Mr*
Tyrwhitt's conjecture, that Twelfth Night was written in 1614.
The grievance of monopolies, though long complained of, had, it
fliould feem, rifen to a greater height at that time than ever, for
pext to the undertakers, it was the great fubjeot of parliamentary
debate, during the fliort feffion of that year. MALO.VE.
Seb.
WHAT YOU WILL. 255
Seb. I will be free from thee. WFrat wouldft thou
now ?
If thou dar'ft tempt me further, draw thy fword.
Sir To. What, what ? Nay, then' I muft have an
ounce or two of this malapert blood from you.
[Tbey draw and fight.
Enter Olivia.
OIL Hold, Toby; on thy life, I charge thee, hold.
Sir To. Madam ?
OIL Will it be ever thus ? Ungracious wretch,
Fit for the mountains, and the barbarous caves,
Where manners ne'er werepreach'd ! out of my fight f
Be not offended, dearCefario :
Rudefby, be gone ! I pr'ythee, gentle friend,
[Exeunt Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew.
Let thy fair wifdom, not thy paffion, fway
In this uncivil and unjufl extent 7
Againft thy peace. Go with me to my houfe ;
And hear thou there how many fruitlefs pranks
This ruffian hath botch'd up 8 , that thou thereby
May'ft fmile at this : thou lhalt not chufe but go ;
7 In this uncivil and unjuft extent\
Extent is, in law, a writ of execution, whereby goods are feized
tor the king. It is therefore taken here for violence in general.
JOHNSON.
8 This ruffian bath botch'd up, ]
i. e, fwelled and inflamed. A botch being a fwelling or abfcefs.
WARBURTON.
I fancy it is only a coarfe expreffion for made nf>, as a bad taylor
is called a botcher, and to botch is to make clumhly JOHNSON.
Dr. Johnfon is certainly right. A fimilar expreffion occurs in
Ant. and Cleopatra :
" if you'll patch a quarrel
" As matter whole you've not to make it with."
Again, in A'. Hen. V :
" Do botdj and bungle up damnation." STEEVENS.
Do
156 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR;
Do not deny : Bcfhrew his foul for me,
He flatted one poor heart of mine in thee 9 .
Seb. What reliih is in this l ? how runs the ftrearri ?
Or I am mad, or elle this is a dream :
Let fancy flill my fenfe in Lethe jftcep ;
If it be thus to dream, flill let me fleep !
OK. Nay, come, I pr'ythee : 'Would, thoti'dfl be
rul'd by me !
Seb. Madam, I will.
O& O, fay fo, and fo be !
SCENE It.
An apartment in Olivia's houfe.
Enter Maria 3 and Clown.
Mar. Nay^ I pr'ythee, put oh this gown, and this
beard; make him believe, thou art fir Topas * the cu-
rate ; do it quickly : I'll call fir Toby the whilft.
[Exit Maria;
Clo. Well, Hlputiton, and I will diffemble my-
felf in't ; and I would I were the firft that ever dif-
fembled in fuch a gown. I am not tall enough to be-
come the function well ' ; nor lean enough to be thought
9 He Jt 'art 'cd onfpoor heart ef mine in thee.~\
I know not whether here be not an ambiguity intended benveen
heart and bart. The fenfe however is eafy enough. Ht that nf+
fends tbee, attacks one of my hearts j or, as the ancients exprefled it,
half my heart. JOHNSON.
* Wljat relijb is in thh ? ]
How does this taite ? What judgment am I to make of it ?
JOHXSON-.
* JirTopas ] The name of.yfr Toj>as is taken from
Chaucer. STEEVEXS.
3 / am not tall enough to become the funSlion well; ] This
cannot be right. The word wanted fliould be part of the defcrip-
tion of a careful man. I Ihould have no objection to read pale.
TYH\VHITT.
Tall enough, perhaps means not of fuf.clent height to overlook a
STEEVENS.
a good
WHAT YOU WILL. 257
ja good fludent : but to be faid, an honcft man, and
r. good houfekeeper, goes as fairly, as to fay, a carc-
f 'i man, and a great fcholar 4 , The competitors enter.
Exler Sir Toly, and M;
Sir To. Jove blefs thee, matter parfon.
os dies, fir Toby: for as the old hermit of
Prague, that never faw pen and ink, 5 very wittily
laid to a niece of king Gorboduc, That, that M, is: lo
I, being matter parfon, am mailer parfon ; For what
is that, but that ; and is, but is ?
Sir To. To him, fir Topas.
Clo. What, hoa, I fay, -Peace in this prifon !
Sir To. The knave counterfeits well ; a good knave.
MaL [t-V~itkm.~\ Who calls there ?
Clo. Sir Topas, the curate, who comes to vifit
Malvolio the lunatick.
Mai. Sir Topas, fir Topas, good fir Topas, go to
my lady.
Clo. Out, hyperbolical fiend ! how v'exeft thou this
marl ? talkeft thou nothing but of ladies ?
Sir To. Well faid, mailer parfon.
Mai. Sir Topas, never was man thus wrong'd ;
good fir Topas, do not think I am mad ; they have
laid me here in hideous darknefs.
Clo. Fye, thou difhoneft Sathan ! I call thee by the
4 mtofay, a careful man, and a great fcholar ~\ This refers
to what went before : / am not tall enough to become tbi funfl': on vjtll^
nor lean enough ro be thought a. good Jtudent ; it is plain then that
Shakelpeare \VTote : as to fay a graceful man, i. e. comely. To
this the Oxford editor lavs, recli. WAR BUR TOM.
A careful man I believe means a man who has fuch a regard for
his character as to intitle him to ordination. STSCVENS. "
s vet y wittily f alJ Wat, that is, is: ] This is
iumorous banter ot" the rules eftabliflied in the fchools, that
all realbnings are sx pracognitii & praconc fjfis , which lay the foun-
dation ofr every fcieucc in thcfc maxims, lukatfeevir it, is ; art,l it
ii impojfible for tljtfame thing to be and not to be ; with much ttiflicg
r liis likt kind. WARIURTO.V.
. IV, 3 mod
258 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR_
moft modeft terms; for I am one ofthofe gentle onc-^
that will ufe the devil himiclf with courtefy ; Say It
thou, that houfe is dark ?
Mai. As hell,, fir Topas.
Clo. Why, 6 it hath bay windows tranfparent as bar*
ricadoes, and the clear ftones towards the fouth -north-
are as luftrous as ebony; and yet complained thou of
obftrudtion ?
Mai. I am not mad, fir Topas;, I fay to yon, this-
houfe is dark.
Clo. Madman, thou erreft : I fay, there is no dark-
nefs, but ignorance ; in which thou art more puzzled,.
than the Egyptians in their fog.
MaL I fay, this houfe is as dark as ignorance,.
though ignorance were as dark as hell ; and I fay,
there was never man thus abus'd ^ I am no more mad
6 - it hath bay-r^'mdr-^s \ A fay-Viuzt/P'iV is the fame as a
lo-M-vjhtdo'Vj ; a window in a rcccjs, or 'bay. See A*Wood's L;fe r
publifhed by T. Hearne, 1730, p. 548 and 555. The following
inftances may likewife fupport the luppolition :
** We are fimply itock'd with cloth of tifTue cufliions
** To furnifh out bay-ivhufans.**
Cbaftt Maid in Cbcap-fide, 1620.
Again, in Cintbia's Rwelsby B. Jonfon, 1601:
- " retiring myfelf into a bay-^Mindo^vj^ &c.'*
Again, in Stowe's Chronicle of Hen. IV :
*' As Tho. Montague refted him at a bay -window ^ a gun wa
levell'd, Sec."
Again, in a fmall black letter book, entitled, Beware tie Cat r
1584, written by Maiiler Streamer:
" I was lodged in a chamber, which had a faire lay-^indo'Vt
opening into the garden."
Again, in Hey :wW the Epigrammatift :
" All Newgate windowes, bay-windw:s thev be,
" All lookers out there ftand at bs.y sve iee."
Again, in Middleton's IVomcn beuobreWfynen:
" 'Tis a fweet recreation for a gentlewoman
" To ftand in a bay-i^indnw and fee gallants."
Chaucer, in the AJJemUie of Lad'-es mentiv . ^ q;ain,
in K. Henry the SiAib'i D^refiifai for hi. itiiig's
Collet , Cawbrnlt: 44 cu every l..ic ; .w-7 .'*'
than
XVHAT YOU WILL. 2 jo
than you are, make the trial of it in any conftant
queftion 7 .
Clo. What is the opinion of Pythagoras, concern-
ing wild-fowl ?
ak That the foul of ourgrandam might haply
inhabit a bird;
Clo. What thihk'fl thou of his opinion ?
Mai. I think nobly of the foul, and no way ap-
prove his opinion.
Clo. Fare thee well : Remain thou flill in darknefs :
thou fhalt hold the opinion of Pythagoras, ere I will
allow of thy wits ; ancf fear to kill a woodcock, left
thou diipoffefs the foul of thy grandam. Fare thee
well.
MaL Sir Topas, fir Topas,
Sir To. My moil exquifite fir Topas !
Clo. Nay, I am for all waters 8 .
Mar. Thou might'ft have done this without thy
beard and gown ; he fees thee not.
Sir *70 To him in thine own voice, and bring me
word how thou find'il him : I would, we were all rid
of this knavery. If he may be conveniently deli-
Vcr'd, I would he were ; for I am now fo far in of-
fence with my niece, that I cannot purfue with any
lafety this fport to the upfhot. Come by and by to
my chamber. [Exit with Maria*
'Clo. Hey Robin > jolly Robin 9 ,
Tell me bow thy lady does. [Singing.
MaL
7 conjlant queftion.'} A fettled, a determinate, a regular
queftion. JOHN-SON.
* Nay, I am fir all waters.] A phrafe taken from the a&or's
ability ot making the audience cry either vtith mirth or grief.
WAR BURTON.
I rather think this expreffion borrowed from fportfmen, and re-
lating to the qualifications of a complete fpaniel. JOHNSON.
A cloak for all kinds of knavery ; taken rroro the Italian pro*
Verb, Tu bai mantilla da ogni acqua. SMIT.H.
9 He? Robin, jolly Robin,]
Thi long ihould ccruinly begin :
2 6o TWELFTH-NIGHT:
Mai. Fool,
Go. Mv lady is unkind, perdy*
Mai. Fool,
do. Alas, wty isJJoefo ?
Mai. Fool, I fay ;
Clo. Sh loves another Who calls, ha ?
Mai. Good fool, as ever thou wilt deferve well at
my hand, help me to a candle, and pen, ink, and pa-
per ; as I am a gentleman, I will live to be thankful
to thee fort.
Clo. Mailer Malvolio !
Mai. Ay, good fool.
Clo. Alas, fir, how fell you befide your five wits ' ?
Mai. Fool, there was never man fo notorioufiy
abus'd : I am as well in my wits, fool, as thou art.
Clo. But as well ? then you are mad, indeed, if
you be no better in your wits than a fool.
Mai. They have here * property'd me ; keep me in
darknefs, fend minifteps to me, aflcs, and do all they
can to face me out of my wits.
Clo. Advife you what you fay; theminifterishere.
Malvolio, Malvolio, thy wits the heavens reftore !
endeavour thyfelf to fleep, and leave thy vain bibble
babble.
Mai. SirTopas,
Q>. ; Maintain no words with him, good fellow.-
Who,
"- Hey, jolly Robin, tell to me
*' How does thy lady do ?
*' My lady is unkind, perdy.
" Alas, why is Hie for" FARMER.
1 '' your five wits?] Thus the fne ft /.fa verc anciently
called. So, in K. Lear, Edgar fays :
" Blefs thy five ivits-! Tom's a cold."
-, in the old morality of J<ve >y Man : '* Anil remember
beaute, f\'.-c v.yi'ts, ftren^th, and dvicrecyoii." STE:.'-
2 -. . prefer f\ ? tJ we; ] They have taken poik.Iion or" rn^
as-of H man unable to lock to himfelf. Jo;
.alii no <x'artfs with him, ; -] Here the Clown in the
dark acts two peribns, aad countericits, by variation of" voice, a
WHAT YOU WILL. 261
"Who, I, fir ? not, I, fir. God b'w'you, good fir
Topas. Marry, amen. I will, fir, I will.
M&L Fool, fool, fool, I lay,
Clo. Alas, fir, be patient. What f:iy you, fir > I
am fhent for fpeaking to you 4 . . '
Mdl. Good fool, help me to fome light, and fome
paper; I tell thee, .1 am us well m my wits, as any
man in Illyria.
Clo. Well-a-day, that you were, fir"!
j\Lih By this hand, I am : Good fool, fome ink,
.paper, and light, and convey what I let down to my
lady ; it lhall advantage thee more than ever the bear-
ing -of letter did.
Clg* I will help you to't. But tell me true, arc you
not mad indeed, or do you but counterfeit 5 ?
Mai Believe me, I am not ; I tell thee true.
Clo. Nay, I'll ne'er believe a mad man, 'till I fee
his brains. I will fetch you light, and paper, and
ink-
dialogue between himfelf and fir Topas. ^ /<uv//, Jir, / ivi'll, is
fpoken, aft era paufe, as if, in the mean time, fir Topa* had whil-
pered. JOHNSON.
* /rf/wihent, &c.] ToJJwiJ is to treat roughly. So, in^
May Ge/tc of Rokyn Hoodc, bl. 1. no date :
" \Vith bowes beat and arrowes fharpe,
" For to./?tfW that companye."
As;am, in the old metrical romance of Guy E. ef irar-ivic$, bl. 1.
BO date :
" The emperor faw his men fofient." STEEVEXS.
5 tell me, arc you not mad, or do you but counte rfeit ? ] If
he was not mad, what did he counterfeit by declaring that he \vas
nut mad : The fool, who meant to infult him, I think, alks, are
\<sn tr.atl, or do you but counterfeit? That is,jv look like a madman^'
jou talk like a madman : /j your maJnefe real, or have you any fccrct
n it? This, to a man in poor Malvolio's ilate, was a levere
JOHNSON.
Jji-f tell me truly, arc you not mail, hulteJ, ordoyoulut court-
:-} This is the reading of the old copy. We fliould read I
apprehend: - are you mad indeed, or do you but counterfeit ? or
eilsj : are you not niaJ ;>/</m/, and do you but counttrfe'-t ?
MALOXE.
S 3 M>I.
ftbft TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Mai. Fool, I'll requite it in the higheft degree 3
I pr'ythee, be gone,
Clo. I am gone, fir, [Singing,
And anon, fir,
I'll be with you again,
In a trice,
Like to the old vice 6 ,
Your need to fvjlain ;
Who with dagger of lath,
In his rage and his wrath,
Cries, ah, ha! to the devil ;
Like a mad lad,
Pare thy nails, dad,
7 Adieu, goodman devil, [Exit*
6 Like to the old vice,]
Vice was the fool of the old moralities. Some traces of this cha-
rafterare Hill preferred in puppet -(hows, and by country mummers.
JOHNSON.
This character was always ailed in a majk ; it probably had its
name from the old French word vis, for which they now uie ;/"-
tge, though they {till retain it in vis a vis, which is, literally,
face to face. STEEVENS.
7 Adieu, goodman, devil.]
This laft line has neither rhime nor meaning. I cannot but
fufpeiSt that the fool tranfiates Malvolio's name, and fays :
Adieu, goodman mean-evil. JOHNSON.
We have here another old catch ; apparently, I think, not of
Shakefpeare. I am therefore willing to receive the common readt
ing of the laft line :
Adieu, goodman drivel.
The name of Malvolio feems to have been form'd by an acci-
dental tranfpofition in the word, Malivolo.
I know not whether a part of the preceding line fhould not be
thrown into a queftion, " pare thy nails, dad ?"
In Hen. V. we again meet with " this roaring devil i'th' old
play ; every one may pare bis nails with a wooden dagger."
FARMER.
In the old tranflation of the Mctuechmi, 159^, Menaechmus
fays to Peniculus : " Away filthie mad drivcll, away ! I will talk,
no longer with thee." . STEEVENS.
SCENE
WHAT YOU WILL. 263
S GENE III.
Olivia's garden.
Enter Sebitjlian.
'Seb. This 'is the air ; that is the glorious fun ;
This pearl ilie gave' me, I do feei't, and fee't:
And though 'tis wonder that enwraps me thus,
Yet 'tis not madnefs. Where's Antonio then?
I could not.find him at the -Elephant :
Yet there he was; and there I found this credit 8 ,
That he did range the town to feek me out.
His counfel now might do me golden fervice :
For though my foul difputes well with my fenfe,
That this may be fome error, "but no madnefs,
Yet doth this accident and flood of fortune
So far exceed all inftance, all difcourfe 9 ,
That I am ready to diftruft mine eyes,
wrangle with my reafon, that perfuades me
8 Tet there he was ; and there I found this credit,
That if (lit/ range, &C.J
L e. I fomid it juftified, credibly vouched. Whether the word
credit will ealily carry this meaning, I am doubttul. The expref-
iion feems obfcure ; and though I have not difturbed the text, I
very much fufpcft that the poet wrote :
and there I found this credent.
He ufes the fame term again in the very fame fenfe in the Winter's
" Then 'tis very credent,
" Thou may'Jt cojoin vjith-fornetbiug, and thou doft, fe>V."
THEOBALD.
I found this credit,] Credit, for account, information.
The Oxford editor roundly alters it to current ; as he does almolt
every word that Shakefpeare ufes in an anomalous fignirtcation.
WAR BURTON*
' all inftance, all difaourfe,]
Jtiflance^ for fenfe ; t^jcnurfi^ for reafoii. WARBURrcy.
Jajiam-e is example. JOUKSOX.
84 To
264 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
To any other trnfl ', but that I am mad,
Or elfe the lady's mad ; yet, if 'twere fo,
She couklnot fvvay her houfe, command her followers,
Take, and give back, affairs, and their difpatch,
With iuch a fmooth, difcreet, and liable bearing,
As, I perceive, fhe does : there's fomething in't,
That is deceiyable. But here the lady comes.
Eater Olivia, and a Pricft.
OIL Blame not this hafte of mine ; If you mean
well,
Now go with me, and with this holy man,
Into the chantry by : there, before him,
And underneath that confpcrated roof,
Plight me the full aflurance of your faith ;
That my mpfl jealous and too doubtful foul
May live at peace : He fhall conceal it,
* Whiles you are willing it ihall come to note ;
What time we wiUour celebration keep
According to my birth What do you fay ?
Seb. 1*11 follow this good man, and go with you ;
And, having fworn 3 truth, ever will be true.
C/:. Then lead the way, good father ; And
heavens fo fhine %
That they may fairly note this ad of mine ! [Exeunt*
1 To any ot/.-er trujl, ]
To any other belief, or confidence, to any other fixed opinion.
JOH.VSON-.
1 Wl'les - ] Is vr.ill. This word is ftill fo ufed in the northern
counties. It is, I think, uied in this fenfe in the preface to the
Accidence. JOHNSON.
Almoit throughout the eld copies of Shakefpeare, voiles is gi-
ven us initead 'of mobile, Mr. Rowe, the firil reformer of his
fpelling, made the change. STEEVENS.
3 tru*t? t ] Truth is fdc Iffy. JOHNSON-.
4 btai'cns fo Jbine, &c.] Alluding perhaps to a fuperftitious
fuppoiition, the memory of which is ftill preserved in a proverbial
faying: " Haffy is the bride upon <v:hom tbe fun JJ:inc^ and bltfied
': the rainfall*" STEEVEXS.
ACT
WHAT YOU WILL.
A C T V. S C E N E I.
Tucftreet.
Enter Clown,- and Fabian.
Fab. Now, as thou lov'ft me, let me fee his letter.
dp. Good mafter Fabian, grant me another re-
queft.
Fab. Any thing.
Go. Do not dcfireto fee this letter.
Fab. That is, to give a clog, and, in recompence,
defire my dog again.
Enter Duke* Viola, and attendants.
Duke. Belong you to the lady Olivia, friends ?
Clo. Ay, fir ; we are fome of her trappings.
Dv.ke. I know thee well; How do ft thou, my good
fellow ?
Clo. Truly, fir, the better for my foes, and the
worfe for my friends.
Duke. Juft.the contrary; the better for thy friends.
Clo. No, fir, the worfe.
Duke. How can that be ?
Clo. Marry, fir, they praife me, and make an afs
of me ; now my foes tell me plainly, I am an afs :
fo that by my foes, fir, I profit in the knowledge of
myfelf ; and by my friends I am abufed : fo that,
conclusions to be as kifles 5 , if your four negatives
make
s - f that, conclufionsto It as kiffcs, - ] Though it might
be unreasonable to call our poet's fools and knaves every where to
account ; yet, if we did, for the generality we (hould find them
refponfible. But what monftrous abfurdity have we here ? To
fuppofe the text genuine^ we muft acknowledge it too wild to have
any known meaning : and what has no known meaning, cannot
be allowed to have either wit or humour. Beiidcs, the Clown is
affeding
c66 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
make your two affirmatives, why, then the worfe for
my friends, and the better for my foes.
Duke. Why, this is excellent.
Clo. By my troth, fir, no ; though it pleafe you to
be one of my friends.
Duke . Thou fhalt not be the worfe for me ; there's
gold.
Clo. But that it would be double-dealing, fir, I
would you could make it another.
Duke. O, you give me ill counfeL
Clo. Put your grace in your pocket, fir, for this
once, and let your flefh and blood obey it.
Duke. Well, I will be fo much a tinner to be a
double dealer ; there's another.
Clo. Primo, fecundo, tertio, is a good play ; and the
old faying is, the third pays for all ; the triplex, fir,
affedYmg to argue ferioufly and in form, I imagine the poet
iv rote :
So that condition to be afked, i?,
i.e. So that the concluiion I have to demand of you is this, if your
four, sV. He had in the preceding words been inferring iome
premiJTcs, and now comes to the condujlon very logically ; you grant
me, lays he, the premhTes j I now afk you to grant the conclusion.
WAR EUR TON.
Though I do not difcover much ratiocination in the Clown's
<Jifcourfe, yet, methinks, I can find fome glimpfe of a meaning
in his obfervation, that the condiifion is as kiffi's. For, fays he, if
four negatives make two affirmatives, tbe condttjion is as iijfis : that
'is, the concluiion follows by the conjunction of two negatives,
which, by k'^:,:g and embracing, coalefce into one, and make an
affirmative. What the four negatives are I do not know. I read :
So that coxduf.im be as kijjes* JOHNSON*.
concKifions to be as kifles If jour four negatives male your
t--^o afiirinati--ei, ] One cannot but wonder, that this palfege'
ihould have perplexed the commentators. In Marloe's Lifts Do-
minion, the Queen fays to the Moor :
" Come, let's kifle."
Moor. " Away, away."
Qietn. " Xo, no, layes, / and r-j:ice a~vay, fayesyF^y."
Sir Philip Sidney has enlarged upon this thought in the fixry-
thiiu itanza at his AJlrcpbel a/ui Stella. FAH rirv.
li
WHAT YOU WILL. 267
is a good tripping meafure ; or the bells of St. Ben*
net 6< i fir, may put you in mind, One, two, three.
Duk^. You can fool no more money out of me at
this throw : if you will let your lady know, I am
here to fpeak with her, and bring her along with you,
it may awake my bounty further.
Go. Marry, fir, lullaby to your bounty, till I come
again. I go, fir ; but I would not have you to think,
that my defire of having is the fin of covetoufoefs :
but, as you fay, fir, let your bounty take a nap, and
I will awake it anon. [Exit Clowa*
Enter Antonio, and Officers.
Vio* Here comes the man, fir, that did refcue me,
Duke. That face of his I do remember well;
Yet, when I faw it laft, it was befmear'd
As black as Vulcan, in the fmoke of war :
A bawbling veflel was he captain of,
For ihallow draught, and bulk, unprizable ;
With which fuch fcathfui 7 grapple did he make
With
6 Iclls if St. Bennet, ] When in this play he mentioned
the led of Ware, he recollected that the fcene was in Illyria, and
added, in England; but his fenfe of the lame impropriety could
not rcftrain him from the bells of St. Bennet. JOHNSON.
Shakefpeare's improprieties and anachronifms are furely venial
in companion with thofe of contemporary writers. Lodge, in his
T' r tfe Tragedies of Mcirlus and Sylla, \ 594, has mentioned the razors
of Palermo and St. Paufsfteeple, and has introduced a Frenchman^
named Don Pedro, who, in consideration of receiving forty crowns^
undertakes to poiibn Marius. Stanyhurft, the tranflator of four
books of Virgil, in 1582, compares Chorasbus to ^bedlamite; fays,
that old Priam girded on his fword Morglay ; and makes Dido tell
^Eneas, that (he fhouid have been contented had fhe been brought
to bed even of a coclney.
Saltern fi qua mi hi dt te fufccpta fuljjet
Ante ftfvam Juboh's -
1 " yf yeet foom progenye from me
" Had crawl 'd, by the father 'd, yf a cockney dandiprat
hopthumb." STEEVENS.
7 'fcathfui ] i. e. mifchievous, deflruftive. So, in
pecker's If this le not a good Play, the Devil is in it, 1612 :
* He mickleyl <//' has done me,"
Again,
-68 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
With the mofl noble bottom of our fleet,
That very envy, and the tongue of lofs,
Cry'd fame and honour onhim. What's the matter ?
i Off, Orfino, this is that Antonio,
That took the Phoenix, and her fraught, from
Candy ;
And this is he, that did the Tyger board,
When your young nephew Titus loft his leg :
Here in the itreets, defperate of fhame, and ftate *,
In private brabble did we apprehend him.
Via. He did me kindnefs, fir ; drew on my fide ;
But, in conclnfion, put ftrange fpeech upon me,
J know not what 'twas, but diffraction.
' Duke. Notable pirate ! thon falt-watcr thief !
What foolifh boldnefs brought thce to their mer
Whom thou, in terms fo bloody, and ib dear,
Haft made' rfiine enemies ?
Ant. Orfino, noble fir,
Be pleas* d that I (hake off thefe names you give nv: ;
Antonio never yet was thief, or pirate,
Though, I confefs, on bafe and ground enough,
Orfino's enemy. A witchcraft drew me hither :
That moft ungrateful boy there, by your fide,
From the rude lea's enrag'd and foamy mouth
Did I redeem ; a wreck pad hope he was :
His life I gave him, and did thereto add
My Jove, without retention, or reftraint,
All his in dedication : for his fake,
Did lexpofe mvfelf, pure for his love,
Into the danger of this adverfe town ;
Drew to defend him, when he was befet :
Where being apprehended, his falfe cunning,
Again, inthePijpuraffFa&eJuht, I J99*
" That otferethy2-rt//' unto the town of Wakefield.'*
STKEVEXS.
8 Jcfpcratfpffiamc, and ft ate, ~\
Unattemive to his character or his condition, like a defperattJ mnn.
*V.
(Not
WHAT YOU WILL. 263
(Not meaning to partake with rac in danger)
Taught him to face me out of his acquaintance,
Aad grew a txventv-ycars-rcmoved thing,
While one would wink; deny'd me mine own purfr.
Which I had recommended to his ufe
Not half an hour before.
Vio. How can this be ?
Duke. When came he to this town ?
j4nt. To-day, my lord ; and for three months be*
fore,
(No interim, not a minute's vacancy)
Both day and night did we keep company.
Enter Olivia, and Attendants.
Duke. Here comes the countefs; now heaven wallet
on earth.
But for thee, fellow, fellow, thy words are madnef?:
Three months this youth hath tended upon me ;
But more of that anon. Take him afide.
OIL What would my lord, but that he may not
have,
Wherein Olivia may feem ferviceable ?
Cefario, you do not keep promife with me.
Vio. Madam ?
Duke. Gracious Olivia,
OH. What do you 'fay, Cefario ? Good iry
lord,
Vio. My lord would fpeak, my duty hulries me.
OIL If it be' ought to the old tune, my lord,
It is as fat and fulfome to mine ear 9 ,
As howling after mufick.
Duke. Still fo cruel ?
OH. Still fo conftant, lord.
9 as fat aad fulfome ]
We fhould read : as flat. WAR BUR TON.
means </////; fo we fay a fatbemUJ fellow ; fat likevvile
means grofs, and is fonntimes ufed for obfccve ; and fat is more
congruent io fttlftmt thanjfo/. Jot 1
Duke.
TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Duke. What, to perverfenefs ? you uncivil iady^,
To whofe ingrate and unaufpicious altars
My foul the faithfull'ft offerings hath breath'd out,
That e'er devotion tender'd ! What fhall I do ?
Oil. Even what it pleafe my lord, that ihall be-
come him*
Duke. Why fhould I not, had I the heart to do it,-
* Like to the Egyptian thief, at point of death,
Kill what I love ; a favage jealoufy,
That fometimes favours nobly ? But hear me this :
Since you to non-regardance cafl my faith,
And that I partly know the inftrument,
That fcrews me from my true place in your favour^
Live you, the -marbled-breafted tyrant, flill ;
But this your minion, whom, I know, you love,
And whom, by heaven I fwear, I tender dearly,
Him will I tear out of that cruel eye,
Where he fits crowned in his matter's fpight. -
1 Wlyjboutt I not, had 1 the heart ty Jo'f,
Like to the Egyptian thief, at point of death >
Kill what I lave ; ]
In thwjfew&j a particular ftoiy is prefuppos'd ; which ought td
be known to fhevv the juftnefs and propriety or the companion^
It is taken from Hsliodorus's jEfhiopics t to which our author was
indebted for the allufion. This Egyptian thief was Thyamis,
who was a native of Memphis, and at the head of a band of rob-
bers. Theagenes and Chariclea falling into their hands, Thya-
mis fell defperate'.y in love with the lady, and would have mar-
ried her. Soon after,, a ftronger body of robbers coming down
upon Thyamis's party, he was in fuch fears for his miftrefs, that
he had her (hut into a cave with his treafure. It was cuftomary
with thole barbariuns, ibe;t they dcfpaired of their o^nfxfcty, firjl
to make away ivitb tbofe ivJjotn they held dear, and defucd tor com-
panions in the next life. Thyamis, therefore, bcnetted found
with his enemies, raging with love, jealoufy, and anger, went
to his cave ; and calling aloud in the Egyptian tongue, fo foon
as he heard himielf anfwer'd towards the cave's mouth by a Gre-
cian, making to the perfon by the direction of her voice, he
caught her by the hair with his left hand, and (fuppofing her to
be Chariclea) with his right hand plunged his 1'word into her
breail. THEOBALD.
Come
WHAT YOU WILL. Z jt
Come, boy, with me ; my thoughts are ripe in -mif-
chief :
I'll facrifice the lamb that I do love,
To fpight a raven's heart within a dove* [Golxg*
Vio. And I, moil jocund, apt, and willingly,
To do you reft, a thoufand deaths would die.
Oil. Where goes Cefario ?
Vio. After him I love,
More than I love thefe eyes, more than my life,
More, by all mores, than e'er I fhall love wife :
If I do feign, you witnefTcs above,
Punilh my life, for tainting of my love !
OIL A\ r me, detefted I how am I beguil'd !
Vio. Who does beguile you? who does do yoU
wrong ?
OIL Haft thou forgot thyfelf ? Is it ib long ?
Call forth thy holy father.
Duke. Come, away. [To V.olt.
OIL Whither, my lord? Cefario, hufbaml,, flay,
Duke. Hufband?
OIL Ay, hufband ; Can he that deny ?
Duke. Her hulband, fir rah?
Vio. No, my lord, not I.
Oil. Alas, it is the bafenefs of thy fear,
That makes thee itrangle thy propriety :
Fear not, Cefario, take thy fortunes up ;
Be that thou know'ft thou art, and then thou art
As great as that thou fear'ft. O welcome, father !
Enter Priejl.
Father, I charge thee by thy reverence,
Here to unfold (though lately we intended
To keep in darknefs, what occafion now
Reveals before 'tis ripe) what thou doft know,
Hath newly paft between this youth and me.
Prie/l. A contract of eternal bond of love,
Confirmed by mutual joindur^ of your hands,
Atteftecj
TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Attefted by the holy clofe of lips,
Strengthen'd by enterchangement of your rings ;
And all the ceremony of this compact
Seal'd in my function, by my teftimony :
Since when, my watch hath told me, toward my grave
I have travell'd but two hours.
Duke. O thou diflembling cub ! what wilt thou be,
When time hath fow'd a grizzle on thy z cafe ?
Or will not elfe thy craft fo quickly grow,
That thine own trip lhail be thine overthrow ?
Farevvel, and take her ; but direct thy feet,
Where thou and I henceforth may never meet.
Vio. My lord, I do proteft,
Oli. O, do not fwear ;
Hold little faith, though thou haft too much fear.
Enter Sir Andrew, with bis head broke.
Sir And. For the love of God, a furgeon ; and fend
one prefently to fir Toby.
Oli. What's the matter ?
Sir And. H'as broke my head acrofs, and given
fir Toby a bloody coxcomb too : for the love of God,
your help : I had rather than forty pound, I were at
home.
OIL Who has done this, fir Andrew ?
Sir And. The count's gentleman* one Cefario : we
took Kim for a coward, but he's the very devil incar-
dinate,
Duke, My gentleman, Cefario ?
Sir And. Oil's lifelings, here he is : You broke
my head for nothing ; and that that I did, I was fct
on to do't by fir Toby.
* cafe?] Cafe is a word ufecl contemptuoufly "htjkin. We yet
talk of a fox cafe, meaning the ftuffed (kin of a fox. JOHNSON.
So, in Cary's Prefcnt State nf England, 1626 : ' Queen Eli-
zabeth alked a knight named Young, how he liked a company of
brave ladies ? He anftvered, as I like my lilver-baired conies
at home j the cafes are tar better than the bodies." MA LONE,
Via.
W H A T Y O U W I L L. 273
Vio. Why do you fpeak to me ? I never hurt you :
You drew your fword upon me, without caufe ;
But I befpake you fair, and hurt you not.
Sir Ana. If a bloody coxcomb be a hurt, you have
hurt me ; I think, you fet nothing by a bloody cox-
comb.
Enter Sir Toby, drunk, led by the Clown.
Here comes fir Toby halting, you mall hear more :
but if he had not been in drink, he would have
tickled you othergates than he did.
Duke. How now, gentleman ? how is't with you ?
Sir To. That's all one; he has hurt me, and there's
an end on't. Sot, didfl fee Dick furgeon, fot ?
Clo. O he's drunk, fir Toby, above an hour agone ;
his eyes were fet at eight i'the morning.
Sir To. J Then he's a rogue, and a pafTy-meafurc
pavin :
I hate a drunken rogue.
on.
3 Then he's a rogue, and a pzft-meafure pavin :]
This is the reading of the old copy, and probably right, being an
allufion to the quick meafure of the pavin, a dance in Shake-
fpeare's time. GRAY.
& pajfj -meafure pavin may perhaps mean a pavin danced out of
time. Sir Toby might call the furgeon by this title, becaule he
was drunk at a time when he Jbcntld have bienfoler, and in a con-
dition to attend on the wounded knight. Panyn however is the
reading of the old copy, though the u in it being reverfed, the
modern editors have been contented to read
and a pajl-meafurt painim.
This dance called the pavyn is mentioned by B. and Fletcher in
the Mad Lover :
" I'll pipe him fuch a pavan."
And in Stephen GoJ/bu's School of Abufe, containing a plea fount /'
veflive againjl Poets, Pipers, &c. 1579* it is enumerated, as fol-
lows, amongft other dances :
" Dumps, pavins, galliardes, meafures, fancyes, or news
flreynes." I do not, at lafi) fee how the fenfe will completely
quadrate on the prefent occafion. Sir W. Davenant, in one of
his interludes, mentions " a doJeful/><n>/." In the Cardinal, bv
Shirley, 16^2 : " Who then lhall dance the />**> with Oforio r"
Again, in 'Tiipityjhe'i a Wl.'ore, by Ford, 1633 : "I have feen
VOL. IV. T an
574 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
OIL Away with him : Who hath made this havock
with them ?
Sir
an afs and a mule trot the Spanifh pavin with a Better grace."
Again, in Decker's Fortunatus, iboo : " La pavyne Hifpani-
ola fea veftra mufica, y gravidad y majeftad." Laftly, in
Shadwell's f^irtuofo^ 1676: " A grave pavin or almain, at which
the black Tarantula only moved ; it danced to it with a kind of
grave motion much like the benchers at the revels."
In 1604, John Dowland the celebrated lutanift publifhed " Se-
ven teares figured infeven paffionate pavaxs y fett for the kite, &c."
In a comedy by Middleton, called More Iftjjcmblers bcjldes Wo-
'men, is mentioned :
** A itrain or two of paffh-nxafures galliard."
Again, \n. Lingua, &c. 1607: " Prithee lit ilill ; thou mufl dance
nothing but the pajjing-meafurcs" STEEVEXS.
Bailey's Dictionary fays, pavan is the loweft fort of inftru-
mental mufic ; and when this play was written, the pevvin and the*
pajjamez-zo might be in rogue only with the vulgar, as with Eal-
fbffand Doll Tearfheet ; and hence fir Toby may mean, he is
a rogue and a mean low fellow. TOLLET.
Then he's a rogue^ and a pajjy nicafure pavia*
I bate a drunken rogue. ~\
B. Jonfon alfo mentions ihepavin, and calls it a Spanifh dance,
Alcbemift, p. 97. but it feems to come originally from Padua, and"
fliould rather be written pavane, as a corruption of paduana. A
dance of that name (fahatio paduana) occurs in an old writer^
quoted by the annotator on Rabelais, b..v. c. 30.
Pajjy meafures is undoubtedly a corruption, but I know not how
it fhould be rectified. TYRWHITT.
"Thepavan from favo a peacock, is a grave and majeftickdance
The method of dancing it was antiently by gentlemen drefled with
a cap and fword, by thofe of the long robe in their gowns, by
princes in their mantles, and by ladies in gowns with long trains,
the motion whereof in the dance, refembled that of a peacock's
tail. This dance is fuppofed to have been invented by the Spani-
ards, and its figure is given with the characters for the lleps in the
Orchefograpbia of Thoinet Arleau. Every pavan has its galliard, a
lighter kind of air, made out of the former. The courant, the^
jig, and the hornpipe are fufficiently known at this day.
Of the pajfamez-zo little is to be faid, except that it was a favour-
ite air in the days of Q^. Elizabeth. Ligon in his hiftory of Bar-
badoes, mentions a pajfamezzo galliard, which in the year 1647, a
Padre in that ifland played to him on the lute ; the very fame, he
fays, with an air of that kind which in Shakcfpeare's play of
WHAT YOU WILL. 275
Sir An.l I'll help you, fir Toby, becaufe we'll be"
dreft together.
Sir To. Will you help an afs-head, and a coxcomb*
and a knave ; a thin-fac'd knave, a gull ?
\_Exettnt Clown^ Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew.
OH. Get him to bed, and let his hurt be look'd to.
Enter Sebajlian.
Seb. I am forry, madam, I have hurt your kinf-
man ;
But, had it been the brother of my blood,
I muft have done no lefs, with wit, and fafety.
You throw a ftrange regard upon me, and
By that I do perceive it hath offended you ;
Pardon me, fweet one, even for the vows
We made each other but fo late ago.
Duke. One face, one voice, one habit, and two
perfons ;
4 A natural peripe&ive, that is, and is not !
Seb.
Htn. IV. was originally played to fir John Falftaffand Doll Tear-
fheet, by Sneak, the mufician, there named. This little anec-
dote Ligon might hare by tradition, but his conclufion, that be-
caufe it was played in a dramatic reprefentation of the hiftory.of
flen. IV. it mult be fo ancient as his time, is very idle and injudi-
cious. PaJJy-meafure is therefore undoubtedly a corruption
from pajffamezzo. SIR J. HAWKINS.
With the help of fir John Hawkins's explanation Q^jbaJJy-mea-
furc, I think I now fee the meaning of this paflage. The fecond
/olio reads after a pajjy meafurcs flavin. So that I mould ima-
gine the following regulation of the whole fpeech would not be far
from the truth :
Then he's a rogue. After a pafly-meafure or a flavin, 1 bate a
drunken rogue, i. e. next to a pajjy-meafure or a flavin, &c. It is
in character, that fir Toby Ihould exprefs a flrong dillike offer tout
ttaaceSf fuch as the paffame zzo and theflavan are defcribed to be.
TYRWHITT.
4 A natural perfpefli've ]
A perfpeBive feems to be taken for (hows exhibited through a glafs
with luch lights as make the pictures appear really protuberant.
The Duke therefore fays, that nature has here exhibited fuch a
T 2 fliow,
276 TWELFTH-NIGHT; OR,
Seb. Antonio, O my dear Antonio !
How have the hours rack'd and tortur'd me,
Since I have loft thee ?
Ant. Sebaftian are you ?
Seb. Fear'ft thou that, Antonio ?
Ant. How have you made divifion of yourfelf ?-*
An apple, cleft in two, is not more twin
Than thefe two creatures. Which is Sebaftian.?
Oil. Moft wonderful !
Seb. Do I ftand there ? I never had a brother :
Nor can there be that deity in my nature,
Of here and every where. I had a fifter,
Whom the blind waves and furges have devoured :
Of charity, what kin are you to me ? [70 Viola.
What countryman ? what name ? what parentage ?
Vio. Of Meffaline : Sebaftian was my father ;
Such a Sebaftian was my brother too,
So went he fuited to his wat'ry tomb :
If fpirits.can affume both form and fuit,
You come to fright us.
Seb. A fpirit I am, indeed ;
But am in that dimenfion grofly clad,
Which from the womb I did participate.
Were you a woman, as the reft goes even,
fhow, where fhadcnvs feem realities j where that which is not ap-
pears like that which is. JOHNSON.
I apprehend this may be explained by a quotation from a duo-
decimo book called Humane Indu/try^ 1661, p. 76 and 77 : " It
is a pretty art that in a pleated paper and table furrowed or in-
dented, men make one picture to reprefent fevera! faces that
being viewed from one place or {landing, did (hew the head of a
Spaniard, and from another, the head of an afs." " A pic-
ture of a chancellor of France prefented to the common beholder
a multitude of little faces but if one did look on it through a
ptrfpettive, there appeared only the iingle pourtrai&ure of the
chancellor himfelf." Thus that, which is, is not, or in a diffe-
rent pofition appears like another thing. . This feems allb to ex-
plain a paflage in K. Hen. V. aft V. ic. ii : " Yes, my lord, you
iee tbemperfyetflvffy) the cities turn'd into a maid." TOLLET.
I fhouia
WHAT YOU WILL. 277
I fhould my tears let fall upon your cheek,
And fay Thrice welcome, drowned Viola !
Ho. My father had a mole upon his brow.
Seb. And fo had mine.
Vw. And dy'd that day when Viola from her birth
Had number'd thirteen years.
Seb. O, that record is lively in my foul 1
He finiihed, indeed, his mortal act,
That day that made my fifter thirteen years.
Vw. If nothing lets to make us happy both,
But this my mafculine ufurp'd attire,
Do not embrace me, till each circumftance
Of place, time, fortune, do cohere, and jump,
That I am Viola : which to confirm,
I'll bring you to a captain in this town
Where lie my maid's weeds ; by whofe gentle help
I was preferv'd, to ferve this noble count :
All the occurrence of my fortune fmce
Hath been between this lady, and this lord.
Seb. So comes it, lady, you have been miftook :
[To Olivia.
But nature to her bias drew in that.
You would have been contracted to a maid ;
Nor are you therein, by my life, deceived,
You are betroth'd both to a maid and man.
Duke. Be not amaz'd ; right noble is his blood.
If this be fo, as yet the glafs feems true,
I fhall have mare in this moft happy wreck :
Boy, thou haft faid to me a thoufand times, [To Viola.
Thou never fhouldft love woman like to me.
Vlo. And all thofe fayings, will I over-fwear ;
And all thofe fwearings keep as true in foul,
As doth that orbed continent the fire
That fevers day from night.
Duke. Give me thy hand ;
And let me fee thee in thy woman's weeds.
Vio. The captain, that did bring me firft on Ihore,
Hath my maid's garments : he, upon fome action,
T 3 Is
278 TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Is now in durance ; at Malvolio's fuit,
A gentleman, and follower of my lady's.
OH. He fhall enlarge him : Fetch Malvolio hither,
And yet, alas, now I remember me,
They fay, poor gentleman, he's much diftract.
Re-enter Clown, with a letter.
A moft extracting frenzy * of mine own
From my remembrance clearly banifh'd his.
How does he, firrah ?
Clo. Truly, madam, he holds Belzebub at the ftave's
end, as well as a man in his cafe may do : h'as hero
writ a letter to you, I Ihould have given't you to day
morning; but as a madman's epiflles are no gofpels.
fo it ikills not much, when they are deliver'd.
OH. Open't, and read it.
Clo. Look then to be well edify'd, when the fool
delivers the madman. By the Lord, madam,
Oil. How now, art thou mad !
Clo. No, madam, I do but read madnefs : an your
lad yihip will have it as it ought to be, you muft allow
vox 6 .
OH. Pr'ythee, read i'thy right wits.
5 A moft extracting jfaazy ] i. e, a frenzy that drew me
away from every thing but its own object, WAR EUR TON.
Till fome example is produced of the word extracting being ufed
in the fenfe in which Dr. Warburton explains it, I fhould wifli to
read d>Jtraling> which I conjecture, from the preceding line,
to have been the author's word. MALOKB.
6 you muft allovj vox.~\ I am by no means certain that I
underftand this paflage, which, indeed, the author of the Revifal
pronounces to have no meaning. I fuppofe the Clown begins
reading the letter in fome fantaftical manner, on which Olivia afks
him, if he is mad. No, madam, fays he, / do but barely deliver
the fenfe of this madman's epiftle', if you would have it read as it
ought to le, that is, vivhifucb a frantic accent and gcjlure as a mad-
man luould read it, you muft allow vox, i. e. you muft furnijh tkf
reader <vjitb a voice, or, in other words, read it yourfelf.
STEEYENS.
Clo,
WHAT YOU WILL. 279
Clo. So I do, madonna ; but to read his right wits 7 ,
is to read thus : therefore perpend, my princels, and
give ear.
Oli. Read it you, firrah. [To Fabian.
Fah. [Reads.] By the Lord^ madam, you 'wrong me^
and the world flail know it: though you have put me in-
to darknefs, and given your drunken cottjin rule over me,
yet have I the benefit of my fenfis, as well as your ladyfiip.
I have your ozi'n letter that induced me to the femblance I
put on ; with the which I doubt not but to do niyfelf much
right, or you much flame. Think of me as you pleafe. I
leave my duty a little unthought of, and j'peak out of wiy
injury* 'the madly -us* d Malvolio.
OK. Did 'he write this ?
Clo. Ay, madam.
Duke. This favours not much of diftradtion.
Oli. See him deliver'd, Fabian ; bring him hither.
My lord, fo pleafe you, thefe things further thought
on,
To think me as well a filter as a wife,
One day lhall crown the alliance on't, fo pleafe you f ,
Here at niy houfe, and at my proper coft.
Duke. Madam, I am moft apt to embrace your offer.
Your mailer quits you : and, for your fervice done
him,
So much againft the metal of your fex, [To Viola.
So far beneath your foft and tender breeding,
And fmce you call'd me matter for fo long,
7 but to read bis rlglft wits, j Perhaps fb, but to rtad
bis wits right is to read thus. To reprefent his prefent ftate of mind,
is to read a madman's letter, as I now do, like a madman.
JOHNSON.
1 One day Jh all crown the alliance on't, fo pleafe you, ~\ The word
*'/, in this place, is mere nonfenfe. I doubt not the poet wrote :
ziftfo pleafe you. REVISAL.
This is well conjectured ; but on't may relate to the double cha-
racter of fifter and wife. JOHNSON.
T 4 Here
2 8o TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
Here is my hand ; you fliall from this time be
Your matter's miftrefs.
OIL A filler ? you are fhe.
Re-enter Fabian, 'with Afalvolio.
Duke. Is this the madman ?
Oli. Ay, my lord, this fame : How now, Malvolio?
Mai. Madam, you have done me wrong, notorious
wrong.
Oli. Have I, Malvolio ? no.
Mai. Lady, you have. Pray you, perufethat letter:
You muft not now deny it is your hand,
Write from it, if you can, in hand, orphrafe;
Or fay, 'tis not your feal, nor your invention :
You can fay none of this : Well, grant it then,
And tell me, in the modefty of honour,
Why you have given me fuch clear lights of favour ;
Bade me come fmiling, and crofs-garter'd to you 9 ,
To put on yellow llockings, and to frown
Upon fir Toby, and the ' lighter people :
And, acting this in an obedient hope,
Why have you fuffer'd me to be imprifon'd,
Kept in a dark houfe, vifited by the prieft,
And made the moft notorious geek 2 , and gull,
' ~ croft-garter' d -yellow Jleckings, ] In an enter-
tainment called Cupid and Death, by Shirley, 1653, a Holt en-
ters \n yellow Jlcckings and croft-gartered. STEEVENS.
1 lighter'} People oflefs dignity or importance. JOHNSON.
4 geek. ] A fool. JOHNSON.
So, in the vifion at the conclufion of Cymbeline :
*' And to become the geek and fcorn
" Of th' other's villainy."
Again, in Ane verie excellent and dektfabitt T'rcatife intitulit PKI-
I.OTUS, &c. 1603 :
" Thocht he be auld, my joy, quhat reck,
" When he is gane give him ane-,
" And take another be the neck."
Again :
" The carle that hecht fa weill to treit you,
" I think fall get ane gcck" STEEVENS.
That
WHAT YOU WILL. 281
That e'er invention play'd on ? tell me why ?
Oil. Alas, Malvolio, this is not my writing,
Though, I confefs, much like the character :
But, out of queftion, 'tis Maria's hand.
And now I do bethink me, it was flie
Firft told me, thou waft mad ; then cam'ft in fmiling,
And infuch forms which here were prefuppos'd 1
Upon thee in the letter. Pr'ythee, be content :
This practice hath moft fhrewdly pafs'd upon thee ;
But, when we know the grounds and authors of it,
Thou {halt be both the plaintiff and the judge
Of thine own caufe.
Fab. Good madam, hear me fpeak ; ,
And let no quarrel, nor no brawl to come,
Taint the condition of this prefent hour,
Which I have wondred at. In hope it iliall not,
Moft freely I confefs, myfelf, and Toby,
Set this device againft Malvolio here,
Upon fome ftubborn and uncourteous parts*
We had conceiv'd againft him : Maria writ
The letter, at fir Toby's great importance J ;
In recompence whereof, he hath marry'd her.
How with a fportful malice it was follow'd,
May rather pluck on laughter than revenge ;
3 here were prefuppos'd]
Prefupfatfd) for impofed. WAR EUR TON,
Prefuppos'd rather feems to mean previoufly pointed out for thy
imitation ; or fuch as it was fuppofed thou would'ft aflume after
thou hadil read the letter. Thefuppo/ttiort was previous to the afl.
STEEVENS.
* Upon fame ftublorn and uncourteous parts
IVe bad conceived againft him : ]
Surely we fhould rather read : concei < v > d'vs\ him. TYRWHITT.
5 at fir To^/.fj-mjrMmportance;]
Importance is importunacy, impor tenement* So, in the Comedy of
Errors :
" At your important letters." STEEVENS.
So, in Heywood's Hiftory of Women, 1624. : " Their importanty
fo tar pievailed, that the Jirft decree was quite abrogated."
MALONE.
If
TWELFTH-NIGHT: OR,
If that the injuries be juftly weigh'd,
That have on both fides paft.
Oli. Alas, poor fool ! how have they baffled thee 6 ?
Go. Why, fome are born great, fame aicbieve great-
mfs, and fame have greatnefs thrown upon them. I was
.one, fir, in this interlude ; one fir Topas, fir ; but
that's all one : By the Lord, fool, I am not mad;
But do you remember, madam 7 , Why laugh you at
fach a barren rafcal? an you fmik not, hesgaggd: And
thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.
Mal f I'll be reveng'd on the whole pack of you.
[Exit.
OH. He hath been moft notoriouily abus'd.
Duke. Purfue him, and intreat him to a peace : *
He hath not told us of the captain yet ;
When that is known, and golden time convents *,
A folemn combination fhall be made
Of our dear fouls : Mean time, fweet fitter,
We will not part from hence. Cefario, come;
For fo you fliall be, while you are a man ;
But, when in other habits you are feen,
Orfino's miftrefs, and his fancy's queen. [Exeunt*.
Clown fings.
When that I was and a little tiny boy 9 ,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
AfooliJJ}
B bow have tlxy baffled tbcef\ See Mr. Toilet's note on a
paflage in the firft fcene of the firft a6l of K. Rich. II :
" I am difgrac'd, impeach'd, and baffled here." STEEVENS.
7 but do you remember, rn&dam^ ] As the Clown is
fpeaking to Malvolio, and not to Olivia, I think this paflage fhould
be regulated thus but doyou remember"? Madam, why laugh
you, &c. TYRWHITJ.
* convents t ~\ Perhaps we fliould read confents. To convent,
however, is to affcmble ; and therefore, the count may mean,
when the happy hour calls us again together. STEEVENS.
9 When that I ivas and a little tiny boy^\
Here again we have an old fong, fcarcely worth correftion. 'Gainft
inaves and thieves muft evidently be, againft JEa0v and thief.
When I was a boy, my folly and mifchievous adtions were little
regarded :
WHAT YOU WILL. 283
Afooli/J'} thing was but a toy,
For the rain it raineth every day.
But when I came to man's ejlate,
With bey, ho, &c.
'Gtiinft knaves and thieves, men flint their gate.
For the rain, &c,
But when I came, alas ! to wive,
With hey, ho, &c.
By fzv agger ing could I never thrive,
For the rain, &c.
But when I came unto my beds
With hey, ho, &c.
With tofs-potsftill had drunken heads,
For the rain, &c.
A great while ago the world begun^
With hey, ho, &c.
But that's all one, our play is done,
And we'lljlrive to pleafe you every day. [Exit,
regarded : but when I came to manhood, men fliut their gates
jigainfr. me, as a knave and a thief.
Sir Tho. Hanmer rightly reduces the fubfequent words, ltd*
and beads, to the fingular number: and a little alteration is ftilj
wanting at the beginning of fome of the ftanzas.
Mr. Steevens obferves in a note at the end of Much ado about
Nothing, that the play had formerly patted under the name of Be*
nedift and Beatrix. It feems to have been the court-fajhion to al-
ter the titles. A very ingenious lady, with whom 1 have the ho-
nour to be acquainted, Mrs. Aflcew of Queen's Square, has a fine
copy of the fecond folio edition of Shakefpeare, which formerly
belonged to king Charles I. and was a prcfent from him to h
Matter of the Revels, fir Thomas Herbert. Sir Thomas has al-
tered live titles in the lift of the plays, to ** Benedick and Betrice y
Pyramus and Thijby, Rofalinde, Mr. Paroles, and Malvolio."
It is lamentable to fee how far party and prejudice will carry
the wifefl men, even againft their own practice and opinions.
Milton, in his EixooxXa'r? cenfures king Charles for reading, u one,
whom," fays he, * we well knew was the clofet companion of his
folitudes, William ShalfeJ)>eare" FARMER.
Dr. Fanner might have obferved, that the alterations of the
titles arc in his majefty's own hand-writing, materially differing
from
284 TWELFTH-NIGHT: &c.
from fir Thomas Herbert's, of which the fame volume affords
more than one fpecimen. I learn from another manufcript note
in it, that John Lvwine afted K. Hen, VIII. and Jobn. Taylor the
part of Hamlet. The book is now in my polfeffion.
To the concluding remark of Dr. Farmer, may be added the
following paflage from An Appeal to all rational Men concerning
King Charles's Trial, by JohnCooke, 1649 : " Had he but ftudied
fcripture half fo much as Ben Jonfon or Shake/peare, he might have
learnt that when Amaziah was fettled in the kingdom, he fuddenly
did juftice upon thofe fervants which killed his father Joalh, &c."
With this quotation I was furnifhed by Mr. Malone.
A quarto volume of plays attributed to Shakefpeare, with his
majefty's cypher on the back of it, is preferved in Mr. Garrick's
collection. STEEVENS.
This play is in the graver part elegant and eafy, and in fome of
the lighter fcenes exquifitely humorous. Ague-cheek is drawn
with great propriety, but his character is, in a great meafure, that
of natural fatuity, and is therefore not the proper prey of a fatirift.
The foliloquy of Malvolio is truly comic ; he is betrayed to ridicule
merely by his pride. The marriage of Olivia, and the fucceeding
perplexity, though well enough contrived to divert on the ftage,
wants credibility, and fails to produce the proper inftru&ion re-
quired in the drama, as it exhibits no jufl picture of life.
JOHNSON,
WINTER'S
W I N T E R's
;
TALE.
Perfons
Perfons Reprefented.
Leontes, King o
Polixenes, King of Bohemia.
Mamillius, young Prince o/Sicilia.
Florizel, Prince of Bohemia.
Camillo. "]
Antigonus. I Sicilian L ^.
Cleomenes.
Dion, J
Another Sicilian Lord.
Archidamus, a Bohemian Lord.
Rogero, a Sicilian Gentleman.
An Attendant on the young Prince Mamillius.
Officers of a Court of Judicature.
Old Shepherd, reputed Father of Perdita.
Clown, his Son.
A Mariner.
Gaoler.
Servant to the old Shephei'd.
Autolycus, a Rogue.
Time, as Chorus.
Hermione, Queen to Leontes.
Perdita, Daughter to Leontes and Hermione.
Paulina, Wife to Antigonus.
Emilia, a Lady.
Two other Ladies.
Mopfa. l c , , , .
-P. * > Sbcpberdffles.
jL/orcas. 3
Satyrs for a dance t Shepherds, 'ShepherdeJJes, Guards, and
Attendants.
SCENE, fometimes in Sicilia ; fometimes in Bohemia.
WINTER'S TALE
ACT I. SCENE I.
An antickamber in Leontes* palace.
Enter Camillo, and Archidamus.
Arch. If you fliall chance, Camillo, to vifit Bohe-
mia, on the like occafion whereon my fervices are
now
1 *The Winter 1 1 Tale."] This play, throughout, is written in the
very fpirit of its author. And in telling this homely and fimple,
though agreeable, country tale,
Our fweetejl Sbaktfpeare, fancy's child)
Warbles bis native wood-notes vjild.
This was neceflary to obferve in mere juftice to the play ; as the
meannefs of the fable, and the extravagant condudt of it, had
milled fome of great name into a wrong judgment of its merit;
which, as far as it regards fentiment and character, is fcarce infe-
rior to any in the whole colle&ion. WARBURTON.
At Stationers' Hall, May 22. 1594, Edward White entered
" A booke entitled A Wynter Nygbt's Pa/lime" STEEVENS.
The ftory of this play is taken from the Pleafant Hijiory of Da-
raftus and Faivnia, written by Robert Greene. JOHNSON.
In this novel, the king of Sicilia whom Shakefpeare names
Leontes, is called . Egiftus.
Polixenes K. of Bohemia ' Pandofto.
Mamillias P. of Sicilia Garinter.
Florizel P. of Bohemia Doraitus.
Camillo Franion.
Old Shepherd Porrus.
Hermione - . - Bellaria.
Perdita .. '. . Faunia.
Mopfa - . Mopfa.
The parts of Antigonus, Paulina, and Autolycus, are of the
poet's own invention ; but many circumflances of the novel are
omitted in the play. STEEVENS.
VOL. IV. None
288 W I N T E R's TALE.
now on foot, you lhall fee, as I have faid, great dif-
ference betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia.
Cam.
None of our author's plays has been more cenfured for the
breach of dramatic rules than the Winter's Tale. In confirmation
of what Mr. Steevens has remarked in another place " that
Shakefpeare was not ignorant of thefe rules, but difregarded
them" it may be obferved, that the laws of the drama are clearly
laid down by a writer once univerfally read and admired, fir
Philip Sydney, who, in his Defence of Pocfy, has pointed out the
very improprieties which our author has fallen into, in this play.
After mentioning the defects of the tragedy of Gorboduck, he
adds : " But if it be fo in Gorboducke, how much more in all the
reft, where you {hall have Afia on the one fide, and Affricke of
the other, and fo manie other under kingdomes, that the player
when he comes in, muft ever begin with telling where he is, or
elfe the tale will not be conceived. Now of time they are much
more liberal. For ordinarie it is, that two young princes fall in
love, after many traverfes {he is got with childe, delivered of a
fa ire boy : he is loft, groweth a man, falleth in love, and is readie
to get another childe, and all this in two houres fpace : which
how abfurd it is in fence, even fence may imagine."
This play is iheered at by B. Jonfon, in the induction to Bar~
tholomew Fair, 1614:- > " If there be never a fervant monfter in
the fair, who can help it, nor a ncft of antiques ? He is loth to
make nature afraid in his plays, like thofe that beget Tales, Tem-
pefts, and fuch like drolleries."
By the r.ejl of antiques, the twelve fatyrs who are introduced at
the {heep-ftiearing feftival, are alluded to. MALONE.
The Winter's 'Tale may be ranked among the hiftoric plays of
Shakefpeare, though not one of his numerous criticks and com-
mentators have difcovered the drift of it. It was certainly intend-
ed (in compliment to queen Elizabeth) as an indirecl apology for
her mother Anne Boleyn. The addrefs of the poet appears no
\vhere to more advantage. The fubjeft was too delicate to be ex-
hibited on the ftage without a veil ; and it was too recent, and
touched the queen too nearly, for the bard to have ventured fo
home an allufion on any other ground than compliment. The
unreafonable jealouiy of Leontes, and his violent conduct in con-
. fequence, form a true portrait of Henry the Eighth, who gene-
rally made the law the engine of his boifterous paflions. Not only
the general plan of the ftory is moft applicable, but feveral paf-
fages are fo marked, that they touch the real hitlory nearer than,
the fable. Hermione on her trial fays ;
** for honour^
'Til
8
W I N T E R's T A L F. 289
Cam. I think, this coming fumuier, the king of
JSicilia means to .pay Bohemia the vifitation whicl\ he
juttly owes him.
Arch. Wherein our entertainment lhall fhame us %
we will be juftified in our loves : for, indeed, - .
Cam. 'Befeech you, -
Arch. Verily, I fpcak it in the freedom of my
knowledge : we cannot with fuch magnificence in fa
" 'Tis a derivative from me
" And only that I ftand for."
This feems to be taken from the very letter of Anne Boleyn W
the king before- her execution, where flie pleads for the infant
princels his daughter. Mamillius, the young prince, an unne-
ceflary character, dies in his infancy j but it confirms the allufion^
as queen Anne, before Elizabeth, bore a ftill-born fon. But the
molt finking paflage, and which had nothing to do in the tragedy,
but as it pictured Elizabeth, is, where Paulina, defcribing the
new-born princeis, and her likenefs to her father^ fays: "She
has the very trick of his frovcn." There is one fentence indeed fo
applicable, both to Elizabeth and her father, that I fhould fufpedt
the poet ihferted it after her death. Paulina, fpeaking of the
child, tells the king :
" - : Tis yours;
*' And might we lay the old proverb to your charge,
a So like you, 'tis the worfe."
The Winter Evening's Tale was therefore in reality a fecond part
of Henry the Eighth. WALPOLE,
Sir Thomas Hanmer gave himfelf much needlefs concern that
Shakcfpeare fhould conlider Bohemia as a maritime country. He
would have us read Jyytbinia : but our author implicitly copied the
novel before him. Dr. Grey, indeed, was apt to believe that Do-
rajlus and Faunia might rather be borrowed from the play, but I
have met with a copy of it, which was printed in 1 588. - Cer-
vantes ridicules thefe geographical miftakes, when he makes the
princeis Micomicona land at Offuna. - Corporal Trim's king of
Bohemia "delighted in navigation, and had never a fea-port in
his dominions;" and my lord Herbert tells us, that De Luines
the prime minifler of France, when he was embaflador there, de-
manded, whether Bohemia was an inland country, or lay " upon
thefea ?" - There is a fimilar miftake in the Two Gentlemen of
Verona, relative to that city and Milan. FARMER.
a .. - our entertainment Sec.] Though we cannot give you
equal entertainment, yet the confcioufnefs of our good-will (hall
juflify us. JOHNSON.
VOL. IV. U rare-
290 W I N T E R's TALE.
rare I know not what to fay. We will give toll-
fleepy drinks ; that your fenfes, unintelligent of our
infufficience, may, though they cannot praife us, as
little accufe us.
Cam. You pay a great deal too dear, for what's
given freely.
Arch. Believe me, I fpeak as my understanding in-
ftrufts me, and as mine" honefty puts it to utterance.
Cam. Sicilia cannot fhew himfelf over-kind to Bo-
hemia. They were trained together in' their child-
hoods j and there rooted betwixt them then fuch aa
^ffedtion, which cannot chufebut branch now. Since
their more mature dignities, and royal neceffities, made
feparation of their fociety, their encounters, though
not perfonal, have been royally attorney 'd', with inter-
change of gifts, letters, loving embaffies ; that they
have feem'd to be together, though abfent ; fhook
hands, as over a vaft 4 : and einbrac'd, as it were, from
the ends of oppofed winds. The heavens continue
their loves !
Arch. I think, there isrnot in the world either ma-
lice, or matter, to alter it. You have an unfpeak-
able comfort of your young prince Mamillius ; it is a
gentleman of the greateft promife, that ever came
into my note.
Cam. I very well agree with you in the hopes of
him: It is a gallant child j one that, indeed, phy licks
3 royally attorney* d, ~\ Nobly fupplied by fubftitution of
embattles, &c. JOHNSON.
* as over a vaft: ] Thus the folio 1623. The folio
1632 : over a vaft fea. I have fince found that Hanmer at-
tempted the fame correction, though I believe the old reading to
be the true one. Vaftum is the ancient term for -ivafte uncultivated
land. Over a va/l, therefore means at a great and vacant diftance
from each other. P'aft^ however, may be uled for they^, in Perl-
eks Prince of Tyre :
*' Thou God of this great vaft^ rebuke the furges."
STEEVENS.-
the
W 1 N T E R's T A L E. 291
the fubjecV, makes old hearts frefh : they, that went
on crutches ere he was born, defire yet their life, to
fee him a man.
Arch. Would they elfe be content to die ?
Cam. Yes ; if there were no other excufe why they
fliould defire to live.
Arch. If the king had no fon, they would defire to
live on crutches 'till he had one. [Exeunt*
SCENE II.
A room offtate.
Enter Leontcs, Hermione, Mamillius, Pollxews, Camillo,
and Attendants.
Pol. Nine changes of the watry ftar hath been
The ihepherd's note, fince we have left our throne
Without a burden : time as long again
Would be fill'd up, my brother^ with our thanks ;
And yet we fhould, for perpetuity,
Go hence in debt : And therefore, like a cypher,
Yet {landing in rich place, I multiply,
With one we thank you, many thousands more
That go before it.
Leo. Stay your thanks a while ;
And pay them when you part.
Pol. Sir, that's to-morrow.
I am queflion'd by my fears, of what may chance,
Or breed upon our abfence : That may blow 6
No
5 pbyjtds tbcfuljefl, ] Affords a cordial to the ftate ;
has the power of afluaging the fenle of milery. JOHNSON.
So, in Macbeth: *' The labour we delight in, phyjicks pain."
STEEVENS.
6 that may M<nu
Nofneafing winds ]
This is aonfenle, we fhould read it thus :
- may there //nv, &c.
He had faid he was apprehenfive that his prefcnce might be wanted
U 2 at
2 9 z W I N T E R's T A L E.
No {heaping winds at home, to make us fay,
Ibis is put forth too truly I Betides,, I have ftay'd
To tire your royalty.
Leo. We are tougher, brother,-
Than you can put us to't.
Pol. No longer ftay.
Leo. One feven-night longer.
Pol. Very (both, to morrow.
Leo. We'll part the time between's then ; and in
that
I'll no gain-faying.
Pol. Prefs me not, 'befeech you, fo ;
There is no tongue that moves ; none, none i'tlie
world 7
So foon as yours, could win me : fo it fhould now,
Were there neceffity in your requeft, although
at home ; but, led this mould prove an ominous fpeech, he en-
deavours, as was the cuitom, to avert it by a deprecatory prayer ;
Jl/rty there blow
yoj~iif(jp:/:g -ivinds -*to make us Jay ,
Tins -jv as put forth too truly.
But the Oxford editor, rather than be beholden to this correction^
alters it to :
there may Utrje
Somzf neaping winds.
and fo deftroys the whole featiment.. WAR BURTON'.
That may blo~>v, is a Gallicifm, for may then blow.* JOHNSON'.
7 'bat may blarjj
Nofneaping winds at homi\
Dr. Warburton calls this uonfenfc ; aiid Dr. Johnfon tells us it rs
a GalUc'ifm. It happens however to be both fenfe and EtigliJ]}.
That, for Oh ! That, is not uncommon. In an old traniiatioti or'
the ramoiis Alcoran of the Francifcan; : " St. Francis obierving
the holinefs of friar Juniper, faid to the priors, That I had a wood,
ofluch Junipers !" And, in The T<vo Noblt Kinfmen :
w In thy rumination,
" That I poor man ini^ht eftfoones come beuvecn !" .
And fo in other places. This is the conttrutlion of the pallage in
Romeo and Juliet :
" That runaway's eyes may wink ! ?!
Which in other refpect^ Mr. Steeveni has rightly interpreted.
FARMER..
'Tv/ere
W I N T E R's T A L E. 293
*Twsre needful I deny'd it. My affairs
Do even drag me homeward : which to hinder,
Were, in your love, a whip to me ; my ftay,
To you a charge, and trouble : -to fave both,
Farewel, our brother.
Leo. Tongue-ty'd, our queen ? fpeak you.
Her. I had thought, fir, to .have held my peace,
until
You had drawn oaths from him, not to 'flay. You, fir,
Charge him too coldly : Tell him, you are furc,
All in Bohemia's well : this fatisfadtion 7
The by-gone day proclaim'd ; fay this to him,
He's beat from his beft ward.
Leo. Well faid, Hermione.
Her. To tell, he longs to fee his fon, were ftrong-
But let him fay fo then, and let him go ;
But let him fwear fo, and he fhall not flay,
We'll thwack him hence with diftafts.
Yet of your royal prefence I'll adventure
[To Polixenez.
The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia
You take my lord, I'll give you my commiffion %
To let hiru there a month, behind the gefl 9
Prefix'd
7 - tbisfatisfafllon]
We had fatisfattory accounts ycilerday of the {late of Bahemia.
' JOHNSONS
* I'll give him my commijjion,]
We fhould read :
J'Mgive you my commijjion,
The verb /</, or hinder, which follows, fhews the neceflhy of if:
for (lie could not fay {he would give her hufband a corHmillion to
iet or hinder himfelf. The commiifion is given to Polixencs, to
whom flie is fpeaking, to Ice or hinder her hulband.
WAR BUR TON*
~bcbind the gefi\
Mr. Theobald fays : be can ne;tfxr trace, nor under/land tbe pbrafe,
and therefore thinks it fhould be jujl : But the word <rcji is right,
and fignifies a ftage or journey. In the time of royal'progrejjcs the
's itajjes, as, we may fee by the journals of them in the he-
U 5 l;Jo .;
a 9 4 W I N T E R's TALE.
Prefix'd for his parting : yet, good-deed, ' Leontes.,
I love thee not a jar o'the clock z behind
What lady flie her lord You'll flay ?
Pol. No, madam.
Her. Nay, but you will ?
Pol. I may not, verily,
raid's office, were called blsgefis ; from the old French
(Tiverforiiun. WAR BUR TON.
In Strype's Memorials of ArMlJbop Cranmcr, p, 283. - The
archbilhop intreats Cecil, " to let him have the new-refolved-
upon /?J, from that time to the end, that he might from time to
time know where the king was."
Holland, in his tranflation of Plhiy, fays, p. 282 : " Thefe
quailes have their fet^//?j, to wit, ordinane retting and baiting
places."
Again, in Decker's Match me in London, 1631:
** It (i. e. the court) remov'd laft to the mop of a millener j
" The gefts are fo fet down, becaufe you ride."
Again, in Friar Bacon, and Friar Bungay, 1599:
" Caftile, and lovely Elinor with him,
- * t Have in their gefts refolved for Oxford town/'
Again, in Vittoria Ccromlona, 1612 :
-- " Do like ^ gefts in the progrefs,
" You know where you fhall find me." STEEVEXS.
1 yet) good hced^ Lcontes."]
i. e. you take good heed, Leontes, to what I fay. Which phrafr,
Mr. Theobald not undemanding, he alters it to, good deed.
WAR BUR TON.
yet good-deed, Leontes, -
is the reading of the old copy, and fignifies indetd, in very deed^
*ts Shakefpeare in another place exprefles it. Good deed is ufed in
the fame lenie by the aarl of Surry, lir John Hayward, and Gaf-
coigne. STEEVENS.
The fecond folio reads good beed^ which, I believe, is right.
TYRWHITT.
a a jar o't/jf clack - ] A jar is, I believe, a fingle repe-
tition of the noife made by the pendulum of a clock ; what chil-
dren call the ticking of it. So, in K. Richard III :
" My thoughts are minutes, and with iighs theyy^r."
STEEVENS.
Ajar perhaps means a minute, for I do not fuppofe that the
ancient clocks ticked or noticed the feconds. See Holinlhed's J}e .
firiftion of England^ p. 241. ToLLET,
Her,
W I N T E R's TALE. 295
JJer. Verily!
"Yon put me off with limber vows : But I,
Though you would fcek to unfphere the ftars with
oaths,
Should yet fay, Sir, m going. Verily,
You mall not go ; a lady's verily is
As potent as a lord's. Will you go yet ?
Force me to keep you as a priibner,
Not like a gueft ; fo you mall pay your fees,
When you depart, and fave your thanks. How fay
you ?
My prifoner ? or my gueft ? by your dread verily,
One of them you fhall be.
Pol. Your gueft then, madam :
To be your prifoner, mould import offending;
Which is for me lefs eafy to commit,
Than you to punilh.
Her. Not your goaler then,
But your kind hoftefs. Come, I'll queftion you
Of my lord's tricks, and yours, when you were boys;
You were pretty lordings ' then.
Pol We were, fair queen,
Two lads, that thought there was no more behind,
3But fuch a day to-morrow as to-day,
And to be boy eternal.
Her. Was not my lord the verier wag o'the two ?
Pol. We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frifk
i'the fun,
And bleat the one at the other : what we chang'd,
Was innocence for innocence ; we knew not
The doctrine of ill-doing, no, nor dream'd
That any did : Had we purfu'd that life,
And our weak fpirits ne'er been higher rearM
* 3 lord; figs ] This diminutive of lord is often ufed by
Chaucer. So, in the prologue to his Canterbury Tales, the Holl
^fiiys to the company, v. 790, late edit.
" Lordnges (quod he; now herkeneth for the befle."
STEEVENS.
U 4 With
296 W I N T E R's T A L E.;
With ftronger blood, we ihould have anfwerM
heaven
Boldly, Not guilty ; the impofaion clear'd 4 ?
Hereditary ours.
Her. By this we gather,
You have tripp'd fince.
Pol. O my moft facred lady,
Temptations have fince then been born to us : for
In thofe unfledg'd days was my wife a girl ;
Your precious felf had then not crofs'd the eyes
Of my young play-fellow.
Her. 5 Grace to boot !
Of. this make no conclusion ; left you fay,
Your queen and I are devils : Yet, go on ;
The offences we have made you do, we'll anfwer ;
If you firft finn'd with us, and that with us
You did continue fault, and that you flipp'd not
With any but with us.
Leo. Is he won yet ?
Her. He'll flay, my lord.
Leo. At my requefl, he would not,
f ' ; the impojition clcar^dy
Hereditary ours.]
5. e. fetting afide original Jin ', bating the impofition from the of-
fence of our firft parents, we might have boldly protefted our in-
nocence to heaven. WAR BUR TON.
5 Grace to loot I
Of this make no conclujion ; left you fcty^ &c.]
Poli^enes had faid, that fince the time or childhood and inno-
cence, temptations had grown to them ; for that, in that interval,
the two queens were become women. To each part of this obfer-
vation the queen anfwers in order. To that of temptations fhe re-
plies, Grace to loot I i. e. though temptations have grown up,
yet I hope grace too has kept pace with them. Grace to toot,
was a proverbial expi effion on.theie occafions. To the other part,
fhe replies, as for our tempting you, pray take heed you draw no
cor.clufion from thence, for that would be making your queen-
and me devils, &c. WAR BURTON.
The explanation is good ; but I have no great faith in the ex-
iuspce of iuch a proverbial expreilion. STEEVEXS.
Hermione,
W I N T E R's T A L E. 297
Hermione, my deareft, thou never fpok'ft
To better purpofe.
Her. Never ?
Leo. Nevpr, but once.
Her. What ? have I twice faid well ? when 'twas
before ?
I pr'ythee,tell me : Cram us with praife, and make us
As.fat as tame things : One good deed, dying tongue-
lefs,
Slaughters a thoufand, waiting upon that.
Our praifes are our wages : You may ride us
With one foft kiis a thoufand furlongs, ere
With fpur we heat an acre. But to the goal 6 ;
My laft good deed was, to intreat his ftay ;
What was my firft r 1 it has an elder lifter,
Or I miflake you : O, would her name were Grace !
But once before I fpoke to the purpofe : When ?
Nay, let me have't ; I long.
Leo. Why, that was when
Three crabbed months had four'd themfelves to
death,
Ere J could make thee open thy white hand,
And clap thyfelf my love 7 ; then didft thou utter,
/ am yours for ever,
Her.
6 With fpur ive beat an acre. But to the goal ;]
Thus this paffage has been always printed ; whence it appears,
that the editors did not take the poet's conceit. They imagined
that, But to ttf goal, meant, but to come to the purpofe; but the
fenfe is different, and plain enough when the line is pointed thus :
With fpur tve heat an acre, lut to the goal.
\. e, good ufage will win us to any thing ; but, with ill, we flop
(hort, even there where both our imereft and our inclination
would otherwife have carried us. WAR BUR TON.
I have followed the old copy, the pointing of which appears to
afford as apt a meaning as that produced by the change recom-f
mended by Dr. Warburton. STEEVENS.
7 And clepe thy f elf my love ; ]
The old edition reads clap tbyfulf. This reading may be ex-
plained ; She open'd her hand, to dap the palm of it into his, as
people
2 9 3 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Her. It is Grace, indeed.
Why, lo you now, I have fpoke to the purpofc
twice :
The one for ever earn'd a royal huiband ;
The other, for fome while a friend.
[Giving her hand to Polixenes.
Leo. Too hot, too hot :
To mingle friendfhip far, is mingling bloods.
I have tremor ''COY 'dis on me : my heart dances ;
But not for joy, not joy. This entertainment
May a free face put on ; derive a liberty
From heartinefs, from bounty, fertile bofom,
And well become the agent : it may, I grant :
But to be padling palms, and pinching fingers,
As now they are ; and making practis'd fmiles,
AS in a looking-glafs ; and then to figh, as 'twere
The mort o'the deer 8 ; oh, that is entertainment
My bofom likes not, nor my brows. Mamillius,
Art thou my boy ?
Mam. Ay, my good lord.
Leo. I'fecks ?
Why, that's my bawcock 9 , What, haft fmuteh'd
thy nofe ? -
They
people do when they confirm a bargain. Hence the phrafe to
clap up a bargain, i. e. make one with no other ceremony than the
junction of hands. So, in Ram-alley or Merry Tricks, 1611 ;
"'Speak, widow, is'tamatch?
" Shall we dap it up i"
Again, in a Trick to catch tie old One, 1616 :
" Come, dap hands, a match."
Again, in K. Hen. V:
" and to clap hands, and a bargain," STEEVENS.
8 T/.'f mort o'the deer ; ]
A leflbn upon the horn at the death of the deer. THEOBALD.
So, in Greene's Card of Fancy, 1608: " He that bloweth
the mort before the death of the buck, may very well mifs of his
fees." Again, in the oldeft copy of Chevy Chafe :
'* The blcwe a mort uppone the bent." STEEVEXS.
9 Jf7<y, that's my bawcock. ] Perhaps from beau and coq. It
is full faid ii> vulgar language that fuch a one is a jolly cock^ a cock
f
W I N T E R's T A L E. 299
They fay, it's a copy out of mine. Come, captain*
We mult be neat ' ; not neat, but cleanly, captain :
And yet the fteer, the heifer, and the calf,
Are all call'd, neat. Still virginalling*
[Obferving Polixencs and Herm'wne,
Upon his palm ? How now, you wanton calf?
Art thou my calf ?
Mam. Yes, if you will, my lord.
Leo. Thou want'ft a rough pafh, and the fhoots
that I have ',
To
of the game. The word has already occurred in Twelfth Night, and
is one of the titles by which Pitfol fpeaks of K. Henry the Fifth.
&TEEVENS.
1 U'e muft le neat : ]
t-eontes, feeing his fon's nofe fmurch'd, cries, we muft le nea? 9
then recollecting that neat is the ancient term for horned cattle,
he lays, not neat, lut cleanly. JOHNSON,
So, in Drayton's Polyolbion, fong 3 :
" His large provifion there of ttefli, of fowl, of neat"
STEEVENS.
* Still virginalling'}
Still playing with her fingers, as a girl playing on the virginals,
J0HXSON.
A virginal, as I am informed, is a very fmall kind of fpinnetv
Queen Elizabeth's virginal book is yet in being, and many ot the
leflbns in it have proved Ib difficult, as to baffle our moft expert
players on the harpfichord.
'* When we have hulbands, we play upon them like virginal
jacks, they muft rife and fall to our humours, or elfe they'll never
get any good itrains of mufic out of one of us."
Decker's Untruffing the Humorous Poet t
in Ram-alley or Merry Tricks, 1611: /
" Where be thefe raicals that fkip up and down
" Like virginal jacks ?"
Again, in Decker's Honeft Whore ^ 1635 : " This was her fchool-
jualler, and taught her to play upon the virginal^ &c."
STEEVENS.
3 Thou ant*Jl a rough pafli, and the fhoots that I ha-ve,~\
Pajh\^> k;fs. Paz. Spanifll. i. e. thou wanfft a mouth made rough
ty a beard, to k'ifs ivith. Shoots arc branches, i.e. horns. Leontes
alluding to the enfigns of cuckoldom. A mad-braiu'd boy is,
call'd a m^fajl: in Chcflvire, STHEYEKS.
A rough
\
3 oo W I N T E R's TALE,
To be full like me : yet, they fay, we are
Almoit as like as eggs ; women fay ib,
That will fay any thing : But were they falfe
4 As o'er-dy'd blacks, as winds, as waters ; falfc
As dice are to be wifh'd, by one that fixes
No bourn 5 'twixt his and mine ; yet were it true
To fay, this boy were like me. Come, fir page,
Look on me with your welkin-eye 6 : Sweet villain !
Mod dear'ft ! my collop 7 ! Can thy dam ? may't be ?
Affe&ion ! thy intention {tabs the center $ .
Thou
A rough paflj feems to mean a rough hide or fkin. Perhaps it
.comes from the plural of the French wordpcau, or from a corrup-
tion of the Teutonic, peltz^ a pelt. TOLLET.
* As o'er-dy' d blacks^ ^ j
Sir T. Hanmer underftands, blacks died too much, and therefore
rotten. JOHNSON.
It is common with tradefmen to dye their faded or damaged
fluffs, black. O'er-dy V blacks may mean thofe which have receiv-
ed a dye over their former colour.
There is a paffage in The old Lcru of MafTenger, which might
Jead us to offer another interpretation :
* f B lac&s are often fuch diflembling mourners
" There is no credit given to't, it has loft
" All reputation \>y fslfe fons and widows
'* I would not hear of blacks?'
It feems that Hacks was the common term for mourning. So, in
a Mad World my Mafters, i 608 :
" in fo many blacks
*' I'll have the church hung round "
Black however will receive no other hue without difcovering itfelf
through it. ** Lanarum nigrts nulluni coloitm bibunt"
Pl'm. Nat. Hlft. lib. viii. STEEVENS.
5 No bourn ' - ] Bourn is boundary. So, w Hamlrt :
*' from whofe bourn
'* No traveller returns-^ " STEEVEKS.
Blue eye ; an eye of the fame colour with the <a/W/ff, or flcy.
JOHNSON',
7 my collop ! ] So, in the Firft Part of K. Henry VI :
*' God knows, thou art & collop of my flefh." STEEVENS.
8 Affefflon ! thy intention Jlabs the center. ~\
Jnftead of <his line, which I find in the folio, the modern
editor*
W I N T E R's TALE. 301
Thou doft make poffible things not fo held 9 ,
Communicat'ft with dreams, How can this be ? .
With what's unreal ; thou coa&ive art,
And fellow'li nothing : Then, 'tis very credent",
Thou may*ft co-join with fomething; and thou doft j
And that beyond commiffion ; and I find it,
And that to the infedion of my brains>
And hardning of my brows^
Pol. What means Sicilia ?
Her. He fomething feems unfettled.
Pol. How ? my lord ?
Leo. What cheer? howis't with you, beft brother*?
Her. You look,
As if you held a brow of much diftraftion. :
Are you mov'd, my lord ?
Leo. No, in good earned.
How fometinres nature will betray its folly,
Its tendernefs ; and make itfelf a paftime
To harder bofoms ! Looking on the lines
editors have introduced another of no authority :
Imagination ! tbou doft ft ab to the center.
Mr. Rowe firft made the exchange. I am not certain that I tm-
derftand the reading which I have reftored. Affection^ however,
I believe, fignifies imagination. Thus, in the Merchant of Femce :
' Matters of paffion, fway it, &c."
\. e. imaginations govern our pajpons. Intention is as Mr. Locke
exprefles it, " when the in'md with great earneftnefs, and of choice,
fixes its view on any idea, confiders it on every fide, and will not
be called off by the ordinary felicitation of other ideas." This
vehemence of the mind feems to be what affects Leontes fo deeply,
or, in Shakefpeare's language, -Jlabi Llm to the center. STEEVENS.
9 Tbou dojl make poffible things not fo held,]
i. e. thou doft make thofe things poffible, which are conceived to
be impoffible. JOHNSON.
' credent,] i.e. credible. So, in Meafure for Meafure,
aft V. fc. v :
" For my authority bears a credent bulk." STEEVE\S.
* Wljat deer f ho-VJ i?t with you^ bejl brother ?]
This line feems rather to belong to the preceding fhort fpeech of
than to Lcontes. STEEYE.VS,
Of
3 o2 W I N T E R's TALE.
Of my boy's face, mcthoughts, I did recoil
Twenty three years ; and law myfelf unbreech'd^
In my green velvet coat ; my dagger muzzled,
Left it Ihould bite its matter, and fo prove,
As ornament oft does, too dangerous.
How like, methought, I then was to this kernel,
This fquaih, this gentleman : Mine honeft friend,
Will you take eggs for money 3 ?
Mam. No> my lord, I'M fight.
Leo. You will ? why, 4 happy man be his dole!
My brother,
Are you fo fond of your young prince, as we
Do feem to be of ours ?
Pol. If at home, fir,
He's all my exercife, my mirth, my matter :
[Now my fworn friend, and then mine enemy 5
My parafite, my foldier, ftates-man, all :
He makes a July's day fhort as December ;
And, with his varying childnefs, cures in me
Thoughts that would thick my blood*
3 Will you take eggs for money f\
This feems to be a proverbial expreffion, ufed when a man fees
himfelf wronged and makes no refiftance. Its original, or pre-
cife meaning, I cannot find, but I believe it means, will you be
a cuckold for hire. The cuckovv is reported to lay her eggs in an-
other bird's neft ; he therefore that has eggs kid in his neft, is
laid to be cucullatus, cnckew'd, or cuckold. JOHNSON.
The meaning of this is, ivill you put up affronts ? The French
have a proverbial faying, A qui vendez vous co^ailles f i. e. whom
do you defign to affront ? Mamillius's anfwer plainly proves it.
Mam. No, my lord, Pllfgbt. SMITH.
I meet with Shakelpeare's phrafe in a comedy, call'd A
Match at Midnight, 1633 : " I fhall have eggs for ?ny money ; I
muft hang myfelf." STEEVENS.
4 J:appy man be his dole ! ].
May his dole orj/jare in life be to be a happy man. JOHNSON.
The expreffion is proverbial. Dole was the term for the allow-
ance of provifion given to the poor, in great families. So, in
Greene's Tu S>uoq-ue, 1 599 :
" Had the women puddings to their dole?" STEEVENS,
W I N T E R's TALE. 303
Leo. So ftands this fquire
Offic'd with me : We two will walk, my lord,
And leave you to your graver fteps. Hermione,
How thou lov'ft us, fhew in our brother's welcome ;
Let what is dear in Sicily, be cheap :
Next to thyfelf, and my young rover, he's
Apparent 5 to my heart.
Her. If you would feek us,
We are yours i'the garden: Shall's attend you there?
Leo* To your own bents ch'fpofe you : you'll be
found,
Be you beneath the fky : I am angling now,
Though you perceive me not how I give line ;
\_A[ide, obferving Hermione,
Go to, go to !
How Ihe holds up the neb, the "bill to'him !
And arms her with the boldnefs of a wife
\_Rxeunt Polixenes> Hermione^ and attendants.
To her allowing hufband ! Gone already ;
Inch-thick, knee-deep ; o'er head and ears a fork'd
one 6 .-
Go, play, boy, play ; thy mother phys, and I
Play too ; but fo diigrac'd a part, whofe iilue
Will hifs me to my grave ; contempt and clamour
Will be my knell. Go, play, boy, play ; There
have been,
Or I am much deceived, cuckolds ere now ;
And many a man there is, even at this preient,
Now, while I fpeak this, holds his wife by the arm,
That little thinks me hath been flu ic'd in his abfence,
And his pond filh'd by his next neighbour, by
Sir Smile, his neighbour : nay, there's comfort in't,
^ 5 Apparent ]
That is, heir apparent, or the next claimant. JOHNSON.
^ 6 a fork'd one ]
That is, a/^erWone; a cuckold, JOHNSON,
Whiles
W I N T. E R's T A L E.
Whiles other men have gates; and thofe gates operi'd,
As miney againft their will .: Should all defpair,
That have revolted wives, the tenth of mankind
Would hang themfelves. Phyfick for't there is
none ;
It is a bawdy planet, that will flrike
Where 'tis predominant ; and 'tis powerful, think it,
From eaft, weft, north, and fouth : Be it concluded,
No barricado for a belly ; know it j
It will let in and out the enemy,
With bag and baggage : many a thoufand of us
Have the difeafe, and feel't not. How now a boy ?
Mam. I am like you, they fay.
Leo. Why, that's fome comfort.
What ? Camillo there ?
Cam. Ay, my good lord.
Leo. Go play,' Mamillius ; thou'rt an honeft
man. [Exit Mamillius.
Camillo, this great fir will yet ftay longer.
Cam. You had much ado to make his anchor hold;
When you caft out, 7 it flill came home.
Leo. Didil note it ?
Cam. He would not ftay at your petitions; made
His buiinefs more material *.
Leo. Didft perceive it ?-
? They're here with me already ; whifpering, round-
ing ',
Sicilia
7 " it Ji ill came home.']
This is a fea-fai ing expreffion, meaning, the anchor would not take
bold. STEEVENS.
His bujinefs more material.]
5. e. the more you requefted him to ftay, the more urgent he re-
jwefented that buiinefs to be which fummoned him away,
STEEVENS.
9 They're here with me already ; - ]
Not Polixenes and Hermione, but cafual obfervers, people ac-
cidentally prefent. THIRLBY.
e. rounding in the ear, a phrafe in ufe at that timet But the
Oxford
W I N T E R's T A L E. 305
Sicilia is afo-fortb : 'Tis far gone,
When I fhall guft it laft 1 . How came't, Camilio,
That he did flay ?
Cam. At the good queen's entreaty.
Leo. At the queen's, be't : good, ihould be per-
tinent ;
But fo it is, it is not. Was this taken
By any understanding pate but thine ?
For thy conceit is foaking J , will draw in
More than the common blocks : Not noted, is't,
But of the finer natures ? by fome feverals,
Of head-piece extraordinary ? lower mefles *,
Perchance, are to this bufinefs purblind : fay.
Cam.
Oxford editot not knowing that, alters the text to,
round. WA R B U R T O N .
To round in the ear, is to vottifar.) or to tell ftcrctly. The ex-
preflion is very copioufly explained by M. Cafaubon, in his book
Je Ling. Sax. JOHNSON.
The word appears to have been fometimes written - r inviting.
So, in one of the articles againft cardinal Wolfey : " come
daily to your grace, rovwing in your ear and blowing upon your
grace with his perillous and infective breath," Again, in Speed's
Hift. of Great Britaine, 1614, p. 906 : *' - not lo much as
r owning among themfelves, by which they might feem to com-
mune what was beft to do." MALOXE.
1 - gtijl it - ] i. e. tafte it. STEEVEXS.
" Dedecus ille domus fciet ultimus." Juv.Sat. 10.
MALONE.
3 is foaking, - ] Dr. Gray would read - in foaking ; but
I think without neceffity. Thy conceit is of an alforlcnt nature,
will draw in more, &c. feems to be the meaning. StKEtriNS.
* " - lo-iver vicjfis,']
Mefs is a contraclion of Majler, as Mcfs John, Mafler John ; an
appellation ufed by the Scots, to thole who have taken their aca-
demical degree. Lower mejjes, therefore, are graduates of a lower
form. Thefpeaker is now mentioning gradations of underlbnding,
and not of rank. JOHNSON.
I believe, lower mejjes is only ufcd as an expreffion to fignify the
loweit decrees about the court. See Anftis. Orel. Gart. i. A pp.
p. 15 : " The earl of Surry began the borde in prefcnce : thceurl
of Arundel wafhed with him, and fat both i;r the jlrf. tKcjfr" Ac
every great man's table the viiuanrs were anciently, as at prefent,
Vol. IV. X placed
306 W I N T E- R's T A L E.
Cam. Bufinefs, my lord ? I think, moft underftand
Bohemia flays here longer.
Leo. Ha?
Cam. Stays here longer.
Leo. Ay, but why ?
Cam. To fatisfy your highnefs, and the entreaties-
Of our moft gracious miftrefs.
Leo. Satisfy
The entreaties of your miftrefs ? fatisfy ? *
Let thkt fuffice. I have trufted thee, Camillo,
With all the neareft things to my heart, as well
My chamber-councils : wherein, prieft like, thou
Haft cleans'd my bofom ; I from thee departed
Thy penitent reform'd : but we have been
Deceiv'd in thy integrity, deceiv'd
In that which feems fo.
p-aced according to their confequence or dignity, but with addi-
tional marks of inferiority, viz. of fitting below the great
laltfeller placed in the center of the table, and of having
coarier provisions fet before them. The former cuftom is men-
tioned in the Hone/} Whore by Decker, 1635: " Plague him ; fet
him beneath the fait, and let him not touch a bit till every one has
had his full cut." The latter was as much afubjeft of complaint
in the time of B. and Fletcher, as in that of Juvenal, as the fol-
lowing inftance may prove :
" Uncut up pies at the nether end, filled with mofs and
flones
41 Partly to make a fhew with,
*' And partly to keep the lower mefe from eating."
Woman Hater > aft I. fc. ii.
This paflage may be yetfomewhat differently explained. It ap-
pears from a paflage. in The merye Jcft of a Man called H0-iv!eglas y
bl. 1. no date, that it was anciently the cuflom in public houies to
keep ordinaries of different prices : " What table wyl you be at ?
for at the lordes table thei give me no lei's than to fhylinges, and
at the merchaunts table xvi pence, and at my houfehold iervantes,
geve me twelve pence." Inferiority of underitanding, is, on this
occafion, comprehended inthe idea of inferiority of rank. STEEVEN-S.
lower mefles
Perchance are purblind ]
Concerning the different mejjes in the greaf families of our ancient
nobility, lee the Houjhold Book of the 5/6 Earl of Northumbei'-
laiiJ> 8vo, 17/0. PERCY.
Cam.
W I N T E R's TALE. 307
Cam. Be it forbid, my lord !
Leo. To bide upon't; Thou art not honeft: or,
If thou inclin'ft that way, thou art a coward ;
Which hoxes honefly behind 5 , reflraining
From courfe requir'd : Or elfe thou muft be counted
A fervant, grafted in my ferious trufl,
And therein negligent : or elfc a fool ;
That fceft a game play'd home, the rich flake drawn,
And tak'ft it all forjeft.
Cam. My gracious lord,
I may be negligent, foolilh, and fearful ;
In every one of thefe no man is free,
But that his negligence, his folly, fear,
Amongft the infinite doings of the world,
Sometime puts forth : In your affairs, my lord,
If ever I were wilful-negligent,
It was my folly ; if induftrioufly
I play'd the fool, it was my negligencCj
Not weighing well the end ; if ever fearful
To do a thing, where I the iflue doubted,
Whereof the execution did cry out 6
Againft the non-performance, 'twas a fear
Which oft infedts the wifeft : thefe, my lord,
Are fuch allow'd infirmities, that honefty
5 hoxes Jjonefty behind, ]
To box is to ham-ftring. So, in Knollcs* Hift. of the Turks'
" alighted, and with his fword boxed his horfe."
King James VI. in his nth Parliament, had an aft to puniftl
*' bochares, or flayers of horfe, oxen, &c. STEEVENS.
6 Whereof the execution did cry out
Againft the non-performance, ]
This is one of the expreffions by which Shakefpeare too frequently
clouds his meaning. This founding phrafe means, I think, no
more than a thing neccjjary to be done. JOHNSON.
I think we ought to read " the w^w-pertbrmance," which
gives us this very reafonable meaning: At the execution ivhereof,
fuch circumjlancei difcovered themfeh'es^ as made It prudent to fitfpend
all further proceeding r />. REVISAL. .
I do not fee that this attempt does any thing more, than produce
a harder word without an eafier fenfe, JOHNSON.
X 2 J3
5 oS W I N T E R's T A L E.
Is never free of. But, 'bcfecch your grace,.
Be plainer with me ; let me know my trcfpafs
By its own vifage : if I then deny it,
'Tis none of mine.
Leo. Have not you feen, Camillo,
(But that's paft doubt : you have ; or your eye-glaf*
Is thicker than a cuckold's horn) or heard,
(For, to a vifion fo apparent, rumour
Cannot be mute) or thought, (for cogitation
Refides not in that man, that does not think it)
My wife is flippery ? if thou wilt,- confefs ;
Or eife be impudently negative,
To have nor eyes, nor ears, nor thought : Then fay y
My wife's a hobby-horfe ; deferves a name
As rank as any flax-wench, that puts to
Before her troth-plight : fay it, and juftify it.
Cam. I would not be a ftandcr-by, to hear
My fovereign miftrefs clouded fo, without
My prefent vengeance taken : 'Shrew my hearty
You never fpoke what did become you lefs
Than this ; which to reiterate, were fin 7
As deep as that, though true.
Leo. Is whifpering nothing ?
Is leaning cheek to cheek ? is meeting nofes * *
Kiffing with infide lip ? flopping the career
Of l-aughter with a figh ? (a note infallible
Of breaking honefty t) horfing foot on foot ?
Skulking in corners ? wifhing clocks more fwift
Hours, minutes ? the noon, midnight ? and all eyes
Blind with the pin and web 9 , but theirs, theirs only,
As cUsp as that, though true.]
\. e. your fulpicion is as ^reat a fin as would be that (if commit-
ted) for which you fufpctft her. WAR BURTON.
8 meeting nofes ? J
Dr. Thrrlby reads meting nofes ; that is, meafurlng nofes. JOHNSON.
the pin and web, ] Diforders in the eye. Sec-A'*
ad III. fc. iv. STKEVENS.
That
W I N T E R's TALE. 309
That would urf^en be wicked ? is this nothing ?
"Why, then the world, and all that's in't, is nothing;
The covering fky is nothing ; Bohemia nothing ;
My wife is nothing; nor nothing have theie nothings,
If this be nothing.
Cam. Good my lord, be cur'd
Of this difeas'd opinion, and betimes;
For 'tis mod dangerous.
Leo. Say, it be ; 'tis true.
Cam. No, no, my lord.
Leo* It is ; you lie, you lie :
I fay, thou lieft, Camilla, and I hate thee;
Pronounce thee a grofs lowt, a mindlefs flave;
Or elfe a hovering temporizer, that
Canfl with thine eyes at once fee good and evil,
Inclining to them both : Were my wife's liver
Infected as her life, me would not live
The running of one glafs.
Cam. Who does infect her ?
Leo. Why he, that wears her like her medal, haqg-
ing
About his neck, Bohemia : Who, if I
Had fervants true about me j that bare eyes
To fee alike mine honour as their profits,
Their own particular thrifts, they would do that
Which mould undo more doing: Ay, and thou,
His cup-bearer, whom I, from meaner form
Have bench'd, and rear'cl to worfhip ; who may'fl fee
Plainly, as heaven fees earth, and earth fees heaven,
How I am gal I'd, thou might'ft be-fpicc a cup,
To give mine enemy a lafting wink ';
Which draught to me were cordial.
Ccirri* Sir, my lord,
I could do this; and that with no ram potion,
1 a Iafl!i2g \yink ;] So, in the Tcmpcjl :
*' To the perpetual whik t for aye might put
' This ancient morfel." STEEVENS.
X 3 But
5 io W I N T E R's T A L E.
But with a ling'ring dram, that fhould not work *
Malicioufly, like poifon : But I cannot J
Believe
2 J?-'.t -juitb a lingering dram^ that JJjould not work)
Malic! o ujly , like poifon : ]
The thojght is here beautifully exprefled. He could do it with 3
dra- that'fhould have none of thofe vifible effeds that deteft the
poiioner. Thefe efte&s he finely calls the malicious workings ot
poifon, as if done with defign to betray the uler. But the Oxford
editor would mend Shakefpeare's expreffion, and reads :
tbatfiould not iKork
Like a malicious poifon :
So that Camilla's reafon is loit in this happy emendation.
V.'.Vrt BURTON.
Raj}} is hajly^ as in another place, rajfy gunpowder, Mallcioujly
is malignantly, with effects ofcnly hurtful. Shakefpeare had no
thought of betraying the vfer. The Oxford emendation is harm-
lefs and ufelefs. JOHNSON.
3 But I cannot, &c.] In former copies :
But I cannot
Believe this crack to be in my dread mijlrcfs y
Sofov ereignly being honourable.
I have lo\ 'd thee
X,eo. Make that t/.y nueftion, and go rot!~\
The laft hemiftich affign'd to Camillo, muit have been miitaker.-
ly placed to him. It is difrefpeit and infolence in Camillo to his
king, to tell him that he has once lov'd him. ^I have ventured
at a tranfpoiition, which feems felf-evident. Camillo will not be
perfuaded into a fufpicion of the difloyalty imputed to his mil-
trefs. The king, who believes nothing but his jealouiy, pro-
voked that Camillo is fo obfiinately diffident, finely ftarts into a
rage, and cries :
Vve lo'j *d thee, - Make V thy queftion, and go rot !
i. e. I have tendered thee well, Camillo, but 1 here cancel all
former refpecl: at once. If thou any longer make a q-.iefnon of
my wife's difloyalty, go from my prefence, and perdition overtake
thee for thy itubbornnefs. THEOBALD.
I have admitted this alteration, as Dr. Warburton has Gone,
but am not convinced that it is heceflary. Camillo, defirous to
defend the queen, and willing to fecure credit to his apology,
begins, by tell ing the king that be has loved b ////, is about* to give
inftances of his love, and to infer from them his prefent zeal, when
he is interrupted. JOHNSON.
I have reftored the old reading. Camillo is about to tell Le-
ontes how much he haJ loved him. The impatience of t|ie kin^
interrupts him by faying ; Maks that ify quff^cti, i. c, naal
W I N T E R's T A L E. 311
Believe this crack to be in my dread miilrefs,
So fovereignly being honourable,
I have lov'd thee 4
Leo. Make that thy queftion, and go rot !
Doft think, I am fo muddy, fo unfettled,
To appoint myfelf in this vexation ? fully
The purity and whitenefs of my Iheets,
Which to preferve, is deep ; which being fpotted,
Is goads, thorns, nettles, tails of wafps ?
Give fcandal to the blood o'the prince my fon,
Who, I do think, is mine, and love as mine,
Without ripe moving to't ? Would I do this ?
Could man fo blench 3 ?
Cam. 1 mufl believe you, fir ;
I do ; and will fetch off Bohemia for't :
Provided, that when he's remov'd, your highnefs
Will take again your queen, as yours at firft ;
Even for your fon's fake ; and, thereby, for fealing
The injury of tongues, in courts and kingdoms
Known and ally'd to yours,
love of which you boaft, the fubjeft of your future converfation,
and go to the grave with it. ^ueflion, in our author, very often hat
this meaning. So, in Meafurefor Meafure : *' But in the lofsot
qiuftion'? 1 i.e. in converfation that is thrown away. Again, in
Hamlet: " queftionableihaye" is a form propitious to converfation.
Again, in As you like it: * an unqueftionaUe fpirit," is a fpirit un-
willing to be converfed with. Again, in Shakefpeare's Tarquin.
and Lucrcce :
" And after fupper, long he qnejlioned
** With modeft Lucrece, &c." STEEVENS.
* I have lov'J, tbce ]
In the firft and fecond folio, thefe words are the conclufion of
Camillo's fpeech. The later editors have certainly done right in
giving them to Leontes, but I think they would come in better at
the end of the line :
Make that t'.y quejlion, and go rot!--- ! have lov'd tbee,
TYRWHITT,
5 Could man fo blench?]
To lltnch is to ftart off, to flirink. So, in Hamlet:
" ifhebut^W;,
" I know my courle."
Leontes means could any man fo flart or fly off from propriety
of behaviour? STEEVESJS.
X 4 ' La.
3 i 2 WI N T E R's T A L E.
Leo. Thou doft advife me,
Even fo as I mine own courfe have fet down :
I'll give no blemifti to her honour, none.
Cam. My lord,
Go then ; and with a countenance as clear
As friendfhip wears at feafts, keep with Bohemia,
And with your queen : I am his cup-bearer ;
If from me he have wholfome beveridge,
Account me not your fervant.
Leo. This is all :
Do't, and thou haft the one half of my heart ;
Do't not, thou fplit'ft thine own.
Cam. I'll do't, my lord.
Leo. I will feem friendly, as thou haft advis'd me.
[Er/V.
Cam. O miferable lady '.But, for me,
What cafe ftand I in ? I muft be -the poifoner
Of good Polixenes : and my ground to do't
Is the obedience to a mafter ; one,
Who, in rebellion with himfelf, will have
All that are his, fo too. To do this deed,
Promotion follows : If I could find example
Of thoufands, that had ftruck anointed kings,
And fiourifh'd after, I'd not do't : but fince
Nor brafs, nor ftone, nor parchment, bears not one,
Let villainy itfelf forfwear't. I muft
Forfake the court : to do't, or no, is certain
To me a break-neck. Happy ftar, reign now 1
Here comes Bohemia.
Enter Polixenes.
PoL This is ftrange ! methinks,
My favour here begins to warp. Not fpeak ?
Good-day, Camillo.
Cam. Hail, moft royal fir !
Pol. What is the news i'the court ?
Cam. None rare, my lord.
PoL The king hath on him fuch a countenance,
As
W I N T E R's TALE. 313
As he had loft fome province, and a region,
Lov'd as he loves himfelf : even now I met
With cuftomary compliment ; when he,
Wafting his eyes to the contrary, and falling
A lip of much contempt, fpeeds from me ; and
So leaves me, to confider what is breeding,
That changes thus his manners.
Cam. I dare not know, my lord.
Pol. How ! dare not ? do not ? do you know, and
dare not
Be intelligent to me 6 ? 'Tis thereabouts ;
For, to yourfelf, what you do know, you muft ;
And cannot fay, you dare not. Good Camillo,
Your chang'd complexions are to me a mirror,
Which fhews me mine chang'd too : for I muft be
A party in this alteration, finding
Myfelf thus alter'd with it.
Cam. There is a ficknefs
Which puts fome of us in diftemper ; but
I cannot name the difeafe ; and it is caught
Of you, that yet are well.
Pol. How ! caught of me ?
Make me not lighted like the bafilifk :
I have look'd on thoufands, who have fped the better
By my regard, but kill'd none fo. Camillo,
As you are certainly a gentleman ; thereto
Clerk-like, experienc'd, which no lefs adorns
Our gentry, than our parents' noble names,
In whofe fuccefs we are gentle 7 , I befeech you,
* Hoivf Jure not? do not ? doyouknoiU) and dare not
JSe intelligent to tne? ]
i. C. do you knoiV) and dare not confefs to me that you know ?
TYRWHITT.
7 In ivbofe fucccfs ive are gentle ; ]
I know not whethery?/<:cr/} here does not meanjurcfffion. JOHNSON".
Gentle in the text is evidently oppofed tojimple ; alluding to the
diftin&ion between the gentry and yeomanry. So, in The Infa-
untefS) 1631:
" And make thee <;///? being born a beggar."
la/
3 -14 W I N T E R's TALE.
Jf you know aught which does behove my know*
4 ledge,
Thereof to be inform'd; imprifon it not
In ignorant concealment.
Cam. I may not ahfwer.
Pol. A iicknefs caught of me, and yet I well !
I muft be anfwer'd. Doft thou hear, Camillo,
I conjure thee, by all the parts of man,
'Which honour does acknowledge, whereof the leaft
Js not this fuit of mine, that thou declare
What incidency thou dofl guefs of harm
Is creeping toward me ; how far off, how near ;
Which way to be prevented, if to be;
If not, how beft to bear it.
Cam. Sir, I'll tell you ;
Since I am chargM in honour, and by him
That I think honourable : Therefore, mark my
counfel ;
Which muft be even as fwiftly follow'd, as
I mean to utter it ; or both yourfelf and me
Cry, loftt and fo good-night.
Pol On, good Camillo.
Cam. I am appointed Him to murder you *.
Pol By whom, Camillo ?
Cam. By the king.
Pol. For what ?
Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he
fwears,
As he had fcen't, or been an inftrurnent
'To vice you to't 9 ,7-that you have touch'd his queen
Forbiddenly.
Pol-
In whofe /?>ar/} we are gentle, may mean in confequence of whofe
juccefs in life, &c. STEEVENS.
fc I am appointed Him to murder you, ~\
J. e. I am the peifon appointed to murder you. STEEVENS.
9 To vicejtK fo't, ]
i. e. to draw, perfuude you. The character called the t'ue : io tte
old plays, \va? iiie tempter to evil. WARBURTON.
W I N T E R's TALE. 315
Pol. Oh, then my beft blood turn
To an infe<fted jelly ; and my name
Be yok'd with his, that did betray the bed !
Turn then my frefhefl reputation to
A favour, that may ftrike the dulleft noftril
Where I arrive ; and my approach be fhun'd,
Nay, hated too, worfe than the great'it infection
That e'er was heard, or read!
Cam. Swear his thought over '
By each particular flar in heaven, and
By all their influences, you may as well
Fortnd the fea for to obey the moon,
The vice is an inftrument well known ; its operation is to hold
things together j So the bailiff fpeak ing of Falitatf: " If be come
lut within my vice, &c." A vice, however, in the age of Shake-
fpeare, might mean any kind of clock-work or machinery. So,
in Holinfhed, p. 945 : *' the rood of Borleie in Kent, called
the rood of grace, made with diverfe vices to moove the eyes and
lips, &c." It may, indeed, be no more than a corruption of " to
i&uife you " So, in the old metrical romance of Syr Guy of
Warwick, bl. 1. no date :
" Then faid the emperour Ernis,
" Methinketh thou fayed a. good vyce."
IVIy firft attempt at explanation is I believe the beft. STEEVENS.
* Cam. Swear his thought over
By each particular Jtar in heaven, &c.]
The tranfpofition of a fingte letter reconciles this paflage to good
fente. Polixenes, in the preceding Ipeech, had been laying the
deepeft imprecations on himlelf, if he had ever abus'd Leontes in
any familiarity with his queen. To which Camillo very perti-
nently replies :
S-ivear this though over, &c. THEOBALD.
Swear his thought over
may however perhaps mean, ovcrfwear Ins prefent pcrfuajion, that
is, endeavour to overcome his opinion, by i\v earing oaths numerous
as the Itars. JOHNSOX.
1 do not fee any neccllity for departing from the old copy.
Swear his thought over,
may mean : " Though you Ihould endeavour to/;i\w away his
jealoufy though you ihould itrive, by your oaths, to change
his prelent thoughts", The vulgar iVill ulc a liiuilar cxpreifion :
** Toy'i-aw a perfou <M'.v. ; ."' MA LONE*.
As
3i6 W I N T E R's TALE.
As or, by oath, remove, or counfel, ftiake,
The fabrick of his folly ; whofe foundation *
Is pil'd upon his faith, and will continue
The (landing of his body.
Pol. How fhould this grow ?
Cam* I know not : but, I am fure, Yis fafer to
Avoid what's grown, than queftion how 'tis born,
If therefore you dare truft my honefty,
That lies inclofed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawn'd, away to-night.
Your followers I will whifper to the bufmefs ;
And will, by twos, and threes, at feveral pofterns,
Clear them o'the city : For myfelf, I'll put
My fortunes to your fervice, which are here
By this difcovery loft. Be not uncertain ;
For, by the honour of my parents, I
Have utter'd truth : which if you feek to prove,
I dare not fland by ; nor fhall you be fafer
Than one condemned by the king's own mouth,
thereon
His execution fworn.
Pol. I do believe thee ;
I faw his heart in his face. Give me thy hand ;
Be pilot to me, and thy places ihall
Still neighbour mine : My Ihips are ready, and
My people did expect my hence departure
Two days ago.' This jealoufy
Is for a precious creature : as fhe's rare,
Muft it be great ; and, as his per Ion's mighty,
Muft it be violent ; and as he does conceive
He is difhonour'd by a man which ever
Profefs'd to him, why, his revenges muft
In that be made more bitter. Fear o'er-lhades me :
iv hnfe foundation
on Ins faith, ]
This folly which is ereded on the foundation of fettled Mief.
STEEVENS.
Good
W I N T E R's T A L E.
Good expedition be my friend, and comfort J
The gracious queen, part of his theam, but nothing
Of his ill-ta'en fufpicion ! Come, Camillo ;
I will refpect thee as a father, if
Thou bear'fl my life off hence : Let us avoid.-
3 Good expedition be my friend, and comfort
The graciotis queen, }
But how could this expedition comfort the queen ? on the con-
trary it would increafe her hufband's fufpiciorr. We fliould read j
.. and comfort
The gracious qireen's ;
i. e. be expedition my friend, and be comfort the queers frien'd.
The Oxford editor has thought fit to paraphrafe my correction,
and fo reads :
Heaven comfort
Tie gracious queen ;" WAR BUR TON.
Dr. Warburton's conjecture is, I think, juft ; but what {halite
done with the following words, of which I can make nothing.'? 1 '
Perhaps the line which connected them to- the reit, is loft,
and comfort
The gracious queen, part of bis theme, lut nothing
Of bis ill-t a* en fufpicion !
Jealoufy is a palTion compounded of love'and fufpicion ; this paf-
tion is the theme or fubject of the king's thoughts. Polixenes, per-
haps, wifhes the queen, for her comfort, fo much of that theme or
fubject as is good, but deprecates that which caufes mifery. May
part of the king's prefer* fentiments oomfort the queen, but away
with his fufpicion. This is fuch meaning as can be picked out.
JOHNSON.
Perhaps the fenfe is May that good fpeed which is my friend,
tomfort likewife the queen who \s part of its theme, \. e. partly on
whofe account I go away ; but may not the fame comfort Extend
atfelf to the groundlefs fufpicionsof the king;- i. e. may not my'
departure fupport him in them. His for its is common with Shake-
fpeare ; and Paulina fnys in a fubiequent fcene, that (lie does not
chufe to appear a friend to Leontes, in comforting bis evils, i. e. in
Hrengthening his jealoufy by appearing to acquiefce in it.
STEEVENS.
Comfort is I apprehend here ufed as a verb. Good expedition,
befriend me, by removing me from a place of danger, and com-
fort the innocent queen, by removing the object of her hulband's
jealoufy the queen, who is the fubject of his converfation, but
without reafon the object ot his. [\ifpicion. MALO.NE.
3 i8 W I N T E R's T A L E:
Cam. It is in mine authority, to command
The keys of all the pofterns : Pleafe your highnefs
To take the urgent hour : come, fir, away. [Exeunt.
ACT II. SCENE I.
'The palace.
Enter Hermlone, Mamillitts, and Ladies.
Her. Take the boy to you : he fo troubles me/
*Tis paft enduring.
, i Lady. Come, my gracious lord*
Shall I be your play-fellow ?
Mam. No, I'll none of you.
1 Lady. Why, my f\veet lord ?
Mam. You'll kifs me hard ; and fpeak to me as if
I were a baby dill. I love you better.
2 Lady. And why fo, my lord ?
Mam. Not for becaufe
Your brows are blacker ; yet black brows, tkey fay.
Become fome women beft ; fo that there be not
Too much hair there, but in a femicircle,
Or a half-moon made with a pen.
2 Lady. Who taught you this ?
Mam. I learn'd it out of women's faces. Pray-
now
What colour are your eye-brows ?
1 Lady. Blue, my lord.
Mam. Nay, that's a mock : I have feen a lady's nofe'
That has been blue, but not her eye-brows.
2 Lady. Hark ye :
The queen, your mother, rounds apace : we fhall
Prefent our fervices to a fine new prince,
One
W I N T E R's TALE. 3 i 9
One of thefe days ; and then you'd wanton with us,
If we would have you.
2 Lady. She is fpread of late
Into a goodly bulk ; Good time encounter her !
Her. What wifdom flirs amongft you ? Come, fir,
now
I am for you again : Pray you, fit by us,
And tell us a talc.
Mam. Merry, or fad, fliall it be ?
Her. As merry as you will.
Mam. A fad tale's bed for winter * :
I have one of fprights and goblins.
Her. Let's have that, good fir.
Come on, fit down: Come on, anddo your befl
To fright me with your fprights ; you're powerful
at it.
Mam. There was a man,
Her. Nay, come, fit down; then on.
Mum. Dwelt by a church-yard ; 1 will tell it
foftly ;
Yon crickets fhall not hear it.
Her. Come on then,
And give't me in mine ear.
Enter Leontes, Antigonu^ Lords, and others.
Leo. Was he met there ? his train ? Camillo with.
him ?
Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them ; never
Saw I men fcour fo on their way : I ey'd them
Even to their ihips.
Leo. How bleil am I
In my juft cenfure s ? in my true opinion ?
Alack,
4 A fad tale's left for winter :]
Hence, I fuppofe, the title of the play. TYRWHITT.
5 In my juft cenfure ? in my true opinion ? }
Cenfure > in the time of our author, was generally ufed, (as in this
j^ftance)
gio W I N t E R's T A L E.
Alack, for lefler knowledge 6 ! how accursed,
In being fo blefl ! There may be in the cup
A fpider fleep'd, and one may drink ; depart,
And yet partake no venom ; for his knowledge
Is not infedted : but if one prefent
The abhor'd ingredient to his eye, make known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his fides,
With violent'hefts 7 : 1 have drunk, and feen the
fpider.
Camillo was his help in this, his pander :
There is a plot againft my life, my crown ;
Airs true, that is miftrufted : that falfe villain,
Whom I employed, was pre-employ'd by him :
H!e hath difcover'd my defign, and 1 8
Remain a pinch'd thing ; yea, a very trick
For
inftance) for judgment, opinion. So, fir Walter Raleigh, in his
verfes prefixed to Gafcoigne's Steel Glajfc, 1576 :
*' Wherefore to write my cenfure or this book/*
MALONE*
6 Alack, for lejfer knowledge! ]
That is, O that my knowledge were lefs. JOHNSON*
7 "violent hefts : ] Hefts are heavings, what is heaved
up. So, in fir Arthur Gorges' TranJIation of Lucan, 1614:
" But if a part of heav'n's huge fphere
'* Thou chufe thy pondrous heft to beare." STEEVENS.
8 He hath dif cover d my dejign^ and I
Rehiain a pinch'd thing;]
Alluding to the fuperftition of the vulgar, concerning thofe who
were enchanted, and faftened to the fpot, by charms fuperior to
their own* WARBURTON.
The fenfe, I think, is, He hath now difcovered my defign, and
I am treated as a mere child's baby, a thing pinched out of clouts,
a puppet for them to move and actuate as they pleafe. Dr. War-,
burton's fuppofed allufion to enchantments, is quite befide thepur-
pofe. REVISAL,
This fenfe is poffible, but many other meanings might ferve as
well. JOHNSON.
The lame-expreflion occurs in Eliojlo Ltbidinofo, a novel by
one John Hinde, 1606: " Sith then, Cleodora, thou mpinched<>
and haft none to pity thy paffions, diffemble thy affedlion, though
itcoft thee tliy life." Again, in QreeneYAvcvr too /ate, 1616:
W I N T E R's TALE. 321
For them to play at will: How came the pofterns
So eafily open ?
Lord. By his great authority ;
\Vhich often hath no lefs prevailed than fo,
On your command.
Leo. I know't too well .
Give me the boy ; [20 Hermione.~] I am glad, you did
riot nurfe him :
Though he does bear fome figns of me, yet you
Have too much blood in him.
Her. What is 'this? fport ?
Leo. Bear the boy hence, he {hall not come about
her;
Away with him : and let her fport herfelf
With that {he's big with ; for 'tis Polixenes
Has made thec fwell thus.
Her. But I'd fay, he had not,
And, I'll be fworn, you would believe my faying,
Howe'er you lean to the nayward.
Leo. You, my lords,
Look on her, mark her well , be but about
" Had the queenc of poetrie teen, pinched with fo many paffions,
&c." Thefe inftances may ferve to Ihew that pinched had anci-
ently a more dignified meaning than it appears to have at pre-
fent. Spenfer, in his Faery igueen, b. iii. c. 12. has equipped
grief with, a pair of pincers :
" A pair of pince rs in his hand he had,
" With which he pinched people to the heart."
Again, in the Tcmpefl :
" Thou'rt^/<r/>ft/for't now, Sebaftian, "
Again, ibid.
" Whofe inward pinches therefore are moft ftrong."
Again, in the Tragedie of Anton ic^ by the countefs of Pembroke,
1595:
" And ftill I am with burning *'*cw* nipt."
The fenfe propofed by the author of the Revifal may, however,
be fupported by the following paflbge in the City Match, by Jaf-
per Maine, 1639 :
" Pinch* d napkins, captain, and laid
" Like fifhes, fowls, or faces." STEEVENS.
^ T OL. IV, Y To
322, W I N T E R's T A L E t
To fay, Jhe is a goodly lady, and
The juflice of your hearts -will thereto add,
'Tis pit}') Jhis not honejl, honourable :
Praife her but for this her vvhhout-door form,
(Which, on my faith, deferves high fpeech) and
ftraight
The flirug, the hum, or ha ; thefe petty brands,.
That calumny doth ufe : Oh, I am out,
That mercy does ; for calumny will fear
Virtue itfelf : thefe fhrugs, thefe hums, and ha's^
When you have faid, ihe's goodly, *comc between,
Ere you can fay Ihe's honeil : But be it known,
From him that has moft caufe to grieve itihould be,
She's an adultrefs.
Her. Should a villain fay fo,
The moft replenish 'd villain in the world,
He were as much more villain : you, my lord,
Do but miftake 9 -
Leo. You h^ve miftook, my lady,
Polixencs for Leontes : O thou thing,
Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,
Left barbarifm, making me the precedent,
Should a like language ufe to all degrees,
And mannerly diflinguifhment leave out
Betwixt the prince and beggar T I have faid,
She's an adultrefs ; I have laid, with whom :.
More, llie's a traitor ; and Camillo is
A federary with her ' ; and one that knows
What fhe Ihould ftiame to know herfclf,
s J0i( t my lord,
Do Int miftake.~\
Otway had this paflage in his thoughts, when he put tlie following
lines into the mouth of Caitalio :
" Should the bra veil man
" That e'er wore conquering fword, but dare to whifpor
' What thou proclaim'^, he were the word of liars :
" My friend may be miftaken." S.TEEVENS.
1 A federary ivltb her ; ] AfeJewy is a confederate, an
accomplice. STEEYENS.
But
W I N T E R's TALE; 323
But with her moil vile principal * f that flic's
A bed-fwerver, even as bad as thofc
That vulgars give bold'il titles ; ay; and privy
To this their late efcape.
Her. No, by my life,
Privy to none of this : How will this grieve you,
When you lhall come to clearer knowledge, that
You thus have publilh'd me ? Gentle my lord,
You fcarce can right me throughly then, to fay
You did miftake.
Leo. No; if I miftake'
In thole foundations which I build upon,
The center is not big enough to bear
A fchool -boy's top. Away witli her to prifon :
He, who lhall fpeak for her, is afar oft' guilty %
But that he fpeaks.
Her. There's fome ill planet reigns :
I muft be patient, till the heavens look
With an afpect more favourable. Good my lords,
I am not prone to weeping, as our fex
Commonly are ; the want of which vain dew,
Perchance, lhall dry your pities : but I have
1 But ivitbber mcjl vile principal, ] One that knows what
Hermione fhould be afhamed of, even if the knowledge of it reft-
ed alone in her own breall and that of her paramour, without the
participation of any confident. But, which is here ufed tor alone,
renders this paflage fomewhat obfcure. MALONB.
3 if I miftake
77>e center, &c. ]
That is, if the proofs which I can offer will not fupport the opini-
on I have formed, no foundation can be trufted. JOHNSON.
4 He =ivbo Jhall fpeak for her is far off guilty,
But that be fpeaks.]
This cannot be the Speaker's meaning. Leontes would fay, I fhall
hold the perfon, in a great meafure guilty, who fhall dare to intercede
for her : and this, I believe, Shakefpeare ventured to exprefs thus :
He who Jliall fpeak for her, is far of guilty, &c.
i.e. partakes far, deeply, of her guilt. THEOBALD.
It is ftrange that Mr/Theobald could not find out that far off
guilty, fignifies, guilty in a remote degree . JOHNSON.
Y 2. That
324 W I N T E K's TALE.
That honounible grief lodg'd here, which burns :
Worfe than tears drown : 'Befeech you all, my lords,.
With thoughts fo qualified as your charities
Shall befl inftrucl: you, meafure me ; and fo
The king's will be performed !'
Leo. Shall I be heard ? [To the guards
Her. Who is't, that goes with me ? 'befeech your
higbnefs,
My women may be with me ; for, you fee,
My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools ;
[To her ladies.
There is no caufe : when you fhall know, your mif-
trefs
Has deferv'd prifon, then abound in tears,
As I come out ; this action 5 , I now go on,
Is for my better grace. Adieu, my lord:
I never wilh'd to fee you forry ; now,
T trull', I fhall. My women, come; you have
leave.
Leo. Go, do-on r bidding ; hence.
[Exit Gtueen, and Ladles.
Lord. 'Befeech yourhighnefs, call the queen again.
Ant. Be certain what you do, fir ; left your jullicc
Prove violence ; in the which three great ones fufTer,,
Yourfelf, your queen, your fan.
Lord. For her, my lord,
I dare my life lay down, and will do't, fir,
Pleafe you to accept it, that the queen is fpotlefs
1'the eyes of heaven, and to you.-; I mean,
In this which you accuie her.
Ant. If it prove
She's otherwife, I'll keep mv ftable where 6
I lodge
5 this aftion; ] The word aSlion is here taken in the
lawyer's fenfe, for indifl;nant t charge y or accufation. JOHNSON.
6 rilkccp my ftable.*ivbert
I lodge my ivife ; -- ]
Sta&k-Jlaad (Jiabilis fiat'io^. as Spelman interprets it) is a term of
the
W I N T E R's TALE. 325
I lodge my wife ; I'll go in couples with her ;
Than when I feel, and fee her, no further trufl her,;
For every inch of woman in the world,
Ay, every dram of woman's fiefh, is falfe,
If flic be.
Leo. Hold your peaces.
Lord. Good my lord,
Ant. It is for you we fpeak, not for ourfelves :
You are abus'd, and by fome putter-on,
That will be damn'd for't; 'would I knew the villain,
I would land-damn 7 him : Be Ihe honour-flaw'd,
I have
the foreft-laws, and fignifies a place where a dcer-itealer fixes his
Hand under fome convenient cover, and keeps watch for the pur-
pofe of killing deer as they pals by. From the place it came to
be applied alto to the perfon, and any man taken in a foreft in that
lituation, with a gun or bow in his hand, was prefumed to be an
offender, and had the name of 9.Jlablc-ftane!. In all former edi-
tions this hath been printed fables, and it may perhaps be object-
ed, that another fy liable added fnoils the fmoothnefs of theverfe.
But by pronouncing/fl/i- fhort, the meafure will very well bear it,
according to the liberty allowed m this kind of writing, and
which Shakefpeare never fcruples to ufe ; therefore I read, Jlabie-
Jland. HANMER.
There is no need of Hanmer's addition to tle text. So, in the
ancient enterlude ot the Repentaunce of Marie Magdalainc, 1567 :
** Where thou dvvelleft, the devyll may have *Jlab!c"
STEEVENS.
7 land-famn him: -]
Sir T. Hanmer interprets, ftop bis urine. Land or lant being the
old word for urixc.
L.and-da:n is jjrobably one of thofe words which caprice brought
into fafliion, and which, after a ihort time, renfon and grammar
drove irrecoverably away. It perhaps meant no more than I will
rid the country of him ; condemn him to quit the land. JOHNSON.
Land-damn him, if fuch a reading can be admitted, may mean,
be ".vauld procure f entente to le paji on him Is. this world, on thif
tarth.
Antigonus could no way make d the threat of flopping his
wine. Befidc.s it appears too ridiculous a punifhment for fo atro-
cious a criminal. It muft be confeflcd, that what fir T. Hamrr-r
iias faid concerning the word lant, is true. I meet with the follow-
ing inftance in Glapthorne's lilt in a Confialle, 1639 :
*' Ycur frequent drinking country ale with lant in't."
V 3 And
326 \V I N T E R's TALE.
I have three daughters ; the eldcft is eleven ;
The fecond, and the third, nine, and 8 fome five ;
If this prove true, they'll pay for't : by mine hon
nour,
I'll geld them all ; fourteen they lhall not fee,
To bring falfe generations : they are co-heirs ;
9 And I had rather glib myfelf, than they
Should not produce fair ifTue.
Leo. Ceafe ; no more.
You fmell this bufinefs with a fcnfe as cold
As is a dead man's nofe : but I dofee't, and feel't;
As you feel doing thus, and fee withal
And in Shakefpeare's time, to drink a lady's health in urine, ap-
pears tq have been efteemed an at of gallantry. One inftauce
(for I could produce many) may furnce : " Have I not religiouf-
ly vow'd my heart to you, been drunk for your health, eat glaifes,
drank urine, ftab'd arms, and done all the offices of protefled ga-
lantry for your fake ?" Antigonus, on this occafion, may there-
fore have a dirty meaning. It fhould be remembered, however,
fhat to damn, anciently fignified to condemn. So, in Promos and
CaJJandra, 1578:
" Vouchfafe to give my damned hufband life."
Again, in Julius Cafar, act IV. fc. i :
44 He fhall not live ; look, with a fpot J damn him."
STEEVENS.
* and fame fife ; J
This is Mr Theobald's correction ; the former editions read, Jans
jive. JOHNSON.
9 And I had rather glil myfelf, &c. ]
for glib I think we fhould read lib, which, in the northern lan-
guage, is the fame with geld.
In the Court Beggar, by Mr. Richard Brome, adl: IV. the word
lib is ufed in this ienfe ; " He can fing a charm (he fays) lhall
make you feel no pain in your lilbing, nor after it : no tooth-
drawer, or corn-cutter, did ever work with fo little feeling to a
patient," GRAY.
So, in the comedy of The Fancies, by Ford, 1638 ;
" What a terrible fight to a UVd breech, is a fow-gelder ?"
Though lib may probably be the right word, yet glib is at th'^s
time current in many counties, where they fay '-to glib a boar, to
glib a borfe. So, in St. Patrick for Ireland^ a play by Shirley ?
J$40 :
" Jf I come back, let me be ^WJ." STEEVENS,
Th
W I N T E R's T A L E. 327
The inftruments that feel. [Striking bis brews '-
Ant. If it be fo,
We need no grave to bury honefly ;
There's not a grain of it, the face to fweeten
Of the whole dungy earth.
Leo. What ? lack I credit ?
Lord. I had rather you did lack, than I, my lord,
Upon this ground : and more it would content me
To have her honour true, than your fufpicion ;
Be blam'd for't how you might.
Leo. W T hy, what need we
Commune with you of this ? but rather follow
Our forceful inftigation ? Our prerogative
Calls not your connfels ; but our natural goodnefs
Imparts this : which, if yon, (or ftupified ;
Or feeming fo in {kill) cannot, or will not,
Rclim as truth, like us ; inform yourfelves,
We need no more of your advice : the matter,
The lofs, the gain, the ord'ring on't, is all
Properly ours.
Ant. And I wilh, my liege,
You had only in your lilent judgment try'd it,
Without more overture.
Leo. How could that be ?
Either thou art moil ignorant by age,
Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo's flight,
Added to their familiarity,
(Which was as grofs as ever touch'd conjecture,
1 Striking bis Irovis."] Thisftage direftion is not in the old copy.
1 doubt its propriety. Leontes might feel a ftroke upon h : , brows,
but could not lee the internments that feel, i. e. his brows.
TOLLET.
Dr. Johnfon's former edition reads finking b'n /-<KW,
which I cot-reeled into Jlriking. Sir T. Hanmer gives
Laying bold of his arm. Some ftage direclion feems necef-
&ry, but \vhajt it fliould be, is not very eafy to be decided.
S TEE YENS.
Y 4 That
328 W I N T E R's T A L E.
That lack'd fight only, nought for approbation %
But only feeing, all other circumstances
Made up to the deed) do pufti on this proceeding :
Yet, for a greater confirmation,
(For, in an act of this importance, 'twere
Molt piteous to be wild; I have difpatch'd in poft,
To facred Delphos^ to Apollo's temple,
Cleomenes and Dion, whom you know
Of {tuff'd fufficiency 5 : Now, from the oracle
They will bring all ; whole fpiritual counfel had,
Shall ftop, or fpnr me. Have I done well ?
Lord. Well done, my lord.
Leo. Though I am fatisfy'd, and need no more
Than what I know, yet mail the oracle
Give reft to the minds of others ; fuch as he,
Whofe ignorant credulity will not
Come up to the truth : So have we thought it good^
From our free perfon ihe fhould be confm'd ;
Left that the treachery of the two 4 , fled hence,
Be left her to perform. Come, follow us ;
We are to fpeak in publick : for this bufinefs
Will raife us all.
Ant. [Afide.'] To laughter, as I take it,
If the good truth were known. [Exeunt*
a nought for approbation ,
But only feeing, ]
Approbation , in this place, is put for proof. JOHNSON.
3 Jluff'd Sufficiency; ] *
That is, of abilities more than enough. JOHNSON.
4 Left that the treachery of the /civ?, &c. ]
He has before declared, that there is a plot agalnft his life and
cr0"jm. and that Hermidne isfcderary with Polixenes and Camillo,
JOHNSON.
SCENE
W I N T E R's TALE. 329
SCENE II.
AprlfoH.
ILiiicr Paulina, and Gentleman.
Paul The keeper of the prifon, call to him ;
[Exit Gentkman,
Let him have knowledge who I am. Good lady !
No court in Europe is too good for thee,
What dolt thou then in priibn ? Now, good fir,
Re-enter Gentleman, with tie Keeper.
You know me, do you not ?
Keep. For a worthy lady,
And one whom much I honour.
Paul. Pray you then,
Conduct me to the queen.
Keep. I may not, madam ; to the contrary
I have expreis commandment.
Paul. Here's ado,
To lock up honefly and honour from
The accels of gentle vifitors ! Is-it lawful
Pray yon, to fee her women? any of them ?
Emilia ?
Keep. So pleafe you, madam,
To put apart thefe your attendants, I
Shall bring Emilia forth.
Paul. I pray you now,
Call her : Withdraw yourfelves. [Exeunt Gent.
Keep. And, madam, I mull
Be prefent at your conference.
Paul. Well, be it fo, pr'ythee. Here is fuch ado,
[Exit Keeper.
To make no ftain a ftain, as paffes colouring.
Re-enter Keeper, with Emilia.
Dear gentlewoman, how fares our gracious lady ?
Emil.
330 W I N T E R's TALE.
EmiL As well as one fo great, and fo forlorn,
May hold together : On her frights, and griefs,
(Which never tender lady hath borne greater)
She is, fomething before her time, deliver'd.
Paul. A boy?
EmiL A daughter ; and a goodly babe,
Lufty, and like to live : the queen receives
Much comfort in't : fays, My poor prifoner,
I am innocent as you.
Paul. I dare be fworn :
Thefe dangerous unfafe lunes o'the king * ! befhrew
them !
He muft be told on't, and he mall : the office
Becomes a woman beft ; I'll tak't upon me :
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blifter ;
And never to my red-look'd anger be
The trumpet any more : -Pray you, Emilia,
Commend my beft obedience to the queen ;
If fhe dares truft me with her little babe,
I'll ihew't the king, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loudcft : We do not know
How he may foften at the fight o'the child ;
The filence often of pure innocence
Perfuades, when fpeaking fails.
EmiL Moft worthy madam,
Your honour, and your goodnefs, is fo evident,
That your free undertaking cannot mifs
A thriving iffue ; there is no lady living,
5 Tbefe dangerous unfafe lunes o'the king!- ]
I have no where, but in our author, obferved this word adopted
in our tongue, to fignify, frenzy, lunacy. But it is a mode of ex-
preffion with the French. II y a de la lune : (5. e. he has got
the moon in his head ; he is frantick.) Cotgrave. "Lune. folie.
Lesfemmei ont dcs lunes dans la fete. Richelet." THEOBAL n.
A limiiar expreffion occurs in the Revenger's Tragedy, 1608 :
" I know 'twas but feme peevifh moon in him." Lunes, however,
were part of the accoutrements of a hawk. So, in Greene's Ma-
mittia: *' yea, in feeking to unloofe the lunes ^ the more ihe
was intangled." STEEVEHS,
So
W I N T E R's TALE. 331
So meet for this great errand : Pleafe your ladyfhip
To vifit the next room, I'll prefently
Acquaint the queen of your moft noble offer ;
Who, but to-day, hammer'd ot this defign;
But durft not tempt a minifter of honour,
Left fhe fhould be deny'd.
Paul. Tell her, Emilia,
I'll ufe that tongue I have : if wit flow from it,
As bpl.dnefs from my bofom, let it not be doubted
lihail do good.
Emil. Now be you blcft for it \
I'll to the queen : pleafe you, come fomething nearer,
Keep. Madam, if ? t pleafe the queen to fend die
babe,
I know not what I {hall incur, to pafs it,
Having no warrant.
Paul. You need not fear it, fir :
The child was prifoner to the womb ; and is,
By law and procefs of great nature, thence
Free'd and enfranchis'd : not a party to
The anger of the king ; nor guilty of,
If any -be, the trefpafs of the queen.
Keep. I do believe it.
Paul. Do not you fear : upon mine honour, I
Will ftand 'twixt you and danger. \JLxcunt.
SCENE IIL
fke palace.
Enter Leontes, Antlgonus^ Lords, and other attendants.
Leo. Nor night, nor day, no reft : It is but
weaknefs
To bear the matter thus ; mere weaknefs, if
The caufc were not in being ; part o'the caufc,
She, the adultrefs ;-for the harlot king
Is
33 2 WINTER'sTAL E.
Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank 6
And level of my brain, plot- proof : but fhe
I can hook to me : Say, that fhe were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my reft
Might come to me again. Who's there ?
Enter an. Attendant.
Atten. My lord ?
Leo. How does the boy ?
Atten. He took good reft to-night ; 'tis hop'd,
His ficknefs is difcharg'd.
Leo. To fee his noblenefs !
Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,
He ftraight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply ;
Faften'd and fix'd the Ihame on't in himfelf ;
Threw off his fpirit, his appetite, his fleep,
And down-right languifh'd. Leave me folely : go,
[Exit Attendant.
See how he fares. Fye, fye ! no thought of him ;
The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoil upon me : in himfelf too mighty ;
And in his parties, his alliance,->-Let him be,
Until a time may ferve : for prefent vengeance,
Take it on her. Camillo and Folixenes
Laugh at me ; make their paftime at my forrow :
They Ihould not laugh, if I could reach them ; nor
Shall fhe, within my power.
Enter Paulina^ 'with a child.
Lord. You muft not enter.
Paul. Nay, rather, good my lords, be fecond to
me :
Fear you his tyrannous pafiion more, alas,
6 out of tie Mank
Anil level r>f my Irain, ]
Beyond the aim of any attempt that I can make againfl him.
Blank and /nr/are terms of archery. JOHNSON.
Than
W I N T E R's TALE. 333
Than the queen's life ? a gracious innocent foul ;
More free, than he is jealous.
Ant. That's enough.
Atten. Madam, he hath not flept to-night ; com-
manded
None ihould come at him.
Paul. Not fo hot, good fir ;
I come to bring him fleep. 'Tis fuch as you,
That creep like ihadows by him, and do figh
At each his needlefs heavings, fuch as you
Nourilh the caufe of his awaking : I
Do come with words as med'cinal as true ;
Honed, as either ; to purge him of that humour,
That prefles him from fleep.
Leo. What noife there, ho ?
Paul. No noife, my lord ; but needful conference.
About fome goffips for your highnefs.
Leo. How?
Away with that audacious lady : Antigonus,
I charg'd thee, that fne fhould not come about me ;
I knew, fhe would.
Ant. I told her fo, my lord,
On your difplca lure's peril, and on mine,
She Ihould not vifit you.
Leo. What, can'ft not rule her ?
Paul. From all diftionefty, he can : in this,
(Unlefs he take the courfe that you have done,
Commit me, tor committing honour) truft it,
He ihall not rule me.
Ant. Lo you now ; you hear !
When Ihe will take the rein, I let her run ;
But ftie'll not ftumble.
Paid. Good my liege, I come,
And, I befeech you, hear me, who profefs
Myfelf your loyal fervant, your phyfician,
Your moft obedient counfellor ; yet that dares
Lefs appear fo, in comforting your evils,
Than fuch as moft fecm yours : I fay, I come
From
334 W I N T E R's T A L E.V
From your good queen.
Leo. Good queen !
Paul. Good queen, my lord, good queen ! I fay,
good queen ;
And would by combat make her good, fo were 1 7
A man, the worft about you.
Leo. Force her hence.
Paul. Let him, that makes but trifles of his eyes>
Firfl hand me : on mine own accord, I'll off;
But, firft, I'll do my errand. The good queen,
For me is good, hath brought you forth a daughter;
Here 'tis ; commends it to your bleffing.
{Laying dozvn the child.'
Leo. Out!
A mankind witch'! Hence with her, out o' door :
A moft
* And would ly combat make her good, fo -ivere I
A man, the e iuorji about you.~\
Paulina fuppofes the king's jealoufy to be r'aifed and inflamed by
the courtiers about him ; who, (he finely fays :
. creep like JbaJd'Jcs by him, and do fgh
Jit each bis ncedlej's heavhigs : ]
Surely then, fhe could not fay, that were flie a man, the worft of
theft, fhe would vindicate her miftrefs's honour againft the king's
fufpicions, in fingle c<jmbat. Shakefpeare, I am perfuaded,
wrote :
A man, on th' worft about you*
\. e. were T a man, I would vindicate her honour, on theworflof
thefe fycophants that are about you. WAR BURTON*.
The worjl means only the lo-.-.-eft. Were I the meaneft of your
fervants, I would yet claim the combat agaifiil any accufer.
JOHNSON.
8 A mankind witch ! ]
A mankind woman, is yetufed in the midland counties, for a wo-
man violent, ferocious, and mifchievous. It has the fame lenfe
in this paflage. Witches are fuppofed to be mankind, to put oft
the foftnefe and delicacy of \vonien; therefore fir Hugh, in the
Merry IFlvcs of Whidfar, fays of a woman fufpected to be a witch,
*' that he does not like ivhen a ^oman has a beard." Of this mean^
ing Mr. Theobald has given examples. JOHNSON.
So, in the Tkvo Angry Women of Ablngton, l 599 :
" That e'er I fliould be feen to lirike a woman.
'* Why (he is mankind, therefore t-hou may 11 ftrike her."
It
W I N T E R's TALE. 3S5
A moft intelligencing bawd !
Paul. Notfo:
I am as ignorant in that, as you
In Ib intitling me : and no lefs honeft
Than you are mad ; which is enough, I'll warrant,
As this world goes, to pafs for honeft.
Led. Traitors !
Will you not pufli her out ? give her the baftard :
[_To Antigonus.
Thou, dotard, thou art woman-tyr'd 9 , unroofted
By thy dame Partlet here, take up the baftard ;
Take't up, I fay ; give't to thy f crone.
Paul.
It has been obferved to me that man-keen is a word ftill ufed in
the north of England, where it is applied to horfes that bite at
thofe who drefs them, and to girls when they are indecently for-
ward and {hew themfelves too fond of men. Mankind and man-
keen, however, feem in general to have one common meaning.
So, in Stephens's apology for Herodotus, p. 263 : " He cured a
man-keene wolfe which had hurt many in the city." STEEVENS.
I fhall offer an etymology of the adjective mankind, which may
perhaps more fully explain it. Dr. Hickes's Anglo-Saxon gram-
mar, p. 119. edit. 170$, obferves : *' Saxonict man eft a mein.
quod Cimbrice eft nocumentum, Francice eft nefas, fcelus." So that
mankind may fignify one of a wicked and pernicious nature, from
the Saxon man, mifchief or wickednefs, and from kind, nature.
TOLLET.
9 thou art woman-tyr* d ; ]
Woman tyr'd, is pecked by a woman. The phrafe is taken from
falconry, and is often employed by writers contemporary with
Shakefpeare. So, in TbeWubw't Tears, by Chapman, i6ia:
" He has given me a bone to tire on."
Again, in Decker's Match me in London, 1631 :
** the vulture tires
" Upon the eagle's heart."
lin, in Heyw
Again, in Heywood's Rape ofLucrece, 1630:
44 Mult with keen fang tire upon thy flefli."
Partlet is the name of the hen in the old ftory book of Reynard the.
Fox. STEEVENS.
1 thy crone.}
\. e. thy old worn-out woman. A croan is an old toothlefs fheep :
thence an old woman. So, in the Mal-cnttnt, 1606: " There
33 6 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Paul. For ever
Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou
Tak'fl up the princefs, by that forced bafenefs a
Which he has put upon't !
Leo. He dreads his wife.
Paul. So, I would, you did ; then, 'twere pad at!
doubt,
You'd call your children yours.
Leo. A neft of traitors !
Ant. I am none,, by this good light,
Paul. Nor I; nor any,
But one, that's here ; and that's himfelf : for he
The facred honour of himfelf, his queen's,
His hopeful foil's, his babe's, betrays to flander,
Whofe fling is {harper than the fword's ; and will not
(For, as the cafe now ftands, it is a curfe
He cannot be compell'd to't) once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
As ever oak, or {lone, was found.
Leo. A callat,
Of boundlefs tongue ; who late hath beat her huf-
band,
And now baits me ! This brat is none of mine ;
It is the iflue of Polixcnes :
is an old crone in the court, her name is Maquerelle." Again, in
Love's Mijlrefs, by T. Hey wood, 1636:
" Witch and hag, crone and beldam."
Again, in Hey wood's Golden Age, 1611 : " All the gold in Crete
cannot get one of you old crones with child." Again, in the an
cient enterlude of the Repentaiince of Marie Magdalene, 1567 :
*' I have knowne painters that have made old crones y
" To appeare as pleafant as little prety young Jones."
STEEVENS.
* "Unvenerable le tly bands, if tbau
Tatfft up the frincefs, ly that forced lafencfs\
Leontes had ordered Antigonus to take up the bajlard; Paulina for*
bids him to touch the princefs tinder that appellation. Forced is
ffilfty uttered with violence to truth. JOHNSON.
Hence
W I N T E R's TALE. 337
tlence with it ; and, together with the dam,
Commit them to the fire.
Paul. It is yours ;
And, might we lay the old proverb to your charge,
So like you, 'tis the worfe. Behold, my lords,
Although the print be little, the whole matter
And copy of the father : eye, nofe, lip,
The trick of his frown, his forehead ; nay, the valley,
The pretty dimples of his chin j and cheek ; his fmiles J ;
The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger I-
And, thou, good goddefs nature, which haft made it
So like to him that got it, if thon haft
The ordering of the mind too, 'mongft all colours
No yellow in't 4 ; left fhe fufpect, as he does,
Her children not her hufband's !
Leo. A grofs hag!
5 And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd,
That wilt not flay her tongue.
Ant. Hang all the hufbands*
That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourfelf
Hardly one fubjedt.
Leo. Once more, take her hence.
Paul. A moft unworthy and unnatural lord
Can do no more.
Leo. I'll have thee burnt*
3 -'his fmiles;] Thefe two redundant words might be re-
jefted, efpecially as the child has already been reprefented as the
inheritor of its father's dimples and frown. STEEVENS.
4 No yellow ;''/; ]
Ttllnv is the colour of jealoufy. JOHXSOK.
So, Nym fays in the Merry Wives ofHlndfor: " I will pofleff
him vntbjdbwM/f." STEEVENS.
5 And, lozel, ]
This is a term of contempt, frequently ufed by Spenfer. I like-
wife meet with it in the Death of Robert EarlofHuntington, 1601:
" To have the load's company."
A lozel is a worthlefs fellow. Again, in The Pinner of H r akefdd t
1 599 :
" Pence, prating lozcl, &c." STEEVEJTS.
VOL. IV. Z Paul
338 W I N T E R's TALE.
Paul. 1 care riot :
It is an heretick, that makes the fire,
Not (he, which burns in't. I'll not call you tyrant j
But this moft cruel ufage of your queen
(Not able to produce more accufation
Than your own weak-hing'd fancy )fometh ing favours
Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you,
Yea, fcandalous to the world-
Leo. On your allegiance,
Out of the chamber with her.. Were I a tyrant,
Where were her life ? Ihe durft not call me fo,
If he did know me one. Away with her.
Paul. I pray you, da not pufh me ; I'll be gone.
Look to your babe, my lord ; 'tis yours : Jove fend
her
A better guiding fpirit f What need thefe hands ?
You, that are thus fo tender o'er his follies,
Will never do him good., not one of you.
So, fo : Farewel ; we are gone. [Ear//,
Leo. Thou, traitor, haft fet on thy wife to this.
My child ? away with't ! even thou, that haft
A heart fo tender o'er it, take it hence,
And fee it inftantly confum'd with fire ;
Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up ftraight :
Within this hour bring me word 'tis done,
(And by good teftimony) or I'll feize thy life,
With what thou elfe call'ft thine : If thou refufe,
And wi'lt encounter with my wrath, fay fo ;
The baftard brains with thefe my proper hands
Shall I dafti out. Go, take it to the fire ;
For thou fett'ft on thy wife.
Ant. I did not, fir :
Thefe lords, my noble fellows,, if they pleafc,.
Can clear me in't.
Lord. We can ; my royal liege,
He is not guilty of her coming hither*
Leo. You are liars all.
Lord. 'Befeech your highnefs, give us better credit:
We
W I N T E R's T A L E. 339
We have always truly ferv'd you ; and befeech
So to efteem of us : And on our knees we beg,
(As recompence of our dear fervices,
Pad, and to come) that you do change this purpofe;
Which being fo horrible, fo bloody, muft
Lead on to iome foul iflue : We all kneel .
Leo. I am a feather for each wind that blows :
Shall I live on, to fee this baftard kneel
And call me father ? better burn it now,
Than cnrfe it then. But, be it ; let it live :
It fhall not neither. You, fir, come you hither ;
[To Antigonus.
You, that have been fo tenderly officious
W^ith lady Margery, your midwife, there,
To fave this baftard's life : for 'tis a baftard,
So fure as this beard's grey, what will you adventure
To fave this brat's life ?
Ant. Any thing, my lord,
That my ability may undergo,
And noblenefs impofe : at leaft, thus much ;
I'll pawn the little blood which I have left,
To fave the innocent : any thing poffible.
Leo. It fliall be poffible : Swear by this fword 6 ,
Thou wilt perform my bidding.
Ant. I will, my lord.
Leo. Mark, and perform it ; (feeft thou ?) for the
fail
Of any point in't ihall not only be
Death to thyfelf, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife ;
Whom, for this time, we pardon. We enjoin thee,
As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry
6 Swear by this fivord^\ It was anciently the cuftom to
fwear by the crofs on the handle of a fword. So, in Spenfer's
Faery $>ucen, b. vi. c. i :
** he made him Jkueare
*' By his own blade and by the crojje thereon,"
See a note on Hamlet, aft I. fc. v. STEEYENS.
Z 2 This
540 W I N T E R's T A L E.
This female baftard hence ; and that thou bear it
To fome remote and defert place, quite out
Of our dominions ; and that there thou leave it,
Without more mercy, to its own prote&ion,
And favour of the climate. As by ftrange fortune
It came to us, I do in juftice charge thee,
On thy foul's peril, and thy body's torture,
That thou commend it ftrangely to fome place 7 T
Where chance may nurfe y or end it : Take it up
Ant. I fwear to do this ; though a prefent death,
Had been more merciful. Come on, poor babe :
Some powerful fpirit inflrudt the kites and ravens,
To be thy nurfes ! Wolves, and bears, they fay,
Cafting their favagenefs afide, have done
Like offices of pity. Sir, be profperous
In more than this deed does require ! and blefling,.
Againft this cruelty, fight on thy iide
Poor thing, condemn'd to lofs ! \Exit, with the ckilfr
Leo. No, I'll not rear
Another's iffue.
Enter a Mejjenger.
Mef. Pleafe your highnefs, ports,
From thofe you fent to the oracle, are come
An hour lincc : Cleomenes and Dion,
Being well arriv'd from Delphos, are both landed,
Hafting to the court.
Lord. So pleafe you, fir, their fpecd
Hath been beyond account.
Z.r0. Twenty-three days
They have been abfent : 'Tis good fpeed ; foretels >
The great Apollo luddenly-will have
The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords ;
Summon a feflion, that we may arraign
:
7 commend it jlrangek io.fom? place ^]
Commit to fome place, as a. ft 'ranger , without more provifioiv
Our
W I N T E R's TALE.
Our moft difloyal lady : for, as Ihe hath
Been publickly accus'd, fo fhall Ihe have
A juft and open trial. While fhe lives,
My heart will be a burden to me. Leave me ; -t W
And think upon my bidding. [Exeunt.
ACT III. SCENE I.
Apart of Sicily, near the fea fide.
Enter Ckomenes, and Dion.
Clco. The climate's delicate ; the air moft fiveet;
Fertile the iile s ; the temple much furpafling
Tkc common praife it bears.
Dion. I lhall report 9 ,
For molt it caught me, the celeftiai habits,
(Methinks,
8 Fertile tix "ifle ; ]
But the temple of Apollo at Delphi was not in an hland, but in
Phocis, on the continent. Either Shakefpeure, or his editors, had
their heads running on Delos, an ifland of the Cyclades. If it
was the editor's blunder, then Shakefpeare wrote : Fertile the foil,
which is more elegant too, than the prefent reading.
WARBURTON.
Shakefpeare is little careful of geography. There is no need
of this emendation in a play of which the whole plot depends up-
on a geographical error, by which Bohemia is fuppofed to be a
maritime country. JOHNSON.
In the Hi ft. of Doraftvs and Faunia, the queen defires the king
to fend fix of his nobles whom he bell trufted, to the//?* of Del-
phos, &c." STEEVENS.
9 1 fliall report ,
For moft // caught me, &c.]
"What will he report ? And what menns this reafon of his report,
that the celeftial habits moft ftruck his oblervation ? We ftunil J
read:
It (hames report,
Foremoft ;'/ caught mt,
Z i Ckomcncs
34* W I N T E R's T A L E.
(Methinks, I fo Ihould term them) and the reverence
Of the grave wearers. O, the facrince !
How ceremonious, iblemn, and unearthly
It was i'the offering !
Cleo. But, of all, the burft
And- the ear-deafning voice o'the oracle,
Kin to -Jove's thunder, fo furpriz'd my ienfe,
That I was nothing.
Dion. If the event o'the journey
Prove as fuccefsful to the queen, O, be't fo ! *
As it hath been to us, rare, pleafant, fpeedy,
The time is worth the ufe on't '.
Cleo. Great Apollo,
Turn all to the beft ! Thefe proclamations,
So forcing faults upon Hermione,
I little like.
Dion. The violent carriage of it
Will clear, or end, the bufmefs : When the oracle,
(Thus by Apollo's great divine feal'd up)
Shall the contents difcover, fomething rare,
Even then will rufli to knowledge. Go, frefli
horfes ;
V\nd gracious be the iffue ! [Exeunt,
Gleorrienes had juft before {kid, that \ht-tcmple mvcl furpajTed the
common praife It lore. The other very naturally replies itjhamcs
report, as far furpafllng what report faid of it. He then goes on
to particularize the wonders of the place : roremf/f, or firft ot all,
the prieils' garments, their behaviour, their act of facfifice, &c. in
reafonable good order. WARBUK.TOX.
. Of this emendation I fee no reafon ; the utmoft that can be ne-
cefTary is, to change, /'/ caught mc^ to they caught me ; but even
this may well enough be omitted. It may relate to the whole
fpedlacle. JOHNSON.
1 The time is vjortb the ufe ont.~\
It fhould be juft the reverie :
The ufe is worth the time c;:'t. . '
and this alteration the Oxford editor approves. WAR BUR TON.
Either reading may ferve, but neither is very elegant. Thetimt
it worth the ujeon't, means, the time which we have fpent in vifit-
ing Delos,. has recompenfed us for the trouble of fo fpending it.
JOHNSON.
SCENE
W I N T E R's TALE. 343
SCENE II.
A Court ofjitftice.
Leontes, Lords, and Officers, appear properly feated.
Leo. This feffion (to our, great grief, we pro-
nounce)
Even pufhes 'gainft our heart : The party try'd,
The daughter of a king ; our wife -, and one
Of us too much belov'd. Let us be clear'd
Of being tyrannous, fince we fo openly
Proceed in juftice ; which fhall have due courfe,
Even to the guilt, or the purgation z .
Produce the prifoner.
Offi. It is his highnefs* pleafure, that the queen
Appear in perfon here in court. Silence !
Hermione is brought /, guarded ; Paulina and L
attending. a ^
Leo. Read the indictment.
Offi. Hermione, queen to the worthy Leontes, king of
Sicilia, thou art here accufed and arraigned of high treafon^
in committing adultery with Polixenes, king of Bohemia ;
and conjpiring with Camillo to take away the life of our fo-
'uereign lord the king, thy royal hufband : the pretence *
whereof being by cir cum/lances partly laid open, thou, Her-
mione, contrary to the faith and allegiance of a true JubjeR t
didji counfel and aid them, for their better fafety, to fly aivay
by night.
* Even to the guilty or the purgation. ~\
Mr. Roderick obferves, that the word even is not to be underftood
here as an adverb, but as an adjeftive, fignifying equal ur indifferent.
StEEVENS.
3 pretence ~\ Is, in this place, taken for zfcbente laid, a
dcfign formed \ to pretend means to dcjigji, in the Gent, of I'erona.
JOHNSON.
Z 4 Her.
344 W I N T E R's TALE.
Her. Since what I am to fav, muft be but that
Which contradicts my accufation ; and
The teftimony on my part, no other
But what comes from myfelf ; it lhall fcarce boot me
To fay, Not gtiilty : mine integrity +,
Being counted falfehood, iliall, as I exprefs it,
Be fo receiv'd. But thus, If powers divine
Behold our human actions, (as they do)
I doubt not then, but innocence fhall make
Falfe accufation blufh, and tyranny
Tremble at patience. You, my lord, beft know,
(Who leaft will fecm to do fo) my pafl life
Hath been as continent, as chafte, as true,
As I am now unhappy ; which is more
Than hiftory can pattern, though devis'd,
And play'd, to take fpedtators : For behold me,
A fellow of the royal bed ? which owe
A moiety of the throne, a great king's daughter,
The mother to a hopeful prince, here {landing,
To prate and talk for life, and honour, 'fore
W r ho pleafe to come and hear. For life, I prize it -
As I weigh grief, which I would fpare * : for honour,
'Tis a derivative from me to mine 7 ,
And only that I (land for. I appeal
To your own cohfcicncc, fir, before Polixcncs
* -- mine integrity, &c.]
That is, my virtue being accounted i^lckf^icfs,, my aflertion of it
will pafs but for a He. Falf'ebood-mcz&s both treachery and lie.
JOHNSON.
5 - For Il f^ Iprte it, &c.]
L'ff is to me now only griff', and as iuch only is confidcred by me,
I would therefore willingly diiinifs it. JOHNSON.
6 I ivouldfoart : - ] To (pare any thing is to //.'/'/ go, -to quit
the pojlejjlon of it. JOHNSON.
7 'Tis a deriv.ctii'vc from vie to m inc, j
This fentiment, which is probably borrowed jro,rn E
chap. iii. verfe 11. .cau:ut _be too often .inijprciled, P"; .t
_ ..
mind: *' The glory of a man is from the honour of his father j
and a mother :;i dlfbonour^ is a reproach unto btr children"
STEEVENS,
Cam?
W I N T E R's TALE. 345
Came to your court, how I was in your grace,
How merited to be fo : Since he came,
\Yith what encounter fo uncurrent 1 8
Have ftrain'd, to appear thus ? if one jot beyond
The bound of honour ; or, in act, or will,
That xvay inclining ; hardned be the hearts
Of all that hear me, and my near'fl of kin
Cry, Fye upon my grave {
Leo. I ne'er heard yet,
* ~ Since became,
With what encounter fo uncurrent I
llavejtrai/i't/, to appear thus ? ]
Thefe lines I do not underihmd ; with the licence of all editors,
what I cannot underftand I fuppofe unintelligible, and therefore
propole that they may be altered thus :
* <8JBce he came.
With what encounter f o uncurrent have I
Keen ftain'd to appear f/jus.
At leaft I think it might be read :
With what encounter Jo uncurrent have I
Strained to appear thus ? If one jot beyond JOHJCSON".
Thefenfe (eems to b.ethis: WhatJ'uddenJlip have Imade^ thai
Jfi'oultl catch a wrench in my charailer ?
" a noble nature
" May catch a wrench." Timon.
An uncurrent encounter feems to mean an irregular, unjuftifiable
congrefs. Perhaps it may be a metaphor from tilting, m
which the fhock or meeting adverfaries was fo called. Thus, in
Dray ton's Legend of T. Cromwell E.. of EJJex :
" Yet thele encounters thruft me not aiviy."
The fenfe would then be : In what bafe reciprocation of love
have I caught this It rain ? Uncurrent is what will not pals, and is,
at prefent, only apply'd to money.
Mrs. Ford talks oi-fonie ftrain in her charaftcr, and in B. and
Fletcher s Cnjlom of the Country, the fame expreinon occurs :
' Jlrain your loves
* With any bafe, or hir'd perfuafions."
'Tojiral , I believe, means to go aivry. So, in the 6th fong of
Drayton s Polyolbion :
* As wantonly tkicjfraitu in her lafcivious courfc."
Prayton 13 fpeaRing of the irregular courfe of the river Wye,
STEEVENS,
That
346 W I N T E R's T A L E.
That any of thefe bolder vices wanted 9
Lefs impudence to gain-fay what they did,
Than to perform it firft.
Her. That's true enough ;
Though 'tis a faying, fir, not due to me.
Leo. You will not own it.
Her. More than miftrefs of, .
Which comes to me in name of fault, I muft not
At all acknowledge. For Polixenes,
(With whom I am accus'd) I do confefs,
I lov'd him, as in honour he requir'd ;
With fnch a kind of love, as might become
A lady like me ; with a love, even fuch,
So, and no other, as yourfelf commanded :
Which not to have done, I think, had been in me
Both difobedience and ingratitude,
To you, and towards your friend ; whofe love had
fpoke,
Even fince it could fpeak, from an infant, freely,
That it was yours. Now, for confpiracy,
I know not how it tafles ; though it be difh'd
For me to try how : all I know of it,
Is, that Camillo was an honeft man ;
And, why he left your court, the gods themfelves,
Wotting no more than I, are ignorant.
9 / ne'er heard yet,
TTjat any of thcfe lolder vices wanted ,
Lefs impudence to gain-fay ivhat they did^
Than to perform itfirjl.']
It is apparent that according to the proper, at leaft according to
the prefent, ufe of words, lefs fliould be more, or wanted fhould
be had. But Shakefpeare is very uncertain in his ufe of negatives.
It may be neceflary once to obferve, that in our language, two ne-
gatives did not originally affirm, but itrengthen the negation.
This mode of fpeech was in time changed, but as the change was
made in oppofition to long cuilom, it proceeded gradually, and
uniformity was not obtained but through an intermediate conf ufion.
JOHNSON.
Leo.
W I N T E R's TALE. 347
Leo. You knew of his departure, as you know
What you have underta'en to do in his abfence.
Her. Sir,
You fpeak a language that I underftand not :
My life (lands in the level of your dreams ',
Which I'll lay down.
Leo. Your actions are my dreams ;
You had a baftard by Polixenes,
And I but dream'd it: As you were- paft all fhame %
(Thofe of your fact are fo) fo paft all truth :
Which to deny, concerns more than avails : for as
Thy brat hath been caft out, like to itfelf,
No father owning it, (which is, indeed,
More criminal in thee, than it) fo thou
Shalt feel our juftice ; in whofe eafieft paflage,
Look for no lefs than death.
Her. Sir, fpare your threats ;
The bug, which you will fright me with, I feek.
To me can life be no commodity :
The crown and comfort of my life, your favour,
I do give loft ; for I do feel it gone,
But know not how it went : My fecond }oy,
1 J\fy l'ife jtands in the let'el of your dreams , ]
To be /;; the level is by a metaphor from archery to be within the
reach. JOHNSON.
1 As you were paft all flame,
(Thofe of your fad arefo) fa paft all truth.'}
I do not remember that/a^ is uled any where abfolutely for guilty
which mult be its lenle in this place. Perhaps \ve may read :
Thofe of your pack are fb.
Pack is a low coarfc word well fuited to the reft of this royal in-
veftive. JOHNSON.
Thofe of your fact arefo. 1 Ihould guefsyf^? to be the right
word. See K. Hen. IV. P. II. aft II, fc. iv.
In Middleton's Mad World, myMaJlcrs, a Courtezan fays : " It
is the eafieft art and cunning for ourfetf to counterfeit lick, that
are always full of fits when we are well." FARMER.
Thus, Falftaff fpeaking to Dol Tearfheet : " So is all her/v? :
if they be once in a calm they are lick." Thofe of your f aft, may,
however, mean, thoft who have done as you do. STEEVENS.
And
34-3 WINTER'sTAL E.
And firft-fruits of my body, from his prefencc
I am barr'd, like one infectious: My third comfort,
3 Starr'd moil unluckily, is from my breaft
The innocent milk in its moft innocent mouth,
Hal'd out to murder : Myfelf on every poil
Proclaim'd a ftrumpet ; with immodeft hatred,
The child-bed privilege deny'd, which *longs
To women of all fafhion ; Laftly, hurried
Here to this place, i'the open air, before
I have got ftrength of limit 4 . Now, my liege,
Tell me what bleflings I have here alive,
That I mould fear to die ? Therefore, proceed.
But yet hear this ; miftake me not; No ! life,
J prize it not a flraw : but for mine honour,
(Which I would free) if I fhall be condemn'd
Upon furmifes ; all proofs fleeping elfe,
But what your jealoufies awake, I tell you,
'Tis rigour, and not law. Your honours all,
I do refer me to the oracle ;
Apollo be my judge.
Enter Dion, and Ckomenes.
Lord. This your requcft
Is altogether juit: therefore, bring forth,
And in Apollo's name, his oracle.
3 Starred moft unluckily, ]
i. e. born under an inaufpicious planet. STEEVENS.
4 / have gotjlrengtb of limit, ]
I know not well how Jlrengtb of limit can mzzn Jlrengtb to fafs tie
limits of the child-bed chamber, which yet it muft mean in this
place, unlefs we read in a more eafy phrafe, Jlrength of limb.
And\\<yx, sV. JOHNSON.
I have got ftrength of limit. ]
from the following patfage in the black letter hiftory of Titana
andTbeJ'eus (of which I have no earlier edition than that in 1636)
it appears that limit was anciently ufed for limb :
44 thought it very ft range that nature fhould endow fo fair a
face with fo hard a heart, fuch comely limits with fuch perverfe
conditions." STEEVENS.
W I N T E R's TALE. 349
Her. The emperor of Ruffta was my father :
Oh, that he were alive, and here beholding
His daughter's trial ! that he did but fee
The flatnefs of my mifery 5 ; yet with eyes
Of pity, not revenge !
Offi. You here fhall fwear upon the fword of juftice,
That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have
Been both at Delphos; and from thence have brought
This feaFd-up oracle, by the hand dcliver'd
Of great Apollo's prieft ; and that, fincc then,
You have not dar'd to break the holy feal,
Nor read the fecrets in't.
Cko. Dion. All this we fwear.
Leo. Break up the feals, and read.
Offi. Hermione is cbajle, Polixenes blamelefs, Camilla a
true fubjeft, Leontes a jealous tyrant, bis innocent babe truly
begotten ; and the kingjliall live without an heir, if that,
which is loft, be not found.
Lords. Now bleffed be the great Apollo !
Her. Praifed!
Leo. Haft thou read truth ?
Offi. Ay, my lord ; even fo as it is here fet down.
Leo. There is no truth at all i'the oracle :
The feffion fliall proceed ; this is mere falfehood.
Enter Servant.
Ser. My lord the king, the king !
Leo. What is the bufmefs ?
Ser. O fir, I fhall be hated to report it :'
The prince your fon, with mere conceit and fear
Of the queen's fpeed 6 , is
5 The flattie ft of my mifery ... ]
That is, how low, how Jlat I am laid by my calamity. JOHKSOX.
So, Milton, Par. Loji, b. ii :
*' - Thus rcpuls'd, our final hope
*' Is flat defpair." MALONE.
6 Ofthequeen y 3f}>ee<l, - ]
Of ihe event of the queen's trial : fo \ve ftill fay, \\efpej well or ill.
JOHNSOX.
Leo.
350 W I N T E R's TALE.
Leo. How ! gone ?
Ser. Is dead.
Leo. Apollo's angry ; and the heavens themfelves
Do ftrike at my injultice. How now there ?
\_Hernnonefaints.
Paul. This news is mortal to the queen : Look
down,
And fee \vhat death is doing.
Leo. Take her hence :
Her heart is but o'er-charg'd ; fhe will recover.-
[Exeunt Paulina and ladies, with Hermione.
I have too much believ'd mine own fufpicion :
'Befeech you, tenderly apply to her
Some remedies for life. Apollo, pardon
My great profanenefs 'gainft thine oracie !
I'll reconcile me to Polixenes ;
New woo my queen ; recall the good Camillo ;
Whom I proclaim a man of truth, of mercy :
For, being tranfported by my jealoulies
To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chofe
Camillo for the miniiler, to poifon
My friend Polixenes : which had been done,
But that the good mind of Camillo tardy 'd
My fwift command ; though I with death, and with
Reward, did threaten and encourage him,
Not doing it, and being done : he, moft humane,
And fill'd with honour, to my kingly gueft
Unclafp'd my practice ; quit his fortunes here,
Which you knew great ; and to the certain hazard
Of all incertainties himfelf commended,
No richer than his honour : How he gliders
Through my dark ruft ! arid how his piety
Does my deeds make the blacker 7 !
7 Does ?ny deeds ?nake the Hacker ! ]
This vehement retraction of Leontes, accompanied with the con-
feffion of more crimes than he was fufpecled of, is agreeable to
our daily experience of the viciffitudes of violent tempers, and the
eruptions of minds opprefled with guilt. JOHNSON.
Re-enter
\V I N T E R's T A L E, 351
Re-enter Paulina.
Paul Woe the while !
O, cut my lace ; left my heart, crackinglit,
Break too !
'Lord. What fit is this, good lady ?
Paul. What ftudied torments, tyrant, haft for me ?
What wheels ? racks ? fires ? What flaying ? boiling ?
In leads, or oils ? what old, or newer torture
Muft I receive ; whofe every word deferves
To taile of thy moft worft ? Thy tyranny,
Together working with thy jealoufies,
Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle
For girls of nine ! O, think, what they have done,
And then run mad, indeed ; ftark mad ! for all
Thy by-gone fooleries were but fpices of it.
That thou betray'dft Polixenes, 'twas nothing ;
That did but ihew thee, of a fool, inconftant %
And damnable ungrateful : nor was't much,
Thou would'ft have poifon'd good Camillo's honour,
To have him kill a king ; poor trefpaffes,
8 That thou betray* dft Polixenes , 't-tvas nothing ;
'That did butjbciu t/jee, of a fool inconftant ^
And damnable ungrateful: j]
I have ventured at a flight alteration here, againft the authority
of all the copies, and for fool read foul. It is certainly too groi's
and blunt in Paulina, though flie might impeach the king of
fooleries in fome of his paft ations and conducl, to call hitn
downright a fool. And it is much more pardonable in her to ar-
raign his morals, and the qualities of his mind, than rudely to
call him idiot to his face. THEOBALD.
So all the copies. We (hould read :
Jfjeiv thee off^ a fool \
i. e. reprefent thee in thy true colours ; a fool, an inconftant., &c.
WARBURTON.
Poor Mr. Theobald's courtly remark cannot be thought to de-
ferve much notice. Dr. Warburton too might have (pared his
fagacity if he had remembered, that the prefent reading, by a
mode of fpeech anciently much ufed, means only, // JhfjJd thtt
l, then inconftant and ung rateful, JOHNSON.
More
55z \V I N T E R's TALE.
More monftrous (landing by : whereof I reckon?
The cafting forth to crows thy baby daughter,
To be or none, or little; 9 though a devil
Would have fhed water out of fire, ere don't :
Nor is't directly laid to thee, the death
Of the young prince; whole honourable thoughts
(Thoughts high for one fo tender) cleft the heart,
That could conceive, a grofs and foolifli fire
Blemilh'd his gracious dam : this is not, no,
Laid to thy anfwer : But the laft, O, lords,
When I have laid, cry, woe ! the queen, the queen,-
The fweeteft, dearcft, creature's dead; and ven-
geance for't
Not drop down yet.
Lord. The higher powers forbid !
Paul. I fay, Ihe's dead ; I'll fwear't : if word, nor
oath,
Prevail not, go and fee : if you can bring.
Tincture, or luftre, in her lip, her eye,
Heat outwardly, or breath within, I'll ferve you
As I would do the gods. But, O thou tyrant !
Do not repent thefe things ; for they are heavier
Than all thy woes can ftir : therefore betake thee
To nothing but defpair. A thoufand knees,
Ten thoufand years together, naked, failing,
Upon a barren mountain, and fUll winter
In ftorm perpetual, could not move the gods
To look that way thou wert.
Leo, Go on, go on :
Thou canit not fpeak too much ; I have deferv'd
All tongues to talk their bittereft.
Lord. Say no more ;
Howe'er the bufinefs goes, you have made fault
though a devil
Would have Jbed "Mater out ofjire, ere don't :]
i. e. a devil would have fhed tears of pity o r er the damn'd, ere he
would have committed fuch an action. STEEVENS,
fthe
W I N T E R's T A L E,
1'the boldnefs of your fpecch.
}\i:(l. I am forry for't ' ;
All faults I make, when I fhall come to know
I do repent : Alas, I have fhew'd too much
The rafhnefs of a woman : he is touch'd
To the noble heart. -What's gone, and what's paft
help,
Should be pail grief : Do not receive affliction
At my petition, I befeech you ; rather
Let me be punifh'd, that have minded you
Of what you fhould forget. Now, good my liege,
Sir, royal fir, forgive a fooliih woman :
The love I bore your quccn ? lo, fool again !
I'll fpeak of her no tftore, nor of your children ;
I'll not remember y6u of my own lord,
Who is loft too : Take your patience to you,
And I'll fay nothing.
Leo* Thou didft fpeak but well,
When moft the truth ; which I receive much better
Than to be pitied of thee. Pr'ythee, bring me
To the dead bodies of my queen, and fon :
One grave fhall be for both ; upon them fhall
The caufes of their death appear, unto
Our fhame perpetual : Once a day, I'll vifit
The chapel where they lie ; and tears, ihed there,
Shall be my recreation : fo long as nature
Will bear up with this exercife, fo long
I daily vow to ufe it. Come,
And lead me to thcfe forrows. [Exeunt*
1 / am forry for't ; ]
This is another inftance of the fudden changes incident to vehe-
ment and ungovernable minds. JOHNSON-.
VOL. IV. A a SCENE
354 W I N T E R's TALE,
SCENE III.
Bohemia. A defer t country near the fea.
Enter Antigonus ivith the Child, and a Mariner.
Ant. Thou art perfedt then, our fhip hath touch'd
upon*
The deferts of Bohemia ?
Mar. Ay, my lord ; and fear
We have landed in ill time : the fides look grimly,
Arid threaten prefent blufters. In my confciencc,
The heavens with that we have in hand are angry, .
And frown upon us.
Ant. Their facred wills be done ! Go, get aboard ;
Look to thy bark ; I'll not be long, before
I call upon thee.
Mar. Make your beft hade ; and go not
Too far i'the land : 'tis like to be loud weather ;
Betides, this place is famous for the creatures
Of prey, that keep upon't.
Ant. Go thou away ;
I'll follow inftantly,
Mar. I am glad at heart
To be fo rid o'the bufinci's. [Exit.
Ant. Come, poor babe :
I have heard, (but not believ'd) the fpirits of the
dead
May walk again : if fuch thing be, thy mother
Appear'd to me laft night ; for ne'er was dream
So like a waking. To me comes a creature,
Sometimes her head on one fide, fome another,
'I never faw a veflel of like for row,
So fill'd, and fo becoming : in pure white robes,
* 77jou art perfect then* ]
Perfeft is often ufed by Shakefpeare for certain^ well affured, or
iv fit informed. JOHNSON.
It is fo ufed by almoit all our ancient writers. STEEVENS.
Like
\V I N T E R's TALE. 355
Like very fandtity, fhe did approach
My cabin where I lay : thrice bow'd before me ;
And, gafping to begin fome fpeech, her eyes
Became two fpouts : the fury fpent, anon
Did this break from her : Good Antigonus,-
Since fate, againjl thy better difpofition,
Hath made thy per Jon for the thrower -out
Of my poor babe, according to thine oath,-
Places remote enough are in Bohemia,
<fhere weep, and leave it crying ; and, for the babe
Is counted loft for ever, Perdita,
I pr'ythee, caWt : for this ungentle bujinefs,
Put on theeby my lord, thou ne' er Jhalt fee
1"hy wife Paulina more : and fo, with fhrieks,
She melted into air. Affrighted much,
I did in time collect myfelf ; and thought
This was fo, and no flumber. Dreams are toys :
Yet, for this once, yea, fuperftitiouily,
I will be fquar'd by this. I do believe,
Hermione hath fuffer'd death ; and that
Apollo would, this being indeed the iffue
Of king Polixenes, it Ihould here be laid,
Either for life, or death, upon the earth
Of its right father. Bloflbm, fpeed thee well!
[Laying down the child.
There lie ; and there thy character J : 'there thefe ;
[Laying down a bundle.
Which may, if fortune pleafe, both breedthee, pretty,
And dill reft thine. The ftorm begins: Poor
wretch,
That, for thy mother's fault, art thus expos'd
To lofs, and what may follow ! Weep I cannot,
But my heart bleeds : and moft accurs'd am I,
3 thy character : ] i. e. the writing afterwards discovered
wtih Perdita " the letters of Antigonus found with it, which
' they knew to be his character. 1 ' STEEVENS.
A a 2 To
3 3 6 W I N T E R's T A L E.
To be by oath enjoin'd to this. Farewel !
The day frowns more and more ; thou art like to have
A lullaby too rough : I never favv
The heavens fo dim bv day. A favage clamour 4 ?
Well may I get aboard ! This is the chace ;
I am gone for ever. [Exif, pinfeed by a bear,
Enter an old Shepherd.
Shep. I would, there were no age between ten and
three and twenty ; or that youth would ilecp out the
reft : for there is nothing in the between but getting
wenches with child, wronging the ancientry, ftealing,
fighting. Hark you now ! Would any but thele
boilM brains of nineteen, and two and twenty, hunt
this weather? They have fcar'd away two of my beft
Iheep ; which, I fear, the wolf will fooner find, than
the mafter : if any where I have them, 'tis by the fea-
fide, brouzing of ivy. Good luck, an't be thy will !
what have w r e here ? \jTaking up the child.~^ Mercy
on's, a barne ! a very pretty barne 5 ! A boy, or a
child, I wonder ? A pretty one ; a very pretty one :
Sure fome fcape : though I am not bookiih, yet I can
read waiting-gentlewoman in the fcape. This has
been fome flair-work, fome trunk-work, fome behind-
door-work : they were warmer that got this, than the
poor thing is here. I'll take it up for pity : yet I'll
tarry till my fon come ; he holloo'd but even now.
Whoa, ho hoa !
4 A favage clamour ? ]
This clamour was the cry of the dogs and hunters ; then feeing
the bear, he cries, this is the <.-/jace, or, the animal purfued. .
JOHNSON.
5 a barne ! a very pretty barne ! ] i.e. child. So, in
R. Broome's 'Northern La/s, 1633 :
" Peace wayward barne ; O ceafe thy moan,
" Thy far more wayward daddy's gone."
It is a North Country word. Barns for borns^ things born ; feem-
ing to anfwer to the Latin nati. STEEVENS.
Enter
W I N T E R's TALE. 357
Enter Clown.
Clo. Hilloa, loa !
Sbep. What, art ib near ? If thou'lt fee a thing to
talk on when thou art dead and rotten, come hither.
What ail'ft thou, man ?
Clo. I have fccn two fuch fights, by fea, and by
land ; but I am not to fay, it is a fea, for it is now
the fky; betwixt the firmament and it, you cannot
thru ft a bodkin's point.
Sbcp. Why, boy, how is it ?
Clo. I would, you did but fee how it chafes, how it
rages, how it takes up the ihore! but that's not to the
point : Oh, the molt piteous cry of the poor fouls !
Ibmetimcs to fee 'em, and not to fee 'em : now the
ihip boring the moon with her main-mail: ; and anon
fwallow'd with ycft and froth, as you'd thruft a cork
into a hogihead. And then for the land fervice,
To fee how the bear tore out his ihoulder-bone; how
he cry'dto me for help, and faid, his name was Anti-
gonus, a nobleman: But to make an end of the fhip;-
to fee how the fea flap-dragon'd it : but, firft, how
the poor fouls roar'd, and the fea mock'd them;
and how the poor gentleman roar'd, and the bear
mock'd him, 'both roaring louder than the fea, or
weather.
Sbep. 'Name of mercy, when was this, boy ?
Clo. Now, now; I have not wink'd fince I faw thcfe
fights : the men are not yet cold under water, nor
the bear half din'd on the gentleman; he's at it now.
Sbcp. 6 Would I had been by, to have help'd the
old man.
Clo.
Shcp. ll'tmltl I baJ been ly, io bavc help V the old man.~\
Though all the printed copies concur in this reading, I am pcr-
fuiidcd, we ought to reftore, nMtman. The Shepherd knew no-
thing of Antigonus's age ; bclides, the Clown had iult told his fa-
(hcr, that he faid his name was Antigonus, a nobleman, anil IK>
A a 3 lefs
358 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Go. I would you had been by the fliip fide, to have
help'd her; there your charity would have lack'd
footing, [Afide.
Shep. Heavy matters ! heavy matters ! but look
thee here, boy. Now blefs thyfelf ; thou met' ft with
things dying, I with things new born. Here's a fight
for thee ; look thee, a bearing-cloth 7 for a fquire's
child ! Look thee here ; take up, take up, boy ;
open't. So, let's fee; It was told me, I fhould be
rich by the fairies : this is fome changeling 8 :
open't : What's within, boy ?
9 Clo. You're a made old man ; if the fins of your
youth are forgiven you, you're well to live. Gold !
all gold !
Sbep.
lefs than three times in this fhort fcene, the Clown, fpeaking of
him, calls him ths gentleman. THEOBALD.
I fuppofe the Shepherd infers the age of Antigonus from his
inability to defend himfelf; or perhaps Shakefpeare, who was con-
fcious that he himfelf defigned Antigonus for an old man, has in-
advertently given this knowledge to the Shepherd who had never
feen him. STEEVENS.
7 a bearing-cloth ] A bearing-cloth is the fine mantle or
cloth with which a child is ufually covered, when it is carried to
the church to be baptized. PERCY.
8 fame changeling. ] i. e. fome child left behind by the
fairies, in the room of one which they had ftolen.
So Spenfer, b. i. c. ic :
*' And her bafe Elfin brood there for thee left,
" Such, men do changelings call, fo call'd by fairy theft.'*
SrEhVENS.
9 Yotfte a. made old man ; ] In former copies : ToiSre a
mad old man ; if thefns of your youth arc forgiven you, you re well
to live. Gold! all gold! This the Clown fays upon his open-
ing his fardel, and discovering the wealth in it. But this is no
reafon why he fhould call his rather a mad o\& man. I have ven-
tured to correct in the text Yoiire a made old man: i. e. your
fortune's made by this adventitious treafure. So our poet, in a
number of other paflages. THEOBALD.
Dr. Warburton did not accept this emendation, but it is cer-
tainly right. The word is borrowed from the novel : " The good
man defired his wife to be quiet : if fhe would hold peace, they
were made for ever." FARMER.
So.
W I N T E R's T A L E. 359
Shep. This is fairy gold, boy, and 'twill prove fo :
up with it, keep itclofe; home, home, the next way.
We are lucky, boy; and to be fo dill, requires no-
thing but fecrecy. Let my fheep go : Come, good
boy, the next way home.
Clo. Go you the next way with your findings ; I'll
go fee if the bear be gone from the gentleman, and
how much he hath eaten : they are never curft, but
when they are hungry : if there be any of him left,
I'll bury it.
Skep. That's a good deed : If thou may 'ft difcern
by that which is left of him, what he is, fetch me to
the fight of him.
Clo. Marry, will I ; and you (hall help to put him
i'the ground.
Shep. 'Tis a lucky day, boy ; and we'll do good
deeds on't. [Exeunt.
ACT jv.
Enter Time, as Chorus.
Time. I, that pleafe fomc, try all ; both joy, and
terror,
Of good and bad ; that make, and unfold error ',
Now
So, in Love's Mi/trrfs, a mafque by T. Heywood, 1636 : "I
before was but a man made, but am now a made man" Agam, in
M. Kyffin's tranfl:ition of the Andria of Terence, 15X8 : " I am a
n-.aiif man if this be true." Again, in Acolajlus. a comedy, 1529:
<: I am fate for ever, I am a made man for this world."
STEEVENS.
1 thai make, and unfold err nr, ]
This does not, in my opinion, take in the poet's thought. Time
does not make miftakes, and fe9ver then:, at different conjunc-
tures ; but the poet means, that Time often for a feafon covers
A a 4 eiror*
360 W I N T E R's T A L E..
Now take upon me., in the name of Time,
To ufe my wings. Impute it not a crime,
To me, or my fwift paffage, that I flide
O'er fixteen years % and leave the growth untry'd *
Of
errors, which he afterwards difplays and brings to light. I chufe
therefore to read :
.that mafk and unfold error, THEOBALD.
Theobald's emendation is f LI rely unneceflary. Departed time
renders many fads obfcure, and in that fonfe is the caufe of error.
fime to come brings difcoveries with it. STEEVENS.
1 that IJlide
O'f r Jixtcen years, ]
This trelpals, in refpet of dramatic unity, will appear venial
to thole who have read the once famous Lilly's Endymlon, or (as
he hiraielf calls it in the prologue) his Ma-i In the Monti. This
author was applauded and very liberally paid by queen Elizabeth.
Two afts ot his piece comprize the fpace of forty years, Endy-
rnion lying down to lleep at the end of the fecond, and waking in
the firil fcene ot the fifth, after a nap of that unconfcionable
length. Lilly has likewife been guilty of much greater abfurdi-.
ties than ever Shakefpeare committed ; for he fuppofes that En-
dymion's hair, features, andpeiibn, were changed by age during
his fleep, while all the other perlbnages of the drama remained
without alteration.
George Whetftone, in the epiftle dedicatory, before his Pro-
mos and Caffiindra, 1578, (on the plan of which Mcafurc for Mea-
fure is formed) had pointed out many of thefe abfurdities and of-
fences again u the laws of the Drama. It mutt be owned therefore
that Shakeipeare has not fallen into them through ignorance of
what they were. " For at this daye^ the Italian is Ib lafcivious
in his comedies, that honelt hearts are" grieved at his actions. The
Frenchman and Spaniard follow the Italian's humour. The Ger-
man is too holy ; for he prefents on everye common ftage, what
preachers Ihould pronounce in pulpits. The Englifliman in this
quailitie, is moft vaine, indilcreete, and out of order. He firil
grounds his worke on impoffibilities : then in three houres ronnes
he throwe the worlde : marryes, gets children, makes children
men, men to conquer kingdomes, murder 'moniters, and bringeth
goddes from heaven, and fetcheth devils from hell, &c." This
quotation will ferve to Ihew that our poet might have enjoyed the
benefit of literary laws, but like Achilles, denied that laws were
defigned to operate on beings confident of their own powers, and
fecure of graces beyond the reach of art. STEEVENS.
3 and
W I N T E R's T A L E. 361
Of that wide gap ; fince it is in my power *
To o'erthrow law, and in one felt-born hour
To plant and o'crwhclm cuftom : Let me pafs
The fame I am, ere ancient'ft order was,
Or what is now received : I witnefs to
The times that brought them in ; fo lhall I do
To the frefheft things now reigning; and make ftale
The glittering of this prefent, as my tale
Now feems to it. Your patience this allowing,
I turn my glafs ; and give my fcene fuch growing,
As you had flept between. Leontcs leaving
The effedts of his fond jealoufies ; fo grieving,
That helhuts up himfelf ; Imagine me 5 ,
Gentle fpecftators, that I now may be
In
* and leave the growth unify 1 d
Of that wide gap ; ]
The growth of what ? The reading is nonfenfe. Shakefpeare
wrote :
and leave the gulf /ryV,
i. e. unwaded through. By this menus, too, the uniformity of
the metaphor is reitored. All the terms of the fentence, relating
to a gulf', 9*Jwjifi pqQage t Jlide overuntry'd wide gap.
WARBURTON.
This emendation is plaufible, but the common reading is con-
fiftent enough with our author's manner, who attends more to his
ideas than to his words. The gro-ivth of the wide gap, is fomc-
what irregular ; but he means, the growth, or progreflion of the
time which filled up the gap of the ilory between Perdita's birth
and her fixteenth year. To leave this growth untried, is to leave the
pajjages of the intermediate yean unnoted and nncxamined. Untrlfd
is not, perhaps, the word which he would havechofen, but which
his rhyme required. JOHNSON.
4 fincc it is in my power &C.]
The reafoningof Ti;tie is not very clear; he feems to mean, that
he who has broke fo many laws may now break another ; that he
\vho introduced every thing, may introduce Perdita on her Cx-
tcenth year; and he intic.us that he may pafs as of old, before
any order orfuccdlion of objects, ancient or modern, dilVmguiflied
his periods. JOHNSON.
5 imagine me,
Gentle fpetfators, that I noiu may be
In fair Bohemia : ' 1
362 W I N T E R's TALE.
In fair Bohemia ; and remember well,
I mentioned a fon o'rhe king's, which Florizel
I now name to you ; and with fpeed fo pace
To fpeak of Perdita, now grown in grace
Equal with wond'ring : What of her enfues,
I lift not prophecy ; but let Time's news
Be known, when 'tis brought forth : a fhepherd's
daughter,
And what to her adheres, which follows after,
Is the argument of time 6 : Of this allow,
If ever you have fpent time worfe ere now ;
If never yet, that Time himfelf doth fay,
He wiihes earneftly, you never may 7 . [,v/V.
SCENE I.
The Court of Bohemia.
Enter Polixenes and Cam'illo.
Pol. I pray thee, good Camillo, be no more im-
portunate : 'tis a ficknefs, denying thee any thing ; a
death, to grant this.
Cam. It is fifteen years 8 , fince I faw my country :
though
Time is every where alike. I know not whether both fenfe and
grammar may not didate :
imagine we,
Gentle fpcflators, that you nmv may &>,, &c.
Let us imagine that^o//, who behold theie fcenes, are now in Bo-
hemia. JOHNSON.
6 Is the argument of time : ]
Argument is the fame with//V#. JOHNSON.
7 He -Tvljles carneftly, you never }>iay.~\
I believe this fpeech of Time rather begins the fourth aft than con-
cludes the third. JOHNSON.
It does fo in the old copy, and I have therefore replaced it.
STEEVENS.
8 It is fifteen years, ] We fhould read fxteen. Time has
juft faid :
that IJlide
O'er fixteenjrarj
Again,
W I N T E R's TALE. 363
though I have, for the mod part, been aired abroad,
I defire to lay my bones there. Befides, the peni-
tent king, my maftcr, hath fent for me : to whofe
feeling forrows I might be fome allay, or I o'erween
to think fo ; which is another fpur to my departure.
Pol. As thou lov'ft me, Camillo, wipe not out the
reft of thy fervices, by leaving me now : the need I
have of thee, thine own goodnefs hath made ; better
not to have had thee, than thus to want thee : thou,
having made mebufineiies, which none, without thee,
can fufficiently manage, mult either flay to execute
them thyfelf, or take away with thee the very fervices
thou haft done : which if I have not enough conlider'd,
(as too much I cannot) to be more thankful to thee,
ihall be my ftudy ; and my profit therein, the heap-
ing friendfhips 9 . Of that fatal country Sicilia, pr'y-
thee fpeak no more : whofe very naming punifhes me
with the remembrance of that penitent, as thou call'ft
him, and reconciled king, my brother; whofe lofs of
his moft precious queen, and children, are even nowto
be afrem lamented. Say to me, when faw'ft thou the
Again, aft V. fc. iii : ** Which lets go by fome fifteen years."
Again, Hid. " Which fixtcen winters' cannot blow away.**
STEEVENS.
9 and my profit therein, the \\eap\ng friend/lifts. ] This
is nonfenfe. We ftould read, reaping friendjbips. The king
had faid his ftudy fliould be to reward his friend's deferts ; and then
concludes, that his profit in this ftudy Ihould be reaping the fruits
of his friend's attachment to him ; which refers to what he had
before faid of thenecelfity of Camillo's flay, orotherwife he could
not reap the fruit ct thofe bufitirjfis, which Camillo had cut out.
WARBURTOX.
I fee not that the present reading is nonfenfe ; the fenfe of heaf-
ing friendfl)ips\s, though like many other of our author's, unul'u-
al, at lead unufual to modern ears, is not very obfcure. To be
more thankful Jball be ?ry fiuJy ; and my profit therein the heaping
friendjbips. That is, / <:/// for the future be more liberal of recom-
fcnce, frpm which I foal I rtccivc this an--fi,:tage, that as I heap be-
nefits Ifiallhcapfi-iendjblps, as I confer favours on thee I foall in-
creafe the fricnafyip bttwcn us. JOHNSON.
prince
364 W I N T E R's TALE.
prince Florizcl my fon ? kings are no lefs unhappy,
their iffue not being gracious ; than they are in loiing
them, when they have approved their virtues.
Cam. Sir, it is three days, fince I faw the prince :
What his happier affairs may be, are to me unknown :
but I have, miffingly, noted ', he is of late much re-
tired from court ; and is lefs frequent to his princely
cxercifes, than formerly he hath appeared.
Pol. I have confidcr'd ib much, Camillo; and with
ibme care; fo far, that I have eyes under my fervice,
which look upon his removednefs : from whom I have
this intelligence; That he is feldom from the houfe of
a mod homely fhcpherd ; a man, they fay, that from
very nothing, and beyond the imagination of his
neighbours,, is grown into an unfpeakable eftate.
Cam. I have heard, fir, "of fuch a man, who hath
a daughter of moft rare note : the report of her is ex-
tended more, than can be thought to begin from fuch
a cottage.
Pol. That's likewiie part of my intelligence.
* But, I fear the angle that plucks our fon thither.
1 -lut I have, miffingly noted, "] We fhould read, but
1 have, miffing him, noted. This accounts for the reafon -of his
taking note, becaufe he often miffed him, that is, wanted his
agreeable company. For a compliment is intended ; and in that
fenfe, it is to be underitood. The Oxford editor reads, - inujingly
noted. W A R B u R T o \ .
1 fee not how the fenfe is mended by fir T. Hanmer's alteration,
nor how it is at all changed by Dr. WaVburton's. JOHNSON.
MiJJingly noted, means, I have obferved him at intervals, not
conftantly or regularly, but occafionally. STEEVENS.
2 But, I fear the angle ] Mr. Theobald reads, and
I fear the cngle. JOHNSON.
Angle in this place means * fjlring-rod,^ which he reprefents as
drawing his fon, like afilh, away. So, in K. Hcn.\\ T . P. I :
" he did win
" The hearts of all that he did angle for."
Again, in AlPs Well that Ends Well:
" She knew her diftance, and did angle for me."
Again, in Trollus and CreJJiJa :
*' And fell fo roundly to a large conteffion,
" To angle for your thoughts." STEEVENS.
Thou
W I N T E R's TALE. 365
Thou fhalt accompany us to the place : where \vc will,
not appearing what we arc, have fome queftion with
the ihepherd ; from whofe timplicity, I think it not
uneafy to get the caufe of my foil's refort thither.
IVythee, be my prefent partner in this bufinefs, and
lay afide the thoughts of Sicilia.
Cam. I willingly obey your command.
Pol. My beft Camilla ! We miift difguife our-
[Exeunt*
SCENE II.
The Country.
Enter Autolycus
daffodils begin to peer,'
heigh ! the doxy over the dak,
then conies in the Jweet o* the year ;
For the red bhod reigns in the winter's pah 4 .
The
3 - Autolycus ] Autolycus was the fon of Mercury', and
ai famous for all the arts of fraud and thievery as his father:
*' Nonfuit Autolyci tarn piceata manui." Martial.
STEEVENS.
4 Why, then comes /* tbejkveet <? the year ;
For tic red blood reigns in the winter's /<*/?.]
I think this nonfcnfe fhould be read thus :
Why then come in thefxeet o 1 the year ;
'Fore tbe rcJ blooJ reins-/a the winter pale.
i. e. why then come in, or let us enjoy, pleafure, while the fea-
iun ferves, before pale winter relns-in the red or youthful blood \
us much as to lay, let us enioy life in youth, before old age conies
and freezes up the blood. WAR BURTON.
Dr. Thirlby reads, perhaps rightly T certainly with much more
probability, . and eafinefs of conftru^tion :
For tbe red blood runs in the winter pale.
That is, for tbe red Hood n<n> pale in tbe winter.
Sir T. Hamncr reads :
For the red Hood reigns o'er tbe winter's pale. Jo H N so N.
This line has fuffered a great variety of alterations, but I am per-
fuaded the old reading is the true one. The firit folio has *' the
366 W I N T E R's TALE.
The white Jheet bleaching on the hedge,
With) hey! the fweet birds, O, how theyfing!*
Doth fet my pugging tooth on edge 5 ;
For a quart of ale is a dijh for a king*
ffie lark, that tirra-lirra chaunts,
With* hey! with, hey! the thrift) and the jay :
Are fummer fongs for me and my aunts 6 ,
While we lie tumbling in the hay.
I have
winter's pah" and the meaning is, the red, the faring blood now
reigns o'er the parts lately under the dominion of winter. The En-
glijb pale, the Irifl} pale, were frequent expreffions in Shake-
ipeare's time ; and the words red and pale were chofen for the fake
of the aiitithejis. FARMER.
Dr. Farmer is certainly right. I had offered this explanation to
Dr. Johnibn who rejected it. In K. Hen. V. our author fays :
tha Englilh breach
" Pahs in the flood, &c."
Again, in another of his plays :
" Whate'er the ocean pales, or fky inclips."
Holinfhed, p. 528, calls fir Rickard Alton, *' Lieutenant of the
Englifh pale, for the earle of Summerfet." Again, in K. Hen. VI.
IV* I:
How are we park'd, and bounded in a pale." STEEVENS.
5 pugging tooth ]
Sir T. Hanmer, and after him ( Dr. Warburton, read, pegging
tooth. It is certain that pugging is not now underftood. But Dr.
Thirlby obferves, that it is the cant of gypfies. JOHNSON.
The \vor& pugging is ufed by Greene in one of his pieces, and
fragging by B. and Fletcher in the SpaniJIy Curate. And npnggard
was a cant name for fome particular kind of thief. So, in the
Roaring Girl, 1 6 1 1 :
" Of cheaters, lifters, nips, foifts, puggards^ curbers."
See P tiggig in Minfbew. STEEVENS.
" my aunts, ~\
Aunt appears to have been at this time a cant word for a lawd. In
Middleton's comedy, called, A Trick to catch the Old one, 1616,
is the following confirmation of its being ufed in that fenfe :-
" It was better beftow'd upon his uncle than one of his aunts, I
need not fay &a*b, tor every one knows what aunt ftands for in
the laft tranflation." Again, in Ram-alley, or Merry Tricks^
1611;
" 1 never knew
'* What flecking, glazing, or what preffing meant,
" Till
W I N T E R's TALE. 367
I have ferv'd prince Florizel, and, in my time, wore
three-pile 7 ; but now I am out of fervicc :
Butfoatt I go mourn for that, my dear ?
'the pale moonjhines by night :
And when I wander here and there,
I then do go mojl right.
If tinkers may have leave to live,
And bear the fow-Jkln budget ;
hcn my account I well may give,
And In thejlocks avouch it.
1 My traffick is Iheets; when the kite builds, look to
lefler linen. 9 My father nam'd me, Autolycus ; who,
being
" Till you preferr'd me to your aunt the^lady :
*' I knew no ivory teeth, no caps of hair,
*' No mercury, water, fucus, or perfumes
** To help a lady's breath, untill your aunt
" Learn 'd me the common trick."
Again, in Decker's HonejiWliore, 1635 : " I'll call you one of
my aunts, lifter, that were as good as to call you arrant whore."
STEEVENS.
7 ivore three-pile ; j i e rich velvet. So, in Ram-
alley or Merry Tricks, 161 1 :
" - and line them
'* With black, crwnfon, and tawny tbree-pil'd velvet."
* My traffick is fleets ; - ] i.e. I am a vender of meet ballads,
and other publications that are fold unbound. From the wcrdjkeets
the poet takes occalion to quibble.
** Our fingers are lime twigs, and barbers we be,
" To catch Jbeets from hedges moftpleafant to fee."
Three Ladies of London, 1 5 84.
Again, in B. and Fletcher's Beggars Bujb :
" To fteal from the hedge both the fhirt and thejittti,"
STEKVKXS.
J - My fatbc r nam 'J i?ie, Autclycus, &C.J Mr. Theobald lays,
tie allujlon is unqueftionally to Ovid. He is miitaken. Not only
iheallulion, but the whole fpeech is taken from Lucian; who ap-
pears to have been one of our poet's favourite luuhors, as may be
collected trom feveral places of his works. It is from hi* Jj'caurfe
o?i judicial aftrology, where Autolycus talks much in the fame man-
ner;
3 68 W I N T E R's T A L E.
being, as I am, litter'd under Mercury, waslikewife
a fnapper-up of nnconfider'd trifles : With die, and
drab, I pnrchas'd this caparifon ' ; and my revenue is-
the filly cheat*: 3 Gallows, and knock, are toa
powerful on the high-way : beating, and hanging, are
terrors to me ; for the life to come, I fleep out the
thought of it. A prize ! a prize !
Enter Clonvn.
Go. Let me fee: Every" 'leven weather tods 4 ;
every tod yields pound and odd fhilling : fifteen hun-
dred Ihorn, What comes the wool to ?
Aut. If the fpringe hold, the cock's mine. \_Afide.
do. I cannot do't without counters. Let me fee ;
tier ; and 'tis only on this account that he is called the fon of
Mercury by the ancients, namely becaufe he was born under that
planet. And as the infant was fuppofed by the allrologers to com-
municate of the nature of the ftar which predominated, io Auto-
lycus was a thief. WARBUKTO.V.
This piece of Lucian, to which Pr. Warbufton refers, was
tranflated long before the time of Shakefpeare. I have feen it,
but it had no date. STEEVENS.
1 With die and drab, I purchased this caparifon ; 1
i. e. with gaming and whoring, I brought myfelf to this ihabby
drefs. PERCY*
2 my revenue is the filly cheat : ] Silly is ufed by the
writers of our author's time, for fimple, low, mean ; and in this
the humour of the Ipeech con lifts. I don't afpire to arduous and
high things, as bridewell or the gallows ; I am contented with this
humble and low way of life, as -^ fnapper-up of vnconfidered trifles.
But the Oxford editor, who, by his emendations, feems to have
declared war againft all Shakefpeare's humour, ahers it to, the
Jh cheat. WAS :;tJRTON.
The_/?7/)> cheat is one of the technical terms belonging to the art
of coney catching artbicvtry, which Greene has mentioned among the
reft, in his treatiie on that ancient and honourable feience. I
think it means picking pockets. STE.EVEXS.
3 Gallowi, antiknock, &c.] The refiftance which a high-
wayman encounters in the faft, and the punifhment which he fuf-
fers on detection, with-hold me from daring robbery, and determine
me to the filly cheat and petty theft. JOHN sox.
4 tods', ] A.Wis twenty-eight pounds of wool. PERCY,
what
W I N T E R's TALE. 369
tohat am I to buy for our fheep-lhearing feaft? Three
found of fugar ; five pound of currants ; rice What
will this lifter of mine do with rice ? But my father
hath made her miftrefs of the fcaft, and flie lays it
on. She hath made me four and twenty nofe-gays
for the fliearers : three-man fong-men all 5 , and
very good ones ; but they are moft of them means 6 ,
and bafes : but one puritan among them, and he
lings pfalms to horn-pipes. I muft ha\Q faffrort, to
colour the warden-pies 7 ; mace dates- none ; that's
out of my note : nutmegs, /even ; a race, or two, of gin-
g er but that I may beg ; four pound of prunes, and
as many raifins o'tbe fun.
Ant. Oh* that ever 1 was born !
[Groveling on the ground.
Aut. Oh, help me," help me! pluck but off thefe
rags ; and then, death, death !
Clo. Alack, poor foul; thou haft need of more
rags to lay on thee, rather th,an have thefe off.
5 three-man fong-men all, ] i.e. fingers of catches in
three parts. A fix-man fong occurs in the Tournament of Totten-
ham. See The Rel. of Poetry, vol. II. p. 24. PERCY.
So, in Heywood's K. Edward TV. 1626 : " call Dudgeon
and his fellows, we'll have a three-man fong." Before the comedy
of the Gentle Craft, or the Shoemaker? Holiday, 1600, fome of
thefe three-man fongs are printed. STEEVENS.
6 means, andbafes: ] Means are trebles. STEEVENS.
' warden-pies', ] Wardens are a fpeciesof large pears.
I believe the name is difufed at prefer.: ; it however afforded Ben
Jonfon room for a quibble in his malque of GypJiesMetamorfhofed:
" A deputy tart, a chwreh-warJen pye."
It appears from a paflage in Cupid's Revenge, by B. and Fletcher,
that thefe pears were ufually eaten roafted :
" I would have had him roajled like a warden,
" In brown paper."
The French call this peare \he poire de gardt. STEEVEXS.
8 Fthe name of me ] This is a vulgar invocation, which I
have often heard ufed. So, fir Andrew Ague-cheek ; *' Before
me, fhe's a good wench." STEEVENS.
VOL. IV. B b Aut.
370 WI N T E R's TALE.
Aut. Oh, fir, the loath fomenefs of them offends
me, more than the flripes I have reeeiv'd ; which are
mighty ones, and millions.
Go. Alas, poor man ! a million of beating may
come to a great matter.
Aut. I am robb'd, fir, and beaten ; my money and
apparel ta'en from me, and thefe deteftable things
put upon me.
Clo. What, by a horfe-man, or a foot-man ?
Aut. A foot-man, fwect fir, a foot-man.
Clo. Indeed, he fhould be a foot-man, by the gar-
ments he hath left with thee; if this be a horfc-man's
eoat, it hath feen very hot fervice. Lend me thy
hand, I'll help thee : come, lend me thy hand.
[Helping him up.-
Aut. Oh f good fir, tenderly, oh !
Go. Alas, poor foul.
Aut. O, good fir, foftly, good fir : I fear, fir, my
ihoulder-blade is out.
Clo. How now ? canfl ftand ?
Aut. Softly, dear fir ; [Picks bis pocket] good fir,,
foftly : you ha' done me a charitable office.
Clo. Doft lack any money ? I have a little money
for thee.
Aut. No, good fweet fir ; no, I befeech you, fir :
I have a kinfman not paft three quarters of a mile
hence, unto whom I was going ; I lhall there have
money, or any thing I want : Offer me no money, I
pray you ; that kills my heart.
Clo. What manner of fellow was he that robb'd
you ?
Aut. A fellow, fir, that I have known to go about
with trol-my-dames 9 : I knew him once a fervant of
the
9 <vuitb trol-my- flames : ]' Trou-madame, French. The
game of nine-holes. WAR BURTON.
In Dr. Jones's old treatifc on Buck/tone lathes, he fays : "The
ladyes, gentle woomen, wyves, maydes, if the weather be not
agreeable,.
W I N T E R's TALE. 371
the prince ; I cannot tell, good fir, for which of his
virtues it was, but he was certainly whip'd out of the
court.
Clo. His vices, you would fay ; there's no virtue
vvhip'd out of the court : they cherifh it, to make in
flay there ; and yet it will no more but l abide.
Av.t. Vices I would fay, fir. I know this man well :
Tie hath been fince an ape-bearer; then aprocefs-ferver,
a bailiff; then he compafs'd a motion of the prodigal
fon *, and married a tinker's wife within a mile where
my land and living lies ; and, having flown over
many knavilh profeflions, he fettled only m a rogue :
fome call him Autolycus.
Clo. Out upon him ! Prig, for my life, prig : he
haunts wakes, fairs, and bear-baitings.
Aut. Very true, fir; he, fir, he; that's the rogue,
that put me into this apparel.
Clo. Not a more cowardly rogue in all Bohemia ;
agreeable, may have in the ende of a benche, eleven holes made,
intoo the which to troule pummits, either wyolent or fofte, after
their own difcretion, the paftyme troule in madams is termed."
FARMER.
The old Englifli title of this game was pigeon-holes ; as the archef
in the machine through which the balls are rolled, refemble the
cavities made for pigeons in a dove^boufe. So, in the Antipodes^
1638:
" Three-pence I loft at nine-pins ; but I got
" Six tokens towards that zt pigeon-boles,'*
Again, in A Woman never vex^d, l6;i:
" What quickfands he finds out, as dice, cards, pigeon*
hohs."
Drayton, however, in the i^th fong of his Polyo&ion) mentions
rt by its preient title:
** At nine* bole* on the heath while they together play."
STEEVENS.
1 abide.] To ablde^ here, muft fignify, to/cjourn, to live
for a time without a iettJed habitation. ToHHSOV.
1 motion of the prodigal fon, ] i. e. the puppet -Jkew^
then called motions. Aterm frequently ,oc,curing in our author.
WAR BURTON.
B b 2 "if
tfz . W I N T E R's T A L E.
if you had but look'd big, and fpit at him, he'd have
run.
Aut. I muft confefs to you, fir, I am no fighter :
I am falfe at heart that way ; and that he knew, I
warrant him.
Go. How do you now ?
Aut. Sweet fir, much better than I was ; I can
fland, and walk : I will even take my leave of you,
and pace fbfcly towards my kinfman's.
Ck. Shall I bring thee on thy way ?
Aut. No, good-fac'd fir ; no, fweet fir.
Ck. Then fare thee well ; I muft go to buy fpices
for our fheep-ihearmg. [Exit.-
Aut. Profper you, fweet fir ! Your purfe is not hot
enough to purchafe your fpice. I'll be with you at
your Iheep-fhearing too : If I make not this cheat
bring out another, and the fliearers prove Iheep, let
me be unroll'd, and my name put into the book of
virtue J !
Jog on, jog on, the foot-path way,
And merrily hent thejlile-a 4 :
A merry heart goes all the day^
Tour fad tires~ in a mile-a. [Exit.
et me be unrolfd^ and my name put into tbe $oolt\of 'virtue !~\
Begging gypfies, in the time of our author, were in gangs and
companies, that had fomething of the fhew of an incorporated
body. From this noble fociety he wiflies he may be unrolled if
he does not fo and fo. WAR BURTON.
* And merrily hent the ftile-a :~\
To bent the ilile, is to take hold ot it. I was miftaken when I
laid in a note on Meafure for Meafure, aCl I V. ic. ult. that< the
verb was to bend. It ie to Xw//, and comes from the Saxon
penrar. So, in the old romance of Guy Earl of Warwick, bl. 1.
no date :
** Some by the arnies lent good Guy"
Again :
" And foine by the brydle him hent?
Again, in Spenfer's Faery S>ueen, b. iii. c. 7 :
" Great labour fondly hall thou lent in hand."'
STEEVEKS*
SCENE
W I N T E R's TALE. 373
SCENE III.
A Shepherds Cot.
Enter Flortzel and Perdita.
Flo. Thefe your unufual weeds to each part of you
Do give a life : no fhepherdefs ; but Flora,
Peering in April's front. This your iheep-lhearing
Is as a meeting of the petty gods,
And you the queen on't.
Per. Sir, my gracious lord,
To chide at your extremes, it not becomes me ?;
Oh, pardon, that I name them : your high felf,
6 The gracious mark o'the land, you have obfcur'd
With a fwain's wearing ; and me, poor lowly maid,
Moft goddefs-like prank'd up 7 : But that our feafts
In every mefs have folly, and the feeders
Digeft it with a cuftom, I Ihould blufh
To fee you fo attired ; fworn, I think,
To ihew myfclf a glafs 8 .
Fh.
5 ' . ' - your extremes, ]
That is, your exrtj/es, the extravagatice of yourprailes. JOHNSON.
6 The gracious mark o'tbc land^ ]
The objf-fl of all men's notice and expectation. JOHNSON.
7 prank* d up: ]
To frank is to drefs with oftentation. So, in Coriolantis:
*' For they Ao prank them in authority."
Again, in Tom Tyler and bis Wife^ 1 598 :
" I pray you %p prank you." STEEVENS.
* J-ivorUi I think)
To flew myfclfa glafs. ~\
i. e. one would think that in putting on this habit of a (hepherd,
you had fworn to put me out of countenance ; for in this, as in a
glafs, you fhew me how much below yourfelf you muft defcend
before you can get upon a level with me. The fentiment is ue,
and exprefles all the delicacy, as well as humble modefty of the
.character. But the Oxford editor alters it to :
Jhuooit) I thi
yfelf a glafs.
B b 3 \Vhat
374 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Flo. I blefs the time,
When my good falcon made her flight acrofs
Thy father's ground.
Per. Now Jove afford you caufe !
To me, the difference forges dread ; your greatnefs
Hath not been us'd to fear. Even now I tremble
To think, your father, by fome accident,
Should pafs this way, as you did : Oh, the fates !
How would he look, to fee his work, fo noble,
Vilely bound up 9 ? What would he fay ? Or how
Should
What he means I don't know. But Perdita was not fo much gi.
ventofwooHixg, as appears by her behaviour at the king's threats,
when the intrigue, was difcovered. WAR BU,R TON.
Jpr. Thirlby inclines rather to fir T. Hanmer's emendation,
which certainly makes an eafy fcnfe, and is, in my opinion, pre-
ferable to the prefent reading. But concerning this patfiige I know
not what to decide. JOHNSON.
Dr. Warburton has well enough explained this pafiage accord-
ing to the old reading. Though I cannot help offering a tranf-
pcfuion, which I would explain thus:
But that our feafts
In every mefe have folly, and the feeders
Digefl it ivitjy a cujlom (fivcm I think)
^ofceyoufo attired, IJbould bluflj
fojbevj myfelfa :. .
i. e. But that our ruitick ftafts are in every part accompanied
with abfurdity of the fame kind, which cuitom has authorized,
(cuftom which one would think the guefts had fworn to obferve)
J fhould blufti to prefent tnyfelf before a glafs, which would ihew
le my own perfon adorned' in a manner fo foreign to my humble
jftate, pr fo much better habited than even that of my prince.
STEEVEKS.
s> His wort, fo nolle, &c.]
It is impoffible for any man to rid his mind of his profeffion. The
authorfhip of Shakefpeare has fupplied him with a metaphor, which
rather than he would lofe it, he has put with no great propriety
>nto the mouth of a country maid. Thinking of his own works,
fcis mind palled naturally to" the binder. I am glad that he has no
hint at an editor. . JOHNSO.V.
This allufion occurs more than once in Romeo and Juliet:
* This precious book of love, i\\\s unbound lovcr^
( l To beautify him only lacks a cover."
Again ;
W I N T E R's TALE. 375
-Should I, in thefe my borrow'd flaunts, behold
The fternnefs of his prefence ?
Flo. Appreherid
Nothing but jollity. The gods themfelves ',
Humbling their deities to love, have taken
The fhapes of beafts upon them : Jupiter
Became a bull, arid bellow'd ; the green Neptune
A ram, and bleated ; and the fire-rob'cl god,
Golden Apollo, a poor humble fvvain,
As I feem now: Their transformations
Were never for a piece of beauty rarer ;
Nor in a way fo chafte : fince my defires
Run not before mine honour , nor my lufts
Burn hotter than my faith.
Per. O but, dear fir,
Your refolution cannot hold, when 'tis
Oppos'd, as it muft "be, by the power o'the king :
One of thefe two muft be neceffities,
Which then will fpeak; that you muft change this
purpofe,
Or I my life.
Flo. Thou dearcft Perdita,
With thefe forc'd thoughts, I pr'ythce, darken not
The mirth o'thc feart : Or I'll be thine, my fair,
Or not my father's : for I cannot be
Mine own, nor any thing to any, if
I be not thine : to this I am molt conftant,
Again :
" That book in many eyes doth {hare the glory,
" That in gold clafps locks in the golden itory."
STEEVENS.
1 - The gnth themfelves ,
Humbling their (kit its Sic.]
This is taken almoit literally from the novel: " And yet, Do-
niiUis, fliame not thy Hiepherd's weed. The heavenly gods have
fomctime earthly thought; Neptune became a rain, Jupiter n
bull, Apollo, a ihepherd : they gods, and yet in love - thou a
man, appointed to love." Gicen's Dorajhts ftnJ F.mnlrt,
B b 4 Though
37 6 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Though deftiny fay, no. Be merry, gentle j
Strangle fuch thoughts as thefe, \vith any thing
That you behold the while. Your guefts are coming \
Lift up your countenance ; as it were the day
Of celebration of that nuptial, which
We "two have fworn fhall come.
Per. O lady fortune,
Stand you aufpicious !
Enter Shepherd, Clown, Mopfa, Dorcas, Servants ; with
Polixenes, and Camilla difguis'd,
Flo. See, your guefts approach ;
Addrefs yourfelf to entertain them fprightly,
And let's be red with mirth.
Sbep. Fye, daughter ! when my old wife liv'd, upon
This day, ihe was both pantler, butler, cook ;
JBoth dame and fervant : welcom'd all ; ferv'd all :
Would fing her fong, and dance her turn : now here,
At upper end o'the table, now, i'the middle ;
On his fhoulder, and his : her face o'fire
With labour ; and the thing, fhe took to quench it,
She would to each one tip : You are retir'd,
As if you were a feafted one, and not
The hoflefs of the meeting : Pray you, bid
Thefe unknown friends to us welcome ; for it is
A way to make us better friends, more known.
Come, quench your blufhes ; and prefent yourfelf
That which you are, miftrefs o'the feaft : Come on,
And bid us welcome to your fheep-fhearing,
As your good flock fhall profper.
Per. Sir, welcome ! [To Pol, and Cam.
It is my father's will, I fhould take on me
The hoflefsfhip o'the day : You're welcome, fir !
Give me thofe flowers there, Dorcas. Reverend firs.
For you there's rofemary, and rue ; thefe keep
jSeeming, and favour, all the winter long :
Grace,,
W I N T E R's TALE. 377
'Grace, and remembrance, be to you both,
And welcome to our fhearing !
Pol. Shephevdefs,
(A fair one are you) well you fit our ages
With flowers of winter.
Per. Sir, the year growing ancient,
Not yet on Cummer's death, nor on the birth
Of trembling winter, the faireft flowers o'the Ceafon
Are our carnations, and flreak'd gilly-flowers,
Which Come call, nature's baftards : of that kind
Our ruftick garden's barren ; and I care not
To get flips of them.
Pol Wherefore, gentle maiden,
Do you neglecl: them ?
Per. For I have heard it faid,
There is an art 3 , which, in their piednefs, fhares
With great creating nature.
Pol Say, there IDC ;
Yet nature is made better by no mean,
Bat nature makes that mean : Co, o'er that art
Which, you fay, adds to nature, is an art
That nature makes. You fee, fweet maid, we many
A gentler cyon to the wildeft flock ;
And make conceive a bark of bafer kind
By bud of nobler race : This is an art
Which does mend nature : change it rather : but
The art itfelf is nature,
Per. So it is.
* Grace, and remembrance, ]
Rue was called herb of grace, Rofemary was the emblem of re-
membrance ; I know not why, unlefs becaufe it was carried at
funerals. JOHNSON.
Rofemary was anciently fuppofed to ftrengthen the memory,
and is prefcribed for that purpole in the books of ancient phyfic.
STEEVENS.
3 There is an art, &c.] This art is pretended to be taught at
the ends of fome of the old books that treat of cookery, &c. but
being utterly impracticable is not worth exemplification.
STEEVENS.
Pol
378 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Pol. Then make your garden rich in gilly-flowers >,
And do not call them baitards.
Per. I'll not put
The dibble * in earth to fet one flip of them :
No more than, were I painted, I would wifh
This youth fhould fay, 'twere well; and only there-
fore
Deiire. to breed by me. Here's flowers for you ;
Hot lavender, mints, favory, marjoram ;
The marigold, that goes to bed with the fun,
And with him rifes weeping : thefe are flowers
Of middle fummer, and, I think, they are given
To men of middle age : You arc very welcome.
Cam. I fhould leave grazing, were I of your flock,
And only live by gazing.
4 in gilly-flowers,] There is fome further conceit relative
to gitty -flowers than has yet been difcovered. In a Wom 9n never
vcx'd, 1632, is the following paflage : A lover is behaving with
freedom to his miftrefs as they are going into a garden, and after
(he has alluded to the quality of many herbs, he adds : *' You
have fair rofes, have you not?" " Yes, fir, (fays ihe) but n
gilly-flowers.^ Meaning perhaps that fhe would not be treated
like a gill-flirt, \. e. a wanton, a word often met with in the old
plays, but written flirt-gill in Romeo and Juliet. I fuppofe gill*
flirt to be derived, or rather corrupted, from giU$f(Ufr or carna-
tion, which, though beautiful in its appearance, is apt, in the
gardener's phrafe, to run from its colours, and change as often as
a wanton woman,
Prior, in his Solomon, has taken notice of the fame variability
in this fpecies of flowers :
*' the fond carnation loves to (hoot
'* Two various colours from one parent root."
In Lyte's Herbal, 1578, fome forts ot gill/flowers are called _/;//*//
feagnriMf cuckoo gillofers, &c. And in A, W*s CominendaiioH of
Gafcoine and his Pofas, is the following remark on this fpecies of
flower :
" Some thinke \b.^ gillijla^crs iio yield a Delias f^ticH,^
See Gafcoigne's Works, 1587. STEEVE.NS.
5 i dibble ] An instrument uled by gardeners to make
holes in the earth for the reception of young plants. See it in
Minjbevd. STEEVEKS.
Per.
W I N T E R's T A L E. 379
Per. Out, alas !
You'd be fo lean, that binds of January
Would blow you through and through. Now, my
faireft friend,
I would, I had fome flowers o'the fpring, that might
Become your time of day ; and yours, and yours ;
That wear upon your virgin branches yet
Your maidenheads growing : O Proferpina 6 ,
For the flowers now, that frighted, thou let'ft fall
From Dis's waggon ! daffodils,
That come before the {wallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty ; violets, dim 7 ,
6 - O Proferpina,
For the. flowers now, that, fritted, thou let Ji fall
Front Dis's waggon ! - ]
So, Ovid;
" - ut fumma we/tern lax aw it d!> era,
<( Collefti floret tunicis cecidere remijjis" STEEVEN>S
violets dim,
But f'ueeter than the lids of Juno's eyes,"]
d that our author miftakes Juno for Pallas, who was the
goddcf's of bine eyes. Sweeter than an eye-lid is an odd image : bur
perhaps he ufes/uwf in the general ienfe, for delightful.
JOHNSON.
It was formerly the fafhion to kifs the eyes, as a mark of extra-
ordinary tendernefs. I have fomewhere met with an account of
the firft reception one of our kings gave to his new queen, where
he is faid to have kijjld her fayre eyes. So, in Albuma-Mr^ Trin-
calo fays :
" -- O Armellina,
" Come let me kifs thy brows like my own daughter."
Again, in Chaucer's Troilus and Crcffeide, v. 1358 :
" This Troilus full oft her eyin two
" Can fortokille, &c."
Again, in an ancient MS. play of Tunon of Athens, in the pof-
Icliion of Mr. Strutt the engraver :
" O Juno, be not angry with thy Jove,
" But let me kitfe thine r>r.f, my fweece delight." p. 6. b.
The eyes of Juno were as remarkable as thofe of Pallas.
(sofo'Tn; TTOTMZ Hp% Homer. SlEEVEXS.
Again, in Marfton's Injlttiate Countcfs, 1608:
" -- That eye was Juno's,
Thofe lips were hers that won the golden ball,
*' That virgin blulh Diana's." MALO.VE-.
But
3 So W I N T E R's T A L E.
But fweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes,
Or Cytherea's breath ; pale primrofes,
That die unmarried, ere they can behold
Bright Phrobus in his ftrength, a malady
Molt incident to maids ; 8 bold oxlips, and
The crown-imperial ; lilies of all kinds,
The flower-de-lis being one ! O, thefe I lack,
To make you garlands of ; and, my fweet friend,
To ftrow him o'er and o'er.
Flor. What ? like a corfe ?
Per. No, like a bank, for love to lie and play on ;
Not like a corfe : or if, not to be buried,
But quick, and in mine arms 9 . Come, take your flowers:
Methinks, I play as I have feen them do
In Whitfun* paftorals : fure> this robe of mine
Does change my difpofition.
Flo. What you do,
Still betters what is done. When you fpeak, fweet,
Yd have you do it ever : when you fmg,
Yd have you buy and fell fo ; fo give alms ;
Pray fo ; and, for the ordering your affairs,
To (ing them too : When you do dance, I wifh you
-lohi oxlips, ]
Is the reading of fir T. Hanmer ; the former editions have
bold. JOHNSON.
I am not certain but that the old reading is the true one. The
txlip has not a weak flexible ftalk like the cowslip, but ereds itfelf
loldly in the face of the fun. Wallis, in his Hifl. of Northumber-
landj fays, that the great oxlip grows a foot and a half high. It
fnould be confefled, however, that the colour of the oxlip is taken
notice of by other writers. So, in the Arraignment of Paris t
1584:
" yellow oxlips bright as burnifh'd <?/</." STEETEKS.
9 not to le buried^
But quick, and in my arms."]
So, Marfton's Infatiate Countcfs^ 1603:
" Ifaf>. Heigh ho, you'll bury ;r, I fee.
'* Rol. In the fwan's down, and tomb thee in my arms."
There is no earlier edition of ihe Winter's Tale than that in 1623.
MALONE.
A wave
W I N T fe R's TALE. S 8i
A wave o'the fca, that you might ever do
Nothing but that ; move ftill, ftill fo,
And own no other fu nation : ' Each your doing,
So fingular in each particular,
Crowns what you are doing in the prefent deeds,
That all your acts are queens.
Per. O Doricles,
Your praifes are too large : but that your youth %
And the true blood, which peeps fairly through it,
Do plainly give you out an unftain'd Ihepherd ;
With wifdom I might fear, my Doricles,
You woo'd me the falfe way.
Flo. I think, you have '
As little fkill to fear, as I have purpofe
To put you to't. But, come ; our dance, I pray :
Your hand, my Perdita : fo turtles pair,
That never mean to part.
Per. I'll fwear for 'em 4 .
Pot.
Each your doing, ~
That is, your manner in each aft crowns the ac~h JOHNSON.
* but that your youth,
And the true blood which peeps fairly through //,]
So, Marlowe, in his Hero and Lcander :
" Through whofe white flun, fofter than foundeit fleep,
" With damaflce eyes the ruby blood doth peep"
This poem was certainly publiflied before 1600, being frequently
quoted in a collection of verfes entitled England 1 ** Parnaffus^
printed in that year. From that collection it appears, that Mar-
lowe wrote only the two firft Selliads, and about ico lines of the
third, and that the remainder was written by Chapman. OYthe
Winter's Tale there is no earlier edition than that o'f the folio
1623. MALO.VE
3 / think, you have
As little (kill to fear, ]
To havejkill to do a thing was a phrafe then in ufe equivalent to^
our to have reafon to do a thing,. The Oxford editor, ignorant of
this, alters it to :
As little Jkill in fear.
which has no kind of fenfe in this place. WAR EUR TON.
* Per. I'll fwear for 'cm.]
1 fancy this half line is placed to a wrong perfon. And that' the
king begins his fpeech afide :
Pol.
*82 WINTER^ T A L E.
Pol. This is the prettieft low-born lafs, that ev'ef
Ran on the gr.een-fward : nothing Ihe does, or feems,
But fmacks of fomething greater than herfelf ;
Too noble for this place.
Cam. He tells her fomething 5 ,
That makes her blood look out : Good (both, Ihe is
The queen of curds and cream.
Clo. Come on, ftrike up.
Dor* Mopfa muft be your miftrefs : marry, garlick,
To mend her killing with.
Mop. Now, in good time !
Clo. Not a word, a word ; 6 we Hand upon our
manners.
Come, ftrike up.
Here a dance of Shepherds and Shepherdess.
Pol. Pray, good ihepherd, what
Fair fwain is this, which dances with your daughter ?
Shep. They call him Doricles ; and he boafts him-
felt-
To have a worthy feeding 7 ; but I have it
Upon
Pol. rilfxcarfor'cm,
Tfjis is the pretticfti &c. JOHNSON.
3 He tells her fomething,
That makes her blood look on't : - 3
SThus all the old editions. The meaning muft be this* The
prince tells her fomething, thai calls the blood up into her chteks, ana
makes her blujb. She, but a little before, ufes a Hke expreffion to
defcribe the prince's lincerity ;
- your youth
And the true blood, ivhicb peeps fcrth fairly through it,
Do plainly give you out an unjlalnd Jhepbcrd. THEOBALD*
&c.]
That is, we are now on our behaviour. JOHNSON.
7 a worthy feeding : - 3
Certainly Breeding. WAR BUZ TON.
I conceive/m//7/- to be zfajturt, and a fup
of pafturage not inconfiderable, not unworthy of my daughter's
fortune. JOHNSON.
Dr. Johnibn's exnlanation is juft. So, in Drayton's Moon-calf:
" Finding
W I N T E R's TALE. 383
Upon his own report, and I believe it ;
He looks like footh 8 : He fays, he loves my daughter;
I think fo too ; for never gaz'd the moon
Upon the water, as he'll ftand, and read,
As 'twere, my daughter's eyes : and, to be plain,
I think, there is not half a kils to chufe,
\Vho loves another beft.
Pel. She dances featly.
Sbcp. So ihe does any thing ; though I report it,
That Ihould be iilent : if young Doricles
Do light upon her, ihe ftiall bring him that
Which he not dreams of.
Enfa- a Servant.
Ser. O matter, if you did but hear the pedlar at the
door, you would never dance again after a tabor and
pipe; no, the bag-pipe could not move you : he fings
ieveral tunes, fatter than you'll tell money; he utters
them as he had eaten ballads, and all men's ears grew
to his tunes.
Clo. He could never come better : he ihall come in :
I love a ballad but even too well ; if it be doleful mat-
ter, merrily fet down 9 , oraverypleafant thing indeed,
and fung lamentably.
Ser. He hath fongs, for man, or woman, of all
fizcs ; no milliner can fo fit his cuflomers with gloves :
" Finding the feeding for which he had toil'd
" To have keptfafe, by thefe vile cattle fpoil'd."
Again, in the fixth fong of the Polyollion :
" fo much that do rely
*' Upon their feedings, flocks, and their fertility."
STEEVEN-S.
8 He looks like (both : ] Sooth is truth. Obfolete. So, in
Lylly's Woman in the Moon, i 597 :
' Thou doit diflemble, but I mean good/oo//;."
STEEVEKS.
9 doleful matter merrily fit down ; ) This feems robe another
ftroke aimed at the title-page or Preiion's Caml/fe^ " A lamenta-
lle Tragedy, mixed full ot pleujant Mird>> fictv" STEM-ENS.
he
3 S4 W I N T E R's TALE.
he has the prettieft love-fongs for maids ; fo without
bawdry, which is ftrange; with fuch delicate burdens
of* dil-do's and fadings ' : jump her and thump her ; and
where fome ftretch-mouth'd rafcal would, as it were,
mean mifchief, and break a foul gap into the matter,
he makes the maid to anfwer, f^hoop, do me no harm,
good man ; puts him off, flights him, with HShoop, do
ms no harm, good man *.
Pol. This is a brave fellow.
Clo. Believe me, thoutalkefl of an admirable-con-
ceited fellow. Has he any unbraided wares 3 ?
Ser,
1 fadings: ] An Irifli dance of this name is mentioned
by B. and Jonfon, in The IriJJ} Mafqueat Court, vol. V. p. 421, 2 :
" and daunfh a fading at te wedding."
Again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Knight of tbc Burning Pcjlle^
p. 4.16:
" I will have him d&nce fading ; fading is a fine jigg."
TYRWHITT.-
So, in TlcBirdin a Cage, by Shirley, 1633:
" But under her coats the ball be found < -
" With * fading."
Again, in Ben Jonfon' s 9;th epigram :
" See you yond motion ? not the oldfajuig.'' STEEVENS-.
* ~ Whoop, do me no harm, good man.'] This was the name of
an old fong. In the famous hiftory of Fryar Bacon we have a bal-
lad to the tune of, "Ob/ do me no harme good man." FARMER.
3 unbraided wares ?] purely we mult read braided, for fuch
are all the ivares mentioned in the anfwer. JOHNSON.
I believe by unbraided -Mares, the Clown means, has he any
thing befides laces which are braided, and are the principal com-
modity fold by ballad-finging pedlars. Yes, replies the fervant,
he has rittons, &c. which are things not braided, but woven.
The drift of the Clown's queffion, is either to know whether Auto--
lycus has any thing better than is commonly fold by fuch vagrants ;
any thing worthy to be prefented to his miftrefs : or, as probably,
by enquiring for fomething which pedlars ufually have not, to
*fcape laying out his money at all. The following paffage in Any
Thing for a quiet Life, however, leads me to fuppofethat there is
here fome allufion which I cannot explain : " She fays that
you fent ware which is not warrantable, braided ware, and that
you give not London meafure." Again, in the Honeft Lawyer,
1616: "A moil fearful peftilence to happen among taylors^
There's ajtatute lace (hall undo them." STEEVENS.
Unbraided
\V I N T E R's T A L E. 385
Ser* He hath ribbons of all the colours i'the rain-
bow ; points, more than all the lawyers in Bohemia
can learnedly handle, though they come to him by
thegrofs; inkles, 4 caddhTes, cambricks, lawns: why,
he (ings them over, 'as they were gods or goddefles -:
you would think, a fmock were a ihe-angel ; he fo
chants to the 5 fleevc-hand, and the work about the
fquare on't*
Clo*
Unlraided wares may be wares of the bed manufacture. Braid
in Shakefpeare's All's Well, fefc. aft IV. fc. ii. fignifies deceitful.
B raided in Bailey's Diet; means faded, or having loft its colour ;
and why then may not unbra'.ded import whatever is undamaged,
or what is of the better fort? Several old ftatutes forbid the im-
portation of ribbands, laces, &c. as " fitlfcly and deceitfully
wrought." TOLLET.
+ caddijjes, ] I do not exactly know what caJJlffes are.
In Shirley's Witty Fair One, 1633, one of the characters fays \
" I will have eight velvet pages, and fix footmen in caddis."
In the Firji Part of K. Hen. IV. I have fuppofed caddis to be
fenet. Perhaps by fix -footmen in caddis, is meant fix footmen
with their liveries laced with fuch a kind of worded fluff. As this
xvorfted lace was particoloured, it might have received its title from
cadejje, the ancient name for a da-iv. STEEVENS.
5 jieeve-batid, ] Is put very properly by fir T. Hanmer j
it was befarejleevc-barid. JOHNSON.
The old reading is right, or we muft alter fbme paflages in
other authors. The word Jleeve-hands occurs in Leland's Collec-
tanea,' 1770, vol. IV. p. 32 j : " A furcoat [of crimfon velvet]
furred with mynever piire, the coller, flcirts, and fleeve-bands
garniflied with ribbons of gold." So, in Cotgrave's Dift. " Poi-
gnet de la chemife" is Englifhed the wriflband, or gathering at the
Jleevc-hand of a Ihirt." Again^ in Leland's Collectanea, vol. IV.
p. 293, king James's " {hurt was broded with thred of gold," and
in p. 341, the word Jle eve -band occurs, and feems to fignify the
cuffs of a furcoat, as here it may mean the cuffs of a fmoclc, I
conceive, that the work about the fquare on't, fignifies the work
or embroidery about the bofom part of a (hi ft, which might then
have been of a fquare form, or might have a fquare tucker, as
Anne Bolen and Jane Seymour have in Houbraken's engravings
of the heads of illullrious perfons. So, in Fairfax's tranilation of
TaJJb, b. xii. ft. 64 :
*' Between her breads the cruel weapon rives,
" Her curious /quarc, irnbofs'd with fweilme gold."
VOL. IV. (J c 1 fhould
5 86 W I N T E R's TALE.
C!o. Pr'ythee, bring him in ; and let him approach
finging.
Per. Forewarn him, that he ufe no fcurrilous words
in his tunes.
Clo. You have of thefe pedlers, that have more in
'em than you'd think, fifter.
Per. Ay, good brother, or go about to think.
Enter Autolycus, finging.
Lawn, as white as driven fnow ;
Cyprus, black as e'er was crow ;
Glove $1 asfweet as damajk rofes ;
Mii/ks for faces, and for nofes ;
Bugle bracelet, neck-lace amber ;
Perfume for a lady's chamber ;
Golden quoifs, andftomachers,
For my lads to give their dears ;
Pins, and -poklng-fiicks offteel^,
What maids lack from head to heel :
Come
I fliould have taken the fquare for a gorget or ftomacher, but for
this palfaee in Shakefpeare* TOLLET.
The following paflage in John Grange's Garden, 1577, may
likewife tend to the fupport of the ancient reading fleeve-/W</.
In a poem called The Payntiug of a Curtlzan, he fays :
** Their fmockes are all bewrought about the necke and
bande" STEETENS.
6 polivg-ftickt ofjlcel,~}
Thefe poking-fticks were heated in the fire, and made ufe of to ad-
juft the plaits of ruffs. In Marfton's Malecvntent, 1604, is the
iollowing inftance ; " There is fuch a deale of pinning thefe
ruffes, when the fine clean fall is worth them all :" and, again, " if
you fhould chance to take a nap in an afternoon, your falling
band requires no poking-Jlick to recover his form, feV." So, in
Middleton's comedy of Blurt Ma/ter Con/table, 1602 ; " Your
ruff mult fland in print, and for that purpofe get poking-Jllcki with,
fair long handles, leit they fcorch your hands." Again, in
Decker's Satiro maftix : " 'Love is a rebato indeed : a rebato
muft be poak'd; now many women wear rebatoes, and many thut
wear rebatoes muft bzpoak'd" Again, in the Roaring Girl r
j6i l ;
"' came in as I vns poking my ruff*.'*
Again v
W I N T E R's T A L E. 387
Come, buy of me, come : come buy, come buy,
Buy, lads, or elje your laJJ'es cry :
Come buy, &c.
Clo. If I were not in love withMopfa, thou fhould'ft
take no money of me ; but being enthfall'd as I am,
it will alfo be the bondage of certain ribbons and
gloves.
Mop. I was promis'd them againft the feaft ; but
they come not too late now.
Dor. He hath promis'd you more than that, or
there be liars.
Mop. He hath piaid you all he promis'd you : may
be, he has paid you more ; which will ihame you to
give him again.
Cloi Is there no manners left among maids ? will
they wear their plackets, where they fhould bear their
faces ? Is there not milking-tirhe, when you are go-
ing to bed, or kill-hole, to whittle off thefe fecrets ;
but you muft be tittle-tattling before all our guells ?
'Tis well they are whifpering : 7 Clamour your tongues,
and not a word more.
Mop.
bloelthead ?
Again, in Monjleur Thomas,
*' I leave my ftate to pins anc
*' To farthingales and frounces.'
Again, in Decker 'sHotir/l Whore, 1635
'* Where's my raff and poker, you
" Your ruff and poker are, &c."
T\\ek poking-Jtiiks are feveral times mentioned in Hey wood's If
you know not me you know Nof'odv, 1633, fecond part ; and in the
Torkjbire Tragedy, 1619, which has been attributed to Shakefpeare.
In the books of the Stationers' Company, July 1590, was entered
" A ballat entitled Blewe Starche and Poking-fiich. Allowed
under the hand of the Biihop of London."
Stowe informs us that " about the lixteenth yeere of thequn
[Elizabeth] began the making of fteele poki?~Jl;ckcs, and untill
that time all lawndreffes uled fetting ilickes OUMM of wood or bone."
STEEVENS.
7 Clamour^w tongua, ] Th phrafe is tuken from
C c 2 ringing.
388 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Mop. I have done. Come, 8 you promised me 3
tawdry lace, and a pair of fweet gloves.
Go.
ringing. When belis are at the height, in order to ceafe them,
the repetition of the ftrokes becomes much quicker than before;
this is called clamouring them. The allufion is humourous.
WAR BUR TON-.
The word clamour, when applied to bells, does not fignify in
Shakefpeare a ceafing, but a continued ringing. Thus ufed in
Much ado about Nothing, ad V. fc. vii :
Ben. " If a man do not ere ft in this age his own tomb e'er'
he dies, he Jlall live no longer in monument than the bells ring
and the widow lueefs.
Beat. " And- how long is that, think you ?
Ben. " Qucfiiojt ; why an hour in clamour, and a quarter in.
rheum."
But I Ihould rather think he wrote charm your tongues, as fir
T. H. has altered it, as he ufes the expreflion, Third Part of
Henry VI. aft V. fc. vi :
K.Ed. ** Peace wilful boy, or IJhall charm your tongue"
And in Othello, aft V. fc. viii :
lago. " Mijtrcfs, go to, charmj>0r fatigue.
Emil. '* / will not charm my tongue, lam, &c."
We meet with the fame expreffion, and in the fame fenfe in B,
Jonfon's Cynthia's Revels, aft I, fc. i :
Mercuric. " How now my dangerous braggart in dccimo fexto j
charm your fkipping tongue, or I'll"
GRAY.
5 ynu promised me a tawdry lace, andapairoffweetglo-i<esC[
Tawdry Ifnc is thus defcribed in Skinner, by his friend Dr. Hen-
fhawe : " Tawdrie lane, airrigmenta, timbria:, feu fafciola, emtx,
Nundinis Sx. Etheldredee celebratis : Ut rede raonet Doc. Tho-
mas Henfhawe.'* Etymol. in voce. We find it in Spenfer's Paf-
torah, Aprill :
" And gird in your wafte,
" For more finenelle, with a tawdrie lace."
As to the other prefent, promifed by the Clown to Mopfa, of fweet,
or perfumed gloves, they are frequently mentioned by Shake-
fpeare, and were very hiihionable in the age or Elizabeth, and
long afterwards". Thus Autolycus, in the fong juft preceding
this paflage, offers to ule :
" Gloves a^fwett as damajk rnfes.''
Store's Continuator, Edmund Howes, infbrms'us, that the En-
gliih could not " make any coftly wafli or perfume, until about ther
li>urtceuth or fifteenth of the ^ueeue [Elizabeth,] the right ho-
nourable
W I N T E R's TALE.
do. Have I not told thee, how I was cozcn'd by
the way, and loft all my money ?
nourable Edward Vere earle of Oxford came from Italy, and
brought with him gloves, fweet baggcs, a perfumed leather jer-
kin, and other pleafant things : and that yeare the fjueene had u
payre ot perfttmd tbves trimmed onlie with foure tuftes, or rofes,
of cullered iilkc. The queene took fuch p'.eafure in thofe gloves,
that fhee was pi&ured with thofe gloves upon her hands : and for
many yeers utter it was called the trie of Oxforda perfume" Sto^e 1 *
Annah by Howes, edit. 1614, p. X63. col. 2.
In the compritus of the burlars of Trinity college,- Ox ford, for
tl>c year 1631 , the following article occurs : 4i Solttt.pro fumigan-
dis cbirotbecii" Gloves makes a conitant and conliderable article
of expence in the earlier accompt-books of the college here men-
tioned ; and without doubt in thofe of many other focieties.
They were annually given (a cuftom ftillfubfifting) to the college-
tenants, and often prefented to gueits of diitinttion. But it ap-
pears .(at leaii, from accompts qi the faid college in preceding
years) that the practice or. perfuming gloves for tliis purpole was
fallen into difufe loon after the reign of Charles the Firit.
WARTOIT.
So, in the Life and Dsafh of Jack Stra~v, a comedy, 1593
*' Will you in raith, and I'll give you a tavwrit lace"
Tom, the miller, ofters this prefent to the queen, if flic will pro-
cure his pardon.
It may be worth while to obferve, that thefe tawdry laces were
not the firings with which the ladies fallen their flays, but were
worn about their heads, and their vvailts. So, in The Four Ps,
1569 :
" Brooches and rings, and all manner of beads,
" Laces round and flat for vponitns beads"
Again, in Dray ton's Polyollion, fong the lecond :
" Of which the Naides and the blew Nereides make
" Them ta-.^ric; fyr their necks."
In a marginal note it is obferved that ta-ivdries are a kind of neck-
laces worn by country wenphes.
Again, in the fourth fong :
" not the fmalleft beck,
" But with "white pebbles makes her teKudries for her
neck."
Again, in the Faithful SLepberJefs of B. and Fletcher:
" The primrofe chaplet, tawJy tai-e, and ring."
STtEYENS,
C c ^ Aut.
39 W I N T E R ? s TALE.
Aut. And, indeed, fir, there are cozeners abroad ;
therefore it behoves men to be wary.
Clo. Fear not thou, man, thou malt iofe nothing
here.
Aut. I hope fo, fir ; for I have about me many
parcels of charge.
Clo. What haft here ? ballads ?
Mop. Pray now, buy fome : I love a ballad in
print, a'-life 2 for then we are fure they are true.
Aut. Here ? s one, to a very doleful tune, How an
ufurer's wife was brought to bed with twenty money-
bags at a burden ; and how me long'd to eat adders*
heads, and toads carbonado'd.
Mop. Js it true, think you ?
Aut. Very true ; and but a month old.
Dor. Blefs me'from marrying a ufurer !
Aut. Here's the midwife's name to't, one miftrefs
Taleporter; and five or fix honeft wives' that were pre r
fent : Why mould I carry lies abroad ?
Mop. Pray you now, buy it.
Clo. Come on, lay it by : And lets firft fee more
ballads ; we'll buy the other things" anon.
* Hove a I alii d in print, a -life \ ] Theobald reads, as it
has been hrtherto printed, or a life. The text, however, is
right ; only it fhould be printed thus : a -life. So, it is in B,
Jonfon :
*' thou lovft a' -life
*? Their perfum'd judgment."
Jt is the abreviation, J fuppofe, of at life ; as a 1 -work is, of at
work. TYRWHITT.
This reftoration is certainly proper. So, in Tl-e Ifie tf Gulh >
1635 : " Now in good deed I love them a'-life too." Again, in
Monfitur Thomas, by B. and Fletcher : " a clean inftep,
and that I love a'-l ; fe." Again, in a Trick to catch the Old One,
1616 : "1 love that fport d'-life, i'faith. Again, in Tom Tyler ^
&c. 159?: " Yes, marry, I love this gear cC-lifc." A-life is
the reading of the only ancient copy of the Ifl/iter's Tale, fol. 1 623.
Again, in La~v Tricks, &c. 1608 : " He loves to follow his oc-
tupntion a' -life"
\V I N T E R's TALE. 39 i
API. Here's another ballad, Of a filh ' , that appear'd
upon the coafl, on Wedncfday the fouricore of April,
forty thoufand fathom above water, and fung this bal-
lad againfl the hard hearts of maids : it was thought',
Ihe was a woman, and was turn'd into a cold fifti, for
flic would not exchange flelh with one that lov'd her:
The ballad is very pitiful, and as true.
Dor. Is it true too, think you ?
Aut. Five jutHces' kands at it ; and vvirncflcs, more
$han my pack will hold.
Clo. Lay it by too : Another.
Ant. This is a merry ballad ; but a very pretty
one.
Mop. Let's have forne merry ones,
Aut. Why, this is a paffing merry one; and goes
to the tune of, Two maids wooing a man: there's fcarce
a maid weftward, but flie lings it ; 'tis in requeft, I
can tell you.
Mop. We can both fing it ; if thou'lt bear a part,
thou ihalt hear; 'tis in three parts.
Dor. We had the tune on't a month ago.
Aut. I can bear my part ; you muft know, 'tis my
occupation : have at it with you.
SONG.
A. Get you hence > for I mttfl go ;
Where, it fits not you to know.
D. Whither ? M. 0, whither ? D. Whither ?
1 a ballad^ Of a fiJJ} ] Perhaps in later times profe
has obtained a triumph over poetry, though in one or its meanoir
departments ; tor all dying fpeeches, conteffions, narratives ot
murders, executions, &c. lecm anciently to have been written iu
verfe. Whoever was hanged or burnt, a merry, or a lamentable
ballad (for both epithets are occafionally beftowed on thei'e com-
pofuions) was immediately entered on the books of the Company
of Stationers. Thus, in a fubfcquent fcene of this play : -
*' Such a deal of wonder is broken out within thishouu, that bfl-
IaJ-fnakers cannot be able to exprefs it." STEEVENS.
C c 4 M. It
392 W I N T E R's T A L E.;
M. It becomes thy oath full well,
fhou to me thy fecrets tell :
D. Me too, let me go thither.
M. Or tbou gcfjl to the grange, or mill:
P. If to either, thou daft HL
A! Neither. D. What, neither ? A. Neither*
D. 1'hou haft fworn my love to be ;
M. 1'hou haft fworn it more to me:
"Then, whither go'ft ? fay, whither f
:Glo. We'll have this fong out anon by ourfelves ;
My father and the gentlemen are in 2 fad talk, and
we'll not trouble them : come, bring away thy pack
after me. Wenches, I'll buy for you both; Pedler,
let's have the firlt choice. Follow me, girls,
Aut. And you lhall pay well for 'em.
Will you buy any tape,
Or lace for your cape,
My dair.ty duck, my dear-a ?
Anyfilk, any thread,
Any toys for your head,
Cf the new'J}, and fin' ft, fin ft wear -a?
Come to the pedler ;
Money 's a medler,
^hat doth J utter all wens' ware-a,
[Exit Clown, Autolycus, Dorcas, an
Enter a Servant.
Ser. 4 Mailer, there are three carters, three Ihep-
herds,
*. fad ] Tex fit-low, -JOHNSON.
3 That doth utter all ;ncnS =ivare-a."\
To Titter. To bring out, or produce. JoHXSON.
4 yiciflcr, there arc three carters, three Jkcpbcrds. three neat-
. and three Jiivhie-kerJs, ] Thus all the printed copies
hitherto. No\v, in two fpe^sches after this, thefe are called four
three's of hcrdfmcn. But coulji the carttrs properly be called
herdfmen f
W I N T E R's TALE. 393
herds, three neat-herds, three fwine-herds, that have
made'themfelves all men of hair s ; they call them,
felves, falticrs : and they have a dance, which the
wenches fay is a gallimaufry qf gambols, becaufe
they are not in't; but they themfelves are o'the mind,
(if it be not too rough for fome, that know little but
bowling 6 ) it will pleale plentifully.
$bep. Away ! we'll none on't ; here has been too
much homely foolery already : I know, l;r, we weary
yon.
Pol. You weary thofe that refrcfh us ; Pray, lct ? s
fee thefe four threes of herdfmen.
Sgr. On.e three of them, by their own report, fir,
hath danc'd before the king ; and not the worft of
the three, Ijut jumps twelve foot and a half by the
fquare,
herafiien ? At leaft, they have not the final fyllable, herd, in their
names ; which, I believe, Shakefpeare intended, all the four
three's fhould have. I therefore guefs that he wrote : Majhr,
tiocfe are three goat-herds, feV. And fo, I think, we take in the
four fpecies of cattle ufually tended by berdfmen, THEOBALD.
5 all men of hair ; ] i.e. nimble, that leap as if they
rebounded : The phrafe is taken from tennis-balk, which were
fluffed with hair. So, in Henry V. it is laid of a courfer.
*' He bounds as if his entrails were hairs" WARBURTON.
This is a ftrange interpretation. " Errors," lays Dryden, "Jtow
vfon the Surface," but there are men who will fetch them from the
bottom. Men of hair, are hairy men, en fatyrs. A dance of fatyrs
was no unufual entertainment in the middle ages. At a great
feftival celebrated in France, the king and fome of the nobles per-
fonated fatyrs dreiled in clofe habits, tufted or fliagged all over,
to imitate hair. They began a wild dance, and in the tumult of
their merriment one of them went too near a candle and fet fire
;o his fatyr's garb, the flame ran inltantly over the loole tufty,
and fpread itfelf to the drels of thofe that were next him ; a great
number of the dancers were cruelly fcorched, being neither able
to throw off their coats nor extinguish them. The king had fet
himfelf in the lap of the dutchefs of Burgundy, who threw her
robe over him and faved him. JOHNSON.
6 bowling) ] oil-ling, I believe, is here a term for a dance
pf fmooth motion without great exertion of agility. JOHNSON.
Shep.
394 W I N T E R's TALE.
Sbep. Leave your prating ; fince thefc good men
are pleas'd, let them come in ; but quickly now.
$er. Why, they Hay at door, fir.
Here a dance of twelve Satyrs.
Pol [Afide.~] O, father, you'll know more of that
hereafter 7 .
Is it not too far gone ? 'Tis time to part them.
He's fimple, and tells much. How now, fair fhep-
herd ?
Your heart is full of fomething, that doth take
Your mind from feafling. Sooth, when I was young,
And handed love, as you do, I was wont
To load my fhe with knacks : I would have ranfack'd
The pedler's filken treafury, and have pour'd it
To her acceptance ; you have let him go,
And nothing marted with him : If your lafs
Interpretation ihould abufe ; and call this,
Your lack of love, or bounty ; you were flraited
For a reply, at lealt, if you make a care
Of happy holding her.
Flo. Old fir, I know,
She prizes not fuch trifles as thefe are :
The gifts, me looks from me, arepack'd, and locked,
Up in my heart; which I have given already,
But not deliver'd. O, hear me breathe my life
Before this ancient fir, who, it fhould feem,
Hath fometime lov'd : I take thy hand ; this hand,
As foft as dove's down, and as white as it ;
Or Ethiopian's tooth, or the fann'd mow %
7 Pol. O, father, you'll kn<rjj more of that hereafter."}
This is replied by the king in anfwer to the fhepherd's faying,
fince tbefe good men are f leafed. Yet the Oxford editor, I can't tell
why, gives this line to Florizel, fince Florizel and the old man
were not in converfation. \\~AHBURTON.
8 or the fann'd f now, "\ So, in the Midfummer Night's
tyrtam :
" That pure congealed white, high Taurus' fnow,
' Fann'd by the eaftern wind, turns to a crow,
" When thJou hold'il up thy hand." STEEVEKS.
That's
W I N T E R's TALE. 395
That's bolted by the northern blafls twice o'er.
Pol. What follows this ?
How prettily the young fvvain feerns to wafti
The hand, was fair before ! I have put you out :
Bur, to your proteftation ; let me hear
What you profefs.
Flo. Do, and be wifnefs to't.
Pol. And this my neighbour too ?
Flo. And he, and more
Than he, and men ; the earth, the heavens, and all ?
That, were I crown'd the moft imperial monarch,
Thereof moft worthy ; were I the faireft youth
That ever made eye fwerve ; had force, and know*
ledge,
More than was ever man's, I would not prize them,
Without her love : for her, employ them all ;
Commend them, and condemn them, to her fervice ?
Or to their own perdition.
Pol. ^Fairly offer'd.
Cam. This mews a found affection.
Sbcp. But my daughter,
Say you the like to him ?
Per. I cannot fpeak
So well, nothing lo well ; no, nor mean better :
By the pattern of mine own thoughts I cut out
The purity of his.
Sbep. Take hands, a bargain ;
And, friends unknown, you fhall bear witnefs to't :
J give my daughter to him, and will make
jier portion equal his.
Flo. Q, that mud be
I'the virtue of yqur daughter : one being dead,
I fhall have more than you can dream of yet ;
Enough then for your wonder : But, come on*
Contract us 'fore thefe witnefFes.
Sbep. Come, your hand ;
And, daughter, yours.
fol. Soft, fwain, a while, 'befeech you ;
Have
S9 6 W I N T E R's TALE.
Have you a father ?
Flo. I have : But what of him ?
Pol, Knows he of this ?
Flo. He neither does, nor lhall.
Pol Methinks, a father
Is, at the nuptial of his fon, a gueft
That befl becomes the table. Fray you, once rnor e ;
Is not your father grown incapable
Of reafona!5le affairs ? is he not ftupid
With age, and altering rheums ? Can he fpeak ?
hear ?
Know man from man r difpute his own eftate 9 ?
Lies he not bed-rid ? and again does nothing,
But what he did being chilclilh ?
Flo. No, good fir;
He has his health, and ampler flrength, indeed,
Than moft have of his age.
Pol. By my white beard,
You offer him, if this be fo, a wrong
Something unfilial : Reafon, my fon
Should chufe himfelf a wife; but as good reafon,
The father (all whofe joy is nothing elfe
But fair pofterity) Ihould hold fome counfel
In fuch a bufinefs.
Flo. I yield all this ;
But, for fome other reafons, my grave fir,
Which 'tis not fit you know, I not acquaint
My father of this bufinefs.
Pol. Let him know't.
Flo. He lhall not.
Pol. Pr'ythee, let him.
Flo. No, he muft not.
9 difpute bis o-ivrt cf.ate ?]
Perhaps for difpute we might read compute ; but difpute his ejtate
may be the fame with talk over his affairs. JOHNSON.
Does not this allude to the next heir fuing for the eilate in cafe*
f imbecillity, lunacy, irV. CHAMIES.
W I N T E R's T A L E. g97
. Let him, my fon ; he fhall not need to grieve
At knowing of thy choice. -
Flo. Come, come, he muft not I-
Mark our contract
Pol. Mark your divorce, young fir,
[Difcovering himfelf*
Whom fon I. dare not call ; thou art too bafe
To be acknowledged : Thou a fcepter's heir,
That thus affecYit a Iheep-hook ! Thou old traytor,
I am forry, that, by hanging thee, I can but
Shorten thy life one week. And thou, frelh piece
Of excellent witchcraft ; who, of force, muft know
The royal fool thou cop'ft with ;
Shep. O, my heart !
Pol. I'll have thy beauty fcratch'd with briars, and
made
More homely than thy ftate. For thee, fond boy,
If I may ever know, thou doft but figh,
That thou no more lhalt never fee this knack, (as
never
I mean thou lhalt) we'll bar thee from fucccffion ;
Not hold thee of our blood, no not our kin,
1 Far than Deucalion off: Mark thou my words ;
Follow us to the court. Thou churl, for this time,
Though full of our difpleafure, yet we free thee
From the dead blow of it. And you, enchantment,
Worthy enough a herdfman ; yea, him too,
That makes himfelf, but for our honour therein,
1 Far than ]
I think for far than we fhould read far as. We will not hold thee
of our kin even ib tar off as Deucalion the common ancetbr of all.
JOHNSON.
The okl reading farre^ i. e. further, is the true one. The an-
cient comparative otfer was ferret: See the O/offarifsto Robt. of
Glocefter and Robt. of Brunne. This, in the time of Chaucer,
was foftened into ferrf.
" But er I here thee moche ferre." H. of Fa. P>. 2. v. 9:.
" Thus was it peinted, I can fay noferr f ."
Ktiigbft Ta/ei 206 z. TYR \THITT.
Unworthy
39 8 .W I N T E R's TALE.
Unworthy thee, if ever, henceforth, thou
Thefe rural latches to his entrance open,
Or hoop his body more with thy embraces,
I will devife a death as cruel for thee,
As thou art tender to it. [Exiit
Per. Even here undone !
I was not much afeard * : for oncCj or t \\ice,
I was about to fpeak ; and tell him plainly,
The felf-fame fun, that fhines upon his court,
Hides not hisvifage from our cottage, but
Looks on alike, Wilt pleafc you, fir, be gone ?
[To FlorizeL
I told you, what would come of this : 'Befeech youj
Of your own ftate take care : this dream of mine,
Being now awake, I'll queen it no inch farther,
But milk my ewes, and weep.
Cam. Why, how now, father ?
Speak, ere thou dieft.
Shep. I cannot fpeak, nor think,
Nor dare to know that which I know. ^O, fir,
[To FlorizeL
You have undone a man of fourfcore three 3 ,
That thought to fill his grave in quiet ; yea,
To die upon the bed my father dy'd,
To lie clofe by his honeft bones : but now
Some hangman muft put on my fhrowd, and lay me
^ I iveti not mac/j afiarJ, &TC.}
The chara&er is here finely fuftained. To have made her quite
aftonifhed at the king's difcovery of himfelf, had not become
her birth ; and to have given her prefence of mind to have made
this reply to the king, had not become her education.
WARBURTON.
3 Tou have undone a man of four fi ore three, &C.J
Thefe fentiments, which the poet has heighten'd by a flrain of
ridicule that runs through them, admirably characterize the
fpeaker ; whofe felfifhnefs is feen in concealing the adventure of
Perdita ; and here fupported, by (hewing no regard for his Ion or
"her, but being taken up entirely with himfelf, though fourf>.orc
tfrree. WAOCRTON.
Where
W I N T E R's TALE. 399
Where no prlcft fhovels-in dufl *. O curfed wretch !
[To Perdita.
That knew'ft this was the prince, and would'it ad-
venture
To mingle faith with him. Undone ! undone I
If I might die within this hour, I have iiv'd
To die when I defire. [Exit.
Flo. Why look you fo upon me ?
I am but forry, not afeard ; delay'd,
But nothing alter'd : What I was, I am :
More draining on, for plucking back; not following
My learn unwillingly.
Cam. Gracious my lord,
You know your father's temper : at this time
He will allow no fpecch, which, I do guefs,
You do not purpofe to him ; and as hardly
Will he endure your fight as yet, I fear :
Then, 'till the fury of his highnefs fettle,
Come not before him.
Flo. I not purpofe it.
I think, Camillo.
Cam. Even he, my lord.
Per. How often have I told you, 'twould be thus ?
How often faid, my dignity would laft
But *till 'twere known ?
Flo. It cannot fail, but by
The violation of my faith ; And then
Let nature crulh the fides o'the earth together,
5 And mar the feeds within ! Lift up thy looks :
From my fucceflion wipe me, father ! I
Am heir to my affection.
4 Where no prieft Jbovth-in JuJ?.' ]
This part of the prieft\ office might be remembered in Shake-
Ipearc's time : it was not left oft" till the reign of Edward the VI.
FARMER.
5 And mar the feeds within ! ]
So, in Masbctb :
' And nature's trmim tumble all together," JimvEN't.
Cam.
400 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Cam. Be advis'd.
Flo. I am ; and by~my fancy 6 : if my reafoii
Will thereto be obedient, I have reafon ;
If not, my fenfes, better pleased with madncfs,
Do bid it welcome.
Cam. This is defperate, fir*
F/0 So call it : but it does fulfil my vow ;
I needs mull think it honefty. Camillo,
Not for Bohemia, nor the pomp that may
Be thereat glcan'd ; for all the fun fees^ or
The clofe earth wombs, or the profound fea hides
In unknown fathoms, will I break my oath
To this my fair belov'd : Therefore, I pray you,
As you have ever been my father's friend,
When he lhall mifs me, (as, in faith, I mean not
To fee him any more) call your good counfels
Upon his paffion ; Let myfelf, and fortune,
Tug for the time to Come* This you may know,-
And fo deliver, I an~i put to fea
With her, whom here I cannot hold on Ihore ;
And, moft opportune to our need, I have
A veflel rides faft by, but not prepar'd
For this defign. What courfe I mean to hold^
Shall nothing benefit your knowledge, nor
Concern me the reporting.
Cam. O my lord,
I would your fpirit were eafier for advice,
Or ftronger for yonr need,
Flo. Hark, Perdita.
I'll hear you by and by. [7b Camilk*
Cam. [_Afide.~\ He's irremoveable^
Refolv'd for flight : Now were I happy, if
His going I could frame to ferve my turn ;
6 and by my fancy : ]
It muft be remembered that fancy in our author very often, as in
this place, means love. JOHNSON.
So, in the Midfummer Night's Dream :
** Fair Helena infancy following me." STEEVENS*
Save
W I N T E R's T A X K. 4 ot
Save him from danger, do him love~?nd honour ;
Purchafe the fight again of dear Sicilia,
-And that unhappy king, my matter, whom
I fo much thirft to fee.
Flo. Now, good Camillo,
I am fo fraught with curious bufinefs, that
I leave out ceremony. '
Cam. Sir, I think,
You have heard of my poor fervices, i'the love
That I have borne your father ?
Flo. Very nobly
Have you deferv'd : it is my father's muiickj
To fpeak your deeds ; not little of his care
To have them recompenc'd as thought on.
Cam. Well, my lord,
If you may pleafe to think I love the king ;
And, through him, what is neareftto him, which is
Your gracious felf ; embrace but my direction,
(If your more ponderous and fettled project
May fuffer alteration) on mine honour,
I'll point you where you fliall have fuch receiving
As fliall become your highnefs ; where you may
Enjoy your miftrefs ; from the whom, I fee,
There's no disjunction to be made, but by
(As heavens forefend !) your ruin : Marry her ;
And (with my beft endeavours in your abfence)
Your difcontenting father I'll flrive to qualify,
And bring him up to liking.
Flo. How, Camillo,
May this, almoil a miracle, be done ?
That I may call thec fomething more than man,
And, after that, truft to thee.
Cam. Have you thought on
A place, whereto you'll go ?
Flo. Not any yet :
But as the unthought-on accident is guilty
To what we wildly do ; fo we profcfs
VOL. IV. D d Our-
4 oz W I N T E R's TALE.
7 Ourfelves to be the Haves of chance, and flies
Of every wind that blows.
Cam. Then lill to me :
This follows, if you will not change your purpofe,
But undergo this flight; Make for Sicilia;
And there prefent yourfelf, and your fair princefs,
(For fo, I fee, fhe muft be) Yore Leontes ;
She fhall be habited, as it becomes
The partner of your bed. Methinks, I fee
Leontes, opening his free arms, and weeping
His welcomes forth : afks thee, the fon, forgivenefs,
As 'twere i'the father's perfon : kiffes the hands
Of your frefii princefs : o'er and o'er divides him
"Twixt hisunkindnefs and his kindnefs ; the one
He chides to hell, and bids the other grow ?
Fafter than thought, or time.
Flo. Worthy Camillo,
What colour for my vifitation fliall I
Hold up before him ?
Cam. Sent by the king your father
To greet him, and to give him comforts. Sir,
The manner of your bearing towards him, with
What you, as from your father, fliall deliver,
Things known betwixt us three, I'll write you down 8 :
The
1 Our/elves to le the JJavi's of chance, andjliei\
As chance has driven me to thefe extremities, fo I commit myfelf
. to chance to be conducted through them. JOHNSON.
8 Things known betwixt us three, 1*11 ivrite you down :
The which Jhall point you forth at every fitting,
What you muft fay ; ]
Every fitting, methinks, gives but a very poor idea. JLvecyfittitijfr
as I have ventur'd to correct the text, means every convenient op-
portunity : every juncture, when it is ft to fpeak of fuch or fuch
a point. THEOBALD.
The which fyatt point you forth at every fitting,]
Every fating, fays Mr. Theobald, methinks, gives us lut a very
poor idea. But a poor idea is better than none ; which it comes
to, when he has alter'dit to every fitting. The truth is, the com-
mon reading is very expreffive ; and means, at every audience
you
W I N T E R's TALE. 403
The which fhall point you forth, at every fitting,
What you muft fay ; that he ftiall not perceive,
But that you have your father's bofom there,
And fpeak his very heart.
Flo. I am bound to you :
There is fome fap in this.
Cam. A courfe more promifing
Than a wild dedication of yourfelvcs
To unpath'd waters, undream'd fhorcs ; mod certain,
To miferies enough : no hope to help you ;
But, as you fhake off one, to take another :
Nothing fo certain, as your anchors ; who
Do their beft office, if they can but flay you
Where you'll be loth to be : Befides, you know,
Profperity's the very bond of love ;
Whofe frefh complexion and whofe heart together
Affliction alters.
Per. One of thefe is true :
I think, affliction may fubdue the cheek,
But not take in 9 the mind.
Cam. Yea, fay you fo ?
There fliall not, at your father's houfe, thefe feven
years,
Be born another fuch.
Flo. My good Camillo,
She is as forward of her breeding, as
She is i'the rear of birth.
Cam. I cannot fay, 'tis pity
you fhall have of th king and council. The council-days being,
iu our author's time, called, in common fpeech, the fittings.
WARBURTON.
i. . .1 at every fitting,]
Howel, in one of his letters, fays: " My lord prefident hopes to
be at the next fitting in York." FARMER.
9 But not take in the mind.']
To take in anciently meant to conquer, to get the better of. So, in
Anthony and Cleopatra -'
" He could fo quickly cut th* Ionian feas,
*' And take :>i Toryne." STE$VENS.
D d 2 She
404 WINTER'sTAL K.
She lacks inilruttions ; for Ihe feems a miftrefs 1
To mo ft that teach.
Per. Your pardon, fir, for this ;
I'll blufh you thanks.
Flo. My prettieft Perdita.
But, oh, the thorns we ftand upon ! Camillo,
Preferver of my father, now of me ;
The medicin of cur houfe ! how lhall we do ?
We are not furnilh'd like Bohemia's fon ;
Nor mail appear in Sicily
Cam. My lord,
Fear none of this : I think, you know, my fortunes
Do all lie there : it Ihall be fo my care
To have you royally appointed, as if
The fcene, you play, were mine. For inftance, fir,
That you- may know you lhall not want, one word.
[They talk afide.
Enter Autolycus-
Aut. Ha, ha ! what a fool honefty is \ and truft,
his fworn brother, a very fimple gentleman ! : I have
fold all my trumpery ; not a counterfeit ftone, not a
1 1 have fold all my trumpery ; not a counterfeit jlone, not a
ribbon, g-afs, pomander, ] A pomander was a little ball made
of perfumes, and worn in the pocket, or about the neck, to pre-
vent infection in times of plague. In a tract, intitled, Certain
necejj'ary Directions, as well for curing the Plague, as for preventing
Infiftion, printed 1636, there are directions for making two forts
of fomandcrs, one for the rich, and another for the poor.
GRAY.
In Lingua, or a Comlat oftJjc Tongue, &c. 1607, is the follow-
ing receipt given, act IV. fc. iii :
" Your only way to make a apod-fMiaaderia this. Take an
ounce of the pureft garden mould, cleans'd and fteep'd fevendays
in change of motherlels role-water. Then take the beft labdanum,
benjoin, both lloraxes, amber-gris and civet and muflc. Incor-
porate them together and work them into what form you pleafe.
This, if your 'breath be not too valiant, will make you fmell as
fweet as my lady's dog."
The fpeaker represents ODO-R. STEEVEXS,
ribbon,
W I N T E R's TALE. 405
ribbon, glafs, pomander, brooch, table-book, ballad,
knife, tape, glove, flioe-tye, bracelet, horn-ring, to
keep my pack from fading : they throng who fhould
buy firit; as if my trinkets had been * hallowed, and
brought a benediction to the buyer: by which means,
Ifaw whofe purfe was bell in piclure; and, what Ifaw,
to my good ufe, I remember'd. My clown, (who
wants but fomething to be a reaibnable man) grew fo
in love with the wenches' fong, that he 'would not
ftir his pettitoes, 'till he had both tune and words ;
which fo drew the reft of the herd to me, that all
their other fenfes ftuck in ears : you might have
pinch'd a placket 3 , it was fenfelefs; 'twas nothing, to
geld a codpiece of a purfe; I would have filed keys
off, that hung in chains : no hearing, no feeling, but
my fir's fong, and admiring the nothing of it. So
that, in this time of lethargy, I pick'd and cut molt
of their feftival purfes : and had not the old man come
in with a whoo-bub againft his daughter andthe king's/
fon, and fcar'd my choughs from the chaff, I had not
Jeft a purfe alive in the whole army.
[Camillo, Florizeland Perdita, come forward.
Cam. Nay, but my letters by this means beingthere
So foon as you arrive, ihall clear that doubt.
Flo. And thofe that you'll procure from king Lc-
ontes,
Cam. Shall fatisfy your father.
Per. Happy be you !
All, that you fpeak, fhews fair.
Cam. Who have we here ? \_SeehgAutolycus,
We'll make an inftrumcnt of this ; omit
1 as if my trinkets badlecn hallowed,- ] This alludes
to beads often fold by the Romanics, vis made particularly effica-
cious by the touch of fome relick. JOHNSON.
3 a placket, ] Plucket is properly the opening in a
woman's petticoat. It is here figuratively ufed. So perhaps,
again, in K. I, car ;
" Keep thy hand out of plackets" STEEVENS.
D d 3 Nothing,
4 o6 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Nothing, may give us aid.
Ant. If they have over-heard me now, why
hanging. \_Ajidc.
Cam. How now, good fellow ? Why fhakeft thou fo ?
Fear not man ; here's no harm intended to thee.
Aut. I am a poor fellow, fir.
Cam. Why, be fo ftill ; here's nobody wil fteal
that from thee : Yet, for the outfideof thy poverty, we
muft make an exchange : therefore, difcafe thee in-
ftantly, (thou mufl think, there's neceffity in't) and
change garments with this gentleman : Though the
pennyworth, on his fide, be the worft, yet hold thee,
there's fome 4 boot.
Ant. I am a poor fellow, fir : I know ye well
enough. [Afide.
Cam. Nay, pr'ythee, difpatch : the gentleman is
half flead already.
Aut. Are you in earned, fir ? I fmell the trick of
it. [Afide.
Fk. Difpatch, I pr'ythee.
Aut. Indeed, I have hadearneft; but I cannot with
conscience take it.
Cam. Unbuckle, unbuckle.
Fortunate miftrefs, let my prophecy
Come home to you ! you muft retire yourfelf
Into fome covert : take your fweet-h cart's hat,
And pluck it o'er your brows ; muffle your face ;
Difmantle you ; and as you can, difliken
The truth of your own feeming ; that you may,
(For I do fear eyes over you) to mip-board
Get undefcry'd.
Per. I fee, the play fo lies, .
That I muft bear a part.
Cam. No remedy.
Have you done there ?
* loot."] That is, fofnctbing over and aOcrc, or ;is we now
fay, Jomething to boot. JOHNSON.
Flo.
W I N T E R's TALE. 407
Flo. Should I now meet my father,
He would not call me fon.
Cam. Nay, you fhall have no hat :
Come, lady, come. Farcwel, my friend.
Aut. Adieu, fir.
Flo. O Perdita, what have we twain forgot ?
Pray you, a word.
Cam. What I do next, fhall be, to tell the king
Of this cfcape, and whither they are bound ;
Wherein, my hope is, I ihall fo prevail,
To force him after : in whofe company
I Ihall review Sicilia ; for whofe fight
I have a woman*s longing.
Flo. Fortune fpeed us !
Thus we fet on, Camillo, to the fea-fidc.
Cam. The fwiftcr fpeed, the better.
[Exeunt Flo. Per. and Cam.
Aut. I underltand the bufmefs, I hear it : To have
an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand, is ne-
celTary for a cut-purfe ; a good nole is requifite alfo,
to fmell out work for the other fenfes. I fee, this is
the time that the unjuft man doth thrive. What an
exchange had this been, without boot ? what a boot
is here, with this exchange ? Sure, the gods do this
year connive at us, and \vc may do any thing extem-
pore. The prince himfelf is about a piece of iniquity ;
Healing away from his father, with his clog at his
heels : 5 If I thought it were not a piece of honefty to
acquaint the king withal, I would do't : I hold it
the more knavery to conceal it ; and therein am I
conftant to my profeffion.
5 If I thought it were nnt a piece of honefty to acquaint the
king withal, I would deft : ] This is the reading of fir T. Han-
mer, inflead of, if I thought it were a piece of bontfly to acquaint
the king withal, J'dnottfoif. JOHNSON.
D d 4 Enter
4o8 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Enter Cloiun and Shepherd.
Afide, afide ; here's more matter for a hot brain :
Every lane's end, every lhop ? church, feffion, hang-
ing, yields a careful man work.
Clo. See, fee; what a man you are now ! there is no
other way, but to tell the king flic's a changeling,
and none of your flelh and blood.
Shep. Nay, but hear me.
Clo. Nay, but hear me.
Step. Go to then.
Clo. She being none of your fleih and blood, your
flelh and blood has not offended the king; and, fo,
your flefh and blood is not to be punifh'd by him.
Shew thofe things you found about her ; thofe fecret
things, all but what Ihe has with her : This being
done, let the law go whittle ; I warrant you.
Shep. I will tell the king all, every word, yea, and
his fons pranks too; who, I may fay, is no honeft
man neither to his father, nor to me, to go about to
make me the king's brother-in-law.
Clo. Indeed, brother-in-law was the fartheft offyou
could have been to him ; and then your blood had
been the dearer, by I know how much an ounce.
Ant. Very wifely ; puppies ! [Afide.
Shep. Well ; let us to the king ; there is that in
this farthel, will make him fcratch his beard.
Aut. I know not, what impediment this complaint
may be to the flight of my mafter.
Clo. Tray heartily he be at palace.
Aut. Though I am not naturally honeft, I am fp
fometimes by chance : Let me pocket up my
pedler's 6 excrement. How now, fuflicks ? whi-
ther are you bound ?
Shep %
6 feJIer's excrement. ] Is pedler's beard. JOHNSON.
So, in the old tragedy of Soliman and Perfeda^ \ 599 :
" WhofQ
W I N T E R's T A L E. 409
Skep. To the palace, an it like your worfhip.
Ant. Your affairs there ? what ? with whom ?
the condition of that farthel, the place of your
dwelling, your names, your ages, or what having,
breeding, and any thing that is fitting to be known,
difcover.
Clo. We are but plain fellows, fir.
Aut. A lie ; you are rough and hairy : Let me have
no. lying ; it becomes none but tradefmen, and they
pften give us foldiers the lie : but we pay them for
it with flamped coin, not {tabbing fteel ; therefore
they do not give us the lye 7 .
Clo. Your worfhip had like to have given us one,
if you had not taken yourfelf with the manner.
Sbep. Are you a courtier, an't like you, fir ?
Aut. Whether it like me, or no, I am a courtier.
See'ft thou not the air of the court, in thefe enfold-
ings ? hath not my gait in it, the meafure of the
court ? receives not thy nofe court-odour from me ?
reflect I not on thy bafenefs, court-contempt ?
Think'ft thou, for that I infinuate, or toze 8 from
thee
* Whofe chin bears no impreffion of manhood,
*' Not a hair, not an excrement."
Again, in Love 3 Labour's Loft :
" dally with my excrement, with my muftachio."
Again, in the Comedy of Errors : ** Why is Time fuch a niggard
of his hair, being, as it is, fo plentiful an excrement ?"
STEEVENS.
7 therefore ihey do not give us the lye>~\ Dele the negative:
the fenfe requires it. The joke is this, they have a profit in lying
to us, by advancing the price of their commodities ; therefore
they do lie. WAR BURTON,
The meaning is, they are paid for lying, therefore they do not
give us the lye, theyy^// it us. JOHNSON.
8 infmuate, or toze ] The rir ft folio reads at toaze;
the fecond or toaze. To feaze, or toze^ is to disentangle wool or
flax. Autolycus adopts a phrafeology which he fuppoies to be
intelligible to the Clown, who would not have unclerftood the
word infinuatc. without fuch a comment on it. STEEVENS.
mi Think* Jl thai) for that 1 infinuate, or toze from t/jce &c,]
To
4 io W I N T E R's T A L E.
thee thy bufinefs, I am therefore no courtier ? I am
courtier, cap-a-pe ; and one that will either pufh on,
or pluck back thy buiinefs there : whereupon I com-
mand thee to open thy affair.
Shep. My bufinefs, fir, is to the king.
Aut. What advocate haftthou to him?
Shep. I know not, an't like you.
Clo. Advocate's the court-word for a pheafant 9 ;
fay, you have none.
Shep. None, fir ; I have no pheafant, cock, nor
hen.
Aut. How blefs'd are we, that are not fimple men !
Yet nature might have made me as thefe are,
Therefore I will not difdain.
Clo. This cannot be but a great courtier.
Shep. His garments are rich, but he wears them not
handfomely.
Clo. He feems to be the more noble in being fan-
taftical : a great man, I'll warrant ; I know, by the
picking on's teeth '.
To injinuate, I believe, means here, to cajole, to talk with con-
defcenfion and humility. So, incur author's Fenus and Adonis :
" With death fhe humbly doth infinuate,
" Tells him of trophies, ilatues, tombs, and ftories,
*' His victories, his triumphs, and his glories."
The word toaze is ufedjn Mcafure for Meafurc, in the fame fenfe
as here :
" We'll toaze you joint by joint,
" But we will know this purpofe." MALOXE.
9 Adv ocafe's the court-word fo r a pbeafant; ] Thisfatire, on
the briber)' of courts, is not unplealant. WARBURTOX.
This fatire, or this pleafantry, I confefs myfelf not well to un-
derftand. JOHNSON.
As he was a fuitor from the country, the Clown fuppofes his fa-
ther fliould have brought a prefent of game, and therefore ima-
gines, when Autolycus alks him what advocate he has, that by the
word advocate he means a pheafant. STEEVENS.
* a great man, by the picking on 1 s teeth.'} It feems, that
to pick the teeth was, at this time, a mark of fome pretenflon to
greatnefs or elegance. So, the Baflard, in King John, Ipeaking
of the traveller, fays:
4i He and bh ticJt-tooib at my worfhip's mefs." JOHNSON.
Aut.
W I N T E R's T A L E. 4 n
Aut. The farthel there ? what's i'the farthel ?
Wherefore that box ?
Skep. Sir, there lies fuch fecrets in this farthel, and
box, which none mnft know but the king; and which
he mall know within this hour, if I may come to the
ipeech of him.
Aut. Ae;e, thou haft loft thy labour.
Shop. Why, fir ?
Aut. The king is not at the palace ; he is gone
aboard a new fhip to purge melancholy, and air him-
felf : For, if thou be'ft capable of things ferious, thou
muft know, the king is full of grief.
Sbep. So 'tis laid, fir ; about his fon, that mould
have married a fhepherd's daughter.
Aut. If that Ihepherd be not in hand-faft, let him
fly ; the curies he mall have, the tortures he lhall feel,
will break the back of man, the heart of monfter.
do. Think you fo, fir ?
Aut. Not he alone fhall furTer what wit can make
heavy, and vengeance bitter; but thofe that are ger-
mane to him, though removed fifty times, mail all
come under the hangman : which though it be great
pity, yet it is neceflary. An old fheep-whiftling
rogue, a ram-tender, to offer to have his daughter
come into grace ! Some fay, he mail be fton'd ; but
that death is too foft for him, fay I : Draw our throne
into a Ihecp-cote ! all deaths are too few, the Iharpeft
too eafy.
Clo. Has the old man e'er a fon, fir, do you hear,
a n't like you, fir ?
Aut. He has a fon, who fnall be flay 'd alive; then,
'nointed over with honey, fet on the head of a wafp's
neft ; then ftand, till he be three quarters and a dram
dead : then recover'd again with aqua-vitae, or fome
other hot infufion : then, raw as he is, and in the
hotteft day * prognostication proclaims, lhall he be fet
a the hot fej} day, &c.] That is, the botttfl day foretold in
"f almanack. JOHNSON.
againft
4 i2 W I N T E R's T A L E.
againft a brick-wall, the fun looking with a fouth-
ward eye upon him ; where he is to behold him, with
flies blown to death. But what talk we of thefe trai-
torly rafcals, whofe miferies are to be fmil'd at, their
offences being fo capital ? Tell me, (for you feem to
be honeft plain men) what you have to the king : J be-
ing fomething gently confider'd, I'll bring you where
he is aboard, tender your perfons to his prefence,
w.hifper him in your behalfs ; and, if it be in man,
befides the king, to effed: your fuits, here is man
fhall do it.
Clo. He feems to be of great authority : clofe with
him, give him gold; and though authority be a flub-
born bear, yet he is oft led by the nofe with gold :
fhew the infide of your purfe to the outfide of his
hand, and no more ado : Remember, fton'd, and
flay'd alive.
Shep. An't pleafe you, fir, to undertake the bufi-
nefs for us, here is that gold I have : I'll make it as
much more ; and leave this young man in pawn, 'till
1 bring it you.
Aut. After I have done what I promifed ?
Shep. Ay, fir.
Aut. Well, give me the moiety : Are you a party
in this bufinefs ?
Clo. In fome fort, fir : but though my cafe be a
pitiful one, I hope I fhall not be flay'd out of it.
Aut. Oh, that's the cafe of the fhepherd's fon :
Hang him, he'll be made an example.
Clo.. Comfort, good comfort : We mult to the king,
3 "being fomething gently confidered, ] Means, 1 hav-
ing a gentlemanlike confederation given me, i. e. a bribe, -civ'/V bring
you, &c. So, in the Three Ladies of London, 1584:
" fure, iir, I'll conjiderit hereafter it \ can.
*' What, conjlder me f doft thou think that I am a bribe-
taker"
Again, in the IJle of Gulls, 1633: " Thou (halt be well confuler-
ed, there's twenty crowns in earneit." STEEVENS.
and
W I N T E R's T A. I, E. 4 i 5
and {hew our ftrange fights : he muft know, 'tis none
of your daughter, nor my filter ; we are gone elfe.
Sir, I will give you as much as this old man does,
when the bufinefs is perform'd ; and remain, as he
fays, your pawn, 'till it be brought you.
Aut. I will truft you. Walk before toward the
fea-fide ; go on the right hand ; I will but look upon
the hedge, and follow you.
Clo. We are blefs'd in this man, as I may fay, even
blefs'd.
Skep* Let's before, as he bids us : he was provided
to do us good. [Exeunt Sbep. and Clo.
Aut. If I had a mind to be honeft, I fee, fortune
would not fuffer me ; me drops booties in my mouth.
I am courted now with a double occafion ; gold, and
a means to do the prince my mafter good ; which,
who knows how that may turn back to my advance-
ment? I will bring thefe two moles, thefe blind ones,
aboard him : if he think it fit to Ihore them again,
and that the complaint they have to the king concerns
him nothing, let him call me, rogue, for being fo far
officious ; for I am proof againft that title, and what
fhame elfe belongs to't: To him will I prefentthem,
there may be matter in it. [Ev//.
ACT V. SCENE I.
Sicilia,
Enter Leontes, Cleomcnes, Dlort, Paulina, and Servants.
Clo. Sir, you have done enough, and have per-
form'd
A faint-like forrow : no fault could you make,
Which you have not rcdcem'd; indeed, paid down
More
4 i4 W I N T E R's TALE.
More penitence, than done trefpafs : At the laflv
Do, as the heavens have done ; forget your evil ;
With them, forgive yourfelf.
Leo. Whilft I remember
Her, and her virtues, I cannot forget
My blemifhes in them ; and ib ilill think of
The wrong I did myfelf : which was fo much,
That heirlefs it hath made my kingdom ; and
Deilroy'd the fweet'ft companion, that e'er man *
Bred his hopes out of.
Paid. True, too true, my lord :
If, one by one, you wedded all the world,
Or, from the 5 all that are, took fomething good,
To make a perfect woman ; Ihe, you kill'd,
Would be unparallel'd.
Leo. I think fo. Kill'd !
She I kill'd ? I did fo : but thou ftrik'fl me
Sorely, to fay I did ; it is as bitter
Upon thy tongue, as in my thought : Now, good now,
Say fo but feldom.
Cle. Not at all, good lady :
You might havefpoke a thoufand things, that would
Have done the time more benefit, and grac'd
Your kindnefs better.
Paul. You are one of thofe,
Would have him xved again.
Dio. If you would not fo,
You pity not the ilate, nor the remembrance
Of his molt fovereign name ; conlider little,
4 In former editions :
Dcjlroy'd the fixeefjl companion^ that e'er man
Bred his hopes out of, true.
Paul. Too true, mylord:\
A very flight examination will convince every intelligent reader,
that true y here has jumped out of its place in all the editions.
THEOBALD.
5 Or, from the all that arc, took fomethlng good, ~\
This is a favourite thought : it was beftowed on Miranda aad
Rofaiind before, JOHNSON.
What
W I N T E R's TALE. 4x5
What dangers, by his highnefs' fail of iflue,
May drop upon his kingdom, and devour
Incertain lookers on. What were more holy,
Than to rejoice, the former queen is well 6 ?
What holier, than, for royalty's repair,
For prefent comfort, and for future good,
To blefs the bed of majefty again
With a fweet fellow to't ?
Paul There is none worthy,
Refpecting her that's gone, Befides, the gods
Will have fulfill'd their fecret purpofes :
For has not the divine Apollo (aid,
Is't not the tenour of his oracle,
That king Leontes fliall not have an heir,
'Till his loft child be found ? which, that it fliall,
Is all as monftrous to our human reafon,
As my Antigonus to break his grave,
Aijd come again to me ; who, on my life,
6 Than to rejoice, the former queen is well ?
The fpeaker is here giving reafons why the king fiiould marry
again. One reafon is, pity to the ftate ; another, regard to the
continuance of the royal family ; and the third, comfort and con-
foktion to the king's affliction. All hitherto is plain, and be-
coming a privy-counfellor. But now comes in, what he calls, a
holy argument for it, and that is a rejoicing that the former queen is
wf// md at rejh ' To make this argument of force, we muft con-
clude that the fpeaker went upon this opinion, that a widower can
never heartily rejoice that his former wife is at reft, till he has got
another. Without doubt Shakefpeare wrote :
IVhat vjere more holy,
Than to rejoice the former queen f This will.
What, fays the fpeaker, can be a more holy motive to a new choice,
than that it will glad the fpirit of the former queen ? for fhe was
of fo excellent a difpofition that the happinefs of the king and
kingdom, to be procured by it, will give her extreme plenfure.
The poet goes upon the general opinion, that the fpirits of the
happy in the other world are concerned for the condition of their'
furviving friends. WAR BURTON.
This emendation is one of thofe of which many may be made >
it is fuch as we may wifh the author had chofen, but which w
cannot prove that he did chufe j :he xeafons for it are plaufible,
but not cogent. JOHNSON.
Did
4 l6 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Did perifh with the infant. 'Tis your counfet,
My lord fhould to the heavens be contrary,
Oppofe againft their wills. Care not for iflue ;
[To the king.
The crown will find an heir : Great Alexander
Left his to the worthieft ; fo his fucceffor
Was like to be the beft.
Leo. Good Paulina,
Who haft the memory of Hermione,
I know, in honour, O, that ever I
Had fquar'd me to thy counfel ! then, even now,
I might have look'd upon my queen's full eyes ^
Have taken treafure from her lips,
Paul. And left them
More rich, for what they yielded.
Leo. Thou fpeak'ft truth.
No more fuch wives ; therefore, no wife : one worfe 3
And better us'd, would make her fainted fpirit *
Again poiTefs her corps ; and, on this ftage,
7 would make her fainted fpirit, &c.] In the old copies :
would make her fainted fpirit
Again pojjefs her corps ; and, on this ft age,
(Inhere we offenders now appear) foul-vex t y
And begin, &c.
'Tis obvious, that the grammar is defective ; and the fenfe con-
fequently wants fupporting. The flight change, I have made,
cures both : and, furely, 'tis an improvement to the fentiment for
the king to fay, that Paulina and he offended his dead wife's ghofl
with the fubjeft of a fecond match ; rather than in general terms
to call themfelves offenders, Jlnners. THEOBALD.
The Reyifal reads :
Were we offenders now
very reafonably. JOHNSON.
We might read, changing the place of one word only :
icould make her fainted fpirit
Again pojjefs her corps j and on thisjlage
(WTyere ive offenders nwv appear, foul-vex'J)
Begin And why to me ?
The blunders of the folio are fo numerous, that it fhould feern
when a word dropt out of the prefs, they were carelefs into
which line they inlsned it. STEEVENS.
(Where
W I N T E R's T A L E. 417
(Where we offend her now) appear foul-vext,
And begin, Why to me f
Paul. Had fhe fuch power,
She had juft fuch caufe.
Leo. She had ; and would incenfe me
To murder her I married.
Paul I fhould fo :
Were I the ghoft that walk'd, I'd bid you mark
Her eye; and tell me, for what dull part in't
You chofe her : then I'd fhriek, that even your ears
Shou'd rift to hear me; and the words that follow'd
Should be, Remember mine.
Leo. Stars, flars,
And all eyes clfe, dead coals ! fear thou no wife,
I'll have no wife, Paulina.
Paul. Will you fwear
Never to marry, but by my free leave ?
Leo. Never, Paulina ; fo be blefs'd my fpirit !
Paul. Then, good my lords, bear witnefs to his
oath.
Cle. You tempt him over-much.
Paul. Unlefs another,
As like Hermione as is her picture,
8 Affront his eye.
Cle. Good madam, I have done 9 .
Paul. Yet, if my lord will marry, if you will, fir;
No remedy, but you will ; give me the office
To chufe you a queen : fhe fhall not be fo young
As was your former ; but fhe fhall be fuch,
As, walk'd your firft queen's ghoft, it fhould take joy
8 Affront his eye.~] To affront, is to meet, JOHNSON.
9 Good madam , Ihavedone>\
Surely this hemiftich fhould be divided between Cltomenu and
Paulina :
Cle. Good madam,
Paul. 1 have done:
Tel if, &c.
The modern editors have read :
Good madam, pray have done. STEEVENS.
VOL. IV. E e To
4i8 W I N T E R's TALE,
To fee her in your arms.
Leo. My true Paulina,
We fhall not marry, 'till thou bid'ft us.
Paul. That
Shall be, when your firft queen's again in breath ;
Never till theru
Enter a Gentleman.
Gent. One that gives out himfelf prince Florizef,
Son of Polixenes, with his princefs, (Ihe
The faireft I have yet beheld) defires
Accefs to your high prefence*
Leo. What with him ? he comes not
Like to his father's greatnefs : his approach,
So out of circumftance, and fudden, tells us,.
Tis not a vifitation fram'd, but forc'd
By need, and accident, What train ?
' Gent. But few,
And thofe but mean.
Leo. His princefs, fay you, with him ?
Gent. Ay ; the moft peerlefs piece of earth, I think,
That e'er the fun fhone bright on.
Paul. Oh Hermione,
As every prefent time doth boafl itfelf
Above a better, gone ; fo muft thy grave
Give way to what's feen now. Sir, you yourfelf *
Have faid, and writ fo ; but your writing now
Is colder than that theme : She had not been,
Nor was not to be equatfd t thus your verfe
Flow'd with her beauty once ; 'tis ihrewdly ebb*d r
To fay, you have feen a better.
Gent. Pardon, madam :
The one I have almoft forgot ; (your pardon)
%
<SYr, you yourfelf
Havefaid) andivritfo ; J
The reader muft obferve, thaty2> relates not to what precedes, but
to what follows that,, fa bad not beefieiuall'tL J.OHNSOX .
The
W I N T E R's TALE. 419
The other, when fhe has obtain'd your eye,
Will have your tongue too. This is a creature,
Would fhe begin a fed:, might quench the zeal
Of all profeflbrs elfe ; make profelytes
Of who me but bid follow.
Paul. How ? not women ?
Gent. Women will love her, that me is a woman
More worth than any man ; men, that me is
The rareft of all women.
Leo. Go, Cleomenes ;
Yourfelf, affifted with your honour'd friends,
[Exit Cleomenes*
Bring them to our embracement. Still 'tis ftrange,
He thus mould fteal upon us.
Paul. Had our prince,
(Jewel of children) feen this hour, he had pair'd
Well with this lord ; there was not full a month
Between their births.
Leo. Pr'ythee, no more ; ceafe; thou know'ft,
He dies to me again, when talk'd of : fure,
When I mail fee this gentleman, thy; fpeeches
Will bring me to confider that, which may
Unfurnifh me of reafon. They are come.
Enter Florizel, Perdita, Cleomenes, and others.
Your mother was moft true to wedlock, prince ;
For Ihe did print your royal father off,
Conceiving you : Were I but twenty one,
Your father's image is fo hit in you,
His very air, that I mould call you brother,
As I did him ; and fpeak of fomething, wildly
By us perform'd before. Moil dearly welcome !
And your fair princefs, goddefs ! O, alas!
I loft a couple, that 'tvvixt heaven and earth
Might thus have flood, begetting wonder, as
You, gracious couple, do ! and then I loft
(All mine own folly) the fociety,
Amity too, of your brave father; whom,
E e 2- Though
4*0 W I N T E R's TALE.
Though bearing mifery, I defire my life
Once more to look on.
Flo. Sir, by his command
Have I here touch'd Sicilia ; and from him
Give you all greetings, that a king, at friend,
Can fend his brother : and, but infirmity
(Which waits upon worn times) hath fomething feiz'd
His wifh'd ability, he had himfelf
The lands and waters 'twixt your throne and his
Meafur'd, to look upon you ; whom he loves
(He bade me fay fo) more than all the fcepters,
And thofe that bear them, living.
Leo. Oh, my brother !
(Good gentleman) the wrongs I have done thee, flir
Afrem within me ; and thefe thy offices,
So rarely kind, are as interpreters
Of my behind-hand ilacknefs ! Welcome hither,
As is the fpring to the earth. And hath he too
Expos'd this paragon to the fearful ufage
(At leaft, ungentle) of the dreadful Neptune,
To greet a man, not worth her pains ; much lefs
The adventure of her perfon ?
Flo. Good my lord r
She came from Libya.
Leo. Where the warlike Smalus,
That noble honour'd lord, is fear'd, and lov'd ?
Flo. Moft royal fir, from thence; from him, whofe
daughter *
His tears proclaimed his, parting with her : thence
1 whofe daughter
His tears proclaimed bis+ parting ivit/j her: ]
This is very ungrammatical and obfcure. We may better read :
ivbofe daughter
His tears proclaimed her parting vslth her,.
The prince firlt tells that the lady came from Lybia, the king, in-
terrupting him, fays, from Smalus ? from him, fays the prince,
ivbofe tears, at parting, Jhewed her to be his daughter. JOHNSON.
The obfcurity ariies from want of a proper punctuation. By
placin^ a comma after his^ I think the fenfe is clear'd. STEEVENS.
(A
W I N T E R's TALE. 421
(A profperous fouth-wind friendly) we have crofs'd,
To execute the charge my father gave me,
For vifiting your highnefs : My befl train
I have from your Sicilian mores difmifs'd ;
Who for Bohemia bend, to fignify
Not only my fuccefs in Libya, fir,
But my arrival, and my wife's, in fafety
Here, where we are.
Leo. The blefled gods
Purge all infection from our air, whilft you
Do climate here ! You have a holy father,
A graceful gentleman ; againtf whofe perfon,
So facred as it is, I have done fin :
For which the heavens, taking angry note,
Have left me iffue-lefs ; and your father's blefs'd,
(As he from heaven merits it) with you,
Worthy his goodnefs. What might I have been,
Might I a fon and daughter now have look'd on,
Such goodly things as you ?
Enter a Lord.
Lord. Moft noble fir,
That, which I fliall report, will bear no credit,
Were not the proof fo nigh. Pleafe you, great fir,
Bohemia greets you from himfelf, by me :
Defires you to attach his fon ; who has
(His dignity and duty both call off)
Fled from his father, from his hopes, and with
A fhcphcrd's daughter.
Leo. Where's Bohemia ? fpeak.
Lord. Here in your city ; I now came from him :
I fpeak amazedly ; and it becomes
My marvel, and my meflage. To your court
Whiles he was haftning, (in the chafe, it feems,
Of this fair couple) meets he on the way
The father of this feeming lady, and
Her brother, having both their country quitted
With this young prince.
E c 3 Flo.
422, W I N T E R's TALE.
Flo. Camillo has betray'd me ;
Whofe honour, and whole honefly 5 'till now,
Endur'd all weathers.
Lord. Lay't fo, to his charge ;
He's with the king your father.
Leo. Who ? Camillo ?
Lord. Camillo, fir ; I fpake with him ; who now
Has thefe poor men in queflion. Never faw I
Wretches fo quake : they kneel, they kifs the earth;
Forfwear themfelves as often as they fpeak :
Bohemia flops his ears, and threatens them
With divers deaths in death.
Per. Oh, my poor father !
The heaven fets fpies upon us, will not have
Our contract celebrated.
Leo. You are marry'd ?
Flo. We are not, fir, nor are we like to be ;
The liars, I fee, will kifs the valleys firft :-
The odds for high and low's alike.
Leo. My lord,
Is this the daaghter of a king ?
Flo. She is,
When once ihe is my wife.
Leo. That once, I fee, by your good father's fpeed,
Will come on very floxvly. I am forry,
Mofl forry, you have broken from his liking,
Where you were ty'd in duty : and as forry,
Your choice is not fo rich in worth as beauty J ,
3 'Tour choice is not fa rich in worth as beauty,]
The poet muft have wrote :
Your choice is notfo rich in birth as beauty ;
Becaufe Leontes was fo far from difparaging, or thinking meanly
of her worth, that, on the contrary, he rather efteems her a trea-
fure ; and, in his next fpeech to the prince, calls her his precious
inijirefs. WAR BUR TON.
Worth is as proper as link. IVorth fignifies any kind of cu<w-
tbinefs, and among others that of high defcent. The king means
that he is forry the prince's choice is not in other refpeifts as wor-
thy of him as in beauty. JOHNSON.
That
W I N T E R's TALE. 423
That you might well enjoy her.
Flo. Dear, look up :
Though fortune, vifible an enemy,
Should chafe us, with my father ; power no jot
Hath fhe, to change our loves. 'Beicech you, fir,
Remember fince you ow'd no more to time
Than I do now : with thought of fuch affections,
Step forth mine advocate ; at your requeft,
My father will grant precious things, as trifles.
Leo. Would he do fo, I'd beg your precious rnif-
trefs,
Which he counts but a trifle.
Paul. Sir, my liege,
Your eye hath too much youth in't : not a month
'Fore your queen dy'd, fhe was more worth fuch
gazes
Than what you look on now.
Leo. I thought of her,
Even in thefe looks I made. But your petition
[70 FlorlzeL
Is yet unanfwer'd : I will to your father ;
Your honour not o'erthrown by your defires,
I am friend to them, and you : upon which errand
I now go toward him ; therefore, follow me,
Afld mark what way I make : Come, good my lord.
[Exeunt.
SCENE II.
The fame.
Enter Autolycus^ and a Gentleman.
Aut. 'Befeech you, fir, were you prefent at this re-
lation ?
i Gent. I was by at the opening of the farthcl, heard
the old fhepherd deliver the manner how he found it :
whereupon, after a little amazcdncls,\vc were all com-
E c 4 mandcd
424 W I N T E R's T A L E..
manded out of the chamber :' only this, methought,
I heard the Ihepherd fay, he found the child.
Aut. I would moft gladly know the iffue of it.
1 Gent. I make a broken delivery of thebufinefs;
But the changes I perceived in the king, and Camillo,
were very notes of admiration : they feem'd almoft,
with ftaring on one another, to tear the cafes of their
eyes ; there was fpeech in their dumbnefs, language
in their very gefture ; they look'd, as they had heard
of a world ranfom'd, or one deftroy'd : A notable
paffion of wonder appear'd in them : but the wifeft
behoWer, that knew no more but feeing, could not
fay, if the importance were joy, or forrow ; but in the
extremity of the one, it muft needs be,
Enter a fecond Gentleman,
Here comes a gentleman, that, happily, knows more:
The news, Rogero ?
2 Gent. Nothing but bonfires : The oracle is ful-
fill'd ; the king's daughter is found : fuch a deal of
wonder is broken out within this hour, that ballad-
makers cannot be ab^e to exprefs it.
Enter- a third Gentleman.
Here comes the lady Paulina's fteward, he can deliver
you more. How goes it now, fir ? this news, which
is call'd true, is fo like an old tale, that the verity of
it is in ftrong fufpicion : Has the king found his heir?
3 Gent. Moft true ; if ever truth were pregnant by
circumftance : that, which you hear, you'll fwear you
fee, there is fuch unity in the proofs. The mantle of
queen Hermione; her jewel about the neck of it;
the letters of Antigonus, found with it, which they
know to be his character ; the majefty of the crea-
ture, in refemblance of the mother; the affec-
tion of noblenefs, which nature {hews above her
breeding, and many other evidences, proclaim her,
with
W I N T E R's TALE. 425
with all certainty, to be the king's daughter. Did
you fee the meeting of the two kings ?
2 Gent. No.
3 Gent. Then have you loft a fight, which was to
be leen, cannot be fpoken of. There might you have
beheld one joy crown another; fo, and in fuch man-
ner, that, it feem'djlbrrow wept to take leave of them;
for their joy waded in tears. There was cafting up of
eyes, holding up of hands ; with countenance of fuch
diftracl:ion, that they were to be known by garment,
not by favour. Our king, being ready to leap out of
himfelf for joy of his found daughter; as if that joy
were now become a lofs, cries, Oh, thy mother, thy
mother f then afks Bohemia forgivenefs ; then em-
braces his fon-in-lavv ; then again worries he his
daughter, with clipping her 4 : now he thanks the old
fhephcrd, which ftands by, like a weather-beaten*
conduit of many kings' reigns. I never heard of fuch
another encounter, which lames report to follow it,
and undoes defcription to do it.
2 Gent. What, pray you, became of Antigonus,
that carry'd hence the child ?
3 Gent. Like an old tale (till; which will have mat-
ters to rebearfe, though credit be afleep, and not an ear
open : He was torn to pieces with a bear : this avouches
the fhepherd's fon ; who has not only his innocence
(which feems much) to juftify him, but a handker-
chief, and rings, of his, that Paulina knows.
* with clipping her. ] i, e. embracing her. So,
Shinty :
" He, who before fiiun'd her, to fliun fuch harms,
" Now runs and takes her in his dipping arms."
STEEVENS.
s cwd/A-r-beaten ] Thus the modern editors: The
old copy iveatber-bitten. Hamlet fays : " The air bites
Ihrewdly;" and the Duke, in As you like it: " when \tbitet
and blows." Weather-bitten, therefore, may mean, corroded by
the weather. STEEVENS.
I Gc'if.
4 i6 \V I N T E R's T A L E.
i Gent. What became of his bark, and his fol-
lowers ?
3 Gent. Wreck'd, the fame inflant of their matter's
death ; and in the view of the Ihepherd : fo that all
the inftruments, which aided to expofe the child, were
even then loft, when it was found. But, oh, the no-
ble combat, that, 'twixt joy and forrow, was fought in
Paulina ! She had one eye declin'd for the lofs of her
hufband ; another elevated that the oracle was ful-
fillM : She lifted the princefs from the earth ; and fo
locks her in embracing, as if ihe would pin her to
her heart, that Ihe might no more be in danger of
lofing.
i Gent. The dignity of this act was worth the au-
dience of kings and princes ; for by fuch was it
acted.
3 Gent. One of the prettiefl touches of all, and
that which angled for mine eyes, (caught the water,
though not the fiih) was, when at the relation of the
queen's death, with the manner how fhe came to it,
(bravely confefs'd, and lamented by the king) how
attentivenefs wounded his daughter : 'till, from one
iign of dolour to another, Ihe did, with an alas ! I
would fain fay, bleed tears ; for, I am fure, my heart
wept blood. Who was moft marble there 6 , changed
colour ; fome fwooned, all forrowed : if all the world
could have feen it, the woe had been univerfal.
i Gent. Are they returned to the court ?
3 Gent. No : The princefs hearing of her mother's
ftatue, which is in the keeping of Paulina, a piece
many years in doing, and now newly perform'd by
? that rare Italian matter, Julio Romano; who, had he
him-
' moft marttc there, ] i. e. moft petrified with wonder.
STEEVEXS.
7 . . that rare Italian majler^ Julio Romano ; ] All the
encomiums, put together, that have been conferred on this excel-
lent artift in painting and archite&ure, do not amount to the fine
pruife
W I N T E R's TALE. 427
himfelf eternity, and could put breath into his work,
would beguile nature of her * cuftom, To perfectly he is
her
praife here given him by our author. He was born in the year
1492, lived juft that circle of years which our Shakefpeare did,
and died eighteen years before the hitter was born. Fine and ge-
nerous, therefore, as this tribute of praife muft be owned, yet it
was a ftrange abfurdity, fure, to thrult it into a tale, the action of
\yhich is fuppofed within the period of heathenifm, and whilft the
oracles of Apollo were confulted. This, however, was a known
and wilful anachronifm ; which might have llept in obfcurity,
perhaps Mr. Pope will fay, had I not animadverted on it.
THEOBALD.
-- -that rare Italian majier, Julio Romano ; &c.] Mr. Theo-
bald fays : All the encomiums put together, that have been conferred
on this excellent artijt in fainting and architecture, do not amount to
the fine praife here given him by our author. But he is ever the un-
luckieftof all critics when he pafles judgment on beauties and det
fe&s. The paflage happens to be quite unworthy Shakefpeare.
i/l, He makes his fpeaker fay, that was Julio Romano the God
of Nature, he would outdo Nature. For this is the plain mean-
ing of the words, had he himfelf eternity, and could put breath into
b'uivork, be would beguile nature of her cujlom. zdly, He makes
of this famous painter, njlatuary ; I fuppofe confounding him
with Michael Angelo; but, what is worft of alL, & painter t>fjla~
tues, like Mrs. Salmon ot her wax-work. WARBURTON.
Poor Theobald's encomium on this paflage is not very happily
conceived or exprefled, nor is the pallage of any eminent excel-
lence ; yet a little candour will clear Shakefpeare from part of the
impropriety imputed to him. By eternity he means only immor-
tality, or that part of eternity which is to come ; fo we talk of
eternal renown and f ternal infamy. Immortality may fubfift with-
out divinity, and therefore the meaning only is, that if Julio could
always continue his labours, he would mimick nature. JOHNSON.
I wifh we could underftand this paflage, as if Julio Romano had
only painted the ftatue carved by another. Ben Jonfon makes
Dodor Rut in the Magnetic Lady, act V. fc. viii. fay :
44 all city ilatues mult \\tpainted,
" Elfe they be worth nought i'their fubtil judgments."
Sir Henry Wotton, in his Elements of Architecture, mentions the
fafliion of colouring even regal ftatues for the ftronger exprelliou
ofnflfeftion, which he takes leave to call an Englilh barbarifm.
Such, however, was the practice of the time : and unlefs the fup-
pofed ftatue of Hermione were painted, there could he no ruddi-
nefs upon her lip, nor could the veins verily feem to bear blood, as
the poet exprefles it afterwards. TOLLET.
Sir
428 W I N T E R's T A L E.
her ape : he fo near to Hermione hath done Her-
mione, that, they fay, one would fpeak to her, and
ftand in hope of anfwer : thither with all greedinefs
of affedtion, are they gone ; and there they intend to
fup.
2 Gent. I thought, ihe had fome great matter there
in hand; for Ihe hath privately, twice or thrice a day,
ever lince the death of Hermione, vifitedthat removed
houfe. Shall we thither, and with our company piece
the rejoicing ?
i Gent. 9 Who would be thence, that has the bene-
fit of accefs ? every wink of an eye, fome new grace
will be born : our abfence makes us unthrifty to our
knowledge. Let's along. [Exeunt.
Aut. Now, had I not the dafh of my former life in
me, would preferment drop on my head. I brought
the old man and his fon aboard the prince ; told him,
I heard them talk of a farthel, and I know not what :
but he at that time, over-fond of thefhepherd's daugh-
ter, (fo he then took her to be) who began to be much
fea-lick, and himfelf little better, extremity of wea-
Sir H. Wotton could not poflibly know what has been lately
proved by fir William Hamilton in the MS. accounts which ac-
company feveral valuable drawings of the difcoveries made at
Pompeii, and prefented by him to our Antiquary Society, viz. that
it was ufual to colour ftatues among the ancients. In the chapel
of Ifis in the place already mentioned, the image of that goddefs
had been painted over, as her robe is of a purple hue. Mr. Toilet
has fince informed me, that Junius, on the painting of the ancients,
obferves from Paufanias and Herodotus, that fometimes the fla-
tues of the ancients were coloured after the manner of pictures.
STEEVENS.
* of her ciiftom, ] That is, of her trade, would draw
her cuftomers from her. JOHNSON.
9 Who would be thence, that has the benefit of accefs? } It was,
I fuppofe, only to fpare his own labour that the poet put this whole
fceneinto narrative, for though part of the tranfattion was already
known to the audience, and therefore could not properly be {hewn
again, yet the two kings might have met upon the ftage, and af-
ter the examination of the old fhepheni, the young lady might
have been recognifed in fight of the Ipeftators. JOHNSON.
ther
W I N T E R's TALE. 429
ther continuing, this myftery remained u'ndifcovered.
But 'tis all one to me : for had I been the finder-out
of this fecret, it would not have reliih'd among my
other difcredits.
Enter Shepherd, and Clown.
Here come thofe I have done good to againftmy will,
and already appearing in the bloffoms of their fortune.
Shep. Come, boy ; I am pad more children ; but
thy fons and daughters will be all gentlemen born.
Clo. You are well met, fir : You denied to fight
with me this other day, becaufe I was no gentleman
born : See you thefe clothes ? fay, you fee them not,
and think me flill no gentleman born : you were beft
fay, thefe robes are not gentlemen born. Give me
the lie ; do ; and try whether I am not now a gentle-
man born.
Aut. I know, you are now, fir, a gentleman born.
Clo. Ay, and have been fo any time thefe four
hours.
Shep. And fo have I, boy,
Clo. So you have : but I was a gentleman born
before my father : for the king's fon took me by the
hand, and call'd me, brother; and then the two kings
call'd my father, brother ; andthen the prince, my bro-
ther, and the princefs, mr fifter, call'd my father, fa-
ther; and fo we wept : and there was the firft gentle-
man-like tears that ever we Ihed.
Shep. We may live, fon, to fhed many more.
Clo. Ay ; or elfe 'twere hard luck, being in fo pre-
pofterous eftate as we are.
Aut. I humbly bcfeech you, fir, to pardon me all
the faults I have committed to your worlhip, and to
give me your good report to the prince my mailer.
Shep. Wythec, fon, do ; for we muft be gentle,
now we are gentlemen.
Clo. Thou wilt amend thy life ?
Aut. Ay, an it like your good worfhip.
430 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Clo. Give me thy hand : I will fwear to the prince,
thou art as honed a true fellow as any is in Bohemia.
Shep. You may fay it, but not fwear it.
Clo. Not fwear it, now I am a gentleman ? Let boors
and ' franklins fay it, I'll fwear it.
Shep. How if it be falfe, fon ?
Clo, If it be ne'er fo falfe, a true gentleman may
fwear it, in the behalf of his friend : And I'll fwear to
the prince, thou art a tall fellow of thy hands, and
that thou wilt not be drunk ; but I know, thou art
no * tall fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt be
drunk; but I'll fwear it : and I would, thou woulft'ft
be a tall fellow of thy hands.
Aut. I will prove fo, fir, to my power.
Clo. Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow : If I do
not wonder, how thou dar'fl venture to be drunk, not
being a tall fellow, truft me not. Hark ! the kings
and the princes, our kindred, are going to fee the
queen's pidture. Come, follow us : we'll be thy
good m afters. [Exeunt.
1 ' franklins fay it, ] Franklin is & freeholder, or yeoman^
a man above a villain, but not a gentleman. JOHXSON.
* tall fellow of thy bands, ] Tall, in that time, was
the word ufed forj?ouf. JOKXSOX.
The reft of the phrafe occurs in Gower DC Conftjjione Amantis t
lib. v. fol. 114.:
" A noble knight eke of bis bonde."
Again, in the comedy of Wdy Beguiled: " Ay, and he's a tall
fellow, a man of his bands too," Again, in the anonymous play of
K. Henry V :
"I tell you he is zman of his bands."
A man of bis bands had anciently two fignifications. It either
meant an adroit fellow ivbo bandied bis weapon <u.W/, or a. fellow
Jkilful in Jbievery. Phrafeology like this is often met with. So,
in Acoloftus, a comedy, i 529 :
*' Thou art a good man of tbyne babitt" STEEVENS.
SCENE
W I N T E R's TALE. 431
SCENE III.
Paulina's houfe*
Enter Leontes, Polixenes, Florizel, Perdita> Camilk,
Paulina* Lords, and Attendants.
Leo. O grave and good Paulina, the great comfort
That I have had of thee !
Paid. What, fovereign fir,
I did not well, I meant well : All my fervices,
You have paid home: but that you have vouchfaf 'd,
With your crown'd brother, and thefe your contracted
Heirs of your kingdoms, my poor houfe to vifit ;
It is a furplus of your grace, which never
My life may laft to anlwer.
Leo. O Paulina,
We honour you with trouble : But we came
To fee the ftatue of our queen : your gallery
Have we pafs'd through, not without much content
In many fingularities ; but we faw not
That which my daughter came to look upon,
The ftatue of her mother.
Paul. As Ihe liv'd peerlefs,
So her dead likenefs, I do well believe,
Excels whatever yet you look'd upon,
Or hand of man hath done J therefore I keep it
Lonely, apart 3 : But here it is : prepare
To fee the life as lively mock'd, as ever
3 therefore I keep it
Lovely, apart : j
Lovely, i. e. charily, with more than ordinary regard and tender-
nefst The Oxford editor reads :
Lonely , apart :
As if it could be apart without being alone, WARBURTON.
I am yet inclined to lonely, which in the old angular writing
cannot be diftinguiflied from lovely. To fay, that / keep it alone,
Jefaratt/rom the refl^ is a pleonafrn which fcarcely any nicety declines,
JOHXSOX.
Still
43* W I N T E R's TALE.
Still fleep mock'd death : behold; and fly, 'tis weiL
[Paulina undraws a curtain^ and difcovers aftatue*
I like your filence, it the more fhews off
Your wonder : But yet fpeak ; firft, you, my liege.
Comes it not ibmething near ?
Leo. Her natural polture I
Chide me, dear {tone ; that I may fay, indeed,
Thou art Hermione : or, rather, thou art fhe,
In thy not chiding ; for Ihe was as tender,
As infancy, and grace. But yet, Paulina,
Hermione was not fo much wrinkled ; nothing
So aged, as this feems.
Pol. Oh, not by much.
Paul. So much the more our carver's excellence ;
Which lets go by fome lixteen years, and makes her
As fhe liv'd now.
Leo. As now fhe might have done,
So much to my good comfort, as it is
Now piercing to my foul. Oh, , thus fhe flood,
Even with fuch life of majefly, (warm life,
As now it coldly ftandsj when firft I woo'd her !
I am afham'd : Does not the flone rebuke me,
For being more ftone than it ? Oh, royal piece >
There's magick in thy majefty ; which has
My evils conjur'd to remembrance ; and
From thy admiring daughter took the fpirits,
Standing like ftone with thee I
Per. And give me leave ;
And do not fay, 'tis fuperftition, that
I kneel, and then implore her blefling. Lady,
Dear queen, that ended when I but began,
Give me that hand of yours, to kifs.
Paul. Oh, patience 4 ;
The ftatue is but newly fix'd, the colour's
Not dry.
4 Q patience \\
That is, Stay a while, be notfo eager. JOHNSON*
Cam.
VV I N T E R's TALE, 433
Cam. My lord, your forrow was too fore laid on ;
Which fixteen winters cannot blow away,
So many fummers, dry : fcarce any joy
Did ever fo long live ; no forrow,
But kill'd itfelf much fooner.
PoL Dear my brother,
Let him, that was the caufe of this, have powef
To take off fo much grief from you, as he
Will piece up in himfelf.
Paul. Indeed, my lord %
If I had thought, the fight of my poor image
Would thus have wrought you, (for the ftone is mine)
I'd not have ftiew'd it.
Leo. Do not draw the curtain.
Paul. No longer lhall you gaze on't; left your
fancy
May think anon, it moves.
Leo. Let be, let be.
6 Would I were dead, but that, methinks, already*
What was he, that did make it ? See, my lord,
5 Indeed, my lord t
If I bad thought, thejight of my poor image
Would thus have wrought you (for the {tone is mine)
Pd not bavejbevfd it.]
1 do not know whether we fhould not read, without a parenthcfis :
for the ftone i'th' mine
I'd not bMrcJb&xrel it.
A mine ol ftone, or marble, would not perhaps at prefentbe efteem-
ed an accurate expreffion, but it may ftill have been ufed by Shake-
fpeare, as it has been ufed by Holinfhed. Defer iff . of Engl. c. ix^
p. 235 : " Now if you have regard to their ornature, how many
mines of fundrie kinds of coarfe anil fine marble are there to be had
in England ?" And a little lower he ufes the fame word again
for a quarry of ftone, or plaifler : " Andfuch is the mine of it , that
the Jlones thereof lie injlakcs, &c." TYRWHITT.
To change an accurate expreffion for an expreffion confefledly
not accurate, has ibmewhat of retrogradation. JOHNSON.
6 }^ouU I were dead, but that, methinks, already]
The fentence compleated is :
but that, methinks, already I converfe vjitb the dead.
But there his pullion made him break off. WARBWRTOK.
VOL. IV. F f Would
434 W I N T E R's T A L E.
Would you not deem, it breath'd ? and that thofe
veins
Did verily bear blood ?
Pol. Mafterly done :
The very life feems warm upon her lip.
Leo. The fixure of her eye has motion in't 7 ,
As we are mock'd with art.
Paul. I'll draw the curtain ;
My lord's almoft fo far tranfported r that
He'll think anon, it lives.
Leo. O fweet Paulina,
Make me to think fo twenty years together ;
No fettled fenfes of the world can match
The pleafure of that madnefs. Let't alone.
Paul. 1 am forry, fir, I have thus far flirr'd you :
but
I could afflict you further,
Leo. Do, Paulina ;
For this affliction has a tafte as fweet
As any cordial comfort. Still, methinks,
There is an air comes from her : What fine chizzel
Could ever yet cut breath ? Let no man mock me.
For I will kifs her.
Paul. Good my lord, forbear r
The ruddinefs upon her lip is wet ;
You'll mar it, if you kifs it ; ftain your own
With oily painting : Shall I draw the curtain ?
Leo, No, not thefe twenty years.
7 The fixure of her eye bos motion /V,3.
This is fad nonfenfe. We fhould read :
The fiflure of her eye - -
5. e. the focket, the place where the eye is. WARBURTOX-.
Fixwe is right. The meaning is, that her eye, though JixcJ t
as in an earneft gaze, has motion in it. EDWARDS.
The word fixure , which Shakeipeare has ufed both in the Merry
Wives of Windfor, and Troilus ami Crejjida, is iikewife employ'd
by Drayton in the firft canto of the Barons' Wan:
* Whofe glorious Jixure in lo clear a Iky." STEEVENS.
Per.-
W I N T E R's T A L E. 435
Per. So long could I
Stand by, a looker on.
Paul. Either forbear j
Quit prefently the chapel ; or refolve you
For more amazement : If you can behold it^
I'll make the flatue move indeed ; defcend,
And take you by the hand : but then you'll think,
(Which I proteft againft) I am affifted
By wicked powers.
Leo. What you can make her do,
I am content to look on : what to fpeak^
I am content to hear ; for 'tis as eafy
*To make her fpeak^ as move.
Paul. It is requir'd,
You do awake your faith : Then, all ftand flill
Or, thofej that think it is unlawful bufmefs
I am about, let them depart.
Leo. Proceed ;
No foot fhall flir.
Pauh Mufick ; awake her: ftrike.< \_Muftcki
*Tis time ; defcend ; be ftone no more : approach ;
Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come ;
I'll fill your grave up : flir; nay, come away ;
Bequeath to death your nnmbnefs, for from him
Dear life redeems you. You perceive, Ihe ftirs :
[Hermione comes dowrti
Start not ; her actions fliall be holy, as,
You hear, my fpell is lawful : do not Ihun her,
Until you fee her die again ; for then
You kill her double ; Nay, prefent your hand :
When flic was young, you woo'd her ; now, in age^
Is Ihe become the fuitor.
Leo. Oh, file's warm ! [Embracing her.
If this be magick, let it be an art
Lawful as eating.
Pel. She embraces him,
Cam. She hangs about his neck ;
If flie pertain to life, let her fpeak too.
' F f J PoL
W I N T E R's TALE.
Pol Ay, and make't manifeft where fhe has Hv'cTj,
Or how ftol'n from the dead ?
Paul. That fhe is living,
Were it but told you, ihould be hooted at
Like an old tale ; but it appears, ihe lives,
Though yet file fpeak not. Mark a little while.-
Pleafe you to interpofe, fair madam ; kneel,
And pray your mother's bleffing. Turn, good lady ;
Our Perdita is found.
[Preferring Perdtta, who kneels to Hermione.
Her. You gods,, look down,
And from your faered vials pour your graces
Upon my daughter's head ! Tell me, mine own,
Where haft thou been preferv'd ? where liv'd ? how
found
Thy father's court ? for thou fhalt hear, that I,
Knowing by Paulina, that the oracle
Gave hope thou waft in being, have preferv'd
Myfelf, to fee the ifiue.
Paul. There's time enough for that ;
Left they defire, upon this pufh, to trouble
Your joys with like relation. Go together,
8 You precious winners all ; your exultation
Partake to every one : I, an old turtle 9 ,
Wild
8 Ton precious winners all ; ' ]
You who by this difcovery have gained what you defired, may join
in feftivity, in which I, who have loft what never can be reco-
vered, can have no part. JOHNSON.
9 .. /, an old turtle,
Will wing me to fame wither' 'd bough ; and there
My mate, that's never to lie found again^
Lament 'till I am loft.']
So, Orpheus, in the exclamation which Johannes Secundus has
written for him, fpeakingof his grief for the lots of Euridice, fays :
" Sic gtmitareiUi viduatus ab arbore turtur."
It is obfervable, that the two poets, in order to heighten the
image, have ufed the very fame phrafe, having both placed their
turtles on a dry and withered bough. I have fince discovered the
fame idea in Lodge's Rofulyndor Eupfmes' golden Legacie^ 1592? a
book which Shakefpeare is known to have read ;
" A
W I N T E R's TALE. 437
Will wing me to fome wither'd bough ; and there
My mate, that's never to be found again,
Lament 'till I am loft.
Leo. O peace, Paulina ;
Thou fhould'il a hufband take by my confent,
As I by thine, a wife : this is a match,
And made between's by vows. Thou haft found mine ;
But how, is to be queftion'd : for I faw her,
As I thought, dead ; and have, in vain, faid many
A prayer upon her grave : I'll not feek far
(For him, I partly know his mind) to find thee
An honourable hufband : Come, Camillo,
And take her by the hand : whofe worth, andhonefty,
Is richly noted ; and here juftify'd
By us, a pair of kings. Let's from this place.
What ? Look upon my brother ? both your par-
dons,
That e'er I put between your holy looks
My ill fufpicion. This your fon-in-law,
And fon unto the king; who, heavens directing,
Is troth-plight to your daughter. Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence ; where we may leifurely
Each one demand, and anfwer to his part
Perform'd in this wide gap of time, fince firft
We were diflever'd : Haftily lead away.
[Exeunt omnes.
'* A turtle fat upon a leavclefs tree,
*' Mourning her abfentpbeer
** With fad and forry cheere,
'* And whilft her plumes fhe rents,
" And for her love laments, &c."
Chapman feems to have imitated this paflage in his WiJovfs Ttar.r,
1612 : " Whether fome wandering Eneas fliould enjoy your rc-
verfion, or whether your true turtle would 'ft mourning on a wither-
ed bough till Atropos cut her throat" MALONE.
Of this play no edition is known published before the folio of
1623.
This play, as Dr. Warburton juftly obferves, is, with all its
abfurdities, very entertaining. The charader of Autolycus is
very naturally conceived, and ilrongly reprefented. JOHNSON.
Ff 3 MAC-
MACBETH.
F f 4 -Pcrfons
Perfons Reprefented.
Duncan, King of Scotland.
Malcolm, 7 c , , v .
DonalbainJ Sons to the Km S ,
Lenox, ~\
Macduff,
MeSeth, \ Noblemen of Scotland
Angus,
Cathnefs, J
Fleance, Son to Banquo.
JSiward, General of the Englijli forces*
Young Siward, his fan.
Seyton, an Officer attending on Macbeth.
Son to Macduff.
An Englfo Dottor.
A Scotch Dottor. A Captain* A Porter. An old Man,
Lady Macbeth.
Lady Macduff.
Gentlewoman attending on Lady Macbeth.
Hecate, and three Witches.
Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Soldiers, Murderers, Atten-.
dants, and Me/engers.
The Ghoft of Banquo, andfeveral other Apparitions.
|5 C E N E, in the end of the fourth act, lies in England ;
through the reft of the play , in Scotland; and, chiefly,
at Maebeth'j caftle *.
Of this play there is no edition more ancient than that of 1623,
Moft of the notes which the prefent editor has fubjoined to this
play, were publifiied by him in a fmall pamphlet in 1 745.
JOHNSON.
* I have taken a liberty with this tragedy, which might beprac-
tifed with' almoft equal propriety in refpecl ofa few others : I mean,
the retrenchment of fuch ftage-direftions as are not fupplied by
the oldeft copy. Mr. Rowe had tricked out Macbeth, like many
more of Shakefpeare's plays, in all the foppery of the reign of
cjueen Anne. Every change of fituation produced notice that the
fcene lay in an anti-chamber, a royal apartment, or a palace ; and
even fome variations and ftarts of paffion were fet down in a man-
ner no Iei3 oftentatious and unneceflary, STEEVENS.
MACBETH.
ACT I- SCENE!.
and Lightning. * Enter three Witches.
i Witch. When lhall we three meet again
Jn thunder, lightning, or in rain ?
2 Witch,
* Enter three Jl r itcJ.>es.~\ In order to make a true eftimate of the
abilities and merit of a writer, it is always neceflary to examine
the genius of his age, and the opinions of his contemporaries. A
poet who fhould now make the whole adion of his tragedy depend
upon enchantment, and produce the chief events by the affiftance
of fupernatural agents, would be cenfured as tranfgreffing the
bounds of probability, be banifhed from the theatre to the nur-
fery, and condemned to write fairy tales inftead of tragedies ; but
a furvey of the notions that prevailed at the time when this play
was written, will prove that Shakefpeare was in no danger of luch
cenfures, fince he only turned the fyftem that was then univer-
fally admitted, to his advantage, and was far from overburthening
the credulity of his audience.
The reality of witchcraft or enchantment, which, though not
ftri&ly the fame, are confounded in this play, has in all ages and
countries been credited by the common people, and in molt, by
the learned themfelves. The phantoms have indeed appeared
more frequently, in proportion as the darknefs of ignorance has
been more grofs ; but it cannot be fnown, that the brightelt
gleams of knowledge have at any time been fufficient to drive
them out of the world. The time in which this kind of credu-
lity \vas at its height, feems to have been that of the holy war,
in which the Chriftians imputed all their defeats to enchantments
or diabolical oppofition, as they aicribed their fuccefs to the afli-
flance of their military faints ; and the learned Dr. Warburton
appears to believe (Suj>pL to tbe Introduction to Don Qt!.\'i>te) that
the firfl accounts of enchantments were brought into this part of
the world by thofe who returned from their eailern expeditions.
But
442 MACBETH,
2 Witch. When the hurly-buriy's done,
1 When the battle's loft and won ;
3 Witch.
But there is always fome diftance between the birth and maturity
of folly as of wickednels : this opinion had long exifted, though
perhaps the application of it had in no foregoing age been fo fre-
quent, nor the reception fo general. Olympiodorus, in Photius's
extracts, tells us of one Libanius, who practifed this kind of mi-
Jitary magic, and having promifed^p? OTZ-XJT u turret fSctfidfut ii-^yvv,
to perform great things agabift the Barbarians without foldiers, was,
at the initances ot the emprefs Piacidia, put to death, when he
v as nbout to have given proofs of his abilities. The emprefs
iliewed Ibme kindneis in her anger, by cutting him off at a time fq
convenient for his reputation.
But a more remarkable proof of the antiquity of this notion may
be found in St. Chryfoftom's book dc Sacerdotio, which exhibits a
fcene of enchantments not exceeded by any romance of the mid-
dle age : he fuppofes a fpectator overlooking a field of battle at-
tended by one that points out all the various obje&s of horror,
the engines of destruction, and the arts of llaughter. AEW.X/TO \ rr
, xctt 'Ka.ffr.r youTsia; ovvx.f*M> xtzitiia*. Let him then pr
him in the opptyfitc armies borfes flying ly enchantment, armed
men tranfported through the air, and every power and form of magic.
Whether St. Chryibilom believed that fuch performances were
really to be feen in a day of battle, or only endeavoured to enli-
ven his deicription, by adopting the notions of the vulgar, it is
equally certain, that fuch notions were in his time received, and
that therefore they were not imported from the Saracens in a later
age ; the wars with the Saracens however gave occafion to their
propagation, not only as bigotry naturally discovers prodigies, but
as the Icene of action was removed to a great diflance.
The Reformation did not immediately arrive at its meridian,
and though day was gradually encreafing upon us, the goblins of
witchcralt ilill continued to hover in the twilight. Jn the time of
queen Elizabeth was the remarkable trial of the witches of War-
bois, whofe conviction is lull commemorated Jn an annual fermon
at Huntingdon. But in the reign of king James, in which this
tragedy was written, many circumilances concurred to propagate
and
1 When the battle's Injl and ivon .]
i. e. the battle, in which Macbeth was then engaged. Thefe
wayward fitters, as we may fee in a note on the third fcene of this
acft, were much concerned in battles.
Hce nominantur Falkyrits ; quas t[uod<vis ad pral'nrni Odinus mittlf,
WARBURTON.
MACBETH. 443
3 Wild). That will be ere th' fet of fun,
j ff r itck, Where the place ?
2 ff'ltcb.
and confirm this opinion. The king, who was much celebrated
for his knowledge, had, before his arrival in England, not only
examined inperfon a woman accufed of witchcraft, bur had given
a very formal account of the practices and illufions of evil fpirits,
the compacts of witches, the ceremonies ufed by them, the man-
ner of detecting them, and the juftice of punifhing them, in his
dialogues of Damonologie > written in the Scottish dialed, and
ubli(hed at Edinburgh, This book was, foon atter his accellion,
reprinted at London, and as the ready way to gain king James's
favour was to flatter his fpeculations, the fyftem of Dtemonologie
was immediately adopted by all who defired either to gain prefer-
jnent or not to lofe it. Thus the doctrine of witchcraft was very
powerfully inculcated ; and as the greateft part of mankind have
no other reafon for their opinions than that they are in faihion,
it cannot be doubted but this perfualion made a rapid progrefs,
fince vanity and credulity co-operated in its favour. The infec-
tion foon reached the parliament, who, in the firft year of king
James, made a law, by which it was enacted, chap. xii. That
*' if any perfon fhall ufe any invocation or conjuration of any evil
or wicked fpirit ; 2. or fhall confult, covenant with, entertain,
(employ, feed or reward any evil or curled fpirit to or for any
intent or purpofe ; 3. or take up any dead man, woman or child
out of the ^rave, or the fkin, bone, or any part of the dead
perfon, to be employed or ufed in any manner of witchcraft,
forccry, charm, or enchantment; 4. or (hall ufe, practife or
exercile any fort of witchcraft, forcery, charm, or enchant-
ment; 5. whereby any perfon fhall be deftroyed, killed, wafted,
confumed, pined, or 'lamed in any part of the body ; 6. That
every fuch perfon being convicted fhail fuffer death." This law
was repealed in our own time.
Thus, in the time of Shakefpeare, was the doctrine of witch-
craft at once eftablifhed by law and by the fafhion, and it became
pot only uppolite, but criminal, to doubt it ; and as prodigies
are always fcen in proportion as they are expefted, witches were
every day difcovered, and multiplied fo faft in fume places, that
bifhop Hall mentions a village in Lancafhire, where their num-
ber was greater than that of the houfes. The jefuits and fe<Sh-
ries took advantage of this univerfal error, and endeavoured to
promote the interefl of their parties by pretended cures of rjerfons
afflided by evil fpirits ; but they were detected and expofed by the
clergy of the eftabliihed church.
Upon this general infatuation Shakefpeare might be eafily al-
Jowed to found a play, efpecially fmce he has followed with great
exactnefs
444 MACBETH*
2 Witch. Upon the heath :
3 Witch. * There to meet with Macbeth*
i Witch. I come, Gray-malkin * \
All. Paddock calls : Anon 4 .
5 Fair is foul, and foul is fair :
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
SCENE
exa&nefs fuch hiftories as were then thought true ; nor can it be
doubted that the fcenes of enchantment, however they may now be
ridiculed, were both by himfelf and his audience thought awful
and affecting. JOHNS ox.
a There to meet with Macbeth.]
Thus the old copy. Mr. Pope, and after him other editors read ;
There I go to meet Macbeth.
The infertion, however, feems to be injudicious. To meet with
Macbeth was the general defign of all the witches in going to the
heath, and not the particular bufinefs or motive of any one of
them in diftinftion from the reft ; as the interpolated words, I go^
jn the mouth of the third witch, would moft certainly imply.
STEEVENS.
* Gray-malkin. !. ]
From a little black letter book, entitled, Beware the Cat, 1584,
I find it was permitted to a Witch to take on her a cattes body nine
times. Mr. Upton obferves, that to underftand this paflage we
ihould fuppofe one familiar calling with the voice of a cat ? ancl
another with the croaking of a toad. STEEVENS.
4 Paddock calls : Anon. ]
This, as well as the two following lines, is given in the folio to the
three Witches. Preceding editors have appropriated the firft of them
to the fecond Witch.
According to the late Dr. Goldfmith, andfome other naturalifts,
zfrog is called % paddock in the North j as in the following inltance
in Ctffar and Pompey, by Chapman, 1602:
" Paddockes, todes, and vvaterfnakes."
In Shakefpeare, however, it certainly means a toad. The re-
prefentation of St. James in the witches' houfe (one of the fet of
prints taken from the painter called Hellijh Brcugel, 1566) ex-
hibits witches flying up and down the chimney on brooms ; and
before the fire fit grimalkin %n& paddock, i. e. a cat and a toad^
with feveral baboons. There is a cauldron boiling, with a witch
near it, cutting out the tongue of a fnake, as an ingredient for the;
charm. STEEVENS.
5 Fair is foul) and foul is fair ;]
MACBETH. 445
SCENE II.
uttarum within. Enter King Duncan, Malcolm, Do-
nalbain, Lenox, with Attendants, meeting a bleeding
Captain.
King. What bloody man is that ? He can report,
As feemeth by his plight, of the revolt
The neweft ftate.
Mai. This is the ferjeant 6 ,
\Vho like a good and hardy foldier fought
'Gainft my captivity : Hail, brave friend !
Say to the king the knowledge of the broil,
i. e. we make thefe fudden changes of the weather. And Mac-
beth, fpeaking of this day, foon after fays :
So foul and fair a Jay I have notfecn. WAR BUR TON.
The common idea of witches has always been, that they had
abfolute power over the weather, and could raile ftorms of any
kind, or allay them, as they pleafed. In conformity to this no-
tion, Macbeth addrefles them in the fourth act :
Tbougbyou untye the winds, &c. STEEVENS.
I believe the meaning is, that to us, perverfe and malignant as
we are, fair is foul, and foul is fair. JOHNSON.
This expreffion feems to have been proverbial. Spenfer has it
in the 4th book of the Faery ^ueen :
*' Then fair grew foal, w& foul grew fair in fight."
FARMER.
6 77/is is tie ferjeant,]
Holinflied is the beft interpreter of Shakefpeare in his hiftorical
plays ; for he not only takes his fals from him, but often his very
words and expreffions. Thathiflorian, in his account of Macdowald's
rebellion, mentions, that on the firft appearance of a mutinous fpirit
among the people, the king fent ^ferjeant at arms into the country,
to bring up the chief offenders to anfwer the charge preferred
againft them, but they, inftead of obeying, mifufed the mejjenger
ivitb fitndry reproaches^ and finally Jlew bint. Thisferjeaat at arms
is certainly the origin of the bletditig Serjeant introduced on this
occafion. Shakefpeare juft caught the name from Holinfhed, but
the reft of the ftory not fuiting his purpofe, he does not adhere to
it. The ftage direction of entrance, where the Heeding Captain is
mentioned, was probably the work of the player editors, and
not of Shakefpeare. STEEVENS.
As
446 MACBETH.
As thou didft leave it.
Cap. Doubtful it flood 7 ;
As two fpent fwimmers, that do cling together^
And choak their art. The mercilefs Macdonel
(Worthy to be a rebel ; for> to that,
The multiplying villanies of nature
Do fwanii upon him) 9 from the weftern ifles
Of Kernes and Gallow-glaffes is fupply'd ;
1 And fortune, on his damned quarrel imiling,
Shewed
7 Doubffullong it
Mr. Pope, who firft introduced the word long to affift the metre,
has thereby injured the fenfe. If the companion was meant tor
coincide in all circumftances, the flruggle could not be long.
SfEEVENSi
8 - Macdonel}
According to Holinfhed we fiiould read Macdawald. The folio
reads Macdonivald. STEEVENS.
9 - -from the ivejtcrn ijles
Of Kernes and Gallnv-glajjes is /apply* d \\
Whether /apply* d of, for fnpply V from -or with, was a kind of
Grecifm of Shakefpeare's expreffion ; or whether of be a corrup-
tion of the editors, who took Kernes and Gallo^jo-glajjes^ which
were ouly light and heavy-armed foot, to be the names of two of
the weilern iflands, I don't know. Hinc conjectures vigorem etiam
adjiciunt arm a qnadam Hibernica, Gallicis antiquis Jimilia, jacula
nimirum peditum levis armatures quos Kernos vacant, nee non fecures
& lorictf ferrece peditum illorum gravioris armatures, quos Galloglaf-
fios appellant. Waraei Antiq. Hiber. cap. vi. WARBURTON.
Of and -with are indifcriminately ufed by our ancient writers.
So, in the Spanifa Tragedy ;
" Perform'd ^/'pleafure by your fon the prince."
Again, in God's Revenge again ft Murder, hift. vi : " Sypontus in
the mean time is prepared of two wicked gondaliers, &c." Again,-
in The Hiftory of Rely as Kn'rghi of tht Sun, bl. 1. no date : " he
was well garnifhed of fpeur, fvvord, and armoure, &c/' Thefe
are a few out of a thouland inftauces which might be brought to-
the fame purpofe. STEEVKNS.
1 Andfgrtune, on his damned quarry fmiling,"]
Thus the old copy ; but I am inclined to read quarrel. hiar~
rel was formerly ufed for car'/i', or for the occajion of a quarrel^
and is to be found in thnt ienie in Holinfhed's account of the
itory of Macbeth, who, upon thecreation of the prince of Cum-
berland, thought, fays the hiilorian, that he had ajvjl quarrel to
endeavour
MACBETH. 447
Shew'd like a rebel's whore : But all's too weak :
For brave Macbeth, (well he dcferves that name)
Difdaining fortune, with his brandifh'd Heel,
Which fmoak'd with bloody execution,
Like valour's minion, carved out his paflage,
'Tillhefac'dtheflave:
And ne'er fhook hands *, nor bade farewel to him,
Till J he unfeam'd him from the nave to the chops,
And fix'd his head upon our battlements.
King.
endeavour after the crown. The fenfe therefore is, Fortune fmil-
ing on bis execrable caufe, &c. This is followed by Dr. Warburton.
JOHNSOX.
The word quarrel occurs in Holinfted's relation of this very
facl, and may be regarded as a futficient proof of its having beeii
the term here employed by Shakefpenre : " Out of the weftern itles
there came to Macdowald a great multitude of people, tj afful
him in that rebellious quarrel" Befides, Macdowald's quarry,
(i. e. game) muft have confilted of Duncan's friends, and would the
fpeaker then have applied the epithet damned to them ? and what
have the fmiles of fortune to do over a carnage, when we have
defeated our enemieb ? Her bufmt-fs is then at an aid. Her fmiles
or frowns are no longer of any confequence. We only talk of
thefe, while we are purfuing our quarrel, and the event of it ia.
uncertain. STEEVEXS.
- And ntffxjljook bands, &c.]
The oUl copy reads which never. STEEVEKS.
3 he u'ifcani'd him from the nave to the chops, ~\
We feldom hear of fuch terrible crofs blows given and received
but by giants and mifcreants in Amadls de Caule. Belides it mult
be a ftrange auk^vard flroke that could unrip him upwards tro:u
the navel to the chops. But Shakefpeare certainly wrote :
he unjeanfd him from the nape to the chops,
i.e. cut his Ikull in two ; which might be done by a Hi gli lan-
der's fword. This was a reafonable blow, and very naturally ex-
prefled, on fuppofing it given when the head of the wearied com-
batant was reclining downwards at the latter end of a lung duel.
For the nape is the hinder part of the neck, where the vari^ra
join to the bone ol the ikull. So, in Coriolaum :
" O ! that you could turn your eyes towards the napes of
your necks."
The word unfeamcd likewife, becomes very proper ; and alludes
to the future which goes crofs the crown of the head in tint direc-
tion called the futura fagittalis ; and which) coiifojuently, muft
be
44 8 MACBETH.
King. Oh, valiant coufin ! worthy gentleman 1
Cap. 4 As whence the fun 'gins his reflexion
Ship-
be opened by fuch a ftroke. It is remarkable, that Milton, xvho
in his youth read and imitated our poet much, particularly in his
Comus, was milled by this corrupt reading. For in the rnanufcript
of that poem, in Trinity-College library, the following Hues are
read thus ;
" Or drag him by the curls, and cleave hisfcalpe
"' Down to the hippes."
An evident imitation of this corrupted paffage. But he alter'd it
with better judgment to :
" to a foul death
" Curs'd as his life." WAREURTOX.
The learned commentator is certainly right in his alteration of
nave into nape ; but notwithstanding his fagacity in that point, he
feems to be miftaken in his defcription of the ftroke. To unfeam,
is to diflever, to cut in two. The word is thus ufed by B. and
Fletcher in the firft of their Four Plays in One :
" not a vein runs here,
*' But Sophocles would unfeam"
To unfeam a man from the nape to the chops, is a plain exact de-
fcription as can be given of cutting off the head at the neck by a
blow from the hinder part quite through to the fore part where it
joins the chops, according to our common idea of decollation.
The words will fcarcely bear the other interpretation of cutting bis
fcull in tv:o through the crown of the head and fagittal future.
That would be unfeaming him down to the nape and the chops ;
but Macbeth's blow is from the nape to the chops.
The blow in Milton was copied from the romances he was fo
fond of, which are full of fuch downward cleaving ftrokes ; and
could never be taken from the aukward, upward, almoft impoffi.-
ble one in this corrupted paflage of Shakefpeare, STEEVENS.
* As whe?i the fun 'gins his reflection]
Here are two readings in the copies, gives, and 'gias t i. e. begins.
But the latter I think is the right, as founded on obfervation,
that ilcrms generally come from the eaft. As from the place (fays
he) ivbence the fun begins his courfe, (viz. the eaft) JbipwrecVng
Jlorms proceed, fo, &c. For the natural and conftant motion of the
ocean is from eaft to weft ; and the wind has the fame general di-
redtion. Pracipaa & generalis [ventorum] cavfa ejl ipfe Sol qui
aerem rarefacit & attenuat. Aer enim rarefafius multo major cm lo-
cum pojlulat. Inde jit ut Aer a fole impulfus alium vicbium aerem
magno impctu protrudat ; cumque Sol ab Oriente in occidentcm circum-
rotctur, prcecipuus ab eo aeris impulfus fiet verfr.s occidentem.
VareniiGecgr, 1. i, c. xiv. prop. 10. See alfo Dr. Ha/ley's Ac-
COUflf
MACBETH.
Shipwrecking ftorms and direful thunders break 5 ;
So from that fpring, whence comfort feem'd to come.,
fl Difcomfort fwells. Mark, king of Scotland, mark :
No foonef juftice had, with valour arm'd,
Compell'd thefe Skipping Kernes to truft their heels;
But the Norweyan lord, furveying vantage,
count of the Trade W^inds of the Moufflons. This being fo, it is r.o
wonder that ftorms fhould come moft frequently from that quar-
ter ; or that they fhould be moil violent, becauie there is a con-
currence of the natural motions of wind and wave. This prove*
the true reading is 'gifts ; the other reading not fixirig it to that
quarter. For the fun may give its reflection in any part of its
Courfe above the horizon ; but it can begin it only in one. The
Oxford editor, however, flicks to the other reading, gives: and
fays, that, by the fun's giving bis reflexion, is meant the 'rain-bo-T.v t
theftrongejl and moft remarkable reflexion of any the fun gives. He
appears by this to have as good a hand at reforming our phyfica
as our poetry. This is a diicovery, that fhipwrecking ftorms pro-
ceed from the rainbow. But he was milled by his want ot Ikiil
in Shakefpeare's phrafeology, who, by the fun's reflexion, means
only the fun's light. But while he is intent on making his au-
thor fpeuk correctly, he flips himielf. The rainbow is no more
a reflexion of the inn than a tune is a fiddle. And, though it be
the moft remarkable effect of reflected light, yet it is not the
Jlrongej}. W A R E u X T o x .
There are not two readings : both the old folios have 'gins.
JOHNSO.V,
The thought is exprefled with fonre obfcurity, but the plain
meaning is this : As the fame quarter, ivhenct the blejfinsr of
day-light arifes, fcmctimes fends us, by a dreadful reverfe, tfa
talamities of ft arms and te?;ipejls ; fo- the pjorivus event of jl/./c 1 -
bct.h j s viflory, ivhicb proniifed us the comforts of peace, was immedi-
ately fuccccdfd by the alarming news of the Norvsyan invafon. The
natural hifbry of the winds, &c. is foreign to the explana-
tion of this paffage. Shakefpeare does not mean, in cont r-
mity to any theory, to fay that florms jj<.>*<-7Y///y come from the ealr.
If it be allowed that they fometimes ilfue from that quarter, it is
fufficient for the purpofe of his companion. STEEYENS.
5 thunders break \~\
The word break is wanting in the olded copy. The other folios and
Rowe read brcaki-ng. Mr. Pope made the emendation. STEEVEN^.
6 Difcomfort fwells - ]
D if comfort the natural oppolitc to co mfort. WeWd, h\ jiowed, \vaf
an emendation. The common copies have, ii-j\omfort ,
JOHNSON.
VOL. IV. G g With
450 MACBETH.
With farbifh'd arms, and new fupplies of men,
Began a frefh aflault.
King. Difmay'd not this
Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo ?
Cap. Yes;
As fparrows, eagles ; or the hare, the lion.
If I lay footh, I muft report they were
7 As cannons overcharged with double cracks ;
So they
Doubly redoubled ftrokes upon the foe :
Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,
* Or memorize another Golgotha,
lean-
7 As cannons overcharged with double cracks ;
So they doubly redoubled Jlrokes upon the foe :]
Mr. Theobald has endeavoured to improve the fenfe of this paf-
fage by altering the punctuation thus :
they "were
As cannons overcharged, ivitb double cracks
So they redoubled firokes ]
He declares, with fome degree of exultation, that he has no idea
of a cannon charged <witb double cracks ; but furely the great au-
thor will not gain much by an alteration which makes him fay
of a hero, that he redoubles firokes with double cracks, an expref-
fion not more loudly to be applauded, or more eafily pardoned
than that which is rejected in its favour. That a cannon is .charged
with thunder, or tur6 double thunders, may be written, not only
without nonfenfe, but -with elegance, and nothing elfe is here
meant by cracks, which in the time of this writer was a word of
fuch emphafis and dignity, that in this play he terms the general
difiblution of nature the crack ofdooia.
The old copy reads :
They doubly redoubled firoka. JOHNSON.
I have followed the old reading. In Rich. II. act I. we find
this paflage in fupport of it :
* 4 And let thy blows, doubly redoubled^
Fall, &c." STEEVENS.
8 Or memorize another Golgotha ,]
Memorize, for make memorable. WAR BURTON.
memorize another Golgotha,'] That is, to tranfmit another
Golgotha to pofterity. The word, which fome fuppofe to have
been coined by Shakefpeare, is ufed by Spenfer in a former to lord
Buckhurft prefixed to his Paftorah* 1579 ;
" IB
MACBETH, 45I
I cannot tell : -
But I am faint, my gafhes cry for help.
King. So well thy words become thee, as thy
wounds ;
They fmack of honour both : Go, get himfurgeons.
9 Enter Rof\
Who comes here ?
MaL The worthy thane of Rofle.
Len. W'hat a hafte looks through his eyes ? So
ihould he look ',
That feems to fpeak things ftrange.
Rofe.
* In vaine I thinke, right honourable lord,
' By this rude rime to memorize thy name." WAR TON.
The word is likevvife ufed by Chapman, in his tranflation of
the fecond book of Homer, 1598.
* which let thy thoughts be fure to memorize"
Again, n The Fawne, by Marfton, 1606:
* - oh, let this night
* Be ever manor IT? d with prouder triumphs."
Again, in Daniel's dedication to the tragedy of Philotas :
" Defign our happinefs to memorize"
Again^ in Drayton's PolyoLbion, fong 5 :
" Which to fucceeding times ihall memorize your ftories."
Again, in the 2 ift fong ;
" Except poor widows' cries to memorize your theft."
Again, in the Miracles ofMofcs :
" That might for ever memorize this deed."
And again, in a copy of verfes prefixed to fir Arthur Gorges'a
tranllation of Lucan, 1614:
" Of them whole adls they mean to memorize."
STEEVENS. .
9
Enter RoJJe and Angus.] As only the thane of Rofle is (poken
to, or fpeaks any thing in the remaining part of this fcene, An-
gus is a luperfluous character, the king exprefling himfelf in the
Angular number;
Whence cani'Jl tbou y ivorthy Thane f
I have printed it, Enter Roffe only. STEEVENS.
1 SoJboMbelook,
That feems to fpeak tb'<ng sfirange.~\
The meaning of this palFage as it now Itands, is, fo JJwuldbe Unk^
that looks as if he told things Jl range. But Roile neither yet told
Urange things, nor could look as if he told them -, Lenox only
G g 2 con-
45* H A C B E T H.
Roffe. God fave the king !
King. Whence cam'ft thou, worthy thane ?
Rqflc. From Fife, great king,
Where the Nbrweyan banners 2 flout the Iky,
And fan our people cold.
Norway himfelf, with terrible numbers,
Affifted by that moft difloyal traitor
The thane of Cawdor, began a difmal conflict :
'Till that Bellona's bridegroom, lapt in proof,
f Confronted him 4 with felf-comparifons,
Point
conjectured from his air that he had frrange things to tell, and
therefore undoubtedly faid :
IfTtat hafte looks through his eyes?
SoJbouU be look, that teems tofpeak things ftrange.
He looks like one that is big vjitb fomething of importance ; *
metaphor fo natural that it is ever}' day ufed in common difcourfe.-
JOHNSOV.
The following pafiage in Cymldine feems to afford no unapt com-
ment upon this : ,
*' one but painted thus,
" Would be interpreted a thing perplex'd, &c."
Again, in the Tempeft :
*' prithee, fay on :
" The fetting of thine eye and cheek proclaim
" A matter from thee-
Again, in K.Ricbardll :
*' Men j.udge by the complexion of the Iky, &c.
" So may you, by my dull and heavy eye,
*' My tongue hath but a heavier tale to fay." STZEVENC,,
flout thejty,]
To flout is to dafli any thing^ in another's face. WARBURTOX.
T-o^flout does never fifnify to dajh any thing in another's fact-
Tojlout is rather to niock or infult. The banners are very poeti-
cally defcribed as waving in mockery or defanct of the flcy. So, in/
K^E.dv:ard\\\. 1599:
'* And new replenifh'd pendants cufFthe air,
'* And beat the wind, that for their gaudinefs
" Struggles to kifs them." STEEV-ENS*
7 Confronted hira with felf-comparifons^\.
The Jijloval Cawdor, fays Mr. Theobald. Then comes another,
and fays, a ftrange forgetfulnefs in Shakefpeare, when Macbeth
hud lakcn the Thane of Ca~j;dor prifoner, not to kno\v that he wa
fallen ir.to the king's difplcafure for rebellion* But this is only
MACBETH.
Point againfl point rebellious, arm 'gainft arm,
Curbing his lavifli fpirit : And to conclude,
The victory fell on us ;
King. Great happinefs i
Rojj'e. That now
Sweno, the Nonvays* king, craves compofttion ;
Nor would we deign him burial of his men,
'Till he drfburfed, at 5 Saint Colmes' inch,
Ten thoufand dollars to our general ufe.
King. No more that thane of Cawdor lhall deceive
Our bofom intcreit : Go, pronounce his prefent
death,
blunder upon blunder. The truth is, by him, in this verfe, i*
meant Norway ; as the plain conftru&ion of the English requires.
And the affiftance the thane of Cavjdor had given Norway was un-
derhand ; which Roffe and Angus, indeed, had difcovered ; but
was unknown to Macbeth. Cawdor being in the court all this
while, as appears from Angus's fpeech to Macbeth, when he
jneets him to lalute him with the title, and infmuates his crime toy
be lining the rebel -ivitb bidden help and ^vantage. WAR BURTON. \
The fecond blunderer was the prefent editor. JOHNSON.
4 with felf-comparifons,]
/. e. give him as good as he brought, fliew'd he was his equal.
WAR BUR TON.
5 Saint Colmct inch,]
The folio reads :
At Saint Colme? ynch.
Colmes-inch, now called Inchcoml, a fmall ifland lying in the Firth
of Edinburgh, with an abbey upon it, dedicated to St. Columb ;
called by Camden Inch Colm^ or the IJle of Columba. The mo-
dern editors, without authority, read :
Saint Colmcf-kitt IJle ;
arid very erroneoufly ; for Colmes' Inch, and Calm-kill are trio
different ilhmds ; the former lying on the eaftern coaft, near the
place where the Danes were defeated ; the latter in the weftern
leas, being the famous lona, one of the Hebrides.
Holinfhed thus mentions the whole circumftance : " The Danes
that rfcaped, and got once to tbtirjhips. obtained of Macbeth for a
great fum of gold, \\vs\fuch of their friends as were flaine, might
be buried in Saint Colme? Inch, In memory whereof many old le
pulturcs are yet in the faid Inch, graven with the arms of the
Danes." Inch, or Injbc in the Irifli and Erfe languages, fignifiea
an iiiund. See Lhuyd's Arcbaologia, STE^vENa..
G g 3 And
454 MACBETH.
And with his former title greet Macbeth.
Roffe. I'll fee it done.
King. What he hath loft, noble Macbeth hath won.
[Exeunt*
SCENE III,
Thunder* Enter the three Witches.
1 Witch. Where haft thou been, fifter ?
2 Witch. Killing fwine.
3 Witch f Sifter, where thou ?
i Witch. A failor's wife had chefnuts in her lap,
And mouncht, and mouncht, and mouncht : Give
me, quoth I.
6 Aroint thee, witch ! the 7 rumprfed 3 ronyon cries.
Her
6 Aroint thee, ]
Aroint, or avaunt, be gone. POPE.
Aroint thee, ivitcb ! ]
In one of the folio editions the reading js Anoint thee, in a fenfe
very confiftent with the common account of witches, who are re-
lated to perform many fupernatural ab by the means of un-
guents, and particularly to fly through the air to the places where
they meet at their hellifh feftivals. In this fenfe, anoint thee,
witch, will mean, Aivay, witch, to your infernal ajjembly. This
reading I was inclined to favour, becaufe I had met with the word
aroint in no other author ; till looking into Hearne's Collections
I found it in a very old drawing, that he has publiflied, in which
St. Patrick is reprefented vififing hell, and putting the devils in-
to great confufion by his prefence, of whom one that is driving
the damned before him with a prong, has a label iffuing out of
his mouth with thefe words, OUT OUT ARONGT, of which thelait
is evidently the fame with aroint, and ufed in the lame fenfe as in
this paflage. JOHNSON.
Ryntyou witch, quoth EcJJe Locket to her mother, is a north coun-
try proverb. The word is ufed again in K. I. car :
" And aroint thee witch, aroint thee." STEEVENS.
7 the rump-fed ronyon ]
The chief cooks in noblemen's families, colleges, religious houfes,
hofpitals, &c. anciently claimed the emoluments or kitchen fees
of kidneys, fat, trotters, rumps, &c, which they fold to the poor.
The weird fifter in this fcene, as an infult on the poverty of the
woman who had called her witch, reproaches her poor abjeft Hate*
MACBETH. 455
Her hufband's to Aleppo gone, matter o'the Tyger :
But in a fieve I'll thither fail 9 ,
1 And, like a rat without a tail,
I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do.
2 Witch* I'll give thee a wind *.
AS not being able to procure better provifion than offals, which
are confidered as the refufe of the tables of others.
COLEPEPER.
So, in Ben Jonfon's Staple of News, old Penny-boy lays to the
Cook:
" And then remember meat for my two dogs ;
" Fat flaps of mutton, kidneys, rumps, &e."
Again, in Wit at federal Weapons, by B- and Fletcher :
" A niggard to your commons, that you're fain
" To fize your belly out with (houlder fees,
*' With kidneys, rumps, and cues of fin gle beer."
In the Book cf Haukynge, &c. (commonly called the Book of St.
j4Ibans) bl. 1. no date, among the proper terms vfcd in kepyng of
baukes, itisfaid: " The hauke tyreth upon rumps" STEEVENS.
8 ron\o7i cries."]
\. e. fcabby or mangy woman. Fr. rogneux, royne, fcurf.
Thus Chaucer, in the Romaunt of the Rofe, p. 551 :
" - her necke
" Withouten bleine, or fcabbe, or roine."
Shakefpeare ufes the word again in Tfa Merry Wives ofWmafor.
STEEVENS.
9 - in afr-ve 1*11 tbitberfail, ]
Reginald Scott, in his Difcovc ry of Witchcraft, 1584, fays it was
believed that witches " could fail in an egg fliell, a cockle or
mufcle Ihell, through and under the tempeftuous leas." Again,
fir W. Davenant, in his Albovine, 1629 :
" He fits like a v>\tc\i failing in afeve." STEEVENS.
1 And like a rat ivithout a tail,\
It fhould be remembered j(as it was the belief of the times) that
though a witch could aflume the form of any animal flic pleafed,
the tail would ftill be wanting.
The reafon given by fome of the old writers, for fuch a defi-
ciency, is, that though the hands and feet, by an eafy change,
might be converted ,into the four paws of a beaft, there was iHll
no part about a woman which correfponded with the length of
tail common to almoft all four-footed creatures. SrEt\
1 Pll-givf thee a <U'.W.]
This free git; of a wind is to be confidered as an af> of filterly
friendfliip, t'or witches were fuppofcd to 1'tll them. So, in w/p.
ttur't I aft Will and Tcjlamcnt, 1 6co :
G g 4 ' in
456 MACBETH.
i Witch. Thou art kind.
3 Witch. And I another.
i Witch. I myfelf have all the other;
3 And the very points they blow.
All the quarters that they know
I' the fhipman's card 4 .
I will drain him dry as hay s :
Sleep ihall, neither night nor day,
Hang upon his pent-hqufe lid j
6 lie Ihafl live a man forbid ;
Weary
<< in Ireland and in Denmark both,
* ' Witches for gold \v\\\fe II a man a wind,
" Which in the corner of a napkin wrap'd,
" Shall blow him fafe unto what coaft he will."
Drayton, in his Moon-calf, fays the fame. STEEVENS.
3 And the very points they lltnv j]
As the word very is here of no other ufe than to fill up the verfe,
it is likely that Shakefpeare wrote various, which might be eafily
iniftaken for very, being either negligently read, haftily pro.
pounced, or imperfectly heard. JOHNSON.
The very points are the true exadt points. Very is ufed here (as
in a thoufand inftances which might be brought) to exprefs the
deck, ration more emphatically.
Inftead pf points, however, the ancient copy reads ports. But
this cannot be right ; for though the witch), from her power
over the winds, might juftly enough fny that fhe had all the
joints and quarters from whence they blow, Ihe could not with any
degree of propriety declare that Ihe had the ports to which they
were direfted. STEEVENS.
4 the Jl>zf man's r<7>v7 r ]
The card is the paper on which the winds are marked under the,
pilot's needle. So, in the Loyal Snbjcfl, by B. and Fletcher :
**" The card of goodnefs in your minds, that (hews you
" When you fail falfe." STEEYE^S.
5 dry as bay .-]
So, Spenfer, in his Faery S>uecn, b. iii. c. 9 :
" But he 'is old and withered as bay. 3 ' STEEVENS,
6 llejliall live a man forbid :]
i. e. as oac under a curfe, an ihterdifiion. So, afterwards in thij
play :
" By his own interdiction {lands accvffdf*
So among the Romans, an outlaw's fentence was, Aqua fe" Ignlj
jnterdidtio ; '/. e. he was forbid the ufe of water and fire, which
y'd the necejity of banifaneiii, THEOBAJ.P,
MACBETH. 45;
Weary feven-nights, nine times nine,
Shall he dwindle 7 , peak, and pine :
Though his bark cannot be loft,
Yet it ihall be tempeft-toft.
Look what I have.
2 Witch. Shew me, fhew me.
i Witch. Here I have a pilot's thumb,
Wrecked, as homeward he did come. [Drum within,
g Witch. A drum, a drum ;
Macbeth doth come.
All. 8 The weird fitters, hand m hand,
Poflcrs of the fea and land,
Thys
Mr. Theobald has very juftly explained forbid by accurfed, but
without giving any reafon of his interpretation. To bid is origi-
nally to pray, as in this Saxon fragment :
He ip pif ? b't 1 bore, &c.
He is ivife that prays and makes amends.
As to forbid therefore implies to prohibit, in oppofition to the
word bid in its piefent fenfe, it fignifies by the fame kind of op-
pofition to curfc, when it is derived from the fame word in its prU
mirive meaning. JOHNSON.
7 Shall he dwindle, faV.]
This mifchief was fuppofed to be put in execution by means of a
waxen figure, which reprefented the perfon who was to be con-
futed by flow degrees.
So, in Webfter's Dutchefs ofMalfy, 1623:
" it i>,-aj:es me more
" Than were't my picture faihion'd out of war,
" Stuck with a magick needle, and then buried
" In fome foul dunghill."
So, Holinfl-.ed, fpcaking of the witchcraft prac~tifed to deftroyking
Ditfe :
" found one of the witches ronfting upon a wooden broch
an image of wax at the fire, refembling in each feature the king's
perfon, &c."
V* for as the image did walte afore the fire, fo did the
bodie pf the king break forth in fweat. And as for the words of the
jnchantmer.t, they lerved to keep him ftill waking /hw/yfo^*, &e'*
This may ferve to explain the foregoing paflagc :
Sleep fliall neither night norday,
Hang upon his pemhoufe lid. STEEVENS.
8 The wey warder >v, hand in hand,]
-The witd'ts arc herefpeakingofthemfelves : and it is worth an
enquiiy
4$* MACBETH.
Thus do go about, about ;
Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine,
And thrice again, to make up nine :
Peace ! the charm's wound up.
Enter
enquiry why they fhould ftile themfelves tbt wcvwarJ, or way
ward Jijte rs. This word, in its general acceptation, fignifies,
ffrverfe, frvxard, moody, olftinate, untraflable, &c. and is every
where Ib ufed by our Shakefpeare. To content ourfelves with
two or three inftances :
" Fy, fy, how wayward is this foolifli love,
" That, like a tefty babe, &c."
Two Gentlemen of Verona.
*' This wimpled, whining, purblind, it-rtynvm/boy."
Love's Labour Loft.
*' And which is worfe, all you have dene
*' Is but for a wayward Ion."
It is improbable the witches would adopt this epithet to them-
felves, in any of thefe femes, and therefore we are to look a lit-
tle farther for the poet's word and meaning. "When I had the firlr.
iufpicion of our author being corrupt in this place, it brought to
my mind the following paflage in Chaucer's 'Trcilus and C'-ejTeide,
lib. iii. v. 618 :
" But O fortune, executrice of wVr/fcj."
"Which word the Gl'-raria expound to us by f Mrs, or dcjlinies. I
was foon confirmed in my fufpicion, upon happening to dip into
Heylin's CofmografLy, where he makes :i fhort recital of the ftory
of Macbgth and Banquo.
** Theietwo," fays he. ' travelling together through a forefl,
were met by three fairies, witches, *" ivicrds. The Scots call
them, &c."
I prefently recollected, that this ftory muft be recorded at more
length by Holinfhed, with whom, I thought, it was very proba-
ble, that our author had traded for the materials of his tragedy,
and therefore confirmation was to be fetched from this fountain.
Accordingly, looking into the Hi/lory of Scotland, I found the
writer very prolix and exprefs, from Hector Boethius, in his re-
markable ftory ; and, p. 170, fpeaking of thefe witches, he ufes
this expreflion :
* But afterwards the common opinion was, that thefe women
were either the weird fifters ; that is, as ye would fay, the God -
defies of Deftiny, &c."
Again, a little lower :
" The words of the three weird fifters alfo (of \vhom before ye
have heard) greatly encouraged him thereunto."
And in feveral other paragraphs there this word is repeated. I
be-
MACBETH. 459
Enter Macbeth and Banquo.
. So foul and fair a day I have not feen.
Ban.
believe, by this time, it is plain, beyond a doubt, that the word
wayward has obtained in Macbeth, where the witches are fpoken
of, from the ignorance of the copyifts, who are not acquainted
with the Scotch term ; and that in every paflage, where there is
any relation to thefe witches or wizards, my emendation muft be
embraced, and we mult read weird. THEOBALD.
The weyward^/ftrj, band in band,']
Mr. Theobald had found out who thefe weyward fiftcrs were ; but
obierved they were called, in his authentic Holinfhed, weird
Jlfters ; and fo would needs have weyward a corruption of the text,
becaufe it figu:ries/*r-r?r/i', froward, &c. and it is improbable (he
faysj that the witches Jbould adopt this epithet to themfelves. It was
hurd that, when he knew fo much, he fliould not know a little
more ; that wfyward had anciently the very fame fenfe, as weird;
and was, indeed, the very fume word differently fpelt ; having
acquired its later fignification from the quality and temper of thefe
imaginary witches. But this is being a critic like him who had
difcovered that there were two Hercules's ; and yet did not know
that he had two next-door neighbours of one and the lame name.
As to thefe weyviardfiftcr*, they were the Fates of the northern
nations ; the three hand-maids of Odin. Ha nominantur Valky-
rite, qua* quod-vis ad praUum Odinus mil tit. H<e viros morti deju-
nant, & vlSloriatn gubernant. Gunna, & Rota, & par car um mi-
nima Skullda : per aera & maria equitant femper ad morituros eli-
gendos ; & carder in potejlate habent. Bartholinus de Cau(is con-
tempts a Danis adhuc Gentilibus mortis. It is for this reafon
that Shakeipeare makes them three ; and calls them,
Pojlers ofthefca and land ;
and intent only upon death and mifchief. However, to give this
part ot his work the more dignity, he intermixes, with this
northern, the Greek and Roman fuperftitions ; and puts Hecate
at the head of their enchantments. And to make it Itill more ra-
iniliar to the common audience (which was always his point) he
adds, for another ingredient, a lufficient quantity of our own
country fuperfUtions concerning witches ; their beards, their
cuts, and their broomfticks. So that his wiich-fccnes are like the
i-harm they prepare in one of them ; where the ingredients are ga-
thered from every thing fi-ocking in the natural world, as here,
irom every thing alfurd in the moral. But as extravagant as all
this is, the play has had the power to charm and bewitch every au-
dience from that time to this. WAR BURTON.
ll r urd comes from the Anglo-Saxon jyrt*, and is ufed as afub-
ihutive
460 MACBETH,
Ban. How far is't call'd to Fores 9 ? What are thefe,
So wither'd, and fo wild in their attire ;
That look not like the inhabitants o'the earth,
And yet are on't ? Live you ? or are you aught
1 That man may queftion ? You feem to underfland
me,
By each at once her choppy finger laying
Upon her fkinny lips : You fliould be women,
ftantive fignifying a prophecy by the rranflator of HeRor Eoethius
in the year 1 541 , as well as for the Deftinies by Chaucer and Ho-
linfhed. Of the iveirdis gevyn to Makbeth and Ba/iqhuo, is the
argument of 'one of the chapters. Gawin Douglas, in his tranf-
lation of Virgil, calls the Parcee the fntird RfttTs ; and in Ane verie
excellent and deleclabill Treatife intitulit PHILOTUS, qubairin i':e
may perfave the grclt inconveniences that f "alii s out In the Mariage le-
t~i<:ec ne Age and Zcuth, Edinburgh, 1605, the word appears again ;
" How dois the quheill of fortune go,
" Quhat wickit vticrd has wrocht our wo."
Again :
" Quhat neidis Philotus to think 511,
" Or zit his ivierdto warie ?"
The other method of fpelling was merely a blunder of the tran-
fcriber or printer.
The yalkyrite, or Valkyriur, were not barely three in numlcr.
The learned critic might have found in Br.rtbolir.us, not only
Gunna t Rofa, ct Skullda^ but alfo Scflgnla, Hilda, Gondula, and
Geirofcogula. Bartholinus adds that their number is yet greater,
according to other writers who fpeak of them. They were the
cup-bearers of Odin, and conductors of the dead. They were diftin-
guilhed by the elegance of their forms, and it would be as juft to
compare youth and beauty with age and deformity, as the Valky~
ric? of the North with the Witches of Sbakefpearc. STEEVENS.
9 How far iff call'd to Fores f : ]
The king at this time refided at Fores, a town in Murray, not -far
from Inverncfs. " It fortuned, (fays Holinfhcd) as Macbeth and
Banquo journeyed towards Fares, where the king then lay, they
went {porting by the way, without other company, fave only
themfelves, when fuddenly in the midft of a laund, there met
them three women in ftrange and wild apparell, refembling crea-
tures of the elder world, &c." STEEVENS.
1 That man may quejii.in .? ]
Are ye any beings with which man is permitted to hold converfe,
or of whom it is lawful to afl; qitef.ior.s f JOHNSON.
And
MACBETH. 461
And yet your beards 1 forbid me to interpret
That you are fo.
Macb. Speak, if you can ; What are you ?
i Witch. All hail, Macbeth 3 ! hail to thee, thane
of Glamis 4 !
2 Witch*
* your beards ]
Witches were fuppofed always to have hair on their chins. So, in
Decker's Hone/} Whore, 1635 :
" Some women have beards, marry they arc half
vjitches" STEEVENS.
3 All bail, Macbeth! ]
It hath lately been repeated from Mr. G uthrle's RJTay upon Englijb
Tragedy, that the portrait of Macbeth's wife is copied from Bu-
chanan, " whole fpirit, as well as words, is tran dated into the
play of Shakelpeare : and it had lignified nothing to have por-
ed onfy on Holiufhed for faffs." " Animus etiam, per fe
ferox, prope quotidianis conviciis uxoris (qua? omnium confi-
liorum ei erat confcia) ftimulabatur." This is the whole,
that Buchanan fays of the Lady, and truly I fee no more fpirit in
the Scotch, than in the EnglUh chronicler. " The wurdea of
the three weird filters allb greatly encouraged him [to the mur-
der of Duncan], but fpecially his wile lay fore upon him to at-
tempt the thing, as (he that was very ambitious, brenning in un-
quenchable deiire to beare the name of a queene." Edit. 1577,
p. 244.'
This part of Holinflied is an abridgment of Job lie Bellenden**
trandation of the noble clerk, HeRor Boece, imprinted at Eding-
burgh, in fol. 154.1. I will give the paflage as it is found there.
'* His wyfe impacient of lang tary (as all wemen ar) fpecially
^uhare they are defirus of ony purpos, gaif hym- gret artation to
purlew the third weird, that fche micht be anc quene, calland
tym oft tymis febyl cowart and nocht defyrus of honouris, frn
he durft not aflailze the thing with manheid and enrage, quhilk,
is offerit to hym be beniuolence ot tbrtoun. Howbeit lindry
otheris hes aflailzeit lie thinges arore with maiit ternbyl jeopardyis,
quhen thay had not lie lickerncs to fucceid in the end of thair hiu-
bouris as he had." p 173.
But we can demonftratc, that Shakcfpeare had not the ftory from.
Buchanan. According to him, the weird fillers falute Macbeth :
*' Una Angufae Thanum, altera Moravia;, tcrtia Regem."
Thane of Angus, and of Murray, &c. but according lo Holiu-
Ihed, immediately from Bdlenden, as it irands in bhakcfpeare :
44 The firft of them fpake and frydc, All hayle Makbeth Thane
of Glammis, the fccond of them Ciy de, Hayle Makbeth Thane
ut"
4 6* MACBETH.
2 Witcb. All hail, Macbeth ! hail to thee, thane
of Cavvdor ; !
3 Witch. All hail, Macbeth ! that flialt be king
hereafter.
Ban. Good fir, why do you ft art; and feem to
fear
Things that do found fo fair ? Fthe name of truth,
6 Are ye fantaflical, or that indeed
Which
of Cawder ; but the third fayde, All hayle Makbeth, that hereaf-
ter fhall be king of 'Scotland '." p. 243.
. i Witch. AUbail, Macbeth! Hall to thee , tbaneofGlamis !
2 Witch. All hail, Macbeth ! Hail to thee, thane ofCawdor !
3 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! that Jhalt be king hereafter !
Here too our poet found the equivocal predictions, on which his
hero fo fatally depended : " He had learned of certaine vvyfards,
how that he ought to take heede of Macduffe ; and furely
hereupon had he put Macduffe to death, but a certaine witch
whom he had in great truft, had tolde, that he fhould neuer be
flain with man borne of any woman, nor vanquiftied till the wood
of Bernane came to the caftell of Dunfinane." p. 244. And the
fcene between Malcolm and Macduff in the fourth aft is almoft li-
terally taken from the Chronicle. FARMER.
4 thane ofGlamis!]
The thanefhip of Glamis was the ancient inheritance of Macbeth's
family. The caftle where they lived is ftill ftanding, and was lately
the magnificent refidence of the earl of Strath more. See a parti-
cular defcription of it in Mr. Gray's letter to Dr. Wharton, dated
from Glames Cajlle. STEEVENS.
5 thane o/Cawdor !j
Dr. Johnfon obferves in his Journey to the Weflern I/lands of Scot-
land, that part of* Calder cajlle, trom which Macbeth drew hi*
fecond title, is itill remaining. STEEVENS.
6 Are yt fantaftical, ]
"Ry fantajlical is not meant, according to the common fignifica-
tion, creatures of his own brain ; for he could not be ib extrava-
gant to alk fuch a queftion : but it is ufed for fupernatural, ffiri-
tuaL WAR BURTON.
By fantaftical, he means creatures of fantafy or imagination ;
the queftion is, Are thefe real beings before us, or are we deceived
by illufions of fancy ? JOHNSON.
So, in Reginald Scott's Difcovery of Witchcraft, 1584: "He
affirmeth thefe tranfubitantiations to be \>utfantajiical, not accor-
ding to the veritie, but according to the appearance." The fame
expreffion occurs in All's Lojl by Litfti 1633, by Rowley:
MACBETH. 463
Which outwardly ye fhew ? My noble partner
You greet with prefent grace, and great prediction
Of noble having 7 , and of royal hope,
That he feems rapt withal ; to me you fpeak not :
If you can look into the feeds of time,
And fay, which grain will grow, and which will not ;
Speak then to me, who neither beg, nor fear,
Your favours, nor your hate.
i Witch. Hail !
i, Witch. Hail!
$ Witch. Hail!
1 Witch. Lefler than Macbeth, and greater.
2 Witch. Not fo happy, yet much happier.
3 Witch. Thou fhalt get kings, though thou be
none :
So, all hail, Macbeth, and Banquo !
i Witch. Banquo, and Macbeth, all hail !
Mac. Stay, you imperfect fpeakers, tell me more :
8 By Sinel's death, I know, I am thane of Glamis ;
But how of Cavvdor ? the thane of Cawdor lives,
A profperous gentleman ; and, to be king,
Stands not within the profpedt of belief,
No more than to be Cawdor. Say, from whence
or s
that thing,
' Which fliould fupply the place of foul in thee,
' Merely pbantajlical f ' '
Shakefpeare, however, took the word from Holinfhed, who in his
nt of the witches, fays ; ** This was reputed at firft but fome
cal illufion by Macbeth and Banquo." STEEVENS.
count
7 Of nolle having, -- ]
Having is eilate, pofleffion, fortune. So, in Twelfth Night :
" - My having is not much ;
" I'll make divifion of my prefent {lore:
" Hold ; there is half my coffer."
Again, in the old metrical romance of Syr Btvys of 'Hampton , bl. 1.
no date :
*' And when he heareth this tydinge,
" He will go theder with great having." STEEVENS.
8 By SitFs (teat/.',] The father of Macbeth. POPE.
You
464 MACBETH.
You owe this flrange intelligence ? or why.
Upon this Mailed heath you ilop our way
With fuch prophetick greeting ? Speak, I charge
you. [Witches vanijk;
Ban. The earth hath bubbles, as the water has,
And thefe are of them : Whither are they vanilh'd ?
Macb. Into' the air ; and what fcem'd corporal,
melted
As breath into- the wind. 'Would they had ft aid !
Ban. Were fuch things here, as we do fpeak about ?
Or have we 9 eaten of the infane root,
That takes the reafon prifoner ?
Macb. Your children fliall be kings.
Ban. You lhall be king.
Macb. And thane of Cawdor too'; went it not fo ?
Ban. To the felf-fame tune, and words. Who's
here ?
Enter Roffe, and Angus.
Roffe. The king hath happily received, Maebeth,-
The news of thy fuccefs : and when he reads
Thy perfonal venture in the rebel's fight,
His wonders and his praifes do contend,
Which fhould be thine, or his ' ; Silene'd with that,
In
9 eaten of the infane root,]
Mr. Theobald has a long and learned note on- thefe words ; and",
after nvuch puzzling, he at length proves from HeSlor Boethius^
that this root was a berry. WASBURTON.
' ' eaten of the infane root^
Shakefpeare alludes to the qualities anciently afcribed t hemlock.
So, in Greene's Never too late, 1616: "You gaz'd againit the
fun, and ib blemifhed your fight ; or elfe you have eaten of the roots
of hemlock, that makes mens' eyes conceit unften objects" Agam,
in Ben Jonfon's Sejanus :
" .... -thoy lay that hold upon thy fenfes,
" As thou'hadft fnuft up hemlock" STEEVEKS.
1 His <uJondgrs and his praifcs dff contend^
Which Jhould be thine , or his : ]
i. e. private admiration of your deeds, and a deflre p do them
publick juilice by commendation, contend in his mind for pre-
eminence.
MACBETH. 465
In viewing o'er the reft o' the felf-fame day,
He finds thee in the ftout Norweyan ranks,
Nothing afraid of what thyfelf didfl make,
Strange images of death. * As thick as tale,
Came poft with poft ; and every one did bear
Thy praifes in his kingdom's great defence,
And potir'd them down before him.
Ang. We are fent,
To give thee, from our royal mafler, thanks ;
Only to herald thee into his fight,
Not pay thee.
Rqffe. And, for an earneft of a greater honour,
He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdori
In which addition, hail, moft worthy thane !
For it is thine*
Ban. What, can the devil fpeak true ?
Macb. The thane of Cawdor lives ; Why do you
drefs me
In borrow'd robes ?
Ang. Who was the thane, lives yet ;
But under heavy judgment bears that life,
Which he deferves to lofe. Whether he was
eminence. Or There is a conteft in his mind whether he fnould
indulge his defire of publifhing to the world the commendations
due to your heroifm, or whether hefhould remain in filent admi-
ration of what no words could celebrate in proportion to its defert.
STEEVENS.
* As thick as \\z\\,'}
Was Mr. Pope's correction. The old copy has :
As thick as tale
Can poft tv/V poft :
which perhaps is not amifs, meaning that the news came as thick
as a tale can travel with the poft. Or we may read, perhaps yet
better :
As thick as tale
Came poft with poft ;
That is, pofts arrived as faft as they could be counted. JOHNSON'.
So, in K. Hen. VI. P. III. ad II.' fc. i :
" Tidings, asjvjiftlyasthcpoftscouljrun^
" Were brought, &c." STEEVENS.
VOL. IV. H h Com-
4 66 M A C B E T H.
Combin'd ? with Norway ; or did line the rebel
With hidden help and vantage ; or that with both
He labour'd in his country's wreck, I know not ;
But treafons capital, confefs'd, and prov'd,
Have overthrown him.
Macb. G-lamis, and thane of Cawdor :
The greateft is behind. Thanks for your pains.
Do you not hope your children fhall be kings,
When thofe that gave the thane of Cawdor to me,
Promis'd no lefs to them ?
Ban. That, trufted home *,
* Might yet enkindle you unto the crown,
Befides the thane of Cawdor. But 'tis ftrange :
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The inftruments of darknefs tell us truths ;
Win us with honeft trifles, to betray us
In deepeil confequence. Coufins,. a word I pray you,
Macb. Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the 6 fwelling ad:
Of the imperial theme. I thank you, gentlemen.
7 This fupernatural folliciting
Cannot be ill ; cannot be good : If ill,
Why hath it given me earned of fuccefs,
Commencing in a truth ? I am thane of Cawdor :
3 with Norway ; ] The folio reads :
vjitb tbofc of Norway. STEEVEKS.
* tntftc d borne,'] i.e. carried-as far as it will go. STEEVENS?;
5 Might yet enkindle you ]
Bnliindki for to Simulate you to feek. WAR-BURTON.
fc fuelling aft] Swelling is ufed ia the fame fenfe in the
prologue to Hen. V :
" princes to al,
*' And monarchs to behold theyiw/// < g-fcene." STEEVENS,
7 This fupernatural folliciting]
Soliciting for information. WARBUR.TON.
Sotticiting is rather, in my opinion, incitement than information,
JOHNSON.
u
MACBETH. 467
If good, s why do I yield to that fuggeftioti
Whofe horrid image doth unfix my hair,
And make my feated heart knock at my ribs,
Againil the uie of nature ? Prefent fears 9
Are lefs than horrible imaginings :
My thought, whofe murder yet is but fantaftical,
Shakes fo my ' fingle ftate of man, that * function
8 ivty do I yield ]
Yield, not for confent, but for to lefubdued ly. WARBUB.TON.
TVy/VWis, fimply, to gi 've tvay to. JOHNSON.
9 -Prefett fears
Are Iffs than horrible imaginings :~\
Macbeth, while he is projecting the murder, is thrown irito the
rnoft agonizing affright at the profpect or it : which foon reco-
vering irom, thus he reafons on the nature of his diforder. But
imaginings are ib far from being more or lefs than prefent fears,
that they are the fame things under different words. Shakeipeare
certainly wrote :
Prcferft feats
Are lefs than horrible imaginings :
i.e. when I come to execute this murder, I fhall find it much lefs
dreadful than my frighted imagination now prefents it to me. A
confideration drawn from the nature -of the imagination.
WAR BUR TON'.
Prefent fears are fears of things prefent -, which Macbeth declares,
and every man has found, to be lefs than the imagination prefenta
them while the objects are yet dirtant. Fears is right. JOHNSON.
So, in the Tragedie ofCrcefus, 1604, by lord Sterline :
" For as the fhadow feems more monitrous Itili,
*' Than doth the fubftance whence it hath the being^
* ' So th' apprehenjion of approaching ill
** Seems greater than itfelf, whiljt fears are lying."
STEEVENS.
1 Jingle Jf ate of man, }
Thcjitiglejlateofman feems to be ufed by Shakefpeare for an in-
dividual, in oppolition to a commonwealth, or conjunEl body.
JOHNSON.
Is /mother* d in furmife ', and nothing //,
But ivhat is not.~\
All powers of action are opprefled and crufhedby one ovenvbelm-
ing image in the mind, and nothing is prefent to me but that
\vhich is really future. Of things now about me I have no per-
ception, being intent wholly on that which has yet no exiltcnce.
JOHNSON,.
H h a 1$
468 MACBETH.
Is fmother'd in furmife ; and nothing is,
But what is not.
Ban. Look, how our partner's rapt.
Rfocb. If chance will have me king, why, chance
may crown me,
Without my ftir.
San. New honours, come upon him
Like our ftrange garments, cleave not to their mouldy
But with the aid of ufe.
Mack* Come what come may ;
_ 3 Time and the hour runs through the rougheft day.
Ban.
3 Time and the hour runs tbrovgk the rougkejl Jay.]
I fuppofe every reader is difgufted at the tautology in this paflage,
Time and the hour, and will therefore willingly believe that Shake-
fpeare wrote it thus :
Come what come may,
Time ! on ', the hour runs through the roughefi day.
Macbeth is deliberating upon the events which are to beial him,
but finding no iatisfa<Ttion from his own thoughts, he grows im-
patient of reflection, and refolves to wait the clofe without harraff-
ing himielf with conjectures.
Come what come mc.y.
But to fiiorten th^ pa in of fufpenfe, he calls upon Time in the
ufual ftile of ardent defire, to quicken his motion :
Time ! on !
He then comforts himfelf with the reflection that all his per-
plexity muft have an end :
' the hour runs through the ronghcjl day.
This conjecture is fupported by the paflage in the letter to his
lady, in which he fays, they referred me to the coming on of time,
<with Hail) king that foaltlc. JOHNSOM.
Time and the hour . ]
Time is painted with an hour-glafs in his hand. This occafioncd
the expreflion. WAR EUR TON.
By this, I ccnfefs I do not with his two laft commentators ima-
gine is meant either the tautology of time and the hour, or an
allufion to time painted with an hour-glafs, or an exhortation to
time to haften forward, but rather to fay tempus & hora, time and
cccaficn, will carry the thing through, and bring it to fome de>-
termined point and end, let its nature be what it will.
This note is taken from an E.Jj~ay ou the Writings and Genius of
Sbakefpeare, See. by Mrs. Montagu.
Such tautology is common to Shakefpeare.
The
MACBETH. 4 6 9
Ban. Worthy Macbeth, we ftay upon your leifurc.
Macb. Give me your favour : 4 my dull brain was
wrought
With things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your pains
Are regifter'd where every day I turn
The leaf to read them. Let us toward the king.
Think upon what hath chanc'd ; and, at more time,
The interim having weigh'd it 5 , let us fpeak
Our free hearts each to other.
Ban. Very gladly.
Macb. 'Till then, enough. Come, friends.
[Exeunt.
SCENE IV.
Fkuri/h. Enter King^ Malcolm, Donaibain, Lenox, anJ,
Attendants.
King. Is execution done on Cawdor ? Afe not
Thofe in commiflion yet return'd ?
" The very head and front of my offending,"
is little lefs reprehenfible. Time and the hour, is time with his
hours. STEEVENS.
The fame expreffion is ufed by a writer nearly contemporary
with Shakefpeare : " Neither can there be any thing in the world
more acceptable to me than death, whofe bovver and time if they
were as certayne, &c." Fenton's Tragical Difcourjes, 1579.
Again, in Duvifon's Poems, 1621 :
" Time's young bowes attend her ftill,
** And her.eyes and cheeks do rill
" With frefh youth and beauty."
Again, in Hoffman's Tragedy t 1631 :
" The hour, the place, the time of your arrive."
MALONE.
* my dull I rain was wrought
Witb things forgotten. ]
My head was worked, agitated, put into commotion. JOHNSON.
5 Tbe^ interim having iveigb'd it, ]
" time is alm
dge ; as t
H h 3
This intervening portion of time is almoft perfonified : it is repre-
frnted as u cool impartial judge ; as the prtufir Reafon.
STEEVENS.
47 o MACBETH.
Mai. My liege,
They are not yet come back. But I have fpoke
6 With one that faw him die : who did report,
That very frankly he confefs'd his treafojis ;
Implor'd your highnefs'pardon ; and fet forth
A deep repentance : nothing in his life
Became him, like the leaving it ; he dy'd
As one that had been 7 ftudied in his death,
To throw away the deareft thing he ow'd,
AS 'twere a carelefs trifle.
King. There's no art,
8 To find the mind's construction in the face :
"He was a gentleman on whom I built
An abfolute truft. O worthieil coufin !
Enter. Macbeth, Banquo, Roffe, and Angus.
The fin of my ingratitude even now
Was heavy on me : Thou art fo far before,
That fwifteft wing of recompence is flow
To overtake thee. 'Would thou hadft lefs deferv'd ;
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
6 With one that j "avj bits tile : ]
The behaviour of the thane of Cawdor correfponds in almoft
every circumftance with that of the unfortunate earl of Eflex, as
related by Stowe, p. 793. Kis afking the queen's forgivenefs,
his confeffion, repentance, and concern about behaving with pro-
priety on the fcaflbld, are minutely defcribed by that hiilorian.
Such an alliiiion could not fail of having the defired effect on an
audience, many of whom were eye witnefles to the feverity of that
juftice which deprived the age of one of its greatelr. ornaments,
and Southampton, Shakefpeare's patron, of his deareft friend.
STEEVENS.
7 '"Jludlcd in bis death, ]
Inftructed in the art of dying. It was ufual to fay Jludiedj for
learned in fcience. JOHNSOX.
8 To fuel the ?nlnd' > 3 conftruttion In the face :~\
The coufiruclion of the mind is, I believe, a phrafe peculiar to
Shakefpeare ; it implies the frame or il':l'pffltion of the mind, by
which it is determined to good or ill. JOHNSON,
Might
MACBETH. 471
Might have been mine ! only I have left to fay,
More is thy due than more than all can pay.
Macb. The fervice and the loyalty I owe,
Jn doing it, pays itfelf. Your highnefs* part
Is to receive our duties : and our duties
Are to your throne and ftate, children, and fervants ;
? Which do but what they fliould, by doing every
thing
Safe toward your love and honour.
King.
5 Which (Jo lut what theyjbould, by doing every thing
Safe toward your love and honour.]
Of the lail line of this fpeech, which is certainly, as it is now
read, unintelligible, an emendation has been attempted, which
Dr. Warburton and Mr. Theobald once admitted as the true
reading :
our duties
Are to your throne and ft ate, children and fervants,
Which do but what they Jfjould, in doing every thing,
Fiefs to your love and honour.
My eftcem for thefe critics inclines me to believe that they can-
not be much pleafed with thefe expreffions jfr/} to love, or fiefs to
honour, and that they have propofed this alteration rather be-
caufe no other occured to them, than becaufe they approved of it.
I (hall therefore propofe a bolder change, perhaps with no better
iuccels, but/ua cuique placent. I read thus :
our duties
Arc to your throne and ftate, children and fervants,
Which do but what theyjljould, in doing nothing,
Save toward your love and honour.
We do but perform our duty when we coatratt all our views to
your fervice, when we adl: with no other principle than regard to
your love and honour,
It is probable that this paflage was firft corrupted by writing
fafe ioYj'ave, and the lines then ftood thus :
doing nothing
Safe toward your love and honour.
which the next tranfcriber observing to be wrong, and yet not be-
ing able to difcover the real fault, altered to the prefent reading.
Dr. Warburton has fince changed fiefs tojfr/V, and Haniner
has altered fafc to Jliapd. I am afraid none of us have hit the
right word. JOHNSON.
Mr. Upton gives the word fnfc as an inftance of an adjective ufed
adverbially ; and fays that it means here, withfafcty, fccurity, and
Jfoslilbip. Dr. Kenrick propofes to read :
H h 4 Saft
472 MACBETH.
King. Welcome hither :
I have begun to plant thee, and will labour
To make thee full of growing. Noble Banquo,
That haft no lefs defejv'd, nor muft be known
No lefs to have done fo, let me enfold thee,
And hold thee to my heart.
Ban. There if I grow,
The harveft is your own.
King. My plenteous joys,
Wanton in fulnefs, feek to hide themfelves
In drops of forrow. Sons, kinfmen, thanes.
And you whofe places are the neareft, know,
We will efiablim our eflate upon
Our eldeft, Malcolm ; whom we name hereafter, 1
The prince of Cumberland : which honour muft
Not, unaccompanied, inveft him only,
But figns of noblenefs, like ftars, lhall fhine
On all defer vers. -From hence to Invernefs ',
And bind us further to you.
Macb. The reft is labour, which is not us'd for
you :
I'll be myfelf the harbinger, and make joyful,
Safe to ward your love and honour.
To ivard is to defend. So, in Titus Andronicus :
*< it was a hand that warded him
" From thoufand dangers."
Again, more appofitely in Love's Labour's Loft :
" for the be&ivarJof m i ne honour, is rewarding my de-
pendants."
Again, in K. Richard III. aft V :
" Then, if you fight againft God's enemies,
" God will, in juftice, ivardyou as his foldiers."
Dr. Kenriek would certainly be right, if inftead of love and bo-
ncxr, the, words had been crown and honour, but there is fome-
wjiat of obfcurity in the idea of defending a prince's love in fafety.
STEEVENS.
1 to Invernefs,]
Dr. Johnfon obferves, in his Journty to the Wejlern Ifles of Scotland,
that the walls of the caftle of Macbeth at Invernefs are yet ftand-
ing. STEEVENS.
The
MACBETH, 4?3
The hearing of my wife with your approach ;
So, humbly take my leave.
King. My worthy Cawdor !
Macb. The prince of Cumberland*! .That is a flep,
On which I muft fall down, or elfe o'er-leap, [Afide,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires !
Let not light fee my black and deep defires :
The eye wink at the hand ! yet let that be,
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to fee. [Exit.
King. True, worthy Banquo ; he is full fo valiant ;
And in his commendations I am fed ;
It is a banquet to me. Let us after him,
Whofe care is gone before to bid us welcome :
Jt is a peerlefs kinfman. [Fkurifh. Exeunt,
SCENE V.
Enter Macbeth' s wife alone, with a letter.
Lady. They met me in the day of fuaefs ; and I
* The prince of Cumberland! ]
So, Holinfhed, Hift. of Scotland, p. 171 : " Duncan having
two fonnes, &c. he made the elder of them, called Malcolmc,
prince vl Cumberland, as it were thereby to appoint him fuccefibr
in his kingdome immediatlie after his deceafe. Mackbeth forely
troubled herewith, for that he faw by this means his hope fore
hindered, (where, by the old laws of the realme the ordinance
was, that if he that fhould fucceed were not of able age to take the
charge upon himfelf, he that was next of bloud unto him fhould
be admitted) he began to take counfel how he might ufurpe the
kingdome by force, having a juft quarrel fo to doe, (as he tooke
the matter) for that Duncane did what in him lay to defraud him
of all manner of title and claime, which he mighr, in time to come,
pretend unto the crowne."
' The crown of Scotland was originally not hereditary. When
a fucceflbr was declared in the life-time of a king, (as was of-
ten the cafe) the title of Prince of Cumberland \\yas immediately
beftowed on him as the mark of his defignation. Cumberland was
jrt that time held by Scotland of the crown of England, as a fief.
STEEYENS,
haw
474 M A C B E T H,
have learned 5 by the perfeftejl report, they have more in
them than mortal knowledge. When I burnt in defire to
qucftion them further, they made themfelves air, into
which they vaniflfd. Whiles I Jlood rapt in the wonder
of it, came mi/fives from the king, who all-hail' d me,
Thane of Cawdor ; by which title, before, thefe weird
Jifters faluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time,
with, Hail, king that ihalt be ! This have I thought
good to deliver thee, my dear eft partner of greatnefs ; that
thou might* ft not lofe the dues of rejoicing, by being igno-
rant of what greatnefs is promifd thee. Lay it to thy heart,
and farezuel.
Glamis thou art, and Cawdor ; and fhalt be
What thou art promised : Yet do I fear thy nature ;
It is too full o'the milk of human kindnefs,
To catch the neareil way : Thou would'fl be great ;
Art not without ambition ; but without
The illnefs fhould attend it. What thou would'fl
.highly,
That would'fl thou holily ; would'fl not play falic,
And yet would'fl wrongly win : 4 thou'd'fl have, great
Glamis,
That which cries, Thus thou mvft do, if thou have it ;
5 And that which rather thou dofl fear to do,
3 - l y tbeperfeflcfl report, - ] By the beft intelligence. Dr.
Warburton would read, perfected; and explains report by predic-
tion. Little regard can he paid to an emendation that inftead of,
clearing the fenfe, makes it more difficult. JOHNSON.
* - tboi?d*Jl have, great Glamis,
T'bat which cries, thus thou mult do, if thou have // ;
And that, csV.]
As the object of Macbeth's defire is here introduced fpeaking of
itlelf, it is neceflhry to read ,
- thou'dyi bai'c, great Glamis,
Tbat which cries, thus thou muft do, if thou have int.
5 And tbat which rather, &C.]
Perhaps the poet wrote :
.:/:./ that's what rad\-r, &c. STEEVENS.
Than
MACBETH. 475
Than wifheft mould be undone. Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my fpirits in thine ear 6 ;
And chart ife with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
7 Which fate and metaphyfical aid doth feem
fo have thee crown'd withal. What is your
tidings ?
Enter a MeJJenger.
Mcf. The king comes here to-night.
Lady. Thou'rt mad to fay it :
Is not thy mailer with him ? who, wer't fo,
Would have inform'd for preparation.
Mef. So pleafe you, it is true : our thane is coming :
One of my fellows had the fpeed of him ;
Who, almoft dead for breath, had fcarc^ly mqnj
Than would make up his meflage.
Lady. Give him tending,
6 That I may pour my fpirits in thine ear;']
I meet with the lame exprelfion in lord Sterline's Julim Cafar^
1607 :
" Thou in my bofom us'd to pour thy fpright"
There is no earlier edition of Macbeth than that of 162 -.
MALONE.
7 Which fate and mctaphyjL-al aid doth feem
To have thee crown* d iviibal. ]
for feem, the fenfe evidently directs us to read feeL The crowa
to which fate deftincs thee, and which preternatural agents endea-
vour to beftow upon thee. The golden round is the Jiade.'K.
Which fate and metaphyfical aid doth feem
To have thee crown'd withal.
RTf?aph\Jical for fupcrnatural. But doth feem to have thee cro-~vu'J.
withal, is not fenfe. To make it fo, it fliould be fupplied thus :
dcihfeem dejirous to have. But no poetic licence would excufe tlus.
AD cafy alteration will reflore the poet's true meaning :
doth feem
To have crown'd thee ivithal.
i. e. they feem already to have crown'd thee, and yet thy difpo-
fition at prefent hinders it from taking effecl. WAR BUR i ox,
The words, as they now ftand, have exactly the fame meaning.
Such arrangement is fufliciently common among our ancient writers.
S.
He
476 MACBETH.
He brings great news. 8 The raven himfelf is hoarfe,
[Exit Mef,
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you fpirits 9
That tend on I mortal thoughts, unfex me here;
And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direfl cruelty ! make thick my blood,
Stop up the accefs and paffage to remorfe ;
That no compunctious vifitings of nature
Shake my fell purpofe, * nor keep peace between
The
8 The raven himfelf is hoarfe^
Pr. Warburton reads ;
' The raven himfelf *s not hoarfe %
yet I think the prefent words may ftand. The meflenger, fays
the fervant, had hardly breath to make up his mejfage ; to which
the lady anfwers mentally, that he may well want breath, fuch a
meflage would add hoarienefs to the raven. That even the bird,
whofe harfh voice is accuftomed to predict calamities, could not
croak the entrance of Duncan but in a note of unwonted harfhnefs.
JOHNSON.
9 Come &\\you fpirits]
The word all was added by fome of the editors to fupply the defi-
ciency of the metre, and is not found in the old copy. STEEVENS.
1 mortal thoughts, ]
This expreffion lignifies not the thoughts of 'mortals , but murtberovs t
deadly, or dejlruflive dcfigns. So, in aft V I
" Hold fa ft the mortal fword."
And in another place :
V With twenty /?/<// murthers." JOHNSON.
Come you fpirits
That tend on mortal t 'bought s, &c.]
In Pierce Pennilefs his Supplication to the Devil, by Nalhe, I 9 J,
(a very popular pamphlet of that time) our author might have
found a particular defcription of theie fpirits, and ( of their office.
" The fecond kind of devils, which he moft employeth, are
thofe northern Martii, called t\\e fpirits of revenge, and the authors
of maffacres, and feedfmen of miichief ; for they have commilfion
to incenfe men to rapines, facrilege, theft, murder, wrath, fury,
and all manner of cruelties : and they command certain of the
ibuthern ipirits to wait upon them, as alfo great Arioch, that is
termed thefpirit of revenge" MALONE.
a nor keep peace between
Theeffctf, and it! ]
The intent of lady Macbeth evidently is to wifh that no wo-
ifianifli
MACBETH. 477
The effedt, 3 and it ! Come to my woman's breafts,
And 4 take my milk for gall, you murd'ring mini-
flers,
Wherever in your fightlefs fubflances
5 You wait on nature's mifchief ! Come, thick night 6 ,
And
manifli tendernefs, or confcientious remorfe, may hinder her pur-
pofe from proceeding to effect ; but neither this, nor indeed any-
other fenfe, is expreffed by the prefent reading, and therefore it
cannot be doubted that Shakefpeare wrote differently, psrhapj
thus :
That no compunctious vijitings of nature
Shake my fell purpofe, nor keep pace between
The effect and it.
To keep pace between, may fignify to pafs between, to intervene.
Pace is on many occafions a favourite of Shakefpeare's. Thit
jphrafe is indeed not ufual in this fenfe, but was it not its novelty
that gave occafion to the prefent corruption ? JOHNSON.
The fenfe is, that no compunfiious vifitingi of nature may prevail
upon her, to give place in her mind to peaceful thoughts, or to
jeft one moment in quiet, from the hour of her purpofe to its full
mpletion in the effect. REVISAL.
This writer thought himfelf perhaps very fagacious that he
found a meaning which nobody miffed, the difficulty ftill remain*
how fuch a meaning is made by the words. JOHNSON.
3 and it! ] The folio reads, and hit. STEEVENS.
Her purpofe was to be effected by action. To keep peace between,
the effett and purpofe, I Ihould therefore think meant, to delay the
execution of her purpofe. For as long as there fhouid be a peac
between the effect and purpofe, or in other words, till hoftilitias
were commenced, till fome action fhouid be performed, her pur-
pofe could not be carried into execution. There is no need of al-
teration. MALONE.
4 ' - take my milk for gall, }
Take away my milk, and put gall into the place. JOHNSON.
5 Tou wait on nature's mifchief! ~]
Nature's mifchief \s mifchief done to nature, violation- of nature's
order committed by wickednefs. JOHNSON.
6 Come, thick night, &c.]
A fimilar invocation is found in A learning for falrt ll'omen,
a tragedy which was certainly prior to Macbeth :
" Oh fable night, lit on the eye of heaven,
" That it difcern not this black deed of darknefs !
" My guilty foul, burnt with luft's hateful fire,
*' Muu wade through blood to obtain my vile defire
47 S M A C B E T H.
7 And pall thee in the dqnnefl fmoke of hell !
That my keen knife 8 fee not the wound it makes , 4
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark 9 ,
1 To cry, Hold^ bold!- Great Glamis ! worthy
CawdorM
Enter
" Be then my coverture thick ugly night!
" The light hates me, and I do hate the light."
MA LONE.
7 A*d pall fkeej - ]
i.e. wrap thy felt" in a pall. WAR BUR TON.
A fall is a robe of ftate. So, in the ancient black letter romance
of Syr Eglamoure of Artoys, no date ;
14 The knyghtes were clothed in poll"
Again, in Milton's Pcnferofo :
*' Sometime let gorgeous tragedy
" In feepter'd pall come iweeping by."
Dr. Warburton feems to mean the covering which is thrown over
the dead. STEEVEXS.
B That my keen knife - ]
The word knife which at prefent has a familiar meaning, was an-
ciently ufed to exprefs */fewnA So, in the old black letter ro-
mance of Syr Eglamnure of Artoys, no date :
" Through Goddes myght, and his knyfe t
" There the gyaunte loft his lyfe."
Again, in Spenfer's Faery Queen^ b. 5. c. 6 :
'* - the red-crois knight was (lain v.'ith payriim kn!fe"
STEEVENS.
9 -- the blanket of the dark,]
Drayton, in the i6th fong of his Polyolbion, has an expreffion re-
fembling this :
" Thick vapours that, like rugs, ftill hang the troubled
air." STEEVENS.
1 To cry, Hold, hold ! -- ]
On this paffage there is a long criticifm in the Ramller.
JoHIfSON.
In this criticifm the epithet dun is objected to as a mean one.
Milton, however, appears to have been of a different opinion,
and has reprefented Satan as flying
" - in the dun air fublime." STEEVENS.
To cry, Hold, hold! -- ]
The thought is taken from the old military laws which inflicled
capital puniftiment upon " whofoever fhall ftrike ftroke at his
adveriary, either in the heat or otherwife, if a third do cry hoU t
to the intent to part them ; except that they did fight a combat in
a place inclofed : and then no man lhall be fo hardy as to bid hold*
but
M A C B E T H. 479
Efjiu- Macbeth.
Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter .'
Thy letters have transported me beyond
3 This ignorant prefent time 4 , and I feel now j
but the general." P. 264 of Mr. Bellay's tnJiriiX ions for tbtWa;-;,
tranllated in 1589. Toi.r.&f.
Mr. Toilet's note will likewife illustrate the lafl line in Macbeth's
Concluding ipeech :
" And damn'd be him who firfc cries, hold, enough!"
STEEVENS.
1 Great Glamb ! worthy Candor /]
Shakefpeare has fupported the characler or lady Macbeth, by re-
peated efforts, and never omits any opportunity of adding a trait of
ferocity, or a mark of the want or human feelings, to this monger
of his own creation. The fofter paffions are more obliterated in
her than in her hufband, in proportion as her ambition is greater.
She meets him here on his arrival from an expedition of danger,
with fuch a falutation as would have become one of his friends
or vaflals ; a falutation apparently fitted rather to raife his
thoughts to a level with her own purpofes, than to teftify herjoy
at his return, or manifeit an attachment to his perfon : nor does
any fentimcnt expreffive of love or foftnefs fall from her through-
out the play. While Macbeth himfelf, in the midft of the hor-
rors of his guilt, ftill retains a character lefs fiend-like than that of
his queen, talks to her with a degree of tendernefs, and pours his
complaints and fears into her bofom, accompanied with terms of
endearment. STEEVENS.
3 This ignorant prefent time, ]
Ignorant, for bafe, poor, ignoble. WARBURTOV.
Ignorant has here the fignification of unknowing ; that is, I feel
by anticipation thofe future hours, of whichj according to the pro-
cefs of nature, the prefent time would be ignorant. JOHNSON.
So, in Cymbcline :
" his fhipping,
" Poor ignorant baubles, &c." STEEVENS.
* prefent time, ]
The word time is wanting in the old copy. It was fupply'd by Mr.
Pope, and perhaps without neceifity, as our author omits it in the
iirit fcene of the Tempt/I : " If you can command thefe elements
to filence and work the peace of theprefcnt, we will not handle a-
rope more." The fenle does not require the word A'.?.:-, ynd it is
too much for the meafure. Again, in Corlolanus :
*' And that you not delay the f re/eat ; but &c."
Again, \nCorintbiansI. ch.xv. v. 6: " of whom the greater
gart remain unto this/rt/^." STEEVENS,-
Thc
480 M A C B E T M.
The future in the inftant.
Macb. My dearefl love,
Duncan comes here to-night.
Lady. And when goes hence ?
Macb. To-morrow, as he purpofes.
Lady. Oh, never
Shall fun that morrow fee !
Your face, my thane, is as a book 5 , where nieri
May read ftrange matters : To beguile the time.
Look like the time 6 ; bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue : look like the innocent
flower,
But be the ferpent under it. He that's coming
Muft be provided for : and you mall put
This night's great bufinefs into my difpatch ;
Which Ihall to all our nights and days to come
Give folely fovereign fway and mafterdom^
Macb. We will fpeak further.
Lady. Only look up clear ;
To alter favour ever is to fear :
Leave all the reft to me. [Exeunt.
5 Your face, my thane^ is as a booli, vobt/rt men
May read, &c.]
So, in Pericles Prince of Tyre, 1 609 :
" Her face the look of praifes, where is read
" Nothing but curious pleafures." STEEVEIJS.
6 i to beguile the time,
Look like the time ; ]
The fame expreffion occurs in the 8th book of Daniel s Civil
Wars:
He draws a traverfe 'tvvixt his grievances ;
Looks 'like the time : his eye made not report
Of what he felt within ; nor was he lefs
Than ufually he was in every part ;
\\ore a clear face upon a cloudy heart."
It is almoft needlefs to obferve that the Poem of Daniel was pu-
blifhed many years before Macbeth could have been written.
STEEVEXS.
SCENE
MACBETH. 481
SCENE VL
Hautboys and Torches. Enter King, Malcolm, Dona!'
bain, Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, Rojfi, Angus, and
Attendants.
King. This caflle hath a pleafant feat; the air
Nimbly and fvveetly recommends itfelf
7 Unto our gentle fenfes.
Ban. This gueft of fumrrier,
The temple-haunting 8 martlet, does approve,
By his lov'd manfionry, that the heaven's breath
Smells wooingly here : n*> jutty frieze,
Buttrefs, nor coigne of vantage 9 , but this bird
7 Unto our gentle fenfes.]
How odd a chara6ter is this of the air that it could recommend it-
felf 'to all the fenfes, ,not excepting the fight and hearing ? With-
out doubt, we fliould read :
Unto our general fenfe,
meaning the touch or feeling; which not being confined to one
part, like the reft or the ienfes, but extended over the whole
body, the poet, by a fine periphralis, calls the general fenfe.
Therefore by the air's recommending itfelf r.imlly and fleetly mult
be underftood that it was clear and foft, which properties recre-
ated the fibres, and alTJlled their vibration. And furely it was a
good circumiiance in the air of Scotland that it was foft and warm :
and this circumftance he would recommend, as appears from the
following words :
This gueft offummer,
The temple-haunting martlet >> '
General hus been corrupted to gentle once again in this very play.
See note, a& III. fcene v. WARBURTON.
Senfes are nothing more than each man's fenfe. Gentle fenfes is
very elegant, as it means placid, calm, compofcd, and intimates
the peaceable delight o! a fine day. JOHNSON.
8 - <JHartlet t ] This bird is in the old edition called barkt.
Jo UN sox.
The correction is fupported by the following pallagc in the
Merchant of Ponce :
" like the Martlet
" Builds in the weather on the outward wall." bTEEVKXfc
coigne f vantage, ] Convenient corner. JOHNSON.
VOL. IV. I i Han
482 MACBETH.
Hath made hi& pendant bed, and procreant cradle :
Where they ' moft breed and haunt, I have obferv'd,
The air is delicate.
Enter Lady Macbeth.
King. See, fee \, our honour'd hoftefs \ -
The love that follows us, fometime is our trouble,
Which flill we thank as love. Herein I teach you,
* How you fhall bid God yield us for your pains,
And thank us for your trouble.
Lady. All our fervice
In every point twice done, and then done double,
W^ere poor and fingle bufinefs, to contend
Againft thofe honours deep and broad, whereivith
Your majefty loads our houfe : For thofe of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,
* We reft your hermits.
* i ' moft breed, - ] The folio, muft breed. S TEE v ENS.
a HocivyouJJjouldbidGodi-yzld. us - ]
To bid any one God-yeld him, i. e. God-yield him, was the fame
as God reward him. WAR BUR TON.
I believejuVW, or, as it is in the folio of 1623, eyld, is a cor-
rupted contraction Qijbitld. The wifli implores not reward, but
protection. JOHNSON.
I rather believe it to be a corruption of God-yield, i. e. reward,,
In Anthony and Cleopatra, we meet with it at length :
" And the gods yield you for't."
Again, in the interlude of Jacob and Efau, \ 568 :
*' God yeldeyou Efau, with all my ilomach - "
Again, in the old metrical romance of Syr Guy of Warwick, bl, 1.
no date :
" Syr, cruoth Guy, God yield it you,
" Of this great gift you give me now."
Again, in Chaucer's Sompnoure's Tale, v. 7759 ; late edit.
" GodjyeMejou adoun in your village.'*
Godjhield means God forbid, and could never be ufedas a form oi
returning thanks. So, in Chaucer's Miller es Tale :
" Godjbilde that he died fodenly." v. 3427 ; late edit.
STEEVENS.
3 We r^ft your hermits.]
Hermits* for beadfmen. WARBURTOX.
MACBETH. 48$
King. Where's the thane of Cawdcr ?
We cours'd him at the heels, and had a purpofe
To be his purveyor : but he rides well ;
And his great love, marp as his fpur 4 , hath holphim
To his home before us : ^air and noble hoftefs,
We are your guefl to-night.
Lady. * Your fervants ever
Have theirs, themfelves, and what is theirs, incompt,
To make their audit at your highnefs' pleafure,
Still to return your own.
King. Give me your hand :
Conduct me to mine hoil ; we love him highly,
And fhall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, hoflefs. [Exeunt.
That is, we as hermits fiiall always pray for you. So, in Arden
f Fever/}? am , 159-:
*' I am your &eae?/manbound to pray for you."
Again, in HeyWood's Englijh Traveller, 1633:
*' -- worfhipful fir,
" I fhall be {till your beaafman." STEEVEXS.
4 - his great love, JJiarp as his fpur, - ]
So, in Twelfth Night, aft III. fc. ill :
** - my defire,
'* More Jbarp than fled Ji eel, did fpur me forth."
5 Tour fervants ever, &c. ]
The metaphor in this fpeech is taken from the Steward's compt-
ing-houfe or audit room. In ccmpt means, fubjeR to account. The
fcnle of the whole is : We, and all i<:ho belong to us, look upon <>z.r
lives and fortunes not as our <HU properties, but as thir.gs ive have
received ntercly for your ufe, and for which <vjc tntt/l ie accnuntablt
whenever you pleafe to call us to our audit ; ivben, like faithful
fa-wards, wejhattbe ready to anjwer jour f unmans, ly returning yo
-,>:bat isyour cr.\:n.
Ii2 SCENE
484 M A C B E T Hf.
SCENE VII.
Hautboys and torches. Enter a fiuuer 6 , and divers fer^
vants ii-ith dffies and fervke over tbe Jlage. 'Then
enter Macbeth.
Macb. 7 If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere
well
It were done quickly : 8 If the afTaffination
Could trammel up the confequence, and catch,
6 Enter a fewer, ] I have refbred this ftage dire&ion from
the old copy. The office of a. fewer was to place the diflies in or-
der at a feaft. His chief mark of diilinftion was a towel round
his arm. So, in Ben Jonforv's Silent Woman ; " clap me a
clean towel about you, like * fewer ." Again : " See, fir Amo-
rous has his towel on already. [He enters like a fewer."]
STEEVENS.
7 If it were done, feV.]
A man of learning recommends another punctuation :
If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere -well.
It were Jone quickly, if, &c. JOHNSON.
8 If the ajjajjination}
Of this foliloquy the meaning is not very clear ; I have never
found the readers of Shakefpeare agreeing about it. I underiland
it thus :
. " If that which I am about to do, when it is once done and ex-
ecuted, were done and ended without any following effects, it
\vould then be beft to do it quickly; it the murder could terminate
in itfelf, and reftrain the regular courfe of confequences, ifitsfuc.-
<ef> could fecure itsfiarceafe^ if being once &G&eJuccffsfuUy v with-
out dete6tion, it could Jix a period to all vengeance and enquiry,
So that this blow mig^ht be all that I have to do, and this anxiety
all that I have to fuffer ; if this could be my condition, even here
in this world^ in this contracted period of temporal exiftence, on
this narrow lank in the ocean of eternity, I would jump tbe life to
come, I would venture upon the deed without care of any future
ikte. But this is one of thcfe cafes in which judgment is pro-
nounced and vengeance inflicted upon us here in our prefent life.
We teach others to- do as we have dene, and are punifhed by our
own example." JOHXSOK.
With
MACBETH. 485
* With his furceafe, fucccfs; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and ' fhoal of time,
We'd jump the life to come z . But, in thefe cafes,
We ftill have judgment here ; that we but teach
Bloody inftruclions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor : This even-handed juftice *
Commends the ingredients of our poifon'd chalice
To our own lips. He's here in double truft :
Firft, as I am his kinfman and his fubieft,
Strong both againfl the deed ; then, as his hofl,
\Vho fhould againfl his murderer mut the door,
Not bear the knife myfelf. Befides, this Duncan
4 Hath borne his faculties fo meek, hath been
^ With bn furceafe, fuccefs ; ]
I think the reafoning requires that we fliould read :
With its fuccefs furceafe. JOHNSON.
A trammel is a net in which either birds or fifties are caught.
So, in the I fie of Gulls, 1633 :
" Each tree and {hrub wears trammels of thy hair."
Surccafe is ceflaticn, ftop. So, in the Valiant H'elcbman, 1615:
*' Surceafe brave brother: Fortune hath crown'd our
brows."
His is ufed inftead of its, in many places. STEEVENS.
1 jboal of time, ]
This is Theobald's emendation, undoubtedly right. The old
etUtion hasyc-/>W, and Dr. Warburtony/Ww. JOHNSON.
* We'd jump the life to come. ]
.So, in Cymbeline, aft V. fc. iv :
** 01 jump the after-enquiry on your own peril."
STEEVENS.
3 - 7 bis ei'ens-bandedjujlicel
Our poet, apis Matinee more modoque, would ftoop to borrow a fweet
from any flower, however humble in its fituation.
" The pricke of confcience (fays Holinfhed) caufed him ever
to reare, left he fliould be ferved of the fame cup as he had mini-
fter'd to his predeceflbr." STEEVEXS.
4 licit b borne bis faculties Co meek, ]
Faculties, for office, exercife of power, fe*r. WARBURTON.
Hath borne bis faculties fo ?ncck, ]
-" Duncan (fays Holinflicd) was fott and gentle of nature."
And again: ** Macbeth fpoke much againft the king's fortnefs, and
overmuch flacknefs in punithing oflcndors." STELVENS.
I i 3 So
MACBETH.
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongu'd, againft
The deep damnation of his taking-off:
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blaft, 5 or heavens cherubin, hors'd
Upon the fightlefs couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
6 That tears ihall drown the wind. I have no fpur 7
To prick the fides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'er-leaps itfelf,
And falls on the other 8 How now ! what news ?
s i or heaven's cherulin, hors'd
Upon thefightlefi couriers of the air t ]
But the cherubin is the courier; fo that he can't be faid to be horfd
upon another courier, Wemuftread, therefore, courfers.
WARBURTON.
Courier is only runner. Couriers of air are ivinds^ air in mo-
tion. Sigbtkfs is invijible. JOHNSON,
Again, in this play :
" Wherever in your Jightlefe fubftances, &c."
Again, in Hey wood's raxen Age, 1613 :
" The flames of hell and Pluto's./%-M/} fires."
Again :
" Hath any fightlefs and infernal fire
* Laid hold upon my flefh ?"
Again, in Warner's Albions England, 1602, b. ii. c. n :
" The icouring winds that Jigbtlcfs'va. the founding air do
fly." STEEVENS.
6 That tears Jball Jrtnvn the w/W. ]
Alluding to the remiffion of the wind in a fliower. JOHNSON.
7 no fpur &c.]
Thejfur of the occafion is a phrafe ufedby lord Bacon.
STEEVENS.
8 And falls on the other }
Haninei" has on this occafion added a word which every reader can-
not fail to add for himfelf. He would give :
And falls on the other fide.
But the ftate of Macbeth 's mind is more ftrongly marked by this
break in the fpeech, than by any continuation of it which the mod
uccefsful critic can fupply. STEEVENS.
Enter
MACBETH, 487
Eater Lady 9 .
Lady. He has almoft fupp'd ; Why have you left
the chamber ?
Macb. Hath he afk'd for me ?
Lady. Know you not, he has ?
Macb. We will proceed no further in this bufinefs :
He hath honour'd me of late ; and I have bought
Golden opinions from all forts of people,
Which would be worn now in their neweft glofs,
Not cafl afide fo foon.
Lady. Was the hope drunk,
Wherein you dreft yourfelf ? hath it flept fincc ?
And wakes it now, to look fo green and pale
At what it did fo freely ? From this time,
Such I account thy love. Art thou afraid
9 Enter La<fy.] The arguments by -which lady Macbeth per-
fuades her hufband to commit the murder, afford a proof of Shakc-
fpeare's knowledge of human nature. She urges the excellence
and dignity of courage, a glittering idea which has dazzled man-
kind from age to age, and animated fometimes the houfe-breaker,
and fometimes the conqueror ; but this Ibphifm Macbeth has for
ever deftroyed, by diiiinguilhing true from falfe fortitude, in a
line and a half; of which it may almoft be faid, that they ought
to beftow immortality on the author, though all his other produc-
tions had been loft :
I dart do all that may become a man y
Jf^/jo dares do more t is none.
This topic, which has been always employed with too much
fuccefs, is ufed in this fcene with peculiar propriety, to a foldier
by a woman.' Courage is the'diftinguilhing virtue of a foldier,
and the reproach of cowardice cannot be borne by any man from
a woman, without great impatience.
She then urges the oaths by which he had bound himfelf to
murder Duncan, another art of fophiftry by which men have
fometimes deluded their conferences, and perfiuided themfelves
that what would be criminal in others is virtuous in them ; this
argument Shukcfpeare, whole plan obliged him to mukc Macbeth
yield, has not confuted, though he might calily have flicwn that
a former obligation could not be vacated by a latter : that obli-
gations laid on us by a higher power, could not be over-ruled by
obligations which we lay upon ourfelves. JOHNSON.
I i 4 To
4.8S MACBETH.
To be the fame in thine own aft and valour,
As thou art in defire ? l Wouldft thou have that
Which thou efteem'ft the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own efteem ;
Letting I dare not wait upon I would,
* Like the poor cat i' the adage ?
Macb, Pr'ythee, peace 3 :
I dare do all that may become a man ;
Who dares do more, is none.
Lady. What beaft was it then,
That made you break this enterprize to me ?
When you durfl do it, then you were a man ;
And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be fo much more the man. Nor time, nor place,
* Wouldjl thou have that,
Which thou ejleem*jl the ornament of life,
dind live a. coward in thine own ejleeni ; ]
In this there feems to be no reafoning. I fhould read :
Or live a coward in thine own ejlecm ?
Unlefs we choofe rather :
Wouldft thou leave that. JOHNSON.
The reafoning is rendered imperfect by inferting the note of in-
terrogation after the word cjhem ; the two enfuing lines belonging
as neceflarily to the fentence as any line that went before, and
making an effential part of the Lady's argument. Put the note of
interrogation where it ought to be, at the end of the fpeech, and
then the argument becomes entire, and the reafoning conclusive.
"Do you wijli to obtain the crown, and yet would you remain fuch a
coward in your oivn eyes all your life, as to fujjer your paltry fears,
which whlfper, " I dare not," to controulyour nolle ambition, ivhich
cries out, "I would?" STEEVENS.
" 4 Like the poor cat ? the adage f]
The adage alluded to is, The cat loves fjb, but dares not wet her
feeti
" Catus amat pifces, fed non vuh tingerc plantas" JOHNSON.
3 Pr'ythec, peace, &c.]
A pafTage limilar to this, occurs in Meafure for Meafurc, acl II.
fcene ii :
^ be that you are,
" That is a woman : if you're more, you're none."
The folio, infteadof do more, reads no more, but the prefent read-,
ing is undoubtedly right. STEEVENS.
Did
MACBETH. 489
* Did then adhere, and yet you would make both :
They have made themfelves,and that their fitnefs now
JDoes unmake you. I have given fuck ; and know
How fender 'tis, to love the babe that milks me :
I would, while it was milling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his bonelefs gums,
And dafh'd the brains out, had I but ib fvvorn
As you have done to this.
Macb. If we mould fail,
Lady. We fail !
But icrew your courage to the flicking place J ,
And we'll not fail. When Duncan is afleep,
(Whereto the rather mall his day's hard journey
Soundly invite him) his two chamberlains
6 Will I with wine and waflel fo convince,
That
* Did tben adhere, ]
The old copy reads adhere. Dr. Warburton would read cohere ', not
improperly, but without neceflity. In the Merry Hives of Hind-
for, Mrs. Ford fays of Falftaff, that his words and actions " no more
adhere and keep pace together than, &c." STEEVENS,
5 But fcretit} ytoir courage to the flicking place, ~\
This is a metaphor from an engine formed by mechanical compli-
cation. Tktjfticklng place is the Jlop which fuipends its powers,
till they are difcharged on their proper object ; as in driving
piles, &c. So, in fir W. Davenant's Cruel Brother, 1630 :
*' There is an engine made,
" Which fpends its ftrength by force of nimble wheels ;
" For they, onceJcrewcJtip, in their return
" Will rive an oak."
Again, in Coriolanus, ad I. fc. viii :
" Wrench up thy power to the higheft."
Perhaps indeed Shake fpeare had a more familiar image in view,
and took his metaphor Irom i&e Jcrtwtng up the chords of flring-
inftruments to their proper degree of tenfion, when the peg re-
mains faftin its flicking place, i.e. in the place from which it is
not to move. STEEVENS.
6 Will I with ivitie and ivajjclfo convince,]
To convince, is in Shakefpeare, to overfo-iver orftibdue, as in this
play:
*' Their malady convinces
" The great aflay of art." JOHNSOK.
So, in the old comedy ot Cambyfes :
*' If that your heart add'ided be the F-gyptians to convince."
Again :
4 9 o MACBETH.
That memory, the warder of the brain 7 ,
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reafon 8
A lim-
Again :
" By this his grace, by conqueft great the Egyptians did
convince."
Again, in Holinfhed : " thus mortally fought, intending to
vanquish and convince the other."
What was anciently called ivas-baile (as appears from Selden's
notes on the ninth fong of DrxytOB*tPelyo&rrtt) was an annual cuf-
tom obferved in the country on the vigil of the new year ; and
had its beginning, as fome fay, from the words which Ronix
daughter of Hengift ufed, when fhe drank to Vortigern, loverd
king ivas-beil ', he anfwering her, by direction of an interpreter,
drinc-heile ; and then as Geoffery of Monmouth fays :
" Kufte hire and fitte hire adoune and glad dronke hire
btil,
" And that was tho in this land the verft "Mas-bail,
*' As in langage of Saxoyne that me might eve re iwite,
" And fo wel he paith the folc about, that he is not yut
voryute."
Afterwards it appears that <was-baile t and drinc-beil, were theufual
phrafes of quaffing among the Englifli, as we may fee from Tho-
mas dc la Moore in the Life of Edward II. and in the lines of Han-
vil the monk, who preceded him :
" Ecce vagante cifo diftento gutture <iw/}-<W,
" Ingeminant wafs-beil
But Selden rather conjectures it to have been a ufual cere*
mony among the Saxons before Hengifl, as a note of heahb-<wijh-
ing, 'fuppofing the expreffion to be corrupted from ivijh-beih
WaJJel or Wajfail is a word fall in ufe in the midland counties,
and fignifies at prefent \\1iat is called Lambs Wool, /'. e. roafted
apples in -ftrong beer, with fugar and fpice. See Beggar 's Eujb^
act IV. fc. 4 :
What think you of a waffelt
' thou and Ferret
** And Ginks to {ing the fong : I for the flru&ure,
" Which is the bowl, &c."
Again, in a fong introduced in Laneham's Narrative of^uten Eli-
zabeth's Entertainment at Kenchvorth Cajlle, 11575 :
" For ivine and ivaftctt he had at will."
WaJJel is, however, fometimes ufed for general riot, intemperance,
or feftivity. On this occafion I believe it means intemperance.
Ben Jonfon perfonifies ivajftl thus: Enter Waflel like a
neat
MACBETH. 491
A limbeck only : When in fwiniih fleep
Their drenched natures lie, as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon
The unguarded Duncan ? what not put upon
His fpungy officers ; ' who ihall bear the guilt
Of our great quell ?
Macb. Bring forth men-children only !
For thy undaunted mettle fhould compofe
Nothing but males. Will it not be receiv'd,
When we have mark'd with blood thofe fleepy two
Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers,
That they have don't ?
Lady. Who dares receive it other,
As we fhall make our griefs and clamour roar
Upon his death ?
Macb. I am fettled, and bend up z
tie atfempjle r and fongfttr ; be r page bearing a brcKvn loivl dreft wltb
ribbands and rofemary, before her. 'SrEEVENS.
7 the warder of the brain,]
A warder is a guard, a centmel. So, in another play of Shake-
fpeare :
" Where be thefe warders, that they wait not here ?"
STEEVENS.
8 the receipt of reafon\
\. e. the receptacle. MALONE.
9 A limbeck only : ]
That is, lhall be only a veflel to emit fumes or vapours. JOHNOW.
* who Jl?all bear the guilt
Of our great quell.]
Quell is murder^ man-Muellers being in the old language the term
for which murderers is now ufed. JOHNSON.
So, in Chaucer's Tale of the Nontits Pritjl, v. 15396, late edit.
" The dokes cryeden as men wold hem quellc."
The word is ufed in this fenfe by Holinflied, p. 567 : " fh
poor people ran about the ftreets, calling the cnpteins and gover-
nors murtbcrers and manquellcrs." Again, in The Cooler's Pr*
fbecy, 1594 :
*' Prefs'd through defpair myfelf to quell" STEEVENI,
* and bend up]
A metaphor from the bow. vSo, in A'. Henry V. aft III. fc. i :
" bend up every fpirit
44 To his full height." STBEVENS.
Each
492. MACBETH.
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.
Away, and mock the time with fairefl fhow :
Falfe face muft hide what the falfe heart doth know.
[Exeunt.
A C T II. S C E N E I.
Enter Banqtio, and Fleance, with a torch before him,
3 Ban. How goes the night, boy ?
Fie. The moon is down ; I have not heard the
clock.
Ban, And flie goes down at twelve.
Fie. I take't, 'tis later, fir.
Ban. Hold, take my fword : There's husbandry
in heaven,
Their candles are all out. Take thee that too.
A heavy fummons lies like lead upon me,
And yet I would not deep : 4 Merciful powers !
Re-
3 Banquet.] The place is not mark'd in the old edition, nor i
5t eafy to lay where this encounter can be. It is not in the hall t
as the editors have all fuppofed it, for Banquo lees the Iky ; it is
not far from the bedchamber, as the conversation fhevvs : it muft
be in the inner court of the caftle, which Banquo might properly
crofs in his way to bed. JOHNSON.
* : Merciful powers !
Rejlrain in me the cur fed thoughts, that nature
Gives way to in repofe ! ]
It is apparent from what Banquo fays afterwards, that he had been
folicited in a dream to attempt fomething in conlequence of the
prophecy of the witches, that his waking fenfes were fhock'd at;
and Shakefpeare has here finely contrafted his character with that
of Macbeth. Banquo is praying againft being tempted to en-
courage thoughts of guilt even in his fleep ; while Macbeth is hur-
rying into temptation, and revolving in his mind every fcheme,
however flagitious, that may affift him to complete his purpofe.
The one is unwilling to fleep, left the fame phantoms fhould af-
iail
MACBETH. 493
Reftrain in me the curfed thoughts, that nature
Gives way to in repofe ! Give me my fword ;
Enter Macbeth, and afervant with a torch.
Who's there ?
Macb. A friend.
Ban. What, fir, not yet at reft? The king's a-bed :
He hath J been in unufual pleafure, and
Sent forth great largefs to your officers :
This diamond he greets your wife withal,
By the name of molt kind hoftefs ; and ihut up s
In meafurelefs content,
Macb. Being unprcpar'd,
Our will became the fervant to defect ;
Which elfe ihould free have wrought 7 .
Ban. All's well.
I dreamt laft night of the three weird fitters :
fail his refolution again, while the other is depriving hirafclf of
reft through impatience to commit the murder. The fame kind of
invocation occurs in Cymbeline :
" From fairies, and the tempters of the night ,
" Guard me!" STEEVENS.
5 He hath to-night, c.]
To-night was unneceflarily inferted by Mr. Pope. STEEVENS.
6 font u p]
Tojbut up, is to conclude. ' So, in the Spantfi Tragedy :
" And heavens have Jlwt up day to pleafure us."
Again, in Spenfer's Faery Queen, b. iv. c. 9 :
" And for tojbut up all in friendly love."
Again, in Reynolds's God's Revenge againjl Murder, 1621, fourtk
edit. p. 157: " cluvgh the parents have already Jhut np the
contract." Again, in St- ,e's account of the earl of Eflex's fpeech
on the fcaftbld: " \\tJJn.t ..p all with the Lord's prayer."
STEEVENS.
7 Being tinprepar't!,
Our iuill lecatne the fervant to defeft ;
Wbicb elfc JJjQtiU free have wfrought.]
This is obfcurely exprefled. The meaning leems to be : Being
unprepared, our entertainment was nccclliirily Jefeflii-t, and we
only had it in our power to fhcw the king our ivUl-n^tufs tof?r<vt
him. Had we received fufficient notice ot his coining, our zea
(hyuld have been more clearly manifelted by our afli. MALONE
To
494 M A O B E T H,
To you they have fhew'd fome truth.
Macb. I think not of them :
Yet, when we can intreat an hour to ferve,
We would fpend it in fome words Upon that bufinefs, 1
If you would grant the time.
Ban. At your kind'il leifure.
Macb. 8 If you fliall cleave to my confent, when 'tis,
It fliall make honour for you.
Ban. So I lofe none,
In feeking to augment it, but ftill keep
My bofom franchis'd, and allegiance cleaij
I fhall be counfel'd.
Macb. Good repofe, the while !
Ban. Thanks, fir; The like to you ! [Exit Banquo.
Macb. Go, bid thy miftrefs, when my drink is
ready;
She ftrike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. [Exit Serv.
Is this a dagger, which I fee before me,
The handle toward my hand ? Come, let me 9 clutch
thee :
I have
8 If you Jhall cleave to my confent, lube* *tis,~\
Confent for will. So that the fenfe of the line is, If you fliall ga
into my meafures when I have determined of them, or when the
time comes drat 1 want your affiftance. WARBURTON.
If you jb all cleave, &C.1
Macbeth exprefles his thought with affe&ed obfcurity ; he does
not mention the royalty, though he apparently had it in his mind*
If you Jhall cleave to my confent^ if you fhall concur with me whert
I determine to accept the crown, when 'tit, when that happens
which the prediction promifes, it Jhall make honour for you.
JOHNSON.
Such another expreffion occurs in lord Surrey's tranflation of
the fecond book of ^irgiVs ^Eneid:
*' And if thy will^Y unto mine, I fliall
'* In wedlocke fure knit, and make her his own.'*
When '//j, means, when 'tis my leifure to talk i<cith you on this lit*
fnefs; referring to what Banquo had juil faid, at your kindeft
leifure.
Macbeth could never mean to ^ive Banquo at this time the moft
diftant or obfcure hint of his defign upon the crown. STEEVENS.
9 clutch] The meaning-of this word is well known,
nor
MACBETH, 495
I have thce not ; and yet I fee thee dill.
Art thou not, fatal vifion, fenfible
To feeling, as to fight ? or art thou but
A Dagger of the mind ; a falfe creation,
Proceeding from the heat-opprefled brain ?
I fee thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.
Thou marflial'fl: me the way that I was going ;
And fuch an inftrument I was to ufe.
Mine eyes are made the fools o'the other fenfes,
Or clfe worth all the reft : I fee thee ftill ;
1 And on thy blade, and dudgeon, x gouts of blood,
Which
nor is the note introduced for any other reafon than juft to men-
tion, that our author's ufe of it feems to be fneered at by Bet
Jonfon mhisPoeta/ltrj actV. fc. ii. where Crifpinus, after having
taken fome pills from Horace, by way of a light vomit, to purge
his brain and ftomach, among many other uncouth words and
phrafes he brings up, this is one. Shakefpeare ufes it in Mea-
furt for Meafure, aft III. fc. v. and K. John, aft II. fc. 6. always
in the fame fignification. WARNER.
This word, though reprobated by Ben Jonfon, was not jiecu-
liar to Shakefpeare. It is alfo ufed by Marfton, in the fecond part
or Antonio and Mellida, 1602:
" all the earth is clutch' 'd
" In the dull leaden hand of fnoring deep." MALONE.
It appears from the following paflage in an old comedy, called
The Return from ParnaJJus, 1606, that Shakefpeare and Ben Jon-
fon had been at variance : " O that Ben Jonfon's a peftilent fellow,
he brought up Horace giving the poets a pill ; but our fellow
Shakefpeare hath given him a purge that made him bewray his
sredit." Burbage and Kemp are the fpeakers in this fcene.
STEEVENS.
' And on thy blade, and dudgeon, goutt of blood,]
Certainly, if on the blade, then on the dudgeon ; for dudgeon, fig-.
nifies a foall dagger. We fhould read therefore :
And on the blade fifth' dudgeon, WARBURTON.
Though dudgeon does fometimes lignify a dagger, it more pro-
perly means the baft or handle of a dagger, and is ufed 1'jr that
particular fort of handle which has fome ornament carved on
the top of it. Junius explains tr.e dudgeon, i. e. ban, by die
Latin exprelfion, manubrium apiatum, which means a handle of
with a grain rough as if the feeds ofparjty vjfre Jirov:n over it.
So,
496 M A C B E T H.
Which was not fo before. There's no fuch thing 1
It is the bloody bufinefs, which informs
Thus to mine eyes. 5 Now o'er the one half \vorld
Nature
So, in Lyllie's comedy of Mother Bombie^ 1594.: " thert
have at the bag with the dudgeon, bafte, that is, at the dudgeon dag-
ger that hangs by his tantony pouch." In Soliman and Perfeda is
the following pallage :
" Typhon me no Typhons,
' But fwear upon my dudgeon dagger."
Again, in Decker's Satiromaftix ; " I am too wellrank'd, Afinius,-
to be rtabb'd with his dudgeon wit." STE EVENS.
Gafcolgne confirms this : " The mod knottie piece of box may
be wrought to a fayre doogen bafte" Gouts for drops is frequent in
old Englifh. FARMER.
2 gouts of blood,] Or drops, French. POPE.
Gouts is the technical term for the fpots on Ibme part of the
plumage of a hawk : or perhaps Shakefpeare ufed the word in al-
lufion to a phrafe in heraldry. When a field is charg'd or fprinkled
with red drops, it is faid to be gutty of gules, or gutty de fang.
STEEVENS.
3 A r <nv o'er the one half world
Nature fecms dead, ]
That is, over our bemifphere all aftion and motion feem to have ceaf-
td. This image, which is perhaps the moil ftriking that poetry
can produce, has been adopted by Dryden in his Conquejl of
Mexico :
' All things are hufh'd as Nature's felf lay dead,
* The mountains feem to nod their drowfy head ;
* The little birds in dreams their fongs repeat,
' And fleeping flow'rs beneath the night dews fweat,
* Even lull and envy fleep !"
Thefe lines, though fo well known, I have tranfcribed, that the
contraft between them and this paflage ot Shakefpeare may be more
accurately obferved.
Night is defcribed by two great poets, but one defcribes a night
of quiet, the other of perturbation. In the night of Dryden, all
the difturbers of the world are laid afleep ; in that of Shakefpeare,
nothing but forcery, lull, and murder, is awake. He that reads
Dryden, finds himfelf lull'd with ferenity, and difpofed to folitude
and contemplation. He that perufes Shakefpeare, looks round
alarmed, and ftarts to find himfelf alone. One is the night of a
lover, the other, of a murderer. JOHNSON.
Now o'er one half the world, &c.]
So, in Marfton's fecond part of Antonio and Mcllida, 1602, which
probably preceded Macbeth ;
MACBETH. 497
Nature feems dead, and wicked dreams abufe
The curtain'd fleep 4 ; now witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings ; 5 and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd
" 'Tis yet dead night ; yet all the earth is clutcht
** In the dull leaden hand of fnoring lleep :
*' No breath difturbs the quiet of the air,
*' No fpirit moves upon the bread of earth,
" Save howling dogs, night-crows, and fcreeching owls,
" Save meagre ghofts, Piero, nnd black thoughts.
" ' " I am great in blood,
" Unequal'd in revenge : - you horrid fcouts
" That fentlnel fa-art night, give loud applaufe
" From your large palms." MALONE.
4 The curtain d Jleep ; now witchcraft celebrates'}
The word now has been added by the editors for the fuke
of metre. Probably Shakefpeare wrote : The curtain'd jict-pcr.
The folio fpells the word Jleepe, and an addition of the letter r
only, affords the propoled emendation. S TEEVENS.
* iv it he r'd murder ',
thus with hisftealtby face,
With Tar quirts ravijlnng fides twJrd bis dejign
Moves like a ghoft. ]
This was the reading of this paflage in all the editions before that
of Mr. Pope, whofbr/ftfo, inferted in the text prides, which Mr.
Theobald has tacitly copied from him, though a more proper al-
teration might perhaps have been made. A raw!jbbtgjlriat is an
action of violence, impetuofity, and tumult, like that ot a favage
rufhingon his prey ; whereas the poet is here attempting to exhi-
bit an image of fecrecy and caution, of anxious circumfpeclion
and guilty timidity, the Jiealtby^ pace, of a ravijJjcr creeping into
the chamber of a virgin, and of an aflaffin approaching the bed of
him whom he propofes to murder, without awaking him ; thefe
he defcribes as moving like ghojis, whofe progreflion is fo different
from^r/Vfo, that it has been in all ages repreiented to be, as Mil-
ton exprefles it :
" Smooth fliding without fl:ep."
This hemiltic will afford the true reading of this place, which is,
I think, to be corrected thus :
and 'wither' \l murder,
thus with his Healthy ^flcr,
With Tarquin raviJJring, ilides t^rds his dejign^ .
Moves likes a ghoft.
Tarquin is in this place the general name of a ravifher, and the
fenfe is : Now is the time in which everyone is a-fleep, but thofe
who are employed in wickednefs ; the witeii who is facrificing to
VOL. IV. ' K k Hecate,
498 M A C B E T H.
Alarum'd by his fentinel, the wolf,
Whofe howl's his watch, thus with his Healthy pace*
6 With Tarquin's ravifhing ftrides, towards his defign
Moves like a ghofl. 7 Thou fure and firm-fet earth,
Hear
Hecate, and the ravifher, and the murderer, who, like me, arc
Dealing upon their prey.
When the reading is thus adjufted, he wiflies with great pro.
priety, in the following lines, that the earth may not bear hi*
jffeps. JOHNSON.
6 With Tarqttin's ran>ijbingjlride5, ]
The juftnefs of this iimilitude is not very obvious. But a ftanza,
in his poem of Tarquin and Lucrece, will explain it :
~No\\Jiole upon the time, the dead of 'night ,
When heavy lleep had clos'd up mortal eyes ;
No comfortable^;- did lend his light,
No noife but owls and evolves dead-boding cries}
Now ferves- the feafon that they may furprife
The filly lambs. Pure thoughts are dead and ftill,
While lull and murder wake tojlain and kill"
WAR BUR TON'.
I cannot agree with Dr. Johnfoh that tiJlflJt is always an aflio*
tf violence, impetuojlty, or tumult. Spenfer ufes the word in his
Faery Queen, b. iv. c. 8. and with no idea of violence annexed^
to it:
" With eafy fteps fo foft as foot could Jlride."
And as an additional proof that a jtride is not always a iu Timlin OK*
effort, the following initasce from Harrington's Tranjlation 6f Ari~
ffto, may be brought :
He takes a long and leifurable_^r/V&,
And lorigeft on the hinder foot he ftaid j
So foft he treads, altho' his fteps were wide^
As though to tread on eggs he was afraid.
And as he goes, he gropes on either fide
To find the bed, &c."
Orlando Furiofo, 2 8th book, ffenza6j
This tranflation was entered on the books of the Stationers' Com
pany, Dec. 7. 1593.
Whoever has been reduced to the neceffity of finding his way
about a houfe in the dark, muft know that it is natural to take
large JlriJcs, in order to feel before us whether we have a fafe foot-
ing or not. The ravifher and murderer would naturally take fuch
ftrides, not only on the lame account, but that their fteps might
be fewer in number, and the found of their feet be repeated a*
feldom as poffible. STEEVEKS.
7 Thou found and Jirtn-fet earth)"]
is
MACBETH. 499
tlear not my fteps, 8 which way they walk, for feat
Thy very ftones prate of my where-about 9 ,
1 And take the prefent horror from the time,
Which
is the reading of the modern editors : but though that of the folio
is corrupt, it will direct us to the true one.
Thou fowre and firm-fit earth,
is evidently wrong, but brings us very near the right \rord, which'
was evidently meant to be '.
Thou fure and firm-fit earth)
as I have inferted it in the text. So, in adt IV. fc. iii :
" Great tyranny, lay thou thy bafisyr^" STEE'VENS.
8 which <vjay they walk, ]
The folio reads :
which they may walk, STEEVEXS.
9 Thy very Jiones prate of my where- about,]
The following beautiful paffage in a play which has been fre-
quently mentioned, and \Wiich Langbaihe fays was very popular
in the time of queen Elizabeth, A Warning for faire Women,
J 599> perhaps fuggefted this thought :
Mountains will not fuffice to cover it,
Cimmerian darknefle cannot fhadow it,
Nor any policy wit hath in (lore,
Cloake it fo cunningly, but at the laft,
It nothing elfe, yet will the veryjtcnes
' That lie within the ftreets, cry out for vengeance*,
And point at us to be the murderers." MALONE.
* And tale the prefent horror from the time,
Which nowftiits with it. ]
i. e. left the noife from the ftones take away from this midnight
feafon that prefent horror which fuits fo we'll with what is going
to be afted in .it. What was the horror he means ? Silence, than
which nothing can be more horrid to the perpetrator of an atro-
cious defign. This fliews a great knowledge of human nature.
WAR BUR TOW.
Of this paffage an alteration was once propoled by me, of
which I have now a lefs favourable opinion, yet will inlert it, as
it may perhaps give fome hint to other critics :
And take the prefent borrour from the time.
Which now fuits with it.
I believe every one that has attentively read this dreadful foliloqu/
is diiappointed at the conclufion, which, if not wholly unintel-
ligible, is, at leaft, obfcure, nor can be explained into any lenfc
worthy of the authour. I fliall therefore propofe a flight alters
ion:
* . .. . Thou found and firm- fit eartb 9
K k 2 Htar
5 oo M A C B E T H.
Which now {bits with it. While I threat, he lives- i
Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.
[_A bell rings.
I go, and it is done ; the bell invites me.
Hear it not, Duncan ; for it is a knell
That fummons thee to heaven, or to hell.
Hear not my fiefs, which tvay they <tvar/, for fear
Thy very ft ones prate of my lubert-about,
y/Wtalk the prefcnt horro ur of the time !
That now fuits ivith it. -
Macbeth has, in the foregoing lines, difturbed his imagination
by enumerating all the terrors of the night ; at length he is
wrought up to a degree of frenzy, that makes him afraid of feme
fupernatural difcovery of his delign, and calls out to the ftones
not to betray him, not to declare where he walks, nor to talk.
As he is 'going to fay of what, he diicovers the abfurdity of h*s
fufpicion r and paufes ;, but is again overwhelmed by his guilt,
and concludes, that fuch are the horrors of the prefent night,
that the ftones may be expefled to cry out againft him :
That now-j(ititt"tviti} it, -
He obferves in a fubfequent paflage, that on fuch occafions-
Jlones have been known to move. It is now a very juft and ftrong
picture of a man about to commit a deliberate murder under the 1
ftrongeft conviction of the wickednefs of his defign. Of this al-
teration, however, I do not now fee much ufe, and certainly lee
no neceflkyv
Whether to take hm-rovr from the time means not rather to catch
it as communicated, than to deprive the time of horro ur r deferves to
be confidered. JOHNSON.
The latter is furely the true meaning.. Macbeth would have
nothing break through the univerfal filence that added fuch a hor-
ror to the night, as fuited well with the bloody deed he was about
to perform. Mr. Burke, in his EJfay OK the Sublime and Beauti'
ful, obferves, that "all general privations are great, becaufethey
are all terrible;" and, with other things, he gives JiJeace as an in-
ftance, illutfrating the whole by that remarkable paflage in Fii-giL*
where amidft all the images or" terror that could be united, the
circumftance oijtlence is particularly dwelt upon :
" Dii quibus imperium eft animarum, umbrajque Jikntei)
*' Et Chaos et Phlegethon, loca notte_/f/f ntia late."
STEEVEXS.
SCENE
MACBETH. 501
SCENE II.
Enter Lady Macbeth.
Lady. That which hath made them drunk, hath
made me bold ;
What hath quench'd them, hath given me fire .:
Hark! Peace!
It was the owl that ftiriek'd, the fatal bell-man,
Which gives the flern'ft good-night. He is about it:
The doors are open ; and the furfeited grooms
Do mock their .charge with fnores: I have drugg'd
their pofiets 2 ,
That death and nature do contend about them,
Whether they live, or die.
Macb. [Witbin.~\ Who's there-? what, .ho !
Lady. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd,
And 'tis not done : the attempt, and not the deed,.
Confounds us : Hark ! I laid their daggers ready,
He .could not mils them. J Had he not rcfembled
My father as he ilept, I had don't. My hufband ? .
jxifletsj
It appears from this paflage, as well as from many others in our old
-dramatic performances, that it was .the general cuftom to f&t ppflets
juit before bed-time. So, in the firft part -or" K. -Edward IV. by
Hey wood ' " thou (halt be welcome to beef and bacon, and
perhaps a bag-pudding ; and my daughter Nell (hall popxpaj/ft upon
thee when thou goett to bed." Macbeth himfeU has already faid :
44 Go bid thy miftrefs when my drink is ready,
" She itrike upon the bell."
And in the Merry Hives ofHlnilfur^ Mrs. Quickly promifes Jack
Rugby afoj/ftut night:"' STEEVENS.
3 Had he ,'iat refemlled
J/y father as bcjlfpt, / /W </<'/ ]
This is very artful. For, as the poet has drawn the lady and -her
luilbond, it would be thought the aft (hould have been done by
her. It is likewife highly jull ; for though ambition had fubduod
in her all the tenements of nature towards prtftnt objects, yet the
;likenefs of one pajl, which (he had been accultotned to regard
jyith reverence, made her unnatural palTions, for a moment, give
way t the fcntiments of inftincl and humanity. WARBURTON.
K k 3 Enter
$oz M A C R E T H, ,
Enter Macbeth.
Macb. I have done the deed : Didft thou not hear
a noife ?
Lady. I heard the owl fcream, and the crickets
cry.
Did not you fpeak ?
Macb. When?
Lady. Now.
. Macb. As I defcended ?
Lady. Ay.
Macb. Hark ! Who lies i'the fecond chamber ?
Lady. Donalbain.
Macb. This is a forry fight. [Looking on his hands.
Lady. A fooliih thought, to fay a forry fight.
Macb. There's one did laugh in his fleep, and one
cry'd, murder !
That they did wake each other ; I Hood and hearci
them :
But they did fay their prayers, and addrefs'd them
Again to ileep.
Lady. There are two lodg'd together.
Miacbi One cry'd, God blefs us! and, Amen^ the,.
other ;
^.s they had feen me, with thefp hangman's hands,
t Liftening their fear. I could not fay, amen,
4 Liftening their fear. I could not fay, amen t
When tbcy did fay, GodUcfsus.}
\. e. Liftening to their fear, the particle omitted. This is com-
inon in our author. Jul. Caf. a6t IV, fc. i :
' and now Oftavius,
* Lijlen great things."
Contemporary writers took the fame liberty. So, in the World
tofs'd at Tennis, by Middleton and Rowley, 1620 :
* Lificn the plaints of thy poor votaries."
.Again, n Lylly's Maid's Meta?norpbojis, 1600 :
* There, in rich feats, all wrought of ivory,
* The Graces lit, liftenin? the melody
*".,- T-l- 1---I.. ,-P *
Of warbling birds." Si
TEEVENS.
When
MACBETH. 503
When they did fay, God blcfs us.
Lady. Confider it not ib deeply.
Macb. But wherefore could not I pronounce, amen ?
I had moil need of bleffing, and amen
Stuck in my throat.
Lady. Thefe deeds muft not be thought
After thefe ways ; fo, it will make us mad.
Macb. Methought, I heard a voice cry, Sleep no
more !
Macbeth docs murder Jleep, the innocent fleef ;
Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd * Jleave of care,
"The death of each day's life, fore labour s bath.
Balm
5 Jleave of care ,]
*L fkein of filk is called tjieavt of filk, as I learned from Mr. Se-
ward, the ingenious editor ot Beaumont and Fletcher. JOHNSON.
Sleep, that knits up the ravcll'd Heave of care,]
To confirm the ingenious conjecture that Jleave means fleaved,
Jilk ravell'd, it is obfervable, that a poet of Shakefpeare's age,
Dray ton, has alluded to it likewife in his S^uejl of Cynthia:
" At length I on a fountain light,
f * Whofe brim with pinks was platted,
" The banks with daffadillies dight,
" With grafs, like./Aww, was matted." LANGTON.
Shave is mentioned in Holinlhed's Hifi. of England, p. 835 :
*' Eight wild men all apparelled in green mofs made vrithSfVfd
Clk." Perhaps the fame word, though difterently Ipelt, occurs
in the Lover's Complaint, by Shakefpeare, p. 87, and 88, Lin-
tot's edition :
" Found yet mo letters fadly penn'd in blood,
" With^7f/^^filke, feate and atteftedly
** Enfwath'd and feal'd to curious fecrecy.'*
Again, \r\t\\cMufesElizium, by Dray ton :
" thrumb'd with grafs
" As foft -jAJleave or farcenet ever Was.**
Again : *
** That in the handling feels as foft as unyjleavc."
SrEEVENS-
6 7be death of each day's life, fore labour's bath, &c.]
In this encomium upon fletp, amongft the many appellations
which are given it, lignificant of its beneficence and Iriendlinefs
to life, we find one which conveys a different idea, and by n
means agrees with the reft, which is :
The death of each day's life, ]
Kk 4
504 MACBETH.
Balm of hurt minds, great nature* s fecond courfe.
Chief nourifher in life- s feajl 1 ;
Lady. What do you mean ?
Macb. Still it cry'd, Sleep no more / to all the houfe 2
Glamls bath murder* djleep ; and therefore Cawdor
Shall Jleep no more, Macbeth Jhdljleep no more !
Lady. Who was it, that thus cry'd ? Why, worthy
thane,
You do unbend your noble ftrength, to think
So brain-fickly of things : Go, get fome water,
And wafh this filthy witnefs from your hand.
Why did you bring thefe daggers from the place ?
They muft lie there : Go, carry them ; and fmear
The fleepy grooms with blood.
Macb. I'll go no more :
I am afraid to think what I have done ;
Look on't again, I dare not.
Lady. Infirm of purpofe !
Give me the daggers : The Sleeping, and the dead,
Are but as pictures : 'tis the eye of childhood,
That fears a painted devil 8 . If he do bleed,
I'll 9 gild the faces of the grooms withal,
For
I make no queftion but Shakefpcare wrote :
The birth of each day's life,
The true charncleriflick or fleep, which repairs the decays of la-
bour, and affifls that returning vigour which fupplies the next
day's activity. The player-editors feem to have corrupted it for
the fake of a filly gingle between life and death. WARBURTON.
I neither perceive the corruption, nor any neceflity for altera-
tion. The death of each Jay's life, means the end of each day's la~
lour, the conclujion of all that luftlc and fatigue that each day's life
brings ivit/j it. STEEVENS.
7 Chief nourijher in life's feajl ;]
So, in Chaucer's Squierfs Tale, v. 10661 ; late edit.
" The norice of digeftion, theJ2efie." STEEVENS.
8 'tis the eye of childhood,
That fears a painted devil. ]
So, in Vittoria Corwnbona, 16121
" Terrify lobes, my lord, vi\\h painted devils " STEEVENS.
9 gild the faces of the grooms withal,
For it muft fcem their guilt.]
Could
MACBETH. 505
For it muft feem their guilt. [Er//. Knocking within.
Macb. Whence is that knocking !
How is't with me, when every noife appals me ?
What hands are here? Ha! they pluck out mine eyes!
Will. all great Neptune's ocean wafh this blood '
Clean from my hand ? No ; this my hand will rather
The multitudinous leas l incarnardine,
Making the green one red } .
.fa-
Could Shakefpeare poflibly mean to play upon the fimilitude of
giL / and guilt? JOHNSON.
This quibble very frequently occurs in the old plays. A few
inftances (for I could produce a dozen at leaft) may fuffice :
** Cand. You have a iilver beaker of my wife's ?
" Flu. You fay not true, 'tis gilt.
" Cand. Then you fay true :
" And being gilt, the guilt lies more on you."
Again, in Middleton's comedy of AmadWorldmy Mafters, 1608:
" Though guilt condemns, 'tis gilt mull make us glad."
And, laftly, from Shakefpeare himfelf:
" England fliall double gild his treble guilt." Hen. IV. p. 2.
Again, in Hen. V :
Have for the gilt of France, Q guilt indeed!" STSEVENS.
1 Will all great Neptune's ocean &c.]
*' Sufcipit, o GcIIi, quantum non ukima Tetlys,
* ' Non genitor nympharum abluit oceanus. '*
Catullus in Gellium, 83.
OTfxai yap T a, "l<rrpo art <p<ri an
Nk\J/a xa.&f(4M rw& rtjv trreyno. Sophoc. Oedif.
" >uis eluet me Tanais? ant qute larlaris
* ' Maotis itndis Pontico incumbent marl f
*' Non ipfe toto magnm Qccanm pater
" Tantum expiarit fcehrls !" Senec. Hippol. STEEVENS.
So, in the Infatiate Countefs, by Marfton, 1603:
*' Although the waves ot all the northern fea
" Should flow for ever through thefe guilty hands,
** Yet the fanguinolent {tain would exftant be."
MALONE.
* incarnardine,'] To incarnardine, is to {lain any thing of
a flefti colour, or red. Carnardine is the old term for carnation.
So, in a comedy called Any Thing for a quiet Lift :
" Grograms, fattins, velvet fine,
** The rofy-colour'd carnartlins" SrEEVENI.
3 Making the green one red.~\
The
506 MAC B E T H.
Re-enter Lady Macbeth.
Lady. My hands are of your colour ; but I ihame
To wear a heart fo white. I hear a knocking [Knock.
At the foutji entry : retire we to our chamber :
A little water clears us of this deed :
How e'afy is it then ? Your conftancy
Hath left you unattended. Hark ! more knocking :
[Knock,
Get on your night-gown, left occafion call us,
And fhevv us to be watchers : Be not loft
So poorly in your thoughts,
Mich. 4 To know my deed, Twere beft not know
myfelf. [Knock.
Wake Duncan with thy knocking ! I would, thou
couldft ! [Exeunt^
The fame thought occurs in The Do-Mnfal nf Robert Earl of Hunt
iingdony 1 60 1 :
" He made the green fea red with Turkilh blood."
Again :
" The multitudes of feas died m/with blood."
Another not unlike it is found in Spenfer's Faery 3>aec, b. ii,
e. 1O. ft. 4# :
" The whiles with blood they all the ftiore did ftain,
*' And the grey ocean into purple dye."
Again, in the igth long ot Drayton's Polyolbion:
' ' And the vaft grccnljbfea dif coloured like to Hood"
It had been common to read :
Making the green one, red.
The author 9r" the Gray's Inn Journal, No. 17, firft made this
elegant and' neceflary change, which has hitherto been adopted
without acknowledgment. STEEVENS.
* To know friy dcsd^ 'Tivere bcjl not kno~M mvfelf.~\
3. e. While I have the thoughts of this deed, it were beft not know,
or be lojl tp, myfelf. This is an anfwer to the lady's reproot :
" be not loft
So poorly in your thoughts.
But the Oxford editor, perceiving neither the fenfe, nor the per-
tinency of the anfwer, alters it to :
To unknow my deed. 'Tivere left not know myfelf.
\\ARETJRTON.
SCENE
MACBETH. 507
SCENE III.
Enter a Porter.
[Knocking within.'] Port. Here's a knocking, in-
deed ! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he fliould
have old turning the key. [Knock.'] Knock, knock,
knock : Who's there, i'the name of Belzebub ? Here's
a fanner, that hang'd himfelf on the expedition of
plenty : come in time ; have napkins * enough about
you; here you'll fweat for't. [Knock.'] Knock, knock:
Who's there, i'the other devil's name? 'Faith, 6 herc's
an equivocator, that could fwear in both the fcales
againft either fcale ; who committed treafon enough
for God's fake, yet could not equivocate to heaven :
oh, come in, equivocator. [Knock."] Knock, knock,
knock : Who's there ? 'Fa;th, 7 here's an Englifh tay-
lor
5 napkins enough ~\ i.e. handkerchiefs. So, in Othello:
" Your napkin is too little." STEEVENS.
6 here's an eguivocator, ivho committed treafon enough for God's
fake, ] Meaning a jefuit : an order fo troublefome to the ftate in
queen Elizabeth and king James the firft's time. The inventors
of the execrable docftrine of equivocation. WAR BURTON.
7 here's an F^iiglijh taylor came hither, for Jitaling out of a
French hofe: ] The archnefs of the joke confiib in this, that a
French hofe being very ftiort and ftrait, a taylor muft be matter of
his trade who could fteal any thing from thence. WAR BUR TON.
Dr. Warburton has faid this at random. The French hofe (ac-
cording to Stubbs in his Anatomic of Abufes) were in the year
1595 much in fufhton. " The Gallic hofen arc made very large
and wide, reaching do*ivn to their knees only y *u}lth three or faurt
gardes apccce laid down along either hofe" Again, in the Ladies.
Privilege, 1 640 :
* wear their long
Parijian breeches, with five points at knees,
Whofe tags concurring with their harmonious fpurs,
Afford rare mufic ; then have they doublets
So fliort i'th' waifT, they feem as 'twere begot
Upon their doublets by their cloaks, which tofave fluff,
Are but a year's growth longer than their flcirts ;
" And
508 MACBETH.
lor come hither, for ftealing out of a French hofe :
come in, taylor ; here you may roaft your goofe.
[Knack] Knock, knock : Never at quiet ! What are
you ? But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-
porter it no further : I had thought to have let in fome
of all profeffions, that go the primrofe way to the
^verlafting bonfire. [Knock] Anon, anon ; I pray you,
remember the porter.
Enter Macdiff, and Lenox.
Mac. Was it fo late, friend, ere you went to bed,
That you do lie fo late ?
Part. 'Faith, fir, we were caroufing 'till the fecond
cock : and drink, fir, is a great provoker of three
things.-
Macd. What three things doth drink efpecially
provoke ?
Port. Marry, fir, nofe-painting, fleep, and urine.
Lechery, fir, it provokes, and unprovokes ; it pro-
vokes the defire, but it takes away the performance :
Therefore, much drink may be faid to be an equivo-
cator with lechery : it makes him, and it mars him;
it fets him on, and it takes him off"; it perfuades him,
anddifheartens him ; makes him {land to, and not
(land to : in conclufion, equivocates him in a ileep,
and, giving him the lie, .leaves him.
<c And all this magazine of device is furnifh'd
" By your French taylor."
Again, in the Defence of Coueycatching, 1592: *' Blell be the
'French fleeves and breech ve.rdingales that grants them (thetaylors)
leave to caney-catch fo mightily?' STEEVENS.
When Mr. Steevens cenfured Dr. Warburton in this place, he
forgot the uncertainty of French fa/hi ons. In the Trcafury of an-
cient and modern Times, 1613, we have an account (from Guyon,
I fuppofe) of the old French dreffes : '* Metis hofe anfwered in
length to their lliort-lkirted doublets ; being made clofc io their
limbes, wherein they had no meanes for pockets." And Withers^
in his fatyr againil vanity, ridicules " the fpruze, eUniiniti-ve,
neat, Frenchman's hofe" FARMER..
Macd.
MACBETH. 50$
Macd. I believe, drink gave thee the lie laft night.
Port. That it did, fir, i'the very throat o'me : But
I requited him for his lie ; and, I think, being too
ftrong for him, though he took up my legs fometimc,
yet * I made a fhift to call him.
Macd. Is thy mafter ftirring ?
Our knocking has avvak'd him; here he comes.
Leit. Good-morrow, noble fir !
Enter Rfacbeth*
Macb. Good-morrow, both \
Macd. Is the king ftirring, worthy thane ?
Macb. Not yet.
Macd. He did command me to call timely on him;
I have almoft flipt the hour.
Macb. I'll bring you to him.
Macd. I know, this is a joyful trouble to ydu;
But yet, 'tis one.
Macb. The labour we delight in, phyficks pain.
This is the door.
Macd. I'll make fo bold to call,
For 'tis my limited fervice 9 . [Exit Macduff.
Len. Goes the king hence to-day ?
Macb. He does : he did appoint fo.
Len. The night has been unruly : Where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down : and, as they fay,
8 1 made ajlnft to cajl him.'} To caft him up, to cafe my
ftomach of him. The equivocation is between cajl or throw, as
a term of wreftling, and caft or caft up. JOHXSOX.
I find the fame play upon words, in an old comedy, entitled
The Tiao angry Women of Abington, printed I 599 :
" to-night he's a good hufwife, he reels all that he
wrought to-day, and he were good now to play at dice, for he
cajlt excellent well. STEEVEKS.
9 For 'tis my limited fervid.]
Limited, for appointed. WAR BURTON.
Lamcntings
5 io MACBETH.
Lamentings heard i'the air ; T ftrange fcreams of death ;
And prophefying^ with accents terrible^
Of dire combuftion, and confus'd events,
New hatch'd to the woeful time : The obfcure bird
Clamour'd the live-long night : ibme fay, the earth
Was feverous, and did ihake.
Macb. 'Twas a rough night.
Len. My young remembrance cannot parallel
A fellow to it.
Re-enter Macduffi
Macd. O horror ! horror ! horror ! * Tongue, nor
hearty
Cannot
* < grange fcreams of death ;
And prophecying, with accents terrille
Of dire combuftion, and confus'd events^
New hatch'd to the woeful time.
The obfcure bird clamoured the live-long night.
Some fay, the earth v:as fev'rous, and didjhake."^
Thefe lines I think fhould be rather regulated thus :
< prophecying with accents terrible,
Of dire combuftion and confus'd events.
New-hatch' d to th' ivoful time, the obfcure bird
Clamour'd -the live-long night* Some fay the earth
Was feverous and didjhake.
A prophecy of an event new hatch'd, feems to be a prophecy of a'ri
event paji. And a prophecy new hatch'd h a wry expreffion. The
term new hatch'd is properly applicable to a bird, and that birds
of ill omen fhould be new-hatch' d to the vjoful time, that is, fhould
appear in uncommon numbers, is very confiftent with the reft of
the prodigies here mentioned, and with the univerfal diforderjnta
which nature is defcribed as thrown, by the perpetration of this
horrid murder. JOHNSON.
I think Dr. Johnfon's regulation of thefe lines is improper.
frophecying is what is ne^M-hatcfj'd, and in the metaphor holds the
place oi the egg. The events are the fruit of fuch hatching.
STEEVENS*
* - Tongue, r.or heart,"}
The ufe of two negatives, not to make an affirmative, but to
deny more flrongly, is very common in our author. So, Jul. C<ef.
a III. fc, i :
MACBETH. 5n
Cannot conceive, nor name thee !
Macb. andLen. What's the matter ?
Macd. Confufion now hath made his mafler-piccc I
Moft facrilegious murder hath broke ope
The Lord's anointed temple, and ftole thence
The life o'the building.
Macb. What is't you fay ? the life ?
Len. Mean you his majefty ?
Alacd. Approach the chamber, and deftroy your
fight
With a new Gorgon : Do not bid me fpeak ;
See, and then fpeak yourfclvcs. Awake ! awake!
[Exeunt Macbeth and Lenox.
Ring the alarum-bell : Murder ! and treafon !
Banquo, and Donalbain ! Malcolm ! awake !
Shake off this downy fleep, death's counterfeit,
And look on death itfelf ! up, up, and fee
The great doom's image ! Malcolm ! Banquo !
As from your graves rife up, and walk like fprights,
To countenance } this horror ! Ring the bell.
Bell rings. Enter Lady A&cbetb.
Lady* What's the bufinefs,
That fuch a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The ileepers of the houfc ? fpeak, fpeak,
Macd. O, gentle lady,
*Tis not for you to hear what I can fpeak :
The repetition in a woman's ear,
Would murder as it fell. O Banquo ! Banquo !
" there is no harm
" Intended to your perfon, nor to no Roman elfe."
STEEYENS.
3 this horror!]
Here the old edition adds, ring the lell, which Theobald rejected,
as a dire&ion to the players. He has beoi followed by Dr. War-
burton and J>r. Johnlbn. Shakefpeare might think a repetition of
the command to ring the bell neccflTary, and I know not how an
editor is authorized to reject that which apparently make* a part of
fcii author's text. S.T&EVNS.
Enter
521 MACBETH*
Enter Banquo.
Our royal matter's murder'd !
Lady. Woe, alas!
4 What, in our houfe ?
Ban. Too cruel, any where.-
$ Dear Duff, I pr'ythee, contradidr, thyfelf,
And fay, it is not fo.
Re-enter Macbeth, and Lenox.
Mad. Had I but dy'd an hour before this chance,
I had liv'd a blefled time ; for, from this inflant,
There's nothing ferious in mortality :
All is but toys : renown, and grace, is dead ;
The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Is left this vault to brag of.
"Enter Malcolm^ and Donalbain,
Don. What is amifs ?
Macb. You are, and do not know it :
The fpring, the head, the fountain of your blood
Is ftopt ; the very fource of it is ftopt.
Macd. Your royal father's murder'd.
4 What, in our boufe ?}
This is very fine. Had fliebeen innocent,, nothing but the mur-
der itfelf, and not any of its aggravating circumftances, would
naturally have atfefted her. As it was, her bufinefs was to ap-
pear highly difordered at the news. Therefore, like one who has
her thoughts about her, (he feeks for an aggravating circumftance,
that might be fuppofed moft to affedt her personally ; not confi-
dering, that by placing it there, fhe discovered rather a concern
for herfelf than for the king. On the contrary, her hufband, who
had repented the act, and was now labouring under the horrors of
a recent murder, in his exclamation, gives all the marks of forrow
for the fact itfelf. WAR BUR TON.
5 DearDu/]] In the folio, for MacJuffls readD.^r Duff.
JOHNSON-
If the original copy reads Dear Duffy on what authority can
it be chang'd into Macduff? We are not writing out the parts for
players. S TEE YENS.
Mai
M A C B E T H. 513
Mai. Oh, by whom ?
Leu. Thofe of his chamber, as it feem'd, had don't:
Their hands and faces were all^badg'd with blood 6 ,
So were their daggers, which, unwip'd, we found
Upon their pillo\vs ; they ftar'd, and were diftra&edj
No man's life was to be trufled with them.
Macb. O, yet I do repent me of my fury,
That I did kill them.
Macd. Wherefore did you fo ?
Macb. Who can be wife, amaz'd, temperate, and
furious,
Loyal and neutral in a moment ? No man :
The expedition of my violent love
Out-ran the paufer reafon. 7 Here lay Duncan,
6 - badg'd iw///> Hood,]
So, in the fecond part of K. Hen. VI :
" With murder's crimfon badge." MALONE.
7 - Here lay Duncan,
His Jilvcr Jkin lac\livith bis golden blood;
And his gaJVdJlabs loolid like a breach in nature^
For ruin's -voajleful entrance: - ]
Mr. Pope has endeavoured to improve one of thefc lines by fub-
lHtuting0arj> blood for golden vlivj; but it may ealily be admit-
ted that he who could on i'uch an occaiion talk of lacing thejiher
Jkin, would lace it with golden blood. No amendment can be made
to this line, of which every word is equally faulty, but by a gene-
ral blot.
It is not improbable, that Slukcfpeare put thefe forced and un-
natural metaphors into the mouth of Macbeth as a mark of arti-
fice and diilimulation, to fliew the difference between the ihidied
language of hypocrify, and the natural outcries of fudden puilion.
This whole Ipecch Ib confidcred, is a remarkable inftancc of judg-
ment, as it contifts entirely of antithefis and metaphor. Jo:
To gild any thing -vjith blood is a very common phraie in the old
plays. So, Heywood, in the fecond part of his Iran A^c, 1632:
we have gilt our Grcekifli arms
" With blood si our own nation."
Shakefpe-.tre repeats the imajrr in K. John :
*' Their armours that marchM hence fo /.'.
** Hither return all tilt with Frenchmen';
VOL. IV. L 1 His
514 MACBETH.
* His filver ikin lac'd with his golden blood ,
And his gafh'd ftabs look'd like a breach in nature,
For ruin's wafteful entrance : there, the murderers,
Steep'd in the colours of their trade, their daggers
* Unmannerly breech'd with gore : Who could re-
frain,
That
8 His ftLvtrJfriit laced with bis golden blood ;}
The allufion is fo ridiculous on fuch an occafion, that it difcovers
the declaimer not to be affefted rn the manner he would reprefent
himfelf. The whole fpeech is an unnatural mixture of far-fetch'd
and common iplace thoughts, that fhevvs him to be acting a part.
WAR BUR TON.
9 Unmannerly breech 1 d with gore : ]
An unmannerly dagger, and a dagger breech* d, or as in fome edi-
tions breached with gore, are expreflions not eafily to be under-
ftood. There are undoubtedly two faults in this paflage, which I
have endeavoured to take away by reading ;
- -- daggers
Unmanly drench'd vaitbgort :
Ifaw drench'd with the king's blood the fatal daggers, not only
ii'Jlruments of murder but evidences of cowardice.
Each of thefe words might eafily be confounded with that which
I have fubftituted for it, by a hand not exact, a cafual blot, or a
negligent infpe&ion. JOHNSON.
Unmannerly breech'd with gore : - ]
This nonfenfical account of the fiate in which the daggers were
found, muft furely be read thus :
Unmanly reech'd with gtre:]
Reech'd, foiled with a dark yellow, which is the colour of any
reechy fubftance, and mull be Ib of fteel itain'd with blood. He
ufes the word very often, as reechy hangings, reechy neck, &c. So,
that the fenfe is, that they were unmanly ftain'd with blood, and
that circumftance added, becauie often fuch ftains are moil ho-
nourable. WAREURTOX.
Dr. Warburton has, perhaps, rightly put reeclj'd for breecb'J.
JOHNSON.
I apprehend it to be the duty of an editor to reprefent his author
fuch as he is, and explain the meaning of the words he finds, to
the bell advantage, inftead of attempting to make them better by
any violent alteration.
The espreliion may mean, that the daggers were covered with
blood, quite to their breeches, i. e. their hilts or handles. The
lower eud of a cannon is called the breech of it ; and it is known
that
MACBETH. 5 i 5
That had a heart to love, and in that heart
Courage, to make his love known ?
Lady.
that both to breech and to unbreecb a gun are common terms. So,
in B. and Fletcher's Cujlom of the Country :
" The main fpring's weaken'd that holds up his cock,
*' He lies to be new breech* d"
" Unbreecb his barrel, and difcharge his bullets.'*
A Cure for a Cuckold, by Webfter and Rowley.
STEEVENS.
Whether the word which follows be reech\l, breech* d, batch '</,
or drenched, I am at leaft of opinion that unmannerly is the genuine
reading. Macbeth is defcribing a fcene fhocking to humanity :
and, in the midit of his narrative, throws in a parenthetical re-
flection, confuting of one word not connected with the fentence,
*' (O moft unfcemly fight !)" For this is a meaning of the word un-
mannerly : and the want of considering it in this detached ienfe has
introduced much confufion into the pafiage. The Latins often
ufed nefas and infanJum in this manner. Or, in the lame ienfe,
the word may be here applied adverbially. The correction of the
author of the Revifal is equally frigid and unmeaning. " Their
daggers in a manner lay drench'd with gore." The manifcft: arti-
fice and diffimulation of the fpeech feems to be heightened by the
explanation which I have offered. WARTON.
This paflage, fays Mr. Heath, feems to have been the crux cri-
ticorum ! Every one has tried his ikiil at it, and I may venture
to fay, no one has fucceeded.
The feule is, in plain language, Daggers filthily in a foul
manner -Jheath d vjith blood. Afcabbard is called a piLht, a lea-
ther coat, in Romeo but you will aflc, whence the alluiion to
breeches ? Dr. Warburton and Dr. Johnfon have well obierved,
that this fpeech of Macbeth is very artfully made up of unnatural
thoughts and language: in 1605 (the year in which the play ap-
pears to have been written) a book was published by Peter Eron-
deil, (with commendatory poems by Daniel, and other wits of the
time) called The French Garden, or a Summer Dayes Labour, con-
taining, among other matters, fome dialogues of a dramatick cafr,
which, I am perfuaded, our author had read in the Englifli; and
from which he took, as he fuppofed, for his prefent purpoie, this
quaint expreffion. I will quote literatim from the tth dialogue :
" Boy ! you do nothing but play tricks there, go fetch your n Kil-
ter's ulver hatched daggers, you Ivive not bruflied their breeches,
bring the bruflies, and Wufli them before me." Shakefpearc was
deceived by the pointing, and evidently fuppofiu breeches to be a
new and afteded term for fcab !>ard>. But had he bean able to have
read the French on the other page, even as; a karncr t he mult have
L 1 2 been
MACBETH.
Lady. Help me hence, ho !
Macd. Look to the lady.
Mai. Why do we hold our tongues,
That mod may claim this argument for ours ?
Don. What ihoukl be fpoken here,
Where our fate, hid within an augrc-holc,
May rufh, and feize us ? Let's away, our tears
Are not yet brcw'd.
Mai. Nor our ftrong forrow
Upon the foot of motion.
Ban. Look to the lady :
And when we have our naked frailties hid,
That fuffer in cxpofure ', let us meet,
And queftion this moft bloody piece of work,
To know it further. Fears and fcruples fliake us :
* In the great hand of God I Hand ; and, thence,
Againfl
been fet right at once. <; Garqon, vous ne faites que badiner,
allez querir les poignards argentez de vos maillres, vous n'avez
pas efpouffete leur baxt-cie-cbaujjes" their breeches, in the com-
mon fenfe of the word : as in the next fentence l>as-de-cbaujjes t
jiockings, and fo on through all the articles of drefs. FARMER,
1 And v:hen we have our naked frailties bid,
That fuffer in expofure, --- ]
5. e. ivbeu v:e have clothed oar half Adrift bodies, ivbicb may take
'void from being expofed to the air. It is po-ffible that in fuch a cloud
of words, the meaning might efcape the reader. STEEVENS.
2 In the great band nf God I Jland j and, thence y
Agabijl the undivulgd pretence 1 fight
Of treajomnts malice ^\
Pretence, for ac'r. The ienfe of the whole is t My innocence
places me under the protection of God, and under that fhadow,
or, from thence, I declare myfelf an enemy to this, as yet hid-
den, deed of milch ief. This was ;i very natural fpeech for him
who muft needs fufpeft the true author. WARBURTON.
Pretence is not a6t, \)^Jimulation, 3. pretence of the traitor, who-
ever he might be, to fuipect fome other of the murder. I here
fly to the protestor of innocence from any charge which^ yet nn~
tiiintlg'd, the traitor may pretend to fix
upon me. JoH\so>f.
Pretence is intention, deiign, a fenfe in which the word is often
wfed by Shakefpeare. So, in the Winter's Tale: " - confpir-
ing with Camilio to take away the life of our fovereign lord the
king,
MACBETH. 517
Againft the undivulg'd pretence I fight
Of treafonous malice.
Macb. And fo do I.
All So all.
Macb. Let's briefly put on manly readinefs,
And meet i'the hall together.
All. Well contented. [Exeunt.
Mai What will you do ? Let's not confort with
them :
To fliew an unfelt for row, is an office
Which the falfe man does eafy : I'll to England.
Don. 1 o Ireland, I ; our leparated fortune
Shall keep us both the fafer : where we are,
There's daggers in men's fmiles ; the near in blood,
The nearer bloody 3 .
Mil. 4 This murderous ihaft that's ihot,
Hath
king, thy royal hufoand, the pretence whereof being by circum-
ilance partly laid open." Again, in this tragedy ot Macbeth:
" \Vhat good could they pretend ?"
i. e. intend to themfelves. Banquo's meaning is, in our pre-
fent ftate of doubt and uncertainty about this murder, I have no-
thing to do but to put myfelf under the direction of God ; and re-
lying on his fupport, I here declare myfelf an eternal enemy to
this treafon, ana to all its further deJJgm that have not y_et come to
light. STEEVENS.
3 -- the near
The nearer lloody.]
Meaning, that he fufpected Macbeth to be the murderer j for he
was the ncarejl in Hood to the two princes, being the coufin-ger-
rnan of Duncan. STEEVENS.
+ Tl is murderous foaft thafsfiot)
Hath not yet light td \ - ]
The deiign to fix the murder upon fome innocent perfon, has not
yet taken etfcxft. JOHNSON.
This murderous Jhaft that's JboJ t
Hath not yet lighted ; - ]
Thefiaft is not yet lightiJ, and though it has done mifihief in iff
flight, i vc have reafon to apprehend Jlill more before it has f/>tnt iti
force and falls to the ground The end for which the murder wa*
committed, is not yet attained. The death of the king only,
could neither infurc the crown to Macbeth, nor accomphfli any
other purpoie, while his fons were yet living, who had therefore
L 1 3 juil
5 i8 MACBETH.
Hath not yet lighted ; and our fafeft way
Is, to avoid the aim. Therefore, to horfe ;
And let us not be dainty of leave-taking,
But ihift away : There's warrant in that theft
Which ileals itfelf, when there's no mercy left.
[Exeunt*
SCENE IV.
Enter RoJJe, with an Old Mem.
Old M. Threefcore and ten I can remember well :
Within the volume of which time, I have feen
Hours dreadful, and things ftrange ; but this fore
night
Hath trifled former knowings.
Roffe. Ah, good father,
Thou feed, the heavens, as troubled with man's a<ft,
Threaten his bloody ftage : by the clock, 'tis day,
And yet dark night flrangles the travelling lamp :
Is it night's predominance, or the day's fhame,
That darknefs does the face of earth intomb,
When living light fhould kifs it ?
Old M. 'Tis unnatural,
Even like the deed that's done. On tnefday lad,
A faulcon, towring 5 in her pride of place,
Was by a moufing owl hawk'd at, and kill 'd,
JRoffe. And Duncan's horfes, (a thing moft flrange,
and certain)
juft reafon to apprehend they Ihould be removed by the fame
means.
Such another thought occurs in Bujfy D'Amlois, 1606 ;
" The chain-fliot of thy luft is yet aloft,
*' And it mull murder, &c." STEEVENS.
5 in her pride of place, J
Finely expre fled, for confidence in its quality. WARBURTOK.
This is found among the prodigies confequent on king Duffe's
murder : " There was a ffarba-ivk ftrangled by an owl."*
STEEVENS.
Beau
MACBETH. 519
Beauteous, and fwift, 6 the minions of their race,
Turn'd wild in aature, broke their flails, flung out,
Contending 'gainft obedience, as they would
Make war with mankind.
Old M. 'Tis faid, they eat each other.
JRoffe. They did fo; to the amazement of mine
eyes,
That look'd upon't. Here comes the eood Mac-
duff: --
Rnter Macdvff*
How goes the world, fir, now ?
Macd. Why, fee you not ?
Roffe. Is't known, who did this more than bloody
Macd. Thofe that Macbeth hath flain.
Rofe. Alas, the day !
7 What good could they pretend ?
Macd. They were fuborn'd :
Malcolm, and Donalbain, the king's two fons,
Are flol'n away and fled ; which puts upon them
Suspicion of tie deed.
Rofe. 'Gainft nature ftill :
Thriftlefs ambition, that wilt ravin up
Thine own life's means ! Then 'tis moft like 8 ,
The
c - minions of their race,"]
Theobald reads :
-- minions of the race,
very probably, and very poetically. JOHNSON.
Moft of the prodigies jurt before mentioned, are related by Ho-
linflied, as accompanying king Dufte's death ; and it is in par-
ticular aflerred, that horfrs of Jingular beauty and fwiftncfe did cat
their ownjlejb. Macbeth's killing Duncan's chamberlains is ta-
ken from Donwald's killing thofe of king Duffe. STEEVENS.
7 What good could they pretend r]
To pretend re here to propnfe to tbemfelvcs^ to/'/ lefore themf elves M
a motive of ac~tion. JOHNSON.
8 Then '/M mnft 'like,
The fovereignty it 1 /// fall upon Macleth."} '
Macbeth by his binli ftood next in the fuccellkm to the crown, im-
L 1 4 mediately
520 MACBETH.
The fovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.
Macd. He is already nam'd ; and gone to Scone,
To be inverted.
Roffe. Where is Duncan's body ?
Macd, Carried to Colmes-kill 9 ;
The iacred ftorehoufe of his predeceflbrs,
And guardian of their bones.
Roffe. Will you to Scone ?
Macd, No, coufin, I'll to Fife.
Roffe. Well, I will thither.
Macd, Well, may you fee things well done there j
adieu !
Left our old robes fit eafier than our new !
Roffe. Farewel, father.
Old M. God's benifon go with you; and with thofe
That would make good of bad, and friends of foes !
[Exeunt.
ACT III. SCENE I,
Enter Banqjw.
Thou haft it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weird women promis'd ; and, I fear,
Thou playd'ft moft foully for't : yet it was faid,
It ftiould not ftand in thy pofterity ;
mediately after the fons of Duncan. King Malcolm, Duncan's
predeceflbr, had two daughters, the eldeft of whom was the mo-
ther of Duncan, the youngeft, the mother of Macbeth. HolinJkeJ.
STEEVENS.
9 Colmes-kill ;] Colmes-hill, or Colm-kill, is the famous
Java, one of the weltern illes, \vhichDr.Johnfonvifited, andde-
fcribes in his Tour. Holinflied fcarcely mentions the death of any
of the ancient kings of Scotland, without taking notice of their
being buried with their predeceflbrs in Coliye+kitt. STEEVENS.
But
MACBETH. 521
But that myfelf fhould be the root, and father
Of many kings : If there come truth from them,
(' As upon thee, Macbeth, their fpeeches fhine)
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,
And fet me up in hope ? But, hufh ; no more.
Senet founded. Enter Macbeth as King ; Lady Macbeth,
Lenox, Rojfe, Lords, and Attendants.
Macb. Here's our chief gueft.
Lady. If he had been forgotten,
It had been as a gap in our great feaft,
And all things unbecoming,
Macb. To-night we hold a folemn fupper, fir,
And I'll requeft your prefence.
Ban. a Lay your highncfs'
Command upon me ; to the which, my duties
Are with a moft indifibluble tyc
For ever knit.
Macb. Ride you this afternoon ?
Ban. Ay, my good lord.
Macb. We Ihould have elfe defir'd your good
advice
(Which (HI 1 hath been both grave and profperous)
In this day's council ; but we'll take to-morrow.
I s't far you ride ?
Ban. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time
'Twixt this and fupper : go not my horfe the better',
I mult
1 (As upon thee, Macbeth, their fpeechcs
Shine i for profper. WARBURTON.
Shine, for appear with all the Iqftre of confpicuous truth.
JOHNSOK.
I rather incline to Dr. Warburton's interpretation. So. in K.
//<*. VI. F.I. fc. ii:
** Heaven, and our lady gracious, hath it pleafed
" To Jhine on my contemptible eftate." STEEVENS.
* Layyour ] The folio reads, Let your STEEVENS.
3 Go not my borfe the better,] i. e. if he does not go well,
Shake*
5*a MACBETH.
I muft become a borrower of the night,
For a dark hour, or twain.
Macb. Fail not our feafL
Ban. My lord, I will not.
Macb. We hear, our bloody coufins are beftow'd
In England, and in Ireland ; not confeffing
Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
With ftrange invention : But of that to-morrow ;
When, therewithal, we fhall have caufe of ft ate,
Craving us jointly. Hie you to horfe : Adieu,
Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you ?
Ban. Ay, my good lord ; our time does call up-
on us.
Macb. I wilh your horfes fwift, and fure of foot ;
And fo I do commend you to their backs.
Farewel. [Exit Banqy.o.
Let every man be matter of his time
'Till feven at night ; to make fociety
The fweeter welcome, we will keep ourfelf
'Till fupper-time alone : while then, God be with you.
[Exeunt Lady Macbeth, and Lords-
Sirrah, a word with you : Attend thofe men our
pleafure ?
Ser. They are, my lord, without the palace gate.
Macb. Bring them before us, To be thus, is no-
thing ; [Exit Servant.
But to be fafely thus : Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep ; and in his royalty of nature
Shakefpeare often ufes the comparative for the pofitive zndfuperla-
tii>e. So, in K. Lear :
" her fmiles and tears
" Were like a better day."
Again, in Macbeth :
" - it hath cow'd my letter part of man."
Again, in P. Holland's tranllation of Pliny's Nat. Hift, b. ix. c. 46 .
*' Many are caught out of their feilowes hands, if they be-
flirrenot themfelves the letter." It may mean, If my horfe does
pot go the better for the hafte I fliall be in to avoid the night.
STEEVKNS.
Reigns
MACBETH. 523
Reigns that, which would be fear'd : 'Tis much he
dares ;
And, to that dauntlefs temper of his mind,
He hath a wifdom that doth guide his valour
To ad: in fafcty. There is none, but he,
Whofe being I do fear : and, under him,
My genius is rebuk'd; 4 as, it is faid,
Mark Antony's was by Casfar. He chid the fitters,
When firft they put the name of King upon me,
And bade them Ipeak to him ; then, prophet-like,
They hail'd him father to a line of kings :
Upon my head they plac'd a fruitlefs crown,
And put a barren fcepter in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd with an unlincal hand,
* as, it is fat 'd,
Mark Antony's was by Cafar. - ]
Though I would not often aflume the critic's privilege of being
confident where certainty cannot be obtained, nor indulge myfelf
too far in departing from the eilablifhed reading ; yet I cannot but
propofe the rejection of this paflage, which I believe was aninfer-
tion of fome player, that having ib much learning as to difcover
to what Shakefptare alluded, was not willing that his audience
fhould be leTb knowing than himfelf, and has therefore weakened
the authour's fenfe, by the intruiion of a remote and ufelefs image
into a fpeech burftin^ from a man wholly poflefs'd with his own
prefent condition, and therefore not at leifure to explain his own
allunons to himfelf. If thefe words are taken away, by which
not only the thought bur the numbers are injured, the lines of
Shakefpeare clofe together without any traces of a breach,
My genius is rebuk'd. He chid thejiflers,
This note was written before I was rully acquainted with Shake-
fpeare's manner, and I do not now think it of much weight; for
though the words, which I was once willing to eject, feem inter-
polated, I believe they may ftill be genuine, and added by theau-
thour in his revifion. The authour of the Rcvifal cannot admit
the meafure to be faulty. There is only one foot, he fays, put
for another. This is one of the effects of literature in minds not
naturally perlpicacious. Every boy or girl finds the metre imper-
fect, but the pedant comes to its detente \\'ih a tribrachys or an
anapaeft, and fets it right at once by applying to one language the
rules of another. If we may be allowed to change feet, like the
/old comic writers, it will not be eafy to write a line not metrical.
To hint this once, is fufficicnt, JOHNSON.
No
524 MACBETH.
No fon of mine fucceeding. If it be fo,
5 For Banquo's iffue have I fil'd my mind ;
For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd ;
Put rancours in the veffel of my peace
Only for them ; and mine eternal jewel
Given to 6 the common enemy of man,
To make them kings, the feed of Banquo kings !
Rather than fo, 7 come, fate, into the lift,
And champion me to the utterance! Who's there?
Re-
s For Banquo's ifjue have I fil'd my mind -A
We fhould read :
'filed my mind',
\. e. defiled. WARBURTOX.
This mark of contraction is not necefTary. To fdc is in the
bifhop's Bilk. JOHNSON.
So, in the Reve tiger's Tragedy, 1608 :
" He called his father villain, and me (trumpet,
" A name I do abhor tojile my lips with."
Again, in the Miferies of Inforc'd Marriage, 1607: *' like
fmoke through a chimney that fles all the way it goes." Again,
in Spenfer's Faery ueea t b. iii. c. j :
" She lightly lept out of her filed bed." STEEVENS.
6 the common enemy of man,~\
It is always an entertainment to an inquiiitive reader, to trace a
fentiment to its original fource ; and therefore, though the term
enemy of man , applied to the devil, is in itfelf natural and obvious ,
yet fome may be pleafed with being informed, that Shakefpeare
probably borrowed it from the firlt lines of the Dejlruftion of Troy,
a book which he is known to have read. This expreffion, how-
ever, he might have had in many other places. The word fond
Signifies enemy. JOHNSON.
7 come, fate, into the lift,
And champion me to the utterance ! ]
This paflage will be beft explained by tranflating it into the Ian*
guagefrom whence the only word of difficulty in it is borrowed.
S^ue la deflineefe rende en lice, et qi? die me donne un dcfiz. 1'outrance,
A challenge or a combat a Fcutrancc, to extremity, was a fix'd term
in the law of arms, ufed when the combatants engaged with an
odium Intcrnecinum, an intention to dcjlroy each other, in oppofition
to trials of Ikill at feftivals, or on other occalions, where the con-
teft was only for reputation or a pri?e. The fenfe therefore is :
Let fate, that has fvre-doomd t':c i'.\'alt<i;:nn of i^c fo:is of Bane, uo,
foe Jrfls agaiitft tnt t , in defence of i^
MACBETH.
525
Re-enter Servant, with two Murder t -rs.
Now go to the door, and flay there till we call.
[Exit Servant.
Was it not yefterday we fpoke together ?
Mur. It was, fo pleafc your highncfs.
Macb. Well then, now
Have you confider'd of my fpeeches ? Know,
That it was he, in the times paft, which held you
So under fortune ; which, you thought, had been
Our innocent felf : this I made good to you
In our laft conference, paft in probation with you ;
8 How you were borne in hand ; how croft ; the in-
ftruments ;
Who
o-ivn decrees, which I will endeavour to invalidate, whatever be the
danger. JOHNSON.
Rather than fo, come, fate, into the lift,
And champion me to the utterance ! ]
This is exprefled with great noblenefs and fuHimity. The me-
taphor is taken from the ancient combat en champ clos; in which
there was a marshal, who prefided over, and directed all the punc-
tilios ot the ceremonial. Fate is called upon to difcharge this of-
fice, and champion him to the utterance ; that is, to fight it out to tht
extremity, which they called combatre a oultrance. But he ufes the
Scotch word utterance from oultrar.ce, extremity. WAR BUR TON.
After the former explication, Dr. Warburton was defirous to
feem to do fomcthing ; and he has therefore made fate the marjhal,
whom I had made the champion, aud has left Macbeth to enter the
Hits without an opponent. JOHNSON.
We meet with the fame expreffion in Gawin Douglas's tranfla-
tion of A7rf //, p. 33 1 , 349 :
*' That war not put by Gre;ki8 to utterance.
Again, in the Hijiory of Ground Amour e and la bel Pucelle, &c. by
Stephen Hawes, 1555 ;
" That fo many monfters put to utterauncc?
Shakefpeare ufes it again in Cymbeiine, ad III. fc. i. STEEVE&S.
8 How you were borne in hand ; -]
i. e. made to believe what was not true, what would never happen
or be made good to you. In this fcule Chaucer nils it, IV if i of
Bath'sProl. p. 78. 1.2. 32 :
" A wife wife (hall, &V.
" i'i-in them in hondi that the cowe is wode."
526 MACBETH.
Who wrought with them ; and all things elfe, that
might,
To half a foul, and to a notion craz'd,
Say, Thus did Banquo.
i Mur. You made it known to us.
Macb. I did fo ; and went further, which is now
Our point of fecond meeting. Do you find
Your patience fo predominant in your nature,
That you can let this go ? 9 Are you fo gofpell'd,
To pray for this good man, and for his iffue,
VVhofe heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave,
And beggar'd yours for ever ?
i Mur. We are men, my liege.
Macb. Ay, in the catalogue you go for men ;
As hounds, and greyhounds, mungrels, fpaniels, curs,
1 Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves, are cleped
All by the name of dogs : the valued file 2
Diflinguifhes
and our author in many places, Meafure for Meafure, al I.
fc. viii. WARNER.
So, in Ram-alley, or Merry Tricks, 1611 :
' Yet I will bear fome dozen more in hand,
' And make them all my galls." STEEVENS.
Ire you. fo gofpclF d,~\
Tee of precife virtue ?
Are you of that degree of" precife virtue ? Gofpeller was a name of
contempt given by the Papiits to the Lollards, the puritans of early
times, and the precurfors of protejlantifm. JOHNSON.
So, in the Morality called Lufy Juventus, 1561 :
" What, is Juventus become fo tame
" To be a newe gofpeller /"'
Again :
" And yet ye are a great gofpeller in the mouth."
I believe, however, that gofpelled means no more than kept in obe-
dience to that precept of the gofpel, " to pray for tbofe that defpite-
fully vfe us." STEEVENS.
1 Sbougbs, ] Sbougbs are probably what we now call./taofc,
demi-wolves, lycifca j dogs bred between wolves and dogs.
JOHNSON.
This fpecies of dogs is mentioned in Nafli's Lenten Stufe, &c.
1599: " a trundle-tail, tike, or Jlough or two."
STEEVENS.
* the valued file] In this fpeech the wordfle occurs twice,
and feems in both places to have a meaning different from its pre-
lent
MACBETH. 527
Diftinguifhes the fvvift, the flow, the fubtle,
The houfe-keeper, the hunter, every one
According to the gift which bounteous nature
Hath in him clos'd ; whereby he does receive
Particular addition, from the bill
That writes them all alike : and fo of men.
Now, if you have a flation in the file,
Not in the woril rank of manhood, fay it ;
And I will put that bufinefs in your bofoms,
Whofe execution takes your enemy off;
Grapples you to the heart and love of us,
Who wear our health but fickly in his life,
Which in his death were perfect.
2 Mur. I am one, my liege,
Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
fent ufe. The expreffion, valued file, evidently means, a lift or
catalogue of value. A ftation in the file, and not in the worft
rank, may mean, a place in the lift of manhood, and not in the
loweft place. f>\\tfile teems rather to mean in this place, a poft
of honour; the firft rank, in oppofition to the laft ; a meaning
which I have not obferved in any other place. JOHNSON.
the valued file] Is theji/e or lift where the value and peculiar
qualities of every thing is fet down, in contradiftinclion to what he
immediately mentions, tie bill that writes them all alike. File, in
the fecond inftance, is ufed in the fame fenle as in this, and with
a reference to it. Now if you belong to any clafs that Jeferves a,
place in the valued file of man, and are not of the lowejl rank, the
common herd of mankind, that are not worth dlftlnguljb ing from each
other.
Fik and lift are fynonymous, as in fhe laft aft of this play :
" 1 have zfile
" Of all the gentry."
Again, in Heywood's dedication to the fecond part of his Iron Agf,
1632 : " to nurrber you in the file and lift of my beft and
choiceil well-wia.ers." This expreflion occurs more than once in
the JJeggar's Bujb of B. and Fletcher :
" all ways worthy,
" As elfe in znyji/e of mankind."
Shakefpeare likewife has it in M ' r r->fcn .- " Tb,> greater
file of the fubjeft held the duke to be \vife " In fiiort, the valued
jileis the catalogue with prices annexed to it."' STEEV&NS.
Have
^28 MACBETH.
Have fo incens'd, that I am recklefs what
I do, to fpite the world.
i Mur. And I another,
3 So weary with difaftcrs, tugg'd with fortune^
That I would fet my life on any chance,
To mend it, or be rid on't.
Macb. Both of you
Know, Banquo was your enemy.
Mur. True, my lord.
Macb, So is he mine : and 4 in fuch bloody diftance.
That every minute of his being thrufts
Againft my near'ft of life : And though I could
With bare-fac'd power fweep him from my fight.
And bid my will avouch it ; yet I muft not,
For certain friends that are both his and mine,
Whofe loves I may not drop, but wail his fall
Whom I myfelf ftruck down : and thence it is,
That I to your afiiftance do make love ;
3 So weary with difafters, tugg'd with fortune,"]
We fee the fpeaker means to fay, that he is weary with ftruggling
with adverfe fortune. But this reading exprefles but half the
idea ; viz. of a man tug'd and haled by fortune without making
refiftance. To give the compleat thought, welhould read ;
So weary with difaftrous tugs with fortune.
This is well exprefled, and gives the reafon of his being weary,
becaufe fortune always hitherto got the better. And that Shake-
fpeare knew how to exprefs this thought, we have an inftance in the
Water's Tale :
" Let m\-f elf and fortune tug for the time to come."
Befides, to It tug dwtib fortune > is Icarce Englifh. WARBURTON*
Tugd with fortune may be, tug'd or worried by fortune.
JOHNSON.
* infnch lloody diftance,]
Diftance, for enmity. WAR BURTON.
By lloody dljianceik here meant, fuch a diftance as mortal ene-
mies would ftand at from each other whe'n their quarrel muir. be
determined by the fword. This fcnfe feems evident from the
continuation ot the metaphor, where every minute of his being is
rep relented as thru/ling at the near ejl part where life rejtdes.
STEEVENS.
Malking
MACBETH. 529
Ma/king the bufinefs from the common eye,
For fundry weighty reafons.
Mur. We (hall, my lord,
Perform what you command us.
i Mur. Though our lives
Macb. Your fpirits fhine through you. Within
this hour, at moft,
I will advife you where to plant yourfelves ;
5 Acquaint you with the perfed: fpy o'the time,
The moment on't ; for't mutt be done to-night,
And fomething from the palace ; always thought 6 ,
That I require a clearnefs : And with him,
(To leave no rubs, nor botches, in the work)
s Acquaint you wit/j the perfeRffy o* the time ^\
What is meant by the fpy of the time, it will be found difficult to
explain ; and therefore fenfe will be cheaply gained by a flight al-
teration. Macbeth is alluring the aflaffins that they fliall not
want directions to find Banquo, and therefore fays :
Acquaint you ivitb a perfect fpy o'the time..
Accordingly a third murderer joins them afterwards at the place
of action.
Perfect is well inftrttfted, or well informed, as in this play :
" Though in your ftate of honour I amperfefl."
though I am well acquainted with your quality and rank.
JOHNSON.
the perfetffpy if tie time,]
i.e. the critical juncture. WARBURTON.
How the critical juncture is thej#y o'the time, I know not, but I
think my own conjecture right. JOHNSON.
The perfeft fpy of the time feems to be, the exaft time, whlcbJhaU
lefpied and watched for the purpofe. S r E E v E N s.
I rather believe we mould read thus :
Acquaint you with the perfect fpot, the time.
Tie moment on>t ; TYRWHITT.
* ' always thought,
That I require a clfarnefs : ]
i. e. you muft manage matters fo, that throughout the whole
tranfac"Hon I may ftand clear of fufpicion. So, Holinflicd :
" appointing them to meet Banquho and his fonne without
the palace, as they returned to their lodgings, and there to ileu
them, fo that he would not have his houfe flandered, but that in
time to come he might chart himfelf." STEEVENS.
VOL. IV. M m Fleance
$ 5 o MACBETH.
Fleance his fon, that keeps him company,
Whofe abfence is no lefs material to me
Than is his father's, muft embrace the fate
Of that dark hour : Refolve yourfelves apart ;
I'll come to you anon.
Mur. We are relblv'd, my lord.
Macb. I'll call upon you ftraight ; abide within.
It is concluded :- Banquo, thy foul's flight,
If it find heaven, muft find it out to-night. [Exeunt.
SCENE II.
Enter Lady Macbeth, and a Servant.
Lady. Is Banquo gone from court ?
Serv. Aj, madam ; but returns again to-night.
Lady. Say to the king, I would attend his leifurc
For a few words.
Serv. Madam, I will. . [Exit,
Lady. Nought's had, all's fpent,
Where our defire is got without content :
'Tis fafer to be that which we deftroy,
Than, by deftruftion, dwell in doubtful joy.
Enter Macbeth.
How now, my lord ? why do you keep alone,
Of forrieft fancies 7 your companions making ?
Ufing thofe thoughts, which fhould indeed have dy'd
With them they think on? Things without all remedy
Should be without regard : what's done, is done.
Macb. We have 8 icotch'd the fnake, not kill'd it,
She'll
7 fome& fancies ] i.e. worthlefs, ignoble, vile. So,
in Otbello:
" I have a fait VR& firry rheum oftends me."
Sorry, however, might fignify melancholy, difmal. So, in the Co-
>nedy of Errors:
" The place of death and ferry execution." STEF.VENS.
* -fcotfb'it ] Mr. Theobald. Fol. /wv?V, JOHNSON-.
S^atcb'd
MACBETH. 53I
She'll clofe, and be herfelf ; whilft our poor malice
Remains in danger of her former tooth.
9 But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds
fuffer,
Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and fleep
In the affliction of thefe terrible dreams,
That lhake us nightly : Better be with the dead,
Whom \ve, to gain our place, have fent to peace ',
Than on the torture of the mind to lie
* In reftlefs ecftacy. Duncan is in his grave ;
After life's fitful fever, he fleeps well ;
Treafon has done his worfl : nor fleel, nor poifon,
Malice domeftic, foreign levy, nothing,
Can touch him further !
Lady. Come on ; Gentle my lord,
Sleek o'er your rugged looks ; be bright and jovial
Among your guefts to-night.
Macb. So mall I, love ;
And fo, I pray, be you : let your remembrance
Scotched 'is the true reading. So, in Cnriolanus, adt IV. fc v j
** \&fcotctfd him and notch'd him like a carbonado."
STEVENS.
9 But let the frame of things disjoint, loth the worlds fuffer, ]
The old copy reads thus, and I have followed it, rejecting the mo-
dern innovation, which was :
But let both worlds disjoint, and all things fuffer.
STEEVENS,
* Wl)om ive, to gain our place, battefent to peace, ]
The old copy rends :
Whom ive, to gain our peace, have fent to fcace.
This change, which appears to be neceffary, was made by Mr.
Rowe. STEEVENS.
* In refllefs ecftacy ]
Ecjlacy, for madnefs. WAR BURTON.
Ecjlacy, in its general lenfe, fignifies any violent emotion,
of the mind. Here it means the emotions of pain, agony. So, ia
Marlow's Tamburlaine, p. 1 :
" Griping our boux-ls with retorqued thoughts,
*' And have no hope to end our ext.tfa." STEEVENS.
M m 2 A-r
532 MACBETH.
Apply to Banquo ; 3 prefent him eminence, both-
With eye and tongue : Unfafe the while, that we
Muft lave our honours in thefe flattering ftreams. ;
And make our faces vizards to our hearts,,
Difguifing what they are.
Lady. You muft leave this*
Mach. O, full of fcorpions is my mind, dear wife ?
Thou know'ft, that Banquo, and his Flcance, lives.
Lady. But in them 4 nature's copy's not eterne.
Macb. There's comfort yet, they are aflailable ;
Then be thou jocund : Ere the bat hath flown
His cloifterM flight ; ere, to black Hecat*s fum-
rnons,,
5 The ihard-borne beetle, with his drowfy hums,
Hatli
3 <-prefent him eminence, " ]
i. e. do him the higheft honours. WAR BUR TON.
4 nature's copy's not eterne.}.
The cof>y, the leafe, by which they hold their lives from- nature,
has its time of termination limited. JOHNSON.
Eterne for eternal is often ufed by Chaucer. So, in theKn<gkj?s
Tale, late edit. v. 1305.
*' O cruel goddes, that governe
44 This world with binding of your word eterne,
44 And writen in the table of athamant
ci Your parlement and your eterne grant." STEEVEMS.
5 The fhard-borne beetle, ]
5. e* the beetje hatched in clefts of wood. So, in Anthony and Cleo-
patra :
44 They are his J&ards, and he their bee tie." WARBURTONV
The fiiard-&orne beetle is not only the ancient but the true read-
ing: i.e. the beetle borne along the air by \tsjhards or fcaly.
<w!ngs. From a paflage in Gower De Confejfioxe Amantis, it ap-
pears ihatjbards fignifiedyiYZ/rj :
4 ' She figh, her thought, a dragon tho,
44 WhofeJckerJes fhynen as the fonne :" 1. 6. fol. 138^
and hence the upper or outward wings of the beetle were called
jbardi, .they being of a fcaly fubftance. To have an outward pair
of wings of a fcaly hard'neis, ierving as integuments to a filmy, pair
beneath them, is the charafteriftick of the beetle kind.
Ben Jonib.n, in his Sad Shepherd, fays :
' 4 Theylvr/y beetles with their habergeons,
44 That make a humming murmur as they fly."
In Cyntbetinc, Shakefpeare applies this epithet again to the beetle :
44 we
MACBETH. 533
Hath rung night's yawning peal, there (hall be done
A deed of dreadful note.
Lady.
we find
in a fafer hold
" Than is the full-wing'd eagle."
Here there is a manifeft oppofuion intended between the wings
and flight of the injlfl and the bird. The beetle, whofe fiarded
iwVfg-Jcan but juft raife him above the ground, is often in a itate of
greater fccurity than the waft-winged eagle that can foar to any
height.
As Shakefpeare is here defcribing the beetle in the aft of flying,
(for he never makes his humming noife but when he flies) it is
more natural to fuppofe the epithet iliould allude to the peculiarity
ot his wings, than to the circumftance of his origin, or his place
of habitation, both of which are common to him with feveral other
creatures of the infeft kind.
The quotation from Anthony and Cleopatra , feems to make againft
Dr. Warburton's explanation.
The meaning of JEnobarbus in that paflage is evidently this :
Lepidus, fays he, is the beetle of the triumvirate, a dull, blind
creature, that would but dawl on the earth, if Octavius and An-
tony, his more active colleagues in power, did not ferve him for
Jharih or wings to raife him a little above the ground.
What idea is afforded, if we fay that Oftavius and Antony are
two clefts in the old wood in which Lepidus was hatch'd ?
STEEVENS.
The fyard-born beetle is the beetle born in dung. Ariftotle
and Pliny mention beetles that breed in dung. Poets as well as
natural hiftorians have made the fame obfervation. See Drayton't
Ideas, 31 ; "I fcorn all earthly dung-bred fcarabies." So, Ben
Jonlbn, Whalley's edit. vol. I. p. 9 :
" But men of thy condition feed on floth,
" As doth the beetle on the dung fhe breeds in."
That/wv/ figiiifies dung, is well known in the North of Stafford-
ihire, where cow/bard is the word generally ufed for coiv-dung.
So, in A petite Palace of Pcttie his Pkafure, p. 165 :
44 The humble-bee taketh no fcorn to loge in a cowe's foule
JJjard." Again, in Bacon's Nat. Hijl. exp. 775: " Turf and
peat, and cow/beards, are cheap fuels, and laft long." The firft
folio edit, of Shakefpeare reads Jliard-borne, and this manner of
fpelling borne is in favour of the prefent conftruftion. So Shake-
fpeare, as I believe, always writes it, when it fignifies brought
forth, as in Macbeth: " none of woman borne" " one of wo-
"man borne" In fhort, his Bible, or the the old tranflntion of the
Bible, fpelt it lb. In Much Ado about Nothing, adt III. fc. iv.
Jae Wiitcs mderborn without the final e,
M in 3 Sbartid
534 MACBETH.
Lady. What's to be done ?
Macb. Be innocent of the knowledge, deareft
chuck 6 ,
'Till thou applaud the deed. 7 Come, feeling night,
Skarf up the tender eye of pitiful day ;
And, with thy bloody and mvinble hand,
Cancel, and tear to pieces, that great bond
Which keeps me pale j 8 Light thickens and the
crow
Makes
Sharded beetle inCymbeline, means the beetle lodged in dung; and
there the humble earthly abode of the beetle is oppoled to the
lofty eyry of the eagle in " the cedar, vvhofe top branch over-
peer'd Jove's fpreading tree," as the poet obferves in the third
part of AT. Hen. VI. ad V. fc. ii. TOLLET.
6 dear eft chuck,]
I meet with this term of endearment (which is probably corrupted
from chick or chicken) in many of our ancient writers. So, in War-
DCl's Albion's England, b. v. C. 27 ;
" injmortal fhe-egg chuck ofTyndarus his wife."
STEEVENS.
7 ..I, . i Come fealing night, ~\
Thus the common editions had it ; but the old one, feeling, i. e.
blinding ; which is right. It is a term in falconry.
WAR BUR TON.
So, in the Booke of Haivkyng, Huntyng, &c. bl. 1. no date :
*' And he muft take wyth hym nedle and threde to enfyle the
haukes that bene taken, And in thys maner the muft be enjihd.
Take the nedel and thryde, and put it through the over eye lyd,
and foe of that other, and make them fail under the beeke that
/he fe not, &c." STEEVENS.
< ' Come feeling night,
Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond
Which keeps me pale ! ]
This may be well explained by the following paffage in Rich. Ill ;
" Cancel hi*, bond of life, dear God, I pray."
Again, in Cymbeline, aft V; fc. iv :
" take this life,
" And cancel thefe cold bonds" STEEVENS.
8 Light thickens : and the croiv~]
By the expreflion, light thickens, Shakefpeare means, the light
rrnvs dull or muddy. In this fenfe he ufes it in Ant. andCleop.
* " my luftre thickens
^ When he fhines by" EDWARDS'S MSS.
It
MACBETH. 535
' Makes wing to the rooky wood :
Good things of day begin to droop and drowze ;
While night's black agents to their preys dorouze.
Thou marveirft at my words : but hold thee Hill ;
Things, bad begun, make ftrong thcmfelves by ill :
So, pr'ythee, go with me. [Exeunt.
SCENE III.
Enter three Murderers.
1 Mm: * But who did bid thec join with us ?
3 Mur'. Macbeth.
2 Mur. He needs not our miilruft ; fincc he de-
livers
Our offices, and what we have to do,
To the direction juft.
i M"/-. Then Hand with us.
The weft yet glimmers with fome flreaks of day :
Now fpurs the lated traveller apace,
It miy be added, that in the fecond part of K. Hen. IV. Prince
John of Lancafter tells Falftaff, that " his defert is too thick tojbint"
STEEVENS.
9 Makes iving. to the rooky ivood:]
Rooty may mean damp, mljly, Jicannag ivitb exhalations. It is
only a North country variation of dialect from reeky. In Carlo-
tavuf, Shakefpeare mentions
" the reek of th* rotten fens."
And, in Caltha Poetarum, &c. 1 599 :
" Comes in a vapour like a rooJ:iJJj ryme."
Rocky wood may, however, figniry a rookery, the wood that
abounds voitb rooks. STEEVENS.
1 But who did bid thec join ivith us ?]
The meaning of this abrupt dialogue is this. The pcrfcfl fyy,
mentioned by Macbeth in the foregoing fcene, has, before they
enter upon the ftage, given them the directions which were pro-
mifed at the time of their agreement ; yet one of the murderers
fuborned, fufpefts him of intending to betray them ; the other ob-
ferves, that, by his exaft knowledge of -ivhat they were to do, he
appeals to be employed by Macbeth, and needs not be miftrufted.
Jo UN sox.
M m 4 To
536 M' A C B E T H.
To gain the timely inn ; and near approaches
The fubjed of our watch.
3 Mur. Hark ! I hear horfes.
[Banquo within.'] Give us a light there, ho \
2 Mur. Then it is he ; the reft
That aie within a the note of expectation,
Already -are i'the court.
1 Mur. His horfes go about.
3 Mur. Almoft a mile : but he does ufually,
So all men do, from hence to the palace gate
Make it their walk.
Enter Banquo, and Fleance with a torch.
2 Mur. A light, a light !
3 Mur. 'Tis he.
i Mur. Stand to't.
San. It will be rain to-night.
i Mur. Let it come down. [They affault Eanquo.
Ban. Oh, treachery ! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly;
Thou may'ft revenge. Ohflave!
[Dies. Fleance efcapes*
3 Mur. Who did ftrike out the light ?
1 Mur. 3 Was't not the way ?
3 Mur. There's but one down ; the fon is fled.
2 Mur. We have loft beft half of our affair.
i Mur. Well, let's away, and fay how much is
done. [Exeunt*
* ike note of 'expectation ,]
i, e. they who are fet down in the lift of guefts, and expected to
{Upper. STEEVENS.
3 Was't not the ivay ?]
i. e. the beft means we could take to evade difcovery.
STEEVZNS.
SCENE
MACBETH, 537
SCENE IV.
banquet prepared. Enter Macbeth, Lady, Rojfe, Lenox 9
Lords, and Attendants.
Macb. * You know your own degrees, fit down : at
firft,
And laft, the hearty welcome,
Lords. Thanks to your majefly.
Macb. Ourfelf will mingle with fociety,
And play the humble hofl.
Our hoftefs keeps her Hate * ; but, in beft time,
We will require her welcome.
Lady. Pronounce it for me, fir, to all our friends ;
For my heart fpeaks, they are welcome.
Enter firft Murderer, to the door.
Macb. See, they encounter thce with their hearts'
thanks :
Both fides are even : Here I'll fit i'the midft :
J3e large in mirth ; anon, we'll drink a meafure
4 Tou know your own degrees, Jit down :
At firft and laft the hearty welcome.]
As this pafrage ftands, not only the numbers are very imperfect,
but the lenfe, if any can be found, weak and contemptible. The
numbers will be improved by reading :
Jit down at firft ',
And laft a hearty welcome.
But for laft fhould then be written next. \ believe the true read-
ing is :
Tou know your own degrees. Jit down.Tojirft
And laft the hearty welcome.
All of whatever degree, from the higheft to the loweft, may be
aflured that their vifit is well received. JOHNSON.
* Our hoftefs keeps herftate^ &c.]
This idea might have been borrowed from Holinfhed, p. 805 :
* The king (Hen. VIII.) caufed the queene to kecfe the (ftatr,
and then fat the ambafladours and ladies as they were marflialled
by the king, who would not fit, but walked from place to place,
waking cheer &c," STEEVKNS (
The
538 M A C B E T H.
The table round. There's blood upon thy face,
Mur. *Tis Banquo's then.
Much. 6 'Tis better thee without, than he within.
Is he dilpatch'd ?
Mur. My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him.
Mxb. Thou art the bed o'the cut-throats : Yet
he's good,
That did the like for Fleance : if thou did'ft it,
Thou art the non-pareil.
Mur. Moft royal fir,
Fleance is 'fcap'd.
Mat^b. Then corses my fit again : I had elfe been
perfed: ;
Whole as the marble, founded as the rock;
As broad, and general, as the caiing air :
But now, I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd, bound in
To faucy doubts and fears. But Banquo's fafe ?
Mur. Ay, my good lord ; fafe in a ditch ho bides,
With twenty trenched gafhes 7 on his head ;
The leaft a death to nature,
Macb. Thanks, for that :
There the grown ferpent lies ; the worm, that's fled,
Hath nature that in time will venom breed,
No teeth for the prefent. Get thee gone ; to-morrow
We'll hear, ourfelves again, [Exit Murderer,
6 'Tis letter thee without, than he within.]
The fenfe requires that this paffage ftiould be read thus :
'Tis fatfer thee without , than him within.
That Is, I am letter 'pteafed that the lloddof BanyuoJIwuldbe on tly
face than in his body,
The authcur might mean, // is letter that Panquo's llobd were
on thy face, than he in this room, Expreffions thus imperfect ar<;
common in his works. JOHNSON.
7 trenched gq/bes ]
Trancher to cut. Fr. So, in Ardcn of fever/bam, > ,92 :
" Is deeply trenched on my blufhing brow."
So, in another play of Shakefpeare :
" like a figure
STEEVENS.
MACBETH. 539
Lady. My royal lord,
You do not give the cheer : th.e feaft is fold *,
That is not often vouch'd while 'tis a making,
' Tis given with welcome : To feed, were beft at home;
From thence, the fauce to meat is ceremony ;
Meeting were bare without it.
[Enter the gboft of Banquo 9 , and fits in ftlacbeth''*
place.
'Miiclf. Sweet remembrancer !
Now, good digeftion wait on appetite,
And health on both !
Len. May it pleafe your highnefs fit ?
Much. Here had we now our country's honour
rooPd,
Were the grac'd perfon of our Banquo prefent ;
Who may I rather challenge for unkindnefs,
Than pity for mifchance !
Rofle. His abfence, fir,
Lays blame upon his promife. Pleafe it your high-
nefs
To grace us with your royal company ?
Macb. The table's full.
8 the feaft is td& 9 to-.]
Mr. Pope reads : the feaft is cold, and not without plaufi-
bility. Such another exprefiion occurs in The Elder Brother of
Beaumont and Fletcher :
" You muft be welcome too : the feaft fsjlat elfe."
And the fame exprelRon as Shakefpeare's occurs in the Remount of
the Rofe :
" Good dcde done through praiere,
" Is foil, and bought to acre." STEEVENS.
thcfcajl is fold, ]
The meaning, is, That which is not given clem-fully , cannot be
called a gift, it is fpmething that muft be paid for. JOHNSON.
9 Enter the gboft of Banqno, ] This circumftance of Ban~
quo's gboft feems to be alluded to in The Puritan, firrt printed in
j6oy, and ridiculoufly afcribcd to Shakefpeare : " We'll ha' the
gkoft i* th' white fteet (it at upper end o* t/j table" FARMER.
The circumftance of Banquo's gboji could not be alluded to in
the Puritan, which was printed in 1600, fomc years before Mac-
letb was written. MALQNE,
54 MACBETH.
Len. Here is a place referv'd, fir.
Macb. Where?
Len. Here, my good lord. What is't that moves
your highnefs ?
'Macb. Which of you have done this ?
Lords. What, my good lord ?
Macb. Thou can'ft not fay, I did it : never ihake
Thy goary locks at me.
RoJJe. Gentlemen, rife ; his highnefs is not well.
Lady. Sit worthy friends : my lord is often thus,
And hath been from his youth: pray you, keep feat;
The fit is momentary ; upon a thought
He will again be well : If much you note him,
You mall offend him, and ' extend his paffion ;
Feed, and regard him not. Are you a man ?
Macb. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that
Which might appall the devil.
Lady. *O proper fluff!
This is the very painting of your fear :
This is the air-drawn-dagger, which, you faid,
Led you to Duncan. 3 Oh, thefe flaws, and flans,
(Im-
* extend bis pa/ion ;]
Prolong hi s fuffering; make his fit longer. JOHNSON*.
* O proper fiuf!}
This fpeech is rather too long for the circumftances in which it is
fpoken. It had begun better at, Shame itfelf! JOHNSON.
3 ' Ob, thefe flaws andfiarts, '
(Impoftors to true fear,) would well become
A woman 's fiory at a winter's fire,
Authorized by her grandam. ]
Flaws, zx&fudden gufis. The authour perhaps wrote :
Thoje fiaws andfiarts,
Impoftures true to fear would well become ;
A woman* s fiory,
Thefe fymptoms of terrour and amazement might better become
impofiures true only to fear, might become a coward at the recital of
fuch falfehoods as no man could credit, whofe underfianding I'.'as not
rity of her
Oh, tJjcfe fiaws andfiarts,
fors to true fear i \
i. e.
his terrors', tales told by a woman over afire OH the au~
tbority of her grandam. JOHNSON.
" thcCe '
MACBETH. 54,
(Impoftors to true fear,) would well become
A woman's ftory, at a winter's fire,
Authorized by her grandam. Shame itfelf !
Why do you make fuch faces ? When all's done,
You look but on a ftool.
Macb. Pr'ythee, fee there ! behold ! look ! lo !
how fay you ?
Why, what care I ? If thou can'ft nod, fpeak too.
If charnel-houfes, and our graves, muft fend
Thofe that we bury, back ; our monuments
Shall be the maws of kites *.
Lady. What ! quite unmann'd in folly ?
Macb. If I Hand here, I faw him.
Lady. Fie, for fhame !
Macb. Blood hath been ihed ere now, i'the olden
time,
5 Ere human flatute purg'd the gentle weal ;
Ay, and fince too, murders have been perform'd
Too terrible for the ear : the times have been,
That, when the brains were out, the man would die,
And there an end : but now, they rife again,
With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,
And pufti us from our flools : This is more ftrange
Than fuch a murder, is.
Lady. My worthy lord,
Your noble friends do lack you.
Macb. I do forget :
i. e. thefe flaws and Harts, as they are indications of your needleft
fears, are the imitators or impoftors only of thofe which arife from
a fear well grounded. WARBURTON.
4 Sballle the maivs of kites.]
The fame thought occurs in Spenfer's Faery $>uee, b. ii. c. 8 :
" But be entombed in the raven or the kight" STEEVENS.
5 Ere human Jlatute purged the gentle weal ; ]
The gentle weal, is, the pea cealle community, the Hate made quiet
and fafe by human Jlatutes.
" Molliafecura feragelant otia genles" JOHNSON.
Do
MACBETH.
Do not mufe at me 6 , my moft worthy friends j
I have a flrange infirmity, which is nothing
To thofe that know me. Come, love and health to
all;
Then I'll fit down : Give me fome wine, fill full :
I drink to the general joy of the whole table,
Re-enter Ghoft.
And to our deaf friend Banquo, whom we mifs ;
Would he were here ! to all, and him, we thirft,
7 And all to all.
Lords. Our duties, and the pledge.
Macb. Avant ! and quit my fight ! Let the earth
hide thee !
Thy bones are marrowlefs, thy blood is cold ;
Thou haft no fpeculation in thofe eyes
Which thou doft glare with !
Lady. Think of this, good peers,
But as a thing of cuftom : 'tis no other ;
Only it fpoils the pleafure of the time.
Macb. What man dare, I dare :
Approach thou like the rugged Ruffian bear,
6 Do not mufe at ;ar, ]
To mufe anciently fignified to be in amaze. So, in AW 's Well that
Ends 'Well:
" And rather mufe than aft."
Again, in Ben Jonfon's Alchjmift :
'* 'Slid, doftor, how canft thou fo foon know this ?
" I a"m a-muSdat that."
Again, in K. Hen. IV. P. II. act IV :
" I mufe you make fo ilight aqueftion." STEEVEXS.
7 And all to all.}
i. e. all good wiflies to all : fuch as he had named above, Iovt t
health^ andjoy. WARBURTON.
I once thought it fliould be hail to all, but I now think that the
prefent reading is right. JOHHSON.
Timon ufes nearly the fame expreffion to his guefts, aft I : " All
tejiu.'* STEBVENS.
The
MACBETH. 543
The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tyger 8 ,
Take any fhapc but that, and my fivm nerves
Shall never tremble : Or, be alive again,
And dare me to the defert with thy fword ;
* If trembling I inhabit, then protcft me
The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible fliadow !
Unreal mockery, hence ! Why, fo ; being gone,
I am a man again. Pray you, fit ftill.
Lady. You have dilplac'd the mirth, broke the
good meeting,
With mofl admir'd diibrder.
Macb. ' Can fuch things be,
And
8 the Hyrcan tyger ,)
Theobald chules to read, in oppofition to the old copy : Hyr-
tanian tyger; but the alteration was unneceflary, as Dr. Philemon
Holland, in his tranflation of Pliny's Nat. Hijt. p. 122, mentions
the Hyrcane fea. TOLLET.
9 If treadling I inhabit, ]
This is the original reading, which Mr. Pope changed to inhibit,
which inhibit Dr. Warburton interprets refufe. The old reading
may ftand, at lead as well as the emendation. Suppofe we read :
If trembling I evade :'/. JOHNSON.
Inhibit feems more likely to have been the poet's own word, as
he ufes it frequently in thefenfe required in this paifage. Ot*xUi
suit I. fc. 7 :
" a practifer
* l Of art* intititcJ"
Hamlet, ad II. fc. 6 :
** I think their inhibition comes of the late innovation."
To inhibit is to forbid. The poet probably might have written;
If trembling 1 inhibit thee, proteft me, &c. STEEVENS.
1 (^anfuch things bt^
And overcome /, like afummer's cloud,
Without oitrfpecial wonder ? ]
Why not ? if they be only like a fummer's cloud ? The fpeech is
given wrong ; it is part or the lady's foregoing fpeech ; and, be-'
iiiles that, is a little corrupt. We fliould read it thus :
Can'tyo& things be,
And overcome us, like a fummer's cloud^
II 'Ithojtt ourfpecial wonder f ]
i. e. cannot thefe vifions, without fo much wonder and amaze-
ment, be prelented to the difturbed imagination in the manner
that air vilions, in fummer clouds, are prelented to a -Canton one :
which
544 MACBETH,
And overcome us like a fummer's cloud,
Without our fpecial wonder? * You make me Grange
Even to the difpofition that I owe,
When now I think you can behold fuch fights,
And keep the natural ruby of your cheek,
When mine is blanch'd with fear J .
which fometimes fliew a lion, a caftle, or a promontory ? The
thought is fine, and in character. Overcome is ufed for deceive.
WAREURTOX.
The alteration is introduced by a mifinterp relation. The mean-
ing is not that thefe things are like a fummer-doud, but can fuch
wonders as theie pafs over us without wonder, as a cafual fummer
cloud pafles over us. JOHNSON.
No inftance is given of this fenfe of the word overcome, which has
caufed all the difficulty ; it is however to be found in Spenfer,
Faery Queen, b. iii. c. 7. ft. 4 :
" A little valley
" All covered with thick woods, that quite it overcame?*
FARMER.
A fimilar expreflion occurs in the Merchant of Venice : "I
pr'ithee overname them ; and as thou nameft them, &c."
MALOKE.
* You make me ft range
Even to the difpoftion that I owe,]
Which in plain Englilh is only ; You make mejujl mad.
WARBURTOX.
Yon produce in me an alienation of mind, which is probably the
expreflion which our author intended to paraphrafe. JOHNSON.
I do not think that either of the editors has very fuccefsfully
explained this paiTage, which feems to mean. You prove to me
that I am a Jiranger even to tny own difpojition, vjhen I perceive that
the very objeft which fleah tie colour from my cheek, permits it to re-
main in yours. In other words, You prove to me bow falfe an
opinion I have hitherto maintained of my own courage, when yours
on the trial is found to exceed it. A thought fbmewhat fimilar oc-
curs in the Merry Wives of Wind/or, act II. fc.i: " I'll entertain
myfelf like one I am not acquainted withal." Again, in mill's
mil that Ends Well: aft V :
" if you know
" That yon are well acquainted with yourfelf." STEEVENS.
3 are blanch'd ivitb fear ,~\
i. e. .turn'd pale, as in Webfter's DutchcfsofMalfy^ 1623 :
" Thou doft llanch mifchief,
'*. Doft mke it white." STEEVENS.
Rofe.
MACBETH. 545
Rojft. What fights, my lord ?
Lady. I pray you, fpeak not ; he grows worfe and
worfe ;
Queftion enrages him : at once, good night :
Stand not upon the order of your going,
But go at once.
Len. Good night, and better health,
Attend his majefty !
Lady. A kind good night to all ! [Exetmt Lords.
Macb. It will have blood> they fay ; blood will
have blood :
Stones have been known to move, and trees to fpeak ;
4 Augurs, and underflood relations, have
By
4 Augurs, and^ underjlood relations, ]
By the word relation is underftood the conneflior. of effects with
caufes ; to underftand relations as an augur, is to know how thefe
things relate to each other, which have no vifible combination or.
dependence. JOHNSON.
Augurs, and underjlood relations, ]
By relations is meant the relation one thin^ is fuppofed to bear to
another. The ancient foothfayers of all denominations pra&ifed
their art upon the principle of analogy. Which analogies were
founded in a fuperftitious philofophy arifing oilt of the nature of
ancient idolatry ; which would require a volume to explain. If
Shakefjpeare meant what I fuppofe he did by relations, this (hews
a very profound knowledge of antiquity. But, after all, in his
licentious way, by relations, he might only mean languages, i. e.
the language of birds. WARBURTON.
The old copy has the paflage thus :
Augur es, and underjlood relations, have
By maggot-pies and choughs, &c.
The modern editors read :
Augurs that underftand relations, have
By magpies and by choughs, &c.
Perhaps we fhould read, auguries, i. e. prognoftications by means
of omens or prodigies. Thefe, together with the connection of
effefts with caufes, being underftood (fays he) have been inftru-
mental in divulging the moft fecret murders.
In Cotgrave's Dictionary, a magpie is called a magatapic. Ma-
got-pie is the original name of the bird ; Magot being the familiar
appellation given to pies, as we fay Robin to a redbrealr, Tom to a
titmoufe, Philip to a fparrow, &c. The modern mag is the abbre-
VOL. IV. N n viation
546 MACBETH.
By magot-pies, and choughs, and rooks, brought
forth
The fecret'ft man of blood. What is the night ?
Lady. Almoft at odds with morning, which is
which.
Macb* * How fay^ft thou, that Macduff denies his
perfon.
At our great bidding ?
Lady. Did you fend to him, fir ?
Macb. I hear it by the way ; but I will fend :
6 'There's not a one of them, but in his houfe
I keep a fervant fee'd. I will to-morrow,
(And betimes I will) unto the weird fitters :
More mall they fpeak ; for now I am bent to kno\v T
By the word means, the woril : for mine awn good,
All caufes mall give way ; I am in blood
viation of the ancient M&got^ a word which we had from the
French. STEEVENS.
Mr. Steevens rightly restores magot-ptes* In Minfliew's Guide
tatke Tongues^ 1617, we meet with a maggatapie: and Middleton
ill his More Dijfimllers lefide Women, fays : " He calls her magot o"
fie.'* FARMER.
3 Howfay'jltboui &C.]
Macbeth here a&s a quefHon, which the recollection of a moment
enables him to aafwer. Of this forgetfulnefs, natural to a mind
opprefs'd, there is a beautiful inftance in the facred fong of De-
borah and Barak : ** She ajked her wife ivomcn counfel, yea, Jl:e
returned anfaoer to berfelfj*
This circumftance likewife takes its rife from hiftory. Macbeth
feritto Macduff to affift in building the caftle of Dunfinane. Mac-
duff fent workmen &c. but did not chufe to truft his perfon in
the tyrant's power. From this time he refolved on his death.
STEEVENS.
6 There's not a one of'fbem, ]
^tfw^ofthem, however uncouth the phrafe, fignifies an indi-
vidual. In Allumazar, 16 1 o, the fame expreffion occurs : " Not
a one {hakes his. tail, but I figh out a paflion." Theobald would
read thane ; and might have found his propoled emendation in Bet-
terton's alteration of Macbeth, 1674. This avowal of the tyrant
is authorized by Holinfned: " He had in every nobleman's houfe
one flie fellow or other in fee with him to reveale all &c."
STEEVENS.
Stept
MACBETH. 54?
Stept in fo far, that, fhould I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er :
Strange things I have in head, that will to hand ;
Which muft be afted, ere they may be fcann'd 7 .
Lady. 8 You lack the feaibn of all natures, fleep.
Macb. Come, we'll to fleep : My ftrange and felf-
abufe
Is the initiate fear, that wants hard ufe :
9 We are yet but young in deed. [Exeunt.
SCENE V.
Thunder. Enter the three Witches^ meeting Hecate *.
i Witch. Why, how now, Hecat' ? -you look an-
gerly.
Hcc.
' fc fcann'd.]
Toftan is to examine nicely. Thus, in Hamlet :
' fo he goes to hcnven,
*' And fo am I reveng'd : that muft befcann'JS*
Again, in Heywood's Golden Age, 161 1 :
" how thefe ziefiann'd,
'* Let none decide but fuch as underftand." SriEvEKf .
8 You lack tbefeafon of all natures, Jleep.}
I take the meaning to be, you. wantfaep, which ftafens, or gives
t"he relifh to all nature. " Indiget fomni vita condimenti"
JOHN-SON.
Tou lack the feafon of all natures, Jleep.]
This word is often ufed in this fenfe by our author. So, in All's
Well that Ends Well: " 'Tis the beft brine a maiden can ftafon
her praife in." Again, in Tht Rape of Lucrece :
" But I alone, alone muft fit and pine,
" Seafoning the earth with fliowers of filver brine."
MALONE.
9 We are yet but young in JfcJ.~[
The editions before Theobald read :
Wfre yet but young indeed. JOHNSON.
The meaning is not ill explained by a line in K. Htn. VI. third
part : We are not, Macbeth would fay,
" Made impudent with ufe of evil deeds."
The initiate fear, is the fear that always attends the firfl initia-
tion into guilt, before the mind becomes callous and infenfible by
frequent repetitions of it, or (as the poet fays) by bardvfe.
STEEVENS.
mating Hccate.~\ Shakefpeare has been cenfurcd for intro
N n a ducin
548 MACBETH.
Hec. Have I not reafon, beldams, as you are y
Saucy, and overbold ? How did you dare
To trade and traffic with Macbeth,
In riddles, and affairs of death ;
And I, the miftrefs of your charms,
The clofe contriver of all harms,
Was never call'd to bear my part,
Or fhew the glory of our art ?
And, which is worfe, all you have done
Hath been but for a wayward fon,
Spightful, and wrathful ; who, as others do>
Loves for his own ends, not for you.
But make amends now : Get you gone,
And at the pit of Acheron *
Meet me i'the morning ; thither he
Will come to know his deftiny.
Your veffels, and your fpells, provide,
Your charms, and every thing befidc :
ducing Hecate among the vulgar witches, and, confequently, for
confounding ancient with modern fuperftitions. He has, how-
ever, authority for giving a miftrefs to the witches. Delrio Difqtdf.
Mag. lib. ii. quaeil. 9. quotes a pailage of Apitleius, Lib. de Afino
atireo: " de quadam Caupona, r^/WSagarum." And adds fur-
ther : " ut fcias et-iam turn quafdam ab iis hoc titulo honoratas."
In confequence of this information, Ben J onion, in one of his
mafques,. has introduced a character which he calls a Dame^ who
prefides at the meeting of the Witches :
" Sifters, ftay ; we want our Jamc.""
The dame accordingly enters, inverted with marks of fuperiority,
and the reil pay an implicit obedience to her commands. Shake-
fpeareis therefore blameable only for calling his preliding character
Hecate, as it might have been brought on with propriety under
any other title whatever. STEEVENS.
x the pit of Acheron]
Shakefpeare feems to have thought it allowable to beftow the name
of Acheron on any fountain, lake, or pit, through which there
was vulgarly fuppofed to be a communication between this and the
infernal world. The true original Acheron was a river in Greece;
and yet Virgil gives this name to his lake in the valley of Am~
fanfius in Italy . S T E v E N ? .
I am
MACBETH. 549
I am for the air ; this night I'll fpend
Unto a difmal and a fatal end.
Great bufinefs muft be wrought ere noon :
Upon the corner of the moon
There hangs a 3 vaporous drop profound ;
I'll catch it ere it come to ground :
And that, diftill'd by magic 4 flights,
Shall raife fuch artificial fprights,
As, by the ftrength of their illufion,
Shall draw him on to his confufion :
He lhall fpurn fate, fcorn death, and bear
His hopes 'bove wifdom, grace, and fear :
And you all know, fecurity
Is mortals' chiefeft enemy. [Mufic and a fong*
Hark, I am call'd ; my little fpirit, fee,
Sits in a foggy cloud, and flays for me.
[Sing within. Come away, come away, &c.
i Witch. Come, let's make hafte, flie'll foon be
back again. [Exeunt.
SCENE VI.
5 Enter Lenox^ and another Lord.
Len. My former fpecches have but hit your
thoughts,
Which
3 vaporous drop profound 'j]
That is, a drop that has profound, deep, or hidden qualities.
JOHNSON.
Tbjtre bangs a vap'rous drop profound ; ]
This vaporous drop feems to have been meant for the fame as the
virus luiiarc of the ancients, being a foam which the moon was
fuppofed to (hed on particular herbs, or other objects, when
ftrongly folicited by enchantment. Lucan introduces Eridho uf-
ing it. 1, 6 :
'* et virus large lunare miniftrat" STEEVENS.
* flights,] Arts; fubtle practices. JOHN-SON-.
5 Enter Lenox, and another Lord.] As this tragedy, like the reft
of Shakefpeare's, is perhaps overrtocked with pertbnages, it is not
eafy to affign a reafon why a namelefs character fliould be intto-
iluced here, fmce nothing is faid that might not with equal pro-
N n 3 pricty
55 MACBETH.
Which can interpret further : only, I fay,
Things have been ftrangely borne : The gracious
Duncan
Was pitied of Macbeth : marry, he was dead :
And the right-valiant Ban quo walk'd too late ;
Whom, you may fay, if it pleafe you, Fleance kill'd',
For Fleance fled. Men muft not walk too late.
Who cannot want the thought, how monfterous
It was for Malcolm, and for Donalbain,
To kill their gracious father ? damned fad: !
How it did grieve Macbeth ! did he not ftraight,
In pious rage, the two delinquents tear,
That were the flaves of drink, and thralls of ileep ?
Was not that nobly done ? Ay, and wifely too ;
For 'twould have anger'd any heart alive,
To hear the men deny it. So that, I fay,
He has borne all things well : and I do think,
That, had he Duncan's fons under his key,
(As, an't pleafe heaven, helhall not) they fhould find
What 'twere to kill a father ; fo ihould Fleance.
But, peace! for from broad words, and 'caufe he
fail'd
His prefence at the tyrant's feaft, I hear,
Macduff lives in difgrace : Sir, can you tell
Where he beftows himfelf ?
Lord. 6 The fon of Duncan,
From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth,
Lives in the Engliih court ; and is receiv'd
Of the moft pious Edward with fuch grace,
priety have been put into the mouth of any other difafFeted man,
I believe therefore that in the original copy it was written with a
\ r ery common form of contraction Lenox and An. for which the
tranfcriher, inftead or Lenox and Angus, fet down Lenox and an-
other Lord. The authour had indeed been more indebted to the
tranfcriber's fidelity and diligence, had he committed no errors of
greater importance. JOHNSON,
6 Tic fon ofDuncan,\
Theobald corrected it.
That
MACBETH. 551
That the malevolence of fortune nothing
Takes from his high refpet : ThitherMacduffisgone 7
To pray the holy king, upon his aid
To wake Northumberland, and warlike Siward :
That, by the help of thefe, (with Him above
To ratify the work) we may again
Give to our tables meat, deep to our nights ;
Free from our feafts and banquets bloody knives * ;
Do faithful homage, 9 and receive free honours,
All which we pine for now : And this report
Hath fo exafperate * the king, that he
Prepares for fome attempt of war.
Len. Sent he to Macduff?
Lord. He did : and with an abfolute, Sir, not I,
The cloudy meflenger turns me his back,
And hums ; as who Ihould fay, Toifll rue the time
That ckgs me with this anfiver.
Len. And that well might
Advife him to a caution % to hold what diftance
7 Thithtr 'Macduff is gont
To pray the holy king, &c.]
The modern editors, tor the fake of the metre, omit the word fofy,
and read :
TlAtltr Macduff
L gone to pray the king) &tc. SrEEVENS.
* Free from our feajls and banquets bloody knives',]
The conitrudion is Free our t trails and banquets from bloody
knives. Perhaps the words are tranfpofed, and the line originally
flood :
Our feajls and banquets free from bloody knives. MALONK.
9 and receive tree honour s^ ]
Free for grateful. WASEURTON.
How can/m- be grateful ? It may be either honours freely le-
Jlowedy not purchafed by 'crimes ; or honours without Jitney, with-
out dread or a tyrant. JOHNSON.
. their king> ] The fenfe requires that we fhould read
the king, i. e. Macbeth. Their is the reading of the old copy.
STEEVENS.
* Advife him to a caution, ]
Thus the old copy. The modem editors, to add fmoothnefs to
the verification, read: to a care. STEVENS.
N n 4 His
55* MACBETH.
His wifdom can provide. Some holy angel
Fly to the court of England, and unfold
His meffage ere he come ; that a fwift bleffing
May foon return to this our fuffering country,
Under a hand accurs'd !
Lord. I'll fend my prayers with him. [Exeunt*
ACT IV. 3S C E N E I.
thunder. Enter the three Witches.
1 Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd *.
2 tri&p. Thrice ; and once the hedge-pig
vvhin'd s .
3 Witch.
3 SCENE I. ] As this is the chief fcene of enchantment in
the play, it is proper in this place to obferve, with how much
judgment
4 Thrice the Irinded cat hath Mtvj'd.]
A cat from time immemorial, has been the agent and favourite of
witches. This fuperftitious fancy is pagan, and very ancient; and
the original, perhaps this : When Galinthla was changed into a cat
ly the Fates, (fays Antonius Liberal's, Metam. cap. 29.) ly witches^
(fays Partfanias in his Bocoti.cs) Hecate took pity of her, and made
her her piiejtefs ; in which office fie continues to this day. Hecate
Ijerfetf too, when Typbon forced all the gods and goddejfes tohidethem-
felvcs in animals, affumed tbejhape of a cat. So, Ovid:
" Yele furor Phoeli latnif," WAR BUR TON.
5 Thrice ; and once the hedge-pig w^/wV.J
Mr. Theobald reads : tivife and once, &c, and obferves that odd
numbers are ufed in all enchantments and magical operations.
The remark is juft, but the paflage vvas mifunderftood. The
fecond Witch only repeats the number which the firft had men-
tioned, in order to confirm what fhe had faid ; and then adds, that
the hedge pig had likewife cried, though but once. Or what feems
more eafy, the hedge-pig had whined thrice , and after an interval
had whined once again.
Even numbers, however, were always reckoned iuaufpicious.
So ?
MACBETH. 553
3 Witcb. Harper cries 6 : 'tis time, 'tis time 7 .
i Witch. Round about the cauldron go ;
In the poifon'd entrails throw
judgment Shakefpeare has felefted all the circumftances of his in-
fernal ceremonies, and how exactly he has conformed to Common
opinions and traditions :
" Thrice the brinded cat hath me\v'd."
The ufnal form in which familiar fpirits are reported to converfe
with witches, is that of a cat. A witch, who was tried about
hair n century before the time of Shakefpeare, had a cat named
Rutterkin, as the fpirit of one of thofe witches was Grimalkin ;
and when any mifchief was to be done, file ufed to bid Rutterkin
go and fly. But once when flie would have fent Rutterkin to tor-
ment a daughter of the countefs of Rutland, inftead of 'going or
Jlying) he only cried wrc, from whence fhe difcovered that the
lady was out of his power, the power ot witches being not uni-
verfal, but limited, as Shakefpeare has taken care to inculcate :
" Though his bark cannot be loft,
" Yet it fliall be tempeft-toft."
The common afflictions which the malice of witches produced,
were melancholy, fits, and lofs of flefh, which are threatned by
one of Shakeipeare's witches :
" Weary fev'n nights, nine times nine,
" Shall he dwindle, peak, and pine."
It was likewife their practice to deftroy the cattle of their neigh-
bours, and the farmers have to this day many ceremonies to fe-
So, in the Honeft Lawyer, by S. S. 1616 : " Sure 'tis not a lucky
time ; the firft crow I heard this morning, cried twice. This
even, fir, is no good number." Twice a nd once, however, might
W a cant exprelfion. So, in K. Hen. IV. P. II. Silence fays :
'*' I have been merry twice and once, ere now." STEEVENS.
6 Harper cries: ]
This is fome imp, or familiar fpirit, concerning whofe etymology
and office, the reader may be wifer than the editor. Thofe who
are acquainted with Dr. Farmer's pamphlet, will be unwilling to
derive the name of Harper from Ovid's Harfalos, abipa^w rapio.
ike Upton's Critical Obfervations &c. edit 1748, p. 155.
STEEVEXS.
n 'tis time, 'iis time.']
This familiar does not cry out that it is time for them to begin
their enchantments, but cries, i. e. gives them the fignal, upon
/;hich the third Witch communicates the notice to her lifters :
Harper cries : 'tis time, 'tis time. S T E E v E N S.
Toad,
554 MACBETH.
Toad, that under the cold (lone,
Days and nights hall thirty one,
Swelter'd
cure their cows and other cattle from witchcraft ; but they feem
to have been moft fufpec~led of malice againft fwine. Shakefpeare
has accordingly made one of his witches declare that fhe has been
kitting fwine ; and Dr. Harfnet obferves, that about that time, " a
fow could not be ill of the mcaJJes, nor a girl of tbefulkm^ but fame
old woman was charged with witchcraft,"
" Toad, that under the cold ftone,
" Days and nights haft thirty one,
" Swelter'd venom fleeping got ;
" Boil thou firft i'the charmed pot."
Toads have likewife long lain under the reproach of being by
fome means acceflary to witchcraft, for which reafpn Shakefpeare,
in the firft fcene of this play, calls one of the fpirits Padocke or
Toad, and now takes care to put a toad firft into the pot. When
Vaninus was feized at Tholoufe, there was found at his lodgings
ingens Bufo Vitro inclufus, a great toadjlntt in a via!, upon which
thofe that profecuted him Veneficium exprobrabant, charged him, I
fuppofe, with witchcraft.
" Fillet of a fenny fnake,
" In the cauldron boil and bake :
'* Eye of newt, and toe of frog ;
*' For a charm, &c."
The propriety of thefe ingredients may be known by confulting
the books de rirtimt Animalium and de Mirabilibus Mundi, afcrib-
cd to Albertus Magnus, in which the reader, who has time and
credulity, may difcover very wonderful fecrets.
" Finger of birth -ftrangled babe,
" Ditch- del iver'd by a drab;"
It has been already mentioned in the law againft witches, that they
are fuppofed to take up dead bodies to ufe in enchantments,
which was confefled by the woman whom king James examined,
and who had of a dead body that was divided in one of their af-
ftmblies, two fingers for her (hare. It is obfervable that Shake-
fpeare, on this great occalion which involves the fate of a king,
multiplies all the circumftances of horror. The babe, whofe finger
is ufed, muft be ftrangled in its birth ; the greafe muft not only
be human, but muft have dropped from a gibbet, the gibbet of a
murderer ; and even the fow, whofe blood is ufed, muft have of-
fended nature by devouring her own farrow. Thefe arc touches
of judgment and genius.
" And now about the cauldron fing - -. f
" Black fpirits and white,
" Blue fpirits and erey,
Mingle
MACBETH; 555
SweltcrM venom 8 ileeping got,
Boil thou firft i'the charmed pot !
Ail. 9 Double, double toil and trouble ;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.
i Ifltch. Fillet of a fenny fnake,
In the cauldron boil and bake :
** Mingkj mingk, mingle,
" You that mingle may."
And in a former part :
' weird fiflers, hand in hand,
" Thus do go about, about,
" Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine,
" And thrice again to make up nine !
Thefe two paffagee I have brought together, becaufe they both
feem fubjeft to the objection of too much levity for the folcmnity
of enchantment, and may both be (hewn, by one quotation from
Camden's account of Ireland, to be founded upon a practice re-
ally cbferved by the uncivilifed natives of that country : " When
any one gets a fall, fays the informer ofCamden, he ft arts up, and,
turning three times to the right, digs a hole in the earth ; tor they
imagine that there is a fpirit in the ground, and if he fills fick in
two or three days, they fend one of their women that is (killed in
that way to the place, where me fays, I cajl thee from the eaft,
weft, north and fouth, from the groves, the woods, the rivers,
and the fens, from the fairies, red, black, white." There was
likewife a book written before the time of Shakefpcarc, delcribing,
amongft other properties, the colours of fpirits.
Many other circumltances might be parttcularifed, in which
Shakdpeare has fliown his judgment and his knowledge.
JOHNSON.
8 Swelter'd venom ]
This word ieems to be employ'd by Shakefpeare to fignify that the
animal was moiilened with its own cold exiutlations. So, in the
nventy-fecond fong of Drayton's Polyclbion :
** And all the knights there dub'd the morning but before^
" The evening fun beheld there fwclter'J in their gore."
STEEVEXS.
Double, double- toil and trouble ;~\
As this was a very extraordinary incantation, they were to dou-
ble their pains about it. I think, therefore, it fliould be pointed
as I have pointed it :
Double, double toil and trouble ;
ptherwife the folemnity is abated by the immediate recurrence-of
the rhime. STEEV^NS.
Eye
556 MACBETH.
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind- worm's fling *,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
All. Double, double toil and trouble ;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.
3 Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf ;
Witches' mummy ; maw, and gulf*,
Of the ravin'd falt-fea fhark 3 ;
Root of hemlock, digg'd i'the dark ;
Liver of blafpheming Jew ;
Gall of goat, and flips of yew,
Sliver'd 4 in the moon's eclipfe ;
5 Nofe of Turk, and Tartar's lips ;
Finger of birth-ftrangled babe, ~
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and flab :
Add thereto a tyger's chaudron 5 ,
For the ingredients of our cauldron.
AIL
1 blind- worm's y?/'^,]
The Mind-worm is ti\zJlo*-M-worni. So, Drayton in Noah's Flood:
" The fmall-ey'djlow-worm held of many blind."
STEEVENS.
and gulf ']
j, the throat. STEEVENS.
3 ravin' d /alt -/taj/iark;]
Ravin'd is glutted with prey. 'Ravin is the ancient word for prey
obtained ly violence. So. inDrayton's Polyoluion, fong 7 :
*' but a den for beafts of ra<viu made."
The fame word occurs again in Meafure for Meafure. STEEVEXS.
4 Sliver'd in the moons eclipfe ; ]
Sliver* el \$ a common word in the North, where it means to cut a
piece orjlice. Again, in K. Lear :
" She who herfelf \\i\\ Jliver and difbranch." STEEVENS.
5 Nofe of Turk, and Tartar's lips ; ]
Thefe ingredients in all probability owed their introduction to the
deteftation in which the Saracens were held, on account of theZ-o/y
ivars. STEEVENS.
6 Add thereto a tyger's chaudron.]
Cbaudror.
MACBETH. 557
AIL Double, double toil and trouble ;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.
2 Witch. Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
Enter Hecate, and other three twitches.
Hec. Oh, well done ! I commend your pains ;
And every one fliall fhare i'the gains.
And now about the cauldron fmg,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Inchanting all that you put in.
Mufick and a fong 7 .
Bhickfplrits and white,
Blue fpirits and grey ;
Mingle, mingle, mingle,
You that mingle may.
i Witch. By the pricking of my thumbs %
Something wicked this way comes : '
Open, locks, whoever knocks.
Enter
Chaudron^ i. e. entrails ; a word formerly in common ufe in the
books of cookery, in one of which, printed in 1597, I meet with
a receipt to make a pudding of a calf's chaldron. Again, in Dec-
ker's Honeft Whore, 1635 : " Sixpence a meal wench, as well as
heart can wi{h, with calves' chauldrons and chitterlings." At the
coronation feaft of Elizabeth of York, queen of Henry VII.
among other diflies, one was "a fwan with cbawdron" meaning,
I fuppofe, roafted with entrails in it, or undrawn. See Ives's &-
left Papers; N. 3. p. 140. STEEVENS.
7 a fong.'} Of this long, only the two firft words are found
in the old copy of the play. The reft was lupplied from Better-
ton's or fir W. Davenant's alteration of it in the year 1674. The
long was however in all probability a traditional one. The colours
of Ipirits are often mentioned. So, in Monjieur Thomas, 1639 :
'* Bethou/0tti, or ivbitc, or green ,
* Be thou heard, or to be feen." STEEVE.NS.
8 By the pricking of my thumbs &c.]
It is a very ancient fuperftition, that all fudden pains of the body,
and other fenfations which could not naturally be accounted for,
558 M A C B E T H.
Enter Macbeth.
Macb. How now, you fecret, black, and midnight
hags ?
What is't you do ?
AIL A deed without a name.
Macb. I conjure you, by that which you profefs,
(Howe*<:r you come to know it) anfwer me :
Though you untie the winds, and let them fight
Againft the churches ; though the 9 yefly waves
Confound and fwallow navigation up ;
Though bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown
down ' y
Though caftles topple ' on their warders y heads ;
Though palaces, arfd' pyramids, do Hope
Their heads to their foundations ; though the treafure
* Of nature's gerrnms tumble all together,
u-ere prefages of fomewhat that was fhortly to happen. Hence
Mr. Upton has explained a paflage in the Miles- Gloriofus of Plau-
tus : " Timeo quod rerum gefferirahic, ita dorfus totzs prurit"
STEEVENS.
9 yefly waves'] That is, foaming or frothy ivaves. JoHNSON
1 Though caftles topple }
Topple, is ufed for tumble. So, in Marlow*s LuJPs Dominion^
adt IV. fc. in :
" That I might pile up Charon's boat fo full,
" Until it topple o'er."
'Again, in Shirley's Gentleman of Venice :
" maybe, his hafte hath toppled him
" Into the river."
Again, in Pericles Prince of Tyre, 1609 :
" The very principals did feem to rend, and all to topple"
STEEVENS.
2 Of nature's gcrmlns ]
Yhis was fubitituved by Theobald for Nature's germainc.
JOHNSON.
So, \n K.Lear, aft III. fc. ii :
'* all gcrmins fpill at once
" That make ungrateful man."
Germins are "feeds which have begun to germinate or fprout. Ger-
men, Lat. Germe, Fr. Germe is a word ufed by Brown in his
'fcuigar Errors : "Whether it be not made out of the gcrtne or
'treadle of the egg- Sec." STEEVENS.
Even
M A C B T H. 559
Even 'till deftruttion ficken, anfwer me
To what I afk you.
1 Witch. Speak.
2 Witch. Demand.
3 Witch. We'll anfwer.
i Witch. Say, if thou'dft rather hear it from our
mouths,
Or from our matters' ?
Macb. Call them, let me fee them.
i Witch. Pour -in fow's blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow ; greafe, that's fweaten
From the murderer's gibbet, throw
Into the flame.
All. Come, high, or low ;
Thyfelf, and office, deftly {how J . \Thunder.
ift 4 Apparition, an armed head.
Macb. Tell me, thou unknown power, -
3 - deftly Jbvjo.1
i. e. with adroitnefs, dexteroufly. So, in the fecond part of K.
Edward IV. byHeywood, 1626:
" - my miftrefs fpeaks deftly and truly."
Deft is a North Country word. So, in Richard Brome's Northern
La/s, 1633:
- He faid I were a deft lafs." STEEVENS.
4 Apparition of an armed bead rifes.] The armed head reprefents
fymbolically Macbeth's head cut off and' brought to Malcolm by
Macduff. The bloody child is MacdufF untimely ripp'd from
his mother's womb. The child with a crown on his head, and
a bough in his hand, is the royal Malcolm, who ordered Tils
foldiers to hew them down a bough, and bear it before them-to
Dunfmane. This obfervation I have adopted from Mr. Upton.
STEEVENS,
Lord Howard, in his Defertfotlve agalnjl the Poifon of fuppcfed
Prophecies, mentions " a notable example of a conjuror, who re-
prefented (as it were, in dumb fliow) all the pertbns who mould
pofTefs the crown of France ; and caufed the king of Navarre, or
rather a wicked fpirit in his Head, to appear iri the fifth place, &c."
FARMER.
.
560 MACBETH.
i Witch. He knows thy thought ;
Hear his fpeech, but fay thou nought 5 .
App. Macbeth ! Macbeth ! Macbeth ! beware
Macduff;
Beware the thane of Fife 6 . Difmifs me : Enough.
Macb. What-e'er thou art, for thy good caution^
thanks ;
Thou haft harp'd my fear aright 7 : But one word
more
i Witch. He will not be commanded : Here's
another,
More potent than the firft. [Thunder*
id Apparition^ a bloody child.
App. Macbeth ! Macbeth ! Macbeth !
Macb. Had I three ears, I'd hear thee.
App. Be bloody, bold, and refolute : laugh tofcorn
The power of man ; for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth 8 . [Defcends.
5 . - j~ a y th
Silence was neceirary during all incantations. So, in Dr. Faujlus;
1604:
" Your grace demand no queftiens
" But in dumbji/ence let them come and go."
Again, in the Tempcf. :
*' - be mate, or elfe our (pell is marr'd." STEEVENS.'
6 Beware the thane of Fife. ]
" -He had learned of certaine wizzards, in vvhofe words he'
put great confidence,, how that he ought to take heede of Mac-
dujF t &c. Holinflied. STEEVENS.
7 Thou haft harp'd my fear aright : - ]
To harp) is to touch on a paifion as a harper touches a ftring. So,
jn Coriolanus, aft II. fc. nit.
" Harp on that flill." STEEVENS.
8 Shall barm Maclcth,]
So, Holinflied : - " And furely hereupon he had put Macduff
to death, but that a certeine witch, whom he had in great truft,
had told him, that he fliould never be flaine with man borne of
anier
MACBETH. 561
Then live, Macduff; What need I fear of
thee?
feut yet I'll make afiurance double fure,
And take a bond of fate : thou fhalt not live ;
That I may tell pale-hearted fear, it lies,
Arid fleep in fpight of thunder. What is this,
[Thunder.
%d Apparition , a child crowned, with a tree In bis hand.
That rifes like the ifiue of a king ;
And wears upon his baby brow 9 the round
And top of fovereignty ?
AIL Liften, but fpeak not to't.
App. Be lion-mettled, proud ; and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where confpircrs are :
Macbeth fhall never vanquifh'd be, until
Great Birnam wood to ' high Dunfinane hill
Shall come againft him. [Defcends.
Macb. That will never be :
2 Who can imprefs the foreft ; bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root ? fweet bodements ! good!
3 Rebellious head, rife never, 'till the wood
Of
anie woman, nor vanquiftied till the wood of Bernane came to the
caltellof Dunfinane. This prophecieput all feareout of his heart."
* - the round
And top of fovereignty ?~\
This round is that part of the crown that encircles the head. The
top is the ornament that rifes above it. JOHNSON.
| - Dunfinane' s high bill}
The folio reads ;
- high Dun/Inane bill -
and I have followed it. STEEVENS.
* Who can imprefs the foreft ; ~\
i. e. who can command the foreft to ferve him like a foldier im-
prefs'd. JpHNsoN.
3 RclclHous dead, rife never, - ]
Wefhould read: - Rebellious head, - i. e. let rebellion ne-
ver get to a head and be fuccelsful till and then
WAR BUR TON.
VOL, IV. O o M f -
$6z MACBETH.
Of Birnam rife, and our high-plac'd Macbeth
Shall live the Icafe of nature, pay his breath
To time, and mortal cuftom. Yet my heart
Throbs to know one thing ; Tell me, (if your art
Can tell fo much) fhall Banquo's iflue ever
.Reign in this kingdom ?
All. Seek to know no more.
Macb. I will be fatisfy'd : deny me this,
And an eternal curfe fall on you ! let rne know :
Why finks that cauldron ? and what noife is this ?
[Hautboys*
I Witch. Shew ! 2 Witch. Shew ! 3 Witch. Shew !
All. Shew his eyes, and grieve his heart ;
Come like fhadows, fo depart.
[?AJhew of eight kings, and Banquo ; the lajl with
a glafs in his hand.
Macb. Thou art too like the fpirit of Banquo;
down F
5 Thy crown does fear mine eye-balls : 6 And thy air,
Thou
Mr. Theobald, who firfi propofcd this change, rightly obferves,
that bead means boft, or power.
" Douglas and the rebels met,
" A mighty and a fearful bead they are."
And again :
" His divifions are in three beads. JOHNSON'.
Again, in the Death of Robert Earl of Hitntlngton, 1601 :
*' howling like a bead of angry wolves."
Again, in Look about You, 1600:
*' Is, like a bead of people, mutinous." STEEVENS.
* eight kings.'] " It is reported that Voltaire often laughs at
the tragedy of Macbeth, for having a legion of ghofts in it. One
ihould imagine he either had not learned Englifh, or had forgot
his Latin ; for the fpirits of Banquo's line are no move ghofts,
than the reprefentations of the Julian race in the jEneid ; and
there is no ghoft but Banquo's throughout the play." EJJay on the
(jt/iius and Writings of Sbakefpeare, See. by Mrs. Montague.
STEEVENS.
' s Thy cro-vn does fear mine eye -lolls : }
The expreilion of Macbeth, that the cr<nvn fears his eye-balls, is
taken from the method formerly prattifed of deibroying the fight
of captives or competitors, by holding a burmng bafon before the
eye,
MACBETH. 563
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the firft :
A third is like the former : Filthy hags !
Why do you Ihew me this > A fourth ? Start, eyes !
What ! will the line ftretch out to the crack of
doom 7 ?
Another yet ? A feventh ? I'll fee no more :
And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glafs %
Which
eye, which dried up its humidity. Whence the Italian, afacinart,
to blind. JOHNSON.
6 In former e 
