Fr. That thou art banished, O, that's the news;
From hence, from Silvia, and from me thy friend.
Val. O, I have fed upon this woe already,
And now excefs of it will make me furfeit.
Doth Silvia know that I am banished?

Pro. Ay, ay; and the hath offer'd to the doom,
(Which, unrevers'd, ftands in effectual force,)
A fea of melting pearl, which fome call tears ::
Thofe at her father's churlish feet she tender'd;
With them, upon her knees, her humble felf;
Wringing her hands, whose whitenefs fo became them,;
As if but now they waxed pale for woe:
But neither bended knees, pure hands held up,
Sad fighs, deep groans, nor filver-fhedding tears,
Could penetrate her uncompaffionate fire;
But Valentine, if he be ta'en, muft die.
Befides, her interceffion chaf'd him fo,.
When the for thy repeal was fuppliant,
That to clofe prifon he commanded her,
With many bitter threats of 'biding there.

Val. No more; unless the next word, that thou speak'ft, Have fome malignant power upon my life:

If fo, I pray thee, breathe it in mine ear,

As ending anthem of my endlefs dolour.

Pro. Ceafe to lament for that thou canst not help,,
And ftudy help for that which thou lament'st..
Time is the nurfe and breeder of all good.
Here if thou ftay, thou can't not fee thy love;
Befides, thy ftaying will abridge thy life.
Hope is a lover's ftaff; walk hence with that,
And manage it against despairing thoughts.
Thy letters may be here, though thou art hence;
Which, being writ to me, fhall be deliver'd
Even in the milk white bofom of thy love.9

G6

The

9 Trifling as the remark may appear, before the meaning of this addrefs of letters to the bofom of a miftrefs can be understood, it fhould be known that women anciently had a pocket in the fore part of their stays, in which they not only carried love-letters and love-tokens, but even their money and materials for needle-work. In many parts of England the rustic damfels ftill obferve the fame practice; and a very old lady in.

་

The time now ferves not to expoftulate:
Come, I'll convey thee through the city gate;
And, ere I part with thee, confer at large
Of all that may concern thy love-affairs:
As thou lov't Silvia, though not for thyself,
Regard thy danger, and along with me.

Val. I pray thee, Launce, an if thou feeft my boy,
Bid him make hafte, and meet me at the north-gate.
Pro. Go, firrah, find him out. Come, Valentine.
Val. O my dear Silvia! hapless Valentine!

Exeunt VALENTINE and PROTEUS

Laun. I am but a fool, look you; and yet I have the wit to think, my mafter is a kind of a knave: but that's all one, if he be but one knave. He lives not now, that knows ine to be in love: yet I am in love; but a team of horfe fhall not pluck 3. that from me; nor who 'tis I love, and yet 'tis a woman: but what woman, I will not tell myself; and yet 'tis a milk-maid:

yet

forms me that the remembers when it was the fashion to wear prominent tays, it was no less the custom for ftratagem or gallantry to drop its literary favours within the front of them. STEEVENS.

2 Where is the fenfe? or, if you won't allow the speaker that, where is the humour of this fpeech? Nothing had given the fool occafión to fufpect that his mafter was become double, like Antipholis in The Comedy of Errors. The laft word is corrupt. We should read:

-if he be but one KIND."

He thought his mafter was a kind of a knave; however, he keeps him felf in countenance with this reflection, that if he was a knave but of one kind, he might pass well enough amongst his neighbours. This is truly humourous. WARBURTON.

This alteration is acute and fpecious, yet I know not whether, in Shakspeare's language, one knave may not fignify a knave on only one occafion, a fingle knave We ftill ufe a double villain for a villain beyond the common rate of guilt. JOHNSON.

T

This paffage has been altered, with little difference, by Dr. Warburton and fir The. Hanmer —Mr. Edwards explains it, if be only be a knaye, if I myself be not found to be another." I agree with Dr. Johnfen, and will. fupport the old reading and his interpretation with indifputable authority. In the old play of Damon and Pythias, Ariftiftus declares of Cariftbus, you lose money by him if you fell him for one knawe, for he ferves for wayne." FARMER.

3 I fee how Valentine fuffers for telling his love fecrets, therefore I will keep mine clofe. JoHNSON.

Perhaps Launce was not intended to fhew fo much fenfe; but here induiges himself in talking contradictory nonfenfe. STEEVENS.

yet 'tis not a maid, for the hath had goffips : yet 'tis a maid for fhe is her mafter's maid,. and ferves for wages. She hath more qualities than a water-fpaniel-which is much in a bare chriftian. Here is the cat-log [Pulling out a paper] of her conditions. Imprimis, She can fetch and carry. Why, a horfe can do no more; nay, a horfe cannot fetch, but only carry; therefore, is the better than a jade. item, She can milk;. look you, a fweet virtue in a maid with clean hands.. Enter SPEED.

Speed. How now, fignior Launce? what news. with your mastership?

Laun. With my mafter's fhip why, it is at fea.

Speed. Well, your old vice ftill: mistake the word: What. news then in your paper?

Laun. The blackeft news that ever thou heard'st.

Speed, Why, man, how black ?.

Laun. Why, as black as ink..

Speed. Let me read them.

Laun. Fie on thee, jolt-head; thou can'ft not read.

Speed. Thou lieft, I can.

Laun. I will try thee: Tell me this: Who begot thee? Speed, Marry, the fon of my grandfather.

Laun. O illiterate loiterer! it was the fon of thy grand, mother: this proves, that thou canst not read.

Speed. Come, fool, come: try me in thy paper.
Laun. There; and faint Nicholas be thy speed!

Speed.

4 Gofips not only fignify those who anfwer for a child in baptifm, but the tattling women who attend lyings-in. The quibble between thefe is evident. STEEVENS,

5 Bare has two fenfes; mere and naked. STEEVENS.

6

-ber conditions.] i. e. qualities. MALONE.

7 It is undoubtedly true that the mother only knows the legitimacy of the child. I fuppofe Launce infers, that if he could read, he must have read this well known obfervation.. STEEVENS.

St. Nicholas prefided over scholars, who were therefore called St. Nicholas's clerks. Hence, by a quibble between Nicholas and Old Nick, highwaymen, in The Firf Part of Henry the Fourth, are called. Nicholas's clerks.

WARBURTON.

That th's faint prefided over young fcholars, may be gathered from Knight's Life of Dean Colet, p. 362. for by the statutes of Paul's fchool

there

Speed. Imprimis, She can milk.

Laun. Ay, that the can.9

Speed. Item, She brews good ale.

Laun. And therefore comes the proverb,-Bleffing o' your heart, you brew good ale.

Speed. Item, She can few.

Laun. That's as much as to fay, Can the fo

Speed. Item, She can knit.

Laun. What need a man care for a ftock with a wench, when she can knit him a ftock.

Speed. Item, She can wash and scour.

Laun. A fpecial virtue; for then the need not be washed and scoured.

Speed. Item, She can fpin.

Laun. Then may I fet the world on wheels, when she can fpin for her living.

Speed. Item, She hath many nameless virtues.

Laun. That's as much as to fay, baftard virtues; that, indeed, know not their fathers, and therefore have no names. Speed. Here follow her vices.

Laun. Close at the heels of her virtues.

Speed. Item, She is not to be kiffed fafting, in respect of her breath.

Laun. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfast : Read on.

Speed. Item, She hath a fweet mouth.

2

Laun. That makes amends for her four breath.

Speed. Item, She doth talk in her fleep."

Laun. It's no matter for that, fo fhe fleep not in her talk.

Speed

there inferted, the children are required to attend divine fervice at the cathedral on his anniversary. The reafon I take to be, that the legend of this faint makes him to have been a bishop, while he was a boy.

SIR J. HAWKINS.

Speed. Imprimis, fhe can milk. Laun. Ay, that he can.] These two fpeeches fhould evidently be omitted. There is not only no attempt at humour in them, contrary to all the reft in the fame dialogue, but Launce clearly directs Speed to go on with the paper where he himself left off. See his preceding foliloquy. FARMER 2 This I take to be the fame with what is now vulgarly called a fwens tooth, a luxurious defire of dainties and fweetmeats. JoHNSON.

Speed. Item, She is flow in words.

Laun. O villain, that fet this down among her vices! To be flow in words, is a woman's only virtue: I pray thee, out with't; and place it for her chief virtue.

Speed. Item, She is proud.

Laun. Out with that too; it was Eye's legacy, and cannot be ta'en from her.

Speed. Item, She bath no teeth.

Laun. I care not for that neither, because I love cruits.
Speed. Item, She is curft.

Laun. Well; the best is, she hath no teeth to bite.
Speed. Item, She will often praife her liquor.3

Laun. If her liquor be good, fhe fhall: if she will not, I will; for good things fhould be praised.

Speed. Item, She is too liberal.

Laun. Of her tongue fhe cannot; for that's writ down the is flow of of her purse she shall not; for that I'll keep shut : now of another thing fhe may; and that I cannot help. Well, proceed.

Speed, Item, She hath more hair than wit, and more faults than hairs, and more wealth than faults.

Laun. Stop there; I'll have her she was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that last article: Rehearse that once

more.

Speed. Item, She hath more hair than wit,—

Laun. More hair than 'wit, it may be; I'll prove it: The cover of the falt hides the falt, and therefore it is more than the falt: the hair, that covers the wit, is more than the wit; for the greater hides the lefs. What's next?

Speed.

-And more faults than hairs,

Laun. That's monftrous: O, that that were out!

Speed.

-And more wealth than faults.

Laun. Why, that word makes the faults gracious: 5. Well,

3 That is, fhew how well the likes it by drinking often. JOHNSON. 4 Liberal, is licentious and grofs in language. JOHNSON. 5 Gracious, in old language, means graceful. STEEVENS. Mr. Steevens's interpretation of the word gracious has been controverted, but it is right. We have the fame fentiment in The Merry Wives of Windfor:

"O, what a world of vile ill-favour'd faults

* Look bandfome in three bundred pounds a year!" MALONE