the King's fake, he were living! I think, it would be the death of the King's disease. Laf. How call'd you the man you fpeak of, Ma dam? Count. He was famous, Sir, in his profeffion, and it was his great right to do fo: Gerard de Narbon. Laf. He was excellent, indeed, Madam; the King very lately spoke of him admiringly, and mourningly: he was skilful enough to have liv'd ftill, if knowledge could have been fet up against mortality. Ber. What is it, my good lord, the King languishes of? Laf. A fiftula, 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. I have thofe hopes of her good, that her education promifes her; difpofition the inherits, which makes fair gifts fairer; for where an unclean 5 where an unclean mind carries virtuous qualities, there, commendations go with pity; they are Virtues and Traitors too: in her they are the better for THEIR fimpleness; he derives her honefty, and atchieves her goodness.] This obfcure encomium is made ftill more obfcure by a flight corruption of the text. Let us explain the paffage as it lies. By virtuous qualities are meant qualities of good breeding and erudition; in the fame fenfe that the Italians fay, qualità virtuofa; and not On this account it is, fhe fays, that, in an ill mind thefe virtuous qualities are virtues and traiters too: i. e. the advantages of education enable an ill moral ones. mind to go further in wickedness than it could have done without them: But, fays the Countess, in her they are the better for THEIR fimpleness. But fimplenefs is the fame with what is called honesty, immediately after; which cannot be predicated of the quali ties of education. We must certainly read HER fimpleness, And then the fentence is properly concluded. The Countess had faid, that virtuous qualities are the worfe for an unclean mind, but concludes that Helen's are the better for her fimpleness, i. e. her clean, pure mind. She then fums up the Character, fhe had before given in detail, in thefe T 4 words, clean mind carries virtuous qualities, there commendations go with pity, they are virtues and traitors too; 5 in her they are the better for their fimpleness; fhe derives her honesty, and atchieves her goodness. Laf. Your commendations, Madam, get from her tears. Count. 'Tis the best brine a maiden can feafon her praise in. The remembrance of her father never approaches 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 affect a forrow, than to have it. Hel. 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. words, fhe derives her honesty, and atchieves her goodnf, i. e. She derives her honesty, her fimpleness, her moral Character, from her Father and Ancestors; But the atchieves or wins her good nefs, her virtue, or her qualities of good breeding and erudition, by her own pains and labour. WARBURTON. This is likewife a plaufible but unneceffary alteration. Her birtues are the better for their fimpleness, that is, her excellencies are the better because they are artless and open, without fraud, with out defign. The learned commentator has well explained virtues, but has not, I think, reach ed the force of the word traitors, and therefore has not fhewn the full extent of Shakespeare's mafterly obfervation. Virtues in an unclean mind are virtues and trai Ber. tors too. Fftimable and useful qualities, joined with evil dif pofition, give that evil difpofi tion power over others, who, by admiring the virtue, are betrayed to the malevolence, The Tatler, mentioning the harpers of his time, obferves, that fome of them are men of fuch elegance and knowledge, that a young man who falls into their way is betrayed as much by his judgment as his passions. If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess makes it foon mortal.] This feems very obscure; but the addition of a Negative perfectly difpels all the mift. If the living be not enemy, &c. exceffive grief is an enemy to the living, fays Lafen: Yes, replies the Countefs; and if the living be not enemy to the grief, [i. e. ftrive to conquer it,] the excefs makes Ber. Madam, I defire your holy wishes. Count. Be thou bleft, Bertram, and fucceed thy father.. In manners as in fhape! thy blood and virtue 'Tis an unfeafon'd courtier, good my Lord, Advise him. Laf. He cannot want the beft, That fhall attend his love. Count. Heav'n blefs him! Farewel, Bertram. 8 [Exit Countefs. Ber. [To Helena ] The best wishes, that can be forg'd in your thoughts, be fervants to you! Be comfortable to my mother, your mistress, and make much of her. Laf. Farewel, pretty Lady, you must hold the credit of your father. [Exeunt Bertram and Lafeu. make it foon mortal. WARBURTON. This emendation I had once admitted into the text, but readmitted the old reading, because I think it capable of an eafy explication. Lafeu fays, exceffive grief is the enemy of the hoing: the Countefs replies, If the living be an enemy to grief, the excels foon makes it mortal: that is, if the living do not indulge grief, grief deftroys itfilf by its un excefs. By the word mortal I understand that which die, and Dr. Warburton, that which detrays. I think that my interpretation gives a fentence more acute and more refined. Let the reader judge. 7 That thee may furnish.] That may help thee with more and better qualifications. 18 The b ft wishes, &c.] That is, may you be mistress of your wishes, and have power to bring them to effect. SCENE SCENE II. Hel. Oh, were that all!-I think not on my father; And these 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 my Bertram's I am undone! there is no living, none, If Bertram be away. It were all one, That I fhould love a bright partic❜lar star, And think to wed it; he is fo above me : ' In his bright radiance and collateral light Muft I be comforted, not in his sphere. Th' ambition in my love thus plagues itself; The hind, that would be mated by the lion, Muft die for love. 'Twas pretty, tho' 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 1 Of every line and trick of his fweet favour!- Enter Parolles. One that goes with him: I love him for his fake, Think him a great way fool, folely a coward; That they take place, when virtue's fteely bones. Thefe great tears] The tears which the King and Countess fhed for him. In his bright radiance, &c.] I cannot be united with him and move in the fame Sphere, but must be comforted at a distance by the radiance that fhoots on all fides from him. Trick of his sweet favour.] So in King John; he hath a trick of Cœur de Lion's face. Trick feems to be fome peculiarity of look or feature. Look Look bleak in the cold wind; full oft we fee 3 Cold wifdom waiting on fuperfluous folly. SCENE III. Par. Save you, fair Queen. Hel. And you, Monarch. Par. No. Hel. And, no. Par. Are you meditating on virginity? 4 Hel. Ay: you have fome ftain of foldier in you; let me afk you a queftion. Man is enemy to virginity, how may we barricado it against him? Par. Keep him out. Hel. But he affails; and our virginity, tho' valiant, in the defence, yet is weak: unfold to us fome warlike refiftance. Par. There is none: man, fitting down before you, will undermine you, and blow you up. Hel. Blefs our poor virginity from underminers and blowers up!-Is there no military policy, how virgins might blow up men? Par. Virginity being blown down, man will quicklier 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 increase; and there was never virgin got, 'till virginity was firft 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, it is ever loft; 'tis too cold a companion: away with't. 3 Cold wisdom waiting on fuperfluous foily.] Cold for naked; as fuperftu us for over-cloath'd. This makes the propriety of the Antithefis. WARBURTON 4 Stain of foldier.] Stain for colour. Parolles was in red, as appears from his being afterwards called red-tail'd bumble bee. WARBURTON. |