Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Hel. I will ftand for't a little, though therefore I

die a virgin.

Par. There's little can be faid in't; 'tis against the rule of nature. To speak on the part of virginity, is to accuse your mother; which is most infallible difobedience. 'He, that hangs himself, is a virgin: virginity murders itself, and should be buried in highways out of all fanctified limit, as a defperate offendrefs against nature. Virginity breeds mites, much like a cheese; confumes itself to the very paring, and fo dies with feeding its own ftomach. Befides, virginity is peevish, proud, idle, made of felf-love, which is the most prohibited fin in the canon. Keep it not, you cannot chufe but lofe by't. Out with't; within ten years it will make itself two, which is a goodly increafe, and the principal itself not much the worfe. Away with't.

Hel. How might one do, Sir, to lose it to her own liking?

6

Par. Let me fee. " Marry, ill, to like him that ne'er it likes. 'Tis a commodity will lofe the glofs with

He, that hangs himself, is a Virgin: But why is he that hangs himself a Virgin? Surely, not for the reason that follows. Virginity murders itself. For tho' every Virgin be a Suicide, yet every Suicide is not a Virgin. A word or two are dropt, which introduced a comparison in this place; and Shakespeare wrote it thus,

As he, that hangs himself, so is a Virgin.

And then it follows naturally, Virginity murders itself. By this emendation, the Oxford Editor was enabled to alter the text thus,

He that bangs himself is like a

Virgin.

And this is his ufual way of becoming a Critick at a cheap expence. WARBURTON.

I believe moft readers will fpare both the emendations, which I do not think much worth a claim or a conteft. The old reading is more fpritely and equally juft.

6 Marry, ill, to like him that ne'er it likes, &c.] Parolles, in answer to the question, horu one shall lofe virginity to her own likiug, plays upon the word liking, and fays, he must da ill, for virginity, to be fo loft, must like him that likes not virginity.

3

lying. The longer kept, the less worth: off with't, while 'tis vendible. Answer the time of requeft. Virginity, like an old courtier, wears her cap out of fashion: richly futed, but unfutable; just like the brooch and the tooth-pike, which we wear not now: your date is better in your pye and your porridge, than in your cheek; and your virginity, your old virginity, is like one of our French wither'd pears; it looks ill, it eats dryly; marry, 'tis a wither'd pear: it was formerly better; marry, yes, 'tis a wither'd pear. Will you any thing with it?

8

7

Hel. Not my virginity yet.

There fhall your mafter have a thousand loves,
A mother, and a mistress, and a friend,
"A phoenix, captain, and an enemy,

7 For yet, as it ftood before, Sir T. Hanmer reads yes.

Not my virginity yet.] This whole fpeech is abrupt, unconnected and obfcure. Dr. Warburton thinks much of it fuppofititious. I would be too glad to think fo of the whole, for a commentator naturally wishes to reject what he cannot understand. Something which should connect Helena's words with thofe of PaBerolles, feems to be wanting. Hanmer has made a fair attempt by ག reading.

Not my virginity yet-You're for

the court, There fhall your mafter, &c. Some fuch claufe has, I think, dropped out, but ftill the firft words want connection.

Per

haps Parolles, going away after his harangue, faid, will you any thing with me? to which Helen may reply.I know not what to do with the paffage.

A Phanix, Captain, &c.] The eight lines following friend,

2

I am perfuaded, is the nonfenfe of fome foolish conceited player. What put it into his head was Helen's faying, as it fhould be read for the future,

There hall your Mafter have a thaufand loves:

A Mother, and a Miftrefs, and a Friend.

I know not, what he shall

God fend him well. Where the Fellow finding a thenfand loves fpoken of, and only three reckoned up, namely, a Mother's, a Miflrefs's, and a Friend's (which, by the way, were all a judicious Writer could mention; for there are but these three fpecies of love in Nature) he would help out the number, by the intermediate nonfenfe: and, because they were yet too few, he pieces out his loves with enmities, and makes of the whole fuch finished nonefenfe as is never heard out of Bedlam.

WARBURTON.

A guide,

*

A guide, a goddess, and a fovereign,
A counsellor, a traitrefs, and a dear;
His humble ambition, proud humility;
His jarring concord; and his difcord dulcet;
His faith, his fweet difafter; with a world
Of pretty fond adoptious christendoms,
That blinking Cupid goffips.

Now fhall he
I know not, what he fhall-God fend him well!
The court's a learning place

Par. What one, i'faith?

and he is one

Hel. That I wish well-'tis pity-
Par. What's pity?

Hel. That wishing well had not a body in't,
Which might be felt; that We the poorer born,
Whofe bafer ftars do fhut us up in wishes,

Might with effects of them follow our friends:

I

And fhew what we alone muft think, which never Returns us thanks.

Enter Page.

Page. Monfieur Parolles,

My lord calls for you.

[Exit Page.

Far. 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, I.

Hel. I efpecially think, under Mars.

Par. Why under Mars?

Hel. The wars have kept you fo under, that your muft needs be born under Mars.

Par. When he was predominant.

Hel. When he was retrograde, I think, rather.
Par. Why think

*

you fo?

— a traitress,] It seems that traitress was in that age a term of endearment, for when Lafeu introduces Helena to the king, he fays You look like a tray

tor, but fuch traytors his majesty does not much fear.

• And Shew what we alone must think] And fhew by realities what we now must only think.

Hel.

Hel. You go fo much backward, when you fight.
Par. That's for advantage.

Hel. So is running away, when fear propofes fafety: but the compofition, that your valour and fear makes in you, is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well.

2

Par. I am fo full of bufineffes, as I cannot answer thee acutely I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my inftruction fhall ferve to naturalize thee, fo "thou wilt be capable of courtier's counfel, and underftand what advice fhall thruft upon thee; elfe thou dieft in thine unthankfulnefs, and thine ignorance makes thee away; farewel. When thou haft leisure, fay thy prayers; when thou haft none, remember thy friends; get thee a good hufband, and ufe him as he uses thee: so farewel. Exit.

SCENE IV.

Hel. Our remedies oft in ourfelves do lie,
Which we afcribe to heav'n. The fated sky
Gives us free fcope; only, doth backward pull
Our flow defigns, when we ourselves are dull.
3 What power is it, which mounts my love fo high,

2 is a virtue of a good WING, and I like the wear well. The integrity of the metaphor directs us to Shakespeare's true reading; which, doubtlefs, was

a good MING, i. e. mixture, compofition, a word common to ShakeSpear and the writers of this age; and taken from the texture of cloth. The M. was turn'd the wrong way at prefs, and from thence came the blunder.

WARBURTON.

This conjecture I could wish to fee better proved. This common word ming I have never found. The first edition of this play ex

[ocr errors]

hibits wing without a capital
yet, I confefs, that a virtue of a
good wing is an expreffion that F
cannot understand, unless by a
metaphor taken from falconry,
it may mean, a virtue that will
fy high, and in the ftyle of Hot
Spur, Pluck honour from the moon.
3 What power is it, that mounts
my love fo high,
That make me fee, and cannot
feed mine eye? She means,
by what influence is my love di-'
rected to a perfon fo much above
me? why am I made to difcern
excellence, and left to long after
it, without the food of hope?

That

That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye?
The mightieft fpace in fortune nature brings
To join like likes; and kifs, like native things.
Impoffible be strange attempts, to those

That weigh their pain in fenfe; and do suppose,
What hath been, cannot be. Who ever ftrove
To fhew her merit, that did miss her love?
The King's disease-my project may deceive me,
By my intents are fix'd, and will not leave me.

SCENE V.

Changes to the Court of France.

Flourish Cornets.

King.

Exit.

Enter the King of France, with let= ters, and divers Attendants.

TH

HE Florentines and Senoys are by th' ears; Have fought with equal fortune, and continue

[blocks in formation]
« ZurückWeiter »