Extended or contracted all proportions.

To a moft hideous object: thence it came,

That fhe, whom all men prais'd, and whom myself,
Since I have loft, have lov'd, was in mine eye
The duft that did offend it.

King. Well excus'd:

That thou do'ft love her, ftrikes fome scores away
From the great 'compt; but love, that comes too late,
Like a remorseful pardon flowly carried,

To the great fender turns a fowre offence,
Crying, that's good that is gone: our rafh faults
Make trivial price of ferious things we have,
Not knowing them, until we know their grave.
Oft our displeasures, to ourfelves unjust,
Destroy our friends, and, after, weep their duft:

1. From the latter part of the verse,

—or express'd it foll'n s

2. From the preceeding verle,

Which warp'd the line of every other favour a

3. From the following verfes,

Extended or contracted all proportions

To a moft hideous objećt:

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 does its office properly by warping the lines of all other faces; by extending or contracting into a bideous object; or by expreffing or fhewing native red and white as paint. But with what propriety of speech can this glass be faid to fcorn, which is an affection of the mind? Here then the metaphor becomes miferably mangled; but the foregoing obfervation will lead us to the genuine reading, which is,

SCORCH'D a fair colour, or exprefs'd it foll'n;

i. e. this glafs reprefented the owner as brown or tanned; or, if not fo, caufed the native colour to appear artificial. Thus he speaks in character, and confiftently with the reft of his fpeech. The emendation reftores integrity to the figure, and, by a beautiful thought, makes the fcornful perspective of contempt do the office of a burning-glass.

7 Make trivial price of ferious things --- Serious for valuable. In this fenfe a certain Prebendary of Wefminfler understood the word, when he used to tell his friends, Ahilling was a ferious thing.

Our

Our own love waking cries to see what's done,
While fhameful hate fleeps 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 ftay
To see our widower's fecond marriage-day:

Count. Which better than the firft, O dear heav'n, blefs,

Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, cease!

Laf. Come on, my fon, in whom my house's name Muft be digefted: give a favour from you To fparkle in the fpirits of my daughter, That the may quickly come. By my old beard, And every hair that's on't, Helen, that's dead, Was a sweet creature: fuch a ring as this, The laft that ere fhe took her leave at court, I saw 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 bad her, if her fortunes ever ftood

Neceffitied to help, that by this token

I would relieve her. Had you that craft to reave her Of what fhould ftead her most?

Ber. My gracious Sovereign, Howe'er it pleases you to take it fo, The ring was never her's.

Count. Son, on my life,

I've seen her wear it, and fhe reckon'd it
At her life's rate.

Laf. I'm fure, I faw her wear it.

Ber. You are deceiv'd, my Lord, the never faw it; In Florence was it from a cafement thrown me, Wrap'd in a paper, which contain'd the name Of her that threw it: Noble fhe was, and thought I ftood engag'd; but when I had fubfcrib'd

To mine own fortune, and inform'd her fully,
I could not anfwer in that courfe of honour
As the had made the overture, the ceaft
In heavy fatisfaction, and would never
Receive the ring again.

King. Plutus himself,

That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine,
Hath not in nature's myflery more fcience,

Than I have in this ring. Twas mine, 'twas Helen's,
Whoever gave it you: then if you know,

8

That you are well acquainted with yourself,
Confefs 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement
You got it from her. She call'd the Saints to furety,
That the would never put it from her finger,
Unless he gave it to yourfelf in bed,~

(Where you have never come) or fent it us
Upon her great disaster.

Ber. She never faw it.

King. Thou fpeak'ft it falfely, as I love mine

honour;

And mak'ft conject'ral fears to come into me,
Which I would fain fhut out; if it fhould
prove
That thou art fo inhuman-'twill not prove fo
And yet I know not-thou didst hate her deadly,
And the is dead; which nothing, but to clofe
Her eyes myself, could win me to believe,
More than to fee this ring. Take him away.

[Guards feize Bertram.

My fore-paft proofs, howe'er the matter fall,
Shall tax my fears of little vanity,

Having vainly fear'd too little. Away with him,
We'll fift this matter further.

Ber. If you fhall prově,

This ring was ever hers, you fhall as easie

8

then if you know,

That you are well acquainted with yourself. i. e. then be wife. A range way of expreling fo trivial a thought!

you

Prove that I husbanded her bed in Florence, im T Where yet the never was. [Exit Bertram guarded. fran

S CE NE V

Enter a Gentleman.

King. I'm wrap'd in difmal thinkings.
Gent Gracious Sovereign,

Whether I've been to blame or no, I know not:
Here's a petition from a Florentine,

9 Who bath fome four or five removes come short
To tender it herself. I undertook it,

Vanquish'd thereto by the fair grace and fpeech 1
Of the poor fuppliant, who by this, I know,
Is here attending: her bufinefs looks in her

With an importing vifage; and he told me, rock".
In a fweet verbal brief, it did concern
Your Highness with herself.:

The King reads a letter.

1.

Upon his many proteftations to marry me, when bis wife was dead, I blush to say it, be won me. Now is the Count Roufillon a widower, bis vows are forfeited to me, and my honour's paid to him. He ftole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow him to this country for justice: grant it me, O King, in you it beft yes; otherwife a feducer flourishes, and a poor maid is undone. Diana Capulet.

Laf. I will buy me a fon-in-law in a fair, and toll for him. For this, I'll none of him.

9 Who hath FOR four or five removes come short] We should read, Who hath SOME four or five removes come short.

So in King Lear,

For that I am SOME twelve or fourteen moonshines
Lag of a brother,

King. The heavens have thought well on thee,
Lafeu,

To bring forth this difcov'ry. Seek thefe fuitors:
Go speedily, and bring again the Count.

Enter Bertram.

I am afraid, the life of Helen (lady)
Was foully fnatch'd.

Count. Now juftice on the doers!

King. I wonder, Sir, wives are fo monstrous to

you,

And that you fly them as you fwear to them;
Yet you defire to wed. 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, Sir, whofe age and honour

Both fuffer under this complaint we bring,

And both fhall ceafe without your remedy.

King. Come hither, Count; do you know these 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 ftrange upon your wife? Ber. She's none of mine, my Lord.

Dia. If you fhall marry,

You give away this hand, and that is mine;
You give away heav'n's vows, and thofe are mine;
You give away myfelf, which is known mine;
For I by vow am fo embodied yours,

That fhe, which marries you, muft marry me,
Either both or none.

Laf. Your reputation comes too fhort for my daughter, you are no husband for her. [To Bertram.

'Ber.