BIRON. Fit in his place and time. DUM. In reason nothing. BIRON. Before the birds have any cause to sing? Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows; 1 sneaping frost,] So sneaping winds in The Winter's Tale: To sneap is to check, to rebuke. Thus also, Falstaff, in King Henry IV. P. II: "I will not undergo this sneap, without reply." STEEvens. • Why should I joy in an abortive birth? At Christmas I no more desire a rose, Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows; But like of each thing, that in season grows.] As the greatest part of this scene (both what precedes and follows) is strictly in rhymes, either successive, alternate, or triple, I am persuaded, that the copyists have made a slip here. For by making a triplet of the three last lines quoted, birth in the close of the first line is quite destitute of any rhyme to it. Besides, what a displeasing identity of sound recurs in the middle and close of this verse? "Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows;" Again, new-fangled shows seems to have very little propriety. The flowers are not new-fangled; but the earth is new-fangled by the profusion and variety of the flowers, that spring on its bosom in May. I have therefore ventured to substitute earth, in the close of the third line, which restores the alternate measure. It was very easy for a negligent transcriber to be deceived by the rhyme immediately preceding; to mistake the concluding word in the sequent line, and corrupt it into one that would chime with the other. THEOBALD. Irather suspect a line to have been lost after "an abortive birth." So you, to study now it is too late, Climb o'er the house 3 to unlock the little gate. And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, And bide the penance of each three years' day. For an in that line the old copies have any. Corrected by Mr. Pope. MALONE. By these shows the poet means Maygames, at which a snow would be very unwelcome and unexpected. It is only a periphrasis for May. T. WARTON. I have no doubt that the more obvious interpretation is the So, in Chaucer's Knightes Tale: true one. "And fresher than May with floures new-. So also, in our poet's King Richard II: "She came adorned hither, like sweet May." i. e. as the ground is in that month enamelled by the gay diversity of flowers which the spring produces. Again, in The Destruction of Troy, 1619: " At the entry of the month of May, when the earth is attired and adorned with diverse flowers," &c. MALOne. I concur with Mr. Warton; for with what propriety can the flowers which every year produces with the same identical shape and colours, be called-new-fangled? The sports of May might be annually diversified, but its natural productions would be invariably the same. STEEVENS. 3 Climb o'er the house &c.] This is the reading of the quarto, 1598, and much preferable to that of the folio: "That were to climb o'er the house to unlock the gate." MALONE. sit you out:] This may mean, hold you out, continue refractory. But I suspect we should read-set you out. MALONE. To sit out, is a term from the card-table. Thus, Bishop Sanderson : 66 They are glad, rather than sit out, to play very small game." Give me the paper, let me read the same; BIRON. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court.And hath this been proclaim'd? LONG. Four days ago. BIRON. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.]—On pain of losing her tongue.— LONG. Marry, that did I. Who devis'd this? BIRON. Sweet lord, and why? LONG. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. BIRON. A dangerous law against gentility. The person who cuts out at a rubber of whist, is still said to sit out; i. e. to be no longer engaged in the party. STEEVENS, 5 Who devis'd this?] The old copies read-this penalty. I have omitted this needless repetition of the word penalty, because it destroys the measure. STEEVENS. 6 A dangerous law against gentility!] I have ventured to prefix the name of Biron to this line, it being evident, for two reasons, that it, by some accident or other, slipt out of the printed books. In the first place, Longaville confesses, he had devised the penalty: and why he should immediately arraign it as a dangerous law, seems to be very inconsistent. In the next place, it is much more natural for Biron to make this reflection, who is cavilling at every thing; and then for him to pursue his reading over the remaining articles. As to the word gentility, here, it does not signify that rank of people called, gentry; but what the French express by, gentilesse, i. e. elegantia, urbanitas. And then the meaning is this: Such a law for banishing women from the court, is dangerous, or injurious, to politeness, urbanity, and the more refined pleasures of life. For men without women would turn brutal, and savage, in their natures and behaviour. THEOBALD. [Reads.] Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such publick shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise. This article, my liege, yourself must break; For, well you know, here comes in embassy The French King's daughter, with yourself to speak, A maid of grace, and cómplete majesty,— About surrender-up of Aquitain To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father: Therefore this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. KING. What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. BIRON. So study evermore is overshot; While it doth study to have what it would, It doth forget to do the thing it should: And when it hath the thing it hunteth most, 'Tis won, as towns with fire; so won, so lost. KING. We must, of force, dispense with this de cree; She must lie here on mere necessity. BIRON. Necessity will make us all forsworn. Three thousand times within this three years' space: For every man with his affects is born; Not by might master'd, but by special grace: 7 lie here- Means reside here, in the same sense as an ambassador is said to lie leiger. See Beaumont and Fletcher's Love's Cure, or The Martial Maid, Act II. sc. ii: "Or did the cold Muscovite beget thee, "That lay here leiger, in the last great frost?" Again, in Sir Henry Wotton's Definition: "An ambassador is an honest man sent to lie (i. e. reside) abroad for the good of his country." REED. If I break faith, this word shall speak for me, So to the laws at large I write my name: [Subscribes. And he, that breaks them in the least degree, Stands in attainder of eternal shame : Suggestions are to others, as to me; But, I believe, although I seem so loth, I am the last that will last keep his oath. But is there no quick recreation1 granted? KING. Ay, that there is: our court, you know, is haunted With a refined traveller of Spain; A man in all the world's new fashion planted, • Not by might master'd, but by special grace:] Biron, amidst his extravagancies, speaks with great justness against the folly of vows. They are made without sufficient regard to the variations of life, and are therefore broken by some unforeseen necessity. They proceed commonly from a presumptuous confidence, and a false estimate of human power. JOHNSON. 9 Suggestions] Temptations. JOHNSON. So, in King Henry IV. P. I: "And these led on by your suggestion." STEEVENS. 1 ——— quick recreation] Lively sport, spritely diversion. So, in Antony and Cleopatra: 66 the quick comedians STEEVENS. A man of complements, whom right and wrong JOHNSON. Have chose as umpire of their mutiny:] As very bad a play as this is, it was certainly Shakspeare's, as appears by many fine master-strokes scattered up and down. An excessive complaisance |