Bid him make hafte, and meet me at the north gate. [Exeunt VALENTINE and PROTHEUS. Launce. I am but a fool, look you; and yet I have the wit to think, my mailer is a kind of a knave: but that's all one, if he be but one knave'. He lives not now, that knows me to be in love: yet I am in love; but a team of horse fhall not pluck 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 'tis not a maid, for the hath had goffips 3: yet 'tis a maid, for fhe is her master'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 but that's all one, if he be but one knave.] 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 be. yond the common rate of guilt. JOHNSON. agree with Dr. Johnson, and will fupport his interpretation with indifputable authority. In the old play of Damen and Pythias, Arifippus declares of Carifophus, "you lofe money by him if you fell him for one knave, for he ferves for twayne." This phrafeology is often met with: Aragon fays, in the Merchant of Venice: With one fool's head I came to woo, "But I go away with two." And Donne begins one of his fonnets : "I am two fools, I know, "For loving, and for faying fo, &c. FARMER. 2-but a team of borfe fail net pluck-] 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 indulges himself in talking contradictory nonfenfe. STEEVENS. 3 for the bath bad golfips:] Goffps not only fignify thofe who anfwer for a child in baptifm, but the tattling women who attend lyingsin. The quibble between thefe is evident. STEEVENS.. 4- a bare chriftian.] Launce is quibbling on, Bare has two fenfes ; mere and naked. In Ceriolanus it is ufed in the first : "'Tis but a bare petition of the state." Launce ufes it in both, and oppofes the naked female to the waterSpaniel cover'd with hairs of remarkable thickness. STEEVENS. 5-conditions.] i. e. qualities. The old copy has condition. Corrected by Mr. Rowe, MALONE. carry: carry: Why, a horse can do no more: nay, a horse cannot fetch, but only carry; therefore, is the better than a jade. Item, She can milk; look you, a sweet virtue in a maid with clean hands. Enter SPEED. Speed. How now, fignior Launce? what news with your maftership? Launce. 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? Launce. The blackest news that ever thou heard'ft. Launce. Why, as black as ink. Speed. Let me read them. Launce. Fie on thee, jolt-head; thou canst not read. Speed. Thou lieft, I can. Launce. I will try thee: Tell me this: Who begot thee? Speed. Marry, the fon of my grandfather. Launce. O illiterate loiterer! it was the fon of thy grandmother: this proves, that thou canst not read. Speed. Come, fool, come: try me in thy paper. Launce. There; and faint Nicholas be thy fpeed ! Speed. Imprimis, She can milk. Launce. Ay, that the can. 6 with my mafter's fhip?] The old copy reads-maftership. The emendation was made by Mr. Theobald. MALONE. 7- the fon of thy grandmother :] 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. 8-faint Nicholas be thy fpeed !] 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 First Part of Henry the Fourth, are called Nicholas's clerks. WARBURTON. That this faint prefided over young fcholars may be gathered from Knight's Life of Dean Colet, p. 362; for by the ftatutes of Paul's school there inferted, the children are required to attend divine service at the cathedral on his anniverfary. 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. Speed. Item, She brews good ale. Launce. And therefore comes the proverb,-Bleffing of your heart, you brew good ale. Speed. Item, She can few. Launce. That's as much as to fay, Can fhe fo? Launce. What need a man care for a flock with a wench, when the can knit him a ftock?? Speed. Item, She can wash and fcour. Launce. A fpecial virtue; for then the need not be wafh'd and scour'd. Speed. Item, She can spin. Launce. Then may I fet the world on wheels, when the can fpin for her living. Speed. Item, She hath many nameless virtues. Launce. 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. Launce. Close at the heels of her virtues. Speed. Item, She is not to be kiss'd fafting, in respect of her breath. Launce. Well, that fault may be mended with a breakfaft: Read on. 9 Speed. Item, She hath a sweet mouth2. Launce. That makes amends for her four breath. Speed. Item, She doth talk in her fleep. Launce. It's no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk. knit bim a ftock?] i. e. a flocking. So, in Twelfth Night: "it does indifferent well in a flame-colour'd flock." STEEV. — he is not to be kifs'd fafting,] The old copy reads, she is not to be fafting, &c. The neceffary word, kifs'd, was first added by Mr. Rowe. STEEVENS. 1 2 -feet mouth.] This I take to be the fame with what is now vulgarly called a sweet tooth, a luxurious defire of dainties and fweetmeats. JOHNSON. How a luxurious defire of danties can make amends for offenfive breath, I know not: I rather believe that by a faveet mouth is meant that the fings fweetly. In Twelfth Night we have heard of a sweet breast as the recommendation of a finger. It may however mean a liquori mouth, in a wanton fenfe. So, in Measure for Measure: "Their faucy fweetness, that do coin heaven's image &c." STEEV. Speed. Speed. Item, She is flow in words. Launce. O villainy, 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. Launce. Out with that too; it was Eve's legacy, and cannot be ta'en from her. Speed. Item, She hath no teeth. Launce. I care not for that neither, because I love crusts. Speed. Item, She is curft. Launce. Well; the beft is, fhe hath no teeth to bite. Speed. Item, She will often praife her liquor 3. Launce. If her liquor be good, the fhall: if fhe will not, I will; for good things fhould be praised. Speed. Item, She is too liberal 4. Launce. Of her tongue fhe cannot; for that's writ down the is flow of: of her purfe fhe fhall not; for that I'll keep fhut now of another thing she may; and that I cannot help. Well, proceed. Speed. Item, She bath more hair than wit, and more faults than hairs, and more wealth than faults. Launce. Stop there; I'll have her: he was mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that laft article: Rehearse that once more. Speed. Item, She hath more hair than wit Launce. 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 less. What's next? Speed. And more faults than hairs, Launce. That's monftrous: O, that that were out! 3-praife ber liquor.] That is, fhew how well the likes it by drinking often. JOHNSON. 4 too liberal.] Liberal, is licentious and grofs in language So, in Othello: "Is he not a moft profane and liberal counfelior?" JOHNSON. 5- She bath more hair than wit,-] An old English proverb. See Ray's Collection: "Bush natural, more hair than wit." STEEVENS. Speed. Speed. And more wealth than faults. Launce. Why, that word makes the faults gracious": Well, I'll have her: And if it be a match, as nothing is impoffible, Speed. What then? Launce. Why, then will I tell thee,-that thy mafter ftays for thee at the north gate. Speed. For me? Launce. For thee? ay; who art thou? he hath staid for a better man than thee. Speed. And muft I go to him? Launce, Thou must run to him, for thou haft staid so long, that going will scarce ferve the turn. Speed. Why did't not tell me fooner? 'pox of your love-letters! [Exit. Launce. Now will he be fwing'd for reading my letter; An unmannerly flave, that will thruft himfelf into fecrets! -I'll after, to rejoice in the boy's correction. [Exit. The fame. A Room in the Duke's Palace. Enter Duke and THURIO; PROTHEUS behind. Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not, but that she will love you, Now Valentine is banish'd from her fight. Thu. Since his exile fhe hath despis'd me most, Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure 6 - gracious:] in old language, means graceful. So, in K. Jeba : "There was not fuch a gracious creature born." STEEVENS. 7 Trenched in ice;] Cut, carved in ice, Trancher, to cut, Fr. JOHNS. Duke. |