Par. And debile minifter, great power, great tranfcendence; which should, indeed, give us a further ufe to be made than alone the recov'ry of the King; as to be

Laf. Generally thankful.

Enter King, Helena, and Attendants.

Par. I would have said it, you said well here comes the King.

Laf. Luftick, as the Dutchman fays: I'll like a maid the better, while I have a tooth in my head: why,' he's able to lead her a corranto.

Par. Mort du Vinaigre, is not this Helen?

Laf. 'Fore God, I think fo.

King. Go, call before me all the Lords in court.

Sit, my preferver, by thy patient's fide;

And with this healthful hand, whose banish'd fenfe
Thou haft repeal'd, a fecond time receive

The confirmation of my promis'd gift;›

Which but attends thy naming.

Enter three or four Lords.

Fair maid, fend forth thine eye; this youthful parcel
Of noble bachelors ftand at my bestowing,

O'er whom both fov'reign power and father's voice
I have to ufe; thy frank election make;

Thou haft power to chufe, and they none to forfake.
Hel. To each of you, one fair and virtuous mistress
Fall, when love please! marry, to each but one.—
Laf. I'd give bay curtal and his furniture,

My mouth no more were broken than these boys,
And writ as little beard.

King. Perufe them well:

Not one of thofe, but had a noble father."

[She addreffes herself to a Lord."

Hel. Gentlemen, heaven hath, through me, reftor'd

The King to health.

All. We understand it, and thank heav'n for you.
Hel. I am a fimple maid, and therein wealthiest,
That, I proteft, I fimply am a maid. -----

B.6

Pleafe

Please it your Majesty, I have done already :

The blushes in my cheeks thus whifper me,

"We blush that thou fhould'ft chufe, but be refus'd; "Let the white death fit on thy cheek for ever, "We'll ne'er come there again.

King. Make choice, and fee,

Who Thuns thy love, fhuns all his love in me.
Hel. Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly,
And to imperial Love, that god moft high,
Do my fighs ftream: Sir, will you hear my fuit ?
1 Lord. And grant it.

Hel. (17) Thanks, Sir;-all the rest is mute.
Laf. I had rather be in this choice, than throw
Ames-ace for my life.

Hel. The honour, Sir, that flames in your
Before I fpeak, too threatningly replies:
Love make your fortunes twenty times above
Her that fo wishes, and her humble love!
2 Lord. No better, if you please.

Hel. My with receive,

fair eyes

Which great Love grant! and fo I take my leave.

Laf. Do all they deny her if they were fons of mine, I'd have them whip'd, or I would fend them to the Turk to make eunuchs of.

Hel. Be not afraid that I your hand should take,
I'll never do you wrong for your own fake:
Bleffing upon your vows, and in your bed
Find fairer fortune, if you ever wed!

Laf. Thefe boys are boys of ice, they'll none of

(17) Thanks, Sir; all the reft are mute.] All the rest are mute › the had fpoke to but one yet. This is a nonfenfical alteration of Mr. Pope's from the old copies, in which, I doubt not, but he thought himself very wife and fagacious.. The genuine reading is,... as I have reftor'd in the text;

-All the reft is mute.

(i. e. as in Hamlet,The reft is filence) and the meaning, this. Helena finding a favourable answer from the first gallant she address'd 10, but not defigning to fix her choice there, civilly fays, I thank you, Sir; that is all I have to advance. I am oblig’d to you for your compliance: but my eye and heart have another aim.

her:

her fure, they are baftards to the English, the French

ne'er got 'em.

Hel. You are too young, too happy, and too good,, To make yourself a fon out of my blood..

4 Lord. (18) Fair one, I think not fo.. Laf. There's one grape yet..

Par. Iam fure, thy father drunk wine.-Laf. But if thou be'eft not an afs, I am a Youth of fourteen. I have known.thee already. Hel. I dare not fay, I take you; but I give Me and my fervice, ever whilst I live,.

Into your guiding power: this is the man. [To Bertrams. King Why then, young Bertram, take her; fhe's thywife. Ber. My wife, my Liege? Ifhall be feech your Highness,. In fuch a bufinefs give me leave to use

The help of mine own eyes.

King. Know't thou not, Bertrams. What the hath done for me?:

Ber. Yes, my good Lord,.

But never hope to know why I'fhould marry her:
King. Thou know'ft, fhe has rais'd me from my
fickly bed.

Ber. But follows it, my Lord, to bring me down:
Muft answer for your raising? I know her well:
She had her breeding at my father's charge:
A poor phyfician's daughter my wife!-Difdain
Rather corrupt me ever!:

King. 'Tis only title thou difdain'ft in her, the which I can build up: ftrange is it, that our bloods,

(18) 4 Lord. Fair one, I think not fo.

Laf. There's one grape yet, I am fure my father drunk wine; but if thou be eft not an ass, I am a youth of fourteen: I bave known thee already.] Surely, this is most incongruent stuff. Lafeu is angry with the other noblemen, for giving Helena the repulfe and is he angry too, and thinks the fourth nobleman an afs, because he's for embracing the match? The whole, certainly, can't be the fpeech of one mouth. As I have divided the fpeech, I think, clearness and humour are reftor'd. And if Parolles were not a little pert and impertinent here to Lafeu, why fhould he fay, he had found him out already? Or, why should he quarrel with him in the very next scene?

Of

Of colour, weight, and heat, pour'd all together,
Would quite confound diftinction, yet ftand off
In differences, fo mighty. If the be

All that is virtuous, (fave what thou diflik'ft,
A poor phyfician's daughter,) thou dislik't
Of virtue for the name: but do not fo

(19) From lowest place when virtuous things proceed;,
The place is dignify'd by th' doer's deed.
Where great addition fwells, and virtue none,›
It is a dropfied honour; good alone,
Is good without a name. Vileness is fo::
The property by what it is fhould go,
Not by the title. She is young, wife, fair,
In thefe, to nature fhe's immediate heir;
And these breed honour: That is honour's fcorn,
Which challenges itself as honour's born,
And is not like the fire. (20) Honour's best thrive,
When rather from our acts we them derive
Than our fore-goers: the mere word's a flave
Debaucht on every tomb, on every grave;
A lying trophy; (21) and as oft is dumb,
Where duft and damn'd oblivion is the tómb"

(19) From lowest place, whence virtuous things proceed,"

The place is dignified by th' deers deed.] Tis ftrange, that none of the editors could perceive, that both the fentiment and grammar are defective here. The eafy correction, which I have given, was prefcribed to me by the ingenious Dr. Thirlby

(20)

-Honours beft thrive,`
When rather from our as we them derive

Than our foregoers.] How nearly does this fentiment of our author's refemble the following paffage of Juvenal!

Ergo ut miremur te, non tua, primum aliquid da
Quod poffim titulis incidere, præter honores

Quos illis damus, &-dedimus, quibus omnia debes.

(21)

—and as oft is dumb,'

Where duft and damn’d oblivion is the tomb,

Sat. VIII. ver. 68. ·

Of bonour'd bones, indeed, what should be faid?] This is fuch pretty stuff, indeed, as is only worthy of its accurate editors! the tranfpefition of an innocent ftop, or two, is a task above their diligence; efpecially, if common fenfe is to be the refult of it. The regulation, I have given, müft ftrike every reader fo' at first-glancë, › that it needs not a word in confirmation,

Off

Of honour'd bones, indeed: What should be faid??
If thou canst like this creature as a maid,.

I can create the rest: virtue and she,

Is her own dow'r; honour and wealth from me..
Ber. I cannot love her, nor will ftrive to do't.

King. Thou wrong'st thyfelf,, if thou should'st strive to chufe..

Hel. That you are well reftor'd, my Lord, I'm glad :: Let the reft go.

King. (22) My honour's at the ftake; which to defend,
I'must produce my pow'r. Here, take her hand,
Proud fcornful boy, unworthy this good gift!
That doft in vile misprifion fhackle up

My love, and her defert; that canft not dream,.
We poizing us in her defective scale,

Shall weigh thee to the beam; that wilt not know,,
It is in us to plant thine honour, where

We please to have it grow. Check thy contempt
Obey our will, which travels in thy good ;;
Believe not thy disdain, but presently

Do thine own fortunes that obedient right,
Which both thy duty owes, and our power claims ::
Or I will throw thee from my care for ever
Into the ftaggers, and the careless lapfe

Of youth and ignorance; my revenge and hate
Loofing upon thee in the name of justice,
Without all terms of pity. Speak thine answer.
Ber. Pardon, my gracious Lord; for I fubmit
My fancy to your eyes. When I confider,
What great creation, and what dole of honour,
Flies where you bid; I find, that fhe, which late
Was in my nobler thoughts most base, is now
(22) My bonour's at the flake; which to defeat

I must produce my pow'r.] The poor King of France is again made a man, of Gotham, by our unmerciful editors: What they make him fay, is mere mock reafoning. The paffage muft either be reftor'd, as I have conjecturally corrected; or elfe the King must be fuppos'd to break off abruptly from what he was going to fay, and determine that he will interpofe his authority. As thus;

My bonour's at the stake; which to defeat,—
I mußt produce my pow'r.

The