Extended or contracted all proportions,

. To a most hideous object : thence it came, That she, whom all men prais'd, and whom myself, Since I have lost, have lov'd, was in mine eye The dust that did offend it.

King. Well excus'd: That thou do'st love her, strikes some scores away From the great 'compt; but love, that comes too late, Like a remorseful pardon slowly carried, To the great sender turns a lowre offence, Crying, that's good that is gone: our rash faults ; Make trivial price of serious things we have, Not knowing them, until we know their grave. Oft our displeasures, to ourselves unjust, Destroy our friends, and, after, weep their duft: 1. From the latter part of the verse,

or expresi'd it ftoll'n ; 2. From the preceeding verse,

Which warp'd the line of every other favour : 3. From the following verses,

Extended or contrazted all proportions

To a most hideous abje&t: Secondly, it is to be observed, that he describes hiš indifference for others in highly figurative expreflions. Contempt is brought in lending him her perspective-glass, which does its office properly by warping the lines of all other faces ; by extending or contracting into a bideous obje&t; or by expreffing or shewing native red and white as paint. But with what propriety of speech can this glals be said to scorn, which is an affection of the mind ? Here then the meta. phor becomes miserably mangled; but the foregoing observation will lead us to the genuine reading, which is,

SCORCH'D a fair colour, or express'd it foll'n; i. e. this glass represented the owner as brown' or tahned ; or, if not so, caused the native colour to appear artificial. Thus he speaks in character, and confiftently with the rest of his speech. The emendation restores integrity to the figure, and, by a beautiful thought, makes the scornful perfpe&live of contempi do the office of a burning-glass.

7. Make trivial price of serious things ----] Serious for valuable. In this sense a certain Prebendary of Wej minfler understood the word, when he used to tell his friends, shilling was a firious ibing.

Our

Our own love waking cries to see what's done,
While shameful hate neeps out the afternoon.
Be this sweet Helen's knell; and now, forget her.
Send forth your amorous token for fair Maudlin,
The main confents are had, and here we'll stay
To see our widower's second marriage-day :
Count. Which better than the firft, o dear heav'n,

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

Laf. Come on, my son, in whom my house's name Must be digested : give a favour from you To sparkle in the spirits of my daughter, That she may quickly come. By my old beard, And every hair that's on't, Helen, that's dead, Was a sweet creature : such a ring as this, The last that ere she took her leave at court, I saw upon her finger.

Ber. Her's it was not. King. Now, pray you, let me see it: For mine eye, While I was speaking, oft was fasten'd to't. This ring was mine; and, when I gave it Helen, I bad her, if her fortunes ever stood Necessitied to help, that by this token I would relieve her. Had you that craft to reave her Of what should stead her most?

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

Count. Son, on my life,
I've seen her wear it, and she reckon'd it .
At her life's rate.
Laf. I'm sure, I saw her wear it.

er. You are deceiv'd, my Lord, she never saw it;
In Florence was it from a casement thrown me,
Wrap'd in a paper, which contain'd the name
Of her that threw it: Noble she was, and thought
I stood engag'd; but when I had subscrib'd

Το

H4

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

King. Plutus himself,
That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine,

.
Hath not in nature's mystery more science,
Than I have in this ring. 'Twas mine, 'twas Helen's,
Whoever gave it you: 8 then if you know,
That you are well acquainted with yourself,
Confefs 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcemerit
You got it from her. She callid the Saints to surety,
That she would never put it from 'her finger,
Unless she gave it to yourself in bed,
(Where you have never come) or sent it us
Upon her great disaster.

Ber. She never saw it.
King. Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine

honour;
And mak'st conject'ral fears to come into me,
Which I would fain shut out; if it should prove
That thou art fo inhuman - 'will not prove so
And yet I know nor - thou didst hate her deadly,
And she is dead; which nothing, but to close
Her eyes myself, could win nie to believe,
More than to see this ring. Take him away.

[Guards feize Bertram.
My fore past proofs, howe'er the matter fali,
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 shall prově,
This ring was ever hers, you shall as cafie

then if you know, That you are well acquainted with yourself.] 1. c. then if you be wile. A frange way of expre Ping so trivial a thought!

8

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Prove that I husbanded her bed in Florence, n'm o T Where yet the never was. - [Exit Bertram guarded.

bon sa a
S "CE" N E V. 2941

Voor
Enter a Gentleman.
King. I'm wrap'd in dismal thinkings.

Gent. Gracious Sovereign,
Whether I've been to blame or no, I know not:
Here's a petition from a Florentine,
9 Who hath some four or five removes come short
To tender it herself. I undercook it,
Vanquish'd thereto by the fair grace and speech
Of the poor suppliant, who by this, I know,
Is here attending: her business looks in her
With an importing visage; and the told me, ""

!"
In a sweet verbal brief, it did concern
Your Highness with herself.:

The King reads a letter. Upon bis many protestations to marry me, when bis wife was dead, I blush to say it, be won me. Now is the Count Rousillon a widower, bis vows are forfeited to me, and my honour's paid to bim. He stole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow bim to this country for justice : grant it me, O King, in you it best lyes; otherwise a seducer flourishes, and a poor maid is undone.

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

King. The heavens have thought well on thee,

Lafer,
To bring forth this discov'ry. Seek these suitors :
Go speedily, and bring again the Count.

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

Count. Now justice on the doers!
King. I wonder, Sir, wives are so monstrous to

you,
And that you fly them as you swear to them
Yet you desire to wed. What woman's that?

Enter Widow and Diana.
Dia. I am, my Lord, a wretched Florentine,
Derived from the ancient Capulet;
My suit, as I do understand, you know,
And therefore know how far I may be pitied.

Wid. I am her mother, Sir, whose age and honour
Both fuffer under this complaint we bring,
And both shall cease 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 so strange upon your wife?

Ber. She's none of mine, my Lord.

Dia. If you shall marry, You give away this hand, and that is mine; You give away heav'n's vows, and those are mine; You give away myself, which is known mine; For I by vow am so embodied yours, That she, which marries you, must marry me, Either both or none.

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

Ber.