Laf. To be relinquish'd of the artists- Laf. That gave him out incurable, Par. Why, there 'tis, fo fay I too. Laf. Not to be help'd, Par. Right, as 'twere a man affur'd of an Par. Juft, you fay well: fo would I have faid. Laf. I may truly fay, it is a novelty to the world. Par. It is, indeed, if you will have it in fhewing, you fhall read it in, what do you call there Laf. A fhewing of a heav'nly effect in an earthly actor. Par. That's it, I would have faid the very famé. Laf. (16) Why, your dolphin is not luftier: for me, 1 fpeak in refpect Par. Nay, 'tis ftrange, 'tis very ftrange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he's of a moft facinerious fpirit, that will not acknowledge it to be the— Laf. Very hand of heav'n. Par. Ay, fo I say. Laf. In a moft weak (16) Why, your dolphin is not luftier:] I have thought it very probable, that, as 'tis a French man fpeaks, and as 'tis the French King he is fpeaking of, the poet might have wrote, Why, your Dauphin is not luflier: i. e. the King is as hale and hearty as the Prince his fon. And that the King in this play is fuppofed to have a son, is plain from what he fays to Bertram in the first act. My fon's no dearer. Welcome, Count, Befides, Dauphin in the old impreffions is conftantly spelt as the fish, dolphin. But then confidering on the other hand, As found as a roach, As whole as a fifb, are proverbial expreffions: and confidering too that our author cliewhere makes the dolphin an inftance or emblem of luflihood and activity. his delights Were dolphin-like, they fhew'd his back above Anto. and Cleop. Nor would, indeed, I have not thought proper to disturb the text. Par. Par. And debile minifter, great power, great tranfcendence; which fhould, indeed, give us a further uie 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 faid it, you faid 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, whofe banish'd fenfe 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 O'er whom both fov'reign power and father's voice Thou haft power to chufe, and they none to forfake.. My mouth no more were broken than these boys,. King. Perufe them well: Not one of those, but had a noble father, Hel. Gentlemen, heaven hath, through me, reftor'd [She addreffes herself to a Lord. The King to health. All. We understand it, and thank heav'n for Hel. I am a fimple maid, and therein wealthieft, That, I proteft, I fimply am a maid, you. Preafe Please it your Majesty, I have done already : The blushes in my cheeks thus whifper me, "We blush that thou fhould't 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 fhuns thy love, fhuns all his love in me. Hel. (17) Thanks, Sir;-all the reft is mute. Hel. The honour, Sir, that flames in your fair eyes, Before I fpeak, too threatningly replies: Love make your fortunes twenty times above Hel. My wifh receive, 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, Laf. These boys are boys of ice, they'll none of (17) Thanks, Sir; all the reft are mute] All the reft are mute? fhe 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 rest 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 addrefs'd to, 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. Par. I am fure, thy father drunk wine.. Into your guiding power: this is the man. [To Bertram. The help of mine own eyes. King. Know'st thou not, Bertram, What the hath done for me? Ber. Yes, my good Lord, But never hope to know why I fhould marry her. Ber. But follows it, my Lord, to bring me down King. 'Tis only title thou disdain'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 fother drunk wine; but if thou be'eft not an ass, I am a youth of fourteen: I bave known thee already.] Surely, this is moft 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 fhould he quarrel with him in the very next scene? Of Of colour, weight, and heat, pour'd all together, All that is virtuous, (fave what thou diflik'ft, (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, Is good without a name. Vilenefs is fo: And these breed honour: That is honour's scorn, And is not like the fire. (20) Honours beft thrive, (19) Frem lowest place, whence virtuous things proceed, The place is dignified by th' doers deed.] Tis ftrange, that noneof the editors could perceive, that both the fentiment and grammar. are defective here. The eafy correction, which I have given, was prescribed to me by the ingenious Dr. Thirlby. (20) -Honours beft thrive, When rather from our acts 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. Sat. VIII. ver. 68. Of bonour'd bones, indeed, what should be faid?] This is fuch pretty ftuff, indeed, as is only worthy of its accurate editors! the tranfpofition of an innocent ftop, or two, is a task above their diligence; especially, if common fenfe is to be the refult of it. The regulation, I have given, muft ftrike every reader fo at first glance, that it needs not a word in confirmation. Of |