Clo. Truly, fhepherd, in respect of itself, it is a good life; but in refpect that it is a fhepherd's life, it is naught. In refpect that it is folitary, I like it very well, but in refpect that it is private, it is a very vile life. Now in refpect it is in the fields, it pleaseth me well; but in refpect it is not in the court, it is tedious. As it is a fpare life, look you, it fits my humour well; but as there is no more plenty in it, it goes much against my ftomach. Haft any philofophy in thee, fhepherd? Cor. No more, but that I know, the more one fickens, the worfe at eafe he is; and that he, that wants mony, means, and content, is without three good friends:That the property of rain is to wet, and fire to burn: that good pafture makes fat sheep and that a great cause of the night, is the lack of the fun that he, that hath learned no wit by nature nor art, may complain of good breeding, or comes of a very dull kindred. 2 Clo. Such a one is a natural philofopher: ever in court, fhepherd? Waft Cor. He that bath learned no wit by nature or art, may complain of GOOD breeding, or comes of very dull kindred.] Common sense requires us to read, may complain of GROSS breeding. The Oxford editor has greatly improved this emendation by read ing, -bad breeding. WARBURTON. I am in doubt whether the cuftom of the language in Shakefpeare's time did not authorife this mode of fpeech, and make complain of good breeding the fame with complain of the want of good breeding. In the last line of the Merchant of Venice we find that to fear the keeping is to fear the not keeping. JOHNSON. 4 Such a one is a natural philofopher.] The fhepherd had faid all the philofophy he knew was the property of things, that rain wetted, fire burnt, &c. And the Clown's reply, in a fatire on phyficks or natural philofophy, though introduced with a quibble, is extremely juft. For the natural philofopher is indeed as ignonorant (notwithstanding all his parade of knowledge) of the f sient cause of things, as the ruftic. It appears, from a thousand inftances, IT IT Cor. No, truly. Clo. Then thou art damn'd. Cor. Nay, I hope Clo. Truly, thou art damn'd, like an ill-roafted egg,' all on one fide. Cor. For not being at court? Your reason. 6 Clo. Why, if thou never waft' at court, thou never faw'ft good manners; if thou never faw'ft good manners, then thy manners must be wicked, and wickedness is fin, and fin is damnation: thou art in a parlous state, shepherd. Cor. Not a whit, Touchstone: thofe, that are good manners at the court, are as ridiculous in the country, as the behaviour of the country is moft mockable at the court. You told me, you falute not at the court, but you kifs your hands; that courtesy would be uncleanly, if courtiers were shepherds. Clo. Inftance, briefly; come, inftance. Cor. Why, we are ftill handling our ewes; and their fells you know are greasy. inftances, that our poet was well acquainted with the phyfics of his time and his great penetration enabled him to see this remedilefs defect of it. WARBURTON. Shakespeare is refponfible for the quibble only, let the commentator answer for the refinement. STEEVENS. s Like an ill-roafted egg.] Of this jeft I do not fully comprehend the meaning. JOHNSON. There is a proverb, that a fool is the best roafter of an egg, beeaufe he is always turning it. This will explain how an egg may be damn'd all on one fide; but will not fufficiently fhew how Touchstone applies his fimile with propriety. STEEVENS. 6 Why, if thou never waft at court, thou never faw'ft good manners; if thou never, &c.] This reafoning is drawn up in imitation of Friar John's to Panurge in Rabelais. Si tu es Coquu, ergo ta femme fera belle; ergo tu feras bien traité d'elle; ergo tu auras des Amis beaucoup; ergo tur feras fauvé. The laft inference is plea fantly drawn from the popish doctrine of the interceffion of faints, And, I fuppofe, our jocular English proverb, concerning this matter, was founded in Friar John's logic. WARBURTON. Clo. Why, do not your courtiers' hands fweat? and is not the greafe of a mutton as wholesome as the sweat of a man? Shallow, fhallow:-A better inftance, I fay: come. Cor. Befides, our hands are hard. Clo. Your lips will feel them the fooner. Shallow again a more founder inftance, come. Cor. And they are often tarr'd over with the furgery of our fheep; and would you have us kifs tar? The courtier's hands are perfumed with civet, Clo. Moft fhallow man!-Thou worms-meat, in refpect of a good piece of flefh-indeed-Learn of the wife, and perpend. Ciyet is of a bafer birth than tar; the very uncleanly flux of a cat. Mend the inftance, fhepherd. Cor. You have too courtly a wit for me; I'll reft. Clo. Wilt thou reft damn'd? God help thee, hallow man! God make incifion in thee! thou art raw. Cor. Sir, I am a true labourer; I earn that I eat, get that I wear; owe no man hate, envy no man's happiness; glad of other men's good, content with Make incifion in thee.] To make incifion was a proverbial expreffion then in vogue for, to make to understand. So in Beaumont and Fletcher's Humourous Lieutenant, -O excellent king, Thus be begins, thou life and light of creatures, i. e. to make him underftand what he would be at. WARBURTON. Till I read Dr. Warburton's note, I thought the allufion had been to that common expreffion, of cutting fuch a one for the fimples; and I must own, after confulting the paffage in the Humour aus Lieutenant, I have no reafon to alter my fuppofition. The editors of Beaumont and Fletcher declare the expreffion to be unintelligible in that as well as another play where it is introduced. STEEVENS my harm: and the greatest of my pride is, to fee my ewes graze, and my lambs fuck. Clo. That is another fimple fin in you; to bring the ewes and rams together, and to offer to get your living by the copulation of cattle: to be a bawd to a bell-wether, and to betray a fhe-lamb of a twelvemonth to a crooked-pated old cuckoldly ram, out of all reasonable match. If thou be'ft not damn'd for this, the devil himself will have no fhepherds; I can, not see else how thou shouldst 'scape. Cor. Here comes young Mr. Ganimed, my new miftrefs's brother. Enter Refalind, with a paper. Rof. From the east to western Inde, Her worth, being mounted on the wind, All the pictures, faireft limn'd, Are but black to Rofalind. Let no face be kept in mind, But the face of Rosalind. Clo. I'll rhime you fo, eight years together; dinners, and fuppers, and fleeping hours excepted: it is the right butter-woman's rate to market. Rof. Out, fool! If a bart doth lack a bind, • Bard to a bell-wether.] Wether and ram had anciently the fame meaning. JOHNSON, 2 Rate to market.] So fir T. Hanmer. In the former editions rank to market. JOHNSON. Winter Winter-garments must be lin'd, They that reap, must sheaf and bind; He that fweetest rofe will find, Muft find love's prick, and Rofalind. This is the very falfe gallop of verses; why do you infect yourself with them? Rof. Peace, you dull fool; I found them on a tree. Rof. I'll graff it with you, and then I fhall graff it with a medler: then it will be the earliest fruit i'the country; for you will be rotten ere you be half ripe, and that's the right virtue of the medler. Clo. You have faid; but whether wifely or no, let the foreft judge. Enter Celia, with a writing. Rof. Peace! here comes my fifter reading; stand afide. Cel. Why should this a defert be. 'Twixt the fouls of friend and friend; 'That fall civil fayings for.] Civil is here used in the fame fenfe as when we fay civil wisdom or civil life, in oppofition to a folitary ftate, or to the ftate of nature. This defert fhall not appear unpeopled, for every tree fhall teach the maxims or incidents of focial life. JOHNSON. Bat |