Whereof the world takes note: come, come, difclofe
The state of your affection; for your passions
Have to the full appeach'd.is eh

Hel. Then, I confefs, gal stanɔqión sed qu
Here on my knee, before high heav'ns and you,
That before you, and next unto high heav'n,
I love your fona shem not 100g brod
My friends were poor, but honeft; fo's my love;
Be not offended; for it hurts not him,
That he is lov'd of me; I follow him notar
By any token of prefumptuous fuit;

ལ་

Nor would I have him, 'till I do deserve him ;
Yet never know, how that defert shall be:
I know, I love in vain; ftrive against hope;
Yet, in this captious and intenible fieve, t
I ftill pour in the water of my love, an
And lack not to lofe ftill; thus, Indian-like,
Religious in mine error, I adore

The fun that looks upon his worshipper,
But knows of him no more. My deareft Madam,
Let not your hate incounter with my love,
For loving where you do; but if yourself,
Whofe aged honour cites a virtuous y
youth,
Did ever in fo true a flame of likings 921
With chaftely, and love dearly, that your Dian
Was both herself and love; O then, give pity
To her, whose state is such,' that cannot chufe
But lend, and give, where he is fure to lofe;
That feeks not to find that, which fearch implies;
But, riddle-like, lives fweetly, where the dies.
Count. Had you not lately an intent, speak truly,
To go to Paris?

Hel. Madam, I had.

Count. Wherefore? tell true.

Hel. I will tell truth; by grace itself, I swear;
You know, my father left me fome prescriptions
Of rare and prov'd effects; fuch as his reading
And manifeft experience had collected
For general fov'reignty; and that he will'd me
In heedfull'ft refervation to bestow them,

A s

As notes, whose faculties inclufive were,
More than they were in note: amongst the rest,
There is a remedy, approv'd, fet down,

To cure the defperate languifhings, whereof
The King is render'd loft.

Count, This was your motive for Paris, was it, fpeak? Hel. My Lord your fon made me to think of this; Elfe Paris, and the medicine, and the King,

Had from the converfation of my thoughts

Haply been absent then.

Count. But think you, Helen,

If you should tender your fuppofed aid,

He would receive it he and his physicians

Are of a mind; he, that they cannot help him:

They, that they cannot help. How fhall they credit A poor unlearned virgin, when the schools, Embowell'd of their doctrine, have left off

The danger to itself?

Hel. There's fomething in't

More than my father's kill, (which was the great'st Of his profeffion,) that his good receipt

Shall for my legacy be fanctified

By th' luckieft ftars in heav'n; and, would your Honour
But give me leave to try fuccefs, I'd venture
The well-loft

life

of mine on his Grace's cure,

By fuch a day and hour.

Count. Doft thou believe't?

Hel. Ay, Madam, knowingly.

Count. Why, Helen, thou shalt have my leave and love; Means and attendants; and my loving greetings

To thofe of mine in court. I'll stay at home,
And pray God's bleffing into thy attempt:
Begone, to-morrow; and be fure of this,

What I can help thee to, thou shalt not miss. [Exeunt.

ACT

A CT II.

SCENE, the Court of France.

Enter the King, with divers young Lords taking leave for the Florentine war. Bertram and Parolles. Flourish Cornets.

KING.

Farewel, young Lords: thefe warlike principles

Do not throw from you: you, my Lords, farewel; Share the advice betwixt you. If both gain, The gift doth ftretch itself as 'tis receiv'd, And is enough for both.

1 Lord. "Tis our hope, Sir,

After well-enter'd foldiers, to return
And find your grace in health.

King. No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart
Will not confefs, it owns the malady

That doth my life befiege; farewel, young Lords;
Whether I live or die, be you the fons

Of worthy French men; (10) let higher Italy

(10)

let bigber Italy (Thofe bated, that inherit but the fall

(Thofe

Of the last monarchy;) fee, &c.] This feems to me one of the very obfcure paffages of Shakespeare, and which therefore may very well demand explanation. Italy, at the time of this scene, was under three very different tenures. The Emperor, as fucceffor of the Roman Emperors, had one part; the Pope, by a pretended donation from Confantine, another; and the third was compos'd of free ftates. Now by the laft monarchy is meant the Roman, the laft of the four general monarchies. Upon the fall of this monarchy, in the scramble, several cities fet up for themfelves, and became free ftates: Now thefe might be faid properly to inherit the fall of the monarchy. But the Emperor could not be faid to inherit the fall of the monarchy, any more than a fon, who inherits an impair'd eftate, could be faid to inherit the fall of his father's eftate: Tho' thofe, who had defrauded the father, might be faid to inherit the fall of his eftate. Much lefs could the

Pope,

(Thofe bated, that inherit but the fall
Of the laft monarchy;) fee, that you come
Not to woo honour, but to wed it; when
The braveft queftant fhrinks, find what you feek,
That fame may cry you loud: I fay, farewel,

2 Lord. Health at your bidding ferve your Majesty! King. Thofe girls of Italy, take heed of them; They fay, our French lack language to deny, If they demand: beware of being captives, Before you ferve.

Both. Our hearts receive your warnings.

King. Farewel. Come hither to me. [To Attendants.

[Exit.

1 Lord. Oh, my fweet Lord, that you will stay behind us!

Par. 'Tis not his fault; the fpark

2 Lord. Oh, 'tis brave wars.

Par. Moft admirable; I have feen thofe wars. Ber. I am commanded here, and kept a coil with, Too young, and the next year, and 'tis too early.

Par. An thy mind ftand to it, boy, fteal away bravely.

Ber. Shall I stay here the forehorfe to a smock, Creeking my fhoes on the plain mafonry,

'Till honour be bought up, and no fword worn But one to dance with? by heav'n, I'll steal away. 1 Lord. There's honour in the theft.

Par Commit it, Count.

2 Lord. I am your acceffary, and fo farewel. Ber. I grow to you, and our parting is a tortur'd body.

1 Lord. Farewel, Captain.

Pope by a donation in the times of its duration, be faid to do fo. This being premifed, now to the fenfe. The King fays, higher Italy ;--giving it the rank of preference to France; but he corrects himself and fays, I except thofe from that precedency, who only inherit the fall of the last monarchy; as all the little petty ftates; for infance, Florence to whom these voluntiers were going. As if he had said, I gave the place of honour to the Emperor and the Pope, but not to the free ftates. All here is clear; and 'tis exactly Shakespeare's manner, who lov'd to fhew his reading on fuch occafions, Mr. Warburton. VOL. III.

B

2 Lord.

2 Lord. Sweet Monfieur Parolles!

Par. Noble heroes, my fword and yours are kin; good fparks and luftrous. A word, good metals. (11) You fhall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one Captain Spurio with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his finifter cheek; it was this very fword entrench'd it; fay to him, I live, and observe his reports of me.

1 Lord. We fhall, noble Captain.

Par. Mars doat on you for his novices! what will ye do?

Ber. Stay; the King

[Exeunt Lords. Par. Ufe a moft fpacious ceremory to the noble Lords, you have reftrain'd yourself within the lift of too cold an adieu; be more expreffive to them, for they wear themselves in the cap of the time; there, do mufter true gate, eat, fpeak, and move under the influence of the most receiv'd ftar; and tho' the devil lead the measure, fuch are to be followed: after them, and take a more dilated farewel.

Ber. And I will do fo.

Par. Worthy fellows, and like to prove moft finewy fword-men. [Exeunt.

Enter the King, and Lafeu.

Laf. Pardon, my Lord, for me and for my tidings.
King. I'll fee thee to stand up.

(11) Yeu fhall find in the regiment of the Spinii one Captain Spurio, bis cicatrice, with an emblem of war bere on bis finifter cheek;] It is furprizing, none of the editors could fee that a flight tranfpofition was abfolutely neceffary here, when there is not common fenfe in the paffage, as it ftands without fuch tranfpofition. Parolles only means, you fhall find one Captain Spurio in the camp with a scar on his left cheek, a mark of war that my fword gave him." Our poet has employ'd this word, to fignify fear, in other of his plays: So, before, in As you like it;

lean but upon a rush,

The cicatrice and capable impreffure
Thy palm fome moment keeps :

And in Hamlet;

Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red
After the Danish sword 3

Laf.