cannot make a leg, put off's cap, kifs his hand, and fay nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap; and, indeed, fuch a fellow, to fay precifely, were not for the court: but for me, I have an answer will ferve all men. Count. Marry, that's a bountiful answer that fits all questions... Clo. It is like a barber's chair, that fits all buttocks; the pin-buttock, the quatch-buttock, the brawn-buttock, or any buttock. Count. Will your answer ferve fit to all queftions? Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French crown for your taffaty punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's fore-finger, as a pancake for ShroveTuesday, a morris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a fcolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth; nay, as the pudding to his skin. Count. Have you, I fay, an answer of such fitness for all questions? Clo. From below your Duke, to beneath your conftable, it will fit any question. Count. It must be an answer of most monftrous fize, that muft fit all demands. Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned fhould speak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to't. Afk me, if I am a courtier;-it fhall do you no harm to learn. Count. To be young again, if we could: I will be a fool in a queftion, hoping to be the wifer by your anfwer. I pray you, Sir, are you a courtier ? Clo. O Lord, Sir-there's a fimple putting off: more, more, a hundred of them. Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you. Clo. O Lord, Sir-thick, thick, fpare not me. Count. I think, Sir, you can eat none of this homely meat. Clo. O Lord, Sir-nay, put me to't, I warrant you. Count. You were lately whip'd, Sir, as I think. Cla Clo. O Lord, Sir-fpare not me.. Count. Do you cry, O Lord, Sir, at your whipping, and fpare not me? indeed, your O Lord, Sir, is very fequent to your whipping: you would anfwer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't. Clo. Is ne'er had worse luck in my life, in my-O Lord, Sir; I fee, things may ferve long, but not ferve ever. Count I play the noble hufwife with the time, to entertain it so merrily with a fool. Clo. O Lord, Sir-why, there't ferves well again. Count. An end, Sir; to your bufinefs: give Helen this, And urge her to a prefent anfwer back. Commend me to my kinfmen, and my fon : Clo. Not much commendation to them? Count. Not much imployment for you, you under ftand me. Clo. Most fruitfully, I am there before my legs. [Exeunt SCENE changes to the Court of France. Enter Bertram, Lafeu, and Parolles. Laf. (15) THEY fay, miracles are paft; and we have our philofophical perfons to make modern, and familiar, things fupernatural and caufelefs. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors enfconfing ourselves into feeming knowledge, when we fhould fubmit ourselves to an unknown fear. Par. Why, 'tis the rareft argument of wonder that hath hot out in our later times. Ber. And fo 'tis. (15) They say miracles are past, and we have our pl'lyjophical perfons to make modern and familiar things fupernatural and caufelejs.] This, as it has hitherto been pointed, is directly oppofite to our poet's, and his speaker's, meaning. As I have ftop'd it, the fente quadrates with the context: and, furely, it is one unalterable property of philofophy, to make feeming ftrange and preternatural Phanomena familiar, and reducible to caufe and reafon. Laf. To be relinquish'd of the artifts Par. So I fay, both of Galen and Paracelfus. Laf. That gave him out incurable, Par. Why, there 'tis, fo fay I too. 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 fame. Laf (16) Why, your dolphin is not luftier: for me, 1 fpeak in refpect Par. Nay, 'tis ftrange, 'tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he's of a moft facinerious fpirit, that will not acknowledge it to be theLaf. Very hand of heav'n. Par. Ay, fo I fay. Laf. In a most weak (15) Why, your dolphin is not luffier:] I have thought it very prohable, 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 lufier: i e. the King is as hale and hearty r the Prince his fon. And tl at the King in this play is fuppofed to have a fon, is plain from what he fays to Bertram in the firft act. My fon's no dearer. Welcome, Count, Befides, Dauphin in the old impreffions is conflantly fpelt as the fish, dolphin. But then confidering on the other hand, As found as a roach, He whole as a fif, are proverbial expreffions: and confidering too that cur author elsewhere makes the delphin an inftance or emblem of luftihood and activity. his delights Were dolphin-like, they fhew'd his back above Anto, and Clep. 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 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 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 too:h 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. [She addrefjes berfelf 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 wealthieft,, That, I proteft, I fimply am a maid, Please Please it your Majefty, I have done already : "We blush that thou should'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. (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 with 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, 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! Lef. Thefe boys are boys of ice, they'll none of (17) Thanks, Sir; all the reft are mute] All the reft are mute? he 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 refor'd in the text; -All the reft is mute. f. e. as in Hamlet, --The rest is filnce) and the meaning, this. Llena finding a favourable anfwer from the firft gallant fhe 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 |