Laf. Then here's a man Stands, that has brought his pardon. I would, you Laf. Goodfaith, across But, my good lord, 'tis thus; Will you be cur'd O, will you eat No grapes, my royal fox? yes, but you will, Could reach them: I have seen a medicine 13, Quicken a rock, and make dance canary 14, you 12: With spritely fire and motion; whose simple touch To give great Charlemain a pen in his hand, If King. What her is this? Laf. Why, doctor she: My lord, there's one arriv'd, you will see her, now, by my faith and honour, If seriously I may convey my thoughts In this my light deliverance, I have spoke 12 This word, which is taken from breaking a spear across in chivalric exercises, is used elsewhere by Shakspeare where a pass of wit miscarries. See As You Like It, Act iii. Sc. 4, note 4. 13 Medicine is here used by Lafeu ambiguously for a female physician. 14 It has been before observed that the canary was a kind of lively dance. 15 Malone thinks something has been omitted here: to complete the sense the line should read:: 'And cause him write to her a love line.' 16 By profession is meant her declaration of the object of her coming. Wisdom, and constancy, hath amaz’d me more Than I dare blame my weakness 17: Will you see her, (For that is her demand,) and know her business? That done, laugh well at me. King. Now, good Lafeu, Bring in the admiration; that we with thee May spend our wonder too, or take off thine, By wond'ring how thou took'st it. Laf. And not be all day neither. Nay, I'll fit you, [Exit LAFEU. King. Thus he his special nothing ever prologues. Re-enter LAFEU, with HELENA. Laf. Nay, come your ways King. 18 This haste hath wings indeed. Laf. Nay, come your ways: This is his majesty, say your mind to him: Gerard de Narbon was profess, well found 20. Hel. The rather will I spare my praises towards him; Knowing him, is enough. On his bed of death Many receipts he gave me; chiefly one, Which, as the dearest issue of his practice, 17 This is one of Shakspeare's perplexed expressions :-' To acknowledge how much she has astonished me would be to acknowledge more weakness than I am willing to do.' 18 Steevens has inconsiderately stigmatized this with the title of vulgarism. Malone has justly defended it as the phraseology of the poet's age, and adduces a similar mode of expression from our excellent old version of the Bible. 19 I am like Pandarus. See Troilus and Cressida. 20 of known and acknowledged excellence. And of his old experience the only darling, Safer than mine own two, more dear; I have so: King. We thank you, maiden; But may not be so credulous of cure,— To empiricks; or to dissever so Our great self and our credit, to esteem A senseless help, when help past sense we deem. King. I cannot give thee less, to be call'd grateful: Hel. What I can do, can do no hurt to try, Since you set up your rest 22 'gainst remedy: 21 A third eye. 22 i. e. Since you have determined or made up your mind that there is no remedy.' Set up your rest is a metaphorical expression derived from the game of Primero, at which it seems to have meant to stand upon the cards one held in his hand. This word furnished many other proverbial expressions among the He that of greatest works is finisher, Oft does them by the weakest minister: So holy writ in babes hath judgment shown, When judges have been babes 23. Great floods have flown From simple sources 24; and great seas have dried, Where most it promises; and oft it hits, Thy pains, not us'd, must by thyself be paid: The help of heaven we count the act of men. Italians, one of which is to be found in the Ciriffo Calvaneo of Luca Pulci. Fa del suo resto,' to adventure all.. Haver fatto del resto,' to have lost all, or to have nothing to rest upon. 'Riserbar il resto,' to reserve one's rest, to be wary and circumspect, &c. &c. All authorities are decisive upon the derivation of this term from Primero, as Mr. Nares has amply shown. So says Minshew, Torriano, and Florio, who is worth quoting: 'Restare, to rest, &c. Also to set up one's rest, to make a rest, or play upon one's rest at Primero. In Spanish too Echar el resto,' to set or lay up one's rest, has the same origin and figurative meaning; to adventure all, to be determined. We shall now, it is to be hoped, hear no more of musket rests, &c. in explanation of this phrase. 23 An allusion to Daniel judging the two Elders. 24 i. e. when Moses smote the rock in Horeb. 25 This must refer to the children of Israel passing the Red Sea, when miracles had been denied by Pharaoh. Myself against the level of mine aim 26; space Hel. Ere twice in murk and occidental damp Hel. Tax of impudence, A strumpet's boldness, a divulged shame,- King. Methinks, in thee some blessed spirit doth speak; His powerful sound, within an organ weak: In common sense, sense saves another way. 26 I am not an impostor that proclaim one thing and design another, that proclaim a cure and aim at a fraud. I think what I speak. · 27 i. e. the divine grace, lending me grace or power to accomplish it. So in Macbeth: at the conclusion we have the grace of grace. 28 Let me be stigmatized as a strumpet, and, in addition (although that would not be worse, or a more extended evil than what I have mentioned, the loss of my honour, which is the worst that could happen), let me die with torture. Ne is nor. 29 i. e. may be counted among the gifts enjoyed by thee. |