Par. That's it I would have said; the very same. Laf. Why, your dolphin5 is not lustier: 'fore me I speak in respect

Par. Nay, 'tis strange, 'tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he is of a most facinorous spirit, that will not acknowledge it to be

the

Laf. Very hand of heaven.

Par. Ay, so I say.

Laf. In a most weak

Par. And debile minister, great power, great transcendence: which should, indeed, give us a further use to be made, than alone the recovery of the king, as to be7.

Laf. Generally thankful.

Enter King, HELENA, and Attendants.

Par. I would have said it; you say well: Here comes the king.

Laf. Lustick, as the Dutchman says: I'll like a maid the better, whilst I have a tooth in my head: Why, he's able to lead her a coranto.

Par. Mort du Vinaigre! Is not this Helen?
Laf. 'Fore God, I think so.

5 The Dauphin was formerly so written, but it is doubtful whether Lafeu means to allude to the Prince or the fish. The old orthography is therefore continued. It should be remembered that lusty in its old acceptation meant sprightly, quick, active, lively, as well as strong. The lustiness of youth' is a common expression in old writers. We have also in Baret' the lustiest and most busie time for husbandmen,' i. e. the most active. 6 Wicked.

·

7 Dr. Johnson thought this and some preceding speeches in the scene were erroneously given to Parolles instead of to Lafeu. This seems very probable, for the humour of the scene consists in Parolles's pretensions to knowledge and sentiments which he

has not.

8 Lustigh is the Dutch for active, pleasant, playful, sportive. VOL. III. A A

King. Go, call before me all the lords in court.

[Exit an Attendant.

Sit, my preserver, by thy patient's side;

And with this healthful hand, whose banish'd sense
Thou hast repeal'd, a second time receive
The confirmation of my promis'd gift,
Which but attends thy naming.

Enter several Lords.

Fair maid, send forth thine eye: this youthful parcel Of noble bachelors stand at my bestowing,

O'er whom both sovereign power and father's voice9 I have to use: thy frank election make;

Thou hast power to choose, and they none to forsake.

Hel. To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress Fall, when love please!—marry, to each, but one 1o! Laf. I'd give bay Curtal", and his furniture, My mouth no more were broken than these boys', And writ as little beard.

King.

Peruse them well:

Not one of those, but had a noble father.

Hel. Gentlemen,

Heaven hath, through me, restor❜d the king to health.

All. We understand it, and thank heaven for you. Hel. I am a simple maid; and therein wealthiest, That, I protest, I simply am a maid:

Please it your majesty, I have done already:
The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me,

We blush, that thou shouldst choose; but, be refus'd,

9 They were wards as well as subjects.

10 i. e. except one, meaning Bertram: but in the sense of be-out. 11 A curtal was the common phrase for a horse; i. e. ' I'd give my bay horse, &c. that my age were not greater than these boys;' a broken mouth is a mouth which has lost part of its teeth.

Let the white death sit on thy cheek for ever;
We'll ne'er come there again 12.

King. Make choice; and, see, Who shuns thy love, shuns all his love in me.

Hel. Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly; And to imperial Love, that god most high, Do my sighs stream.-Sir, will you hear my suit? 1 Lord. And grant it.

Hel.

Thanks, sir, all the rest is mute 13. Laf. I had rather be in this choice, than throw 14 for my life.

ames-ace

Hel. The honour, sir, that flames in your fair eyes, Before I speak, too threateningly replies: Love make your fortunes twenty times above Her that so wishes, and her humble love! 2 Lord. No better, if you please.

Hel. My wish receive, Which great love grant! and so I take my leave. Laf. Do all, they deny her 15? An they were sons of mine, I'd have them whipped; or I would send them to the Turk, to make eunuchs of.

Hel. Be not afraid [To a Lord] that I your hand should take;

I'll never do you wrong for your own sake:
Blessing upon your vows! and in your bed
Find fairer fortune, if you ever wed!

12

My blushes (says Helen) thus whisper me-We blush that thou shouldst have the nomination of thy husband. However, choose him at thy peril; but if thou be refused, let thy cheeks be for ever pale; we will never revisit them again.' Be refused means the same as ' thou being refused; or, be thou refused.' The white death is the paleness of death.

·

13 i. e. 'I have no more to say to you.' So Hamlet,' the rest is silence.'

14 The lowest chance of the dice.

15 The scene must be so regulated that Lafeu and Parolles talk at a distance, where they may see what passes between Helena and the Lords, but not hear it, so that they know not by whom the refusal is made.

Laf. These boys are boys of ice, they'll none have her: sure, they are bastards to the English; the French ne'er got them.

Hel. You are too young, too happy, and too good, To make yourself a son out of my blood.

4 Lord. Fair one, I think not so.

Laf. There's one grape yet,—I am sure, thy father drank wine.-But if thou be'st not an ass, I am a youth of fourteen; I have known thee already. Hel. I dare not say, I take you; [To BERTRAM] but I give

Me, and my service, ever whilst I live,

Into your guiding power. This is the man. King. Why then, young Bertram, take her, thy wife.

she's

Ber. My wife, my liege? I shall beseech your

highness,

In such a business give me leave to use

The help of mine own eyes.

King.

Know'st thou not, Bertram,

What she has done for me?

Ber. Yes, my good lord; But never hope to know why I should marry her. King. Thou know'st she has rais'd me from my sickly bed.

Ber. But follows it, my lord, to bring me down Must answer for your raising? I know her well; She had her breeding at my father's charge: A poor physician's daughter my wife!-Disdain Rather corrupt me ever!

King. "Tis only title 16 thou disdain'st in her, the which

I can build up. Strange is it, that our bloods,
Of colour, weight, and heat, pour'd all together,
Would quite confound distinction, yet stand off
In differences so mighty: If she be

16 i. e. the want of title.

All that is virtuous (save what thou dislik'st,
A poor physician's daughter), thou dislik'st
Of virtue for the name: but do not so:

From lowest place when virtuous things proceed,
The place is dignified by the doer's deed:
Where great additions 17 swell, and virtue none,
It is a dropsied honour: good alone

18

Is good;-without a name, vileness is so
The property by what it is should go,
Not by the title. She is young, wise, fair;
In these to nature she's immediate heir;

And these breed honour; that is honour's scorn,
Which challenges itself as honour's born 19,
And is not like the sire: Honours best thrive 20,
When rather from our acts we them derive
Than our fore-goers: the mere word's a slave,
Debauch'd on every tomb; on every grave,
A lying trophy, and as oft is dumb,

Where dust and damn'd oblivion is the tomb
Of honour'd bones indeed. What should be said?
If thou canst like this creature as a maid,

I can create the rest: virtue, and she,

Is her own dower: honour and wealth, from me. Ber. I cannot love her, nor will strive to do't. King. Thou wrong'st thyself, if thou shouldst

strive to choose.

Hel. That you are well restor'd, my lord, I am glad;

Let the rest go.

17 Titles.

18 Good is good, independent of any worldly distinction; and so vileness would be ever vile, did not rank, power, and fortune screen it from opprobrium.

19 i. e. the child of honour.

20 The first folio omits best; the second folio supplies it.