lying. The longer kept, the lefs worth: off with't,
while 'tis vendible. Anfwer the time of request.
Virginity, like an old courtier, wears her cap out of
fashion richly futed, but unfutable; just like the
brooch and the tooth-pike, which we wear not now:
your
date is better in your pye and your porridge, than
in your cheek; and your virginity, your old virginity,
is like one of our French wither'd pears; it looks ill,
it eats dryly; marry, 'tis a wither'd pear: it was for-
merly better; marry, ' yes, 'tis a wither'd
you any thing with it?

8

7

Hel. Not my virginity yet.

pear. Will

There fhall your mafter have a thousand loves,
A mother, and a miftrefs, and a friend,

9

'A phoenix, captain, and an enemy,

7 For yet, as it flood before, Sir T. Hanmer reads yes.

8 Not my virginity yet.] This whole fpeech is abrupt, unconnected and obfcure. Dr. Warburton thinks much of it suppofititious. I would be too glad to think fo of the whole, for a commentator naturally wishes to reject what he cannot understand. Something which should connect → Helena's words with thofe of Parolles, feems to be wanting. Hanmer has made a fair attempt by reading.

Not my virginity yet-You're for

the court, There fhall your mafler, &c. Some fuch claufe has, I think, dropped out, but ftill the first words want connection. Perhaps Parolles, going away after his harangue, faid, will you any thing with me? to which Helen may reply. I know not what to do with the paffage.

9 A Phoenix, Captain, &c.] The eight lines following friend,

2

I am perfuaded, is the nonsense
of fome foolish conceited player.
What put it into his head was
Helen's faying, as it should be
read for the future,

There hall your Mafter have a
thousand loves:

A Mother, and a Miftrefs, and
a Friend.

I know not, what he shall

God fend him well.
Where the Fellow finding a thou-
fand loves fpoken of, and only
three reckoned up, namely, a
Mother's, a Miftrefs's, and a
Friend's (which, by the way,
were all a judicious Writer could
mention; for there are but these
three fpecies of love in Nature)
he would help out the number,
by the intermediate nonsense:
and, because they were yet too
few, he pieces out his loves with
enmities, and makes of the whole
fuch finished nonefense as is never
heard out of Bedlam.

WARBURTON.

A guide,

1

A guide, a goddess, and a fovereign,
A counsellor, a traitress, and a dear;
His humble ambition, proud humility;
His jarring concord; and his difcord dulcet;
His faith, his fweet difafter; with a world
Of pretty fond adoptious chriftendoms,
That blinking Cupid goffips. Now fhall he-
I know not, what he fhall-God fend him well!
The court's a learning place and he is one

Par. What one, i'faith?

Hel. That I wish well-'tis pity-
Par. What's pity?

Hel. That wishing well had not a body in't,
Which might be felt; that We the poorer born,
Whofe bafer ftars do fhut us up in wishes,

Might with effects of them follow our friends: And fhew what we alone must think, which never Returns us thanks.

Enter Page.

Page. Monfieur Parolles,

My lord calls for you.

[Exit Page.

Par. Little Helen, farewel; if I can remember thee, I will think of thee at court.

Hel. Monfieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable ftar.

Par. Under Mars, I.

Hel. I especially think, under Mars.

Par. Why under Mars?

Hel. The wars have kept you fo under, that you muft needs be born under Mars.

Par. When he was predominant.

Hel. When he was retrograde, I think, rather.
Par. Why think

you fo?

a traitress,] It feems that traitress was in that age a term of endearment, for when Lafeu introduces Helena to the king, he fays You look like a tray

Hel. You go fo much backward, when
Par. That's for advantage.

you fight.

Hel. So is running away, when fear propofes fafety: but the compofition, that your valour and fear makes 2 is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the

in you, wear well.

Par. I am fo full of businesses, as I cannot answer thee acutely I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my inftruction fhall ferve to naturalize thee, fo thou wilt be capable of courtier's counfel, and underftand what advice fhall thruft upon thee; elfe thou dieft in thine unthankfulness, and thine ignorance makes thee away; farewel. When thou haft leifure, fay thy prayers; when thou haft none, remember thy friends; get thee a good husband, and ufe him as he ufes thee: fo farewel. Exit.

SCENE. IV.

Hel. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie,
Which we afcribe to heav'n. The fated sky
Gives us free fcope; only, doth backward pull
Our flow defigns, when we ourselves are dull.
3 What power is it, which mounts my love fo high,

2 is a virtue of a good WING, and I like the wear well.] The integrity of the metaphor direds us to Shakespeare's true reading; which, doubtlefs, was—— a good MING, i. e. mixture, compofition, a word common to ShakeJpear and the writers of this age; and taken from the texture of cloth. The M. was turn'd the wrong way at prefs, and from thence came the blunder.

WARBURTON.

This conjecture I could wish to fee better proved. This common word ming I have never found. The first edition of this play ex

hibits wing without a capital:
yet, I confefs, that a virtue of a
good wing is an expreffion that I
cannot understand, unless by a
metaphor taken from falconry,
it may mean, a virtue that will
fly high, and in the ftyle of Hot-"
Spur, Pluck bonour from the moon.

3 What power is it, that mounts
my love fo high,
That make me fee, and cannot

feed miue eye? She means, by what influence is my love directed to a perfon fo much above me? why am I made to difcern excellence, and left to long after it, without the food of hope?

That

That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye?
The mightiest space in fortune nature brings
To join like likes, and kifs, like native things.
Impoffible be ftrange attempts, to those

That weigh their pain in fenfe; and do fuppofe,
What hath been, cannot be. Who ever ftrove
To fhew her merit, that did mifs her love?
The King's difeafe-my project may deceive me,
By my intents are fix'd, and will not leave me.

SCENE V.

Changes to the Court of France.

Exit.

Flourish Cornets. Enter the King of France, with letters, and divers Attendants.

King.

TH

HE Florentines and Senoys are by th❜ears;
Have fought with equal fortune, and

A braving war.

continue

That is, Nature brings like qualities and difpofitions to meet through any distance that fortune may have fet between them; the joins them, and makes them kiss like things born together,

The next lines I read with
Hanmer. -

Impoffible be frange attempts to
thofe
That weigh their pain in sense,
and do suppose

What ha'nt been, cannot be. New attempts feem impoffible to thofe, who eftimate their labour or enterprises by fente, and believe that nothing can be but what they fee before them.

1 Lord..

I Lord. So 'tis reported, Sir.

King. Nay, 'tis most credible; we here receive it, A certainty vouch'd from our cousin Auftria; With caution, that the Florentine will move us For fpeedy aid; wherein our dearest friend Prejudicates the bufinefs, and would feem To have us make denial.

I Lord. His love and wisdom,

Approv'd fo to your Majefty, may plead
For ample credence.

King. He hath arm'd our answer;
And Florence is deny'd, before he comes:
Yet, for our gentlemen that mean to see
The Tuscan service, freely have they leave
To ftand on either part.

2 Lord. It may well serve

A nursery to our gentry, who are fick
For breathing and exploit.

King. What's he comes here?.

Enter Bertram, Lafeu and Parolles.

1 Lord. It is the count Roufillon, my good Lord, young Bertram.

King. Youth, thou bear'ft thy father's face. Frank nature, rather curious than in haste, Hath well compos'd thee. Thy father's moral parts May'ft thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris. Ber. My thanks and duty are your Majefty's. King. I would, I had that corporal foundness now, As when thy father and myself in friendship First try'd our foldierfhip: he did look far Into the fervice of the time, and was. Discipled of the brav'ft. He lafted long; But on us both did haggish age steal on, And wore us out of act. It much repairs me To talk of your good father; in his youth VOL. III.

U

He