Share the advice betwixt you; if both gain all,
The gift doth ftretch itself as 'tis received,
And is enough for both.

I 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 Frenchmen 3; let higher Italy

Of the laft Monarchy ;) See, &c.] This is obfcure. Italy, at the time of this fcene, was under three very different tenures. The emperor, as fucceffot of the Roman emperors, had one part; the pope, by a pretended donation from Conftantine, another; and the third was compofed of free ftates. Now by the laft monarchy is meant the Roman, the Jaft of the four general monarchies, Upon the fall of this monarchy, in the fcramble, feveral cities fet up for themselves, and became free states: now these VOL. III.

Those

might be faid properly to inherit the fall of the monarchy. This being premifed, let us now confider fenfe. The king fays, higher Italy; giving it the rank of preference to France; but he corrects himself and says, I except thofe from that precedency, who only inherit the fall of the laft monarchy; as all the little petty ftates; for inftance, Florence to whom these voluntiers were going. As if he had faid, I give the place of honour to the emperor and the pope, but not to the free ftates. WARBURTON.

The ancient geographers have divided Italy into the higher and the lower, the Appenine Hills being a kind of natural line-of partition; the fide next the Adriatick was denominated the higher Italy, and the other fide the lower: and the two Seas followed the fame terms of diftinction, the Adriatick being called the upper Sea, and the Hyrrhene or Tuscan the lower. Now the Sennones or Senois, with whom the Florentines are here fuppo'ed to be at war, inhabited the higher X Italy,

Thofe 'bated, that inherit but the Fall

Of the last Monarchy; fee, that you come
Not to woo honour, but to wed it; when
The brave St. Queftant fhrinks, find what you feek,
That Fame may cry you loud: I fay, farewel..

2 Lord. Health at your bidding ferve your Majefty!
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 Bertram. [Exit. 1 Lord. Oh, my sweet Lord, that you will ftay behind us!

Par. 'Tis not his fault; the fpark

Italy, their chief town being Ariminum, now called Rimini, upon the Adriatick. HANMER.

Sir T. Hanmer reads, Thofe baftards that inherit, &c. with this note.

Reflecting upon the abject and degenerate condition of the Cities and States which arofe out of the ruins of the Roman Empire, the laft of the four great Monarchies of the World. HANMER. Dr. Warburton's obfervation is learned, but rather too fubtle; Sir The. Hanmer's alteration is merely arbitrary. The paffage is confeffedly obfcure, and therefore I may offer another explanation. I am of opinion that the epithet higher is to be underftood of fituation rather than of dignity. The. fenfe may then be this, Let upper Italy, where you are to exercife your valour, fee that you come to gain honour, to the abatement, that is, to the

4

nation

That won you without blows. And bated is used in a kindred fenfe in the Jew of Venice, in a bondman's key With bated breath and whif P'ring bumbleness.

The word has ftill the fame meaning in the language of the law.

4

Beware of being cap

tives, Before you ferve.] The word ferve is equivocal; the fenfe is, Be not captives before you ferve in the war. Be not captives before you are foldiers.

2 Lord.

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 ftay here a fore horse, to a fmock,
Creeking my fhoes on the plain masonry,
'Till Honour be bought up, and no fword worn
But one to dance with? by heav'n, I'll fteal away.
I 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.

2 Lord. Sweet Monfieur Parolles!

6

Par. Noble heroes, my fword and yours are kin; good fparks and luftrous. A word, good metals. 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 obferve his reports of me. 2 Lord. We fhall, noble captain.

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

ye do?

5 I grow to you, and our parting is a tortured body.] I read thus, Our parting is the parting of a tortured body. Our parting is as the difruption of linbs torn from each other. Repetition of a word is often the cause of miftakes; the eye glances on the wrong word, and the intermediate part of the fentence is omitted.

his Cicatrice, with an Emblem of War bere on his finifter Cheek:] It is furprifing, none of the Editors could fee that a flight Tranfpofition was abfolutely neceffary here, when there is not common Senfe 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 66 my Sword gave him." THEOBALD. Ber.

X 2

6 You shall find in the Regiment of the Spinii, one Captain Spurio,

Ber. Stay; the King

Par. Use a more fpacious ceremony 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 gait, eat, fpeak, and move under the. influence of the most receiv'd star; and tho' the devil lead the measure, fuch are to be follow'd: after them, and take a more dilated farewel.

Ber. And I will do fo.

Par. Worthy fellows, and like to prove most finewy fword-men.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Enter the King, and Lafeu.

[Lafeu kneels.

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

Laf. Then here's a man ftands, that hath bought
his pardon.

I would you had kneel'd, my Lord, to afk me mercy;
And that at my bidding you could so stand up.
King. I would, I had; so I had broke thy pate,
And afk'd thee mercy for't.

7 they wear themselves in the cap of the time, there, DO mufter true gait, &c.] The main obfcurity of this paffage arifes from the mistake of a fingle letter. We should read, instead of, do mufter, TO mufier.- To wear themfelves in the cap of the time, fignifies to be the foremost in the fashion: the figurative allufion is

fignifies to affemble together in the high road of the fashion. All the reft is intelligible and easy.

WARBURTON. I think this emendation cannot be faid to give much light to the obfcurity of the paffage. Perhaps it might be read thus, They do mufter with the true gaite, that is, they have the true to the gallantry then in vogue, of military itep. Every man has wearing jewels, flowers, and their obferved fomething peculiar in miftrefs's favours in their caps. the ftrut of a foldier. there to mufter true gait,

Laf.

Laf. Goodfaith, across :-but, my good Lord,

'tis thus ;

Will you be cur'd of your infirmity?

King. No.

8

,

Laf. O, will you eat no grapes, my royal fox?
Yes, but you will, my noble grapes; an if
My royal fox could reach them: I have feen a medicine,
That's able to breathe life into a stone;

Quicken a rock, and make you dance Canary

With sprightly fire and motion; whofe fimple touch
Is powerful to araife King Pepin, nay,

To give great Charlemain a pen in's hand,
And write to her a love-line.

King. What her is this?

Laf. Why, doctor-fhe: my Lord, there's one arriv'd,

If you will fee her. Now, by my faith and honour,
If seriously I may convey my thoughts
In this my light deliverance, I have spoke
With one, that in her fex, her years, profeffion,
Wisdom and conftancy, hath amaz'd me more
Than I dare blame my weakness: will you fee 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.