KING. How well he's read, to reafon against reading! DUM. Proceeded well, to ftop all good proceeding!" LONG. He weeds the corn, and ftill lets grow the weeding. BIRON. The fpring is near, when green geefe are a breeding. DUM. How follows that? BIRON. Fit in his place and time 2 DUM. In reason nothing. Before the birds have any cause to fing? Biron, of too much knowledge, is not any real folution of doubts, 9 Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding!] To proceed is an academical term, meaning, to take a degree, as he proceeded backelor in phyfick. The fenfe is, he has taken his degrees in the art of hindering the degrees of others. JOHNSON. I don't fufped that Shakspeare had any academical term in contemplation, when he wrote this line. He has proceeded well, means only, he has gone on well. M. MASON. 2 fneaping froft, ] So fneaping winds in The Winter's Tale: To fneap is to check, to rebuke. Thus alfo, Falftaff, in K. Henry IV. P. II: I will not undergo this neap, without reply. 3 Why Should I joy in an abortive birth? At Christmas I no more defire a rofe, Than with a fnow in May's new-, -fangled fhows; STEEVENS, But like of each thing, that in feafon grows. ] As the greatest part So you, to ftudy now it is too late, 4 Climb o'er the houfe to unlock the little gate. 1 of this fcene (both what precedes and follows) is ftrictly in rhimes, either fucceffive, alternate, or triple, I am perfuaded, that the copyifts have made a flip here. For by making a triplet of the three Jaft lines quoted, birth in the clofe of the first line is quite destitute of any rhime to it. Befides, what a displeasing identity of found recurs in the middle and clofe of this verfe? Than with a fnow in May's new-fangled shows: Again; new fangled shows feems to have very little propriety. The Howers are not new-fangled; but the earth is new-fangled by the profufion and variety of the flowers, that spring on its bosom in May. I have therefore ventured to fubftitute earth, in the clofe of the third line, which reftores the alternate measure. It was very easy for a negligent tranfcriber to be deceived by the rhime immediately preceding; fo miftake the concluding word in the fequent line, and corrupt it into one that would chime with the other. THEOBALD. I rather fufped a line to have been loft after For an in that line the old copies have any. Pope. MALONE. an abortive birth." Corrected by Mr. By these shows the poet means Maygames, at which a Snow would be very unwelcome and unexpe&ed. It is only a periphrafis for May. T. WARTON. I have no doubt that the more obvious interpretation is the true one. So, in Chaucer's Knightes Tale: And fresher than May with floures new. So alfo, in our poet's K. Richard 11: 11 i. e. as the ground is in that month enamelled by the gay diverfity of flowers which the fpring produces. Again, in The Defruction of Troy, 1619: "At the entry of the month of May, when the earth is attired and adorned with diverse flowers," &c. MALONE. I concur with Mr. Warton: for with what propriety can the flowers which every year produces with the fame identical fhape and colours, be called new-fangled? The fports of May might be annually diverfified, but its natural productions would be invariably the fame. STEEVENS. 4 Climb o'er the house, &c.] This is the reading of the quarto, 1598, and much preferable to that of the folio That were to climb o'er the house to unlock the gate." MALONE. KING, Well, fit you out: go home, Biron; adieu! BIRON. No, my good lord; I have fworn to stay with you: And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, Than for that angel knowledge you can fay, Yet confident I'll keep what I have swore, And bide the penance of each three years' day. Give me the paper, let me read the fame; And to the ftri&'t decrees I'll write my name. KING. How well this yielding rescues thee from fhame! BIRON. [Reads. ] Item, That no woman fhall come within a mile of my court. And hath this been proclaim'd? LONG. BIRON. Let's fee the penalty. Four days ago. Who devis'd this? [Reads. On pain of lofing her tongue. LONG. Marry, that did I. BIRON. Sweet lord, and why? LONG. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. BIRON. A dangerous law against gentility!" fit you out:] This may mean, hold you out, continue refrallory. But I suspect, we should read -fet you out, MALONE. To fit out, is a term 'from the card-table. Thus Bishop Sanderson: They are glad, rather than fit out, to play very small game. The perfon who cuts out at a rubber of whift, is ftill faid to fit out; i, e. to be no longer engaged in the party. STEEVENS. 6 Who devis'd this?] The old copies read. -this penalty. I have omitted this needlefs repetition of the word penalty, because it deftroys the measure. STEEVENS. 7 A dangerous law against gentility!] I have ventured to prefix the name of Biron to this line, it being evident, for two reasons, that it, by fome accident or other, flipt out of the printed books. In the first place, Longaville confeffes, he had devised the penalty: [Reads.] Item, If any man be feen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure fuch publick fhame as the rest of the court can poffibly devife. This article, my liege, yourfelf muft break; For, well you know, here comes in embassy The French king's daughter, with yourself to fpeak, -- A maid of grace, and cómplete majesty,― About furrender-up of Aquitain To her decrepit, fick, and bed-rid father: Therefore this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. KING. What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. BIRON. So ftudy evermore is overfhot; While it doth ftudy to have what it would, It doth forget to do the thing it fhould: And when it hath the thing it hunteth moft, 'Tis won, as towns with fire; fo won, fo lost. KING. We muft, of force, dispense with this de cree; 7 She muft lie here on mere neceffity. and why he should immediately arraign it as a dangerous law, feems to be very inconfiftent. In the next place, it is much more natural for Biron to make this reflexion, who is cavilling at every thing; and then for him to pursue his reading over the remaining articles. -As to the word gentility, here, it does not fignify that rank of people called, gentry; but what the Freneh exprefs by, gentillesse, i. c. elegantia, urbanitas. And then the meaning is this: Such a law for banishing women from the court, is dangerous, or injuri. ous, to politeness, urbanity, and the more refined pleasures of life. For meu without women would turn brutal, and favage, in their natures and behaviour. THEOBALD. 7 - lie here] Means refide here, in the fame fenfe as an ambaffador is faid to lie leiger. See Beaumont and Fletcher's Love's Gure, or the Martial Maid, A& II. fc. ii: BIRON. Neceffity will make us all forfworn Three thousand times within this three years' fpace: For every man with his affects is born; Not by might master'd, but by special grace: IfI break faith, this word (hall speak for me, I am forfworn on mere neceffity. So to the laws at large I write my name: [Subfcribes. And he, that breaks them in the leaft degree, Stands in attainder of eternal fhame: 9 Suggestions are to others, as to me; But, I believe, although I feem fo loth, I am the last that will last keep his oath. But is there no quick recreation❜ granted? KING. Ay, that there is: our court, you know, is haunted With a refined traveller of Spain ; A man in all the world's new fafhion planted, "Or did the cold Mufcovite beget thee, "That lay here leiger, in the laft great froft?" Again, in Sir Henry Wotton's Definition: " An ambaffador is an honeft man fent to lie (i. e. refide) abroad for the good of his country. REED. 8 Not by might master'd, but by special grace: ] Biron, amidst his extravagances, fpeaks with great juftnefs against the folly of vows. They are made without fufficient regard to the variations of life, and are therefore broken by fome unforeseen neceffity. They proceed commonly from a prefumptuous confidence, and a falfe eftimate of human power. JOHNSON. 9 Suggestions] Temptations. JOHNSON. So, in K. Henry IV. P. I: 2 "And thefe led on by your fuggeftion." STEEVENS. |