Hel. You go fo much backward, when you fight. Hel. So is running away, when fear propofes fafety: but the compofition, that your valour and fear makes in you, 2 is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well. Par. I am fo full of bufineffes, as I cannot anfwer thee acutely I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my inftruction fhall serve 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 uses thee: fo farewel. Exit SCENE IV. Hel. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, 2 is a virtue of a good WING, and I like the wear well.] The integrity of the metaphor directs us to Shakespeare's true reading; which, doubtlefs, was a good MING, i. e. mixture, compofition, a word common to ShakeSpear 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 d 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 HotSpur, Pluck honour from the moon. 3 What power is it, that mounts my love fo high, That make me fee, and cannot feed mine eye? She means, by what influence is my love directed to a person 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? That weigh their pain in fenfe; and do fuppose, SCENE V. Changes to the Court of France: Flourish Cornets. King. TH Exit. Enter the King of France, with let ters, and divers Attendants. HE Florentines and Senoys are by th' ears ; continue + The mightiest space in fortune What hath been, ; All these four lines are obfcure, and, I believe, corrupt. I fhail propofe an emendation, which thofe who can explain the prefent reading, are at liberty to reject. Through mightiest face in for tune nature brings Likes to join likes, and kifs like native things. That is, Nature brings like qualities and difpofitions to meet through any distance that fortune may have fet between them; fhe 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 fenfes and do fuppofe What ha'nt been, cannot be. New attempts feem impoffible to thofe, who eftimate their labour or enterprises by fense, and believe that nothing can be but what they fee before them. 1 Lord. 1 Lord. So 'tis reported, Sir. King, Nay, 'tis most credible; we here receive it, A certainty vouch'd from our cousin Austria ; With caution, that the Florentine will move us For fpeedy aid; wherein our dearest friend Prejudicates the business, and would seem To have us make denial. 1 Lord. His love and wisdom, Approv'd fo to your Majefty; may plead King. He hath arm'd our answer; 2 Lord. It may well ferve A nursery to our gentry, who are fick King. What's he comes here? Enter Bertram, Lafeu and Parolles. I 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 hafte, Hath well compos'd thee. Thy father's moral May'ft thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris. parts Ber. My thanks and duty are your Majesty'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 service of the time, and was Difcipled of the brav'ft. He lafted long; But on us both did haggifh 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 1 He had the wit, which I can well obferve To-day in our young lords: but they may jest Till their own fcorn return to them; unnoted Ere they can hide their levity in honour. "So like a courtier, contempt nor bitterness Were in his pride or fharpness, if they were, His equal had awak'd them; and his honour, He had the wit, which I can well obferve To day in our young Lords: but they may jest, Till their own scorn return to them; unnoted Ere they can hide their levity in honour.] i. e. Ere their titles can cover the levity of their behaviour, and make it pafs for defert. The Oxford Editor, not underflanding this, alters the line to Ere they can wye their levity with his honour. WARBURTON. I believe bonour is not dignity of birth or rank, but acquired reputation: Your father, fays the King, had the fame airy flights of fatirical wit with the young lords of the prefent time, but they do not what he did, hide their unnoted levity in honour, cover petty faults with great merit. This is an excellent obfervation. Jocofe foilies, and flight offences, are only allowed by mankind in him that overpowers them by great qualities. So like a Courtier, no Contempt or Bitterness Were in his Pride or Sharpness; and Stops are reform'd, these are moft beautiful Lines, and the Senfe is this." He had no "Contempt or Bitterness; if he "had any thing that look'd "like, Pride or Sharpness (of "which Qualities Contempt and "Bitterness are the Exceffes,). "his Equal had awak'd them, 66 not his Inferior: to whom he "fcorn'd to discover any thing "that bore the Shadow of Pride "or Sharpness." WARBURTON. The original edition reads the first line thus, So like a courtier, contempt nor bitterness. The fenfe is the fame. Nor was used without reduplication. So in Meafure for Measure, More nor lefs to others paying, Than by felf-offences weighing. The old text needs to be explained. He was fo like a courtier, that there was in his dignity of manner nothing contemptu ous, and in his keenness of wit nothing bitter. If bitterness or contemptuousness ever appeared, they had been awakened by fome injury, not of a man below him, but of his Equal. This is the complete image of a well-bred. man, and fomewhat like this Voltaire has exhibited his hero Lewis XIV, Clock Clock to itself, knew the true minute when 'His tongue obey'd his hand. Who were below him He us'd as creatures of another place, And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks; ? Making them proud of his humility, In their poor praise he humbled: Such a man Which, follow'd well, would now demonftrate them Ber. His good remembrance, Sir, Lies richer in your thoughts, than on his tomb; 7 His tongue obeyed his hand.] We should read, His tongue obeyed the hand. That is, the band of his honour's clack, fhewing the true minute when exceptions bad bim Speak. 8 He us'd as creatures of ano. ther place. i. e. He made allowances for their conduct, and bore from them what he would not from one of his own rank. The Oxford Editor, not underftanding the fenfe, has altered another place, to a Brother-race. WARBURTON. 9 Making them proud of his humility, In their poor praife, he humbled] But why were they proud of his Humility? It fhould be read and pointed thus. -Making them proud; AND bis Humility, In their poor praife, he humbledi. e. by condefcending to ftoop to his Inferiors, he exalted them and made them proud; and, in U 2 the gracious receiving their poor praife, he humbled even his humility. The Sentiment is fine. WARBURTON. Every man has feen the mean too often proud of the humility of the great, and perhaps the greal may fometimes be humbled in the praises of the mean, of thofe who commend them without conviction or difcernment: this, however, is not fo common; the nican are found more frequently than the great. WARE. So in approof lives not his As in your regal fpe.ch. King 4 |