Proffers, not took, reap thanks for their reward. 5 Myfelf against the level of mine aim; But know I think, and think I know moft fure, King. Art thou fo confident? within what space Hop'it thou my cure? Hel. The greatest grace lending grace, Hel. Tax of impudence, A ftrumpet's boldness, a divulged shame "- Seal'd Sear'd otherwife, no worfe of worst extended; 7 King. Methinks, in thee fome bleffed Spirit doth fpeak His powerful found, within an organ weak; Hel. Tax of impudence, Aftrumpet's boldness; a divulged Shame, Traduc'd by odious ballads my maiden name; Sear'd otherwise, to worst of worst extended; With vileft torture let my life be ended. When this alteration firft came into my mind, I fuppofed Helen to mean thus, First, I venture what is deareft to me, my maiden reputation; but if your diftruft extends my character to the worst of the worst, and fuppofes me feared against the fenfe of infamy, I will add to the flake of reputation, the stake of life. This certainly is fenfe, and the language as grammatical as many other paffages of Shakespeare. Yet we may try another experiment. Fear otherwife to worst of worst extended; With vileft torture let my life be ended. That is, let me aft under the greatest terrors poffible. Yet once again we will try to find the right way by the glimmer of Hanmer's emendation, who reads thus, And my maiden name Sear'd; otherwife the wort of avorft extended, &c. Perhaps it were better thus, my maiden name Sear'd; otherwife the worst to worft extended; With wilft torture let my life be ended. 7 Methinks in thee fome bl fed Spirit doth Speak His powerful found, within an organ weak :] To Speak a found is a barbarifm: For to speak fignifies to utter an articulate found, i. e. a voice. So Shakepeure, in Love's Labour's Loft, fays with propriety, And when love fpeaks the voice of all the Gods. Tofpeak a found therefore is improper, tho' to utter a jound is not; because the word utter may be applied either to an articulate or inarticulate. Befides, the conftruction is vicious with the two ablatives, in thee, and, within an organ weak. The lines therefore fhould be thus read and pointed. Methinks, in thee fume bleed organ weak. But the Oxford Editor would be only fo far beholden to this emendation, as to enable him to make fenfe of the lines another way, whatever become of the rules of criticifm or ingenuous dealing. It And what impoffibility would slay In common fenfe, fenfe faves another way. And well deferv'd! Not helping, death's my fee: 2 King. Make thy demand. Hel. But will you make it even? King. Ay, by my fcepter, and my hopes of heaven. Hel. Then fhalt thou giveme, with thy kingly hand, What Hufband in thy power 1 will command. Exempted be from me the arrogance To chufe from forth the royal blood of France; But could have but a very flight Hopes of Heaven. THIRLBY. 4 With any branch or IMAGE of thy fate: Shakespeare unquestionably wrote IMPAGE, grafting. IMPE a graff, or flip, or But fuch a one thy vaffal, whom I know King. Here is my hand, the premises observ❜d, More fhould I question thee, and more I muft; Count. C SCENE IV. Changes to Rouillon. Enter Countess and Clown. OME on, Sir; I fhall now put you to the height of your breeding. Clo. I will fhew myfelf highly fed, and lowly taught; I know, my bufinefs is but to the court. Count. But to the court? why, what place make you special, when you put off that with fuch contempt? But to the court! Clo. Truly, Madam, if God have lent a man any manners, he may eafily put it off at court: he that cannot make a leg, put off's cap, kiss his hand, and fay nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap; and, indeed, fuch a fellow, to fay precifely, were not for the court: but for me, I have an anfwer will ferve all men. Count. Marry, that's a bountiful anfwer that fits all questions. Clo. It is like a barber's chair, that fits all buttocks; or fucker by which the means one of the fons of France. So Caxton calls our Prince Arthur, that noble IMP of fame. WARB. the the pin buttock, the quatch-buttock, the brawn-buttock, or any buttock. Count. Will your anfwer ferve fit to all questions? Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French crown for your taffaty punk, as Tib's ruth for Tom's fore-finger, as a pancake for Shrove Tuesday, a morris for May day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a fcolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth; nay, as the pudding to his skin. Count Have you, I fay, an answer of fuch fitness for all questions? Clo. From below your duke, to beneath your conftable, it will fit any question. Count. It must be an answer of moft monstrous fize, that muft fit all demands. Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned fhould fpeak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to't. Afk me, if I am a courtier ;-it fhall do you no harm to learn. 3 Count. To be young again, if we could. I will be fool in a queftion, hoping to be the wifer by your anfwer. I pray you, Sir, are you a courtier ? there's a fimple putting off-more, more, a hundred of them. Clo. O Lord, Sir 4 Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you. Clo. O Lord, Sir -- thick, thick, fpare not me. Count. I think, Sir, you can eat none of this homely meat. Clo. O Lord, Sir, rant you. nay put me to't, I war Count. You were lately whip'd, Sir, as I think. 3 To be young again, — The lady cenfures her own levity in trifling with her jefter, as a ridiculous attempt to return back to youth. 4 O Lord, Sir, ] A ridicule on that foolish expletive of fpeech then in vogue at court. WARBURTON. Clo. |