The time is fair again.

Ber. My high repented blames,
Dear Sovereign, pardon to me.
King. All is whole.

Not one word more of the consumed time,
Let's take the inftant by the forward top;
For we are old, and on our quick'ft decrees
Th' inaudible and noiselefs foot of time
Steals, ere we can effect them. You remember
The daughter of this Lord?

Ber. Admiringly, my Liege. At first
I ftuck my choice upon her, ere my heart -
Durft make too bold a herald of my tongue :
Where the impreffion of mine eye enfixing,
Contempt his fcornful perfpective did lend me,
Which warp'd the line of every other favour;
Scorn'd a fair colour, or exprefs'd it stoll'n '
Extended or contracted all proportions

5 SCORN' D a fair colour, or exprefs'd it ftol'n;] Fir, it is to be obferved, that this young man's cafe was not indifference to the fex in general, but a very ftrong attachment to one; there fore he could not fcorn a fair co lour, for it was that which had captivated him. But he might very naturally be faid to do what men, ftrongly attach'd to one, commonly do, not allow beauty in any face but his mitrefs's. And that this was the thought here, is evident,

1. From the latter part of the verse.

or express'd it floll'n ; 2. From the preceding verfe, Which warp'd the line of every other favour;

3. From the following verfes, Extended or contracted all proportions

To a most hideous object :

Τα

Secondly, It is to be obferved, that he defcribes his indifference for others in highly figurative expreffions. Contempt is brought in lending him her perspectiveglafs, which does its office properly by warping the lines of all other faces; by extending or contracting into a hide us object; or by expreffing or shewing native red and white as paint. But with what propriety of speech can this glafs be faid to corn, which is an affection of the mind? Here then the metaphor becomes miferably mangled; but the foregoing obfervation will lend us to the genuine reading. which is, SCORCH'D a fair colour, or ex

press'd it ftl'n; i. e. this glafs reprefented the owner as brown or tanned: or, if not fo, caufed the nave co

Ccz

lour

To a most hideous object: thence it came,

That fhe, whom all men prais'd, and whom myself,
Since I have loft, have lov'd, was in mine eye
The duft that did offend it.

King. Well excus'd

That thou do'ft love her, ftrikes fome scores away From the great 'compt; but love, that comes too late, Like a remorseful pardon flowly carried,

To the great fender turns a four offence,

Crying, that's good that is gone: our rash faults
Make trivial price of ferious things we have,
Not knowing them, until we know their grave.
Oft our difpleasures, to ourselves unjust,

Destroy our friends, and, after, weep their duft :
" Our own love, waking, cries to fee what's done +
While fhameful hate fleeps out the afternoon.
Be this fweet Helen's knell; and now forget her.
Send forth your amorous token for fair Maudlin,
The main confents are had, and here we'll flay
To fee our widower's fecond marriage-day.
Count. Which better than the first, O dear heav'n
blefs.

lour to appear artificial, Thus he fpeaks in character, and confiftently with the reft of his speech. The emendation reflores integrity to the figure, and, by a beautiful thought, makes the fcornful perspective of contempt do the office of a burning glofs. WARBURTON. It was but juft to infert this note, long as it is, because the commentator feems to think it of importance. Let the reader judge.

Our own love, waking, &c.] 'Thefe two lines I should be glad to call an interpolation of a player, They are ill connected with the former, and not very clear or proper in themselves. I believe

Or,

Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, cease!
Laf. Come on, my fon, in whom my house's name
Must be digested: give a favour from you
To sparkle in the fpirits of my daughter,
That he may quickly come. By my old beard,
And ev'ry hair that's on't, Helen, that's dead,
Was a sweet creature: fuch a ring as this,
The laft that e'er fhe took her leave at court,
I faw upon her finger.

Ber. Her's it was not.

King. Now, pray you, let me fee it: For mine eye, While I was fpeaking, oft was faften'd to't.

This ring was mine; and, when I gave it Helen,
I bade her, if her fortunes ever stood

Neceffitied to help, that by this token

I would relieve her. Had you that craft to reave her Of what should stead her most ?

Ber. My gracious fovereign, Howe'er it pleases you to take it fo, The ring was never her's.

Count. Son, on my life,

I've seen her wear it, and fhe reckon'd it

At her life's rate.

Laf. I'm fure, I faw her wear it.

Ber. You are deceiv'd, my Lord, fhe never faw it; In Florence was it from a cafement thrown me, Wrap'd in a paper, which contain'd the name

Countess's Name to these two Lines. The King appears, indeed, to be a Favourer of Bertram: but if Bertram' fhould make a bad Hufband the second Time, why fhould it give the King fuch mortal Pangs? A fond and difappointed Mother might reasonably not defire to live to fee fuch a Day: and from her

the Wish of dying, rather than to behold it, comes with Propriety. THEOBALD. 8 In Florence was it from a

cafement] Bertram fill continues to have too little virtue to deferve Helen. He did not know indeed that it was Helen's ring, but he knew that he had it not from a window.

Of her that threw it: Noble fhe was, and thought
I ftood engag'd; but when I had fubfcrib'd
To mine own fortune, and inform'd her fully,
I could not anfwer in that courfe of honour
As fhe had made the overture, fhe ceaft
In heavy fatisfaction, and would never
Receive the ring again.

King. Plutus himself,

That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine', Hath not in nature's myftery more fcience, Than I have in this ring. 'Twas mine, 'twas Helen's, Whoever gave it you: then if you know 2, That you are well acquainted with yourself, Confefs 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement You got it from her. She call'd the Saints to furety, That he would never put it from her finger, Unless the gave it to yourself in bed, (Where you have never come) or fent it us

9

Noble he was, and

thought I food engag'd; -] I don't understand this Reading; if we are to underfland that he thought Bertram engaged to her in Affection, infnared by her Charms, this Meaning is too obfcurely exprefs'd. The Context rather makes me believe, that the Poet wrote,

noble he was, and thought 1 ficod ungag'd; — i. e. unengag'd: neither my Heart, nor Perfon, difpos'd of. THEOBALD.

The plain meaning is, when fhe faw me receive the ring, the thought me engaged to her. King. Plutus himself, That knows the tinct and mul tiplying medicine,] Plutus the grand alchimist, who knows the tincture which confers the properties of old upon bafe

metals, and the matter by which gold is multiplied, by which a fmall quantity of gold is made to communicate its qualities to a large mais of metal.

In the reign of Henry the fourth a law was made to forbid all men thenceforth to multiply gold, or use any craft of multiplication. Of which law Mr. Boyle, when he was warm with the hope of tranfmutation, procured a repeal.

then if you know, That you are well acquainted

with yourself, i. e. then if you be wife. A ftrange way of expreffing fo trivial a thought! WARBURTON.

The true meaning of this Arange expreffion is, If you know that your faculties are fo found, as that you have the proper confcicufness of your own aliens, and are able to recollect and relate what you have done, tell me, &c.

Upon

King. Thou fpeak'ft it falfely, as I love mine honour; And mak'ft conject'ral fears to come into me, Which I would fain fhut out; if it fhould prove That thou art fo inhuman-'twill not prove fo And yet I know not-thou didst hate her deadly, And she is dead; which nothing, but to close Her eyes myself, could win me to believe, More than to fee this ring. Take him away. [Guards feize Bertram.

Away with him,

My fore-paft proofs, howe'er the matter fall,
Shall tax my fears of little vanity,
Having vainly fear'd too little.
We'll lift this matter further.
Ber. If you shall prove,

This ring was ever hers, you fhall as eafy
Prove that I husbanded her bed in Florence,
Where yet she never was.

[Exit Bertram guarded.

SCENE V.

Enter a Gentleman.

King. I'm wrap'd in difmal thinkings.

Gent. Gracious Sovereign,

Whether I've been to blame or no, I know not:

Here's a petition from a Florentine,

Who hath some four or five removes come short +

3 My fore-paft proofs, bowe'er the matter fail,

Shall tax my fears of little vanity,

Having vainly feared too little.] The proofs which I have already bad, are fufficient to fhow that my fears were not vain and irrational. I have rather been

Το

hitherto more eafy than I ought, and have unreasonably had too little fear.

4 Who bath FOR four or five removes come bort.] We should read, Who hath SOME four or five removes come fort. So in King Lear,

For that I am SOME twelve or Cc4 fourteen