Par. What one, i'faith? Hel. That I wish well."Tis pity Hel. That wishing well had not a body in't, 5 And fhew what we alone muft think; which never Returns us thanks. Enter Page. Page. Monfieur Parolles, my lord calls for you. [Exit page Par Little Helen, farewel: if I can remember thee, I will think of thee at court. Hel. Monfieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable ftar. Par. Under Mars, I. Hel. I efpecially think, under Mars. Par. Why under Mars? Hel. The wars have kept you fo under, that you muft needs be born under Mars. Par. When he was predominant. Hel. When he was retrograde, I think, rather. Par. Why think you fo? Hel. You go fo much backward, when you fight. Par. That's for advantage. Hel.. So is running away, when fear proposes the fafety: But the compofition, that your valour and fear makes in you, is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well. Par. And fhew what we alone muft think;-] And Shew by realities what we now muft only think. JOHNSON. 6 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 Shakespeare and the writers of this age, and taken Par. I am fo full of bufineffes, I cannot anfwer thee acutely I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my inftruction shall serve to naturalize thee; fo thou wilt be capable of courtier's counsel, and understand what advice fhall thruft upon thee; elfe thou dieft in thine unthankfulness, and thine ignorance makes thee away; farewel. When thou haft leisure, fay thy prayers; when thou haft none, remember taken from the texture of cloth. The M was turned 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 exhibits wing without a capital: yet, I confefs, that a virtue of a 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 ftile of Hotspur, "Pluck honour from the moon. JOHNSON. Mr. Edwards is of opinion, that a virtue of a good wing refers to his nimbleness or fleetness in running away. The phrafe, however, is taken from falconry, as may appear from the following paffage in Marfton's Fawne, 1606 : -I love my horfe after à journeying eafinefs, as he is eafy in journeying; my hawk for the goodness of bis wing, &c." Or it may be taken from dress: So, in Every Man out of his Humour: "I would have mine fuch a fuit without a difference; fuch stuff, fuch a wing, fuch a fleeve, &c." Mr. Tollet obferves, that a good wing fignifies a strong wing in lord Bacon's Natural Hiftory, experiment 886: "Certainly many birds of a good wing (as kites and the like) would bear up a good weight as they fly." There is, however, fuch a verb as ming. It is used by Tho. Drant, in his Translation of one of the Epifiles of Horace: "He beares the bell in all refpects who good with sweete doth minge." Again, ibid: "She carves it fyne, and mings it thicke, &c." And again, by fir A. Gorges, in his Tranflation of Lucan, 1614: which never mingsTM "With other stream, &c.' and often by Chaucer. STEEVENS. The reading of the old copy is fupported by a paffage in K. Hen V. in which we meet with a fimilar expreffion : 66 Though his af fections are higher mounted than ours, yet when they stoop, they ftoop with the like wing." MALONE. thy thy friends: get thee a good husband, and use him as he afes thee: fo farewel. [Exit. Hel. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, Which we ascribe to heaven: the fated fky Gives us free fcope; only, doth backward pull Our flow defigns, when we ourselves are dull. What power is it, which mounts my love fo high That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye? 8 The mightie fpace in fortune nature brings To join like likes, and kifs like native things. 7 What power is it, which mounts my love fo high; That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye?] She means, by what influence is my love directed to a perfon fo much above me? why am I made to difcern excellence; and left to long after it, without the food of hope? JOHNSON. The mightiest Space in fortune nature brings To join like likes, and kifs like native things. That weigh their pain in fenfe; and do fuppofe, What hath been, All thefe four lines are obfcure, and, I believe, corrupt; I fhall propose an emendation, which those who can explain the present reading, are at liberty to reject: Through mightieft space in fortune nature brings Likes to join likes, and kifs like native things. That is, nature brings like qualities and difpofitions to meet through any diftance that fortune may have fet between them; the joins them and makes them kifs like things born together. The next lines I read with Hanmer: Impoffible be ftrange attempts to thofe That weigh their pain in fenfe, and do fuppofe What ha'n't been, cannot be. New attempts feem impoffible to thofe who eftimate their labour or enterprises by fenfe, and believe that nothing can be but what they fee before them. JOHNSON. Shakespeare ufes one of these contested phrafes in a different fenfe, in Julius Cæfar: "And fell the mighty space of our large honours "For fo much trash as might be grafped thus." I have offered this inftance for the ufe of any fucceeding commentator who can apply it to the paffage before us. fame thought is lefs ambiguoufly exprefs'd in Timon: "That folder'ft clofe impoffibilities, "And mak'ft them kifs.- STEEVENS, Part of the Im Impoffible be strange attempts, to those That weigh their pain in fenfe; and do fuppofe, SCENE Flourish cornets. The court of France. II. Enter the king of France, with letters, and divers attendants. King. The Florentines and 'Senoys are by the ears; Have fought with equal fortune, and continue A braving war. 1 Lord. So 'tis reported, fir, King. Nay, 'tis moft credible; we here receive it A certainty, vouch'd from our coufin Auftria, With caution, that the Florentine will move us For fpeedy aid; wherein our dearest friend Prejudicates the business, and would feem To have us make denial. I Lord. His love and wifdom, King. He hath arm'd our anfwer, 9 Senoys] The Saneft, as they are term'd by Boccace. Painter, who tranflates him, calls them Senois. They were the people of a small republick, of which the capital was Sienna. The Florentines were at perpetual variance with them. STEEVENS. 2 Lord. 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 parts May'ft thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris. Ber. My thanks and duty are your majefty's. King. I would I had that corporal foundness now, As when thy father, and myfelf, in friendfhip' First try'd our foldierfhip! He did look far Into the fervice of the time, and was Difcipled of the braveft: he lafted long; But on us both did haggifh age fteal on, And wore us out of act. It much repairs me To talk of your good father: In his youth He had the wit, which I can well obferve -Roufillon, The old copy reads Rofignoll. " He had the wit, which I can well obferve To STEEVENS i. e. Ere their titles can cover the levity of their behaviour, and make it pafs for defert. The Oxford editor, not understanding this, alters the line to Ere they can ye their levity with his honour. WARBURTON. I believe honour is not dignity of birth or rank, but acquired reputation: Your father, fays the king, bad the fame airy lights 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 follies, and flight offences are only allowed by mankind in him that overpowers them by great qualities. JOHNSON. A paf |