SCENE III.

Florence. Before the Duke's Palace.

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, BERTRAM, Lords, Officers, Soldiers, and others.

DUKE. The general of our horse thou art; and

we,

Great in our hope, lay our best love and credence, Upon thy promising fortune.

BER.

Sir, it is

A charge too heavy for my strength; but yet
We'll strive to bear it for your worthy sake,
To the extreme edge of hazard'.

DUKE.

Then go thou forth; And fortune play upon thy prosperous helm 2, As thy auspicious mistress!

BER.

This very day,

Great Mars, I put myself into thy file:

Make me but like my thoughts; and I shall prove A lover of thy drum, hater of love.

'We'll strive to BEAR it for your worthy sake,

[Exeunt.

To the extreme EDGE of hazard.] So, in our author's 116th Sonnet:

"But bears it out even to the edge of doom." MALONE. Milton has borrowed this expression, Par. Reg. b. i. :

"You see our danger on the utmost edge

"Of hazard." STEEVENS.

2 And FORTUNE PLAY upon thy prosperous HELM,] So, in King Richard III.:

"Fortune and victory sit on thy helm!"

Again, in King John:

"And victory with little loss doth play

"Upon the dancing banners of the French." STEEvens.

SCENE IV.

Rousillon. A Room in the Countess's Palace.

Enter Countess and Steward.

COUNT. Alas! and would you take the letter of

her?

Might you not know, she would do as she has done, By sending me a letter? Read it again.

STEW. I am Saint Jaques' pilgrim, thither gone; Ambitious love hath so in me offended, That bare-foot plod I the cold ground upon, With fainted vow my faults to have amended. Write, write, that, from the bloody course of war, My dearest master, your dear son may hie; Bless him at home in peace, whilst I from far, His name with zealous fervour sanctify: His taken labours bid him me forgive; I, his despiteful Juno, sent him forth From courtly friends, with camping foes to live, Where death and danger dog the heels of worth: He is too good and fair for Death and me; Whom I myself embrace, to set him free.

3

COUNT. Ah, what sharp stings are in her mildest words!

Saint JAQUES' pilgrim,] I do not remember any place famous for pilgrimages consecrated in Italy to St. James, but it is common to visit St. James of Compostella, in Spain. Another saint might easily have been found, Florence being somewhat out of the road from Rousillon to Compostella. JOHNSON.

From Dr. Heylin's France Painted to the Life, 8vo. 1656, p. 270, 276, we learn that at Orleans was a church dedicated to St. Jacques, to which Pilgrims formerly used to resort, to adore a part of the cross pretended to be found there. REED.

4

-Juno,] Alluding to the story of Hercules. JOHNSON.

Rinaldo, you did never lack advice so much",
As letting her pass so; had I spoke with her,
I could have well diverted her intents,
Which thus she hath prevented.

STEW

Pardon me, madam :

If I had given you this at over-night,

She might have been o'erta'en; and yet she writes, Pursuit would be but vain.

COUNT.

What angel shall

Bless this unworthy husband? he cannot thrive,
Unless her prayers, whom heaven delights to hear,
And loves to grant, reprieve him from the wrath
Of greatest justice.-Write, write, Rinaldo,
To this unworthy husband of his wife;
Let every word weigh heavy of her worth,
That he does weigh too light : my greatest grief,
Though little he do feel it, set down sharply.
Despatch the most convenient messenger:-
When, haply, he shall hear that she is gone,
He will return; and hope I may, that she,
Hearing so much, will speed her foot again,
Led hither by pure love which of them both
Is dearest to me, I have no skill in sense
To make distinction :-Provide this messenger:--
My heart is heavy, and mine age is weak;
Grief would have tears, and sorrow bids me speak.
[Exeunt.

5 lack ADVICE SO much.] Advice, is discretion or thought.

So, in King Henry V.:

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JOHNSON.

And, on his more advice we pardon him." STEEVENS. 6 That he does WEIGH too light :] To weigh here means to value, or esteem. So, in Love's Labour's Lost:

"You weigh me not, O, that's you care not for me."

MALONE.

SCENE V.

Without the Walls of Florence.

A tucket afar off. Enter an old Widow of Florence, DIANA, VIOLENTA, MARIANA, and other Citizens.

WID. Nay, come; for if they do approach the city, we shall lose all the sight.

DIA. They say, the French count has done most honourable service.

WID. It is reported that he has taken their greatest commander: and that with his own hand he slew the duke's brother. We have lost our labour; they are gone a contrary way: hark! you may know by their trumpets.

MAR. Come, let's return again, and suffice ourselves with the report of it. Well, Diana, take heed of this French earl: the honour of a maid is her name; and no legacy is so rich as honesty.

WID. I have told my neighbour, how you have been solicited by a gentleman his companion. MAR. I know that knave; hang him! one Parolles a filthy officer he is in those suggestions for the young earl7.-Beware of them, Diana; their promises, enticements, oaths, tokens, and all these engines of lust, are not the things they go under: many a maid hath been seduced by them: and the misery is, example, that so terrible shows in the

7 — those SUGGESTIONS for the young earl.] Suggestions are temptations. So, in Love's Labour's Lost :

8

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Suggestions are to others as to me." STEEVENS.

- are not the things they go under :] They are not really so true and sincere, as in appearance they seem to be.

THEOBALD.

To go under the name of any thing is a known expression. The meaning is, they are not the things for which their names would make them pass. JOHNSON.

wreck of maidenhood, cannot for all that dissuade succession, but that they are limed with the twigs that threaten them. I hope, I need not to advise you further; but, I hope, your own grace will keep you where you are, though there were no further danger known, but the modesty which is so lost. DIA. You shall not need to fear me.

Enter HELENA, in the dress of a Pilgrim.

WID. I hope so.--Look, here comes a pilgrim : I know she will lie at my house: thither they send one another: I'll question her.

God save you, pilgrim! Whither are you bound? HEL. To Saint Jaques le grand.

Where do the palmers lodge, I do beseech you? WID. At the Saint Francis here, beside the port. HEL. Is this the way?

WID.

Ay, marry, is it.-Hark you! [A march afar off.

They come this way :-If you will tarry, holy pil

grim',

But till the troops come by,

I will conduct you where you shall be lodg'd;
The rather, for, I think, I know your hostess
As ample as myself.

9-palmers] Pilgrims that visited holy places; so called from a staff, or bough of palm they were wont to carry, especially such as had visited the holy places at Jerusalem. "A pilgrim and a palmer differed thus: a pilgrim had some dwellingplace, the palmer none; the pilgrim travelled to some certain place, the palmer to all, and not to any one in particular; the pilgrim might go at his own charge, the palmer must profess wilful poverty; the pilgrim might give over his profession, the palmer must be constant, till he had the palm; that is, victory over his ghostly enemies, and life by death." Blount's Glos sography, voce Pilgrim. REED.

I

HOLY pilgrim,] The interpolated epithet holy, which adds nothing to our author's sense, and is injurious to his metre, may be safely omitted. STEEVENS,