Ber. I am commanded here, and kept a coil with; Too young, and the next year, and 'tis too early.

Par. An thy mind ftand to it, boy, fteal away bravely.

Ber. I fhall stay here the forehorse to a fmock, Creaking my fhoes on the plain masonry,

'Till honour be bought up, and no fword worn, But one to dance with! By heaven, I'll steal away. 1 Lord. There's honour in the theft.

Par. Commit it, count.

2 Lord. I am your acceffary; and so farewel, Ber. I grow to you, and our parting is a tortur'd body.

1 Lord. Farewel, captain.

2 Lord. Sweet monfieur Parolles !

Par. Noble heroes, my fword and yours are kin. Good fparks and luftrous, a word, good metals: 5 You fhall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his finifter cheek; it was this very fword entrench'd it fay to him, I live; and obferve his re ports for me.

2 Lord. We fhall, noble captain.

5 I grow to you, and our parting is a tortur'd body.] I read thus: Our parting is the parting of a tortured body. Our parting is as the difruption of limbs torn from each other. Repetition of a word is often the cause of mistakes: the eye glances on the wrong word, and the intermediate part of the fentence is omitted. JOHNSON. So, in K. Henry VIII. act II. fc. ili:

66

it is a fufferance, panging

STEEVENS.

"As foul and body's fevering.' You fhall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one captain Spurio, bis cicatrice, with an emblem of war here on his finifter cheek ;] It is furprifing, none of the editors could fee that a flight tranfpofition was abfolutely neceffary here, when there is not common fenfe in the paffage, as it ftands without fuch tranfpofition. Parolles only means: You fhall find one captain Spurio in the camp, with a fear on his left cheek, a mark of war that my fword gave him." THEOBALD.

Par

Par. Mars doat on you for his novices! what will you do?

Ber. Stay; the king

Par. Ufe a more fpacious ceremony to the noble lords; you have restrain'd yourself within the list of too cold an adieu: be more expreffive to them; for 7 they wear themselves in the cap of the time, there do mufter true gait, eat, fpeak, and move under the influence of the most receiv'd ftar; and though the devil lead the measure, fuch are to be follow'd: after them, and take a more dilated farewel.

Ber. And I will do fo.

Par. Worthy fellows; and like to prove most finewy fword-men. [Exeunt.

Laf. Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings. King. I'll fee thee to stand up.

7 they wear themselves in the cap of the time, there, do mufter, true gait, &c.] The main obfcurity of this paffage arifes from the mistake of a fingle letter. We fhould read, instead of, do mufter, to mufter. To wear themfelves in the cap of the time, fignifies to be the foremost in the fashion: the figurative allufion is to the gallantry then in vogue, of wearing jewels, flowers, and their miftrefs's favours in their caps.. there to mufter true gait, fignifies to affemble together in the high road of the fashion. All the reft is intelligible and easy. WARBURTon.

I think this emendation cannot be faid to give much light to the obfcurity of the paffage. Perhaps it might be read thus: They do mufter with the true gaite, that is, they have the true military step. Every man has obferved fomething peculiar in the ftrut of a foldier. JOHNSON.

Perhaps we fhould read-mafter true gait. To mafter any thing, is to learn it perfectly. So, in the First Part of K. Hen. IV: "As if he mafter'd there a double spirit

"Of teaching and of learning".

Again, in K. Hen. V:

"Between the promife of his greener days,
"And those he mafters now."

In this laft inftance, however, both the quartos, viz. 1600, and 1608, read mufters. STEEVENS,

Laf.

Laf. Then here's a man

Stands, that has bought his pardon. I would, you
Had kneel'd, my lord, to ask me mercy; and
That, at my bidding, you could fo ftand up.
King. I would I had; fo I had broke thy pate,
And afk'd thee mercy for't.

Laf. Goodfaith, 9 across :- -but, my good lord,

'tis thus ;

Will you be cur'd of your infirmity?
King. No.

Laf. O, will you eat

No grapes, my royal fox? 'yes, but you will,
My noble grapes, an if my royal fox

Could reach them: I have seen a medecin,
That's able to breathe life into a stone;
Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary

With fprightly fire and motion; whofe fimple touch
Is powerful to araife king Pepin, nay,

To give great Charlemain a pen in his hand,
And write to her a love-line.

King. What her is this?

• -that has bought bis pardon.] The old copy reads-brought. STEEVENS. 9-acrofs:] This word, as has been already obferved, is ufed when any pafs of wit mifcarries. JOHNSON.

Yes, but you will, my noble grapes; an' if] These words, my noble grapes, feem to Dr. Warburton and Sir T. Hanmer, to ftand fo much in the way, that they have filently omitted them. They may be indeed rejected without great lofs, but I believe they are Shakespeare's words. You will eat, fays Lafeu, no grapes. Yes, but you will eat fuch noble grapes as I bring you, if you could reach them. JOHNSON.

2

I have feen a medecin,

That's able to breathe life into a ftone;

Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary]

Mr. Rich. Broom, in his comedy, intitled, The City Wit, or the Woman wears the Breeches, act IV. fc. i. mentions this among other dances: "As for corantoes, levoltos, jigs, measures, pavins, brawls, galliards or canaries; I speak it not fwellingly, but I fubfcribe to no map,' Dr. GRAY

Laf.

Laf. Why, doctor fhe: My lord, there's one arriv'd,

If you will fee her-now, by my faith and honour, If seriously I may convey my thoughts.

In this my light deliverance, I have spoke

3

With one, that, in her fex, her years, profeffion, Wisdom, and conftancy, hath amaz'd me more

Than I dare blame my weaknefs: Will you fee her, (For that is her demand) and know her business? That done, laugh well at me.

King. Now, good Lafeu,

Bring in the admiration; that we with thee,
May spend our wonder too, or take off thine,
By wond'ring how thou took'ft it.

Laf. Nay, I'll fit you,

And not be all day neither.

[Exit Lafeu.

King. Thus he his fpecial nothing ever prologues,

Laf. [Returns.] Nay, come your ways.

[Bringing in Helena,

King. This hafte hath wings indeed.

Laf. Nay, come your ways;

This is his majefty, fay your mind to him
A traitor you do look like; but fuch traitors
His majefty feldom fears: I am Creffid's uncle 5,
That dare leave two together; fare you well. [Exit.
King. Now, fair one, does your bufinefs follow us?
Hel. Ay, my good lord. Gerard de Narbon was
My father; in what he did profess, well found.
King. I knew him.

Hel. The rather will I fpare my praises toward him; Knowing him, is enough. On his bed of death

3her years, profeffion,] By profeffion is meant her declaration, of the end and purpofe of her coming. WARBURTON.

+ Than I dare blame my weakness:] This is one of Shakespeare's perplexed expreffions. To acknowledge how much she has aftonished me, would be to acknowledge a weakness; and this I have not the confidence to do. STEEVENS.

5 -Creffid's uncle,] I am like Pandarus. See Troilus and Crefida. JOHNSON.

Many

Many receipts he gave me; chiefly one,
Which, as the dearest iffue of his practice,
And of his old experience the only darling,
He bad me ftore up, as a triple eye,

6

Safer than mine own two, more dear; I have fo:
And, hearing your high majefty is touch'd
With that malignant cause wherein the honour 7
Of my dear father's gift ftands chief in power,
I come to tender it, and my appliance,
With all bound humbleness.

King. We thank you, maiden;

But may not be fo credulous of cure,-
When our most learned doctors leave us; and
The congregated college have concluded,
That labouring art can never answer nature
From her inaidable eftate,-I fay we must not
So ftain our judgment, or corrupt our hope,
To prostitute our paft-cure malady
To empericks; or to diffever fo

Our great felf and our credit, to esteem

A fenfelefs help, when help paft sense we deem.
Hel. My duty then fhall pay me for my pains:
I will no more enforce mine office on you;
Humbly intreating from your royal thoughts
A modeft one, to bear me back again.

King. I cannot give thee lefs, to be call'd grateful:
Thou thought'ft to help me ; and fuch thanks I give,
As one near death to those that with him live:
But, what at full I know, thou know'ft no part;
I knowing all my peril, thou no art.

Hel. What I can do, can do no hurt to try, Since you fet up your reft 'gainft remedy:

7

triple eye,] i. e. a third eye." STEEVENS.

wherein the honour

Of my dear father's gift ftands chief in power,]

Perhaps we may better read:

wherein the power

Of my dear father's gift ftands chief in honour. JOHNSON.

He