open: He was torn to pieces with a bear: this avouches the shepherd's son; who has not only his innocence (which seems much) to justify him, but a handkerchief, and rings, of his, that Paulina knows.

1 Gent. What became of his bark, and his followers? 3 Gent, Wrecked, the same instant of their master's death; and in the view of the shepherd: so that all the instruments, which aided to expose the child, were even then lost, when it was found. But, O, the noble combat, that, 'twixt joy and sorrow, was fought in Paulina! She had one eye declined for the loss of her husband; another elevated that the oracle was fulfilled: She lifted the princess from the earth; and so locks her in embracing, as if she would pin her to her heart, that she might no more be in danger of losing.

1 Gent. The dignity of this act was worth the audience of kings and princes; for by such was it acted.

3 Gent. One of the prettiest touches of all, and that which angled for mine eyes (caught the water, though not the fish,) was, when at the relation of the queen's death, with the manner how she came to it, (bravely confessed, and lamented by the king,) how attentiveness wounded his daughter: till, from one sign of dolour to another, she did, with an alas! I would fain say, bleed tears; for, I am sure, my heart wept blood. Who was most marble there,3 changed colour; some swooned, all sorrowed: if all the world could have seen it, the woe had been universal.

3

1 Gent. Are they returned to the court?

most marble there,] i. e. most petrified with wonder. So, in Milton's epitaph on our author:

"There thou our fancy of itself bereaving,

"Dost make us marble by too much conceiving." Steevens. It would not be

It means those who had the hardest hearts.

extraordinary that those persons should change colour who were petrified with wonder, though it was, that hardened hearts should be moved by a scene of tenderness. M. Mason.

So, in King Henry VIII:

66

Hearts of most hard temper

66 Melt, and lament for him."

Malone.

Mr. M. Mason's and Mr. Malone's explanation may be right. So, in Antony and Cleopatra:

66

now from head to foot "I am marble constant."

VOL. VI.

Steevens.

D d

3 Gent. No: the princess hearing of her mother's statue, which is in the keeping of Paulina,—a piece many years in doing, and now newly performed by that rare Italian master, Julio Romano; who, had he himself eternity, and could put breath into his work, would beguile nature of her custom,5 so perfectly he is her ape:

4

4 that rare Italian master, Julio Romano; &c.] This excellent artist was born in the year 1492, and died in 1546. Fine and generous, as this tribute of praise must be owned, yet it was a strange absurdity, sure, to thrust it into a tale, the action of which is supposed within the period of heathenism, and whilst the oracles of Apollo were consulted. This, however, was a known and wilful anachronism. Theobald.

By eternity Shakspeare means only immortality, or that part of eternity which is to come; so we talk of eternal renown an eternal infamy. Immortality may subsist without divinity, and therefore the meaning only is, that if Julio could always continue his labours, he would mimick nature. Johnson.

I wish we could understand this passage, as if Julio Romano had only painted the statue carved by another. Ben Jonson makes Doctor Rut in The Magnetic Lady, Act V, sc. viii, say: all city statues must be painted,

cr

"Else they be worth nought i' their subtil judgements." Sir Henry Wotton, in his Elements of Architecture, mentions the fashion of colouring even regal statues for the stronger expression of affection, which he takes leave to call an English barbarism. Such, however, was the practice of the time: and unless the supposed statue of Hermione were painted, there could be no ruddiness upon her lip, nor could the veins verily seem to bear blood, as the poet expresses it afterwards. Tollet.

Our author expressly says, in a subsequent passage, that it was painted, and without doubt meant to attribute only the painting to Julio Romano:

"The ruddiness upon her lip is wet;

"You'll mar it, if you kiss it; stain your own
"With oily painting." Malone.

Sir H. Wotton could not possibly know what has been lately proved by Sir William Hamilton in the MS. accounts which accompany several valuable drawings of the discoveries made at Pompeii, and presented by him to our Antiquary Society, viz. that it was usual to colour statues among the ancients. In the chapel of Isis in the place already mentioned, the image of that goddess had been painted over, as her robe is of a purple hue. Mr. Tollet has since informed me, that Junius, on the painting of the ancients, observes from Pausanias and Herodotus, that sometimes the statues of the ancients were coloured after the manner of pictures. Steevens.

5 of her custom,] That is, of her trade,-would draw her customers from her. Johnson.

he is so near to Hermione hath done Hermione, that, they say, one would speak to her, and stand in hope of answer: thither with all greediness of affection, are they gone; and there they intend to sup.

1 Gent. I thought, she had some great matter there in hand; for she hath privately, twice or thrice a-day, ever since the death of Hermione, visited that removed house. Shall we thither, and with our company piece the rejoicing?

1 Gent. Who would be thence, that has the benefit of access?6 every wink of an eye, some new grace will be born: our absence makes us unthrifty to our knowledge. Let's along. [Exeunt Gent.

Aut. Now, had I not the dash of my former life in me, would preferment drop on my head. I brought the old man and his son aboard the prince; told him, I heard him talk of a fardel, and I know not what: but he at that time, over-fond of the shepherd's daughter, (so he then took her to be) who began to be much sea-sick, and himself little better, extremity of weather continuing, this mystery remained undiscovered. But 'tis all one to me: for had I been the finder-cut of this secret, it would not have relished among my other discredits.

Enter Shepherd and Clown.

Here come those I have done good to against my will, and already appearing in the blossoms of their fortune. Shep. Come, boy; I am past more children; but thy sons and daughters will be all gentlemen born.

Clo. You are well met, sir: You denied to fight with me this other day, because I was no gentleman born: See you these clothes? say, you see them not, and think me still no gentleman born: you were best say, these robes are not gentlemen born. Give me the lie; do; and try whether I am not now a gentleman born.

6 Who would be thence, that has the benefit of access?] It was, I suppose, only to spare his own labour that the poet put this whole scene into narrative, for though part of the transaction was already known to the audience, and therefore could not properly be shewn again, yet the two kings might have met upon the stage, and after the examination of the old Shepherd, the young lady might have been recognised in sight of the spectators.

Johnson.

Aut. I know, you are now, sir, a gentleman born. Clo. Ay, and have been so any time these four hours. Shep. And so have I, boy.

Clo. So you have:-but I was a gentleman born before my father: for the king's son took me by the hand, and called me, brother; and then the two kings called my father, brother; and then the prince, my brother, and the princess, my sister, called my father, father; and so we wept: and there was the first gentleman-like tears that ever we shed.

Shep. We may live, son, to shed many more.

Clo. Ay; or else 'twere hard luck, being in so preposterous estate as we are.

Aut. I humbly beseech you, sir, to pardon me all the faults I have committed to your worship, and to give me your good report to the prince my master.

Shep. 'Pr'ythee, son, do; for we must be gentle, now we are gentlemen.

Clo. Thou wilt amend thy life?

Aut. Ay, an it like your good worship.

Clo. Give me thy hand: I will swear to the prince, thou art as honest a true fellow as any is in Bohemia. Shep. You may say it, but not swear it.

Clo. Not swear it,

and franklins say it,

now I am a gentleman? Let boors I'll swear it.

Shep. How if it be false, son?

Clo. If it be ne'er so false, a true gentleman may swear it, in the behalf of his friend:-And I'll swear to the prince, thou art a tall fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt not be drunk; but I know, thou art no tall fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt be drunk; but

7

8

franklins say it,] Franklin is a freeholder, or yeoman, a man above a villain, but not a gentleman. Johnson.

8

tall fellow of thy hands,] Tall, in that time, was the word used for stout. Johnson.

Part of this phrase occurs in Gower, De Confessione Amantis, Lib. V, fol. 114:

"A noble knight eke of his honde."

A man of his hands had anciently two significations. It either meant an adroit fellow who handled his weapon well, or a fellow skilful in thievery. In the first of these senses it is used by the Clown. Phraseology like this is often met with. So, in Acolas tus, a comedy, 1540:

I'll swear it: and I would, thou would'st be a tall fellow of thy hands.

Aut. I will prove so, sir, to my power.

Clo. Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow: If I do not wonder, how thou darest venture to be drunk, not being a tall fellow, trust me not.-Hark! the kings and the princes, our kindred, are going to see the queen's picture. Come, follow us: we 'll be thy good masters." [Exeunt.

The same.

SCENE III.

A Room in Paulina's House.

Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, FLORIZEL, PERDITA, CAMILLO, PAULINA, Lords, and Attendants.

Leon. O grave and good Paulina, the great comfort That I have had of thee!

"Thou art a good man of thyne habite." Steevens.

A tall fellow of thy hands means, a stout fellow of your size.We measure horses by hands, which contain four inches; and from thence the phrase is taken. M. Mason.

The following quotation from Questions concernyng Coniehood, &c. 1595, will at least ascertain the sense in which Autolycus would have wished this phrase to be received: "Coniehood proceeding from choller, is in him which amongst mirth having but one crosse word given him, straightwaies fals to his weapons, and will hacke peecemeale the quicke and the dead through superfluity of his manhood; and doth this for this purpose, that the standers by may say that he is a tall fellow of his hands, and such a one as will not swallow a cantell of cheese."

In Chapman's version of the thirteenth Iliad, we have:

"Long-rob'd Iaons, Locrians, and (brave men of their hands)

"The Phthian and Epeian troops -," Steevens.

I think, in old books it generally means a strong stout fellow. Malone.

9 Come, follow us: we'll be thy good masters.] The Clown conceits himself already a man of consequence at court. It was the fashion for an inferior, or suitor, to beg of the great man, after his humble commendations, that he would be good master to him. Many letters written at this period run in this style.

Thus Fisher, bishop of Rochester, when in prison, in a letter to Cromwell to relieve his want of clothing: "Furthermore, I beseeche you to be gode master unto one in my necessities, for I have neither shirt, nor sute, nor yet other clothes, that are necessary for me to wear." Whalley.