cause, and smile at no man's jefls; eat when I have ftomach, and wait for no man's leiture; fleep when I am drowsy, and tend on no man's business; laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humour.✦ CON. Yea, but you muft not make the full fhow of this, till you may do it without controlment. You have of late ftood out againll your brother, and he hath ta'en you newly into his grace; where it is impoffible you should take true root, but by the fair weather that you make yourself: it is needful that you frame the season for your own harvest. D. JOHN. I had rather be a canker in a hedge, than a rofe in his grace; and it better fits my blood pleasure, and too fullen to receive it, always endeavours to hide, its malignity from the world and from itself, under the plainness of fimple honefty, or the dignity of haughty independence. 4 JOHNSON. claw no man in his humour.] To claw is to flatter. pope's claw-backs, in Bishop Jewel, are the pope's flatterers. The fenfe is the fame in the proverb, Mulus mulum fcabit. So, in Albion's England, 1597, p. 125: JOHNSON. The overweening of thy wits doth make thy foes to smile, "Thy friends to weepe, and claw-backs thee with foothings to beguile." Again, in Wylfon on Ufury, 1571, p. 141: “therefore I will clawe him, and faye well might he fare, and godds bleffing have For the more he speaketh, the better it itcheth, and maketh better for me." REED. he 100. I had rather be a canker in a hedge, than a rofe in his grace; } A canker is the canker rofe, dog-rofe, cynofbatus, or hip. The fenfe is, I would rather live in obfcurity 'the wild life of nature, than owe dignity or estimation to my brother. He ftill continues his with of gloomy independence. But what is the meaning of the expreffion, a rofe in his grace? If he was a rofe of himself, his brother's grace or favour could not degrade him. I once read thus: I had rather be a canker in hedge, than a rofe in his garden; that is, I had rather be what nature makes me, however mean, than owe any exaltation or improvement to my brother's kindness or cultivation. But a lefs change will be fufficient: I think is to be difdain'd of all, than to fafhion a carriage to rob love from any: in this, though I cannot be faid to be a flattering honeft man, it must not be denied but I am a plain - dealing villain. I am trufted with a muzzle, and enfranchised with a'clog; therefore I have decreed not to fing in my cage: If I had my mouth, I would bite; if I had my liberty, I would do my liking: in the mean time, let me be that I am, and feek not to alter me. CON. Can you make no use of your difcontent? D. JOHN. I make all use of it, for I use it only. Who comes here? What news, Borachio? Enter BORACHIO. BORA. I came yonder from a great fupper; the prince, your brother, is royally entertain'd by fhould be read, I had rather be a canker in a hedge, than a rose by his grace. JOHNSON. The canker is a term often fubftituted for the canker-rofe. Heywood, in his Love's Miftress, 1636, calls it the "canker-flower." Again, in Shakspeare's 54th Sonnet : "The canker blooms have full as deep a die - I think no change is neceffary. The sense is, I had rather be a neglected dog-rofe in a hedge, than a garden-flower of the fame fpecies, if it profited by his culture. STEEVENS. The latter words are intended as an answer to what Conrade has juft faid he hath ta'en you newly into his grace, where it is impoffible you fhould take true root," &c. In Macbeth we have a kindred expreffion: "I have begun to plant thee, and will labour Again, in K. Henry VI. P. II. "I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares." MALONE. for I ufe it only. ] i. c. for I make nothing else my Leonato; and I can give you intelligence of an intended marriage. D. JOHN. Will it ferve for any model to build mifchief on? What is he for a fool, that betroths himself to unquietnefs? BORA. Marry, it is your brother's right hand. D. JOHN. A proper fquire! And who, and who? which way looks he? BORA. Marry, on Hero, the daughter and heir of Leonato. D. JOHN. A very forward March-chick! How came you to this? BORA. Being entertain'd for a perfumer, as I was fmoking a mufty room, comes me the prince and Claudio, hand in hand, in fad conference:" I whipt me behind the arras; and there heard it agreed upon, that the prince fhould woo Hero for himself, and having obtained her, give her to count Claudio. D. JOHN. Come, come, let us thither; this may prove food to my difpleafure: that young flart-up hath all the glory of my overthrow; if I can cross him any way, I blefs myself every way: You are both fure, and will affift me? CON. To the death, my lord.. D. JOHN. Let us to the great fupper; their cheer is the greater, that I am fubdued: 'Would the cook were of my mind! - Shall we go prove what's to be done? BORA. We'll wait upon your lordship. [Exeunt. ACT T II. SCENE I. A Hall in LEONATO's Houfe. Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, HERO, BEATRICE, and LEON. Was not count John here at fupper? BEAT. How tartly that gentleman looks! I never can fee him, but I am heart-burn'd an hour after. HERO. He is of a very melancholy difpofition. BEAT. He were an excellent man, that were made juft in the mid-way between him and Benedick: the one is too like an image, and says nothing; and the other, too like, my lady's eldest fon, evermore tattling. LEON. Then half fignior Benedick's tongue in count John's mouth, and half count John's melancholy in fignior Benedick's face, BEAT. With a good leg, and a good foot, uncle, and money enough in his purfe, fuch a man would win any woman in the world, if he could good will. get her LEON. By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband, if thou be fo fhrewd of thy tongue. ANT. In faith, fhe is too curst. 9 heart-burn'd an hour after. ] The pain commonly called the heart-burn, proceeds from an acid humour in the ftomach, and is therefore properly enough imputed to tart looks. JOHNSON. BEAT. Too curft is more than curft: I fhall lenen God's fending that way: for it is faid, God fends a curft cow fhort horns; but to a cow too curft he fends none. LEON. So, by being too curft, God will fend you no horns. BEAT. Juft, if he fend me no hufband; for the which bleffing, I am at him upon my knees every /morning and evening: Lord! I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face; I had rather lie in the wollen. " LEON. You may light upon a husband, that hath no beard. BEAT. What fhould I do with him? drefs him in my apparel, and make him my waiting-gentlewoman? He that hath a beard, is more than a youth? and he that hath no beard, is less than a man: and he that is more than a youth, is not for me; and he that is less than a man, I am not for him: Therefore I will even take fix-pence in earnest of the bear-herd, and lead his apes into hell. LEO. Well then, go you into hell! 3 BEAT. No; but to the gate: and there will the devil mect me, like an old cuckold, with horns on his head, and fay, Get you to heaven, Beatrice, get you to heaven; here's no place for you maids: fo 2 - in the woollen. ] I suppose she means -between blankets, without sheets. STEEVENS. 3 Well then, &c.] Of the two next fpeeches Dr. Warburton fays, All this impious nonfenfe thrown to the bottom, is the players', and foifted in without rhyme or reafon. He therefore puts them in the margin. They do not deserve indeed fo honourable a place; yet I am afraid they are too much in the manner of our author, who is fometimes trying to purchase merriment at too dear a rate. I have reftored the lines omitted. STILYENS. JOHNSON. |