What is infirm from your found parts shall fly, What dar'ft thou venture? Hel. Tax of impudence, A strumpet's boldness, a divulged shame King. Methinks, in thee some blessed Spirit doth speak His powerful found, within an organ weak; In common sense, sense saves another way. (9) Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, all, &c.] This Verse is too short by a Foot; and apparently fome Dissyllable is drop'd out by Mischance. Mr. Warburton concurr'd with me in Conjecture to supply the Verse thus : Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, virtue, all, &c. Helena had laid a particular Strefs on her maiden Reputation; and the King, afterwards, when he comes to speak of her to Bertram, says; If she be All that is virtuous, (save, What thou diflik'st, A poor Physician's Daughter;) thou diflik'st of Virtue for her name: King. (10) Make thy demand. Hel. But will you make it even ? King. Ay, by my scepter, and my hopes of heaven. What Husband in thy power I will command. To chuse from forth the royal blood of France; King. Here is my hand, the premises observ'd, Count. SCENE changes to Rousillon. Enter Countess and Clown. [Exeunt. OME on, Sir; I shall now put you to the Cheight of your breeding. Clown. I will shew my self highly fed, and lowly taught; I know, my business is but to the court. (10) King. Make thy Demand. Hel. But will you make it even ? King. Ay, by my Scepter and my hopes of help.) The King could have but a very flight Hope of Help from her, scarce enough to fwear by: and therefore Helen might suspect, he meant to equivocate with her. Besides, observe, the greatest Part of the Scene is strictly in Rhyme: and there is no Shadow of Reason why it should be interrupted here. I rather imagine, the Poet wrote ; Ay, by my Scepter, and my Hopes of Heaven. Dr. Thirlby. Count. But to the court? why, what place make you special, when you put off that with such contempt; but to the court! Clo. Truly, Madam, if God have lent a man any manners, he may easily put it off at court: he that cannot make a leg, put off's cap, kiss his hand, and say nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap; and, indeed, such a fellow, to say precisely, were not for the court: but for me, I have an answer will serve all men. Count. Marry, that's a bountiful answer that fits all questions. Clo. It is like a barber's chair, that fits all buttocks; the pin-buttock, the quatch-buttock, the brawn-buttock, or any buttock. Count. Will your answer serve fit to all questions? Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French crown for your taffaty punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's fore-finger, as a pancake for Shrove-Tuefday, a morris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a scolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth; nay, as the pudding to his skin. Count. Have you, I fay, an answer of such fitness for all questions ? Clo. From below your duke, to beneath your conflable, it will fit any question. Count. It must be an answer of most monstrous fize, that must fit all demands. Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned should speak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to't. Ask me, if I am a courtier; --it shall do you no harm to learn. Count. To be young again, if we could: I will be a fool in a question, hoping to be the wiser by your answer. I pray you, Sir, are you a courtier ? Clo. O lord, Sir there's a simple putting off: more, more, a hundred of them. Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you. Cla. O lord, Sir-thick, thick, spare not me. B 4 Count. King. I cannot give thee less, to be call'd grateful; Thou thought'st to help me, and such thanks I give, As one near death to those that wish him live; But what at full I know, thou know'st no part; I knowing all my peril, thou no art. Hel. What I can do, can do no hurt to try, Since you set up your reft 'gainst remedy. He that of greatest works is finisher, Oft does them by the weakest minister: So holy writ in babes hath judgment shown, When judges have been babes; great floods have flown From simple sources; and great feas have dry'd, When mir'cles have by th' greatest been deny'd. Oft expectation fails, and most oft there Where most it promises: and oft it hits Where hope is coldest, and despair most sits. King. I must not hear thee; fare thee well, kind Maid; Thy pains, not us'd, must by thy self be paid : Hel. Inspired merit so by breath is barr'd: King. Art thou so confident? within what space Hop'ft thou my cure ? Hel. The greatest grace lending grace, What What is infirm from your found parts shall fly, What dar'st thou venture? Hel. Tax of impudence, A strumpet's boldness, a divulged shame King. Methinks, in thee some blessed Spirit doth speak His powerful found, within an organ weak; In common sense, sense saves another way. Hel. If I break time, or flinch in property (9) Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, all, &c.] This Verse is too short by a Foot; and apparently fome Dissyllable is drop'd out by Mischance. Mr. Warburton concurr'd with me in Conjecture to supply the Verse thus : Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, virtue, all, &c. Helena had laid a particular Strefs on her maiden Reputation; and the King, afterwards, when he comes to speak of her to Bertram, says; If she be All that is virtuous, (save, What thou diflikt, A poor Physician's Daughter;) thou diflik'st Of Virtue for her name : |