When I should take possession of the bride,-
And, ere I do begin,

Laf. A good traveller is something at the latter end of a dinner; but one that lies three-thirds, and uses a known truth to pass a thousand nothings with, should be once heard, and thrice beaten.-God save you, captain.

Ber. Is there any unkindness between my lord and you, monsieur ?

Par. I know not how I have deserved to run into my lord's displeasure.

Laf. You have made shift to run into't, boots and spurs and all, like him that leaped into the custard; and out of it you'll run again, rather than suffer question for your

residence.

Ber. It may be, you have mistaken him, my lord.

Laf. And shall do so ever, though I took him at his prayers. Fare you well, my lord; and believe this of me, There can be no kernel in this light nut; the soul of this man is his clothes: trust him not in matter of heavy consequence; I have kept of them tame, and know their natures.-Farewell, monsieur: I have spoken better of you, than you have or will deserve at my hand; but we must do good against evil. [Exit.

Par. Why, do you not know him?

Ber. Yes, I do know him well; and common speech Gives him a worthy pass. Here comes my clog.

Enter HELENA.

Hel. I have, sir, as I was commanded from you, Spoke with the king, and have procur'd his leave For present parting; only, he desires

Some private speech with you.

Ber.

I shall obey his will. You must not marvel, Helen, at my course,

y You have made shift to run into't, boots and spurs and all, like him that leaped into the custard ;] This odd allusion is not introduced without a view to satire. It was a foolery practised at city entertainments, whilst the jester or zany was in vogue, for him to jump into a large deep custard, set for the purpose.THEOBALD.

Which holds not colour with the time, nor does
The ministration and required office

On my particular: prepar'd I was not

For such a business; therefore am I found
So much unsettled: This drives me to entreat you,
That presently you take your way for home;
And rather muse,' than ask, why I entreat you:
For my respects are better than they seem;
And my appointments have in them a need,
Greater than shows itself, at the first view,
To you that know them not. This to my mother:

"Twill be two days ere I shall see you; so I leave you to your wisdom.

[Giving a letter.

Sir, I can nothing say,

Hel.
But that I am your most obedient servant.
Ber. Come, come, no more of that.

Hel.

And ever shall

With true observance seek to eke out that,
Wherein toward me my homely stars have fail'd
To equal my great fortune.

Ber.

Let that go:

My haste is very great: Farewell; hie home.
Hel. Pray, sir, your pardon.

Ber.

Well, what would you say?

Hel. I am not worthy of the wealth I owe ;*
Nor dare I say, 'tis mine; and yet it is;

But, like a timorous thief, most fain would steal
What law does vouch mine own.

Ber.

What would you have?

Hel. Something; and scarce so much :-nothing, in

deed.

I would not tell you what I would: my lord-'faith, yes;—
Strangers, and foes, do sunder, and not kiss.

Ber. I pray you, stay not, but in haste to horse.
Hel. I shall not break your bidding, good my lord.
Ber. Where are my other men, monsieur?-Farewell.
[Exit HELENA.

Go thou toward home; where I will never come,

muse,] i. e. Wonder.

a owe ;] i. e. Own.

Whilst I can shake my sword, or hear the drum :—

Away, and for our flight.

Par.

Bravely, coragio!

ACT III.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.-Florence. A Room in the Duke's Palace.

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, attended; two French Lords, and others.

Duke. So that, from point to point, now have you heard The fundamental reasons of this

war;

Whose great decision hath much blood let forth,
And more thirsts after.

1 Lord.

Holy seems the quarrel

Upon your grace's part; black and fearful

On the opposer.

Duke. Therefore we marvel much, our cousin France Would, in so just a business, shut his bosom

Against our borrowing prayers.

2 Lord.

Good my lord,

4

b

The reasons of our state I cannot yield,
But like a common and an outward man,
That the great figure of a council frames
By self-unable motion: therefore dare not
Say what I think of it; since I have found
Myself in my uncertain grounds to fail
As often as I guess'd.

Duke.

Be it his pleasure.

2 Lord. But I am sure, the younger of our nature,c That surfeit on their ease, will, day by day,

Come here for physick.

Duke.

Welcome shall they be;

And all the honours, that can fly from us,

Shall on them settle. You know your places well;
When better fall, for your avails they fell:
To-morrow to the field.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

b an outward man,] i. e. One not in the secret of affairs.-WARBURTON. the younger of our nature,]i. e. as we say at present, our young fellows. -STEEVENS.

SCENE II.

Rousillon. A Room in the Countess's Palace.

Enter Countess and Clown.

Count. It hath happened all as I would have had it, save, that he comes not along with her.

Clo. By my troth, I take my young lord to be a very melancholy man.

Count. By what observance, I pray you?

C

Clo. Why, he will look upon his boot, and sing; mend the ruff, and sing; ask questions, and sing; pick his teeth, and sing: I know a man that had this trick of melancholy, sold a goodly manor for a song.d

Count. Let me see what he writes, and when he means to come.

[Opening a letter. Clo. I have no mind to Isbel, since I was at court; our old ling and our Isbels o'the country are nothing like your old ling and your Isbels o'the court: the brains of my Cupid's knocked out; and I begin to love, as an old man loves money, with no stomach.

Count. What have we here?
Clo. E'en that you have there.

[Exit.

Count. [reads.] I have sent you a daughter-in-law: she hath recovered the king, and undone me. I have wedded her, not bedded her; and sworn to make the not eternal. You shall hear, I am run away; know it, before the repart come. If there be breath enough in the world, I will hold a long distance. My duty to you.

Your unfortunate son,
BERTRAM.

This is not well, rash and unbridled boy,

C

mend the ruff] The tops of the boots, in our author's time, turned down, and hung loosely over the leg. The folding is what the clown means by the ruff. Ben Jonson calls it ruffle; and perhaps it should be so here.— WHALLEY.

d

know a man, &c.] The only authentic copy reads, "I know a man that had this trick of melancholy hold a goodly manor for a song." The reading which is now found in the text is that of the third folio, and does not seem to have much connexion with the preceding portion of the clown's speech. Some alteration is evidently necessary, and I think it would be more in agreement with the context to read, "I know a man that has this trick of melancholy, holds a goodly manner for a song, i. e. has an excellent habit of singing.

To fly the favours of so good a king;
To pluck his indignation on thy head,
By the misprizing of a maid too virtuous
For the contempt of empire.

Re-enter Clown.

Clo. O madam, yonder is heavy news within, between two soldiers of my young lady.

Count. What is the matter?

Clo. Nay, there is some comfort in the news, some comfort; your son will not be killed so soon as I thought he would.

Count. Why should he be kill'd?

Clo. So say I, madam, if he run away, as I hear he does: the danger is in standing to't; that's the loss of men, though it be the getting of children. Here they come, will tell you more: for my part, I only hear, your son was [Exit Clown.

run away.

Enter HELENA and two Gentlemen.

1 Gen. Save you, good madam.

Hel. Madam, my lord is gone, for ever gone.

2 Gen. Do not say so.

Count. Think upon patience.-'Pray you, gentlemen,I have felt so many quirks of joy, and grief,

That the first face of neither, on the start,

Can woman me unto't :-Where is my son, I pray you? 2 Gen. Madam, he's gone to serve the duke of Flo

rence:

We met him thitherward; from thence we came,

And, after some despatch in hand at court,

Thither we bend again.

Hel. Look on his letter, madam; here's my passport. [Reads.] When thou canst get the ring upon my finger, which never shall come off, and show me a child begotten of thy body, that I am father to, then call me husband; but in such a then I write a never.

This is a dreadful sentence.

e Can woman me- -] i. e. Affect me suddenly and deeply, as my sex are usually affected.--STEEVENS.

f When thou canst get the ring upon my finger,] i. e. When thou canst get the ring, which is on my finger into thy possession.-WARBURTON.