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which is the most inhibited fin in the canon. Keep it not; you cannot chufe but lose by't: Out with't: within ten years it will make itself two, which is a goodly increase; and the principal itself not much the worfe: Away with't. Hel. How might one do, fir, to lofe it to her own liking?

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Par. Let me fee: Marry, 'ill, to like him that ne'er it likes. 'Tis a commodity will lofe the glofs with lying; the longer kept, the lefs worth: off with't, while 'tis vendible answer the time of requeft. Virginity, like an old courtier, wears her cap out of fashion; richly fuited, but unfuitable juft like the brooch and the tooth-pick, which wear not now: Your 'date is better in your pye and your porridge, than in your cheek: And your virginity, your old virginity, is like one of our French wither'd pears it looks ill, it eats dryly; marry, 'tis a wither'd pear: it was formerly better; marry, "yes, 'tis a wither'd pear: Will you any thing with it?

W

Hel. Not my virginity yet.

X

There shall your mafter have a thousand loves,

A mother, and a mistress, and a friend,

A phoenix, captain, and an enemy,

A guide, a goddess, and a fovereign,

ill,]-fhe muft do ill.

brooch]-fome jewel, or fplendid toy, now become antiquated. date]-pun-the fruit fo called, and Helen's age.

U yet.

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Ay, a minc'd man," &c.

TROILUS and CRESSIDA, A& I, S. 2. Cr.

Not my virginity yet.]-This line may refer to Parolles's "wither'd pear;" or we may read, will you any thing with us; meaning, Will you fend any thing to court by us; have you any commands there?

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* a thousand loves, &c.]-Loves that will fupply the place of a mother, &c. and on whom he will fondly bestow those tender appellatives, together with a numerous train of adoptious christendoms, nicknames, new fangled denominations forged at Cupid's mint.

"One nickname to her purblind son and heir."

ROMEO AND JULIET, A& II, S. 1. Mer.
A counsellor,

Bb 3

A counsellor, a traitress, and a dear:
His humble ambition, proud humility,
His jarring concord, and his difcord dulcet,
His faith, his fweet difafter; with a world
Of pretty, fond, adoptious christendoms,
That blinking Cupid goflips. Now fhall he-

I know not what he fhall:-God fend him well!

y

The court's a learning place ;-and he is one-
Par. What one, i'faith?

Hel. That I wish well.'Tis pity

Par. What's pity?

Hel. That wishing well had not a body in't,
Which might be felt: that we, the poorer born,
Whose baser stars do fhut us up in wishes,
Might with effects of them follow our friends,
And fhew what we alone must think; which never
Returns us thanks.

Enter Page.

Page. Monfieur Parolles, my lord calls for you.

[Exit Page. Par. Little Helen, farewel: if I can remember thee, I will think of thee at court.

Hel. Monfieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable star.

Par. Under Mars, I.

Hel. I efpecially think, under Mars.

Par. Why under Mars?

Hel. The wars have kept you fo under, that you muft needs be born under Mars.

Par. When he was predominant.

Y learning-place ;]-the only foil for improvement.

And fhew &c.]-in reality, by our actual good offices, what, at a diftance, we can only kindly intend; which entitles us to no thanks, till put in execution.

Hel.

Hel. When he was retrograde, I think, rather.
Par. Why think you

fo?

Hel. You go fo much backward, when you fight.
Par. That's for advantage.

Hel. So is running away, when fear proposes the fafety: But the compofition, that your valour and fear makes in you, is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well.

Par. I am fo full of bufineffes, I cannot answer thee acutely: I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my inftruction fhall ferve to naturalize thee, fo thou wilt be capable of courtier's counsel, and understand what advice shall thrust upon thee; elfe thou dieft in thine unthankfulness, and thine ignorance makes thee away; farewel. When thou haft leisure, fay thy prayers; when thou hast none, remember thy friends: get thee a good husband, and use him as he uses thee: fo farewel.

Hel. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie,
Which we afcribe to heaven: the fated sky
Gives us free scope; only, doth backward pull
Our flow defigns, when we ourselves are dull.

What power
is it, which mounts my love fo high;
That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye?
The mightiest space in nature fortune brings
To join like likes, and kifs like native things.
'Impoffible be strange attempts, to those

2 is

с

[Exit.

a virtue of a good wing,]-like a good hawk, flies well, and will carry you thro' all dangers. the fated fky]-fate, deftiny. • The mightest space in nature, &c.]-Accident fometimes unites moft intimately thofe, whom inequality of rank had fet at the greatest distance: The mightiest space in fortune, &c.-Mutual affection often unites thofe, between whom fortune has placed the greateft difparity, and causes them to join like perfons in fimilar circumstances.

likes,]-perfons in fimilar circumstances.

native] congenial, formed for each other.

Impoffible be strange attempts, to those that weigh their pain in sense ; and do fuppofe, what hath been cannot be: &c.]-New attempts seem impoffible to thofe, that judge of the fuccefs of their enterprises from ordinary occurrences, and conclude that what hath but rarely happened, will never happen again.

Bb 4

That

That weigh their pain in fenfe; and do fuppofe,
What hath been cannot be: Whoever ftrove
To fhew her merit, that did miss her love?
The king's disease-my project may deceive me,
But my intents are fix'd, and will not leave me.

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[Exit.

Flourish cornets. Enter the King of France, with Letters, and divers attendants.

King. The Florentines and Senoys are by the ears; Have fought with equal fortune, and continue

A braving war.

I Lord. So 'tis reported, fir.

King. Nay, 'tis most credible; we here receive it
A certainty, vouch'd from our cousin Austria,
With caution, that the Florentine will move us
For fpeedy aid; wherein our dearest friend
Prejudicates the business, and would seem
To have us make denial.

I Lord. His love and wisdom,
Approv'd fo to your majefty, may plead
For ampleft credence.

King. He hath arm'd our answer,

And Florence is deny'd before he comes:
Yet, for our gentlemen, that mean to fee
The Tuscan service, freely have they leave
To stand on either part.

2 Lord. It may well ferve

A nursery to our gentry, who are fick

For breathing and exploit.

King. What's he comes here?

Enter

Enter Bertram, Lafeu, and Parolles.

1 Lord. It is the count Roufillon, my good lord, Young Bertram.

King. Youth, thou bear'ft thy father's face:
'Frank nature, rather curious than in haste,
Hath well compos'd thee. Thy father's moral parts
May'ft thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris.

Ber. My thanks and duty are your majesty's.
King. I would I had that corporal foundness now,
As when thy father, and myself, in friendship
First try'd our foldiership! He did look far
Into the service of the time, and was
Discipled of the braveft: he lafted long;
But on us both did haggish age steal on,
And wore us out of act. It much repairs me
To talk of your good father: In his youth
He had the wit, which I can well obferve
To-day in our young lords; but they may jeft,
Till their own fcorn return to them, unnoted,
Ere they can hide their levity in honour,
So like a courtier. Contempt, nor bitterness
Were in his pride or sharpness; if they were,
His equal had awak'd them; and his honour,
Clock to itself, knew the true minute when
Exception bid him fpeak, and, at that time,
His tongue obey'd his hand who were below him
He us'd as creatures of another place;

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but they may jeft, &c.]-they may deal out their fund of fatire, till the fhafts, unfelt, recoil upon themselves, before they will be able to temper it with that winning gracefulness, which marked his happy vein.

in his pride or sharpness;]-dignity of manner, or keenness of his ftrokes.

i of another place; &c.]—as if they had been his equals; and though fuch condefcenfion gave them a better opinion of themselves, yet their acknowledgments of it ferved only to encrease his humility.

And

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