SCENE III. Enter Corin and Clown. Cor. And how like you this fhepherd's life, Mr. Touchstone? Clo. Truly, fhepherd, in refpect of itself, it is a good life; but in refpect that it is a fhepherd's life, it is naught. In respect that it is folitary, I like it very well; but in refpect that it is private, it is a very vile X life. Now in refpect it is in the fields, it pleafeth me well; but in refpect it is not in the Court, it is tedious. As it is a spare life, look you, it fits my humour well ; but as there is no more plenty in it, it goes much against my stomach. Haft any philofophy in thee, fhepherd? Cor. No more, but that I know, the more one fickens, the worfe at ease he is: and that he that wants money, means, and content, is without three good friends. That the property of rain is to wet, and fire to burn: that good pafture makes fat theep; and that a great caufe of the night is lack of the Sun : that he that hath learned no wit by nature nor art (7), may complain of good breeding, or comes of a very dull kindred. Clo. Such a one is a natural philofopher (8). Waft ever in Court, hepherd? Cor. (7) He, that hath learned no wit by nature or art, may complain of GOOD breeding, or comes of very dull kindred.] Common fenfe requires us to read, may complain of GROSS breeding. The Oxford editor has greatly improved this emendation by reading, bad breeding. WARBURTON. I am in doubt whether the cuftom of the language in Shakespeare's time did not authorife this mode of speech, and make complain of good breeding the fame with complain of the want of good breeding. In the last line of the Merchant of Venice we find that to fear the keeping, is to fear the not keeping. (8) Such a one is a natural philofopher.] The fhepherd had faid all the Philofophy he knew was the property of things, that rain wetted, fire burnt, &c. And the Clown's reply, in a fatire on Phyficks or Natural Philofophy, though introduced with a quibble, is ex M 2 tremely Cor. No, truly. Clow. Then thou art damn'd. Cor. Nay, I hope Clo. Truly, thou art damn'd, like an ill-roafted egg (9), all on one fide. Cor. For not being at Court? your reason. Clo. (1) Why, if thou never waft at Court, thou never faw'ft good manners; if thou never faw't good X manners, then thy manners must be wicked; and wickedness is fin, and fin is damnation: thou art in a parlous flate, fhepherd. Cor. Not a whit, Touchstone: thofe, that are good manners at the Court, are as ridiculous in the Country, xas the behaviour of the Country is moft mockable at the Court. You told me, you falute not at the Court, but you kifs your hands; that courtefy would be uncleanly, if Courtiers were fhepherds. Clo. Inftance, briefly; come, instance. Cor. Why, we are still handling our ewes ; and their fels, you know; are greafy. Clo. Why, do not your Courtiers' hands fweat-?. and is not the greafe of a mutton-as wholefome as the weat of a man thallow, fhallow-a better inftance, I fay come: Cor Befides, our hands are hard. Clo. Your lips will feel them the fooner. Shallow again :—a more founder instance, come. Cor. And they are often tarr'd over with the furgery tremely juft. For the Natural Philofopher is indeed as ignorant (notwithstanding all his parade of knowledge) of the efficient cause of things as the Ruftic. It appears, from a thousand inftances, that our Poet was well acquainted with the Phyfics of his time and his great penetration enabled him to fee this remedilefs defect of it. : WARBURTON. (9) Like an ill-roafted egg ] Of this jeft I do not fully con prehend the meaning. (1) Why, if thou never waft at court, thou never' 'I w'ft good manners if thou never, &c.] This reafoning is drawn up in imitation of Friar John's to Panurge in Rabelais. Si tu es Cequr, ergo ta femme fera bele; ergo tu feras bien traité d'elle; ergo tu auras des Amis besucoup; ergo tu feras fauve. The laft inference is pleafantly drawn from the popish doctrine of the interceffion of Saints. And, I fuppofe, our jocular English proverb, concerning this matter, was founded in Friar John's logic. WARBURTON. of of our fheep; and would you have us kifs tarr? the Courtier's hands are perfumed with civet. Clo. Moft fhallow man!-thou worms-meat, in refpect of a good piece of flesh-indeed !-learn of the wife, and perpend. Civet is of a baser birth than tarr; the very uncleanly flux of a cat. Mend the inftance, fhepherd. Cor. You have too courtly a wit for me; I'll reft. Clo. Wilt thou reft damn'd; God help thee, thallow man ; God make incifion in thee (2), thou art raw. Cor. Sir, I am a true labourer, I earn that I eat; get that I wear; owe no man hate, envy no man's happinels; glad of other men's good, content with my harm; and the greatelt of my pride is to fee my ewes graze, and my lambs fuck. Clo. That is another fimple fin in you, to bring the ewes and the rams together; and to offer to get your Tiving by the copulation of cattle; to be a bawd to a bell-weather (3); and to betray a the-lamb of a twelvemonth to a crooked-pated old cuckoldly ram, out of all reasonable match. If thou be’ft not damn'd for this, the devil himself will have no fhepherds; I cannot see elfe how thou shouldft 'scape. Cor. Here comes young Mr. Ganimed, my new mistrefs's brother. Rof From the east to western Inde, (2) Make incifion in thee,] To make incifion was a proverbial ex-. preffion then in vogue for, to make to underftand, So in Beaumont and Fletcher's Humourous Lieutenant, O excellent King, Thus he begins, thou life and light of creatures. i. e. to make him underftand what he would be at. WARB. (3) Bawd to a Belweather,] Weather and Ram had anciently the fame meaning. M 3 Her Her worth being mounted on the wind, Are but black to Rofalind. Let no face be kept in mind, But the face of Rosalind. Clo. I'll rhime you fo, eight years together; dinners, and fuppers, and fleeping hours excepted: it is the right butter-woman's rate to market (4). Rof. Out, fool! If a hart doth lack a bina, They that reap, must sheaf and bind ; He that fweeteft rose will find, Muft find love's prick, and Rofalind. This is the very falfe gallop of verfes; why do you infect yourself with them? Rof. Peace, you dull fool, I found them on a tree. Rof. I'll graff it with you, and then I fhall graff it with a medler; then it will be the earliest fruit i'th' country; for you will be rotten ere you be half ripe, and that's the right virtue of the medler. Clo. You have faid; but whether wifely or no, let the Forefter judge. (4) Rate to market.] So Sir T. Hanmer. In the former Editions rank to market. SCENE Enter Celia, with a writing. Rof. Peace, here comes my Sifter reading; ftand afide. Cel. Why should this a Defert be, "Twixt the fouls of friend and friend; Or at every fentence' end, Teaching all, that read, to know, (5) That shall civil fayings fbow.] Civil is here ufed in the fame fense as when we fay civil wifdom or civil life, in opposition to a folitary flate, or to the state of nature. This defart fhall not appear unpeopled, for every tree fhall teach the maxims or incidents of fo cal life. 46) Therefore heaven nature charg'd,] From the picture of Apelles, or the accomplishments of Pandora. Πανδώρην, ὅτι πάντες ὀλύμπια δώματ ̓ ἔχολές Δῶρον ἐδώρησαν. So before, But thou So perfect and fo peerless art courted Of ev'ry creature's beft. Tempeft. Perhaps from this paffage Swift had his hint of Biddy Floyd. M 4 Helen's |