With a refined traveller of Spain, A man in all the world's new fashion planted, (3) A man of compliments, whom right and wrong Have chofe as umpire of their mutiny.] As very bad a Play as this is, it was certainly Shakespeare's, as appears by many fine mal ter-ftrokes fcatter'd up and down. An exceffive complaifance is here admirably painted, in the perfon of one who was willing to make even right and wrong friends and to perfuade the one to recede from the accustomed tubbornness of her nature, and wink at the liberties of her oppofite, rather than he would incur the impu tation of ill-breeding in keeping up the quarrel. And as our au thor, and Jobnjon his contemporary, are, confelfedly, the two greatest writers in the Drama that our nation could ever boast of, this may be no improper occafion to take notice of one material difference Cur author between Shakespeare's worst plays, and the other's. owed all to his prodigious natural genius, and Johnson most to his acquired parts and learning. This, if attended to, with explain the difference we fpeak of. Which is this, that, in Johnson's bad pie ces, we do not difcover the leaft traces of the author of the Fox and Alchemist; but in the wildest and most extravagant notes of ShakeSpeare, you every now and then encounter trains that recognize their divine compofer. And the reafon is this, that Johnfor owing his chief excellence to art, by which he fometimes ftrain'd him elf to an uncommon pitch, when he unbent himself, had nothing to fupport him; but fell below all likeness of himself: while ShakeSpeare, indebted more largely to nature than the other to his acquired talents, could never, in his most negligent hours, so totally diveft himself of his Genius, but that it would frequently break out WARBURTON. with amazing force and splendour. This paffage, I believe, means no more than that Don Armado was a man nicely verfed in ceremonial distinctions, one who could diftinguish in the most delicate queftions of honour the exact bouadaries of right and wrong. Compliment, in Shakespeare's time, did not fignify, at least did not only fignify, verbal civility, or phrases of courtesy, but, according to its original meaning, the trappings, namental appendages of a character, in the fame manner, and on the fame principles of fpeech with accomplishment. Compliment is, as Armado well expreffes it, the varnish of a complete man. or or In In high-born words the worth of many a Knight Biron. Armado is a moft illuftrious wight, } A man of fire-new words, fafhion's own Knight. Enter Dull and Costard with a letter. Dull. Which is the King's own perfon (6) ? Dull. I myself reprehend his own perfon, for I am his Grace's Tharborough: but I would fee his own person in flesh and blood. Biron. This is he. Dull. Signior Arme, Arme-commends you. There's villainy abroad; this letter will tell you more. Coft. Sir, the Contempts thereof are as touching me. King. A letter from the magnificent Armado. Biron. How low foever the matter, I hope in God for high words. (4) From tawny Spain, &c.] i. e. he fhall relate to us the cele brated flories recorded in the old romances, and in their very ftile. Why he fays from tawny Spain is, because these romances being of Spanish original, the Heroes and the Scene were generally of that country. Why he fays, loft in the world's debate is, because the fubjects of thofe romances were the crufades of the European Chriftians against the Saracens of Afia and Africa. So that we fee here is meaning in the words. WARBURTON. (5) in the world's debate.] The world feems to be used in the monaftick fenfe by the king now devoted for a time to a monaftick life. In the world, in feculo, in the bustle of human affairs, from which we are now happily fequeftred, in the world, to which the votaries of folitude have no relation. (6) In former editions; Dull. Which is the Duke's own Perfon ?] The King of Navarre is in feveral Paffages, thro' all the Copies, called the Duke: but as this must have sprung rather from the Inadvertence of the Editors, than a Forgetfulness in the Poet, I have every where, to avoid Confufion, reftored King to the Text. THEOBALD. Long. Long. A high hope for a low having (7); God grant us patience! Biron. To hear, or forbear hearing? Long. To hear meekly, Sir, to laugh moderately, or to forbear both. Biron. Well, Sir, be it as the Stile fhall give us cause to climb in the merrinefs. Cost. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken in the manner (8). Biron. In what manner? ; Coft. In manner and form, following, Sir all those three. I was feen with her in the Manor-house, fitting with her upon the Form, and taken following, her into the Park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, Sir, for the manner it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman; for the form, in fome form. Biron. For the following, Sir? ; Coft. As it fhall follow in my correction and God defend the right ! King. Will you hear the letter with attention? Coft. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the flesh. King reads. GREAT deputy, the welkin's vice-gerent, fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's earth's God, and body's foftring patron (7) In old editions, A bigh hope for a low heaven ;] A low keaven, fure, is a very intricate Matter to conceive. I dare warrant, I have retrieved the Poet's true Reading; and the Meaning is this. "Though you hope for high Words, and fhould have them, it will "be but a low Acquifition at best." This our Poet calls a low Having and it is a Subftantive, which he ufes in feveral other Paffages. THEOBALD. (8) taken WITH the manner.] The following question aris· ing from these words fhews we should read-taken in the manner. And this was the phrafe in ufe to fignify, taken in the fact. So Dr. Donne in his letters. But if I melt into melancholy while I write, I fhall be taken in the manner; and I fit by one, too tender to these impreffions. WARBURTON. Coft. Coft. Not a word of Coftard yet. King. So it is Coft. It may be fo; but if he fay it is fo, he is, in telling true, but fo, fo. King. Peace Coft. Be to me, and every man that dares not fight! King. No words Coft. Of other men's fecrets, I beseech you. King, So it is. Befiegea with fable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppreffing bumour to the most wholefome phyfick of thy health-giving air; and as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk: The time, when? about the fixth bour, when beafts most graze, birds beft peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is call'd fupper: fo much for the time, when. Now for the ground, which: which, I mean, I walkt upon; it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place, where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and most prepofterous event, that draweth from my fnow-white pen the ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou vieweft, beholdeft, furveyeft, or feeft. But to the place, where; It ftandeth north-north-eaft and by eaft from the west corner of thy curious-knotted garden. There did I fee that low-fpirited fwain, that bafe minow of thy mirth (9), (Coft. Me?) that unletter'd small-knowing foul, (Coft. Me?) that shallow vaffal, (Coft. Still Me ?) which, as I remember, bight Coftard; (Coft. O me!) forted and conforted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edit and continent canon, with, with— O with,-but with this, I paffion to say wherewith : Cof. With a wench. King. With a child of our grandmother Eve, a female ; or for thy more understanding, a woman; bim, I (as my ever-efteemed duty pricks me on) have fent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by by fweet Grace's Officer, Anthony Dull, a man of good repute, carriage bearing and ef timation. Dull. Me, an't fhall please you, I am Anthony Dull. (9) bafe minow of thy mirth,] A minow is a little fish which cannot be intended here. We may read the bafe minion of thy mirth. which which I apprebended with the aforefaid fwain, I keep ber as a vaffal of thy law's fury, and shall at the leaft of thy fweet notice bring her to trial: Thine in all compliments of devoted and beart-burning beat of duty. T Don Adriano de Armado. Biron. This is not so well as I look'd for, but the best that ever I heard. 1 King. Ay; the beft for the worst. But, firrah, what fay you to this? Coft. Sir, I confefs the wench. King. Did you hear the proclamation? Coft. I do confefs much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it. King. It was proclaim'd a year's imprisonment to be taken with a wench. Coft. I was taken with none, Sir, I was taken with a damofel. King. Well, it was proclaimed damofel. Coft. This was no damofel neither, Sir, fhe was a virgin. King. It is fo varied too, for it was proclaim'd virgin. Coft. If it were, I deny her virginity: I was taken with a maid. King. This maid will not ferve your turn, Sir. Coff. This maid will ferve my turn, Sir. King. Sir, I will pronounce fentence; you shall faft a week with bran and water. Coft. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge. King And Don Armado fhall be your keeper. My lord Biron, fee him deliver'd o'er. And go we, lords, to put in practice that, Which each to other hath so strongly fworn. [Exeunt. SCENE |