King. Rebuke me not for that, which you provoke :

The virtue of your eye must break my oath. " vice you Prin. You nick-name virtue;

have spoke :

you should

For virtue's office never breaks men's troth.
Now, by my maiden honour, yet as pure
As the unfully'd lilly, I proteft,

A world of torments though I should endure,
I would not yield to be your house's guest:
So much I hate a breaking caufe to be
Of heavenly oaths, vow'd with integrity.
King. O, you have liv'd in defolation here,
Unfeen, unvifited, much to our shame.
Prin. Not fo, my lord; it is not fo, I fwear;
We have had paftimes here, and pleasant game.
A mefs of Ruffians left us but of late.

King. How, madam? Ruffians?

Prin. Ay, in truth, my lord;

Trim gallants, full of courtship, and of state.
Rof. Madam, fpeak true. It is not fo, my lord:
My lady, to the manner of these days,

In courtesy gives undeserving praise.

We four, indeed, confronted were with four
In Ruffian habit: here they ftay'd an hour,
And talk'd apace; and in that hour, my lord,
They did not blefs us with one happy word.

The virtue of your eye must break my cath.] Common sense requires us to read,

-made break my oath.

i. e. made me. And then the reply is pertinent.It was the force of your beauty that made me break my oath, therefore you ought not to upbraid me with a crime which you yourself was the caufe of. WARBURTON.

I believe the author means that the virtue, in which word goodnefs and power are both comprifed, muft diffolve the obligation of the oath. The Princefs, in her anfwer, takes the most invidious part of the ambiguity. JOHNSON.

I dare

I dare not call them fools; but this I think,
When they are thirsty, fools would fain have drink.
Biron. This jeft is dry to me.-Fair, gentle, fweet,
Your wit makes wife things foolish: when we greet
With eyes best seeing, heaven's fiery eye,
By light we lofe light: your capacity
Is of that nature, as to your huge store
Wife things feem foolish, and rich things but
Rof. This proves you wife and rich; for in my eye-
Biron. I am a fool, and full of poverty.

poor.

Rof. But that you take what doth to you belong, It were a fault to fnatch words from my tongue. Biron. O, I am yours, and all that I poffess. Rof. All the fool mine?

Biron. I cannot give you lefs.

Rof. Which of the vizors was it, that you wore? Biron. Where? when? what vizor? why demand you this?

Rof. There, then, that vizor; that fuperfluous cafe, That hid the worse, and fhew'd the better face. King. We are defcry'd; they'll mock us now downright.

Dum. Let us confefs, and turn it to a jest.

Prin. Amaz'd, my lord? why looks your high

nefs fad ?

Rof. Help, hold his brows! he'll fwoon: Why look you pale?

Sea-fick, I think, coming from Muscovy.

Biron. Thus pour the stars down plagues for perjury.
Can any face of brafs hold longer out?

Here ftand I, lady; dart thy skill at me;

Bruife me with fcorn, confound me with a flout; Thruft thy fharp wit quite through my ignorance; Cut me to pieces with thy keen conceit;

when we greet, &c.] This is a very lofty and elegant compliment. JOHNSON.

VOL. II.

G g

And

And I will wifh thee never more to dance,

Nor never more in Ruffian habit wait. O! never will I trust to speeches penn'd,

Nor to the motion of a school-boy's tongue; Nor never come in vizor to my friend,

Nor woo in rhime, like a blind harper's fong. Taffata phrafes, filken terms precise,

Three pil'd hyperboles, fpruce affectation. Figures pedantical; thefe fummer-flies,

Have blown me full of maggot oftentation: I do forfwear them: and I here proteft,

By this white glove, (how white the hand, God
knows!)

Henceforth my wooing mind fhall be exprefs'd
In ruffet yeas, and honeft kerfey noes:
And to begin, wench, (fo God help me, la !)
My love to thee is found, fans crack or flaw.
Rof. Sans, fans, I pray you.

Biron. Yet I have a trick

Of the old rage: bear with me, I am fick.
I'll leave it by degrees. Soft, let us fee;
Write, Lord have mercy on us, on those three;
They are infected, in their hearts it lies;
They have the plague, and caught it of your eyes:
Thefe lords are vifited, you are not free;
For the lord's tokens on you both, I see.

Prin. No, they are free, that gave these tokens to

us.

Biron. Our ftates are forfeit, feek not to undo

us.

Write, &c.] This was the infcription put upon the door of the houfes infected with the plague, to which Biron compares the love of himself and his companions; and purfuing the metaphor finds the tokens likewife on the ladies. The tokens of the plague are the firft fpots or difcolorations, by which the infection is known to be received. JOHNSON.

Ref.

Rof. It is not fo; for how can this be true, That you ftand forfeit, being thofe that fue?

8

Biron. Peace; for I will not have to do with you. Rof. Nor fhall not, if I do as I intend.

Biron. Speak for yourselves, my wit is at an end. King. Teach us, fweet madam, for our rude tranfgreffion

Some fair excufe.

Prin. The fairest is confeffion.

Were you not here, but even now, difguis'd?

King. Madam, I was.

Prin. And were you well advis'd?

King. I was, fair madam.

Prin. When you then were here,

What did you whifper in your lady's ear?

King. That more than all the world I did refpect her. Prin. When she shall challenge this, you will reject her.

King. Upon mine honour, no.

Prin. Peace, peace, forbear:

Your oath broke once, you force not to forfwear." King. Defpife me, when I've broke this oath of mine. Prin. I will; and therefore keep it.-Rofaline, What did the Ruffian whisper in your ear?

Rof. Madam, he fwore, that he did hold me dear As precious eye-fight; and did value me Above this world: adding thereto, moreover, That he would wed me, or elfe die my lover.

That you should forfeit, being those that fue.]

That is, how can thofe be liable to forfeiture that begin the procefs. The jet lies in the ambiguity of fur, which fignifies to profecute by law, or to offer a petition. JOHNSON.

-you force not to forfwear.] You force not is the fame with you make no difficulty. This is a very juft obfervation. The crime which has been once committed, is committed again with less reluctance. JOHNSON.

Prin. God give thee joy of him! the noble lord Most honourably doth uphold his word.

King. What mean you, madam? by my life, my troth, I never swore this lady fuch an oath.

Rof. By heaven, you did; and to confirm it plain, You gave me this: but take it, fir, again.

King. My faith, and this, the princess I did give; I knew her by this jewel on her sleeve.

Prin. Pardon me, fir, this jewel did fhe wear: And lord Biron, I thank him, is my dear :. What; will you have me, or your pearl again? Biron. Neither of either: I remit both twain.I fee the trick on't; here was a confent, (Knowing aforehand of our merriment) To dash it, like a Christmas comedy.

Some carry-tale, fome please-man, fome flight zany,
Some mumble-news, fome trencher-knight, fomeDick,
That smiles his cheek in years;' and knows the trick
To make my lady laugh, when she's difpos'd,
Told our intents before: which once difclos'd,
The ladies did change favours; and then we,
Following the figns, woo'd but the fign of the.
Now, to our perjury to add more terror,
We are again forfworn; in will and error.*

―fmiles his check in years, -] Mr. Theobald fays, he cannot, for his heart, comprehend the fenfe of this phrafe. It was not his heart but his head that flood in his way. In years, fignifies, into wrinkles. So in The Merchant of Venice.

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.

See the note on that line.

-But the Oxford editor was in the

fame cafe, and fo alters it to fleers. WARBURTON.