none but a dish-clout of Jaquenetta's; and that hë wears next his heart for a favour.

Enter Mercade.

Mer. God fave you, madam!

Prin.Welcome, Mercade, but that thou interrupteft

our merriment.

Mer. I'm forry, madam; for the news I bring Is heavy in my tongue. The king your fatherPrin. Dead, for my life.

Mer. Even fo: my tale is told.

Biron. Worthies, away; the fcene begins to cloud. Arm. For my own part, I breathe free breath: I have feen the days of wrong through the little hole of discretion, and I will right myself like a foldier. [Exeunt Worthies.

7

King.

When this was promifed, the Spaniard clofed his eyes, and expired with great compofure and refignation. But his friend's curiofity prevailing over his good faith, he had him stript, and found, to his great furprise, that he was without a fhirt. WARB.

Boyet. True, and it was enjoin'd him in Rome for want of linen; &c.] This is a plain reference to the following story in Stow's Annals, p. 98. (in the time of Edward the Confeffor.) "Next after "this (king Edward's first cure of the king's evil mine authors "affirm, that a certain man, named Vifunius Spileorne, the fon " of Ulmore of Nutgarshall, who, when he hewed timber in the "wood of Brutheullena, laying him down to fleep after his fore "labour, the blood and humours of his head fo congealed about

his eyes, that he was thereof blind, for the space of nineteen "years; but then (as he had been moved in his fleep) he went "wcolward and bare footed to many churches, in every of them "to pray to God for help in his blindnefs." Dr. GRAY.

The fame cuftom is alluded to in an old collection of fatyres, epigrams, &c.

And when his fhirt's a washing, then he muft "Go wool ward for the time; he fcorns it, he, "That worth two fhirts his laundrefs fhould him fee."

STEEVENS.

I have feen the days of wrong through the little hole of difcretion,] This has no meaning. We fhould read, the day of right, i. e. I have feen that a day will come when I fhall have juftice done me, and therefore I prudently referve myfelf for that time. WARBURTON.

I believe it rather means, I have hitherto looked on the indignities I have received with the eyes of difcretion, (i. e. not been too for

ward

King. How fares your majefty?

Prin. Boyet, prepare; I will away to-night. King. Madam, not fo; I do befeech you, ftay. Prin. Prepare, I fay.I thank you, gracious lords, For all your fair endeavours; and entreat, Out of a new-fad foul, that you vouchsafe In your rich wisdom to excufe, or hide, The liberal oppofition of our fpirits: If over-boldly we have borne ourselves In the converfe of breath, your gentleness Was guilty of it. Farewell, worthy lord! An heavy heart bears not a nimble tongue : Excufe me fo, coming fo fhort of thanks, For my great fuit so easily obtain'd.

King. The extreme part of time extremely forms All caufes to the purpofe of his speed;

And often, at his very loofe,' decides

That which long procefs could not arbitrate.
And though the mourning brow of

progeny

ward to refent them) and will infift on fuch fatisfaction as will not difgrace my character, which is that of a foldier. To have decided the quarrel in the manner propofed by his antagonist, would have been at once a derogation from the honour of a foldier, and the pride of a Spaniard. STEEVENS.

• liberal-] Liberal, in our author, frequently fignifies, ast in this inftance, free to excess. So in Much ado about Nothing: like a moft liberal villain,

66

"Confefs'd, &c.

Again, in Othello,

"I'll be in fpeaking liberal as the North." STEEVENS. In the converfe of breath,] Perhaps converfe may, in this line, mean interchange. JOHNSON.

9 An beavy heart bears not an humble tongue :] Thus all the editions; but, furely, without either fenfe or truth. None are more bumble in fpeech, than they who labour under any oppreffion. The Princefs is defiring her grief may apologize for her not expreffing her obligations at large; and my correction is conformable to that fentiment. Befides, there is an antithefis between heavy and nimble; but between heavy and bumble, there is none. THEOBALD.

'And often, at his very loofe, decides, &c.] At his very loofe may mean, at the moment of his parting, i. e. of his getting loft, or away from us. STEEVENS.

Forbid the fmiling courtesy of love,

The holy fuit which fain it would convince;
Yet fince love's argument was first on foot,
Let not the cloud of forrow juftle it

From what it purpos'd: Since, to wail friends loft,
Is not by much fo wholefome, profitable,
As to rejoice at friends but newly found.

Prin. I understand you not, my griefs are double. Biron. 3 Honeft plain words beft pierce the ear of grief:

And by these badges understand the king.
For your fair fakes have we neglected time,
Play'd foul play with our oaths: your beauty, ladies,
Hath much deform'd us, fashioning our humours
Even to the oppofed end of our intents:
And what in us hath feem'd ridiculous,
As love is full of unbefitting ftrains;
All wanton as a child, fkipping, and vain,
Form'd by the eye, and, therefore, like the eye,
Full of ftraying fhapes, of habits, and of forms,
Varying in fubjects as the eye doth roll,
To every varied object in his glance:
Which party-coated prefence of loofe love,
Put on by us, if, in your heavenly eyes,
Have mifbecom'd our oaths and gravities;
Thofe heavenly eyes, that look into these faults,

-which fain it would convince;] We must read,

which fain would it convince;

that is, the entreaties of love which would fain over-power grief. So Lady Macbeth declares, That he will convince the chamberlain with ine. JOHNSON.

3 Homfi plain words, &c.] As it feems not very proper for Biros to court the princefs for the king in the king's prefence, at this critical moment, I believe the fpeech is given to a wrong perfon. I read thus,

Frin. I understand you not, my griefs are double:
Hon plain words beft pierce the car of grief.
King. And by theje badges, &c. JOHNSON.

2

Sug

* Suggested us to make them: Therefore, ladies,
Our love being yours, the error that love makes
Is likewife yours. We to ourselves prove falfe,
By being once falfe for ever to be true

To thofe that make us both; fair ladies, you:
And even that falfhood, in itself a fin,
Thus purifies itfelf, and turns to grace.

Prin. We have receiv'd your letters full of love;
Your favours, the embaffadors of love:
And in our maiden council rated them
At courtship, pleasant jeft, and courtesy;
As bombaft, and as lining to the time:
But more devout than this, in our respects,"

4 Suggested us] That is, tempted us. JOHNSON.

Have

As bombaft, than as lining to the time:] This line is obfcure. Bombaft was a kind of loose texture not unlike what is now called wadding, ufed to give the dreffes of that time bulk and protube rance, without much increafe of weight; whence the fame name is given a tumour of words unfupported by folid fentiment. The Princefs, therefore, fays, that they confidered this courtship as but bombaft, as fomething to fill out life, which not being clofely u nited with it, might be thrown away at pleasure. JOHNSON. • But more devout than these ate our refpes

Have we not been:]

This nonfense should be read thus,

But more devout than this, (fave our refpects)
Have we not been ;-

i. e. fave the refpect we owe to your majefty's quality, your courts fhip we have laugh'd at, and made a jest of.

WARBURTON.

We have receiv'd your letters full of love;
Your favours the ambassadors of love;
And in our maiden council rated them

At courtship, pleasant jest, and courtesy,

As bombaft and as lining to the time;

But more devout than thfe are our respects
Have we not been, and therefore met your loves

In their own fashion, like a merriment.

The fixth verfe being evidently corrupted, Dr. Warburton pro

pofes to read,

VOL. II.

But more devout than this (fave our respects)

Have we not been ;

Have we not been, and therefore met your loves In their own fashion like a merriment.

Dum. Our letters, madam, fhew'd much more than jeft.

Long. So did our looks.

Rof. We did not quote them fo."

King. Now, at the latest minute of the hour, Grant us your loves.

Prin. A time, methinks, too short,

To make a world-without-end bargain in:
No, no, my lord, your grace is perjur'd much,
Full of dear guiltinefs; and therefore, this-
If for my love (as there is no fuch caufe)
You will do aught, this fhall you do for me:
Your oath I will not truft; but go with speed
To fome forlorn and naked hermitage,
Remote from all the pleasures of the world;
There ftay, until the twelve celeftial figns
Have brought about their annual reckoning.
If this auftere infociable life

Change not your offer made in heat of blood;
If frosts, and fafts, hard lodging, and thin weeds
Nip not the gaudy bloffoms of your love,
But that it bear this trial, and last love;
Then, at the expiration of the year,

Come challenge, challenge me, by these deserts;

Dr. Johnfon prefers the conjecture of fir Thomas Hanmer,
But more devout than this, in our respects.

I would read, with lefs violence, I think, to the text, though with the alteration of two words,

But more devout than these are your respects
Have we not seen,-

Obferv. & Conject. &c. printed at Oxf. 1766.

I read with fir T. Hanmer,

But more devout than this, in our refpects, JOHNSON.

We did not coat them fo.] We fhould read, quote, efteem, reckon, though our old writers fpelling by the ear, probably wrote cote, as it was pronounced. JOHNSON.

6

And,