The same. SCENE III. A Room in the Countess's Palace. Flourish. Enter King, Countess, LAFEU, Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, &c. King. We lost a jewel of her; and our esteem* Was made much poorer by it: but your son, As mad in folly, lack'd the sense to know Count. "Tis past, my liege: And I beseech your majesty to make it Natural rebellion, done i̇'the blaze of youth; King. My honour'd lady, Though my revenges were high bent upon him, Laf. Falstaff, and seems to be the character which Shakspeare delighted to draw, a fellow that had more wit than virtue. Though justice required that he should be detected and exposed, yet his vices sit so fit in him that he is not at last suffered to starve. JOHNSON. esteem Meaning that his esteem was lessened in its value by Bertram's misconduct; since a person who was honoured with it could be so ill treated as Helena had been, and that with. impunity. home.] That is, completely, in its full extent. Of richest eyes;' whose words all ears took captive; Whose dear perfection, hearts that scorn'd to serve, Humbly call'd mistress. King. Praising what is lost, Makes the remembrance dear. Well, call him hither; We are reconcil'd, and the first view shall kill Gent. I shall, my liege. [Exit Gentleman. King. What says he to your daughter? have you spoke? Laf. All that he is hath reference to your highness. sent me, That set him high in fame. Laf. Enter BERTRAM. He looks well on't. Of richest eyes;] Shakspeare means that her beauty had astonished those, who, having seen the greatest number of fair women, might be said to be the richest in ideas of beauty. 2 the first view shall kill All repetition] The first interview shall put an end to all recollection of the past. Shakspeare is now hastening to the end of the play, finds his matter sufficient to fill up his remaining scenes, and therefore, as on such other occasions, contracts his dialogue and precipitates his action. Decency required that Bertram's double crime of cruelty and disobedience, joined likewise with some hypocrisy, should raise more resentment; and that though his mother might easily forgive him, his king should more pertinaciously vindicate his own authority and Helen's merit. Of all this Shakspeare could not be ignorant, but Shakspeare wanted to conclude his play. JOHNSON. King. I am not a day of season,3 For thou may'st see a sun-shine and a hail Ber. My high-repented blames,* All is whole; Dear sovereign pardon to me. Ber. Admiringly, my liege: at first I stuck my choice upon her, ere my heart Since I have lost, have lov'd, was in mine eye King. Well excus'd: That thou didst love her, strikes some scores away From the great compt: But love, that comes too late, Like a remorseful pardon slowly carried, 3 I am not a day of season,] That is, of uninterrupted rain: one of those wet days that usually happen about the vernal equinox. 4 My high-repented blames,] High-repented blames, are faults repented of to the height, to the utmost. VOL. II. BB To the great sender turns a sour offence, Count. Which better than the first, O dear heaven, bless! Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, cease! Laf. Come on, my son, in whom my house's name Must be digested, give a favour from you, Ber. Hers it was not. King. Now, pray you, let me see it; for mine eye, While I was speaking, oft was fasten'd to't.- Necessitied to help, that by this token I would relieve her: Had you that craft, to reave her Of what should stead her most? Ber. My gracious sovereign, Howe'er it pleases you to take it so, The ring was never hers. Count. Son, on my life, I have seen her wear it; and she reckon'd it Laf. I am sure, I saw her wear it. Ber. You are deceiv'd, my lord, she never saw it: In Florence was it from a casement thrown me," Wrapp'd in a paper, which contain❜d the name Of her that threw it: noble she was, and thought I stood ingag'd:" but when I had subscrib'd To mine own fortune, and inform'd her fully, I could not answer in that course of honour As she had made the overture, she ceas'd, In heavy satisfaction, and would never Receive the ring again. King. Plutus himself, That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine," Than I have in this ring: 'twas mine, 'twas Helen's, 5 In Florence was it from a casement thrown me,] Bertram still continues to have too little virtue to deserve Helen. He did not know indeed that it was Helen's ring, but he knew that he had it not from a window. JOHNSON. 6 —— noble she was, and thought I stood ingag'd:] Ingaged, in the sense of unengaged, is a word of exactly the same formation as inhabitable, which is used by Shakspeare and the contemporary writers for uninhabitable. MALONE. 7 Plutus himself, That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine,] Plutus, the grand alchemist, who knows the tincture which confers the properties of gold upon base metals, and the matter by which gold is multiplied, by which a small quantity of gold is made to communicate its qualities to a large mass of base metal. 8 Then, if you know That you are well acquainted with yourself, Confess 'twas hers,] The true meaning of this expression is, If you know that your faculties are so sound, as that you have the proper consciousness of your own actions, and are able to recollect and relate what you have done, tell me, &c. Johnson. |