LAF. Pray you, sir, who's his tailor?

PAR. Sir?

LAF. O, I know him well: Ay, sir; he, sir, is a good workman, a very good tailor.

BER. Is she gone to the king?

PAR. She is.

[Aside to PARolles.

BER. Will she away to-night?

PAR. As you'll have her.

BER. I have writ my letters, casketed my trea

sure,

Given order for our horses; and to-night,

When I should take possession of the bride,-
And, ere I do begin,-

LAF. A good traveller is something at the latter end of a dinner; but one that lies three-thirds', and uses a known truth to pass a thousand nothings with, should be once heard, and thrice beaten.God save you, captain.

BER. Is there any unkindness between my lord and you, monsieur ?

PAR. I know not how I have deserved to run into my lord's displeasure.

LAF. You have made shift to run into't, boots and spurs and all, like him that leaped into the custard; and out of it you'll run again, rather than suffer question for your residence.

7 A good traveller is something at the latter end of a dinner; but one that lies three thirds, &c.] So, in Marlowe's King Edward II. 1598:

"Gav. What art thou?

"2 Poor Man. A traveller.

"Gav. Let me see; thou would'st well

"To wait on my trencher, and tell me lies at dinner-time.”

MALONE.

8 You have made shift to run into't, BOOTS and SPURS and all, like him that LEAPED into the CUSTARD ;] This odd allusion is not introduced without a view to satire. It was a foolery practised at city entertainments, whilst the jester or zany was in vogue,

BER. It may be, you have mistaken him, my lord.

LAF. And shall do so ever, though I took him at his prayers. Fare you well, my lord; and believe this of me, There can be no kernel in this light nut; the soul of this man is his clothes: trust him not in matter of heavy consequence; I have kept of them tame, and know their natures.-Farewell, monsieur: I have spoken better of you, than you have or will to deserve at my hand; but we must do good against evil. [Exit.

PAR. An idle lord, I swear.

BER. I think so.

PAR. Why, do you not know him?

BER. Yes, I do know him well; and common speech

Gives him a worthy pass. Here comes my clog.

Enter HELENA.

HEL. I have, sir, as I was commanded from you, Spoke with the king, and have procur'd his leave

for him to jump into a large deep custard, set for the purpose, "to set on a quantity of barren spectators to laugh," as our poet says in his Hamlet. I do not advance this without some authority; and a quotation from Ben Jonson will very well explain it : "He may perchance, in tail of a sheriff's dinner,

Skip with a rhime o' the table, from New-nothing,
“And take his Almain-leap into a custard,

"Shall make my lady mayoress, and her sisters,
'Laugh all their hoods over their shoulders."

66

Devil's An Ass, Act I. Sc. I. THEOBALD.

- than you have or will deserve-] The oldest copy erroneously reads "have or will to deserve." STEEVENS.

Something seems to have been omitted; but I know not how to rectify the passage. Perhaps we should read-" than you have qualities or will to deserve." The editor of the second folio reads

66 than you have or will deserve-." MALONE.

66

Than you have [deserved] or are willing to deserve in future."

BOSWELL.

For present parting; only, he desires
Some private speech with you.

BER.

I shall obey his will. You must not marvel, Helen, at my course, Which holds not colour with the time, nor does The ministration and required office

On my particular: prepar'd I was not

For such a business; therefore am I found

So much unsettled: This drives me to entreat

you,

That presently you take your way for home;
And rather muse, than ask, why I entreat you':
For my respects are better than they seem ;
And my appointments have in them a need,
Greater than shows itself, at the first view,
To you that know them not. This to my mother:

[Giving a letter. "Twill be two days ere I shall see you; so

I leave you to your wisdom.

HEL.

Sir, I can nothing say,

And ever shall

But that I am your most obedient servant.
BER. Come, come, no more of that.

HEL.

With true observance seek to eke out that, Wherein toward me my homely stars have fail'd To equal my great fortune.

BER.

Let that go:

My haste is very great: Farewell; hie home.
HEL. Pray, sir, your pardon.

2

BER. Well, what would you say? HEL. I am not worthy of the wealth I owe 2; Nor dare I say, 'tis mine; and yet it is;

1 And rather MUSE, &c.] To muse is to wonder. So, in Macbeth:

2

"Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends." Steevens. the wealth I owE;] i. e. I own, possess.

STEEVENS.

But, like a timorous thief, most fain would steal What law does vouch mine own.

BER.

What would you have? HEL. Something; and scarce so much:-nothing,

indeed.

I would not tell you what I would: my lord-'faith, yes ;

Strangers, and foes, do sunder, and not kiss.

BER. I pray you, stay not, but in haste to horse. HEL. I shall not break your bidding, good my

lord.

BER. Where are my other men, monsieur ?Farewell 3. [Exit HELENA. Go thou toward home; where I will never come, Whilst I can shake my sword, or hear the drum :Away, and for our flight.

PAR.

Bravely, coragio!

[Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE I.

Florence. A Room in the Duke's Palace.

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, attended; two French Lords, and others.

DUKE. So that, from point to point, now have you heard

3 Where are my other men, MONSIEUR?-FAREWELL.] In former copies :

66

Hel. Where are my other men? Monsieur, farewell." What other men is Helen here enquiring after? Or who is she supposed to ask for them? The old Countess, 'tis certain, did not send her to the court without some attendants; but neither the Clown, nor any of her retinue, are now upon the stage: Bertram, observing Helen to linger fondly, and wanting to shift her off, puts on a show of haste, asks Parolles for his servants, and then gives his wife an abrupt dismission. THEOBALD.

The fundamental reasons of this war;

Whose great decision hath much blood let forth, And more thirsts after.

1 LORD.

Holy seems the quarrel

Upon your grace's part; black and fearful

On the opposer.

DUKE. Therefore we marvel much, our cousin
France

Would, in so just a business, shut his bosom
Against our borrowing prayers.

2 LORD.

Good my lord,

4

5

The reasons of our state I cannot yield
But like a common and an outward man' ,
That the great figure of a council frames
By self-unable motion: therefore dare not
Say what I think of it; since I have found
Myself in my uncertain grounds to fail
As often as I guess'd.

DUKE.

Be it his pleasure.

2 LORD. But I am sure, the younger of our

nature7

That surfeit on their ease, will, day by day,
Come here for physick.

4 I cannot YIELD,] I cannot inform you of the reasons.

Thus, in Antony and Cleopatra:

66

JOHNSON.

If you say so, villain, thou kill'st thy mistress :

"But well and free,

"If thou so yield him, there is gold-." STEEVENs. 5- an OUTWARD man,] i. e. one not in the secret of affairs. WARBURTON. So, inward is familiar, admitted to secrets. "I was an inward of his." Measure for Measure. JOHNSON.

By self-unable MOTION:] We should read notion.

WARBURTON.

This emendation has also been recommended by Mr. Upton.

7 - the

STEEVENS.

younger of our NATURE,] i. e. as we say at present, our young fellows. The modern editors read-nation. I have restored the old reading.

STEEVENS.