Among nine bad if one be good, Count. What, one good in ten? you corrupt the song, sirrah. Clo. One good woman in ten, madam; which is a purifying o' th' song: 'Would God would serve the world so all the year! we'd find no fault with the tythe-woman, if I were the parson: One in ten, quoth a'! an we might have a good woman born but every blazing star, or at an earthquake, 'twould mend the lottery well; a man may draw his heart out, ere he pluck one. Count. You'll be gone, sir knave, and do as I command you? Clo. That man should be at woman's command, and yet no hurt done!-Though honesty be no puritan, yet it will do no hurt; it will wear the surplice of humility over the black gown of a big heart.—I am going, forsooth: the business is for Helen to come hither. [Exit. Count. Well, now. Stew. I know, madam, you love your gentlewoman entirely. Count. Faith, I do her father bequeathed her to me; and she herself, without other advantage, may lawfully make title to as much love as she finds: there is more owing her, than is paid; and more shall be paid her, than she'll demand. Stew. Madam, I was very late more near her than, I think, she wished me alone she was, and did communicate to herself, her own words to her own ears; she thought, I dare vow for her, they touched not any stranger sense. Her matter was, she loved your son: Fortune, she said, was no goddess, that had put such difference betwixt their two estates; Love, no god, that would not extend his might, only where qualities were level; [5] This second stanza of the ball is turned to a joke upon the women; a confession that there was one good in ten. Whereon the countess observed, that he corrupted the song, which shews the song said, Nine good in ten. If one be bad amongst nine good, This relates to the ten sons of Priam, who all behaved themselves well but Paris. For though he once had fifty, yet, at this unfortunate period of his reign, he had but ten; Agathon, Antiphon, Deiphobus, Dius, Hector, Helenus, Hippothous, Pammon, Paris, and Polites. WARBURTON. [6] Here is an allusion violently enough forced in, to satirize the obstinacy with which the puritans refused the use of the ecclesiastical habits, which was, at that time, one principal cause of the breach of union, and, perhaps, to insinuate, that the modest purity of the surplice was sometimes a cover for pride. JOHNSON. Diana, no queen of virgins, that would suffer her poor knight to be surprised, without rescue, in the first assault, or ransome afterward: This she delivered in the most bitter touch of sorrow, that e'er I heard virgin exclaim in which I held my duty, speedily to acquaint you withal; sithence, in the loss that may happen, it concerns you something to know it. Count. You have discharged this honestly; keep it to yourself: many likelihoods informed me of this before, which hung so tottering in the balance, that I could nei ther believe, nor misdoubt: Pray you, leave me : stall this in your bosom, and I thank you for your honest care: I will speak with you further anon. [Exit Steward. Enter HELENA. Count. Even so it was with me, when I was young: If we are nature's, these are ours; this thorn Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong; Our blood to us, this to our blood is born; It is the show and seal of nature's truth, Where love's strong passion is impress'd in youth: By our remembrances of days forgone, Such were our faults;-or then we thought them none, Her eye is sick on't; I observe her now. Hel. What is your pleasure, madam? Count. You know, Helen, I am a mother to you. Hel. Mine honourable mistress. Count. Nay, a mother; Why not a mother? When I said, a mothér, That were enwombed mine: 'Tis often seen, You ne'er oppress'd me with a mother's groan, [7] Sithence,-i e. since. Chaucer frequently uses sith, and sithen, in the same sense. STEEVENS. [8] There is something exquisitely beautiful in this representation of that suffusion of colours which glimmers around the sight when the eye-lashes are wet with tears. The poet has described the same appearance in his Rape of Lucrece: The many-colour'd Iris, rounds thine eye? Hel. That I am not. Count. I say, I am your mother. Hel. Pardon, madam; The count Rousillon cannot be my brother: Count. Nor I your mother? Hel. You are my mother, madam; 'Would you were (So that my lord, your son, were not my brother,) Indeed, my mother!-or were you both our mothers I care no more for, than I do for heaven,' So I were not his sister: Can't no other, But, I your daughter, he must be my brother? Count. Yes, Helen, you might be my daughter-in-law; Your salt tears' head.' Now to all sense 'tis gross, To say, thou dost not: therefore tell me true; To tell me truly. Hel. Good madam, pardon me! Hel. Your pardon, noble mistress! "And round about her tear-distained eye "Blue circles stream'd like rainbows in the sky." HENLEY. [9] There is a designed ambiguity: I care no more for, is, I care as much for. I wish n equally. FARMER. [1] The source, the fountain of your tears, the cause of your grief. JOHNSON. Count. Love you my son? Hel. Do not you love him, madam ? Count. Go not about; my love hath in't a bond, Whereof the world takes note: come, come, disclose The state of your affection; for your passions Have to the full appeach'd. Hel. Then, I confess, Here on my knee, before high heaven and you, My friends were poor, but honest; so's my love: That he is lov'd of me: I follow him not By any token of presumptuous suit ; Nor would I have him, till I do deserve him; : The sun, that looks upon his worshipper, Wish chastly, and love dearly, that your Dian To Hel. Madam, I had. Count. Wherefore? tell true. Hel. I will tell truth; by grace itself, I swear. As notes, whose faculties inclusive were, More than they were in note: amongst the rest, To cure the desperate languishes, whereof Count. This was your motive For Paris, was it? speak. Hel. My lord your son made me to think of this; Count. But think you, Helen, If you should tender your supposed aid, Hel. There's something hints, More than my father's skill, which was the greatest By the luckiest stars in heaven: and, would your Count. Dost thou believe't? Hel. Ay, madam, knowingly. honour Count. Why, Helen, thou shalt have my leave, and love, Means, and attendants, and my loving greetings To those of mine in court; I'll stay at home, ACT II. [Exeunt SCENE I.-Paris. A Room in the King's Palace. Flourish. Enter King, with young Lords taking leave for the Florentine war; BERTRAM, PAROLLES, and Attendants. King. FAREWELL, young lord, these warlike principles [2] Receipts, in which greater virtues were inclosed than appeared to observation. JOHNSON |