ftaff, in a subsequent fcene he is twinged by the nose, kicked, beaten, and trod upon. What must we think of an audience that could be diverted with fuch hyperbolical ftuff, and fuch cruel treatment of a poor miferable wretch, after having been delighted with the truly diverting fcenes of a Parolles and a Falstaff? This furely is being • Sated with celeftial food, and feeding upon garbage.” It is more to be wondered Mr. Garrick could have any thoughts of reviving King and no King, than that he fhould afterwards withdraw it. It had been said that Mr. Garrick had once made a promife to a gentleman, respectable for elegance of taste and politenefs of manners, to act Arbaces and Besfus alternately. This promife must have been made when Rofcius was in a very gay humour; or, at leaft, much off his guard. The cowards of Shakspeare are not rendered so absolutely unfit for all fociety as Beffus Beffus and his companions, the swordf men; fellows who gravely take measure of a man's shoe to discover by that whether the owner had kicked a fellow into difgrace or not. Though we should grant that Parolles, in real life, would not be a very eligible companion, yet, I believe, no audience would refufe his acquaintance. Beaumont and Fletcher place their cowards in fuch fituations as muft produce nothing but contempt and difguft. Parolles fetches out rich matter, fine fpleen, and choleric humour, from old Lafeu. His diftrefs, when blinded, is of the most whimsical fort, and the acute invention of his answers, to the interpreter's interrogatories, afford perpetual laughter. Even, in his last stage of Tom Drum, when he is produced as an evidence against Bertram, the rogue is fo characteristically diverting that you cannot find in cannot find in your heart to be very angry; you almoft pardon him, and wish he were taken into favour again. The generous Lafeu is half inclined to it, and, and, that he is made fo relenting, we must attribute to our author's great knowledge of man and his large nature, as Ben Jonfon expreffes it. He knew that those who are most prone to vehement anger are the fooneft pacified. Hot fpirits make quicker hafte to repair the mischiefs of their ef capes from reason, than those who are more temperate and fedate. Act V. Scene III. KING. For we are old, and, on our quickest decrees, Dr. Johnfon, in his life of Pope, has an excellent thought on the unconquerable power of time: He that runs against time has an antagonist not subject to cafualties.' I DE M. This ring was mine, and, when I gave it Helen, Neceffitated to help, that, by this token, I would relieve her. Vol. II. D This This is fo like the circumstance of Queen Elizabeth's giving a ring to the Earl of Effex, with the fame kind intention, in behalf of that unfortunate nobleman, that I cannot help thinking that our author inferted it, in his play, from that wellknown fact. I am aware that All's well that ends well was firft acted in 1598, though not printed till 1623: but our author, it is known, frequently made alterations and additions to feveral of his pieces. LAFE U. I will buy me a fon-in-law in a fair, and toll for this. I will rather go to a country fair, where I shall have my choice of peasants or country clowns, and pick out a fon from them, than marry my daughter to fo worthless a fellow as this, whofe knell I would most willingly ring.' I do not prefume to give this as the infallible meaning of the paffage in question; but it is furely very probable. BERTRAM. BERTRAM. [Speaking of Parolles.] What of him? He's quoted for a most perfidious flave, With all the spots o'th' world tax'd and debosh'd. Mr. Steevens fays, rightly, that quoted has the fame fenfe as noted; but, in this particular place, it bears, I think, a yet ftronger meaning. He is ftigmatised as a well-known and most abhorred liar.' King John's reproach to Hubert contains a fuller interpretation of this word than Polonius's quoted him,' in Ham let: Hadft not thou been by, A fellow, by the hand of nature mark'd, |