Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an at torney, as your French crown for your taffaty punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's fore-finger, as a pancake for Shrove-Tuesday, a morris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a fcolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth; nay, as the pudding to his skin.

Count. Have you, I fay, an answer of fuch fitness for all queftions?

Clo. From below your duke, to beneath your conftable, it will fit any question.

Count. It must be an answer of most monftrous fize, that must fit all demands.

Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned should speak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to❜t. Afk me, if I am a courtier ;-it fhall do you no harm to learn.

Count. To be young again, if we could. I will be a fool in queftion, hoping to be the wifer by your anfwer. I pray you, fir, are you a courtier?

2

Clo. O Lord, fir,-There's a fimple putting off:-more, more, a hundred of them.

Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you.

Clo. O Lord, fir,—Thick, thick, fpare not me. Count. I think, fir, you can eat none of this homely

meat.

Clo. O Lord, fir,--Nay, put me to't, I war

rant you.

Count. You were lately whip'd, fir, as I think.
Clo. O Lord, fir,--Spare not me.

Count. Do you cry, O Lord, fir, as you are whip

To be young again,

] The lady cenfures her own levity in trifling with her jester, as a ridiculous attempt to return back to youth.

JOHNSON.

O Lord, fir,--] A ridicule on that foolish expletive of fpeech then in vogue at court.

WARBURTON.

ping, and spare not me? indeed, your O Lord, fir, is very fequent to your whipping: you would anfwer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't. Clo. I ne'er had worfe luck in my life, in my

O Lord, fir: I fee, things may ferve long, but not ferve ever.

Count. I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it fo merrily with a fool.

Clo. O Lord, fir,-why, there't ferves well again. Count. An end, fir; to your business: Give Helen this,

And urge her to a present answer back:

Commend me to my kinfmen, and my fon :
This is not much.

Clo. Not much commendation to them.

Count. Not much employment for you: You un derstand me.

Clo. Moft fruitfully; I am there before my legs. Count. Hafte you again.

SCENE III.

The Court of France.

Enter Bertram, Lafeu, and Parolles.

[Exeunt.

Laf. They fay, miracles are paft; and we have our philofophical perfons, to make modern, and familiar, things fupernatural and caufelefs. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; enfconfing ourfelves into seeming knowledge, when we should submit ourselves to an unknown fear 3..

Par. Why, 'tis the rareft argument of wonder, that hath bot out in our later times.

Ber. And fo 'tis.

Laf. To be relinquish'd of the artists,

unknown fear.] Frar is here the object of fear.

JOHNSON.

Par

4

Par. So I fay; both of Galen and Paracelfus 4.
Laf. Of all the learned and authentic fellows,
Par. Right, fo I fay.'

Laf. That gave him out incurable,

Par. Why, there 'tis; so say I too. ·
Laf. Not to be help'd,-

Par. Right; as 'twere, a man affur'd of an-
Laf. Uncertain life, and sure death,-

Par. Juft, you fay well; fo would I have faid."
Laf. I may truly fay, it is a novelty to the world.
Par. It is, indeed: if you will have it in fhewing,
fhall read it in, what do you call there?

you

4 Par. So I fay, both of Galen and Paracelfus.
Laf. Of all the learned and authentick fellows-]

Shakespeare, as I have often obferved, never throws out his words
at random. Paracelfus, though no better than an ignorant and
knavish enthufiaft, was at this time in fuch vogue, even amongst
the learned, that he had almoft juffled Galen and the ancients
out of credit. On this account learned is applied to Galer; and
authentick or fashionable to Paracelfus. Sancy, in his Confeffion
Catholique, p. 301. Ed. Col. 1720, is made to fay, Je trouve la
Riviere premier medecin, de meilleure humeur que ces gens la. Il eft
bon Galenite, & tres ben Paracelfifte. Il dit que la do&rine de
Galien eft bone alle, & non mifprifable pour la pathologie, & pre-
fitable pour les boutiques. L'autre, pour-veu que ce foit de vrais
preceptes de Paracelfe, eft bonne à fuivre pour la verité, pour la
fubtilité, pour l'efpargne; en fomme pour la Therapeutique.
WARBURTON.

As the whole merriment of this fcene confifts in the pretenfions of Parolles to knowledge and fentiments, which he has not, I believe here are two paffages in which the words and fenfe are beftowed upon him by the copies, which the author gave to Lafeu. I read this paffage thus,

Laf. To be relinquished of the artifts

Par. So I say.

Laf. Both of Galen and Paracelfus, of all the learned and authentick fellorus

Par. Right, Jo 1 fay. JOHNSON.

I am entirely of Dr. Johnson's opinion. STEEVENS.

Laf.

Laf. A fhewing of a heavenly effect in an earthly

actors.

6

Par. That's it, I would have faid; the very fame. Laf. Why, your dolphin is not luftier: 'fore me I speak in refpect

Par. Nay, 'tis ftrange, 'tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he is of a most facinerous fpirit, that will not acknowledge it to be theLaf. Very hand of heaven.

Par. Ay, fo I say.

Laf. In a moft weak

Par. And debile minister, great power, great tranfcendence: which fhould, indeed, give us a farther use to be made, than alone the recovery of the King; as cabe

Laf. Generally thankful.

Enter King, Helena, and attendants.

Par. I would have faid it; you faid well. Here comes the King.

A fhewing of a heavenly effect, &c.] The title of fome pamphlet here ridiculed. WARBURTON.

Why, your dolphin is not luftier :-] By dolphin, I believe is meant the dauphin, the heir apparent, and hope of the crown of France. His title is fo fpelt in all the old copies. We should therefore read your Dauphin, &c. STEEVENS.

which fhould, indeed, give us a farther ufe to be made, &c.] Between the words us and a farther, there feems to have been two or three words dropt, which appear to have been to this purpose-bould, indeed, give us [notice, that there is of this,] a farther ufe to be made- fo that the paffage fhould be read with afterisks for the future. WARBURTON.

I cannot fee that there is any biatus, or other irregularity of language than fuch as is very common in thefe plays. I believe Parolles has again ufurped words and fenfe to which he has no right; and I read this paffage thus,

Laf. In a most weak and debile minifter, great power, great tranfcendence; which should, indeed, give us a farther ufe to be made than the mere recovery of the king.

Par. As to be.

Laf. Generally thankful. JOHNSON.

E 2

Laf.

Laf. Luftick, as the Dutchman fays. I'll like a maid the better, while I have a tooth in my head. Why, he's able to lead her a corranto.

Par. Mort du Vinaigre! is not this Helen?
Laf. 'Fore God, I think fo.

King Go, call before me all the lords in court.

Sit, my preferver, by thy patient's fide;

And with this healthful hand, whose banish'd sense Thou haft repeal'd, a fecond time receive

The confirmation of my promis'd gift;

Which but attends thy naming.

Enter three or four Lords.

Fair maid, fend forth thine eye: this youthful parcel
Of noble bachelors ftand at my bestowing,

O'er whom both fovereign power and father's voice
I have to use thy frank election make;

Thou haft power to chufe, and they none to forfake.

Hel. To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress Fall, when love please! marry, to each but one!— Laf. I'd give bay curtal and his furniture,

My mouth no more were broken than these boys',
And writ as little beard.

King. Perufe them well:

Not one of thofe, but had a noble father.

Hel. Gentlemen,

[She addreffes herself to a lord.

Heaven hath, through me, reftor'd the King to health. All. We understand it, and thank heaven for you. Hel. I am a fimple maid, and therein wealthiest, That, I proteft, I fimply am a maid.

Please it your majefty, I have done already:

Luftick, as the Dutchman fys.] Luftigh is the Dutch word

for lufty, chearful, pleasant. STEEVENS.

9 A broken mouth is a mouth which has loft part of its teeth.

JOHNSON.
The