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ACT IV.] ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

ACT IV.

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Line 43. of Bajazet's mule,] As a mule is dumb by nature, as the mute is by art, the reading may stand. In one of our old Turkish histories, there is a pompous description of Bajazet riding on a mule to the Divan.

STEEVENS.

Line 140. If I should swear by Jove's great attributes,] In the print of the old folio, it is doubtful whether it be Jove's or Love's, the characters being not distinguishable. If it is read Love's, perhaps it may be something less difficult. I am still at a loss. JOHNSON.

Line 143. To swear by him whom I protest to love, &c.] This passage likewise appears to me corrupt. She swears not by him whom she loves, but by Jupiter. I believe we my read, to swear to him. There is, says she no holding, no consistency, in swearing to one that I love him, when I swear it only to injure him. JOHNSON.

Line 196.

Since Frenchmen are so braid, Marry that will, I'll live and die a maid:] Nothing is more common than for girls, on such occasions, to say in a pet what they do not think, or to think for a time what they do not finally resolve. JOHNSON.

Braid does not signify crooked or perverse, but crafty or deceitful, STEVEENS. Line 303. bring forth this counterfeit module;] Module being the pattern of any thing, may be here used in that sense. Bring forth this fellow, who, by counterfeit virtue, pretended to make himself a pattern. JOHNSON.

Line 377.

off their cassocks,] Cassock signifies a horseman's loose coat, and is used in that sense by the writers of the age of Shakspeare.

3TEEVENS.

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ANNOTATIONS ON

[ACT IV. Line 419. Dian. The count's a fool, and full of gold,] After this line there is apparently a line lost, there being no rhime JOHNSON. that corresponds to gold.

Line 438. Men are to mell with, boys are not to kiss;] To mell, from the French meler, is to meddle or mingle; from which the meaning of the expression may be understood. Line 460. an egg out of a cloister ;] I know not that cloister, though it may etymologically signify any thing shut, is used by our author, otherwise than for a monastery, and therefore I cannot guess whence this hyperbole could take its original; perhaps it means only this: He will steal any thing, however trifling, from any place, however holy. JOHNSON. Line 485. he's a cat still.] That is, throw him how you will, he lights upon his legs. The same speech also was applied by king James to Coke, with respect to his subtleties of law, that throw him which way we would, he JOHNSON. could still like a cat light upon his legs.

Line 494. Why does he ask him of me?] This is nature. Every man is on such occasions more willing to hear his JOHNSON. neighbour's character than his own.

Line 577. When saucy trusting of the cozen'd thoughts, Defiles the pitchy night!] Saucy may very properly signify JOHNSON. luxurious, and by consequence lascivious.

Line 587. But with the word, the time will bring on summer, &c.] With the word, i. e. in an instant of time.

WARBURTON.

The meaning of this observation is, that as briars have sweetness with their prickles, so shall these troubles be recompensed with joy.

Line 591.

Line 594.

JOHNSON.

the fines -] i. e. the finis, or end.

whose villainous saffron would have made all the unbak'd and doughty youth of a nation in his colour:] This alludes to a fantastic fashion, then much followed, of using yellow starch for their bands and ruffs.

WARBURTON.

Line 600. I would I had not known him!] This dialogue serves to connect the incidents of Parolles with the main plan of the play. JOHNSON.

Line 640. I am a woodland fellow, sir, &c.] Shakspeare is but rarely guilty of such impious trash. And it is observable, that then he always puts that into the mouth of his fools, which is now grown the characteristic of the fine gentleman. WARBURTON.

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stranger, i. e. a stranger of gentle condition, a gentleman.

STEEVENS.

Line 40. Our means will make us means.] Shakspeare delights much in this kind of reduplication, sometimes so as to obscure his meaning. Helena says, they will follow with such speed as the means which they have will give them ability to exert. JOHNSON.

Line 70. I do pity his distress in my smiles of comfort,] The meaning is, I testify my pity for his distress, by encouraging him with a gracious smile.

HEATH.

Line 102. you shall eat ;] Parolles has many of the lineaments of 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.

Line 104. esteem -] Esteem is here reckoning or estimate. Since the loss of Helen with her virtues and qualifications, our account is sunk; what we have to reckon ourselves king of, is much poorer than before

JOHNSON,

Line 110.

In the spring of

blaze of youth,] In the old copy blade.

early life, when the man is yet green; oil

and fire suit but ill with blade, and therefore Dr. Warburton reads, blaze of youth. Line 129.

The first view shall kill

JOHNSON.

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 other such 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.

Line 111. Our own love waking, &c.] For sleep I think we should read slept. Love cries to see what was done while hatred slept, and suffered mischief to be done. Or the meaning may be, that hatred still continues to sleep at ease, while love is weeping. JOHNSON.

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Line 217. 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. Line 219. noble she was, and thought

I stood ingag'd:] The meaning is, when she saw me receive the ring, she thought me engaged to her.

Line 226. Plutus himself,

JOHNSON.

That knows the tinct, and mutiplying medicine,] Plutus the grand alchemist, who knows the tincture which confers the properties of gold upon base metals, and the

ACT V.] ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

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mutter by which gold is multiplied, by which a small quantity of gold is made to communicate its qualities to a large mass of metal.

In the reign of Henry the fourth a law was made to forbid all men thenceforth to multiply gold, or use any craft of multiplication. Of which law Mr. Boyle, when he was warm with the hope of transmutation, procured a repeal.

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JOHNSON.

That you are well acquainted with yourself, Confess 't was hers;] The true meaning of this strange 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. Line 248.

My fore-past proofs, how'er the matter fall,
Shall tax my fears of little vanity,

Having vainly fear'd too little.] The proofs which I have already had, are sufficient to shew that my fears were not vain and irrational. I have rather been hitherto more easy than I ought, and have unreasonably had too little fear

JOHNSON.

i. e. decease, die. So in

STEEVENS.

Line 260. Who hath for four or five removes, come short, &c.] Removes are journeys or post-stages. JOHNSON. Line 296 shall cease,] King Lear" Fall and cease." Line 333. Whose high respect, and rich validity,] Validity is a very bad word for value, which yet I think is its meaning, unless it be considered as making a contract valid.

Validity certainly means value.
Line 359.

JOHNSON. STEEVENS.

Every thing that

all impediments in fancy's course Are motives of more funcy ;]

obstructs love is an occasion by which love is heightened. And, to

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