IMO. Fools are not mad folks ".

CLO.

Do you call me fool?

IMO. As I am mad, I do:
If you'll be patient, I'll no more be mad ;
That cures us both. I am much sorry, sir,
You put me to forget a lady's manners,

By being so verbal and learn now, for all,
That I, which know my heart, do here pronounce,
By the very truth of it, I care not for you;
And am so near the lack of charity,

(To accuse myself) I hate you: which I had rather You felt, than make't my boast.

CLO. You sin against Obedience, which you owe your father. For

8

The contract you pretend with that base wretch, (One, bred of alms, and foster'd with cold dishes, With scraps o' the court,) it is no contract, none: And though it be allow'd in meaner parties, (Yet who, than he more mean?) to knit their souls

(On whom there is no more dependency

But brats and beggary) in self-figur'd knot ;

6 Fools are not mad folks.] This, as Cloten very well understands it, is a covert mode of calling him fool. The meaning implied is this: If I am mad, as you tell me, I am what you can never be, "Fools are not mad folks." STEEVENS.

7 SO VERBAL:] Is, so verbose, so full of talk. JOHNSON. 8 The contract, &c.] Here Shakspeare has not preserved, with his common nicety, the uniformity of his character. The speech of Cloten is rough and harsh, but certainly not the talk of one"Who can't take two from twenty, for his heart, "And leave eighteen."

His argument is just and well enforced, and its prevalence is allowed throughout all civil nations: as for rudeness, he seems not to be much undermatched. JOHNSON.

9 in SELF-FIGUR'D knot ;] This is nonsense. We should read-self-finger'd knot, i. e. A knot solely of their own tying, without any regard to parents, or other more publick considerations. WARBURTON.

But why nonsense? A self-figured knot is a knot formed by yourself. JOHNSON,

Yet you are curb'd from that enlargement by
The consequence o' the crown; and must not soil'
The precious note of it with a base slave,

A hilding for a livery 2, a squire's cloth,

A pantler, not so eminent.

Імо.

Profane fellow!

Wert thou the son of Jupiter, and no more,
But what thou art besides, thou wert too base
To be his groom: thou wert dignified enough,
Even to the point of envy, if 'twere made
Comparative for your virtues, to be styl'd
The under-hangman of his kingdom; and hated
For being preferr'd so well.

CLO.

The south-fog rot him! IMO. He never can meet more mischance, than

come

To be but nam'd of thee. His meanest garment,
That ever hath but clipp'd his body, is dearer,
In my respect, than all the hairs above thee,
Were they all made such men.-How now, Pisa-
nio?

I

Enter PISANIO.

CLO. His garment? Now, the devil

IMO. To Dorothy my woman hie thee presently:CLO. His garment?

1 - soil-] Old copy-foil. See vol. xii. p. 201, n. 8.

STEEVENS. 2A HILDING for a livery,] A low fellow, only fit to wear a livery, and serve as a lacquey. See vol. v. p. 412, n. 3.

3 if 'twere made

MALONE.

COMPARATIVE for your virtues,] If it were considered as a compensation adequate to your virtues, to be styled, &c. MALONE. 4 Were they all made such men.-How now, Pisanio ?] Sir T. Hanmer regulates this line thus :

66

all such men, "Clot. How now?

66 Imo. Pisanio!" JOHNSON.

IMO. I am sprighted with a fool 5; Frighted, and anger'd worse:-Go, bid my woman Search for a jewel, that too casually

Hath left mine arm; it was thy master's: 'shrew

me,

If I would lose it for a revenue

Of any king's in Europe. I do think,

I saw't this morning: confident I am,

Last night 'twas on mine arm; I kiss'd it 7:
I hope, it be not gone, to tell my lord

That I kiss aught but he.

Ay; I said so, sir.

If you will make't an action, call witness to't.
CLO. I will inform your father.

IMO.
Your mother too:
She's my good lady 9; and will conceive, I hope,

5 I am SPRIGHTED with a fool;] i. e. I am haunted by a fool, as by a spright. Over-sprighted is a word that occurs in Law Tricks, &c. 1608. Again, in our author's Antony and Cleopatra : Julius Cæsar,

6

66

"Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted." STEEVENS. a jewel, that TOO CASUALLY

Hath left mine arm;] That hath accidentally fallen from my arm by my too great negligence. MALONE.

7 Last night 'twas on my arm; I kiss'd it :] Arm is here used by Shakspeare as a dissyllable. MALONE.

I must on this occasion repeat my protest against the whole tribe of such unauthorized and unpronounceable dissyllabifications. I would read the now imperfect line before us, as I suppose it

came from our author:

8

"Last night it was upon mine arm; I kiss'd it." STEEVENS.

call witness To'T.] I cannot help regarding the redundant-to't, as an interpolation. The sense is obvious and the metre perfect without it. STEEVENS.

9 She's MY GOOD LADY ;] This is said ironically. 'My good lady" is equivalent to-my good friend. So, in King Henry IV.

But the worst of me. So I leave you, sir,
To the worst of discontent.

CLO.

[Exit.

I'll be reveng'd:

[Exit.

His meanest garment ?-Well.

SCENE IV.

Rome. An Apartment in PHILARIO'S House.

Enter POSTHUMUS and PHILARIO.

POST. Fear it not, sir: I would, I were so sure To win the king, as I am bold, her honour Will remain hers.

PHI.

What means do you make to him? POST. Not any; but abide the change of time; Quake in the present winter's state, and wish That warmer days would come: In these fear'd hopes,

I barely gratify your love; they failing,

I must die much your debtor.

PHI. Your very goodness, and your company, O'erpays all I can do. By this, your king Hath heard of great Augustus: Caius Lucius Will do his commission throughly: And, I think, He'll grant the tribute 2, send the arrearages, Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance Is yet fresh in their grief.

Part II. : "

and when you come to court, stand my good lord, pray, in your good report." MAlone.

Quake in the present WINTER'S STATE, and wish

That warmer days would come:] I believe we should read winter-state, not winter's state. M. MASON.

He'll grant the tribute,] See p. 9, n. 7. MALONE.

3 OR look-] This the modern editors had changed into E'er look. Or is used for e'er. So, Gawin Douglas, in his translation of Virgil:

POST.

I do believe,

(Statist though I am none, nor like to be,)
That this will prove a war; and you shall hear
The legions', now in Gallia, sooner landed
In our not-fearing Britain, than have tidings
Of any penny tribute paid. Our countrymen
Are men more order'd, than when Julius Cæsar
Smil'd at their lack of skill, but found their cou-
rage

Worthy his frowning at: Their discipline

(Now mingled with their courages) will make

known

To their approvers", they are people, such
That mend upon the world.

"Or he his goddes brocht in Latio."

See also King John, Act IV. Sc. III. STEEVENS.

4 (Statist-] i. e. Statesman. See note on Hamlet, vol. vii. p. 489. STEEVENS.

5 The LEGIONS,] Old copy-legion. Corrected by Mr. Theobald. So, afterwards:

6

"And that the legions now in Gallia are

"Full weak to undertake our war," &c. MALONE.

MINGLED with their courages)] The old folio has this odd reading:

66

Their discipline

"(Now wing-led with their courages) will make known-." JOHNSON.

"Their discipline (now wing-led by their courages)" may mean their discipline borrowing wings from their courage;' i. e. their military knowledge being animated by their natural bravery.

STEEVENS.

The same error that has happened here being often found in these plays, I have not hesitated to adopt the emendation which was made by Mr. Rowe, and received by all the subsequent editors. Thus we have in the last Act of King John, wind, instead of mind; in Antony and Cleopatra, winds, instead of minds; in Measure for Measure, flawes, instead of flames, &c. MALONE. 7 To their APPROVERS,] i. e. To those who try them. WARBURTON.