1 Lord. Farewel, Captain.

2 Lord. Sweet monfieur Parolles!

Par. Noble heroes, my fword and yours are kin. Good sparks and luftrous, a word, good metals. You fhall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his finifter cheek; it was this very fword entrench'd it: fay to him, I live; and obferve his reports of me.

2 Lord. We fhall, noble captain.

Par. Mars doat on you for his novices! what will you do?

Ber. Stay; the King—

Par. Ufe a more fpacious ceremony to the noble lords you have reftrain'd yourself within the lift of too cold an adieu: be more expreffive to them; for 3 they wear themfelves in the cap of the time, there, do mufter true gait, eat, fpeak, and move under the

You fhall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one captain Spurio, his cicatrice, with an emblem of war here on his finifter cheek ;]*It is furprizing, none of the editors could fee that a flight tranfpofition was abfolutely neceffary here, when there is not common fenfe in the paffage, as it ftands without fuch tranfpofition. Parolles only means, "You fhall find one captain Spurio in the camp, with a fear on his left cheek, a mark of war that my "fword gave him." THEOBALD.

3 they wear themselves in the cap of the time, there, DO mufter true gait, &c.] The main obfcurity of this paffage arifes from the miftake of a fingle letter. We should read, instead of, do mufter, TO muster.To wear themselves in the cap of the time, fignifies to be the foremost in the fashion: the figurative allufion is to the gallantry then in vogue, of wearing jewels, flowers, and their miftrefs's favours in their caps.- there to mufter true gait, fignifies to affemble together in the high road of the fashion. All the reft is intelligible and eafy. WARBURTON.

I think this emendation cannot be faid to give much light to the obfcurity of the paffage. Perhaps it might be read thus, They do mufler with the true gaite, that is, they have the true military ftep Every man has obferved fomething peculiar in the ftrut of a foldier.

JOHNSON.

influence

influc.ice of the most receiv'd ftar; and tho' the devil lead the measure, such are to be follow'd: after them, and take a more dilated farewel.

Ber. And I will do fo.

Par. Worthy fellows; and like to prove most finewy fword-men.

Enter Lafeu.

[Exeunt.

[Lafeu kneels.

Laf. Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings.
King. I'll fee thee to stand up.

Laf. Then here's a man

Stands, that, has bought his pardon. I would, you
Had kneel'd my lord, to afk me mercy; and
That, at my bidding, you could so stand up.

King. I would I had; fo I had broke thy pate,
And afk'd thee mercy for't.

Laf. Goodfaith, across :-but, my good lord, 'tis thus ;

Will you be cur'd of your infirmity?

King, No.

Laf. O, will you eat no grapes, my royal fox?
Yes, but you will, my noble grapes; an if

My royal fox could reach them: 1 have feen a medecin,

That's

acros:] This word, as has been already obferved, is

ufed when any pafs of wit mifcarries.

JOHNSON.

5 Yes, but you will, my noble grapes; an' if] These words, my noble grapes, feem to Dr. Warburton and Sir T. Hanmer, to ftand fo much in the way, that they have filently omitted them. They may be indeed rejected without great lofs, but I believe they are Shakespeare's words. Yon will eat, fays Lafeu, no grapes. Yes, but you will eat fuch noble grapes as I bring you, if you could reach them. JOHNSON.

6

-I have feen a medicine

That's able to breathe life into a stone,

Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary.

Mr. Rich. Broom, in his comedy, intitled, The City Wit, or the

D 4

Woman

That's able to breathe life into a stone;

Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary

With fprightly fire and motion; whofe fimple touch
Is powerful to raise king Pepin, nay,

To give great Charlemain a pen in his hand,
And write to her a love-line,

King. What her is this?

Laf. Why, doctor-fhe: my lord, there's one arriv'd,

If you will fee her. Now, by my faith and honour, If seriously I may convey my thoughts

In this my light deliverance, I have spoke

With one, that in her fex, 7 her years, profeffion, Wisdom, and conftancy, hath amaz'd me more Than I dare blame my weakness: Will you fee her, (For that is her demand) and know her business ? That done, laugh well at me.

King. Now, good Lafeu,

Bring in the admiration; that we with thee,

May spend our wonder too, or take off thine,
By wond'ring how thou took'ft it.

Laf. Nay, I'll fit you,

And not be all day neither.

[Exit Lafeu.

King. Thus he his special nothing ever prologues.

Laf. [Returns.] Nay, come your ways.

[Bringing in Helena.

King. This hafte hath wings, indeed.

Laf. Nay, come your ways;

This is his majefty, fay your mind to him :
A traitor you do look like; but fuch traitors

Woman wears the Breeches, at 4. fc. 1. mentions this among other dances. "As for corantoes, levoltos, jigs, measures, pavins, "brawls, galliards or canaries; I fpeak it not fwellingly, but I "fubfcribe to no man." Dr. GRAY. 7 her years, profession,] By profeffion is meant her declaraticn of the end and purpofe of her coming. WARBURTON.

His majesty seldom fears: I am Creffid's uncle, That dare leave two together; fare you well. [Exit. King. Now, fair one, do's your business follow us? Hel. Ay, my good lord. Gerard de Narbon was My father; in what he did profefs, well found. King. I knew him.

Hel. The rather will I fpare my praise toward him;
Knowing him, is enough. On his bed of death
Many receipts he gave me; chiefly one,
Which, as the deareft iffue of his practice,
And of his old experience the only darling,
He bad me ftore up, as a triple eye,

Safer than mine own two; more dear I have fo:
And hearing your high majefty is touch'd
With that malignant caufe, wherein the honour
Of my dear father's gift ftands chief in power,
I come to tender it, and my appliance,
With all bound humbleness.

King. We thank you, maiden;
But may not be fo credulous of cure,

When our most learned doctors leave us; and
The congregated college have concluded,
That labouring art can never ransom nature
From her unaidable eftate: I say we must not
So ftain our judgment, or corrupt our hope,
To proftitute our past-cure malady
To empericks; or to diffever fo

Our great felf and our credit, to esteem

A fenfeless help, when help past fense we deem.

3 ——Creffid's uncle,] I am like Pandarus. See Troilus and Creffida.

Of my dear father's gift ftands chief in power,]

Perhaps we may better read,

JOHNSON.

wherein the power

Of my dear father's gift ftands chief in honour.

JOHNSON.

Hel.

Hel. My duty then fhall pay me for my pains:
I will no more enforce mine office on you;
Humbly intreating from your royal thoughts
A modest one, to bear me back again.

King. I cannot give thee less, to be call'd grateful: Thou thought'ft to help me; and such thanks I give, As one near death to thofe that wish him live:

But what at full I know, thou know'ft no part;
I knowing all my peril, thou no art.

Hel. What I can do, can do no hurt to try,
Since you fet up your reft 'gainst remedy.
He that of greatest works is finisher,
Oft does them by the weakest minister:
So holy writ in babes hath judgment shown,

When judges have been babes; great floods have flown
From fimple fources; and great seas have dry'd,
When miracles have by the greatest been deny'd.'
Oft expectation fails, and most oft there
Where moft it promifes; and oft it hits

Where hope is coldeft, and defpair most fits.

King. I must not hear thee; fare thee well, kind maid;

Thy pains, not us'd, muft by thyfelf be paid:
Proffers, not took, reap thanks for their reward.
Hel. Infpired merit fo by breath is barr'd':
It is not fo with him, that all things knows,
As 'tis with us, that fquare our guefs by fhows:

When miracles bave by th' greatest been deny'd.]

I do not fee the import or connection of this line. As the next line ftands without a correfpondent rhyme, I fufpect that fomething has been loft. JOHNSON.

I would point the paffage thus, and then I fee no reason to complain of want of connection:

When judges have been babes. Great floods, &c.

When miracles have by th' greatest been deny'd.

i. e. miracles have continued to happen, while the wifeft men have been writing against the poffibility of them. - STEEVENS.

But