Something to fave thy life.

Par. Oh let me live,

And all the fecrets of our camp I'll fhew,

Their force, their purposes: nay, I'll speak that
Which you will wonder at.

Inter. But wilt thou faithfully?

Par. If I do not, damn me.

Inter. Acordo linta.

Come on, thou art granted space. [Exit with Parolles. [A fhort alarum within. Lord. Go, tell the count Roufillon and my brother We have caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffled

'Till we do hear from them.

Sol. Captain, I will.

Lord. He will betray us all unto ourselves,

Inform 'em that.

Sol. So I will, Sir.

Lord. 'Till then I'll keep him dark, and safely

lockt.

SCENE II.

The Widow's boufe.

Enter Bertram and Diana.

[Exeunt.

Ber. They told me that your name was Fontibell. Dia. No, my good lord, Diana.

Ber. Titled goddess,

And worth it with addition! But, fair foul,
In your fine frame hath love no quality?
If the quick fire of youth light not your mind,
You are no maiden, but a monument:

When you are dead, you should be fuch a one
As you are now, for you are cold and ftern;
And now you fhould be as your mother was,
When fweet felf was got.

your

Dia. She then was honest.

Ber.

Ber. So fhould you be.

Dia. No.

My mother did but duty; fuch, my lord,
As you owe to your wife.

Ber. No more of that!

I pr'ythee, do not strive against my vows :
I was compell'd to her; but I love thee
By love's own sweet constraint, and will for ever
Do thee all rights of service.

Dia. Ay, fo you serve us,

'Till we ferve you: but when you have our roses, You barely leave our thorns to prick ourselves, And mock us with our bareness.

Ber. How have I fworn?

5 No more o' that!

I pr'sthee do not firive againft my vorus:
I was compell'd to her.]

I know not well what Bertram can mean by entreating Diana not to ftrive against his vows. Diana has just mentioned his wife, fo that the vows feem to relate to his marriage. In this sense not Diana, but himself, frives against his vows. His vows indeed may mean vows made to Diana; but, in that cafe, to frive against is not properly used for to reject, nor does this fenfe cohere well with his first exclamation of impatience at the mention of his wife. No more of that! Perhaps we might read,

I pr'ythee do not drive against my vorus. Do not run upon that topick,; talk of any thing else that I can bear to bear.

I have another conceit upon this paffage, which I would be thought to offer without much confidence:

Diana tells him unexpectedly of his wife. He anfwers with perturbation, No more of that! I pr'ythee do not play the confeffor -against my own confent I was compelled to her.

When a young profligate finds his courtship fo gravely repreffed by an admonition of his duty, he very naturally defires the girl not to take upon her the office of a confeffor. JOHNSON.

Dia. 'Tis not the many oaths, that make the truth But the plain fingle vow, that is vow'd true. What is not holy, that we fwear not 'bides, But take the Highest to witness: Then, pray you tell

me,

• What is not holy, that we fwear not BY,]

If

Yes, nothing is more common than fuch kind of oaths. But Diana is not here accufing Bertram for fwearing by a being not holy, but for fwearing to an unholy purpose; as is evident from the preceding lines,

'Tis not the many oaths, that make the truth:

But the plain fimple vow, that is vow'd true.

The line in queftion, therefore, is evidently corrupt, and should be read thus,

What is net boly, that we fwear, not 'BIDES,

i. e. if we fwear to an unholy purpose the oath abides not, but is diffolved in the making. This is an answer to the purpose. She fubjoins the reafon two or three lines after,

this has no holding,

To fwear by him, whom I proteft to love,
That I will work against him.-

i. e. that oath can never hold, whofe fubject is to offend and difplease that being, whom, 1 profets, in the act of fwearing by him, to love and reverence.-What may have mifled the editors into the common reading was, perhaps, mistaking Bertram's words above,

By love's own fweet conftraint

to be an oath; whereas it only fignifies, being contrained by love. WARBURTON.

This is an acute and excellent conjecture, and I have done it the due honour of exalting it to the text; yet, methinks, there is fomething yet wanting. The following words, but take the High'f to wires, even though it be underflood as an anticipation or af fumption in this fenfe,-but now fuppofe that you take the Highest to witnefs, has not fufficient relation to the antecedent fentence. I will propofe a reading nearer to the furface, and let it take its

chance.

Ber. How have I fworn!

Diana. 'Tis not the many oaths, that make the truth,
But the plain fingle wow, that is vow'd true.
Ber What is not holy, that we fwear not fy,

But take the High'ft to witness.

7 If I fhould swear by Jove's great attributes
I lov'd you dearly, would you believe my oaths,
When I did love you ill? this has no holding,
To fwear by him whom I protest to love,

That I will work against him. Therefore your oaths
Are words, and poor conditions but unfeal'd;
At least, in my opinion.

Ber. Change it, change it:

Be not fo holy-cruel. Love is holy;
And my integrity ne'er knew the crafts,

That you do charge men with: Stand no more off,
But give thyself unto my fick desire,

Who then recovers. Say, thou art mine; and ever My love, as it begins, fhall fo perfever.

Diana. Then, pray tell me,

If I should fwear, &c.

Bertram means to enforce his fuit, by telling her, that he has bound himself to her, not by the petty proteftations ufual among lovers, but by vows of greater folemnity. She then makes a proper and rational reply. JOHNSON.

"If I should fwear 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 diftinguishable. If it is read Love's, perhaps it may be fomething lefs difficult. I am ftill at a lofs. JOHNSON.

It may be read thus,

this has no holding,

"To fwear by him whom I atteft to love,
"That I will work against him."

There is no confiftence in expreffing reverence for Jupiter by calling him to atteft my love, and fhewing at the fame time, by working against him by a wicked paffion, that I have no respect to the name which I invoke. JoHNSON.

To frwear by him whom I proteft to love,
That I will work against him.]

This paffage likewife appears to me corrupt. She fwears not by him whom the loves, but by Jupiter. I believe we may read, to fwear to him. There is, fays he, no holding, no confiftency, in fwearing to one that I love him, when I swear it only to injure him.

JOHNSON.

Dia. I fee, that men make hopes in fuch affairs That we'll forfake ourselves. Give me that ring. Ber. I'll lend it thee, my dear, but have no power To give it from me.

Dia. Will you not, my lord?

Ber. It is an honour 'longing to our house, Bequeathed down from many ancestors; Which were the greatest obloquy i' the world In me to lose.

Dia. Mine honour's fuch a ring:

My chastity's the jewel of our house,
Bequeathed down from many ancestors;
Which were the greatest obloquy i'the world
In me to lofe. Thus your own proper wisdom
Brings in the champion honour on my part,
Against your vain affault.

Ber. Here, take my ring:

My house, mine honour, yea, my life be thine,
And I'll be bid by thee.

Dia. When midnight comes, knock at my chamber window;

I'll order take, my mother shall not hear.
Now will I charge you in the band of truth,
When you have conquer'd my yet maiden-bed,
Remain there but an hour, nor speak to me:
My reasons are most strong; and you shall know them,
When back again this ring fhall be deliver❜d:
And on your finger, in the night, I'll put
Another ring; that, what in time proceeds,
May token to the future our paft deeds.
Adieu, 'till then; then, fail not: You have won
A wife of me, tho' there my hope be done.

Ber. A heaven on earth I have won by wooing

thee.

[Exits Dia. For which live long to thank both heaven and

me!

You may fo in the end.

VOL. IV.

H

My