Din. That tongue, that tells fair tales to men's destructions, Shall never rack me more 16. Dia. I will now hear her, see her, as a woman, * [her 17, Survey her, and the power man has allow'd As I would do the course of common things, Lamov'd, unstruck. Cler. Hold there, and I forgive thee. Is not her own, our eyes bestow it on her; No honour, nor no life: Like a bold mer- And split my bottom. 16 I am awake again, and see her mischiefs, Nurse. I'm sorry I have troubled you; More sorry, that my lady has adventur'd So great a favour in so weak a mind. This hour you have refus'd That, when you come to know it, [fellow! Will run you mad, and make you curse that She is not fair, nor handsome! so I leave you. Cler. Stay, lady, stay; but is there such a business? [yours Nurse. You'd break your neck, "twere Cler. My back, you would say. Nurse. But play the friend's part still, sir, 'Tis a fair office. [and undo him; Din. I've spoke too liberally. Nurse. I shall deliver what you say. You'd fain be prating now! Take the man Nurse. 'Tis in's own will; I had no further charge, sir, [thought Than to tell him what I did; which, if I'd It should have been receiv'd so Cler. 'Faith, you may; You do not know how far it may concern you, hour in fortune 19, That must be still observ'd: When things must be. There is an [chide you, You think Pi Nay, see, an he [too? will hold his head up! Would such a lady send with such a charge Say she has play'd the fool, play the fool with her again, The great fool, the greater still the better. He shall go with you, woman. Nurse. As it please him; I know the way alone else. Shall never rack me more,] Rack, i. e. torment, is certainly good sense here, and I therefore don't change it, though wrack, the old way of spelling wreck, i. e. ship-wreck, Seems much more poetical: For his honour, by her devices, had just before been wrack'd, hich Dinant a little lower expresses by the same metaphor: like a bold merchant, -I've ventur'd all these," (i. e. time, friends, honour and life,) "And split my bottom." This confirmation occurred after the conjecture itself. "And the power man hus allow'd, sir.] Former edit. 13 And am not now on every idle errand, And new-coin'd anger, to be hurried, Seward, Seward. And then despis'd again.] Mr. Sympson suspects the word hurried, as making no antitheis to despis'd, and therefore proposes to read honeyed, a word common to our Authors. But as Dinant had just before been" hurried on an idle errand, and a new-coin'd anger," I see no sort of reason for the change; Perhaps, indeed, anger might have been dunger, because it was the pretence of that which had induced him to go upon her former errand; but neither is this change necessary. Seward. 19 There is an hour in fortune, That must be still observ'd.] We meet with this sentiment in Shakespeare's Julius Cæsar. The passage is quoted (vol. i.) act ii. sc. 1. note of The Custom of the Country, See me no more! charge thee, Verd. I fought, sir, [left Like a good fellow, and a soldier too; [fates: Champ. All disgraces, wretch! (For to fall by a noble enemy's sword But that thou must survive thy infamy, Beau. Sir, his misfortune Champ, In your opinion: 'Tis fit you two should be of one belief. You are indeed fine gallants, and fight bravely I'th' city with your tongues, but in the field Have neither spirit to dare, nor power to do; Your swords are all lead there. Beau. I know no duty (However you may wreak your spleen on That binds me to endure this. [bim) Champ. From Dinant You'll suffer more! That ever cursed I Should give my honour up, to the defence Of such a thing as he is! or my lady, -no river, That is all innocent", for whom a dove would him; honest, Ilis valour claims it from me, and with. Beau. Dinant? he durst not meet us. Lam. How! durst not, brother? Beau. Durst not; I repeat it. Verd. Nor was it Cleremont's valour that disarm'd us; I had the better of him. For Dinant, [I dare Champ. Came he not, say you? Verd. No; but in his room There was a devil, hir'd from some magician, Beau. "Twas he did it. But what talk I of one that stepp'd aside, Lam. I'm such a friend to truth, [noble, Lam. From one so excellent in all that's Whose only weakness is excess of courage? That knows no enemies, that he cannot master, To force thy life out backward, or to drown it.] The disjunctive or is surely improper here; for forcing life out backward is only an exceedingly droll description of drowning. Seward, That is all innocent.] All-innocent is poetical, but from no hyphen being added in the former editions, and innocent being wrote with a great letter, perhaps the true reading may be, "all innocence." Seward. Surely there is no need of a hyphen; the expression is equally poetical, and the sense the same, without it. I've cause to speak; frowns cannot fright By all my hopes, as I am spotless to you, If I rest once assur'd you do but doubt me, Or curb me of that freedom you once gave Champ. What then? [me- Lam. I'll not alone abuse your bed, (that's nothing!) Bat, to your more vexation, 'tis resolv'd on, Champ. Impudent! Verd. And on the sudden- Lam. I was an innocent virgin, Once mov'd, she hardly was to be appeas'd; Yet I dare swear her honest. Champ. So I think too, man, On better judgment. I am no Italian, Beau. That as you please, sir. Char. You've won the breeches, madam! My lord limps tow'rd you. Lam. You will learn more manners! [Strikes her. Char. This is a fee, for counsel that's unask'd for! Champ. Come, I mistook thee, sweet; prithee, forgive me! I never will be jealous: Ere I cherish Lam "Tis well, sir! Uncheck'd, and unobserv'd: If thou wilt Lam. And that hell take me, If I affect him! He's a lustful villain, (But yet no coward) and solicits me To my dishonour; that's indeed a quarrel, And truly raine, which I will so revenge, As it shall fright such as dare only think To be adulterers. Champ. Use thine own ways; I give up all to thee. Beau. Oh, women, women! [evils. When you are pleas'd you are the least of Verd. I'll rhyme to't-But provok'd, the worst of devils! [Exeunt. Enter Sampson and three Clients. Samp. I know monsieur La-Writ. 1 Client. 'Would he knew himself, sir! Sump. He was a pretty lawyer, a kind of Of a kind of unable thing. [pretty lawyer, 2 Client. A fine lawyer, sir, And would have firk'd you up a business! And out of this court into that! Samp. You are too forward; [have done, Not so fine, my friends; something he could But short, short! 1 Client. I know your worship's favour; You're nephew to the judge, sir. Samp. It may be so, And something may be done, without trots ting i'th' dirt, friends: It may be I can take him in his chamber, In our reports.] All editions, but the first, read "your reports:" We think the old reading best;-convince signifies confute, or convict us of falsehood. came to it [fighting, Alas, he is possess'd, sir, with the spirit of And quarrels with all people; but how he [wan, Sump. If he fight well, and like a gentleThe man may fight; for 'tis a lawful calling. Look you, my friends, I am a civil gentleAnd my lord my uncle loves me. [man, 3 Client. We all know it, sir. [too, much business, Samp. I think he does, sir; I've business Turn you some forty or fifty causes in a Yet, when I get an hour of vacancy, [week: I can fight too, my friends; a little does well; I would be loth to learn to fight. 1 Client. But, an't please you, sir, His fighting has neglected all our business: We are undone, our causes cast away, sir; His not appearance Samp. There he fought too long; A little, and fight well; he fought too long, indeed, friends: But, ne'ertheless, things must be as they may, And there be ways 1 Client. We know, sir, if you pleaseSamp. Something I'll do. Go, rally up your causes. Gent. We'll see what may be done, sir. 1 Clint. Ha! monsieur La-Writ! La-Writ. Baffled in way of business, My causes cast away, judgment against us ! Why, there it goes. 2 Client. What shall we do the whilst, sir ? La-Writ. Breed new dissensions; go hang yourselves! [living 'Tis all one to me; I have a new trade of 1 Client. Do you hear what he says, sir? Sump. The gentleman speaks finely. La-Writ. Will any of you fight? Fighting's my occupation, If you find yourselves aggriev'd. Samp. A complete gentleman! [petitions! La-Writ. Avant, thou buck ram budget of Thou spital of lame causes! I lament for And, till revenge be taken [thee; Samp. Tis most excellent. Lu-Writ. There, every man éhuse his per, and his place: pa[ness, I'll answer ye all; I'll neglect no man's busiBut he shall have satisfaction like a gentleman.. The judge may do and not do; he's but a monsieur. [bag, sir. Sump. You have nothing of mine in your [thing But you may put any thing in, any fighting Sump. It is sufficient; you may hear hereLa-Writ. I rest your servant, sir! [after. Sump. No more words, gentlemen," [me. But follow me; no more words, as you love The gentleman's a noble gentleman! I shall do what I can, and then- Clients. We thank you, sir. [gentleman. Sump. Not a word to disturb him; he's a [Exeunt Sampson and Clients. La-Writ. No cause go o'my side? the judge cast all? [action, And, because I was honourably employ'd in And not appear'd, pronounce? 'Tis very well, 'Tis well, 'faith! 'tis well, judge! Enter Cleremont. Cler. How he is metamorphos'd! 23 We'll have no going less.] So first folio; but the other editions read, "We'll have nỡ going else." We think the old reading is the best sense, and much more characteristick. To go less, too, is a phrase often used by our Authors. 24 Thou spittle of lame causes.] To call a pettifogger a person spit out of lame causes seems very stiff, and the common cant term splitter is so near the trace of the letters, that there can be little doubt of its being the original. There are few characters, either i Shakespeare, Jonson, or Moliere, that surpass La-Writ in comic humour. Seward. Mr. Seward totally misapprehends this. "Spittle [or Spital] of lame causes," is most ridiculously interpreted " a person spit out of lame causes." It means, an hospital of leane causes;" a figurative expression, quite agreeable to the usual style of our Authors: La-Writ. You come in time, sir. Cler. The happier man, to be at your command then. [but that's all one; La-Writ. You may wonder to see me thus ; Time shall declare. 'Tis true, I was a Lawyer, But I have mew'd that coat; I hate a Lawyer; I talk'd much in the court; now I hate talking. I did you the office of a man? Cler. I must confess it. La-Writ. And budg'd not; no, I budg'd Cier. No, you did not. [not? La-Writ. There's it then; one good turn and then deliver it. To Monsieur Vertaign, the President.' Cler Why, he's a judge, an old man! To be a gentleman; and he that is a judge nour. [causes, There are my griefs, he has cast away my This is the maddest thing La-Writ. You will not carry it? Cler. I do not tell you so; but, if you may be persuaded- [would not fight; La-Writ. You know how you us'd me when I Do you remember, gentleman? Cler. The devil's in him. [do it; Enter Vertuign, with two Gentlemen. Vert. I shall find time, gentlemen, To do your causes good. Is not that Clere1 Gent. 'Tis he, my lord. [mont? Vert. Why does he smile upon me? [sir, Am I become ridiculous? Has your fortune, Upon my son, made you contemn his father? The glory of a gentleman is fair bearing. Cler. Mistake me not, my lord; you shall I come with no blown spirit to abuse you; Cler. So is my business; And I beseech your honour mistake me not. I have brought you, from a wild, or rather mad-man, [mirth, As mad a piece of-You were wont to love In your young days; I've known your honour [lenge, sir wooe it: This may be made no little one; 'tis a chalNay, start not, I beseech you; it means you no harm, Nor any man of honour, or understanding; "His to steal from your serious hours a little laughter, I am nold to bring it to your lordship. that's all, sir; It had been in me else a saucy rudeness. Cler. But, if your lordship mark it, no great vocate, [him; Such a little figent thing. Oh, I remember A notable talking knave! Now, out upon him, [mortaily! Il'has challeng'd me downright, defied me I do remember too, I cast his causes. Cler. Why there's the quarrel, sir, the mortal quarrel. 25 O admirantis.] An ingenious friend suspects this Latin word to have been a marginal Lote crept into the text. That Cleremont saying only O, somebody wrote against it admirantis, to shew that a note of admiration was omitted; and that this was the expression of one under a very comick astonishment. I hope the reader will assent to the conjecture, and have therefore discarded the word. Seward. We do not think admirantis to have been a marginal note, but that the word, or some Dear it, was really given by the writers to Cleremout to express his astonishment. The old text should not be discarded; and the word completes the measure, an argument to which Mr. Seward often pays too much regard. VOL. II. D |