Of greatest justice.-Write, write, Rinaldo,
To this unworthy husband of his wife;
Let every word weigh heavy of her worth,
That he does weigh too light: my greatest grief,
Though little he do feel it, fet down fharply.
Dispatch the moft convenient meffenger:
When, haply, he fhall hear that she is gone,
He will return; and hope I may, that the,
Hearing fo much, will speed her foot again,
Led hither by pure love: which of them both
Is dearest to me, I have no fkill in fenfe
To make diftinction :-Provide this meffenger
My heart is heavy, and mine age is weak;
Grief would have tears, and forrow bids me fpeak.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

V.

Without the walls of Florence.

A tucket afar off

Enter an old Widow of Florence, Diana, Violenta, and Mariana, with other citizens.

Wid. Nay, come; for if they do approach the city, we shall lofe all the fight.

Dia. They fay, the French count has done most honourable service.

Wid. It is reported that he has ta'en their greatest commander; and that with his own hand he flew the duke's brother. We have loft our labour; they are gone a contrary way: hark! you may know by their trumpets.

Mar. Come, let's return again, and fuffice ourfelves with the report of it. Well, Diana, take heed of this French earl: the honour of a maid is her name; and no legacy is fo rich as honefty.

G 2

Wid.

Wid. I have told my neighbour, how you have been folicited by a gentleman his companion.

2

Mar. I know the knave; hang him! one Parolles: a filthy officer he is in thofe fuggeftions for the young earl. Beware of them, Diana; their promifes, enticements, oaths, tokens, and all these engines of luft, are not the things they go under: many a maid hath been feduced by them; and the mifery is, example, that fo terrible fhews in the wreck of maidenhood, cannot for all that diffuade fucceffion, but that they are limed with the twigs that threaten them. I hope, I need not to advise you further; but, I hope, your own grace will keep you where you are, though. there were no further danger known, but the modesty which is fo loft.

Dia. You fhall not need to fear me.

Enter Helena, difguis'd like a pilgrim.

Wid. I hope fo.--Look, here comes a pilgrim : I know fhe will lye at my houfe: thither they fend one another I'll queftion her.

God fave you, pilgrim Whither are you bound?

2-are not the things they go under ;-] Mr. Theobald explainsthese words by, They are not really fo true and fincere as in appearance they feem to be. He found fomething like this fenfe would fit the paffage, but whether the words would fit the sense he seems not to have confidered. The truth is, the negative particle should be ftruck out, and the words read thus-are the things they go under: i. e. they make ufe of oaths, promifes, &c. to facilitate their defign upon us. The allufion is to the military ufe of covered-ways, to facilitate an approach or attack; and the scene, which is a befieged city, and the perfons spoken of who are foldiers, make the phrase very proper and natural. The Oxford editor has adoptedthis correction, though in his ufual way, with a but; and reads, are but the things they go. under. WARBURTON.

I think Theobald's interpretation right; to go under the name of any thing is a known expreffion. The meaning is, they are not the things for which their names would make them pass.

JOHNSON.

Hel.

Hel. To St. Jaques le grand.

Where do the palmers 3 lodge, I do befeech you?
Wid. At the St. Francis here, befide the port.
Hel. Is this the way?

[A march afar off.

Wid. Ay, marry, is it. Hark you !

They come this way :-If you will tarry, holy pilgrim,

But 'till the troops come by,

I will conduct you where you fhall be lodg'd;
The rather, for, I think, I know your hostess
As ample as myself.

Hel. Is it yourfelf?

Wid. If you fhall pleafe fo, pilgrim.

Hel. I thank you, and will ftay upon your leifure. Wid. You came, I think, from France?

Hel. I did fo.

Wid. Here you fhall fee a countryman of yours, That has done worthy fervice.

Hel. His name, I pray you?

Dia. The count Roufillon; Know you fuch a one? Hel. But by the ear, that hears most nobly of him; His face I know not..

Dia. Whatfoe'er he is,

He's bravely taken here. He ftole from France,
As 'tis reported, for the king had married him
Against his liking: Think you it is fo?

Hel. Ay, furely, meer the truth; I know his lady. Dia. There is a gentleman, that ferves the count, Reports but coarsely of her.

3

-palmers] Pilgrims that vifited holy places; fo called from a ftaff, or bough of palm they were wont to carry, especially fuch as had vifited the holy places at Jerufalem. "A pilgrim and a palmer differed thus: a pilgrim had fome dwelling place, a palmer had none; the pilgrim travelled to fome certain place, the palmer to all, and not to any one in particular; the pilgrim muft go at his own charge, the palmer muft profefs wilful poverty; the pilgrim might give over his profeffion, the palmer must be contant." BLO.

Hel. What's his name?

Dia, Monfieur l'arolles.

Hel. Oh, I believe with him,

In argument of praife, or to the worth
Of the great count himself, fhe is too mean
To have her name repeated; all her deserving
Is a reserved honesty, and that

I have not heard examined 4.

Dia. Alas, poor lady!

'Tis a hard bondage, to become the wife.

Of a detefting lord.

Wid. A right good creature: wherefoe'er fhe is, Her heart weighs fadly; this young maid might do her A fhrewd turn, if the pleas'd.

Hel. How do you mean?

May be, the amorous count folicits her

In the unlawful purpose.

Wid. He does, indeed;

And brokes with all that can in fuch a fuit
Corrupt the tender honour of a maid:

But she is arm'd for him, and keeps her guard
In honefteft defence.

examined.] That is, queftion'd, doubted. JOHNSON, 5 A right good creature: wherefoe'er she is,

Her heart weighs fadly:

-}

It has been already observed, that there is great reafon to believe, that when these plays were copied for the prefs, the transcriber trufted to the ear, and not to the eye; one perfon dictating, and another tranfcribing. Hence, when we wish to amend any cor rupted paffage, we ought, I apprehend, to look for a word fimilar in found, rather than for one of a fimilar appearance to that which we would correct.

The old copy exhibits this line thus:

I write good creature wherefoe'er she is

I would correct;

A right good creature &c.

Mr. Rowe reads-Ah! right good creature! Others, Ay right: - Good creature! MALONE.

Some change is neceflary; and Mr. Malone's being the most cafy, I have inferted it in the text. STEEVENS.

brokes] Deals as a broker, JOHNSON.

1

Enter

Enter with drum and colours, Bertram, Parolles, Officers and Soldiers attending.

Mar. The gods forbid elfe!

Wid. So, now they come:

That is Antonio, the duke's eldest son ;

That, Efcalus.

Hel. Which is the Frenchman?

Dia. He;

That with the plume: 'tis a moft gallant fellow;

I would, he lov'd his wife: if he were honefter, He were much goodlier :-Is't not a handfome gentleman?

Hel. I like him well.

Dia. 'Tis pity, he is not honeft: Yond's that fame knave 7.

That leads him to thefe places; were I his lady,
I'd poifon that vile rascal.

Hel. Which is he?

Dia. That jack-an-apes with fcarfs: Why is he melancholy?

Hel. Perchance he's hurt i' the battle.

Par. Lofe our drum! well.

Mar. He's fhrewdly vex'd at fomething: Look,

he has fpied us.

Wid. Marry, hang you!

[Exeunt Bertram, Parolles, &c. Mar. And your courtefy, for a ring-carrier!

7

-Yond's that fame knave,

That leads him to thefe places ;-]

What places? Have they been talking of brothels; or, indeed, any particular locality? I make no question but our author wrote: That leads him to these paces.

i. e. fuch irregular steps, to courfes of debauchery, to not loving his wife. THEOBALD.

The places are, apparently, where he

-brokes with all, that can in fuch a fuit Corrupt &c. STEEVENS.