Ber. You are deceiv'd, my Lord, she never faw it; In heavy fatisfaction, and would never King. Plutus himself, That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine (1), Than I have in this ring. 'Twas mine, 'twas Helen's, (8) In Florence was it from a cafement— That -Bertram fill continues to have too little virtue to deferve Helen. He did not know indeed that it was Helen's ring, but he knew that he had it not from a window. -Noble she was, and thought (9) I flood engag'd; I don't understand this reading; if we are to understand that the thought Bertram engaged to her in Affection, infnared by her Charms, this Meaning is too obfcurely exprefs'd. The Context rather makes me believe, that the Poet wrote, -noble she was, and thought I flood ungag'd; i. e. unengag'd: Neither my heart, nor Perfon, difpos'd of. THEOBALD. The plain meaning is, when the faw me receive the ring, the thought me engaged to her. (1) King. Plutus bimself, That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine,] Plutus the grand alchemist, who knows the tincture which confers the properties of gold upon base metals, and the matter by which gold is multiplied, by which a fmall quantity of gold is made to communicate its qualities to a large mafs of metal. In the reign of Henry the fourth a law was made to forbid all men thenceforth to multiply gold, or use any craft of multiplication. Of which law Mr. Boyle, when he was warm with the hope of tranfmutation, procured a repeal. (2) -then if you know, That you are well acquainted with your felf,] i. e. then if you be wife. A ftrange way of expreffing fo trivial a thought! WARBURTON. The That you are well acquainted with yourself, (Where you have never come) or fent it us Ber. She never faw it. King. Thou fpeak'ft it falfely, as I love mine honour; And mak❜ft conject'ral fears to come into me, Which I would fain shut out; if it should prove That thou art fo inhuman-'twill not prove fo- My fore-paft proofs, howe'er the matter fall (3), Having vainly fear'd too little. Away with him, Ber. If you fhall prove, This ring was ever hers, you fhall as eafy Prove that I husbanded her bed in Florence, [Exit Bertram guarded. Where yet the never was. SCENE V. Enter a Gentleman. King. I'm wrap'd in difmal thinkings. Gent. Gracious Sovereign, Whether I've been to blame or no, I know not: The true meaning of this ftrange expreffion is, If you know that your faculties are fo found, as that you have the proper confioufness of your own actions, and are able to recollect and relate what you have done, tell me, &c. (3) My fore paft proofs, bowe'er the matter fall, Shail tax my fears of little vanity, Having vainly feared too little.] The proefs which I have already bad, are fufficient to show that my fears were not wain and irrational. I have rather been hitherto more eafy than I ought, and have unreasonably had too little fear. Who Who hath fome four or five removes come fhort (4) Vanquish'd thereto by the fair grace and speech The King reads a letter. Upon his many proteftations to marry me, when his wife was dead, I blush to say it, he won me. Nor is the Count Roufillon a widower, bis vows are forfeited to me, and my honour's paid to him. He fole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow him to this country for justice: grant it me, O King, in you it be lies; otherwife afeducer flourishes, and a poor maid is undone. Diana Capulet. Laf. I will buy me a fon-in-law in a fair, and toll for him. For this, I'll none of him. King. The heavens have thought well on thee, La- To bring forth this discov'ry. Seek these fuitors: Enter Bertram. I am afraid, the life of Helen (lady) Count. Now juftice on the doers! King. I wonder, Sir, wives are fo monftrous to you, And that you fly them as you fwear to them; Yet you defire to wed. What woman's that? (4) Who bath FOR four or five removes come fort-] We should read, Who bath SOME four or five removes come fort. So in King Lear, For that I am SOME twelve or fourteen moonshine Lag of a brother, Removes are journies or poft-flages. M 2 WARBURTON. Enter Enter Widow and Diana. Dia. I am, my Lord, a wretched Florentine, My fuit, as I do underftand, you know, King. Come hither, Count; do you know thefe women? Ber. My Lord, I neither can, nor will, deny But that I know them; do they charge me further? Dia. Why do you look fo ftrange upon your wife? Ber. She's none of mine, my Lord. 1 Dia. If you fhall marry, You give away this hand, and that is mine; That fhe, which marries you, must marry me, Laf. Your reputation comes too fhort for ter, you are no husband for hér. my daugh[To Bertram. Ber. My Lord, this is a fond and defp'rate creature, Whom fometime I have laugh'd with: let your High nefs Lay a more noble thought upon King. Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend, "Till your deeds gain them: fahrer prove your honour, Than in my thought it lies! Dia. Good my Lord, Afk him his oath, if he does not think He had not my virginity. King. What fay it thou to her? Ber. She's impudent, my Lord; And was a common gamefter to the camp. Dia. He does me wrong, my Lord; if I were He might have bought me at a common price. fo, Do Do not believe him. O, behold this ring, If I be one. camp, Count. He blufhes, and 'tis his : That ring's a thoufand proofs. King. Methought, you faid, This is his wife, You faw one here in Court could witness it. Laf. Ifaw the man to day, if man he be. King. Find him, and bring him hither. Ber. What of him? He's quoted for a moft perfidious flave, With all the fpots o'th' world tax'd and debofh'd, King. She hath that ring of yours. Ber. I think, fhe has; certain it is, I lik'd her, (5) Validity is a very bad word for value, which yet I think is its meaning, unless it be confidered as making a contract valid. (6) -all impediments in fancy's course, Are motives of more fancy: •] Every thing that obftru&ts love is an occafion by which love is heightened. And, to conclude, ber folicitation concurring with ber fashionable appearance, he got the ring. I am not certain that I have attained the true meaning of the word modern, which, perhaps, fignifies rather meanly pretty. M 3 Dia. |