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Ber. You are deceiv'd, my Lord, she never faw it;
In Florence was it from a cafement thrown me (8),
Wrap'd in a paper, which contain'd the name
Of her that threw it (9) Noble fhe was, and thought
I ftood engag'd; but when I had fubfcrib'd
To mine own fortune, and inform'd her fully,
I could not answer in that courfe of honour
As the had made the overture, the ceaft

In heavy fatisfaction, and would never
Receive the ring again.

King. Plutus himself,

That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine (1),
Hath not in nature's mystery more science,

Than I have in this ring. 'Twas mine, 'twas Helen's,
Whoever gave it you: then if you know (2),

(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!

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WARBURTON.

The

That you are well acquainted with yourself,
Confefs 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement
You got it from her. She call'd the Saints to furety,
That the would never put it from her finger,
Unless she gave it to yourself in bed,

(Where you have never come) or fent it us
Upon her great disaster.

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-
And yet I know not-thou didft hate her deadly,
And the is dead; which nothing, but to close
Her eyes myself, could win me to believe,
More than to fee this ring. Take him away.
[Guards feize Bertram.

My fore-paft proofs, howe'er the matter fall (3),
Shall tax my fears of little vanity,

Having vainly fear'd too little. Away with him,
We'll fift this matter further.

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:
Here's a petition from a Florentine,

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)
To tender it herself. I undertook it,

Vanquish'd thereto by the fair grace and speech
Of the poor fuppliant, who by this, I know,
Is here attending her bufinefs looks in her
With an importing vifage; and fhe told me,
In a sweet verbal brief, it did concern
Your Highness with herself.

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-
feu,

To bring forth this discov'ry. Seek these fuitors:
Go speedily, and bring again the Count.

Enter Bertram.

I am afraid, the life of Helen (lady)
Was foully fnatch'd.

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

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Enter Widow and Diana.

Dia. I am, my Lord, a wretched Florentine,
Derived from the antient Capulet;

My fuit, as I do underftand, you know,
And therefore know how far I may be pitied.
Wid. I am her mother, Sir, whofe age
and honour
Both fuffer under this complaint we bring,
And both fhall ceafe without your remedy.

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;
You give away heav'n's vows, and thofe are mine;
You give away myself, which is known mine;
For I by vow am fo embodied yours,

That fhe, which marries you, must marry me,
Either both or none.

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
mine honour,
Than for to think that I would fink it here.

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.
He had upon h

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,
Whose high refpect and rich validity (5)
Did lack a parallel yet for all that,
He gave it to a commoner o'th'

If I be one.

camp,

Count. He blufhes, and 'tis his :
Of fix preceding ancestors, that gem
Conferr'd by Teftament to th' fequent iffue,
Hath it been ow'd and worn,

That ring's a thoufand proofs.

King. Methought, you faid,

This is his wife,

You faw one here in Court could witness it.
Dia. I did, my Lord, but loth am to produce.
So bad an instrument; his name's Parelles.

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,
Which rature fickens with: but to speak truth,.
Am I or that or this, for what he'll utter,
That will speak any thing?

King. She hath that ring of yours.

Ber. I think, fhe has; certain it is, I lik'd her,
And boarded her i'th'wanton way of youth:
She knew her distance, and did angle for me,
Madding my eagernefs with her reftraint;
As (5) all impediments in fancy's course,
Are motives of more fancy and in fine,
Her infult coming with her modern grace,.
Subdu'd me to her rate: fhe got the ring
And I had that, which any inferior might
At market-price have bought.

(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.

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