Ros. To you I give myself, for I am yours.

To you I give myself, for I am yours.

[To DUKE S.

[To ORLANDO.

pany to be brought by enchantment, and is therefore introduced by a fuppofed aerial being in the character of Hymen. JOHNSON.

In all the allegorical fhows exhibited at ancient weddings, Hymen was a conftant perfonage. Ben Jonfon, in his "Hymenai, or the Solemnities of Mafque and Barriers, at a Marriage," has left us inftructions how to drefs this favourite character." On the other hand entered Hymen, the god of marriage, in a saffroncoloured robe, his under vestures white, his fockes yellow, a yellow veile of filke on his left arme, his head crowned with roses and marjoram, in his right hand a torch." STEEVENS.

8 That thou might'ft join her hand with his,

Whofe heart within her bofom is.] The old copy, instead of ber, reads his in both lines. Mr. Rowe corrected the firft, and I once thought that emendation fufficient, and that Whofe might have referred not to the laft antecedent his, but to her, i. e. Rofalind. Our author frequently takes fuch licences. But on further confideration it appears to me probable, that the fame abbreviation was used in both lines, and that as his was certainly a misprint in the first line for her, fo it alfo was in the fecond, the conftruction being fo much more eafy in that way than the other. "That thou might'ft join her hand with the hand of him whofe heart is lodged in her bofom" i. e. whofe affection fhe already poffeffes. So, in Love's Labour's Left, the King fays to the Princefs:

"Hence ever then my heart is in thy breaft." Again, in our author's Venus and Admis:

"Bids him farewell, and look well to her heart,
"The which, by Cupid's bow the doth protest,
"He carried thence incaged in his breaft.'

Again, in King Rickard III:

"Even fo thy breaft inclofeth my poor heart." Again, in Romeus and Juliet, 1562:

66

Thy heart thou leav'ft with her, when thou doft hence

depart,

"And in thy breaft inclofed bear'ft her tender friendly

heart."

In the fame play we meet with the error that has happened here. The Princefs addreffing the ladies who attend her, fays:

"But while 'tis fpoke, each turn away his face."

Again, in a former fcene of the play before us:

"Helen's cheek, but not his heart." MALONE.

DUKE S. If there be truth in fight, you are my daughter.

ORL. If there be truth in fight,' you are my Rofalind.

PHE. If fight and shape be true, Why then, my love adieu!

Ros. I'll have no father, if you be not he:

[To DUKE S.

I'll have no husband, if you be not he:

[To ORLANDO.

Nor ne'er wed woman, if you be not the. [To PHEBE.

Hrм. Peace, ho! I bar confusion:
'Tis I must make conclufion
Of these most strange events:
Here's eight that must take hands,
To join in Hymen's bands,

If truth holds true contents.*
You and you no cross fhall part;

[To ORLANDO and ROSALIND.

You and you are heart in heart:

[To OLIVER and CELIA.

You [To PHEBE] to his love must accord,
Or have a woman to your lord :-

You and you are fure together,

[To TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY.

As the winter to foul weather.
Whiles a wedlock-hymn we fing,
Feed yourselves with questioning;'

If there be truth in fight,] The answer of Phebe makes it probable that Orlando says:

If there be truth in fhape:

that is, if a form may be trufled; if one cannot ufurp the form of another. JOHNSON.

2 If truth holds true contents.] That is, if there be truth in truth, unlefs truth fails of veracity. JOHNSON.

3 with questioning;] Though Shakspeare frequently uses

That reason wonder may diminish,
How thus we met, and these things finish.

SONG.

Wedding is great Juno's crown;*
O bleffed bond of board and bed!
'Tis Hymen peoples every town;
High wedlock then be honoured:
Honour, high bonour and renown,
To Hymen, god of every town!

DUKE S. O my dear niece, welcome thou art to

me;

Even daughter, welcome in no lefs degree.

PHE. I will not eat my word, now thou art mine; Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine."

Enter JAQUES DE BOIS.

[TO SILVIUS.

F42. DE B. Let me have audience for a word, or

two;

I am the fecond fon of old fir Rowland,

That bring these tidings to this fair affembly:

queftion for converfation, in the prefent inftance queftioning may have its common and obvious fignification. STEEVENS.

4 Wedding is, &c.] Catullus, addreffing himself to Hymen, has this ftanza:

Que tuis careat facris,

Non queat dare præfides
Terra finibus: at queat
Te volente. Quis huic deo

Compararier aufit? JOHNSON.

combine.] Shakspeare is licentious in his ufe of this verb,

which here, as in Measure for Measure, only fignifies to bind: "I am combined by a facred vow,

"And shall be abfent," STEEVENS.

Duke Frederick,' hearing how that every day
Men of great worth reforted to this forest,
Addrefs'd a mighty power; which were on foot,
In his own conduct, purposely to take

His brother here, and put him to the fword:
And to the fkirts of this wild wood he came;
Where, meeting with an old religious man,
After fome queftion with him, was converted
Both from his enterprize, and from the world:
His crown bequeathing to his banish'd brother,
And all their lands reftor'd to them again
That were with him exil'd: This to be true,
I do engage my life.

DUKE S.
Welcome, young man;
Thou offer'ft fairly to thy brothers' wedding:
To one, his lands with-held; and to the other,
A land itself at large, a potent dukedom.
First, in this foreft, let us do thofe ends
That here were well begun, and well begot:
And after, every of this happy number,
That have endur'd fhrewd days and nights with us,
Shall fhare the good of our returned fortune,
According to the measure of their states.
Meantime, forget this new-fall'n dignity,
And fall into our ruftick revelry:-

--

Play, mufick; and you brides and bridegrooms all, With measure heap'd in joy, to the measures fall. F42. Sir, by your patience :-If I heard you rightly,

The duke hath put on a religious life,

And thrown into neglect the pompous court?

5 Duke Frederick, &c.] In Lodge's novel the ufurping Duke is not diverted from his purpose by the pious counfels of a hermit, but is fubdued and killed by the twelve peers of France, who were brought by the third brother of Rofader (the Orlands of this play) to assist him in the recovery of his right, STEEVENS.

J42. DE B. He hath.

F42. To him will I: out of these convertites There is much matter to be heard and learn'd.You to your former honour I bequeath;

[TO DUKE S. Your patience, and your virtue, well deferves it :You [To ORLANDO] to a love, that your true faith doth merit:

You [To OLIVER] to your land, and love, and great

allies:

You [TO SILVIUS] to a long and well deserved bed ;And you [To TOUCHSTONE] to wrangling; for thy loving voyage

Is but for two months victual'd:-So to your pleafures;

I am for other than for dancing measures.

DUKE S. Stay, Jaques, ftay.

J42. To fee no paftime, I:—what you would have I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave." [Exit. DUKE S. Proceed, proceed: we will begin these

rites,

As we do truft they'll end, in true delights.

6 To fee no paflime, I :—what you would have

[A dance.

I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave.] Amidft this general feftivity, the reader may be forry to take his leave of Jaques, who appears to have no fhare in it, and remains behind unreconciled to fociety. He has, however, filled with a gloomy fenfibility the fpace allotted to him in the play, and to the last preserves that refpect which is due to him as a confiftent character, and an amiable though folitary moralist.

It may be obferved, with fcarce lefs concern, that Shakspeare has on this occafion forgot old Adam, the fervant of Orlando, whofe fidelity should have entitled him to notice at the end of the piece, as well as to that happinefs which he would naturally have. found, in the return of fortune to his mafter. STEEVENS.

It is the more remarkable, that old Adam is forgotten; fince at the end of the novel, Lodge makes him captaine of the king's guard, FARMER,