though the devil lead the measure,' fuch are to be follow'd: after them, and take a more dilated farewell.

BER. And I will do fo.

PAR. Worthy fellows; and like to prove most finewy fword-men.

[Exeunt BERTRAM and PAROLLES.

Enter LAFEU.

LAF. Pardon, my lord, [Kneeling.] for me and for my tidings.

KING. I'll fee thee to ftand

LAF.

2

up.

Then here's a man

Stands, that has brought his pardon. I would, you Had kneel'd, my lord, to ask me mercy; and That, at my bidding, you could so stand up.

KING. I would I had; fo I had broke thy pate, And afk'd thee mercy for't.

In this last inftance, however, both the quartos, viz. 1600, and 1608, read mufters. STEEVENS.

The obfcurity of the paffage arifes only from the fantastical language of a character like Parolles, whofe affectation of wit urges his imagination from one allufion to another, without allowing time for his judgement to determine their congruity. The cap of time being the first image that occurs, true gait, manner of eating, Speaking, &c. are the feveral ornaments which they mufter, place, or arrange in time's cap. This is done under the influence of the most received ftar; that is, the perfon in the highest repute for fetting the fafhions:-and though the devil were to lead the measure or dance of fashion, fuch is their implicit fubmiffion, that even he must be followed. HENLEY.

9 lead the measure,] i. e. the dance. So, in Much ade about Nothing, Beatrice fays: "Tell him there is measure in every thing, and fo dance out the anfwer." STLEVENS.

2 brought -] Some modern editions read-bought.

MALONE.

LAF.

Good faith, across :

3

But, my good lord, 'tis thus; Will you be cur'd Of your infirmity?

O, will you eat

No grapes, my royal fox? yes, but you will,
My noble grapes, an if my royal fox

Could reach them: I have feen a medicine,"
That's able to breathe life into a stone;
Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary,
With fpritely fire and motion; whofe fimple touch"
Is powerful to araise king Pepin, nay,

3 -acrofs:] This word, as has been already obferved, is ufed when any pass of wit mifcarries. JOHNSON.

While chivalry was in vogue, breaking fpears against a quintain was a favourite exercife. He who fhivered the greatest number was esteemed the most adroit; but then it was to be performed exactly with the point, for if atchieved by a fide-ftroke or across, it fhowed unfkilfulness, and difgraced the practifer. Here, therefore, Lafeu reflects on the King's wit as aukward and ineffectual, and, in the terms of play, good for nothing.

HOLT WHITE.

See As you Like it, A&t III. fc. iv. p. 113. STEEVENS.

4

yes, but you will,

HANMER.

My noble grapes, &c.] The words-My noble grapes, feem to Dr. Warburton and Sir T. Hanmer to ftand fo much in the way, that they have filently omitted them. They may be indeed rejected without great lofs, but I believe they are Shakspeare's words. You will eat, fays Lafeu, no grapes. Yes, but you will eat fuch noble grapes, as I bring you, if you could reach them. JOHNSON. S medicine,] is here put for a fhe-phyfician. and make you dance canary,] Mr. Rich. Broome, in his comedy entitled, The City Wit, or the Woman wears the Breeches, Act IV. fc. i. mentions this among other dances: "As for corantoes, lavoltos, jigs, meafures, pavins, brawls, galliards or canaries; I fpeak it not fwellingly, but I fubfcribe to no man." Dr. GREY. whofe fimple touch, &c.] Thus, Ovid, Amor. III. vii. 41 : Illius ad tactum Pylius juvenefcere poffit,

6

Tithonofque annis fortior effe fuis. STEEVENS.

To give great Charlemain a pen in his hand,
And write to her a love-line.

KING.

8

What her is this?

LAF. Why, doctor fhe: My lord, there's one ar

riv'd,

If you will fee her,-now, by my faith and honour,
If seriously I may convey my thoughts

In this my light deliverance, I have spoke
With one, that, in her fex, her years, profeffion,"
Wisdom, and constancy, hath amaz'd me more
Than I dare blame my weakness: Will you fee her,
(For that is her demand,) and know her business?
That done, laugh well at me.

KING.
Now, good Lafeu,
Bring in the admiration; that we with thee
May spend our wonder too, or take off thine,
By wond'ring how thou took'ft it.

LAF.

And not be all day neither.

Nay, I'll fit you,

[Exit LAFEU.

KING. Thus he his fpecial nothing ever prologues.

And write-] I believe a line preceding this has been loft.

MALONE.

her years, profeffion,] By profeffion is meant her de

claration of the end and purpofe of her coming.

WARBURTON,

2 Than I dare blame my weakness :] This is one of Shakspeare's perplexed expreffions. "To acknowledge how much the has aftonished me, would be to acknowledge a weakness; and this I am unwilling to do." STEEVENS.

Lafeu's meaning appears to me to be this:-"That the amazement she excited in him was fo great, that he could not impute it merely to his own weaknefs, but to the wonderful qualities of the object that occafioned it." M. MASON.

Re-enter LAFEU, with HELENA.

LAF. Nay, come your ways.

KING.

This hafte hath wings indeed.

LAF. Nay, come your ways;

This is his majesty, say your mind to him:
A traitor you do look like; but fuch traitors
His majefty feldom fears: I am Creffid's uncle,
That dare leave two together; fare you well.

[Exit. KING. Now, fair one, does your business follow us?

HEL. Ay, my good lord. Gerard de Narbon was My father; in what he did profefs, well found.' KING. I knew him.

HEL. The rather will I fpare my praises towards

him;

Knowing him, is enough. On his bed of death
Many receipts he gave me; chiefly one,
Which, as the dearest iffue of his practice,
And of his old experience the only darling,
He bad me store up, as a triple eye,

Safer than mine own two, more dear; I have so:
And, hearing your high majesty is touch'd

3 come your ways;] This vulgarifm is alfo put into the mouth of Polonius. See Hamlet, A& I. sc. iii.

STEEVENS.

Creffid's uncle,] I am like Pandarus. See Troilus and Creffida. JOHNSON.

5 well found.] i. c. of known, acknowledged, excellence. STEEVENS.

—a triple eye,] i. e. a third eye. STEEVENS.

With that malignant cause wherein the honour
Of my dear father's gift ftands chief in power,'
I come to tender it, and my appliance,
With all bound humbleness.

KING.

We thank you, maiden But may not be fo credulous of cure,When our most learned doctors leave us; and The congregated college have concluded That labouring art can never ransom nature From her inaidable eftate,-I fay we must not So ftain our judgement, or corrupt our hope, To prostitute our past-cure malady

To empiricks; or to diffever fo

Our great felf and our credit, to esteem

A fenfelefs help, when help past sense we deem.
HEL. My duty then fhall pay me for my pains:
I will no more enforce mine office on you;
Humbly entreating from your royal thoughts
A modeft one, to bear me back again.

KING. I cannot give thee less, to be call'd grateful: Thou thought'ft to help me; and fuch thanks I

give,

As one near death to thofe that wifh him live:
But, what at full I know, thou know'st no part;
I knowing all my peril, thou no art.

HEL. What I can do, can do no hurt to try,
Since you fet up your reft 'gainst remedy:
He that of greatest works is finisher,

Oft does them by the weakest minister :

Of my dear father's gift ftands chief in power,] Perhaps we may better read:

wherein the power

Of my dear father's gift ftands chief in honour.

JOHNSON.