death, and that my lord your fon was upon his return home, I moved the king my mafter, to speak in the behalf of my daughter; which, in the minority of them both, his majefty, out of a felf-gracious remembrance, did firft propofe: his highness hath promised me to do it: and, to ftop up the difpleasure he hath conceived against your fon, there is no fitter matter. How does your ladyfhip like it? COUNT. With very much content, my lord, and I wish it happily effected.

LAF. His highness comes poft from Marseilles, of as able body as when he number'd thirty; he will be here to-morrow, or I am deceived by him that in fuch intelligence hath feldom fail'd.

COUNT. It rejoices me, that I hope I fhall fee him ere I die. I have letters, that my fon will be here to-night: I fhall befeech your lordship, to remain with me till they meet together.

LAF. Madam, I was thinking, with what manners I might fafely be admitted.

COUNT. You need but plead your honourable privilege.

LAF. Lady, of that I have made a bold charter; but, I thank my God, it holds yet.

Re-enter Clown.

CLO. O madam, yonder's my lord your fon with a patch of velvet on's face: whether there be a scar under it, or no, the velvet knows; but 'tis a goodly patch of velvet: his left cheek is a cheek of two pile and a half, but his right cheek is worn bare.

LAF. A fcar nobly got, or a noble fcar, is a good livery of honour: fo, belike, is that.

Laf. A fear nobly got, &c.] This fpeech in the fecond folio and the modern editions is given to the countefs, and perhaps

CLO. But it is your carbonado'd' face.

LAF. Let us go fee your fon, I pray you; I long to talk with the young noble foldier.

CLO. 'Faith, there's a dozen of 'em, with delicate fine hats, and most courteous feathers, which bow the head, and nod at every man.

8

[Exeunt.

Enter HELENA, Widow, and DIANA, with two Attendants.

HEL. But this exceeding pofting, day and night, Muft wear your fpirits low: we cannot help it; But, fince you have made the days and nights as one, To wear your gentle limbs in my affairs,

Be bold, you do fo grow in my requital,
As nothing can unroot you. In happy time;

rightly. It is more probable that the fhould have spoken thus favourably of Bertram, than Lafeu. In the original copy, to each of the fpeeches of the countefs Lad. or La. [i. e. Lady] is prefixed; fo that the mistake was very eafy. MALONE.

I do not discover the improbability of this commendation from Lafeu, who is at prefent anxious to marry his own daughter to Bertram. STEEVENS.

7 — carbonado'd—] i. e. fcotched like a piece of meat for the gridiron. STEEVENS.

The word is again used in King Lear. Kent says to the Steward

"I'll carbonado your shanks for you." MALONE.

8 -feathers, which-nod at every man.] So, in Antony and Cleopatra:

a blue promontory,

"With trees upon't, that nod unto the world." STEEVENS.

1

Enter a gentle Aftringer."

This man may help me to his majesty's ear,
If he would spend his power.-God fave you, fir.
GENT. And you.

HEL. Sir, I have feen you in the court of France.
GENT, I have been fometimes there.

HEL. I do prefume fir, that you are not fallen From the report that goes upon your goodness; And therefore, goaded with moft fharp occafions, Which lay nice manners by, I put you to The ufe of your own virtues, for the which I fhall continue thankful.

GENT.

What's your will?

HEL. That it will please you

To give this poor petition to the king;
And aid me with that ftore of power you have,
To come into his prefence.

9 Enter a gentle Aftringer.] Perhaps a gentle franger, i. e. a ftranger of gentle condition, a gentleman. The error of this conjecture, (which I have learned, fince our firft edition made its appearance, from an old book of Falconry, 1633,) should teach diffidence to thofe who conceive the words which they do not understand, to be corruptions. An oftringer or aftringer is a falconer, and fuch a character was probable to be met with about a court which was famous for the love of that diverfion. So, in Hamlet:

"We'll e'en to it like French Falconers."

A gentle aftringer is a gentleman falconer. The word is derived from aftercus or auftercus, a gofhawk; and thus, fays Cowell in his Law Dictionary: "We ufually call a falconer, who keeps that kind of hawk, an auftringer." Again, in The Book of Hawking, &c. bl. 1. no date: "Now bicaufe I fpoke of oftregiers, ye fhall understand that they ben called offregiers that keep gofshauks or tercels," &c. I learn from Blount's Antient Tenures, that a “ gofshawk is in our records termed by the feveral names Oftercum, Hoftricum, Eftricum, Afturcum, and Aufturcum," and all from the French Auftour. STEEVENS.