Actus Tertius. Scena Prima. Enter Duke, Lords, & Oliuer. Du. Not see him fince? Sir, fir, that cannot be : But were I not the better part made mercie, I should not feeke an absent argument Of my reuenge, thou prefent : but looke to it, Finde out thy brother wherefoere he is, Seeke him with Candle: bring him dead, or liuing Within this tweluemonth, or turne thou no more Thy Lands and all things that thou doft call thine, Till thou canft quit thee by thy brothers mouth, Ol. Oh that your Highnesse knew my heart in this: I neuer lou'd my brother in my life. Duke. More villaine thou. Well push him out of dores 1. The Palace. Rowe. Duke] Duke junior. Cap. Duke Frederick Mal. 2. fee] seen Coll. (MS) ii, iii, Sing. Ktly, Huds. 4. Seeke] See Ff. 15 7. with Candle] instantly Cartwright 8. twelvemonth] tweluemoneth F„F„. 16. Well push] Well-Push Johns. 3. the better part] See, for similar omissions of prepositions, Abbott, § 202. all points,' I, iii, 123. Cf. 4. argument] JOHNSON: An argument is used for the contents of a book; thence Shakespeare considered it as meaning the subject, and then used it for subject in yet another sense. [Cf. I, ii, 278.] 5. thou present] ABBOTT, § 381: The participle is sometimes implied in the case of a simple word, such as 'being.' 7. Candle] STEEVENS: Probably alluding to St Luke, xv, 8. II. seize] The usual legal term for taking possession. It is doubtful, however, whether 'seizure' be used in a legal sense, although I am not sure that a nice legal point might not be herein detected by a wild enthusiast for the still wilder theory that Shakespeare was not the author of these plays. As there can be in strict law ne 'seizure' until after 'forfeiture,' the forfeiture in the case before us is made alternative upon Oliver's producing the body of Orlando, in which case a verbal seizure' will hold. Clearly, therefore, it is this seizure in posse which is here intended, and not a seizure which can follow only conviction and forfeiture; the term is thus used in its strictest, choicest, legal sense, and approves the consummate legal knowledge of BaI should say, Shakespeare.-ED. And let my officers of such a nature 17 Make an extent vpon his house and Lands: 18. extent] Lord Campbell (p. 49): A deep technical knowledge of law is here displayed, howsoever it may have been acquired. The usurping Duke wishing all the real property of Oliver to be seized, awards a writ of extent against him, in the language which would be used by the Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer, an extendi facias applying to house and lands, as a fieri facias would apply to goods and chattels, or a capias ad satisfaciendum to the person. [I cannot but think that the present is a passage which so far from showing any 'deep technical knowledge of law,' shows not much more than the ordinary knowledge (perhaps even a little vague at that), which must have been almost universal in Shakespeare's day, when statutes merchant and statutes staple were in common use and wont. It may be even possible that there is here an instance of that confusion which follows like a fate dramatists and novelists who invoke the law as a Deus ex machinâ. That Shakespeare is wonderfully correct in general is continually manifest. But I doubt if the present be one of the happiest examples. Lord Campbell, when he says that the Duke aims at Oliver's realty by this writ of extent, overlooked the fact that the Duke had already 'seized' not only all Oliver's realty, but even all his personalty, by an act of arbitrary power. After this display on the part of the Duke that he should invoke the aid of the sheriff and proceed according to due process of law and apply for a writ of extendi facias, which could only issue on due forfeiture of a recognizance or acknowledged debt (under circumstances which had not here occurred), is inconsequential, to say the least, and betokens either a confused knowledge of law (which could be only doubtfully imputed to Shakespeare), or an entire indifference to such trivial details or sharp quillets which only load without helping the progress of the plot. It was dramatically necessary that Oliver should be set adrift, houseless and landless, in order that he and Orlando should hereafter meet; how he was to be rendered houseless and landless was of little moment, the use of a legal term or so would be all-sufficient to create the required impression; officers of the law are ordered to make an extent' upon his house and lands, and the end is gained. A 'deep technical knowledge' of the writ of extendi facias in Shakespeare's day would know that with the lands and goods of the debtor in cases where the Crown was concerned, as here, the sheriff was commanded to take the body also; but this would never do in the present case; Oliver must not himself be detained; he has to be sent forth, somewhere to meet with Orlando; either the sheriff will have to apply to the Court for instructions or the wr't must be radically modified. In short, is it not clear that the law here, as it is in The Merchant of Venice, is invoked merely for dramatic purposes, and was neither intended to be shrilly sounded nor technically exact ?—ED.] 19. expediently] JOHNSON: That is, expeditiously. [For other instances of expedient,' in the sense of expeditious, see Schmidt, s. v.] Scena Secunda. Enter Orlando. Orl. Hang there my verse, in witnesse of my loue, 1. The Forrest. Rowe. Orlando] with a Paper. Cap. 5 ΙΟ Exit 3. thrice crowned] thrice-crowned Theob. et seq. 5. name] fame Anon. 3. thrice crowned Queene] JOHNSON: Alluding to the triple character of Proserpine, Cynthia, and Diana, given by some mythologists to the same goddess, and comprised in these memorial lines: Terret, lustrat, agit; Proserpina, Luna, Diana; Ima, superna, feras; sceptro, fulgore, sagittis.' SINGER: Shakespeare was doubtless familiar with Chapman's Hymns, and the following from Hymnus in Cynthiam, 1594, may have been in his mind: 'Nature's bright eye-sight, and the night's fair soul, That witŁ thy triple forehead dost control Earth, seas, and hell.' [Although this has been repeated by four or five subsequent editors, I fail to detect any grounds for the supposition that Shakespeare had ever seen the passage.-ED.] 5. Thy Huntresse name] Cowden-Clarke: Orlando calls his mistress one of Diana's huntresses, as being a votaress of her order; a maiden lady, a virgin princess. Just as Hero is styled the 'virgin knight' of the 'goddess of the night.' 5. sway] STEEVENS: So in Twelfth N. II, v, 118: 'M, O, A, I, doth sway my life.' 11. vnexpressive] JOHNSON: For inexpressible. MALONE: Milton also: 'With unexpressive notes to Heaven's new-born Heir.'-Hymn to the Nativity, 116. CALDECOTT quotes Lycidas, 176: 'And hears the unexpressive nuptial song.' WALKER (Crit. i, 179) gives many instances of adjectives in -ive that are frequently used by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, so to speak, in a passive sense.' On p. 182 he asks: Did this usage originate in the unmanageable length of some of the adjectives in able and ible, as unsuppressible, uncomprehensible? The corresponding section in Abbott is § 3. 11. shee] For other instances where he and she are used for man and woman, see Abbott, § 224. See line 378, post. Enter Corin & Clowne. Co. And how like you this shepherds life Mr Touchstone? Clow. Truely Shepheard, in respect of it selfe, it is a good life; but in respect that it is a shepheards life, it is naught. In respect that it is folitary, I like it verie well: but in respect that it is priuate, it is a very vild life. Now in respect it is in the fields, it pleaseth mee well: but in respect it is not in the Court, it is tedious. As it is a spare life(looke you) it fits my humor well: but as there is no more plentie in it, it goes much against my stomacke. Has't any Philofophie in thee shepheard? Cor. No more, but that I know the more one fickens, the worse at ease he is: and that hee that wants money, meanes, and content, is without three good frends. That the propertie of raine is to wet, and fire to burne: That pood pasture makes fat sheepe : and that a great cause of the night, is lacke of the Sunne: That hee that hath learned no wit by Nature, nor Art, may complaine of good breeding, or comes of a very dull kindred. Beq. Clo. Such a one is a naturall Philofopher: 12. Scene III. Pope +. 13. Mr] M. FF, master Steev. et 22. Has't] Hast Pope. 12 15 20 25 30 27. pood] F.. 29, 30. good...or] bad breeding, and Han. gross...or Warb. 31, 32. Prose, Pope et seq. 22, 32. Has't... Was't] For instances of the omission of the pronoun, see Abbott, § 401. 29. complaine of] JOHNSON: I am in doubt whether the custom of the language in Shakespeare's time did not authorise this mode of speech, and make 'complain of good breeding' the same with 'complain of the want of good breeding.' In the last line of the Mer. of Ven. we find that to 'fear the keeping' is to 'fear the not keeping.' CAPELL: May complain of it for being no better, or for having taught them nu better. WHITER: This is a mode of speech common, I believe, to all languages, and occurred even before the time of Shakespeare : Εἰ τ' ἄρ ̓ ὄγ ̓ εὐχωλῆς ἐπιμέμφεται, είθ' Kaτóμẞnç.-Il. i, 65-- Whether he compiains of the want of prayers or of sacrifice.' 31. naturall] WARBURTON: The shepherd had said all the philosophy he knew was the property of things, that 'rain wetted,' 'fire burnt,' &c. And the Clown's reply, in a satire on physicks or natural philosophy, though introduced with a quibble, is extremely just. For the natural philosopher is indeed as ignorant (notwithstanding all his parade of knowledge) of the efficient cause of things as the rustic. It appears, from a thousand instances, that our poet was well acquainted with the physicks of his time; and his great penetration enabled him to see this remediless defect of it. STEEVENS: Shakespeare is responsible for the quibble only; let the commentator answer for the refinement. MASON: The clown calls Corin a 'natural philosopher,' Clo. Truly thou art damn'd, like an ill roafted Egge, all on one fide. Cor. For not being at Court? your reason. Clo. Why, if thou neuer was't at Court, thou neuer faw'st good manners: if thou neuer faw'ft good maners, 4C 32, 39. was't] Ff, Rowe. wast Pope. 35. hope.] hope- Rowe et seq. because he reasons from his observations on nature. MALONE: A natural being a common term for a fool, Touchstone, perhaps, means to quibble on the word. CALDECOTT: So far as reasoning from his observations on nature, in such sort a philosopher; and yet as having been schooled only by nature, so far no better than a fool, a motley fool. [See I, ii, 51.] 36, 37. Truly... side] JOHNSON: Of this jest I do not fully comprehend the meaning. STEEVENS: There is a proverb that'a fool is the best roaster of an egg, because he is always turning it.' This will explain how an egg may be 'damn'd all on one side'; but will not sufficiently show how Touchstone applies his simile with propriety; unless he means that he who has not been at court is but half edu cated. MALONE: Touchstone only means to say that Corin is completely damn'd; as irretrievably destroyed as an egg that is utterly spoiled in the roasting, by being done all on one side only. [It is by no means easy to decide here on the best punctuation. It is likely, I think, that it was the punctuation of the Folios which misled Dr Johnson and prevented him from seeing that all on one side' applies to the egg and not to the 'damn'd.' An illustration of the perplexity which may attend the placing of even a comma is to be found in the texts of the Cambridge Edition, of the Globe, and of the Clarendon. In the first and second the text is punctuated: Thou art damned like an ill-roasted egg, all on one side,' which is not good, and would not have helped Dr Johnson. In the Clarendon Edition, however, WRIGHT, improving on the Cambridge and Globe texts, thus punctuates: Thou art damned, like an ill-roasted egg all on one side,' which would have made the jest as clear to Dr Johnson as it does to us all.-ED.] 39, &c. WARBURTON: This reasoning is drawn up in imitation of Friar John's to Panurge in Rabelais: Si tu es cocqu, Ergo ta femme sera belle, Ergo seras bien traicté d'elle: Ergo tu auras des amys beaucoup; ergo tu seras saulué' [Liv. III, chap. xxviii. Although there is no good ground for supposing that there is any connection here between Shakespeare and Rabelais, yet it is worth while to note all these parallelisms; they have lately attracted attention at home and in Germany -ED.]. 40. maners] CALDECOTT (App. p. 19): Good manners (and manners meant morals, no such term as morals being to be found in the dictionaries of these times) signified urbanity or civility, i. e. cultivated, polished manners as opposed to rusticity, i. e. coarse, unformed, clownish, or ill-manners. He, then, that has only good principles and good conduct, without good breeding and civility, is short of perfection by the half; and for want of this other half of that good, which is necessary to salvation, |